The Hebrew writer has some compelling things to say about death in 2:5-18. In doing so, he speaks of two individuals and one group. He first talks about “Jesus . . . suffered death, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone” (v. 9); Then he mentions “him who holds the powerContinue reading “Freed From The Fear Of Death”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
Details That Make A Difference
A significant part of what the Hebrew writer has to say revolves around the truth that Jesus is mediator of a new, better covenant (8:6, 9:15, 12:24). What is involved in this? We know from other texts (1 Timothy 2:5 for one), that Jesus is our mediator and we understand that we come to God through Him. ChristContinue reading “Details That Make A Difference”
Christ And His Outrageous Claims
Knowing what we do about the context of Hebrews (i.e., that it’s written to Jewish Christians who are under pressure from family, friends, and enemies to go back to simply being Jewish), imagine the following conversation in the marketplace between a Jewish Christian (Jonathan) and his non-Christian brother (Micah) in light of what we hearContinue reading “Christ And His Outrageous Claims”
What It Means To Be Alive
The writer of Ezra doesn’t furnish us with any details about the returnees settling into their communities because it’s not relevant to his purposes. We know from 2:64-69 they were prosperous. Haggai 1:3 tells us that they built nice houses for themselves. But we also know that what you have to live with pales inContinue reading “What It Means To Be Alive”
God At The Center
Lena Paahlsson was doing some Christmas baking with her daughters at the family’s farmhouse in central Sweden. After they finished and were cleaning up, she went to the place where she had laid her wedding ring—but it wasn’t there. They couldn’t find it anywhere although they looked everywhere. Feelings of despair and frustration set in.Continue reading “God At The Center”
Building Your Hope
Searching for things online for me is like browsing in a library or bookstore. While I usually get started with a clear, precise idea of what I want, more times than not I end up getting sidetracked by things I find along the way that spark my curiosity. If I don’t work hard to maintainContinue reading “Building Your Hope”
The Army And The Armor
There are a couple of things Paul says in Ephesians 6:10-18 that really ought to ring our bell. One is fairly obvious, but I think the other lies below the surface. The truth we’re more familiar with in his emphasis on us relying on the Lord and His power (as opposed to our own). “Be strong in the LordContinue reading “The Army And The Armor”
Stand!
When we consider the picture of the Christian armor that Paul paints in Ephesians 6:10ff, there are a couple of things that can be easily overlooked which are critical to us having an accurate understanding of spiritual warfare. One involves the word “stand” (v. 10, 13-14). It can leave us with the impression of a soldier merely standing thereContinue reading “Stand!”
Spiritual Warfare: Stand!
Paul’s words to the Ephesians concerning “the powers of this dark world,” and “the spiritual forces of evil” (6:12), assume a truth that is much less a part of our world view today than it would have been in the first century. That truth is that there is a spiritual world consisting of evil powers asContinue reading “Spiritual Warfare: Stand!”
Spiritual Warfare: The Triumph Of The Cross
The cross is central to us because it is central to Christ! Jesus blessed Peter for recognizing He was the Christ (Matthew 16:17), then sternly rebuked him moments later when Peter sought to separate being Christ from bearing the cross (v. 21-23). Jesus made it clear—to be Christ-centered you must be cross-centered. But it’s not just theology—it’s biography. We foundContinue reading “Spiritual Warfare: The Triumph Of The Cross”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 