Category: Bible Reading & Meditation
1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. (WEB) I love the simplicity, yet pround nature of John’s final words in 1 John. Throughout this whole letter, John is addressing his readers as his ‘little children’. In his parting words to them, he simply says… ‘keep yourselves from idols’. In the pagan world system that John lived in, it would be easy to spot an idol. There were actual temples dedicated to false gods throughout the Gentile empire. Idol worship was considered the norm back then. In many cultures today, we still see temples erected to false gods, but...
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“In Him…” –Ephesians 1:4, 11, 13 St. Paul is completely preoccupied with being in Jesus. In today’s passage from Ephesians, Paul mentions benefits and blessings that come from being in Jesus numerous times in twelve verses. Paul is underscoring the critical differences of our location: it makes an eternal difference whether we live our life in Jesus or outside of Jesus. Paul proclaims that in Jesus we: have “every spiritual blessing in the heavens” (Eph 1:3), have been “chosen” before the world began, to be holy and blameless (Eph 1:4, 11, 13), have been chosen “to be full of love”...
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Jude 1:24-25 Now to him who is able to keep them from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory in great joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. (WEB) I am thankful that it is God Himself that is able to keep us from stumbling. Our salvation began in our Father’s heart before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1) and it will culminate on that day when we all see Jesus face to face. And every day in between, the...
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“Can I take the place of God?” –Genesis 50:19 Joseph is a “type” of Jesus, that is, he is an Old Testament figure whose life foreshadows the future coming of the Lord. In a sense, Joseph “took the place of God” in showing forgiveness to those who turned their backs on him (see Gn 50:19). Joseph not only forgave those who hurt him, but he reassured them repeatedly and even provided for them the rest of their lives. We too, in a sense, can take the place of God. As disciples of Jesus, we imitate the Lord in His character...
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Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think about these things. (WEB) Today’s Bible reading encourages us to think on good things, not bad things. I am becoming more convinced by the day that whatever we fix our gaze on, is what we become. That is why it is so very important for us to set our affections on things above and not on the things...
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