From Sanctuary by David Jeremiah Set Free He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. –2 Corinthians 5:21 I once heard someone say that of all men who ever lived, Barabbas should have the best understanding of vicarious substitution. Somebody died in his place. This murderer and thief walked out a free man, the crowds cheering his release. At the same time, an innocent Jesus was sentenced to die. But Barabbas isn’t the only one who can say that Jesus died in his place. We can all say that Jesus Christ died on that cross for us, just as He did for Barabbas. In the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus died that we might live. He was b...

Sins of omission and sins of commission are both referenced in the Bible and often discussed together. A sin of commission involves the willful act of doing something that violates God’s commands in Scripture, such as lying or stealing. A sin of omission involves not doing what is right or failing to do as instructed. Refusing to share Christ with others, neglecting to care for those in need, and avoiding prayer are all examples of sins of omission. Omission is Willful Disobedience When a parent tells their child that they aren’t allowed to play video games until their homework is done, but they do it anyway, this is a clear act of disobedience. They did something they weren’t supposed to do. We’d call this a sin of commission. However, if a parent tells their child to clean their room and...

Questions. Our lives are filled with them. And many of them, particularly the ones we ask of God, go unanswered. It’s not that they are unimportant to Him; they are terribly important to Him. It’s just that we are even more important, and He is waiting for us to ask the right ones. The New Testament is filled with such misdirected requests – “Show us the Father,” “Save us!” and “Who among us is the greatest?” – that Jesus declines to answer, opting instead to reveal more intimate, more significant insight into the character of God.  But one question was answered—immediately, clearly and with care: “Teach us to pray!” (Luke 11:1) They’d finally asked the right question. The breath of spiritual life is prayer. Physically, we can live 40 days without food and three days without water but...

July 16, 2018These Things Are Not Supposed to BeWENDY BLIGHT “But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.” Psalm 3:3-4 (NIV) They weren’t supposed to attend a country music festival and end up running for their lives. He wasn’t supposed to take an anniversary trip with his beloved and end up shielding her from a bullet. She wasn’t supposed to kiss her man in blue goodbye to protect and serve and end up never kissing him again. She wasn’t supposed to be dancing and laughing with her best friend one minute and end up kneeling next to her lifeless body the next. These things are not supposed to be. I don’t have answers. I don’t have explanations. But I know the One who does. The One wh...

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Shekinah Glory is a visible manifestation of God on earth, whose presence is portrayed through a natural occurrence. The word shekinah is a Hebrew name meaning “dwelling” or “one who dwells.” Shekinah Glory means “He caused to dwell,” referring to the divine presence of God. The word Shekinah is not in the Bible, but the description is. In the classical Hebrew and Aramaic manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments, the word shekinah is actually not found. It was first introduced by Jewish rabbis through targums and literature in the period between the completion of the Old Testament and the onset of the New Testament. The etymology of “Shekinah” is from the Hebrew word shākan, which means“to reside or permanently stay.” The rabbis used the term Shekinah to describe the following to the Jewi...

Water for Your Soulby Max Lucado Where do you find water for the soul? Jesus gave an answer one October day in Jerusalem. People had packed the streets for the annual reenactment of the rock-giving-water miracle of Moses. Each morning a priest filled a golden pitcher with water from the Gihon spring and carried it down a people-lined path to the temple. He did this every day, once a day, for seven days. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37-38). He “stood and shouted” (NLT). The traditional rabbinic teaching posture was sitting and speaking. But Jesus stood up and shouted out. Forget a...

The Cities of Refuge were six cities allocated to the Levite tribe in the Old Testament that provided asylum for perpetrators of unintentional manslaughter. Divinely appointed and subject to Mosaic Law, the cities offered offenders refuge and protection from retribution of the avenging family until their case went to trial. What is the origin of the Cities of Refuge? The establishment of the Cities of Refuge originated during the territorial distribution of the Promised Land of Canaan amongst the 12 tribes of Israel. The Levites were the only tribe who had been appointed by God to serve Him as His priests. They were also divinely assigned as the caretakers and overseers of the tabernacle, its rites, and its furnishings (Numbers 18). As God had declared these duties to be their inheritance,...

July 13/14 Peace, Joy, and Contentment  Nehemiah 2:1-8 Discouragement can rob peace, joy, and contentment. But I have great news if you feel disheartened: You’re not stuck! I’ve known people who appeared to be in an impossible situation. A few years later, however, they were in a terrific place, either in terms of their circumstances or their emotions. The reason? They never gave up. Instead of sulking in self-pity, they chose to believe God, step out in faith, and climb out of the emotional pit. Nehemiah is a good example. He had every reason to feel defeated, because his people were in trouble. After receiving news that the city wall had been destroyed, this man of God acknowledged profound disappointment and grieved. Though pain flooded his soul, he didn’t allow himself to stay in ...