A Closer Look at God's Word

Mini Meditations 25 In God’s Word we are told to “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding.” And God has also said . . . “Come now, and let us reason together.” So, which is it? Should a Christian operate on faith or reason? In this lesson, we will find that there is a legitimate place in God’s plan for both. Transcript is here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content...

Mini Meditations 24 In this lesson, we will explore some amazing things about God’s ability to remember and His promise to forget the sins that are covered by the blood of Christ. We will also see how God has guarded against man’s tendency to forget their Creator—both in the case of Israel—and the Bride of Christ. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/024-Remembering_an...

Mini Meditations 23 Joshua 3:11-13 is a thrilling account of the Children of Israel crossing the Jordan on dry ground. As far as the priests were concerned, it was a step of faith . They must walk into the Jordan—depending on God’s promise to stop those raging waters. In this lesson, we will see how every aspect of this crossing pictures the Lord Jesus on the cross as He bore our sin debt—right ba...

Mini Meditations 22 2 Samuel 10:1-3 records an event in which King David’s motives were seriously misjudged by King Hanun and the results were devastating. In like manner, when Adam and Eve misjudged God’s motives, the results were devastating. But there is some good news, and it’s found in this lesson. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/022-Misjudging_God.pdf

Mini Meditations 21 One way in which man is made in the image of God is that he is a triune being, having a body, soul, and spirit. So, when Jesus became a man, a full member of the Trinity became a member of the human trinity. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/021-The_Image_of_God.pdf

Mini Meditations 20 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” How can a yoke be easy? How could Jesus’ burden be light? In this lesson, we will discover that Jesus really knew what He was talking about. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/020-His_Yok...

Mini Meditations 19 Jesus was always aware of God’s timetable, and He was determined to follow it. During His public ministry, His life had been repeatedly threatened, and He miraculously walked away from danger. But when God’s hour had come for Jesus to die, He willingly gave His life on the cross for you and me. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/019-Jesus_Wrist_Wa...

Mini Meditations 18 Jesus was continually hindered by the fact that some people didn’t believe in Him. His neighbours in Nazareth didn’t believe He was the Messiah. His own half-brothers didn’t believe in Him. This lesson ends by challenging Christians to believe in Jesus’ ability to meet all their needs. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/018-Jesus_Limitations.pdf

Mini Meditations 17 For the Old Testament Jew, the temple was the focal point for prayer. That belief goes back to Solomon’s prayer of dedication. In that prayer, he recognized the fact that God is everywhere. However, he asked God to graciously fill that holy structure with His divine presence. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/017-The_Location_of_God.pdf

Mini Meditations 16 In this lesson, we will see how Jesus took the remnants of the Passover meal and forged them into a new memorial that would bind the church to Himself and to their fellow Christians. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/016-The_Lords_Supper.pdf

Mini Meditations 15 In this lesson, we will see how the first sacrifice, offered in the Garden of Eden, was a perfect representation of Jesus Who is both our substitute and our covering . Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/015-The_First_Sacrifice.pdf

Mini Meditations 14 Abraham and Moses were special vessels set aside for a special purpose. However, it would be years before their practical sanctification caught up with their positional sanctification. It was the same with Jesus’ disciples, and it is the same with Christians. But God is working on us to make us more like Jesus. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/0...

Mini Meditations 13 As Jesus looked down from the mountain and saw His disciples “. . . straining at rowing” in the midst of the troubled sea, so He both sees and cares for us in the midst of our trials and tribulations. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/013-Jesus_Care_For_His_Disciples.pdf

Mini Meditations 12 During those 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, what was Satan’s agenda when he offered Jesus temptation number two and temptation number three? Well, they were shortcuts—an easy way to obtain success at the cost of disobeying His Heavenly Father. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/012-Shortcuts.pdf

Mini Meditations 11 When Jesus visited His hometown of Nazareth for the second time, His neighbours just couldn’t believe that He was the Messiah. The result was “. . . He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.” Not that He would not, but He could not do many mighty works there. For Someone who had flung the stars into space, that was a s...

Mini Meditations 10 At the height of Jesus’ Judean campaign,  John’s disciples came to Him as He was preaching and asked the question . . . “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” It might surprise you how Jesus handled this embarrassing situation. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/010-An_Embarrassing_Situation.pdf

Mini Meditations 09 Jesus made it clear that the religious leaders were His enemies. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” Christians are also engaged in a war, “. . . against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” And, as in any battle, you need to know where the front line is. When you have a front line, you have the comfort of knowing...

Mini Meditations 08 Sometimes we try to fool ourselves and others concerning the real reason for our actions. For instance, during Jesus’ earthly ministry, the religious leaders wanted to kill Him because He was interfering with their control over the people. But the religious reason they gave for wanting to eliminate Him was—He was guilty of blasphemy. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, but it would...

Mini Meditations 07 After the disciples had worked so hard to proclaim the kingdom—a kingdom that seemed to be just around the corner—they found that the kingdom and their place in it was gone. And not only that, but their Messiah would soon be gone. However, amid their sorrows and disappointments, Jesus told them . . . “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told...

Mini Meditations 06 Ironically, the mocking that was going on around the cross was both cruel and clever. The general crowd and the religious leaders said much the same thing . . . “Come down from the cross.” And one of the criminals made this suggestion: “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” The soldiers mockingly said . . . “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.” But why descr...

Mini Meditations 05  Like a Good Shepherd, Jesus could say. . . “Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” And, on the cross, He would redeem our soul and spirit. And someday, when Jesus comes back for His church, He will complete His work by redeeming our body. As Philippians 3:21 tells us, Jesus . . . “will t...

Mini Meditations 04  Privilege often entails responsibility. For instance, Peter, James, and John had a closer relationship to Jesus than the other disciples. However, in the Garden of Gethsemane, they were told to . . . “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” , while the others were only told to sit here . . . “while I go and pray over there.” Being a friend of Jesus is an unbelievable p...

Mini Meditations 03   When someone evaluates another person, they often reveal more about themselves than the one they are evaluating. For instance, the lady with the alabaster flask, the traitor Judas, and the two thieves on the cross had very different opinions of Jesus. And you know what? Their opinions of Jesus determined their eternal destiny. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content...

Mini Meditations 02 In this lesson, we will see how the tests that Jesus met and conquered at the end of those 40 days of temptations in the wilderness were a preparation for the temptations He would meet while on the cross. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/002-Jesus_Temptations.pdf

Mini Meditations 01 In this lesson, we will see Jesus setting aside His legitimate desires in favour of His Father’s will. He did that in the Garden of Gethsemane, during His various interrogations, and at the cross on Calvary. We will also see a foreshadowing of some of these events in Father Abraham and his own beloved son, Isaac. Transcript here: https://closerlook.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/04...