God Regards the Lowly

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Mariotto Albertinelli on Wikimedia Commons
And Mary said:
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;
For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
(Luke 1:46–48; NKJV)

How do you respond when God changes the direction of your life? When He upends your carefully laid plans? Change is hard. It’s often chaotic and stressful as well. Mary’s response shows us how God designed us to respond to His moving in our lives—humbly trusting Him to plan our way, protect us, and provide for us as we find our joy and peace in Him.

Continue reading →

Trusting in God’s Promises

Posted on by
Reply
Etching by Valentin Lefebvre on Wikimedia Commons
Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. … Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:34–35, 38; NKJV)

One of the interesting things we find reading through books of the Bible is seeing how different passages relate to each other. For example, God often places narratives side-by-side to highlight key ideas (called parallelism). Luke wrote the narratives of Zacharias and Mary in this way, highlighting the idea of trusting in God and His promises.

Continue reading →

Goals for the New Year, 2024 Edition

Posted on by
1
Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash
Then the Lord answered me and said:
“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith.
(Habakkuk 2:2–4; NKJV)

I like goals. Goals give me vision for how to prioritize my time. When I don’t have goals, I have too much time and too little to do, and I find myself in all kinds of trouble. Of course, those who know me well know how easy it is for me to fall into the opposite trap of having too much to do, too little time, and stressing needlessly. Between these extremes, I think there’s room to pray for God to give us vision, including goals that guide us accordingly.

Continue reading →

God Keeps His Promises

Posted on by
3
Photo by Greyson Joralemon on Unsplash
Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed. (Luke 1:1–4; NKJV)

Each of the Gospels gives a slightly different look at the major events during Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Luke, in the opening verses of his narrative, sets his focus on providing an “orderly account” of “those things which have been fulfilled among us.” Fulfillment is an important biblical idea that gives us gives us confident hope in God and His promises to us.

Continue reading →

Church Livestream on a Budget, Part 1

Posted on by
Reply
Photo by Kevin Gonzalez on Unsplash

During the global pandemic of 2020, many churches found themselves looking online to reach their congregations and continue to worship together in some form. There were several different kinds of responses. Some churches pre-recorded part or all of their services and shared them online. Others moved their services outdoors. Still others pursued streaming services live.

Continue reading →

The Parable of the Unjust Steward

Posted on by
Reply
Etching by Jan Luyken on Wikimedia Commons
“And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.” (Luke 16:9–10; NKJV)

Some things in Scripture are hard to understand. For me, the Parable of the Unjust Steward is one of those things. From the first time I read it, I’ve struggled to relate the story in the parable to its moral. Is Jesus really praising the unjust steward? Is He telling us to gain earthly riches through unrighteousness? Well, I’ve just come across this parable again in my personal devotions, and now seems as good a time as any to try and understand it.

Continue reading →

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Posted on by
1
Etching by Jan Luyken on Wikimedia Commons
He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” (Luke 13:6–9; NKJV)

The Parable of the Fig Tree is an important message about Israel, repentance, and receiving Jesus. But before we can understand what it means, we need to look at its context.

Continue reading →

Bible Word Study on ‘Hope’

Posted on by
2
Photo by Carl Hunley, Jr. on Unsplash

Hope is an important idea in the Bible. David’s hope in God was cause for gladness and rejoicing (Ps 16:8–11). Matthew points to Jesus as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Gentile’s hope (Matt 12:21). And Paul’s hope in God included resurrection to eternal life (Acts 24:15). The goal of this study is to better understand the overall sense of hope in the Bible as a basis for future studies.

Continue reading →

‘Baptism’ in the New Testament

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Nicolas Poussin on Wikimedia Commons
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Matt 3:11; NKJV)

Water baptism is an ancient and enduring Christian tradition. Through the centuries, churches have come to understand and practice baptism differently, sometimes breaking fellowship over it. What is baptism? What does the Bible say about baptism? Any biblical doctrine of baptism must begin by answering these questions. Let’s dig in.

Continue reading →