Send out your light and your truth, let them lead me Let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Psalm 43:3 When we become a Christian, it is often the case that we imagine that we are now free from troubles. We can have a feeling that we are going to quickly progress to perfection. There have been Christians in history that have imagined that we can achieve some sort of sinless perfection on before Jesus calls us home. Pretty soon though, we begin to realize th

Nevertheless, I have written to remind you more boldly on some points because of the grace given me by God   to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the gospel of God. God’s purpose is that the Gentiles may be an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:15–16 I wonder what you live for. Perhaps it’s pretty simple, you live to live. But I think if we think about our motives and the things we say, it might be clear that we h

Olive Grove at Gethsemane 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, bu

For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away  through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;  my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.  Selah  Psalm 32:3–4 There are a lot of Selahs in Psalm 32. At least compared to what is normal in the Psalms. Usually, we say that this word Selah means, ‘take a pause.’ So that would mean in Psalm 32, we’re supposed to take a lot of pauses as though we meditate on the words of the psalm. What is i

Maundy Thursday Procession to unlock the Church of the Holy Sepulchre Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?  Psalm 24:3 Psalm 24 makes me ask more questions than I can answer. What are the ancient doors in verse 7 and 9? In English it’s not as shocking, but in Hebrew the word is usually, ‘eternal’ or ‘from the bowels of the beginning’ (my translation :) ). Is it just a dusty old door? Or is it an imagined door that is there when we see

Shepherd and sheep under an oak So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you… 1 Peter 5:1–2 On Sunday we talked a little bit about all the stuff swirling in the world around. It’s been a sad news cycle. Also, it may have felt like no one wise has been speaking about any of these issues. There aren’t a lot of devotions

“you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”  Romans 2:21–24 This world is all about telling others what to do. If I put words on social media, people

A Bird in Nahal Zin In the Lord I take refuge;  how can you say to my soul, “Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and

13 I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. 14 There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siegeworks against it. 15 But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. 16 But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.  Ecclesiastes 9:13

Swimming in the Red Sea 14 The peoples have heard; they tremble;  pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.  15 Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;  trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;  all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.  16 Terror and dread fall upon them;  because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,  till your people, O Lord, pass by,  till the people pass by whom you have purchased.  17  You will bring them in and plant them on yo

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  John 3:5–8. This Sunday is the

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39–40 Heidelberg Catechism:  Q21: What is True Faith? A: True faith is not only a knowledge and conviction that everything God reveals in His Word is true; it is also a deep-rooted assurance, created in me by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, that, out of sheer grace earned for us by Chri

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;  and the government shall be upon his shoulder,  and his name shall be called  Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6 …but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.  1 Corinthians 1:24–25. This coming Sunday we will consider the fact that Ch

46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”  Matthew 12:46–50 This upcoming Sunday is the first Sunday of advent and our adven