El Shaddai, Almighty - 1 Samuel 17:45
His power is omnipotent, unlimited. But more than that, his power descends on his armies and on his people. His power is for us, it amplifies his blessings and it conquers enemies.
Abi, Father - Deuteronomy 32:6
But when we consider the uses of the word Abi in the Old Testament, there is more than the DNA in the definition.
Elohim, First Name - Genesis 1:1
The first name of God in the bible is Elohim. It is Elohim who created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1:1. What I find most interesting about the use of Elohim is that this is the pluralized form of the word.
Names of God: Yahweh Exodus 3:14
Yahweh, I am. This is how God chooses to name himself in his encounter with Moses in Exodus 3. It is the first time ‘Yahweh’ is used in the Old Testament. I am. ‘I am’ indicates a great many things, and yet is so simple in its expression.
Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Matt 25:31-46
The division of sheep and goats is based on those who have taken the teachings to heart and acted on the lessons. We have to take the lessons of Jesus, ingest them and let them change us. Is there evidence of his life in us?
Parable of the Bags of Gold, Matt 25:14-30
Letting fear take over stops us from living. Live is growth, functional activity and change preceding death (Oxford Dictionaries). We don’t live when fear has caused us to stop following God’s will or intention for us.
Parables of the Wedding Banquet and the Ten Virgins, Matt 22:1-13 & Matt 25:1-13
It comes to me that perhaps it is the last reason, lack of language, that people would turn down the invitation of the king of the parable. People do not speak His language, they do not understand, do not want to understand and simply do not care to understand this culture that we call Christianity.
Parable of the Tenants, Matt 21:33-46
Our mission may seem to change over time, but I think the primary mission we all have is to spread the gospel and make disciples. It is the ‘who’ we disciple and the ‘how’ that likely changes over time, at work, school, church, when volunteering, in family.
Parable of Two Sons, Matt 21:28-33
What matters in the end, is if we have followed the requests of the father in our lives, in our field of work. If we have done this, we will finish strong and please the father.
Parable of the Vineyard Owner, Matt 20:1-16
We likely know the parable talks of how the reward is the same for those who come first or those who come last into the kingdom. But I have always been fascinated by something else of this vineyard owner.
Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, Matt 18:21-35
The parable ends with the king calling the servant to answer for his actions. I must seek to forgive quickly, extend mercy and grace. These must be the things that infiltrate my being.
Parable of the Fishing Net, Matt 13:47-50
Considering these parables as they are recorded, I doubt (once again) that it is by chance that they are in this sequence. Here we come to the final result of our lives.
Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
I wonder if the pearl was mounted tightly and worn daily, for all to see.
Parable of Yeast, Matt 13:33
I doubt it is anything but foresight that this dough must then be fired before it is useful. We walk through the fire and challenges daily and seasonally.
Parable of the Mustard Seed, Matthew 12:31-32
The kingdom of God is not only a place yet to be seen. It is the part of heaven which we live out now. We are like the birds perched in the tree.