Ezekiel 2 – It is intriguing to consider that God’s Spirit entered Ezekiel in order to empower him to complete the task. This was not always the case in the OT as God sovereignly chose those individuals …
encounter
55 posts
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 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 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 …
Revelation 14 – First question I asked myself… who is Babylon? John, again, is writing symbolically here. Literal Babylon was a mere fraction of what it had been in years past. But, the wording certainly plays into …
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. …
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 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 …
Isaiah 6 – The first 5 chapters of Isaiah outline his prophecies, but do not establish his calling. In chapter 6 we read the details of God’s calling for Isaiah. In many ways, Isaiah filled a role …
Colossians 4 – A very practical and important set of instructions are given here by Paul on how we should act toward nonbelievers. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Your speech should …
Ephesians 5 – For this reason, it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” I’ve researched this phrase, and it must have been familiar to those he was writing to. …
Exodus 27 – “You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually. Exodus 27:20 NASB Light is the essence of God. …
Exodus 19 – When I read how the people trembled with fear at the thunder and lightning, I think about the lion from the Wizard of Oz and how terrified he was. I also wonder if we …
Exodus 13 – The way God led was definitely the “road less traveled.” The people did not go directly toward Canaan. There were traditionally three main routes from Egypt to Asia. The most …
Exodus 7 – The hardening of Pharaoh’s heart was something God had reminded Moses of time and time again. We read it in Exodus 4, Exodus 7, and twice in Exodus 14. The hardening of the heart …
Exodus 5 – This is just the beginning of Moses’ journey and, understandably, he’s ready to give up. We often feel like this. God calls us to something, and we try and follow through the best of …
Exodus 4 – Moses was uncertain about serving God, and his fears represent the same struggles many of us have today. God was asking for Moses to go all in, and his hesitancy can be categorized into …
Exodus 1 – The bitter labor that was given to Israel actually made them multiply and grow. In the future, when the Passover celebration would be established, the bitter herbs would come to represent the bitterness of …
Judges 14 – Samson’s story is a difficult one to nail down. On one hand, we see him as an impulsive, selfish brute. On the other, it seems that he was used by God to lure in …
Job 36 – God is the most patient, relentless, and loving Father we will ever encounter. Unfortunately, many people of our day have turned to the false teaching that says if everything isn’t “good” in your life …
Joshua 5 – There was a series of events that the Lord required of Joshua prior to conquering Jericho. Joshua completed these duties (circumcision and First Passover) and was now waiting on the Lord. For whatever reason …
Matthew 3 – Photo credit: Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary Pictured is the traditionally accepted site (the Jordan River) for the baptism of Jesus. As I read this chapter, there are many questions that come to mind. Why …
Proverbs 24 – The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has begun. “By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; 4 by knowledge the …
Proverbs 1 – A blunt tagline to the book of Proverbs could very easily be “Proverbs: Don’t live in stupidity.” When we encounter Jesus, we discover two very profound realities. We discover the truth of who God …
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 …
2 Samuel 6 – Familiarity can often produce deadly results. It was Jesus who proclaimed he could do no miracles in his hometown because of their familiarity. It was familiarity that caused Jesus’ brothers to initially discard …
2 Samuel 2 – There is an interesting backstory on the relationships that take place in this chapter. Abner crowns Saul’s son Ishbosheth to be king over all Israel, Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, and Benjamin. Ishbosheth …
1 Samuel 29 – Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to war with his best friend, Jonathan? Jesus speaks in Revelation to the church at Laodicea with strong, …
1 Samuel 17 – Malcolm Gladwell recently delivered a TED talk titled, “The Unheard Story of David and Goliath.” In this talk, Gladwell poses the idea that Goliath suffered from poor eyesight due to acromegaly, a disease …
1 Samuel 9 – Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His father was most likely a feudal lord – a landowner and a leader in times of war. …
1 Samuel 6 – 7 months. 7 months of terror, suffering, and death. The Philistines experienced the white-hot flame of God’s fiery judgment. This was their encounter with the Living God because He will not share His …
Romans 4 – In Romans 4, Paul contrasts the ideas of “works = righteousness” with “faith = righteousness.” Abraham was counted as righteous in the sight of God because of his faith, not because of his works. …
2 Kings 6 – When the servant of the man of God got up early and went out, he discovered an army with horses and chariots surrounding the city. So he asked Elisha, “Oh, my master, what …
Genesis 28 – Promises, promises. Jacob was a slick wheeler and dealer as we will find out later. He certainly didn’t deserve Isaac’s blessing or a divine dream, but God was faithful despite. This fact alone is …
John 9 – Jesus and the disciples are out for a stroll when suddenly they encounter a blind man. In the ancient world, blind people were especially helpless in many ways. They were easily manipulated and exploited. …
John 6 – Jesus was not going to be defined by the people’s interpretation of who He should be. He came to do the Father’s will. Out of all the themes of this chapter, this one speaks …
Esther 1 – At this point in Israel’s history, Ezra has just returned from the exile to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. The Persian Empire is firmly in control and its territory extends from India to Ethiopia …
Zechariah 1 – According to many scholars, Zechariah is the most messianic, apocalyptic, and end times descriptive book of the Old Testament. That’s a big statement considering many have probably never read it. Haggai led the charge …
Jonah 1 – Nineveh was both a great and wicked city. It was the capital of the Assyrian Empire and the Assyrians had a reputation for being extremely cruel. It was quite possibly the largest city in …
Amos 7 – In Genesis, Abraham pled with God over Sodom. In Exodus, Moses interceded for Israel. Here, Amos does the same. Although Amos would later give a prediction for God’s people, he first would go to …
Hosea 12 – “It is interesting to note that today medicine and psychology have said that probably the most important period of a man’s life is when he is in the womb, because even in the womb …
Hosea 3 – What impacts me the most about this short chapter in Hosea 3 is the fact that God makes the first move. Scripture tells us in Romans 5… “But God demonstrates his own love for …
1 Corinthians 15 – 1 Corinthians 15 is a critical chapter that supports the evidence of Jesus Christ as well as His death and resurrection. Paul records an ancient oral tradition, “that Christ died for our sins …
1 Corinthians 14 – Gifts that are meant to edify the body, share with the body. Gifts that are meant to edify you personally, keep them personal. Paul’s stance on tongues is clear. If there is no …
Psalm 112 – In my opinion, verse 7 defines the context for this entire psalm. Psalms 112:7 HCSB He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the LORD. “His heart is fixed,” or …
Psalm 33 – Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness, O LORD, be …
Psalm 32 – 8 years ago, I was headed back from work driving north. My windshield wipers were frantically trying to keep pace with the torrential downpour of a typical Midwestern summer thunderstorm. As I turned to …
Mark 5 – I want to make a few quick points about the demon-possessed man and then move to the woman who touched Jesus. We read several striking characteristics about this demon-possessed man. This man had been …
Numbers 23 – This chapter reminds me of an encounter Elijah had with the prophets of Baal when they were seeking help from their “god.” They took the bull that was brought to them, prepared it, and …
Luke 13 – Jewish belief at the time would have proclaimed that all Jews, except notorious sinners like tax collectors and prostitutes, would inherit the kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, the message that Jesus consistently articulated was offensive …
Luke 6 Commentary by Brad Boyles And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to destroy it?” 10 After looking around at …
Luke 5 – But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. Luke 5:16 NASB On the heels of being with His Father in prayer, Jesus is strengthened and empowered for divine service. In …