The articles below are a great way to delve into the Word when you have limited time. Each article is short in length, but long on inspiration and teaching about the hidden meaning of passages and books in our beloved Bible. God seems to talk to us directly and succinctly – so choose a few and see how you grow.
One of the many wonders of God’s grace is that we are His workmanship (see Eph.2:10). Just as no two blades of grass or two snowflakes are the same, so in the new creation we have been individually and skilfully planned and crafted. And it takes every individual member of the body of Christ to display the full glory of His handiwork.
The purpose of both creation and redemption is that we might have an intimate relationship with Jesus. It is not surprising, therefore, that there would be one book in the Bible which depicts this. That book is the Song of Solomon.
Turning the water into wine was the first sign performed by Jesus. He and His disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana. Unlike John the Baptist, Jesus was not an ascetic; He came ‘eating and drinking’. He was no party-pooper. He didn’t stand alone in a corner drinking cordial, judging those who were making merry. He celebrated with them. And for good reason, as we shall see.
Some take it to mean having to carry some unpleasant burden in life – maybe coping with a difficult relationship or working in an unpleasant environment. Often the world uses the term in this way. But this has nothing to do with what Jesus was saying..
Paul says that when a person comes to faith in Christ they are taken out from being under the law; they no longer need this pedagogue. We are free from the law and from people telling us what to do..
“Who was very upset when the prodigal son came home?” the children’s church worker asked her class. A little boy put his hand up and replied, “The fatted calf!”
I can understand that. But, as we know, the answer the teacher was looking for was, ‘the elder brother’.
The world concentrates on building up the outer man through such things as diet and exercise. The healthier we are the more likely our immune system will be to resist viruses and diseases. So it is with our inner man. The stronger it is the more we can withstand spiritual sicknesses. ..
Often, people believe that sin is the pathway to pleasure; otherwise they wouldn’t do it. People become addicted to anything that gives temporary pleasure as a means of distraction from the emotional pain they are going through.
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The point that Jesus was making in the parables of the Lost Son and the Lost Sheep is not why people are lost, but the fact that they are lost. It doesn’t matter whose fault it is. Jesus wants us to know the agony of the ‘loser’. In both parables, the ‘loser’ went looking for that which was lost. That’s what God does. All you need to qualify for God’s redeeming love is to be lost!.
Contrary to popular belief the word ‘repent’ doesn’t mean to stop sinning. It is a translation of the Greek word metanoeo, meaning to perceive afterwards or change one’s mind . It is made up of two words: meta = to change; nous = the mind. The idea behind this word is to reconsider, or think differently ...
Like John, Paul is aware that his new nature does not sin. As a new creation he is in complete harmony with God’s own nature. But, at the same time the relics of sin which remain in his body make their appeal to the flesh. And it is in the area of the flesh, not the spirit that we sin.
When a person gets a revelation of the unmerited, awesome, boundless grace of God they are usually overwhelmed with a sense of freedom, peace and joy.
Yet in their zeal to share the good news with other believers some tend to go on the attack, maliciously ridiculing and even insulting those who have not yet had the same revelation. This is not only sad, it’s actually counterproductive.
