JJ25 #35 – When God Gives: Steward

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it […]

JJ25 #03 – Work It, Keep It – Diligence and Vigilance

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man … (Genesis 2:15-16a ESVUK) Making the most out of something is the art and technique of good management. It took me a long time to understand and appreciate this truth. In that length of […]

JJ25 #02 – The Work and The Call

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man … (Genesis 2:15-16a ESVUK) At some point in my teenage years, I was asked the wonderful question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” A seemingly regular and conventional question to […]

OTKC 26: Fear God, Not Man

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell, Matthew 10:28 (ESVUK) What Did Jesus Mean? When Jesus speaks of “fearing God,” He employs the Hebrew concept of yirah – a reverent awe that encompasses both holy respect and loving […]

OTKC 25: Demonstrate Kingdom Rule

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. Matthew 10:8 (ESVUK) What Did Jesus Mean? The instructions Jesus gives to the disciples as they carry out His work in Matthew 10 are specific to them at that time. Those instructions are to be read in the understanding that Jesus was being specific to […]

OTKC 21: Enter the Narrow Gate

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Matthew 7:13-14 (ESVUK) What Did Jesus Mean? […]

OTKC 20: Do Unto Others

So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12 (ESVUK) What Did Jesus Mean? This is widely known as the Golden Rule. Unlike similar ethical teachings found in other traditions, which often state the principle negatively (“Do not do to […]

OTKC 13: Give In Secret

When you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your […]

OTKC 12: Be Perfect, Like Your Heavenly Father

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:48 (ESVUK) Listeners to Jesus’ teaching on the mount at the time and now should be amazed. The outline of what the blessed person is would have been breathtaking. The call to return to God’s standards in dealing with anger, lust, divorce and […]

OTKC 11: Love Your Enemy

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:43-45 (ESVUK) People relate to the word love as a matter of feelings that work themselves […]