Colossians 2:23 — Counterfeit and worthless. This was Paul’s final assessment of the religious practices that had come into the churches at Colossae and Laodicea. They had the appearance of wisdom but were powerless to effect spiritual progress. These practices were man-made and simply efforts to control the flesh by means of the flesh.
Leviticus 9:1-10:7 — This passage records the first worship service conducted by the priests in Israel’s history. Aaron and his four sons offered sacrifices upon the altar in the court of the newly constructed Tabernacle. At the conclusion of the service, an amazing thing happened. Fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed…
Luke 5:33-35 — In these verses Luke records an interaction that Jesus had with some disciples of John the Baptist. The existence of these disciples at this point in Jesus’ ministry is curious. Why were these people still following John? These disciples had a question for Jesus concerning fasting. The content of this question plus…
II Corinthians 5:10 — The wonderful message of the Gospel is that Jesus bore the penalty of sin when He died on the cross. The person who places their faith in Jesus as Saviour is completely forgiven. The penalty of sin is forever removed but that does not mean there is no accountability. The New…
Luke 5:27-32 — Levi was a tax collector and that meant he was despised. Tax collectors grew rich by collaborating with the Jewish people’s enemies. Often they were mentioned in the same breath as the “sinners,” that is, they were grouped with men and women who were notorious for their wicked lifestyles. So in this text…
Colossians 2:20-22 — Under the influence of false teachers, the Colossians had brought elements of the pagan worldview into their Christian lives. Paul addressed this by reminding them of their union with Christ and challenging them about their submission to man-made rules. We too can adopt pagan ways of thinking in our approach to the Christian…
Proverbs 3:13-18 — Wisdom can buy what money can’t. That’s what the Holy Spirit through Solomon’s pen teaches us in this text. It’s only when we live by God’s wisdom that life works. But far more importantly, God’s wisdom is that which leads to everlasting life. We can enjoy a wonderful life now, but what about eternity?
Luke 5:17-26 — This text tells the much loved story of the paralysed man who was let down through the roof by his friends. They were confident that Jesus could heal their sick friend and that’s exactly what He did! There are many wonderful lessons that might be drawn from this story, but the real…
Ezra 5:1-2, Haggai 1 — The captives who returned to Jerusalem from Babylon set to work on rebuilding the Temple, but as a result of opposition the work ceased. As the years progressed the Temple remained unfinished and the people turned their attention elsewhere. Their priorities changed and God was not pleased, so He sent…
Proverbs 3:13-18 — What is true happiness and how do we find it? These are some of life’s most important questions and the world doesn’t really have an answer. We live in communities filled with people who, though outwardly cheerful, are deeply unhappy. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit through Solomon’s pen tells us plainly in this…