Tag Archives: Faith

You Are Forgiven

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Jan van Orley on Wikimedia Commons
Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” (Luke 7:47–49; NKJV)

Jesus began His earthly ministry by teaching with authority and performing miracles. And people had questions. Jesus did not rise through the ranks of one of the major Jewish sects. Who is He? Is he a prophet of God? A messenger from Satan? God’s promised Messiah?

Continue reading →

Founded on the Rock

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Cosimo Rosselli on Wikimedia Commons
Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. (Luke 6:47–48; NKJV)

What idea is at the center of the Christian faith? What is that primary thought that distinguishes Christianity from all other worldviews? What single concept is so essential that, to take it away, would make someone’s worldview not Christian? The central truth of Christianity, which every other truth builds on, is not a “what,” but a “who”—the man, Jesus Christ.

Continue reading →

Today This Scripture Is Fulfilled

Posted on by
2
Painting by Gerbrand van den Eeckhout at the National Gallery of Ireland
And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: … Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17, 20–21; NKJV)

One of the major themes in the Gospel of Luke is fulfillment. Luke explains this focus in the introduction to his gospel account. In these verses, we see Luke emphasizing that theme in the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Continue reading →

You Are My Beloved Son

Posted on by
1
Painting by Pietro Perugino on Wikimedia Commons
When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21–22; NKJV)

One of the many puzzling events during Jesus’ earthly ministry was His baptism by John in the Jordan. In my last post, we saw that John’s baptism signified the person’s renouncing their sin and turning toward God to receive God’s forgiveness of their sin. This raises the question, why did Jesus get baptized? Did He, too, need forgiveness for His sins?

Continue reading →

God Remains with You

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Jacopo Tintoretto on Wikmedia iCommons
Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God. Then fear came on all who dwelt around them; and all these sayings were discussed throughout all the hill country of Judea. And all those who heard them kept them in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will this be?” And the hand of the Lord was with him. (Luke 1:64–66; NKJV)

Have you ever felt distant from God? Maybe you stumbled into sin, doubted His call, or fell victim to evils in the world. Regardless of our circumstances and how we feel about how close God is, Zacharias reminds us that when God calls us His own, then He remains with us.

Continue reading →

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 Plans Your Days

Posted on by
Reply
Painting by Rembrandt on Wikimedia Commons
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. (Luke 2:25–26; NKJV)

Have you ever wondered about God’s plans for your life? Worried what the future might hold for your career? Struggled through a hard season of loss or personal health issues? Longed for some dream, but obstacles just keep piling up? Keep praying and trusting God in the waiting. As we see in the life of Simeon—God plans our days and will faithfully bring those plans about in our lives.

Continue reading →