2 Chronicles 36
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 33
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
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
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 27
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 21
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
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 15
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 10
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 6
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 3
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
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
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 - 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 24
1 Chronicles 24 - There is a fine line between structure and freedom in the Spirit. This chapter speaks to the structured process of the priesthood while attempting to preserve true worship and the influence of the ...
1 Chronicles 14
1 Chronicles 14 - Following on the same theme from 1 Chronicles 13, we now see David correcting his previous error. He engages in two battles against the Philistines. In both situations, he directly consults the Lord ...
1 Chronicles 12
1 Chronicles 12 - The story of David's mighty men sounds a bit like a Hollywood blockbuster. In Chapter 11, we read the incredible stories of these men. From striking down an 7.5-foot Egyptian giant to wielding ...
1 Chronicles 10
1 Chronicles 10 - The Philistines Who were the Philistines? They were sea-faring people who immigrated from the island of Crete. According to archeology digs, it is speculated that the Philistines were heavy drinkers with heavy weapons. ...
1 Chronicles 9
1 Chronicles 9 - Psalms 99:5-6 ESV Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called upon his name. ...
1 Chronicles 8
1 Chronicles 8 - Within the tribe of Benjamin, we are reminded of Israel's first king. He was the best looking man in all of Israel. He towered above all of his fellow Israelites. He seemed to ...
Isaiah 66
Isaiah 66 - As the book of Isaiah comes to a close, I am drawn to the writings of F.F. Bruce. "As the book has stated again and again in a variety of places and ways, however, ...
Isaiah 65
Isaiah 65 - God has made Himself available. He is standing with arms outstretched ready to help His people. God says one thing, but the people say another. God offers His help, but the people will not ...
Isaiah 64
Isaiah 64 - What does it really look like to come before God in humility and express your deepest grief for the sins of you and your people? I'm not talking about grief for consequences or fear ...
Isaiah 63
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 62
Isaiah 62 - *If you haven't read the Isaiah 61 blog entry, it would be helpful for context. Isaiah 62 is picking up on the new status of Israel after their redemptive moment in Isaiah 61.* Holy ...
Isaiah 61
Isaiah 61 - Isaiah 61 is such an interesting chapter. In Luke 4, Jesus reads the first two verses of Isaiah 61 in the synagogue. "The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling ...
Isaiah 60
Isaiah 60 - Isaiah 60 begins a new section that looks ahead Christ's Kingdom and rule. Remember, Isaiah was a prophet in the southern kingdom of Judah during the time when the northern kingdom, Israel, had already ...
Isaiah 59
Isaiah 59 - In a beautiful example of what it is like for the Lord to work in a person's heart, Isaiah speaks directly to the blindness of Israel. In reality, it is the blindness that all ...
Isaiah 58
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
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 56
Isaiah 56 - Here at the end of the chapter, we read that Israel's irresponsible leaders are the source of their blindness. Anytime that leadership is failing, the people under that leadership have little chance of success. ...
Isaiah 55
Isaiah 55 - Faith in Jesus without a life filled with Jesus' attitude and behavior is no life of faith at all. There are no excuses because a reborn life is not done in our own strength ...
Isaiah 54
Isaiah 54 - This chapter focuses on the wonderful love God has for His people. Amazingly, even though human sin has corrupted the future God had promised, His words will not return void. Given the current exile ...
Isaiah 47
Isaiah 47 - God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. You were secure in your wickedness; you said, 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray. You said to yourself, 'I ...
Isaiah 44
Isaiah 44 - "Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me. Isaiah 44:6 NASB ...
Isaiah 40
Isaiah 40 - The theme of chapters 7-39 focuses directly on the punishment of God. It's easy to read this chapter and become discouraged. We must remember that God's heart was not to needlessly punish his people ...
Isaiah 39
Isaiah 39 - The last verse of Chapter 39 is probably the most heavily scrutinized statement from Hezekiah. Many scholars are split on the correct interpretation of this verse. Surprising to me, most tend to agree that ...
Isaiah 32
Isaiah 32 - Isaiah's description of a true king is exactly what we all desire. He is righteous, just, and a source of protection and support. This king would contrast many other kings that ruled in ancient ...
Isaiah 30
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 ...
Isaiah 29
Isaiah 29 - I can remember times in my life when I was simply neglecting the spiritual wisdom of God. Like a nagging fly that kept landing on me, I swatted those thoughts out of my mind ...
Isaiah 28
Isaiah 28 - Samaria is given a strong warning by Isaiah to begin the chapter. The problem was self-indulgence and a lack of true wisdom. He then turns to Judah in verse 7 and gives warning that ...
Isaiah 27
Isaiah 27 - This chapter, as a whole, is about the destruction of Israel's enemies. The smaller story line, however, is the enemy within. For Israel, they would not experience the punishment of the enemies around them, ...
Isaiah 26
Isaiah 26 - Disease. Affliction. Poverty. The kingdom of man wrestles with the birth pains of this world. The city of God, however, is strong and unwavering. "Go into your houses, my people, and shut the door ...
Isaiah 24
Isaiah 24 - The somber truth is that our world is headed for judgment. In the end, God will reign. Although much of humanity believes we are self-sufficient and in control of our own destiny, reality tells ...
Isaiah 22
Isaiah 22 - How do you handle the immense spiritual burdens of others? Isaiah wept over Israel. You can feel his raw emotion in verse 4. He refuses comfort in his mourning because of his bitter sadness. ...
Isaiah 21
Isaiah 21 - A shared truth sticks out over the past few chapters of Isaiah. All the main players surrounding Judah (Babylon, Assyria, Egypt, and Ethiopia) are under the authority of God. The domino effect that occurred ...
Isaiah 20
Isaiah 20 - Let's first set the stage. Coming on the heels of Isaiah 19 and the oracle concerning Egypt, we now see the unfolding of God's judgment. King Sargon of Assyria orders his commander to invade ...
Isaiah 17
Isaiah 17 - Mount Hermon was a massive ridge north of Damascus After focusing on the nations to the south, this prophecy shifts to the northern borders...
Isaiah 16
Isaiah 16 - Though Moab's nation was broken to pieces, they had far more hope through Salvation than did Babylon or Philistia. The language describing the destruction of Moab offers much hope. In fact, we read in ...
Isaiah 12
Isaiah 12 - Isaiah 12:1 is a mirror image of Paul's writing in Romans 6:17. Compare the two passages. Then you will say on that day, "I will give thanks to You, O LORD; For although You ...
Isaiah 9
Isaiah 9 - Here we get a description of Jesus as a child, son, and eventually, prince. He is called the Prince of Peace. He follows in His Father’s footsteps. The God of peace will soon crush ...
Isaiah 3
Isaiah 3 - Strong Christian leadership is important. Most likely during the time that Isaiah was writing this, the readers were under the leadership of King Uzziah. He was a wise and godly king, however, a time ...
Isaiah 2
Isaiah 2 - The first five verses of this chapter relate to the future Messiah and hint at the admission of the Gentiles to that kingdom. From there, the prophecies take a dramatic twist as they describe ...
Colossians 4
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 ...
Colossians 3
Colossians 3 - Ironically, the ethics listed here in Colossians 3 are not foreign to the Jewish law. No one who grew up learning the law of Moses would scoff at the morality prescribed here by Paul. ...
Colossians 2
Colossians 2 - Think of it in these terms. Any philosopher, theologian, scientist, professor or quantum physicist, whether Christian or not, has borrowed their wisdom and knowledge from God. Without God, there is no logic or reason. ...
Philippians 2
Philippians 2 - Paul's opening in Philippians 2 follows a delicate and precise structure. He opens with "Therefore" and unfortunately the breakup of these chapters forces us to lose part of the context if we don't go ...
Ephesians 6
Ephesians 6 - It all begins with Psalm 82:1. God presides in the heavenly council; in the assembly of the gods he gives his decision: Psalms 82:1 GNB That word gods is translated from the Hebrew word ...
Ephesians 4
Ephesians 4 - And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building ...
Ephesians 2
Ephesians 2 - Many of us today live under the illusion that we simply can’t change. Hidden deep under a “that’s just the way I am” attitude is a deadliest of all sins - human pride. It’s ...
Ephesians 1
Ephesians 1 - The readers of this letter in Paul's day would have received a rolled up scroll that required unrolling before reading. It was important to quickly see who the writer was and what the letter ...
Galatians 6
Galatians 6 - The problem in the Galatian church was two-fold. As we've already outlined, the Jewish Christians were loading laws on top of grace. However, this was causing a huge divide in the church. Here in ...
Galatians 5
Galatians 5 - The fruit of keeping the law is exposed here in Galatians 5. According to Paul, the devotion to the law was leading to a cold, empty legalism. They were "biting and devouring one another." ...
Galatians 3
Galatians 3 - Correction is tough. Nobody wants to be corrected. It can be humiliating and degrading. Furthermore, the person who is doing the correcting usually comes across as arrogant or "holier than thou." Anytime we are ...
Galatians 2
Galatians 2 - As we read in Chapter 1 of Galatians, Paul's message that he was delivering to the Gentiles came straight from God. In so many words, he was establishing that he was not the apostles' ...
Exodus 40
Exodus 40 - The glory of God came down and dwelled in the constructed tent. Previously, when God came near to the people, they were terrified. Now, they are overjoyed at His presence. They have been obedient ...
Exodus 39
Exodus 39 - At the end of the chapter, Scripture tells us that everything God had commanded, the children of Israel completed. The construction went without a hitch. We see no evidence of an argument or distraction. ...
Exodus 37
Exodus 37 - Let's take a moment to briefly summarize what makes this chapter so fruitful. We have the Holy Spirit, working among the people, filling them with gifts to craft together the elements that God had ...
Exodus 36
Exodus 36 - Can you believe it? I don't recall very many stories in the Bible where a cheerful giver was giving so much that they had to be restrained. Exodus 36:3-5 NASB They received from Moses ...
Exodus 35
Exodus 35 - Think upon the skills that were required of a master craftsman. Obviously, the person would be gifted in craftsmanship, but according to Scripture, that trait is not enough. Craftsmanship alone has a tendency to ...
Exodus 33
Exodus 33 - Perseverance. Can you imagine being Moses? On one hand, he is a spiritual leader for these obstinate people. He lives among them. He leads them. He loves them. On the other hand, the Lord ...
Exodus 32
Exodus 32 - The first question I asked when reading this chapter was - what caused this? We read in the very first verse that it was because of a delay. How many times have we allowed ...
Exodus 31
Exodus 31 - At the end of the chapter, God reminds Israel of the third sign of their covenant - the Sabbath. Overall, these signs were established as a reminder of the great provision of God, and ...
Exodus 28
Exodus 28 - "You shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: Exodus 28:33 NASB You may ask, why ...
Exodus 27
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 26
Exodus 26 - "You shall make a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen, the work of a weaver. 37 "You shall make five pillars of ...
Exodus 24
Exodus 24 - What does the manifestation of God look like? For Moses and these others, they received a small glimpse of His glory. The description, as in Revelation as well, hardly does it justice. In fact, ...
Exodus 21
Exodus 21 - God, through His law, established some basic truths that the people were to follow. It's interesting how things are viewed somewhat differently today. During a less civilized time, and without the indwelling Holy Spirit ...
Exodus 16
Exodus 16 - I've had the opportunity over the years to witness many young people and adults get confronted with the Gospel and respond to the call. In most of those situations, the moment their hearts are ...
Exodus 10
Exodus 10 - In verse 3, Moses asks Pharaoh how long he will go before humbling himself. This seems to be a contrast to the many verses thus far which have outlined God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart. ...
Exodus 6
Exodus 6 - Leap of faith. Failure. Encouragement. Repeat. This pretty much sums up the journey of Moses. Likewise, it may sum up our spiritual lives. God not only reminds Moses of His promises, but He gives ...
Exodus 3
Exodus 3 - God shows His character to Moses by both coming down to him and promising to be present with him. We read the details in verses 8 and 12. "So I have come down to ...
2 Thessalonians 3
2 Thessalonians 3 - In his final letter, Paul encourages the believers of the Thessalonian church to remain true and steadfast to the authentic faith they were taught. Evidently, some in the church were doing nothing while ...
2 Thessalonians 2
2 Thessalonians 2 - In case you haven't grasped by now, the Thessalonians were deeply concerned with future events. It's confirmed in Paul's first set of letters that they were mourning death like unbelievers. Paul attempted to ...
1 Thessalonians 5
1 Thessalonians 5 - I want to follow up on what I wrote yesterday from 1 Thessalonians 4 with some similar thoughts here in Chapter 5. In the previous chapter, Paul encourages believers to not fear death, ...
1 Thessalonians 3
1 Thessalonians 3 - Dear Thessalonica, I'm burdened for you. Love, Paul In this chapter, we get a glimpse into the heart Paul had for the people he ministered to. You have to imagine that Paul, Silas ...
1 Thessalonians 2
1 Thessalonians 2 - Paul covers a broad range of topics in this chapter. He starts with defending, and moves to loving, laboring, modeling, leading, feeding, and suffering. He also took care in leaving no doubt that ...
1 Thessalonians 1
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 ...
Jude 1
Jude 1 - Jude was one of four half-brothers of Jesus. In the Greek, the name Jude was synonymous with Judas. "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James ...
1 John 3
1 John 3 - This really is an incredible chapter! It's hard to summarize these thoughts in just a few paragraphs. I was really drawn to the first several verses that speak to believers being children of ...
1 John 2
1 John 2 - and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:2 NASB Pro·pi·ti·a·tion. I'll admit it. It's a fun ...
1 John 1
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 39
Job 39 - Many times it's true that our expectations of God are outmatched by His unfolding plan. I can't tell you how many times I've worried about certain outcomes only to be surprised when God delivers ...
Job 36
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 ...
Job 31
Job 31 - The tenderness of Job's heart comes through in this chapter. He is certain that even if he were weighed by God Himself, there would be no transgressions held against him. He has put forth ...
Job 30
Job 30 - Which is more agonizing for Job - the suffering he is currently enduring or the exasperation of God's silence? Which is more agonizing for you? Now I am about to die; there is no ...
Job 26
Job 26 - I remember a story one time where I was in a counseling session with a pastor. We were discussing a personal issue that I was struggling with so much. I was kind of at ...
Job 25
Job 25 - Well, there is not much here that we haven't already heard. Bildad sums up with "God is holy" and "man is sinful." Job has heard all of this already but it seems his friends ...
Job 24
Job 24 - Job continues on his theme of questioning why the wicked get away with so much. To the theology his friends have adopted, it makes no sense for Job to question this if he is ...
Job 19
Job 19 - The most magnificent phrase in this chapter shines in verses 25-26. It is so surprising and unexpected. Job has lamented for many chapters now, and wished death upon himself. In this chapter, he concludes ...