Is there some thematic connection between one tomb full of kings, and the empty tomb of our resurrected King? How can we connect this violent episode in the history of Israel with gospel freedom and peace?

We should aim to reflect all the facets of love all the time because we aim to love like Jesus. We try to be as loving as Jesus by observing how he loved and practicing daily by praying for direction and a soft heart.

Jesus’ revelation is hard to handle at times, and difficult to understand. Figurative language brings some of the reality to life, but some of the imagery remains a mystery. Yet Revelation is beautiful too. What we see is enough, if we are not hard-hearted, to inspire awe, fear, obedience, and to remind us of our great love.

Some of our fears and anxieties are large-scale, related to wars around the world or protecting our families during natural disasters. Some anxieties are more personal: what to do about conflicts with siblings, phobias, or dread over a medical appointment? How does Scripture address our fears and worries?

Here are some Scriptural truths to remind us of God’s personal presence in the midst of anxiety, and his power to do something about it.

1. When You Are Lacking Confidence

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9).

Something important has to be said, action taken, but I dread it Lord. My friend is not going to like hearing what I have to say. I am afraid of conducting myself badly, maybe losing my temper, or being cold and cruel to hide my fear: that I’m both wrong and unkind.

We feel unable to act boldly because we mistrust ourselves. But you ask us to trust you, not ourselves. You, Lord, empower us to do whatever you want. Please tell us what that is as we read your Word and reflect on it. Then, fill us with confidence in you to empower us as we do your will, whether to speak and to act, or to stay silent and do nothing. Help us to trust your guidance then be confident to do your will. Help us to trust the process, and to also submit the result to your purposes.

You take us places and you shape outcomes, but they don’t always look how we expect them to. It doesn’t always appear victorious, and then we wonder if we were being foolish or really hearing you. We become tentative. But we have not seen the end of your plans. You have not revealed the wider mystery of how we are connected to Kingdom work in other people’s lives. Renew our spirit of humility towards you so we can approach the world with confidence in your power.

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Mark 3:29-30 records this warning from Jesus: “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” For two thousand years, Christians have been wondering, what if they have committed the unforgivable sin of blasphemy? And potential believers have pondered this question: am I already too far gone, because I have blasphemed countless times?

Re-reading the gospel accounts of Jesus’ statement, with some direction from biblical scholarship, sheds light on what Jesus was truly saying and gives hope to those who believe there is no hope of salvation for them. Here are five things you are misunderstanding about the unforgivable sin.

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We know that Peter died for his faith. He was crucified. We can trust these facts because of Christ’s prophetic words and because of what was written by objective viewers. Some details of his death have passed into the realms of tradition, however, and details are unreliable.

We must remember, material possessions are not bad – things are morally neutral. Still, we must hold our belongings in an open hand, treating it rightly as something to be used for God’s work and not ours by right.

Christ died to save all people, but not all people want to be saved or know they need salvation. Not all people abide in his love, and because of that they are unable to love fully or to be loved to the fullest extent of Christ’s love.

We could mistake Paul’s message and say that our own work (that of good reasoning and thoughtful research of the Bible) will bring us to salvation. But Paul is very clear: we are saved by grace through faith.

Money is not relevant to the Lord. This kind of valuation is in keeping with the Lord’s provision for all kinds of human behavior which the Lord did not promote. God does not view people’s worth according to their capacity in trade or commerce, but he provided laws to keep order and protect the vulnerable.

Some jobs really are difficult to enjoy, but the Lord shows us that you can approach even those jobs joyfully. The key is to associate your work both with the Lord’s work and to see it as the Lord sees it: worthy, dignified, and necessary.

For the Christian, a rest day or Sabbath is designed as an opportunity to seek God intentionally and without as many distractions or time pressures as one faces in the day-to-day routine of employment, parenting, and other obligations.