Daily Meditations on the Bible
… but Christ lives in me.
Summary: As we look at this passage, the first question that confronts us is existential. Are we purely physical beings, or is there something more, some invisible part of us that only God can see?
Continue reading “Galatians 2:20c – Christ in Me (Part 1)”Put on the full armor of God …
Summary: We live in dangerous times, both physically and spiritually. Only one of these realms is eternal, and that is where the greatest danger lies.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:11a – Fear Can Be Deadly”So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do …
Summary: Paul’s problem is that people who believe in God act differently than people who don’t. Being the “Apostle to the Gentiles” carried with it the added burden of educating Gentile believers about this difference.
Continue reading “Ephesians 4:17a – A Kind of Test”… may have power …
Summary: Roots are a metaphor for our relationship with God and his love for us. As we put down roots in love, we find the spiritual water and nutrients we need for life. More than that, we are strengthened with power.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:18a – Spiritual Potting Soil (Part II)”… should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
Summary: Looking deeper into God’s manifold wisdom, we find a small opening in the veil between our world and the next.
Continue reading “Ephesians 3:10c – We Are Not Alone”… flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God …
Summary: Paul makes a statement that seems to contradict other passages in Scripture. Bending our minds around his thoughts sometimes requires looking at things from God’s point of view.
Continue reading “1 Corinthians 15:50 – What Does God See?”
His divine power …
Summary: Divine power is different than physical power. In the physical realm, physical power is mostly what we see, but the Bible is full of stories about a different kind of power.
Continue reading “2 Peter 1:3a — A Different Kind of Power”
… my true son in our common faith …
Summary: Paul’s reference to Titus as his ”son” in the faith opens up a door to understanding how God sees us spiritually and how we should see each other spiritually.
Continue reading “Titus 1:4 (b) — Family Ties”
…offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
This may be one of the most important verses in the Bible. Oh, I know…it looks benign. You can read it and think, “Nice verse…” and go on with your reading. But when I look at this verse I see all the threads in the Bible coming together into one place.
I can guess what you are thinking. You are probably thinking, “Okay, Jeff. Go ahead. Show me how this ties together all the threads in the Bible. But remember, this is ThreeMinuteBible.com, not TwentyYearBible.com, okay?” Okay. Fair enough. Since we are constrained on time, I will use large brush strokes again and see if I can paint a picture of what I see.
Continue reading “1 Peter 2:5 (c) — At the Foot of the Cross”
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.
It was night. We presume it was dark. The year was somewhere around 33 or 34 AD. What passed for streetlights were torches or fire-pots, and now and then stray lamp light escaping from a window.
A man of advancing age wearing the robes of a professional educator makes his way down one alley after another. Finally, he reaches his goal, a door of rough wood in a seedy part of town. He knocks and after it opens exchanges a few words. He enters. His name is Nicodemus. The person he has come to see is a man named Jesus.
Continue reading “1 Peter 1: 3-4 (a) — Born Again”