Jim’s Blog

Matthew 5 Oaths vv. 33-37 – Part 1 Human nature being what it is, we humans tend to “look out for Number One.” We seek advantage over our neighbour. We hide our agendas. We tell half truths. And often, we lie. To protect ourselves from the other guy we bring in an outside authority. Business […]

Key Verse: Luke 19:44 “…you did not know the time of your visitation.” If you have read even a bit of the Bible, you’re sure to have noticed the awfully serious view it takes of decision-making: especially those decisions about our relationship with God. When we’re vague, or try to postpone, if not water down, […]

Key Verse: Luke 18:13 “…God be merciful to me a sinner!” The Bible doesn’t always make an editorial comment about Jesus’ parables, but Luke does so in this instance. The famous parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector is told to “some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody […]

Key Verse: Luke 16:31 “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” It’s amazing but true: there still are “Christians” who have a distinct prejudice against (if not and out-and-out hatred for) Jews. Three or four time s a year, I receive mail […]

Key Verse: Luke 14:33 “…whoever of you does not forsake all he has cannot be Me disciple.” I don’t like those words in the key verse. Nor do I like these words: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, […]

Key Verse: Luke 12:1b “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.” Nobody likes a hypocrite. There’s something instinctive about this distaste — rather like our dislike for foul odours, snakes, and dishonest salesmen. We prefer people to be who they say they are. Regardless of the masks we ourselves may wear, we […]

Matthew 5 Divorce vv.31 & 32 – Part 5 Malachi starts the argument by declaring that Israel has one God and a unique covenant. Israel will be his people and he will be their God. But they have become disloyal to their national family (V. 10), their spiritual family (vv. 11,12), and their marriage partners […]

Key Verse: Luke 11:9 “And I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Have you ever thought of prayer as a process? Usually we think of it only in terms of verbalizing: articulating a need. But if you […]

Key Verse: Luke 10:20 “…do not rejoice…that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” In the last chapter, we read of Jesus sending out the twelve disciples “to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (9:2). In this chapter, He sends out seventy […]