Ezekiel 22 – Spiritual sin = practical consequences. This is a fact. Though the OT and NT are under different covenants, God is consistent. Israel would experience physical consequences for the heinous acts they committed spiritually. Though …
Acts
158 posts
Ezekiel 13 – Wow! What a relevant topic! For years, false prophets have been stirring up dissension in order to dismantle what God is building among His people. To make a clear point, God compares a false …
Ezekiel 9 – It’s tough to read about the judgment of God with regard to sin, however, it reveals the character of God. The standard set by the holiness of God is not the same as our …
Ezekiel 8 – The people thought that because the temple was located in Jerusalem, their shameful acts of sin were covered. They really believed that the temple guaranteed their security. In reality, their acts had caused God …
Acts 28 – I love the image of Paul here at the end of Acts. He is a man who, under normal circumstances, would have no joy. He’s been falsely accused, spent a considerable amount of time …
Acts 27 – It’s interesting to me that Paul could have fallen by the wayside so many times in his life. Luke gives us an amazing description of how and why Paul ended up in Rome. When …
Acts 26 – In this chapter, Paul gives his most exhaustive and evangelistic appeal to Agrippa II. If you remember, he has appealed to Caesar. But in the meantime, Agrippa II is passing through visiting Festus along …
Acts 25 – The reason Paul was able to appeal to Caesar and the higher court was because he was rightfully a Roman citizen. The tricky part, as I understand it, was that the Jews wanted to …
Acts 24 – Paul now finds himself in limbo and at the mercy of the political system. He continues to plead his case, as well as preach the Word in all situations. The sad part of this …
Acts 23 – “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the …
Acts 22 – Paul never wastes an opportunity to talk about the Gospel. Whether he’s imprisoned, being beaten, being interrogated, or just passing through a town; he was diligent to look for these opportunities. What helped him …
Acts 21 – This was a tough chapter for me. We read that the voice of the Holy Spirit is speaking through these believers and giving warnings to Paul of what he will face in Jerusalem. Yet, …
Acts 20 – In a bittersweet scene, Paul lays it all on the line for the leaders of Ephesus as he departs for Jerusalem. He knows they will not see each other again, but he is confident …
Acts 19 – Paul in Ephesus is a great reminder for our churches today. From his investment, we know that Ephesus was just the start of Christianity in Asia Minor. The churches in Revelation were all born …
Acts 18 – Corinth had a bad reputation for being a city chock full of immorality. It was known as the hub for Aphrodite (fertility goddess) worship. It was also known for having a major temple dedicated …
Acts 17 – It’s interesting to ponder how each person responds to the Gospel differently. Some, who we think will understand, (the Jews in Paul’s case) end up being the most hostile and resistant. Others, however, are …
Acts 16 – I want to focus on a somewhat bizarre section of this chapter – the end. It struck me that Paul, after being told he and Silas have been released from jail, demanded that the …
Acts 15 – The first question we want to know is, who was right and who was wrong between Paul and Barnabas? I feel that when we approach it from that angle we really miss Luke’s point. …
Acts 14 – When Paul and Barnabas were in Lystra speaking to the people, they saw a lame man who gazed intently at them as they spoke. Prompted by the Spirit, Paul asked the lame man to …
Acts 13 – Paul and Barnabas visit multiple synagogues and work there way across the island of Cyprus from east to west. When they reached Paphos, they encounter a snag. A Jewish false prophet by the name …
Acts 12 – King Herod never saw it coming. The grandson of the infamous Herod the Great was part of long line of family dysfunction that fought against the people of God many times throughout history. His …
Acts 11 – Unfortunately, the attitude that Peter experiences here in Acts 11 is all too common in our church culture today. People these days want to know, what is your background, what church did you grow …
Acts 10 – Many people like to ask the question, can you be saved if you are a genuine seeker and have responded to God but have not yet heard the Gospel? Cornelius was described as a …
Acts 9 – Saul We are reminded here in chapter 9 that even the most rebellious and hard-hearted people can be powerfully used by God. In fact, I believe wholeheartedly in the saying, “whoever is forgiven much, …
Acts 8 – It’s an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing and unpredictable ways. The early church was on fire and the gasoline that was fueling it was …
Acts 7 – I can vividly remember the old seat belt PSA that was shown on TV all the time when I was a kid. Vince and Larry, the Crash Test Dummies, would facetiously admit that they …
Acts 6 – We really have two storylines going on here. We have a great leadership move and a great Holy Spirit move both packed into one chapter. The beginning of Stephen is a great story, and …
Acts 5 – The early church faced persecution from both the Pharisees and the Sadducees. After hearing the testimony of Peter, they were ready to kill these men just like they had Jesus. But wisdom prevailed. But …
Acts 4 – As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and …
Acts 3 – The miraculous signs and wonders led to opportunities to authenticate the message of the Gospel. Peter did not hesitate to give the glory back to God. In fact, he literally asked the people why …
Acts 2 – At the end of Acts 2, we read the three essentials that contributed to a fruitful body. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread …
Acts 1 – At the end of Chapter 1, the apostles have just witnessed the ascension of Jesus and are waiting for the promised Holy Spirit. So, the question I found myself asking is, how do we …
Lamentations 4 – With graphic detail, Jeremiah describes all the ways in which his people suffered during the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem. Those who survived the siege lived under horrific suffering. It was so bad, that women …
Leviticus 22 – As do many of the chapters in Leviticus, there is a background painted in order to better understand the NT teachings. An emphasis is continually placed on holiness. This was achieved by the law …
Leviticus 20 – In Chapter 18, we read that the laws of the OT are still applicable in the NT and beyond. Here in Chapter 20, we get a glimpse of the punishment for those who disobey …
Leviticus 15 – The verses here in Leviticus 15 are not directly discussed in the NT but they are alluded to. Many of us remember the story of the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. …
Leviticus 12 – After bearing a child, a woman was considered contagiously unclean for one to two weeks. One day 8, when a boy would be circumcised, the childbearing mother was no longer contagious but still had …
Leviticus 11 – In Leviticus 11, God outlines both the clean and unclean animals. A general rule which was given to Israel was that clean animals would “chew the curd” but also have a completely divided hoof. …
Leviticus 10 – By the end of Leviticus 9, everything seems to be going great… until we turn the page to Leviticus 10. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, each took his fire pan, put live coals in …
Leviticus 8 – The comprehensive and infectious consequences of sin have no limit. Why did Aaron and his family need to be consecrated? Because they needed to be ceremonially set apart in order to be a priest …
Revelation 19 – After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, 2 for his judgments are …
Revelation 16 – The continuity of the seals and the trumpets is broken up with the bowls as they move seamlessly through all seven with no interlude between the 6th and 7th as we have traditionally seen. …
Revelation 15 – The divine judgment which was revealed by the seals and proclaimed by the trumpets will now be poured out by the seven bowls. From a literary standpoint, the seventh seal was unleashed by the …
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 …
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 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 …
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 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 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 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 …
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 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 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 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 …
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 …
Isaiah 63 – At the beginning of Isaiah 63, we find a familiar theme in Scripture. There is someone with blood-stained clothes who is robed in splendor and striding forward in the greatness of strength. This can …
Isaiah 58 – Superficial people. We’ve all endured them. If we’re honest, we’ve probably been one at some point in our lives. Superficial people seem frivolous, self-absorbed, and shallow. Merriam-Webster defines superficial as lacking in depth or …
Isaiah 57 – And it will be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, Remove every obstacle out of the way of My people.” Isaiah 57:14 NASB Remove every stumbling block! If this phrase sounds familiar …
Isaiah 51 – In verse 9 of this chapter the writer appears to believe that the Lord is asleep. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; Awake as in the days of old, the …
Isaiah 48 – We who know Christ understand that the Gospel message is not a one of mystery and mysticism. Yes, some may claim this because our God is a mysterious God, however, the sending of His …
Isaiah 37 – Much of what Isaiah has written leading up to this point has been about the rebellion of God’s people. They were living like they really didn’t trust the Lord, and continually went back to …
Isaiah 30 – The people resisted God’s counsel, and instead, they received His judgement. It sounds harsh, but remember, we live under the New Covenant. There should be an aspect to this that is somewhat foreign since …
Exodus 29 – From the beginning we get a glimpse of God’s design for sacrifice. Consecration. This word was translated ‘hallow’ and meant distinct, holy, and set aside for God’s purposes. Most of us probably think of …
Judges 18 – I recently heard of an episode that Dr. Phil did about a religious cult. What began as a typical 60’s communal-type gathering became a den of alleged sexual molestation, prostitution and extreme physical abuse that …
Judges 15 – What can we learn from flawed leaders? It’s tough to navigate through the book of Judges, and Samson’s story specifically, because the concepts seem so foreign to us. The stories are puzzling. Why would …
Judges 6 – Early Christian theologian and Greek scholar, Origen, makes some fascinating prophetic connections to the weak faith-testing by Gideon and the response by God. The passage I am referencing is Judges 6:36-40. Judges 6:36-40 HCSB …
Judges 1 – Judges is a fitting name for a book that highlights the leaders God gave to Israel to protect and deliver them from their enemies. If you remember the commentary we did on the preceding …
1 Thessalonians 1 – In the opening verses of this letter, we read Paul’s words which seem to indicate he had a high regard for the church of the Thessalonians. He is assured of their calling, and …
3 John 1 – Gaius was the Greek way of writing the Roman name Caius. Believe it or not, there are many references to Caius in Scripture. In Romans 16, Paul mentions a Caius who lived in …
1 John 1 – In this first chapter, John does not identify himself as the author, nor does the writing contain the typical structure of a letter. Many have speculated that this was a written sermon. Nevertheless, …
Job 35 – This is arguably Elihu’s harshest language against Job. It is a message of condemnation with truth mixed in. I am somewhat puzzled by commentaries who defend Job in being completely righteous and not deserving …
Job 23 – I want to follow-up from yesterday’s thoughts and continue in the same direction. I was intrigued by Job’s verses on searching for God in all directions. It seemed peculiar to me, so I thought …
Job 11 – I think Zophar is right on one thing; he understands the wisdom of God. It actually feels like he is trying to “impress” Job with his knowledge about God’s wisdom. Of course, his delivery …
Joshua 17 – Essentially, what is happening over this chapter is that the other half of Manasseh’s tribe is being assigned their portion of their inheritance. It just so happens that Zelophehad had no sons or heirs, …
Matthew 28 – The appearances of the resurrected Christ are astonishing! Many people will concede that Jesus was a real man who died, but few will place their faith in His divinity. Naturally, more people take issue …
Matthew 18 – How do you approach confrontation and accountability in the church? The worldview of Jesus was not simply focused on “winning your brother” for the sake of a good deed, but because each person has …
Matthew 15 – It’s the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It’s the realization that I wasted my life. I can’t imagine a more horrifying reaction than those who thought they were living …
Matthew 1 – The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written by Matthew is a bridge to the past. If a person had just read the Old Testament …
Proverbs 28 – “The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 HCSB This phrase is mirrored in the NT with James 5:16… “Therefore, confess your …
Proverbs 27 – “As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied, and people’s eyes are never satisfied.” Proverbs 27:19-20 HCSB A modern phrase similar to this is, …
Proverbs 15 – “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.” Proverbs 15:3 HCSB This is a soothing reminder to all of us who are surprised by what happens in the world …
Proverbs 13 – “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”” 1 Corinthians 15:33 HCSB Through God’s pursuit of sinners, we are empowered through the Holy Spirit to live according to His commands. We are empowered. …
Proverbs 12 – Discipline is hard. Accepting instruction is difficult. They both require us to delay our satisfaction. When we are in the middle of being corrected, it can feel threatening. Our flesh wants to resist becoming …
1 Peter 5 – Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It’s no surprise that in order to withstand suffering and encourage others through it, you need to have strong leadership. Peter is writing …
1 Samuel 22 – There’s no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated. It’s hard to imagine how he managed to get through this time. But God was at work. …
1 Samuel 14 – Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing. …
1 Samuel 2 – The book of 1 Samuel is interesting because it transitions from a time of judges into a political and religious monarchy. We get a picture of the time period …
Romans 6 – Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed “holy man” who claimed to speak on behalf of God. He gained considerable influence in Russian during the early 1900s. Controversy surrounds Rasputin as he claimed …
Romans 1 – John Calvin said of Romans, “When anyone understands this Epistle, he has a passage opened to him to the understanding of the whole Scripture.” Martin Luther praised the Book of Romans: “It is the …
2 Kings 25 – It’s definitely fitting that the fate of Israel was determined at Jericho. “It seems ironic that here, at the very spot where Israel first set foot on the Promised Land, the last of …
2 Kings 22 – It is through the Word of God that we are able to see and feel the conviction our heart needs to change. For Josiah, it occurred during a tough time for the nation. …
2 Kings 10 – When this chapter begins you get a sense that Jehu is going to be a ferocious warrior for the Lord. He eliminates Ahab’s family, doing everything the Lord has asked. He follows that …
1 Kings 19 – The events in 1 Kings 19 could be known as “The Pastor’s Chapter.” After the triumphant, cataclysmic fire-from-the-sky victory over the prophets of Baal, Elijah found himself defeated. The smoldering flames of God …
Genesis 27 – What a story! As a Chicago fan, this is kind of like watching the Green Bay Packers play the Minnesota Vikings. There is no one to root for! First, we have Isaac. Though …
Genesis 22 – God was faithful to Abraham and through this relationship, obedience was continually being renewed. God’s faithfulness was a catalyst for Abraham’s faith. But like James writes, faith must be proven. It is not found …
James 1 – There are so many believers I talk with who tell me that their favorite book is James. It makes sense. The book structure is written with direct language and plain explanations. James comes across …