Our Friend in the Castle: the Ascended Jesus Christ! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 20:17b,

"I [Jesus] am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."

These are the words Jesus instructed Mary to take back to his disciples when she first saw him resurrection morning at the empty tomb.

We read of the resurrected Jesus ascending into heaven in Acts 1:9-11, "After he [Jesus] said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'"

Of that account, the NIV Quest Study Bible, answering the question, "Why did Jesus depart so dramatically?" says, "Jesus' ascension into the cloud may have been the final lesson for them; it showed them he was leaving the physical world and returning to the heavenly realms. His extraordinary departure helped the disciples to see Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of heaven."

This "Messiah of heaven" can be viewed as our "friend in the castle." He currently resides in heaven and is active on our behalf. Paul says, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:31-34.

The writer of Hebrews notes, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16.

When Jesus spoke to Mary of "my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" he was clearly establishing an intimate and personal link between us and the heavenly environs, and specifically with our heavenly Father. God the Father is Jesus Christ's Father and God as well as each believer's Father and God. We share that with Jesus Christ!

Our arisen, ascended Savior, Jesus Christ, is our "friend in the castle" and our advocate before our Father God. How wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Two Pictures of God in Jesus' Death - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 19:1-3,

"Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, 'Hail, king of the Jews!' And they slapped him in the face."

The NIV Quest Study Bible explains what flogging was, "Flogging was a ruthless punishment in which a person was hit with a leather whip comprised of multiple strands that contained sharp bits of bone or metal embedded in the ends. It left the back raw and bleeding, sometimes exposing bones and organs. Floggings occasionally even caused death." If you saw Mel Gibson's movie, "The Passion of the Christ", you saw the flogging dramatized in film. Not something easily forgotten. Absolutely horrific.

Coupled with the humiliation the soldiers heaped on him, a crown of thorns jammed in his head, the beatings and slappings, and finally the crucifixion, it all makes for an appalling and dreadful account. Why did Jesus suffer such a frightful death?

We read in Isaiah 53:4-6, "Surely he [the "servant", Jesus Christ] took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

From this Isaiah passage, written 700 + years before Jesus Christ came to planet earth, we learn that God takes credit for the punishment that his Son received. When Jesus Christ suffered and died on that cross, it was to pay the penalty for all of mankind's sins, everyone, everywhere for all time. As a righteous and holy God, the Father's court of judgment had to be satisfied for us sinners to gain eternal life with him. Jesus Christ paid that penalty on our behalf. We get the benefit if and when we embrace him in faith. That is all he asks.

The brutal nature of this punishment Jesus Christ received speaks of two very important aspects of God. The first is that God the Father has always been, and still is, a God of justice and righteousness. Having the Son of his love suffer on our behalf (the payment of sins is fungible) displays the horrifying nature of God's judgment. The writer of Hebrews tells us "It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

The other aspect of the brutal nature of this punishment is that it speaks of the unbelievable love God the Father has for mankind in not sparing his Son but to provide him on our behalf as an acceptable sacrifice. This he did to satisfy the demands of his justice in making a way for us. It also displays the tremendous love of Jesus Christ in his willingness to suffer such an appalling death so that we might have the opportunity to join his family. "For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:2.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Peter's Possession and Use of a Sidearm - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 18:10,

"Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear."

When the soldiers and officials from the chief priests came to arrest Jesus, Peter (always impetuous and impulsive) drew his sword and cut off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest's servant. From this I'm guessing Peter was a southpaw. It seems to me that if Peter was right-handed, he would have had to take Malchus' head off to get to his right ear... (just conjecture on my part). In any event, what was Peter doing with a sword?

That question is an important one. Its importance is found in that it illustrates the prevalence of a handicap many people impose upon themselves when they read and study the Scriptures. That handicap is the mistake of reading and studying the Scriptures through the lense of preconceived theology. Rather than allowing the Scriptures to speak for themselves in helping us develop our theology over time, we often form our understanding of the Scriptures by what our preconceived theology dictates. This can often bring both our understanding of the Scriptures and the maturity of our theology to a standstill.

Many think Jesus was a pacifist and condemned any possession or use of weapons and that Peter's possession and use of a sidearm would be wrongful from the get-go.

Take a look at this passage, "Then Jesus asked them [his disciples], 'When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?' 'Nothing,' they answered. He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: "And he was numbered with the transgressors"; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.' The disciples said, 'See, Lord, here are two swords.' 'That's enough!' he replied." Luke 22:35-38.

These swords were the sidearm of the day. Our equivalent today is not a machete or a foil used in fencing, but a Glock or Smith & Wesson, etc. Sounds like Jesus advocated for carrying a sidearm, doesn't it? And to insure it is not just "metaphorical language", we read his disciples laid claim to two of these, which Jesus said would be enough. Enough for what? One of two was used by Peter to whack off Malcus' ear. (Who do you think carried the other one?) Jesus did tell Peter that "all who draw the sword will die by the sword", Matthew 26:52. But, he didn't tell Peter to get rid of his sword, he told him to reholster it, "Put your sword back in its place..."

The wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water to wine, found in John 2:1-10, is another example of this trap. I clearly recall a professor telling us, "I refuse to believe Jesus provided wine for a drunken brawl in Cana. It was grape juice he turned the water into!" His preconceived theology forced his interpretation of that passage rather than the other way around.

When we enter the sacred ground of Scripture, we need to check our theology at the door as we enter. Let the Scriptures speak for themselves (goodness knows, they don't need any help from me!)

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Fountain of Joy - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 17:13,

"I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."

Prior to his arrest, Jesus encouraged his disciples as he prepared them for what was to take place. In the previous chapter, verse 22, Jesus told his disciples, "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." Jesus pointed to the joy his disciples would have when they saw him in his resurrected body. Clearly the anticipated joy Jesus spoke of was in his mind as he spoke with his disciples.

In John 17:13, Jesus spoke of joy again as he prayed to the Father. He wanted his disciples to have the full measure of his own joy beating within their hearts. Real joy and rejoicing is something Jesus anticipates within those who are his.

Paul encouraged the Roman believers, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12. Joy springs from that hope we have in the resurrection, the hope that is fueled by setting our hearts and minds on things above, Colossians 3:1. Sometimes we miss Paul's point that the kingdom of God is a matter of "righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit", Romans 14:17.

Joy is a natural outcome of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. You might call it a "supernatural" outcome! "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace..." Galatians 5:22. We are even admonished to celebrate our joy, "Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord!" Philippians 3:1a. In the following chapter, Paul exhorts believers to rejoice, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. In the next verse Paul reminds us, "The Lord is near."

Peter tells us, "Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9. If we are lacking in our joy, the fountain is found here... reflecting on our Savior and the salvation of our souls!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Hebrews 12:1-3. As we fix our eyes on Jesus we find a joy within ourselves that mirrors the full measure of his joy!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Long View - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 16:1-4a,

"All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them."

We read in John's gospel that the Lord prepared his disciples for his arrest, crucifixion, burial and resurrection before those events took place. There was nothing about the mission of his earthly ministry that he did not execute flawlessly. Preparing his disciples was one of those.

I note he told his disciples that they would be shunned by their community by putting them out of the synagogue. For those of you who are plugged into social media, this was much worse than being banned from Facebook or Twitter as it impacted every area of their lives and was significant in their communities and families.

Worse than that, the Lord said, "the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God." Did you catch that? "When anyone kills you..." That happened! He went on to say, "I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them."

When unbelievers were to carry out their nefarious actions against God's people, the Lord didn't say he would keep it from happening. On the contrary, martyrdom was significant in the early church (and right up to today!) For various reasons, the Lord allows suffering on our parts as something he uses to accomplish things in our lives, in the lives of others and for the pursuit of his redemptive activities. Paul said, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18.

In the context of this conversation Jesus had with his disciples, he was preparing them for the grief they would experience upon his crucifixion. He told them, "Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." Verses 20-22.

So too for us. We should have that same "long view" today. We may (will) suffer in this life, but our eyes need to be fixed on things above, on the Lord, where we are headed for eternity, where we find our joy. "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4.

Don't believe the hype found in so many churches today, that because God loves us he will keep bad things from our lives. That is a false message. The truth is that many of us believers will see bad things come into our lives. The message should be that the Lord is right there with us, we are not on our own, and as we face them, we take that "long view" and know, "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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No Excuse For Sin In Rejecting Jesus Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 15:22,

"If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin."

In a chapter that emphasizes abiding in Jesus Christ in an environment that is to be marked by believers loving one another in the midst of the world hating them, he points to the culpability of those who, in Jesus' words, "do not know the one who sent me." Verse 21.

While he speaks of "the world", meaning the family of mankind that rejects its Creator and Savior, he has in view, specifically, the Jews who had heard and rejected him. Jesus came to the Jews, he proclaimed to them who he was, and authenticated that through fulfillment of prophecy, signs, miracles and wonders. He turned water to wine, he healed the sick, he raised the dead. He told them he had come from the Father and that there was salvation in no one else, save him.

Having accomplished those things among them, those who rejected him demonstrated they did not know the Father and sealed their fate. There was and is no hope for them. No eternal life, only eternal death awaits them as they remain in the guilt of their sin, "they have no excuse for their sin."

So it is today. We look back and recognize that Jesus Christ came, established his bona fides and offered his invitation, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. He offered hope for all in this lost and fallen world, "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live." Matthew 5:24-25. And he also provided his warning, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6.

There simply is no excuse for anyone who rejects Jesus Christ: they remain in their sin.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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What Will Heaven Be Like? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 14:2-3,

"My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

The NIV Quest Study Bible points out that Jesus' description of heaven here, with "many rooms", speaks to unlimited space and permanence.

I'm certain we all wonder what our heavenly abode will be like. We have not been given many details. We have descriptions of the incredible blessing it will be to have the Lord to commune with us there. We know that we will exist eternally, and that existence will be marked by "no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4b.

I often think we already have an example of what our eternal abode with the Lord may look like: where we live right now! (Albeit a greatly damaged example due to mankind's sin and the resulting impact.) The garden of Eden on planet earth was the environment God chose for his new creation of mankind and following his creative week, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31.

I suspect many of us tend to think in terms of what we would like heaven to be, given the sparsity of detail we have in the Scriptures. Perhaps we define heaven in terms of not being like what currently frustrates us about this life.

There are different aspects of our eternal life to muse on. Our relationships with others, social interaction, our proximity to the Lord, hobbies, habits and vocations, and the environment itself. 

Thinking about the environment, I'm sure we all would like to see those elements of what we do find attractive and desirable here: a tropical paradise, a lush old growth forest, beautiful beaches, mountains, rivers and fish filled creeks, etc. I suspect one of the reasons there is not a lot of heaven's environment described is that the Lord is looking for those who want him, not the real estate he provides. But... It is fun to think about.

As you consider our coming existence in heaven, what comes to your mind? This is our great hope as believers and something good for us to muse about from time to time. "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Intended Betrayal of Jesus by Judas - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 13:19,

"I [Jesus Christ] am telling you [his disciples] now before it [Judas' betrayal] happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am."

Jesus prepared his disciples for the events that took place at the end of his earthly ministry. It appears the seeking for Jesus by some Greeks may have been the event Jesus was looking for to know when the time for his passion had come. In John 12:20-23 we read, "Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the festival. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. 'Sir,' they said, 'we would like to see Jesus.' Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus. Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'"

Prior, in John 8:20, John says, "He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put. Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come." Likewise in John 7:30. In John 7:6-8 Jesus told his brothers, "My time is not yet here; for you any time will do... You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come." And, of course, you recall Jesus telling his mother at the wedding in Cana (Jesus' first recorded miracle, turning the water to wine), that his hour had not yet come, John 2:4.

But when the Greeks came looking for Jesus, that changed, and now "his time" had come. The crowning achievement for his earthly ministry was to offer himself as a sacrifice, to provide a way for people to have their sins forgiven, enabling a way to enter into his kingdom. We read in Hebrews 2:17, "For this reason he [Jesus] had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."

We read of this in Isaiah's prophecy, "Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:4-6.

Jesus came to die on that cross. That was his primary mission (among the other things he achieved) and he did not want his disciples to misunderstand and think that events, out of his control, had overtaken him. Jesus intentionally enraged the leaders of the Jews, motivating them to seek his death. He also arranged to have a man, consumed by avarice, Judas Iscariot, betray him in the way he did. It was all planned and executed flawlessly.

People yet today misunderstand Jesus' death on the cross. They think because of his message of love and challenge to the religious authorities, he was put to death as something not intended, that he was a helpless victim. Not so! As he prepared his disciples for his betrayal by Judas, he did not want them thinking he was a helpless victim, and, so Jesus told them, "I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am." He went on to say, "Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me." Verse 21.

When Jesus said I am who I am, he meant that he was the Son of God, in full control of all events taking place. Nothing happened to him he did not intend, plan and execute.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

He Sealed His Fate - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 12:4-6,

"But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it."

Judas' complaint followed an act of worship by Lazarus' sister, Mary, in pouring perfume, a year's wages worth, onto Jesus' feet and drying them with her hair. Jesus' response to Judas' complaint was, "'Leave her alone,' Jesus replied. 'It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

John explains that Judas, later to betray Jesus, really didn't care about the poor. What he cared about, as treasurer of the ministry, was the money bag that he pilfered from time to time.

Of course Jesus knew Judas didn't care about the poor, and rather than calling him out, Jesus used the opportunity to continue his preparation of his disciples for his coming death on the cross. Jesus had Judas in place for the specific purpose of using this corrupted man as an informant so the Jews could arrest Jesus at the timing of Jesus' own choice.

Jesus also knew, good and well, that Judas was a thief. As such, Jesus kept Judas for his purposes by allowing Judas to pilfer the money bag. Judas was a corrupted sinful person. I'm quite certain Judas had no idea that Jesus knew all about him and his thievery, and I also have to think, because it was a recurring behavior, that he felt he was not under scrutiny for it.

Sin has a way of deceiving us. We just may think, when we sin, that what we are doing escapes the Lord's notice. Nothing could be further from the truth, "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13.

Who knows if their "little" sin today just might morph into something worse later on? Judas thought he had a good thing going as the keeper of the money bag... little realizing at the time that it was his sinful impulses that eventually sealed his horrible fate when he later betrayed the Lord for thirty pieces of silver. 

We certainly don't want to be that man!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

--

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"Yet to all who did receive Jesus Christ, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." John 1:12

Where's the Faith? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 11:47-48,

"Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. 'What are we accomplishing?' they asked. 'Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.'"

This was the response of the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews, when told of Jesus raising a man, Lazarus, from the dead. I note in their response their concern that the Romans would destroy both the temple and the nation if they were to allow Jesus to carry on. I'm quite certain they were also concerned they might lose their own exalted positions among the people.

What I don't detect is an ounce of faith within them for the God they professed to worship. They claimed to be mindful of the law given to Moses by God and enacted their own regulations to prevent the breaching of it (the traditions of the elders). They were careful to memorize, study and teach the Scriptures on Sabbath at the temple and synagogue. 

These Pharisees and Sanhedrin leaders were very religious, claimed to be God's people and yet the thought never struck them that in light of these startling miracles of Jesus, his forceful teachings and the following he gained, that maybe they should check in with God about both Jesus as well as the welfare of the temple and the nation.

What these leaders demonstrated was that the only deliverance they thought they could possibly count on was what they might provide themselves through their own craftiness and politics. With the notable exceptions of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea (and possibly a few others?) this group of leaders didn't seem to have gathered for a prayer meeting, didn't inquire of God, didn't search the Scriptures as the reports about Jesus came in.

Their thought was, "How do WE fix this?" Not a hint of faith in the God they claimed to worship! They never appear to even check in with God. Sounds like a lot of church leaders today, doesn't it?

As we face big problems today, where do we take them, who do we count on? Is our faith on display?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Master Communicator - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 10:6,

"Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them."

Why was it that people could not understand the figures of speech Jesus used? The NIV Quest Study Bible has an interesting comment on this: "People who earnestly sought the truth could find profound spiritual insight in Jesus' figures of speech. For others, they were little more than fascinating but puzzling riddles. Those who were resistant to Jesus' message often misunderstood his meaning or, if they could infer what he intended, they rejected the implications."

In John 16:25 Jesus acknowledged to his followers that he was speaking to them figuratively as well, "Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father."

In Matthew 13:10, Jesus' disciples asked why he spoke to the people in parables. His answer is a fascinating one. "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Verses 11-12.

As a master communicator, Jesus often spoke openly but filtered his hearers by how he conveyed what he had to say! A master of communication! He then quoted Isaiah 6:9-10, "'Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.' In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'"

Although I do like the comment from the NIV Quest Study Bible, I think they missed this point a bit. At least at times, Jesus spoke openly, but masterfully targeted what he was saying by the figures of speech he used. In the John 10:6 passage, Jesus never intended the Pharisees to understand his figure of speech - what he told them was for us. I guess my thought here is that the Pharisees didn't understand Jesus, not because they were so dull (although the Isaiah passage speaks to that kind of issue), and that Jesus was unintentionally or unknowingly speaking over their heads, but rather that he intended they not understand him. His purpose was to communicate what he was saying to others.

I also suspect many things Jesus told his followers were not intended for the moment but for later. In this way he cloaked his message as well. An example of this might be the two angels explaining to Jesus' disciples who had gone to the empty tomb on that first Easter morning, "'He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: "The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."' Then they remembered his words." Luke 24:6-8. 

Here is an interesting example of Jesus making communication possible, not by his speech, but by manipulating minds. "Then he [Jesus] opened their [his disciples] minds so they could understand the Scriptures." Luke 24:45. Jesus could have opened their minds to the communication in Scripture any time during his earthly ministry, but waited until after he was resurrected. In this case he manipulated his disciples minds to communication (from the Scriptures) they were unable to access previously.

As believers, we benefit greatly from Jesus' ability to convey what he wants to say to us with a power and a skill no one has ever come close to. Our Master Communicator!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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The Walking Dead - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 9:39-41,

"Jesus said, 'For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.' Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, 'What? Are we blind too?' Jesus said, 'If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.'"

This exchange between Jesus and some Pharisees took place just following Jesus' miraculous healing of a man born blind. The Pharisees heard of it and investigated the matter. The conclusion of the investigation was unsatisfying to the Pharisees who subsequently threw the formerly blind man out. Jesus found him, revealed himself to him and invited the man to place his faith in him, which he did and worshipped Jesus right on the spot.

What catches my eye this morning is Jesus' statement to the Pharisees, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." It appears Jesus is saying two things here: because of his coming those who are spiritually blind will gain new spiritual insight, and those who supposedly have spiritual insight will "become blind."

I'm just musing here, but I wonder if that "become blind" is related to the Lord hardening the hearts of some people following their rejection of Jesus, but who are still in this life. In 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 we read, "For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." That happens in this life.

Another passage I think of is Paul's description of lost and fallen mankind that reject the Lord, and how God gives them over to their sinful desires, Romans 1:18-32.

Paul also talks about the hardening of Jewish hearts that opposed God, "What then? What the people of Israel sought so earnestly they did not obtain. The elect among them did, but the others were hardened, as it is written: 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that could not see and ears that could not hear, to this very day.'" Romans 11: 7-8 where Paul quotes Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10. He also quotes Psalm 69:22-23, "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."

In quoting Isaiah 6:10, John spoke of some in Jesus' day who rejected him and now had their hearts hardened by God so they had no hope of salvation in this life, "Even after Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: 'Lord, who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?' For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.'" John 12:37-40. At first they wouldn't believe in Jesus and, while still in this life, their hearts were hardened by the Lord so they could not believe in Jesus. The "walking dead."

I also wonder about the "woke" crowd we see so much of these days. This "wokeness" may be expressed in the political arena, but make no mistake, it has its origins in the spiritual lives of these people. A change has taken place, and that change is anything but friendly to Jesus Christ and those who are his. I wonder if the better term for them, rather than "woke", is the biblical term "hardened".

As I say, just musing here today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Jesus Christ: "I AM" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 8:58,

"'Very truly I tell you,' Jesus answered, 'before Abraham was born, I AM!'"

Jesus was asked, "Who are you?" by the Jews, verse 25. In the exchange that followed, Jesus told them, "Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad." Verse 56. In that Abraham lived 2 millenia before the birth of Jesus Christ, they found this an outrage, "'You are not yet fifty years old,' they said to him, 'and you have seen Abraham!'" Verse 57.

To this, Jesus said what he did in verse 58, that prompted them to attempt to kill him on the spot, "before Abraham was born, I AM!" The passage tells us, "At this, they picked up stones to stone him..." Verse 59. You will have to read the account to find out what happens next.

Jesus' statement was a claim of existence prior to that of Abraham, that he was eternally self-existent. Beyond that, it suddenly became crystal clear to them that Jesus was claiming to be the very God they claimed to worship.

We read in Exodus 3:14, when Moses asked God what his name was to tell the Israelites, God told him, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God went on to tell Moses to tell the Israelites, "This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation." Exodus 3:15. God's name is I AM.

It is astonishing to hear some say that Jesus Christ never claimed to be God. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Here are some of my favorite passages about Jesus Christ:

"In the beginning was the Word [Jesus Christ], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." John 1:1-3.

"The Son [Jesus Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." Colossians 1:15-20.

"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son [Jesus Christ], whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs." Hebrews 1:1-4

"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:5-11.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Humility In Using the Scriptures - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 7:52,

"Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee."

This was the response the Pharisees gave Nicodemus when he was reminding them that a man should not be condemned without first being questioned, "Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?" Verse 58.

I'm sure their response to Nicodemus was driven by their blind hatred of Jesus, but they expressed a bit of ignorance here. The prophet Jonah was from Galilee (Gath Hepher) as we see in 2 Kings 14:25. There were very likely others as well.

Bearing in mind the Pharisees did not have concordances back in the day, or search engines, they might be forgiven a slight mistake here and there. I suspect it is possible to argue the Pharisees meant that in Jesus there has not now arisen a prophet from Galilee, but whatever the case, they were simply mistaken. Jesus, who had his home in Galilee, was the Prophet of prophets: the Messiah!

It is to the anger of the Pharisees and their attempt to use the Scriptures to win an argument with one of their own that catches my eye this morning.

Do people use the Scriptures to win their arguments today? Holy smokes! With all the divisions within the church, all the schisms and all the -isms, we see the resort to Scripture used to argue all kinds of things... and often done in error just as these Pharisees.

I just might be as given to do the same! In the heat of passion over some issue, I'm sure none of us want to be found in error in our use of the Scriptures, and it just might be in the heat of that kind of passion we discredit ourselves.

Possibly some humility in our use of the Scriptures may preclude many of the divisions that take place. Don't misunderstand me, the Scriptures speak nothing but truth and we all need to stand tall to defend those truths. However, I'm not sure all the divisions we see have arisen from correctly handling the Word of Truth. There has been some fumbling going on out there.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Assured and Secure - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 6:38-40,

" For I [Jesus Christ] have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day."

For us mortals, the answer to the question, "What is God's will?", Jesus provides it right here. The premier will of God for us is expressly that those who look to Jesus Christ and embrace him in faith "shall have eternal life". Some might ask, "What is it God wants?" Here it is. Believe in Jesus Christ and gain eternal life in him.

Later in John 14:6 Jesus says, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." The only access to eternal life is through Jesus Christ.

The thing that strikes me in this passage is Jesus' strong words about keeping all us believers safe in him. Because it is the Father's will that all who embrace the Son will have eternal life, Jesus says that he will not lose one single soul. Not one. Here is more definition to the will of God. Jesus said, "this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day." All those!

God has given to his Son all of us who embrace him in faith, and it is the responsibility of the Son to not lose a single one of us! Not one! Jesus Christ will raise every last one of us believers "at the last day"! I have no question in my mind about Jesus executing just exactly what he says here he will do. It is something that is as good as done!

Now if this doesn't make you assured and secure, I don't know what possibly could!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Is Busy At Work Today - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 5:17,

"My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."

In Hebrews 4:3-4 we read, "... his [God's] works have been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "On the seventh day God rested from all his works.'" It is a quote from Genesis 2:2, "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done."

From Genesis and the writer of Hebrews we see God resting from his works, and yet Jesus said God is always at his work (right up to the present day). The harmony between the two lies in a careful reading of Genesis 2:2 (which the writer of Hebrews points to), "Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." God's rest on the seventh day was a rest from his work of bringing the creation into being. That does not imply that God, when finished with his six days of creation, decided to take a divine nap.

As Ellicott's commentary points out, "The rest on the seventh day was the completion of the works of creation (see this stated emphatically in Genesis 2:2-3). It was not, it could not be, a cessation in divine work, or in the flow of divine energy. That knew nor day nor night, nor summer nor winter, nor Sabbath nor Jubilee. For man, and animal, and tree, and field, this alternation of a time of production and a time of reception was needed, but God was the ever-constant source of energy and life for all in heaven and earth and sea..."

God is very much active in his work, in his redemption of mankind, in the maintenance of the cosmos, in his provision for each and every one of us. "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26. We see the Son of God active in his work today as well, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." Hebrews 1:3. Also, "Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." Romans 8:34.

I never want to lose sight of the realization that every morning I wake up, God has to be actively engaged, working in his creation sustaining it. Every breath I take is a result of God being actively engaged to make it possible.

Here is a great error today: the thought that we, as mankind, are all on our own, that we are the only resource to keep planet earth and mankind's survival maintained. Really? We are such pipsqueaks! That is a God sized job and he is actively engaged in it! As Jesus taught, "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" Matthew 6:27.

The arrogance of mankind!

The magnificence of God and the wonders of his majestic great works!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Hard Working Sowers, Happy Reapers - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 4:38,

"I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

Who were the "others" who had done the hard work that Jesus' disciples reaped from? John Chrysostom, an important church father from the 4th to 5th centuries who served as archbishop of Constantinople, made the comment that those who sowed were the prophets of the Old Testament, and those to reap were the apostles.

In any event, I am mindful this morning of our current day perspective. When it comes to salvation, of course, we look back to Jesus who did all the heavy lifting in his earthly ministry culminating in his death on that miserable cross. This is surely the greatest of all things to reap today that was sowed for us two millennia ago - Jesus atoning for our sins making salvation possible.

Additionally, there have been so many wonderful believers over the ages that have done so much that we reap from today. Men and women who suffered much and demonstrate what it means to be devoted to the Lord. Men and women who have displayed what the Lord can do in our lives, men and women who have pointed the way, who have taught us, who inspire us in the Lord. Foxe's Book of Martyrs provides many examples for us.

It is just like our Lord to leave us wonderful examples through those who have preceded us, who have done the hard work. Examples that inspire us as we pursue the work the Lord has given us as he builds his kingdom.

Surely we stand on the shoulders of amazing hard workers that came before us, workers we benefit from today.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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John's Shrinking Role - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 3:27-30,

"A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less."

This is how John the baptist responded when his disciples pointed out that Jesus had begun baptizing and that everyone was now going to him. John's point was simply that he had a role given him from heaven. That role was to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah by calling them to repentance from their sinful lifestyle. That repentance was both signified and celebrated by baptism. By this they would have prepared hearts to embrace Jesus Christ.

Now that the Messiah had come, John's role was ending, "He must become greater; I must become less." You sometimes hear people quote this verse in remembrance to submit or yield themselves to their Lord. I myself feel this kind of misses the point. There was nothing in John that required him to gain submission in his life to the Lord - he came into the world filled with the Holy Spirit and tasked with his mission. He was born a "submitted" believer. It was his role that was becoming less.

In Matthew 11:11, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Now that provided John quite a bit of ground of which he could become less on. I don't think I hold much in the way of high ground to become less in.

John displayed true humility. I'm not always certain those who quote him share in that same humility sometimes.

Just a thought this morning...

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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All About the Timing - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 2:4,

"'Woman, why do you involve me?' Jesus replied. 'My hour has not yet come.'"

Timing was an important issue for Jesus' earthly ministry. His activities and actions were driven by a plan, a strategy. Consider the following passages in John's gospel that speak to the timing of his ministry while here:

"Therefore Jesus told them, 'My time is not yet here; for you any time will do.'" John 7:6.
"You go to the festival. I am not going up to this festival, because my time has not yet fully come." John 7:8.
"At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come." John 7:30.
"Yet no one seized him, because his hour had not yet come." John 8:20.
"Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.'" John 12:23.
"It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father." John 13:1.
"After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.'" John 17:1.

It appears to me that nothing about Jesus' earthly ministry was happenstance, but was driven by the timing inherent in strategy.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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God Wants Us! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing,
majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of
him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 1:6-7,

"There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a
witness to testify concerning that light [Jesus Christ, the Son of
God], so that through him all might believe."

John the Baptist was prophesied to come on the scene just before Jesus
Christ did, seven centuries prior to his arrival. We read in Isaiah
40:3-5, "A voice of one calling: 'In the wilderness prepare the way
for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every
valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough
ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of
the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For
the mouth of the Lord has spoken.'"

John prepared the way for the Lord by calling on people to repent of
their sins. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.",
Matthew 3:2. We find that he was faithful to the Lord for what he was
called to do, "People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and
the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were
baptized by him in the Jordan River." Matthew 3:5-6.

Something catches my eye in John 1:7, "He came as a witness to testify
concerning that light, so that through him all might believe." Not
that all would or will believe, but the intention is that all have the
opportunity to believe.

I realize that places me at odds with many, but a theme throughout the
Scriptures is that it is God's will that all mankind will turn to him
and be forgiven their sins. We find it in passages such as 1 Timothy
2:2, "This [praying for people] is good, and pleases God our Savior,
who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the
truth." Not some, but "all people." Also 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not
slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he
is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to
come to repentance." Not some, but "everyone." It is God's desire we
embrace him - all of us.

Although it is the Lord's will to save all of humanity, God has
determined that only those who choose to place their faith and trust
in him will be forgiven their sins and receive eternal life in heaven.
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he
gave the right to become children of God..." John 1:12.

Paul tells us, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus
Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and
Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and
all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came
by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,
through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith." Romans
3:22-25. Also we read, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is
Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved." Romans 10:9.

God wants you, God wants me. God wants us all! He has left it up to
us: if we want him enough, we will place our faith and trust in him.
Others, sadly, cling to their sin.

God wants us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share
what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to
hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send
me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are
receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply
and let me know.