Revelation 7 – God’s primary motive in our hearts has always been this: transformation. I think it’s important to understand Revelation in terms of the overall picture instead of as individual narratives. We see a great transformation …
The Bible Blog
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Revelation 6 – I grew up in Berne, Indiana which sits directly on top of the continental divide. If you are not familiar with the continental divide, it is an area of raised terrain that …
Revelation 5 – The Scroll In ancient times, the Romans would seal their wills seven times. Each wax seal usually contained an engraved emblem and sealed the letter for security or to designate ownership. Marriage contracts, leases, …
Revelation 4 – The Throne We just recently studied the book of Ezekiel and Leviticus which have some strong ties to the language here in Revelation. Before God’s throne, John sees brilliant and vivid imagery that is …
Revelation 3 – Lukewarm I remember several years ago going to a music festival in Kentucky called Ichthus. It was basically a camping trip with live Christian music playing at all times across multiple stages. Now, I’m …
Revelation 2 – Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative of all churches that will exist throughout history. No matter what church you attend, it is likely …
Revelation 1 – The comparison game. We all do it. When life throws us unpredictable storms, (and especially when we wrestle with why God would allow such things) we feel sorry for ourselves. We ask ourselves questions …
Jeremiah 52 – The final chapter of Jeremiah gives a summary of the events which have occurred, giving us some additional details as to what took place. The thing that strikes me the most in reading this …
Jeremiah 51 – As I look over the book of Jeremiah and see now how the final judgment of Babylon is going down, it’s pretty amazing to think about all that Jeremiah has been through. God has …
Jeremiah 50 – “Their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of hosts is His name.” Jeremiah 50:34 As the book of Jeremiah winds down with just a few chapters left, God speaks of the judgment against Babylon. It’s …
Jeremiah 49 – Next up – The Ammonites. The people are different but the message is the same. It’s pride again. These people have ignored God and His commands and they’ve decided that they want to serve …
Jeremiah 48 – Moab can trace its ancestry all the way back to Lot. Historically, Israel and Moab experienced times of peace and hostility but there was little love lost between these two nations. Moab seemed to play both sides of the fence. Often, they were a thorn in the side of God’s people. …
Jeremiah 47 – The sword of the Lord now comes against the Philistines just as he came against the Egyptians in the previous chapter. In the grand scheme of what has happened here, it is a stunning …
Jeremiah 46 – Just as God promised, He outlines some of the details that will take place as Babylon prepares to destroy Egypt. It is proof of His justice and his power, as well as His grace …
Jeremiah 45 – This is a flashback to the 4th year of Jehoiakim so it’s not happening here alongside the destruction of Jerusalem. However, it was placed here, probably to be a timely reminder that God is …
Jeremiah 44 – Once again the people of Judah have hardened their hearts to God. It’s unreal. To be honest, this is such a hard chapter to read because Jeremiah stands here confronting them as a prophet …
Jeremiah 43 – What we see here in chapter 43 is just the usual for Jeremiah. Once again, after all that has happened, the men of Judah decide he is a liar and they will not obey …
Jeremiah 42 – Bias. We all have it. There is a lot to be said in this chapter about predetermined thoughts. Johanan wants to flee to Egypt, but he seeks counsel from Jeremiah first. They ask for …
Jeremiah 41 – The scene here in chapter 41 is reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster action movie. The nation is already mourning the total destruction of Jerusalem, and with a dramatic twist, the body count continues to …
Jeremiah 40 – We find Jeremiah here being permitted to go and live anywhere he wants. It was a great reward for him, and evidence of the favor of God. This pagan officer has surely witnessed a …
Jeremiah 39 – After 2 ½ years of the people watching and wondering when the Babylonian army would penetrate their city, it finally happened. Jerusalem was taken captive. King Zedekiah, who had been told by Jeremiah to surrender, did the opposite …
Jeremiah 38 – The brutality against Jeremiah is taken a step further. Led by officials, they inquired with the king for permission to do what they had planned. Zedekiah gave the approval to cast him into a cistern where there was no water. His body sunk deep into the mud …
Jeremiah 37 – If you have been following along in Jeremiah you may be confused at how the chapters skip around. I know I am…
Jeremiah 36 – Anyone could argue that God knew what was going to happen to these people. He knew their hardened hearts. He knew for certain that the King would do what he did …
Jeremiah 35 – What excuses are we giving for our lack of faithfulness to Jesus? Where are we settling for a lukewarm relationship with him similar to those who are around us? The message here was to …
Jeremiah 34 – Every 7 years slaves were to be released. This had been an ordinance God had established hundreds of years before. As the people’s hearts became hardened, they failed to follow this law. They were …
Jeremiah 33 – There’s a saying, “When you least expect it, expect it.” In essence, this is what God states to Jeremiah as he’s still under arrest, confined in the courtyard of the palace guard. God continues …
Jeremiah 32 – This chapter essentially reiterates the destruction we’ve known will come upon Jerusalem and the peace and prosperity God has promised on the horizon…after the exile. Jeremiah is told to go purchase land. This is …
Jeremiah 31 – There is a lot going on in this chapter, and it can seem kind of confusing. I want to focus on the very interesting but highly controversial verse 15. Thus says the LORD: “A …
Jeremiah 30 – God works in mysterious ways. It’s cliche but truth for this chapter. He is flexing his muscles once again and showing that His plan cannot be thwarted – even by our rebellious sin. There …
Jeremiah 29 – Context is everything. One of the most misused and misunderstood verses in all the Bible is found here in Jeremiah 29. ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, …
Jeremiah 28 – We get to see the incredible discernment of Jeremiah here in this chapter. He is challenged by Hananiah, a false prophet, and publicly humiliated when the yoke is taken from his neck and shattered …
Jeremiah 27 – It is fascinating to me to see the way that God is handling wayward Judah in these chapters. Back in Chapter 21 of Jeremiah, we saw the Lord first introduce this idea of submission …
Jeremiah 26 – Jeremiah is threatened with death. My first takeaway from reading this was just how similar it is to Jesus’ encounter with the religious leaders who heard his truth and immediately wanted to kill him. …
Jeremiah 25 – The warnings of God to the people were constant. Most of these chapters seem to say the same thing over and over again. It’s easy to skim past and overlook it as it often …
Jeremiah 24 – Captivity has now set in and Jeremiah is once again given a message as to the fate of his people. Essentially, the vision is two baskets of figs – one good and one bad. …
Jeremiah 23 – In this chapter, we see God really target the people in positions of leadership among the Jews. As you look back at the history of Israel, when a good and righteous king was on …
Jeremiah 22 – God has a message and it will be delivered. It may not come the way we expected. It may not come at the time we thought it would. It may even come from someone …
Jeremiah 21 – It has finally happened. Babylon is bearing down on Judah and God is allowing it to happen. He has warned them over so many chapters of this coming doom if they did not repent …
Jeremiah 20 – Are you overwhelmed by Jesus right now? Yes, it’s a convicting question, but it reveals so much. Jeremiah was consumed by the Lord and from that relationship would come the conviction to lead others. …
Jeremiah 19 – What happens when we flirt with sin? For whatever reason, our society has divided sin into many different levels and categories. Though Jesus taught that a sin in the heart is equal to a …
Jeremiah 18 – How insane is it to think that a piece of clay has any say in what the potter is doing? Yet, many pieces of clay today insult the Potter by protesting against His hands. …
Jeremiah 17 – Does the Bible encourage us to “follow our heart?” What we find in chapter 17 of Jeremiah is such a sharp contrast between the destiny of a man who follows his heart and the …
Jeremiah 16 – The loneliness of Jeremiah sets in as once again he looks around and sees what others have that he has been restrained from. On top of this, he is to deliver a bold message …
Jeremiah 15 – The insecurities of Jeremiah are starting to show. He’s really stuck between a rock and hard place. He knows he needs to continue to obey God, but it’s costing him so much with his …
Jeremiah 14 – So the LORD said to me, “Do not pray for the welfare of this people.” Jeremiah 14:11 NASB Don’t pray for these people. What??? If you read the blog a few weeks ago you …
Jeremiah 13 – Burdens for people can be so heavy. When we sense that the ways of Jesus are not a priority in someone’s life, there is heartache and sorrow. God brings our attention to His heart …
Jeremiah 12 – We have all been in a situation like this before. We cry out to God over something we just can’t take anymore. Jeremiah has had it. He’s calling out the hypocrites and asking God …
Jeremiah 11 – The people of Judah and Jerusalem were not helpless. They continually chose their sin over God. The point being made in this chapter is that God’s justice is inevitable if sin becomes natural and …
Jeremiah 10 – Let’s face it; we love idols. Consumerism is drilled into us at an early age. Most of what we use our money to buy has planned obsolescence meaning the product is limited and we …
Jeremiah 9 – Have you ever been torn between sorrow and anger? On one hand, we are incensed at the lack of spiritual depth in others’ lives. On the other hand, we grieve for the turmoil and …
Jeremiah 8 – I love the Good News Bible translation of this chapter. The LORD told me to say to his people, “When someone falls down, doesn’t he get back up? If someone misses the road, doesn’t …
Jeremiah 7 – A lot of people act like the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament is simply not the same being. Although they may call Him God, they live as …
Jeremiah 6 – A few years ago, I discovered that the agitator in our washing machine was not turning like it was supposed to. After disassembling the whole thing, I discovered that the bolt had worn down …
Jeremiah 5 – The people of Israel and Judah have betrayed me completely. I, the LORD, have spoken.” 12 The LORD’s people have denied him and have said, “He won’t really do anything. We won’t have hard …
Jeremiah 4 – Judah’s lovers have become her murderers. And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with …
Jeremiah 3 – Married people, how would you feel if your spouse wanted to share their love equally with another? Would you be fine with that? God challenges the people to consider their ways. They have left …
Jeremiah 2 – “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, The fountain of living waters, To hew for themselves cisterns, Broken cisterns That can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13 NASB This is what …
Jeremiah 1 – When my wife and I first moved into our house, we immediately fell in love with the fenced in backyard. Though it was small, it was a nice escape from the hustle and bustle …
2 Chronicles 36 – The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; 16 but they continually …
2 Chronicles 35 – Armchair Quarterback (noun) a person who offers advice or an opinion on something in which they have no expertise or involvement How many people do you know who have lots of great ideas …
2 Chronicles 34 – In this chapter, we have a brilliant example of what happens to us when we neglect God’s Word. There are many today who like the idea of Scripture. They may like the book …
2 Chronicles 33 – Sometimes it has to hurt in order to draw genuine Godly repentance. It’s not a concept we like to think about, but it is true. Though Manasseh’s acts were heinous and evil, God …
2 Chronicles 32 – There are times in my spiritual walk when I simply want to take a break. Although I know God is calling me forward, I would rather just check out and do my own …
2 Chronicles 31 – What we notice about the kings of the past two books (1 & 2 Chronicles) is that their actions are described in detail. Generally speaking, the kings either followed the Lord and backed …
2 Chronicles 30 – Hezekiah wanted to do the right thing. He believed that Israel and Judah should come back together in order to celebrate the Passover. He knew God’s promises extended to all 12 tribes which …
2 Chronicles 29 – In the first month… There were many decisions that needed attention when coming into power as a king. Certainly, there would have been personal decisions, political decisions, military decisions and economic decisions. There …
2 Chronicles 28 – Wow. What a chapter. Where do we begin? There are times in Scripture where we read that the Lord handed over the people to their own consequences. This is one of those times. …
2 Chronicles 27 – The people continued in rebellion under Jotham. Although he was a faithful king, he did have one flaw that stood against him outlined in 2 Kings 15. He did …
2 Chronicles 26 – It may not seem like a big deal to us, but in that time, it was not a king’s role to enter into the temple. This was a duty assigned to the priests. …
2 Chronicles 25 – Amaziah is another example of someone who followed the Lord nominally but did not fully commit his heart. He did right in the sight of the LORD, yet not with a whole heart. …
2 Chronicles 24 – But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them. 2 Chronicles 24:17 NASB In other words, after Jehoiada died, …
2 Chronicles 23 – The drama surrounding this messianic promise is an interesting story. The offspring of David’s line had officially been reduced to one man – Joash. Had he died, or been killed, there would be …
2 Chronicles 22 – The family tree of Jehoshaphat and Ahab can get overwhelming. If you are reading and getting confused, there is a great family tree of this chapter at the link below. 2 Chronicles 22 …
2 Chronicles 21 – There is a simple question with a simple answer. What’s the cost? When you look at the way you are living your life, what is it costing you? For Jehoram, the life he …
2 Chronicles 20 – Did God command his people to go into battle singing? I read this over and over to make sure I wasn’t missing something. As far as I can tell, we don’t read they …
2 Chronicles 19 – Jehoshaphat was a spiritual leader. Other than David or Solomon, he restored the nation to a deeper spiritual commitment than any king of Judah or Israel. One of his strategies in doing this …
2 Chronicles 18 – Would you rather be a well-liked king or a ridiculed prophet? In a bizarre revelation, God asks for a lying, deceitful spirit to go an entice Ahab to fall at Ramoth-gilead. Why was …
2 Chronicles 17 – Leadership has a trickle-down effect. Judah or Israel had not seen a king like Jehoshaphat since David. In fact, many scholars say that Jehoshaphat approached the wealth and status of King Solomon but …
2 Chronicles 16 – There is so much in this chapter that is personal and meaningful for me. As someone who has struggled with unexplained health issues, it seems that every day is a battle. The temptation …
2 Chronicles 15 – Several years ago my wife was trying to get me onboard with adoption. Shamefully, I was hesitant. It just wasn’t the direction or the plan I thought would unfold. For months, she would …
2 Chronicles 14 – The attack that comes upon Israel is from the Ethiopians but that is deceiving. During this time Egypt had gained power. These Ethiopian forces were most likely mercenaries working for Egypt and were …
2 Chronicles 13 – After reading this chapter, I am reminded of a common situation we have all encountered. It’s that moment when someone is telling the truth, but not giving you the full story. When a …
2 Chronicles 12 – Rehoboam did what was evil, because he did not determine in his heart to seek the LORD …
2 Chronicles 11 – I hate to be pessimistic, but here in Chapter 11, we have bad going to worse. Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) was now the king of the southern tribes of Judah. Jeroboam (Solomon’s former official) …
2 Chronicles 10 – It seems like this whole situation began to unravel in such a short period of time. If we go back in history, however, we see that is not the case. This struggle to …
2 Chronicles 9 – Jesus actually spoke of this encounter between the Queen of Sheba and Solomon. In Matthew 12 the teachers of the Law and Pharisees question Jesus’ authority and they demand a sign. Technically, they …
2 Chronicles 8 – Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. Psalms 20:7 NASB “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall …
2 Chronicles 7 – The temptation of reading this promise from God is to universally apply it to national and personal situations. For instance, many believe that if we as a nation would repent, God would hear …
2 Chronicles 6 – “But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? Not even all of heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built …
2 Chronicles 5 – There are moments when God shows up in a mighty way and we are simply called to step back. This was one of those moments. in unison when the trumpeters and the singers …
2 Chronicles 4 – Then he made the ten golden lampstands in the way prescribed for them and he set them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. 2 Chronicles 4:7 …
2 Chronicles 3 – The effort and detail Solomon and his people put into the newly constructed temple was simply amazing. They went all out. God is in the details. This is true. It’s also a fact …
2 Chronicles 2 – Solomon knew the dwelling place for God would not do Him justice. He makes this statement in verse 6… Yet no one can really build a temple for God, because even all the …
2 Chronicles 1 – Solomon commanded the people to go to a high place of worship at Gibeon. This was the location of the tabernacle. It is the same tabernacle that the children of Israel built after …
1 Chronicles 29 – 1 Chronicles 29:25 GNB The LORD made the whole nation stand in awe of Solomon, and he made him more glorious than any other king that had ruled Israel. If you read my …
1 Chronicles 28 – Loyalty of heart. I once had a pastor give me advice on how to preach a sermon. His main point was, speak to the mind and speak to the heart. Truth and grace …
1 Chronicles 27 – Listed among the commanders of war was a very intriguing man by the name of Benaiah. This Benaiah was the mighty man of the thirty, and had charge of thirty; and over his …
1 Chronicles 26 – The house of God in verse 20 referred to a place where treasuries and gifts would be stored. Part of these would be items used for worship but others would be the spoils …
1 Chronicles 25 – Attention musicians! Does the name Asaph mean anything to you? Anyone….anyone…..Bueller? Although it might not mean anything to us, the name Asaph was as familar as Bach or Beethoven in ancient Israel. In …