Scripture:  “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” Mark 16:6 In the music business, when an artist is having contract issues, they circumvent those issues by changing their name. The name change allows the artist to continue making money and music outside of the contract. The artist ...  Read More

Scripture:  "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ therighteous. 2. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours onlybut also for the whole world." (1John 2:1-2) Propitiation in the biblical sense is averting the wrath of God by the offering of agift. However, in the worldl...  Read More

Scripture: "So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, 'It is finished!'And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit." (John 19:30) “Tetelestai” (te-tel- la- stai), the Hebrew word for the phrase “it is finished,”literally means the sacrifice is complete or the debt has been paid in full. Tetelestaiwas placed on the back of 1 st century legal documents to indicate that a debt hadbeen paid co...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one...  Read More

Scripture: “The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head,and they put on Him a purple robe."  John 19:2 The throne crown of Jesus is a well-remembered image of the crucifixion. Thisthorn-crown was thought of as some act the Roman soldiers decided at thatmoment in time; yet it was within the Father’s plan (Isaiah 53:5).A crown symbolizes royalty and honor, yet this crown’s...  Read More

Scripture: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the world.” “For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:5-7 NKJ) Recently I desired to travel for the purpose...  Read More

Scripture: “…And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this Cup away fromMe; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” (Mark 14:36 NKJ) … “Oh My Father, if it ispossible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39-- NKJ) The Lord Jesus was about doing the Father’s will during His entire experience inHis walk. Scripture s...  Read More

Scripture: "… those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shallmount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walkand not faint."  (Isaiah 40:31 NKJ) There are such days in our lives that we wonder if God has failed us. There is nosong in our heart, a flock of birds excretes their last meal on my head, and everycircumstance without and within becomes m...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you want and I will give it to you.” And she went out and said to her mother,” What shall I ask for?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And immediately she came in haste before the king and asked, saying, “I want you to gi...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: "Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him." Mark 6:3 Now those considering Jesus had just finished itemizing His accomplishments and marvelled at how He handled spiritual and biblical truths; yet they were resigned to consider Him an ordinary fella, stepping way...  Read More

Scripture: “17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 ‘He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather t...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “GOD IS LIGHT, and in Him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5 This light and this purpose are of God. Let’s explore Paul a bit further: In Acts 26, we come toacknowledge that while living a ‘legal’ life, as he testifies, he obviously was not thoroughly godly,although a legitimate Pharisee. He persecuted Christians. He had a specific purpose, and it wasreligiously dressed up, and he was f...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “GOD IS LIGHT, and in Him is no darkness at all.” 1 John 1:5“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and THE WORD WAS GOD. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men... AND THE WORD BECAME FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US, and we beh...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “ [Lord] The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.” Psalm 119:72And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a ...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “Open my eyes that I might see wondrous things from Your law.” Ps. 119:18 [NKJV] In light of the above referenced prayer, we should not hesitate to consult a good Bible commentary (or a recommended paraphrased Bible) to assist us in understanding paradoxical verses we encounter. There is also NO substitute for an excellent study Bible. Grappling with biblical paradoxes alerts us to the ...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to beashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [2 Timothy 2:15 KJV] The more I began to investigate seeming contradictions, or paradoxes in the Holy Scriptures, the more I felt like I had jumped down the proverbial “rabbit hole!” {It’s an inexhaustible undertaking, exploring the broad implications of biblical parado...  Read More

SCRIPTURE: “For whoever desires to save His life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Mark 8:35 NKJV A sister in a church I attended many years ago was famous for exclaiming ‘Make it PLAIN!’ whenever the preacher effectively expounded upon some biblical principle—which was, thankfully, every Sunday. There seemed to be no troubling quandaries in her m...  Read More

Scripture: “ by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Pri...  Read More