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Key Verse: Hebrews 8:6 “But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded in better promises” (NIV). In verse seven, the writer say, “if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no placed […]

Matthew 5 The Merciful v.7 First a word from Shakespeare, and then Jesus’ brother James: “The quality of very is not strain’d It droppeth as the gentle rain from Heaven Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest; It blesses him that gives and him that takes: ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes The […]

Key Verse: Hebrews 7:15, 16 “And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestors but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life” (NIV). Who was Melchizedek? There are only […]

  I’ve been cohosting an Internet prayer meeting over the past few months (biblediscoverytv.com) and have been pleased at the altruistic tone of  the prayer requests. Yes there have been personal needs presented but many have asked prayer for others. There was/is an old prayer song sung in church when I was a kid-“Others, Lord, yes […]

Matthew 5 Those who Crave Righteousness v.6 Ps. 37 is not alone. Again and again the Old Testament speaks of the short shelf-life of the godless rich, and the long, everlasting future that awaits the virtuous poor. The young Virgin Mary captured it in what we not know as “The Magnificat” when she said, “God […]

Matthew 5 The Mourners v.4 Here we have what an old theologian called “a deep doctrine of sin, a high doctrine of joy.” St. Paul’s, “O wretchedness man that I am…” is followed by, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…” (Ro. 7:24, 25). Comfort comes to those who mourn. Jesus is addressing both […]

Matthew 5 The Poor in Spirit v. 3 – Part 2 According to the “Etymological Dictionary” the English word “bless” comes from old English, “blestsian”, “to consecrate, make holy” and the Proto-Germanic, “blouson”, to hallow with blood” — originally  to sprinkle blood on an alter. Both Latin and Greek words for “bless” indicate a “speaking […]

The Poor in Spirit (v. 3) – Part 1 Jesus prioritized the poor. His “mission statement” was Isaiah 61 — “to preach good news to the poor…” (see Lk. 4:16-21). He made it clear that God the Father loves the poor because of their total dependency upon him. What’s more, it stood to reason that […]

Hey friends! Instead of my comments re: Covid-19 and the rigours of the pandemic, how about a powerful video of praise to the Lord from some of our youth volunteers in Africa?  Check us out at www.wowmission.com    

The Sermon on The Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29) The “Mount of Beatitudes” provides one of the most beautiful vistas in all of Israel. Beginning at the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, it slopes upward to a height about four hundred feet above the water. It is called a “mountain” but in fact is one […]

The DNA of Jesus’ Ministry (Matthew 4:23-25) The Galilee provided a doorway to the greater Roman province of Syria. Its territory essentially comprised northern Palestine, bounded by the Jordan river on the east, the Mediterranean ocean on the west, and the mountains of Lebanon on the north. From Mount Hermon, 10,000 feet above sea level […]

  No doubt our world is under adversity on an unprecedented scale. We’re all feeling it. Covid-19 has created stresses we never thought possible, not only in terms of threats to health, but also in terms of fragmenting, if not fracturing, our entitlements. Our freedom to move and interact is fraught with risk. We’re under […]