If you read Luke 4:14-30, it may seem like an uneventful story at first. Jesus Christ went to the synagogue on the Sabbath, read some passages from Isaiah, was challenged by those who heard, responded to the challenge, and then went on to His next place. Pretty common story in the Gospels, right? Here is what stood out… Continue Reading
When Elizabeth gave birth to John the Baptist, all of their neighbors and family came to see this miracle child. They wanted to see the baby that she and Zechariah had been blessed with at such a late stage in life. Can you see it? A brand new baby in the house, and friends and… Continue Reading
Excerpt from the dramatization: Do you understand the lesson of Exodus yet? We are lost, we are undone. We are all undone. And we need a Redeemer. We need the true lamb of sacrifice. We need a Great High Priest. Do you understand how strange it is for me to be telling you the rest… Continue Reading
In Luke chapter 1 we read about Zechariah questioning the angel Gabriel when he was told that he and his wife would have a son. Because of his unbelief he was made deaf and mute until the birth of his child. My first reaction was, “Well of course! He didn’t believe!” And then I started… Continue Reading
Zechariah’s vision was about the forgiveness of sin. It was about justification. It was about how God declares sinners righteous by imputing to them his righteousness. In other words, it was about the gospel. This is clear from the rest of Zechariah’s prophecy. The prophet went on to say that what he saw was “symbolic… Continue Reading
At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn’t know Him. But… Continue Reading
We are tempted to think that since our salvation is secure, it will not harm us to be exposed to sin, at least in small quantities. We tell ourselves that it is okay to indulge in a little self-pity, especially since life is so discouraging. We think that it’s all right for us to look… Continue Reading
As we read through some of the laws this week in Exodus, it can seem like they have no application in current day. We have to remember, though, that God’s Word always applies! Exodus 23:2 says, “You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit,… Continue Reading
I wonder if sometimes we think we have an “in” with God. We have crazy resources available. There are commentaries galore, sermons online, podcasts, and yes, there is an app for that! We listen to expositional teaching, back it up and challenge it when we think the speaker is wrong, and feel that God is… Continue Reading
As we study the Israelites through the Exodus we are able to look to the past and see how God remained faithful. We are able to look at the present and our own lives and hearts and see how we are not so far off from their grumblings and fallen natures. And we are able… Continue Reading