Tag Archives: jesus

Joseph 2

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream….”                                                                Matthew 2:13              “…an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph….”                                                                        Matthew 2:19     “Having been warned in a dream, he….”                                                                                             Matthew 2:22       I said in the previous devotion that if Mary was a remarkable woman, Joseph was a remarkable man. WeContinue reading “Joseph 2”

Joseph 1

Joseph, her fiance’, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly….                                                                                  Matthew 1:19a When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord commanded….        Matthew 1:24a Through the centuries the church has tended to make a great deal of Mary, more of her than is merited in the Bible. But whatContinue reading “Joseph 1”

Perfect Repair

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.                                                                        Hebrews 13:21 KJV Modern translations avoid using the word “perfect.” In the case of this verse consider some of these renderings: NLT “mayContinue reading “Perfect Repair”

Physical and Spirital

Then I, myself, will be a protective wall of fire around Jerusalem, says the Lord. And I will be the glory inside the city!                                                                                                                                                  Zechariah 2:5 NLT As best we can tell, it is a historical fact that after the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed by the Babylonians, probably in 586 orContinue reading “Physical and Spirital”

Knowing What Can’t Be Known

…to know the love the surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.                                                                                                                                                         Ephesians 3:19 NIV In that wonderful prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19, Paul exceeds even himself as he prays for the church in which both Jews and Gentiles have been brought together toContinue reading “Knowing What Can’t Be Known”

What Does Yahweh Want?

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?                                                                         Micah 6:8 NRSV This passage of Scripture is so very well known that it has become almost a cliché. The keyContinue reading “What Does Yahweh Want?”

Guarding Worthless Things

  Those who worship false gods turn their backs on all God’s mercies.                                                Jonah 2:8 NLT Jonah, chapter two is a wonderful piece of literature. But verse eight is especially interesting. In the original it is very indefinite. The sentence says “those who carefully guard worthless things have abandoned their steadfast love (ḥesed).” In keepingContinue reading “Guarding Worthless Things”

A Living Soul

And God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.     Genesis 2:7 KJV                                                                                                                              Unto thee, O Lord, I do lift up my soul   Psalm 25:1 KJV                                                                                               A recent newspaper column raised the question: will artificial intelligence someday haveContinue reading “A Living Soul”

Boundaries

“When you arrive in the land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession, you must never steal anyone’s land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.  Deuteronomy 19:14 NLT                                                                                                                                One of the features of the pagan understanding of reality is that there areContinue reading “Boundaries”

Knowing God

There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. You make vows and break them, you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere – on murder after another.             Hosea 4:1b-2 NLT The Prophet Hosea says there are three things wrong with Israel: they do not exhibit self-giving love,Continue reading “Knowing God”