Luke 19:1-10 — The story of Zacchaeus is familiar to most Christians, but do you know that his conversion is the last recorded before Jesus went to the cross? Do you know just how wicked a person he was? Do you know the significance of this story in the overall narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry? These…
Mark 10:46-52 — As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem for the final time He came through the city of Jericho. In the city was a blind man named Bartimaeus who was desperate to meet with Jesus. He believed that Jesus was the Messiah and able to restore his sight, which is exactly what Jesus did!…
John 21:1-17, I Peter 5:1-4 — A minister of the Gospel may have the requisite gifts but what will sustain him over the long term? How can he endure the hardship and the suffering that inevitably comes with the office? The key is his love for Christ. If a pastor loves Jesus he will persevere in preaching…
James 1:26-27 — “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Many followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are uncomfortable with being called “religious.” Evangelical Christians tend to associate “religion” with works righteousness. It consists of performing…
Genesis 23 — Abraham lived for many years in the land of Canaan as a nomad. He moved from place to place with his household and his flocks. When Sarah died he decided to purchase some land in which to bury her. This land would become his family’s ancestral burial ground. The local lord of the…
Proverbs 25:14 — “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.” As our region experiences a long dry spell, the image in this proverb is on that has become all too familiar. We have seen many clouds appear in the sky with the promise of rain but then dissipate…
Genesis 34 — How do we as Christians respond to the #MeToo movement that is exposing sexual harassment and assault in many parts of society? If anything, it should cause us to turn the spotlight on ourselves. We ought to examine our behaviour, what we’re teaching our children and what we’re modelling in front of them.…
Genesis 18-19, II Peter 2:6-8 — “For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day…” Lot was not indifferent to the wickedness of Sodom. He was troubled by it every day, and yet when the LORD visited the city, he could not find 10 righteous people.…
Daniel 1-3 — Daniel and his three friends found themselves in a situation that increasingly resembles the one we’re facing today as evangelical Christians. The prevailing culture is becoming more anti-Christian and there is growing pressure to compromise. This is exactly what Daniel and his three friends did not do! In the face of great…
II Chronicles 34 — Manasseh was the worst king that Judah ever had. His evil deeds exceeded even those of the Canaanite nations whom the Lord destroyed! So it’s quite remarkable that when his grandson Josiah came to the throne at just eight years of age “he did that which was right in the sight…