Jesus spent 3.5 years doing things for others. He healed, preached, taught, even fed people. The crowds were always great because the need was great. But at Gethsemane everything changed. Overnight Jesus went from doing things for others, to having things done to Him. Betrayed, kissed, arrested, passed around, beaten, humiliated, and finally killed. And […]
Author Archives: richiehalversen
Galatians 5:14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Neighbor is an old English word that literally means “the boor who is neigh thee.” Basically “the boor who is near you.” Our modern definition of boor is: “an unrefined, ill-mannered person” Sometimes a neighbor can […]
John 13:8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” We have this fallen inclination, like Peter, to try and clean ourselves up before coming to Jesus to clean us. We think: “I better stop doing that, and start doing this.” Which […]
Jesus asked for me to wait with Him, but I fell asleep instead. All the life He would give for my sin, and all I could think about was going to bed. I’m sure the wind and sea stayed up, The fox and the owl kept lookout, But I was sleeping when He took the […]
Psalm 9:9–10 Jehovah will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble; And those who know your name will put their trust in you; For you, Jehovah, have not forsaken those who seek you. What is your high tower? What do you run to when times get tough? For […]
Psalm 137:1 “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.” It has been appropriately called the “Song of the Captive.” It is a song about Israel in exile. It is a song not only for them, but for us, because we are still in exile. We live in […]
Luke 15:13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” It is easy for some to disassociate themselves from the prodigal story. And yet if we looked just a little below the surface we would find we […]
We were made to love. Love God, our spouses, our children, our community—everyone. But sin changed everything. What God created to be a blissful experience of mutual trust became a lifetime of suspicion and jealousy. Adam and Eve’s lack of trust is inherited by their children. Culminating in Cain’s jealousy, and eventual murder, of his […]
Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Jesus did not say this because his spirit was about to become some disembodied vapor leaving His body on it’s way to heaven. Ecclesiastes 9:5 is clear, “for […]
When I was a kid, growing up in the church, I heard a lot of phrases like: “Walk softly in the sanctuary.” “Talk quietly in the church.” “Be reverent” There was always a strong emphasis on reverence, (which basically just meant being quiet). I have since learned reverence is so much more than that. I […]
