In today’s Bible reading*, Jesus’ friends sent word that his friend Lazarus has died. Jesus knows that He will raise his friend from the dead. And yet, when He approaches His friend’s grave, He weeps. (John 11:35) The Jewish bystanders correctly observe that Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying in the first place. I’m…
In today’s Bible reading*, John tells us about Jesus’ encounter with a man who was born blind. The Jewish leaders asked Jesus about the source of his blindness. Was it his sin or his parents’ sin? Evidently, these First Century Jewish leaders believed there was a connection between sin and physical ailments. They were partially…
Peter continues addressing his persecuted, exiled readers (1 Peter 2:11) in today’s Bible reading*. Last month, I commented on the historical context around the middle of the First Century. I mentioned Nero was the Roman Emporer at the time. Under Nero’s reign, Christians were persecuted far beyond what many of us can imagine today. “Pure…
In today’s Bible reading*, Paul tells his spiritual son Timothy that Believers should pray for those in authority over them. He uses several Greek words for prayer, each covering a different type of prayer. And he tells Timothy to pray “for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may…
I’ve said many times that when you see a word or idea repeated several times in a few Bible verses, it’s a pretty good sign that the word or idea is important. Well, in today’s Bible reading* the word “comfort” appears nine times in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. That’s nine times in five verses! It’s safe…
Paul gives us a couple of verses in today’s Bible reading* that are perhaps the most misquoted verses in the entire Bible. Many Christians believe — and take comfort — in the idea that God will never give you more than you can handle. But is that what Paul says? Is it what Paul means?…
