Idolatrous Memory

 It was there at Gilgal that Joshua piled up the twelve stones taken from the Jordan River. Then Joshua said to the Israelites, “In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean? Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’                      Joshua 4:20-22 NLT TheContinue reading “Idolatrous Memory”

Lack His Glory?

There is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,                                                                                                                         Romans 3:22b-24a ESV The Bible’s depth is a continual source of amazement to me. The central statement in the passage above is an example. One night recently IContinue reading “Lack His Glory?”

Do Away with the Old Testament?

Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.                                                    Matthew 5:17 NLT When we look at the totality of Matthew chapters five through seven, it is easy to see why Jesus said what heContinue reading “Do Away with the Old Testament?”

Do Not Swear an Oath

“You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the LORD.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne.                                                                                                 Matthew 5:33-34 NLT On the surface, this paragraph (Matt 5:33-37)Continue reading “Do Not Swear an Oath”

You Don’t Have to Tell Everything You Know

“And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened… “If you then, being evil, know how to give goodContinue reading “You Don’t Have to Tell Everything You Know”

Clarifying the Issue

The LORD now said to Moses, “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.”                      Numbers 13:1-2 NLT Have you ever wondered about this command? I have. Laying aside the whole thorny issue of foreknowledge, why didn’tContinue reading “Clarifying the Issue”

Sacrifices and the Sacrifice

Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time. Then he sat down in the place of honorContinue reading “Sacrifices and the Sacrifice”