Jesus, the Psalms, the Cross, Lenten Reflection #8

I wish I could do this for a living–blogging or writing or spending all my time thinking about Scripture and helping others discover kernels of delight and morsels of joy. There's so much to take in on every page and it sincerely makes me happy to share it with others. My Psalm reading is still…

How Long?, Lenten Reflection #7

Here I am in the midst of the Lenten season. I have been reading my Bible, trying to pray, avoiding social media, and really working hard to get myself into a routine that is conducive to good faith practice–that is, I've been working real hard to root our sin and draw closer to Jesus. It…

Fixed Eye Faith, Lenten Reflections #2

Several years ago I became rather obsessed with the book in the New Testament we call 'Hebrews.' I don't remember the exact dates off the top of my head, I just remember catching a glimpse of it one day (I think I may have been reading N.T. Wright's book Following Jesus) and then diving in deeper…

Meditations on Hebrews, pt 3

I'm kind of stuck in Hebrews 2. I want to move on, but I keep going back to it over and over because I keep seeing something in it that captivates my attention. Today what caught my attention is not so much a 'what' as a 'who.' It's Jesus, of course. Today I noticed something…

Growing in Jesus and Our Understanding of His Work

Friends, This is the third in a series of preliminary sermons I have preached from the book of Hebrews during Lent. You can download the manuscripts at my box.net (I have provided the links.) I will be preaching through the entire book starting in May 2009. Sermon one is: Listening to and Thinking about Jesus…

Listening to and Thinking about Jesus

Sunday, March 1, 2009 (PM) The Imperatives of Hebrews The Book of Hebrews “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he…

90 Days with Jesus, Day 46: John 9:26-34, Friend of Jesus or Moses?

John 9:26-34 26Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” 28Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You…

90 Days with Jesus, Day 38: John 8:12-20: No Other Way but the Cross of Jesus

John 8:21-30 21Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.” 22This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” 23But he continued, “You…

90 Days with Jesus, Day 31: John 7:16-24: Pez-Dispenser Jesus

John 7:16-24 16Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. 17If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but…

90 Days with Jesus, Day 7: John 2:1-11: Something (One) Better

John 2:1-11 1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4″Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My…

It’s So Hard to be a Christian in America!

Read this article from WorldNetDaily.com: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55990 Think you got it bad here in America? Think your church stinks? Think you’re not getting anything out of the worship on Sundays? Read this article. “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering”–Hebrews 13:3…

Overcoming the World

Forsyth wrote, “The evil world will not win at last, because it failed to win at the only time it every could. It is a vanquished world where men play their devilries. Christ has overcome it. It can make tribulation, but desolation it can never make.” (The Justification of God, 223) I don’t happen to…

A Mind-blowing Statement & Hebrews 2:14-18

I will be working on the above passage for a few hours today. So as I did the other day I will be sharing a few thoughts as I go along. I will begin with a mind-blowing statement from PT Forsyth. He puts into words the nature of the work of Jesus on the Cross–that…

Random Thoughts From Hebrews 2:5-18

I’m working late tonight. I have some exegetical work to do for Bible School on Sunday. As I go along in the work tonight I’m going to drop some notes here sort of as practice. These are all preliminary thoughts and may or may not mean anything in particular at the moment. 2:9: τὸν δὲ…