Jeremiah 27:5-7 — In this text we have God’s message to Judah and five other nations concerning the advance of Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. It was God’s will that these nations submit to Nebuchadnezzar’s rule or else be destroyed. At this point in history, Nebuchadnezzar, although a wicked, cruel and violent man, was “God’s…
Matthew 27:34 — “They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.” Immediately before being nailed to the cross, Jesus was offered a mixture that contained alcohol and a narcotic of some kind. It was designed to alleviate the pain He was about to experience.…
Colossians 3:16 — “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Singing in corporate worship has become a very controversial issue in evangelical circles over the last 30-40 years. There’s even…
Luke 7:11-17 — “And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her…” (v.13a) In this text Luke records a miracle that took place at an obscure Galilean village called Nain. Jesus met a funeral procession leaving the town. A young man had died, the only son of a widow. Jesus stopped the procession…
Colossians 3:16 — “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” How were the Colossians to put this command into practice? What “word” did they have? What “songs” did they sing? These are interesting questions and they help…
Luke 7:1-10 — The centurion in the town of Capernaum had what many of us would love to have. A wonderful reputation, healthy relationships, material prosperity and a compassionate heart all were his. In the world’s eyes he was a good man, and yet there was one glaring deficiency in his life. He didn’t have the…
Jeremiah 7:29-8:1 — “They shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of his princes, the bones of the priests, the bones of the prophets…And they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the host of heaven…” What Jeremiah describes here is a grotesque act of desecration that the Babylonians would perform when they besieged…
Matthew 5:13-16 — Since 1911, the census has collected information on religious affiliations and in 2016, for the first time, more Australians identified as having “no religion” than anything else. In 2006 it was 19% of the population who identified this way, in 2011 it was 22% and now it stands at 30%. This is a remarkable change…
Colossians 3:15 — “And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…” Peace is essential to our wellbeing and yet it’s something we often fail to experience. Perhaps this is because we don’t understand how the Bible talks about peace, or how it is we come to know that peace within our own hearts. In…
Luke 6:46-49 — In these verses we have the conclusion to Jesus’ sermon in Luke chapter 6. It opens with a series of “blessings and woes” (vs.20-26) and it closes with a powerful illustration (vs.47-49). Jesus pressed His hearers to actually do what He said! — “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the…