1 Chronicles 11 – For 20 years David waited. As a young man, Samuel came to his household and anointed him the future king. These 20 years…
death
322 posts
1 Chronicles 10 – For 9 chapters we have read of Israel’s genealogy from creation all the way through the Exile which took the rebellious people into…
1 Chronicles 8 – The tribe of Benjamin played an important role in the life of Israel. It would be from this tribe warriors rose, the first…
1 Chronicles 2 – “Here lies good old Fred – A great big rock fell on his head.” “Here lies a man named Martin – The lights…
Isaiah 65 – The book of Judges sums up a people who did what they wanted, threw caution to the wind and reaped those benefits for generations. Story after…
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…
Isaiah 60 – This begins a new section that looks ahead Christ’s Kingdom and rule. Remember, Isaiah was a prophet in the…
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…
Isaiah 55 – The invitation has been sent. All are asked to join our Lord of Hosts, God Almighty, the Redeemer Jesus. The invitation is for all but many…
Isaiah 53 – The opening verse grabs my attention. “Who has believed our message?” It’s a rhetorical question but one that was referenced twice in the New Testament. John…
Isaiah 52 – Awake from your slumber and believe! Awake from the sleepiness that has taken over your ways and thoughts and live in victory. Within this profound and…
Isaiah 38 – “Set your house in order. You are going to die.” The scene is dramatic. Isaiah was instructed to relay an important message to King Hezekiah. The…
Isaiah 29 – We’re all guilty of it from time to time. Going through the motions with anything we’ve become accustomed to doing can be a deadly careless action….
Isaiah 26 – Difficulties and turmoil bombard us from time to time. We struggle with physical illness. We have broken relationships that tear us apart. We wrestle with our…
Isaiah 24 – It’s known as Isaiah’s Apocalypse. For the following 4 chapters he is given words from God about the judgment of the entire world. This chapter is…
Isaiah 20 – Many years ago while in Cyprus a friend of mine told a story how God asked him to do something which seemed illogical. He was back…
Isaiah 19 – It’s strange how sometimes we get the mindset that some people are unreachable. Let’s be honest, many times we have those thoughts. We believe they are…
Isaiah 5 – They say tending to a vineyard is tedious and time-consuming.That stressful work is a top priority of vineyard owners. God uses this springboard of…
Colossians 2 – Paul is struggling. His struggle not personal but for the people of Colossae as well as those in Laodicea. His concern goes far deeper than just…
Colossians 1 – There is reason to believe Paul never visited the church in Colossi. It was a church more than likely founded by his friend Epaphras and other…
Philippians 1 – It’s known as Paul’s letter of joy. It speaks personally to the people but also of his own circumstances. Circumstances he has not…
Ephesians 2 – Identity. The dictionary defines identity as the sameness of essential or generic character in different instances; a distinguishing character or personality…
Exodus 31 – Hebrew tradition Rabbinical literature states he was only 13 years old when he completed his task. But it would be by this age he…
Exodus 28 – God had tremendous instructions for the people as to how they were to worship Him. This was detailed all the way down to what…
Exodus 24 – It was a moment for Israel of a solemn ceremony where they agreed to the covenant between themselves and God. It was a moment of…
Exodus 21 – Everything we do has consequences. Everything. Whether good or bad, our decisions cause ripple effects of something else. We move into various laws given…
Exodus 14 – The crossing of the Israelites of the Red Sea most people know about. And who can forget Charlton Heston as Moses in the epic…
Exodus 12 – There are many aspects to the instructions given to the people of Israel as the final act of God’s power was about to hit…
Exodus 4 – Sometimes God calls us back to the very places we have fled or even were delivered from. Now, hear me out on this. We…
Judges 17 – It is the strangest of stories. Judges 17 sets the table for the remaining chapters with Israel’s moral decline and the people following their own ways…
Judges 15 – Samson continued to act within the flesh. Driven by his own wants and desires, when things didn’t go his way, he took matters into his own…
Judges 13 – The cycle of sinfulness continued. The Israelites left God, followed their own terms, judgment came, they repented. This circular theme is found over and over again in the…
Judges 5 – Leadership is a gift. Wise leadership can be rare. The role of leadership within any sphere of life is important. When leadership is undertaking the work…
2 Thessalonians 2 – Lawlessness – contrary or without regard for the law; unruly, unrestrained. The word is found in both the Old and New Testament but…
1 Thessalonians 5 – When a runner comes toward the end of a race, their entire body screams in pain. Muscles ache, your throat burns and everything…
1 Thessalonians 4 – The alarm went off earlier than usual. It was a new day even though pitch black out. I was meeting a friend to…
2 John 1 – 2 words – spoken often and used quite a bit in today’s age but seldom practiced: Truth and Love. Almost like an endangered species,…
1 John 4 – I remember the meeting well. Almost 20 years ago a woman whom I did not know called and said she had a word…
Job 40 – Weve probably all done it. Things didnt go well. We didnt get our way. We lost the promotion. The sickness led to death. Finances turned downward….
Job 35 – Paul and Silas sat in the heart of the dark damp prison. They had arrived at Philippi and immediately gone to the river to meet with…
Job 29 – In remembrance of days gone by, Job revisits how life used to be. These were the glory days for him. From his words, it appears he…
Job 27 – In an interesting discourse, Jobmaintains his innocence while pleading with God. Throughout his responses back to these men and his thoughts made known, he has stated…
Job 19 – In ancient Israel, one who was called a redeemer was family member who bought and paid for a slaves freedom. As read in the book of…
Job 18 – “Death where is your sting?” – 1 Corinthians 15:55 Hes been called the Grim Reaper, the Angel of Death – An image even of foreboding being…
Job 17 – When we are in crisis, when it seems everything weve built our hopes upon tumble, its hard to keep the right perspective. These moments show up…
Job 14 – I remember sitting at a conference in a large stadium. The speaker at one point said to imagine a long wire stretched from one end of…
Job 7 – There is a strange phenomenon the older you get. It feels like time flies faster than it ever did. Like, its crazy actually. Years at times…
Job 6 – Eliphazs advice was as filling as the whites of an egg. Tasteless and devoid of flavor, his words certainly did not give him any strength. Almost…
Job 3 – Theres a childrens rhyme put to song that says: O be careful little eyes what you see O be careful little eyes what you see Theres…
Job 2 – Adversity shows where our faith truly lies and destroys the superficial. For others, it strengthens faith and pushes people to dig their feet deep in their…
Ezra 10 – The book of Ezra opens with the people of Israel in captivity, the temple in ruins. As the story unfolds, Ezra recounts the return. There were…
Joshua 22 – We all have those times when we jump to conclusions. We hear something not very favorable about people and we make up our mind based on…
Joshua 20 – God had preplanned many things and instructed Moses as to how the government of this new nation of Israel should function. One of these was the…
Joshua 14 – Caleb was one of the 12 men alongside Joshua when over 40 years before had gone into the land to spy out what awaited the people…
Joshua 7 – The Israelites went from an extreme high to the very depth of low. The unfolding of the story of Jericho was astounding as they conquered the…
Matthew 28 – “He is risen!” These are 3 words that have changed the very outlook and trajectory of all humankind. These 3 words are the key…
Matthew 27 – Four miraculous events took place at Jesus’ death. Darkness came upon the land. The curtain in the temple was torn in two. …
Matthew 21 – We often look at Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem as a statement. He was humble. But what He rode was a powerful statement. He was…
Matthew 20 – We often live in the mindset – people get what they deserve. We think about this when it comes to the laws of the…
Matthew 16 – One of the deadliest enemies of the church is cheap grace. We cheapen the grace of Jesus that has been given so freely to…
Matthew 14 – Need is everywhere. We stand in the sea of human hurt, unbelievable pain others have. Their hardship slaps against us like waves of the…
Matthew 12 – There is no neutral ground with Jesus. We either believe who He is and act accordingly or we don’t. We either live in that…
Matthew 11 – The prison walls felt like they were closing in on him. The cold dampness they held seemingly, somehow began to creep into his mind…
Matthew 6 – Within the times of which Jesus spoke, there were 3 pillars of a godly life the Teachers of the Law taught. They proclaimed if…
Matthew 5 – The United States has the Declaration of Independence. The Communist regime operated under Karl Marx’s thoughts of the Communist Manifesto.
Matthew 4 – After Jesus’ 40 days in the desert with the temptations of Satan playing on every aspect of His calling and life; mocking who He…
Matthew 2 – Every Christmas Nativity scenes are pulled out and set for the season. Each character represents one found in Scripture who was there. From the…
Proverbs 27 – We need people in our lives who speak truth to us. We need others who are friends enough that they can talk freely about decisions we’ve…
Proverbs 14 – There’s much to be said about the choices we make. If we were honest, many times what we gain is what drives our decision. This is…
Proverbs 12 – Correction is never easy. Discipline is harder. Both go hand in hand when a person acts stupid. Wow, a bold statement right? But ironically the Bible…
Proverbs 9 – 2 tables have been set. 2 invitations given. The choice is ours as to where we will pull our feet up under and feast upon what…
2 Peter 1 – A few times a month (maybe it’s more) at noon the air is pierced with sirens. They reverberate throughout the town almost sinking…
1 Peter 3 – We hate the word – submission. It really goes against everything within our human nature as we want to be independent, don’t want…
Philemon 1 – Paul uses diplomacy to advise on managing Onesimus, a runaway slave, promoting Christ-like forgiveness and redefining identity beyond secular roles…
2 Samuel 21 – It is the strangest of stories. Israel was under a 3 year famine and it fell back to a sin of Saul that…
2 Samuel 20 – Loyalty – it’s showing faithfulness to our commitments, vows or an allegiance to someone or a cause. The political scene is difficult..
2 Samuel 19 – What a mess. After the death of Absalom David is in overwhelming grief and it’s affecting the army who just fought for him….
2 Samuel 18 – It’s absolutely insane. “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” 2 Samuel 18:5 Are you kidding me?! After everything Absalom…
2 Samuel 16 – The devastation David is hit with here seems never ending. He’s manipulated by one man, cursed by another. His own son rides into…
2 Samuel 6 – Sometimes we become too familiar with God or Jesus. Meaning sometimes we forget how He is the Creator of the World. He is…
2 Samuel 4 – “For just $19.99 you can find all the essentials in discovering the will of God,” states one televangelist. “You too, can find the…
2 Samuel 3 – Strong-willed by definition is being determined to do something regardless of what is advised against it. This mindset is really a double edged…
2 Samuel 2 – As reality settles in of Saul’s death, David is crowned King over Judah. The remaining 11 tribes do not acknowledge this crown and…
2 Samuel 1 – I love a good cup of coffee. In fact, putting a pot of Joe on in the morning is the first thing of…
1 Samuel 31 – In a grisly end, Saul’s death comes as predicted within 24 hours. In the heat of the battle, the Philistines overtake Saul, killing…
1 Samuel 30 – “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” David left King Achish and with his men all returned…
1 Samuel 23 – Drunk on the fresh blood of priests murder, Saul is out to destroy David. Ruthless in his attempts he leads his army in…
1 Samuel 22 – The disgruntled and discontent join together; the ruthless ever-growing paranoid behavior acts out in murder; the innocent are slaughtered. Oh the intentions…
1 Samuel 20 – Deep, genuine friendships are hard to come by. These rare relationships that stir a kindred spirit between 2 individuals seemingly rarely happen. One…
1 Samuel 15 – I will tell you, this is one of the saddest chapters. It truly brought pain to my heart on so many different levels….
1 Samuel 12 – Take a moment to consider the goodness of God. Yes, even if at this point of whatever is going on, your heart has…
1 Samuel 8 – There’s a saying, “Be careful what you ask for. You may just get it.” There is such truth to this as often we’re…
1 Samuel 6 – The Philistines knew they had to send the ark back to Israel. When it was first captured, it was put on display as…
1 Samuel 1 – The ache of sorrow finds its ways to the deepest parts of our hearts. When it comes, we feel it as we breathe…
2 Timothy 4 – Many times we don’t perceive we have a ministry. We think it is for clergy or people paid for such a job or task…
2 Timothy 2 – Paul sat in chains writing to Timothy whom he loved deeply as a son. From behind bars, he continued to encourage and call…
2 Timothy 1 – This second letter to Timothy was written 2 years after the first about 66 or 67 AD. Paul had been released from prison…
1 Timothy 6 – Sometimes we get it backward. We forget that everything we accumulate, everything we strive to have, we can’t take with us in the…