Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith …
Summary: The power of God to know the future is revealed in the Bible.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:8a – Turning Point”Matthew 13:52 – Tree and Forest
… a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.
Summary: Writing a blog about anything in the Bible is really a matter of listening to God as he points to treasures in his Word.
Continue reading “Matthew 13:52 – Tree and Forest”1 Kings 19:12 – The Sound of God’s Voice
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
Summary: As we blindly stumble through our spiritual surroundings, God speaks to us in quiet ways. Learning to recognize his voice is a challenge worth accepting.
Continue reading “1 Kings 19:12 – The Sound of God’s Voice”Matthew 6:10 – God’s Will
… your will be done …
Summary: We are moving on to the next section in the Lord’s Prayer, the one that talks about God’s “will” being done. It should be interesting!
Continue reading “Matthew 6:10 – God’s Will”2 Peter 1:12-13a — Priorities
So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory…
Summary: Returning to Peter’s words, we are reminded of why we need to be reminded.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:12-13a — Priorities”John’s Mission
As we get closer to Christmas Day, we are walking through the scriptures that tell us the story of Jesus’ birth. We have seen the Annunciation or formal announcement of the coming events by the angel Gabriel to Mary. We have seen Zechariah’s voice restored after proclaiming his baby’s name to be John as the angel Gabriel instructed him. Now we hear John’s words of prophecy by the Holy Spirit regarding the coming Messiah and his own son’s mission as the herald of the coming king. John will be called a prophet of the Most High and will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him…
… to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins…
Luke 1:77
John’s mission was to proclaim salvation through the forgiveness of sins. He must have been a very effective preacher because people came from all over the Holy Land to hear his words. Many of them humbled themselves, admitting their sin and confessing their desire to repent. Those that did receive a symbolic baptism of water, a ceremonial washing as it is called in some places.
Continue reading “John’s Mission”Vision
Up until this point in Zechariah’s prophetic song he has been talking about the coming Messiah, Jesus. Now his vision switches to his own newly born son, John.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him…
Luke 1: 76
At the time John is born, Zechariah and Elizabeth are old people. It seems unlikely that they would have still been alive when John started his ministry, so they would never see the fulfillment of his calling with their eyes of flesh. Through the Holy Spirit, however, Zechariah is able to see what John will become: a prophet of the Most High, preparing the way before Him.
Continue reading “Vision”Without Fear
In verses 69-71 (“Horn of Salvation”) we looked at the difference between how the Israelites viewed their enemies and who God sees as the real “enemy.” In this passage, Zechariah returns to that same theme but here he explains the reason why this is important.
…the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
Luke 1: 73-75
To serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness is a picture of great beauty.
Continue reading “Without Fear”