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 …
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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 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 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 …
Lamentations 3 – The first 20 verses of Lamentations 3 recall the conditions that God has allowed to take place which has brought immense grief to Jeremiah’s heart. He is a great lion waiting to ambush. He …
Lamentations 1 – The mere existence of the book of Lamentations shows us that God takes seriously our need as humans to process and grieve. “In this world, you will have trouble… ” Jesus promised. Trouble comes …
Leviticus 23 – There are several of these celebrations that were brought into modern-day by Christianity. Passover = Good Friday. Unleavened Bread = Easter. And finally, the Festival of the Weeks = Pentecost. Most of us know …
Revelation 21 – There is a lot of crossover between what Isaiah writes in chapter 65 and the 21st chapter of Revelation. “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will …
Revelation 20 – If someone comes up and asks you, “How do you interpret Revelation?” most likely, they are referring to Revelation 20:1-10. The question of pre or postmillennialism is the first order of business. It simply answers …
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 18 – Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19 NASB Paul’s words ring true …
Revelation 17 – We have already reiterated it over many chapters, but Rome stood proudly as a pagan symbol against Christ and His church. Here in Revelation 17, she is personified as a notorious prostitute. She represents …
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 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 …
Revelation 13 – The First Beast At the end of Revelation 12, we read of Satan’s rage. He sets out to destroy the people of God. Now, in Revelation 13, we are introduced to the two henchmen …
Revelation 12 – The Woman It is out of Israel that the Messiah will come, therefore, it makes sense that the woman would represent not only Israel but also the Messianic community. We can marry these two …
Revelation 11 – I think a major issue with Revelation 11 is the fact that it relies heavily on Revelation 10 for continuity. It is best to read on and view chapters 10 and 11 as one …
Revelation 8 – Continuing on the theme from Chapter 7, John either heard or saw something with every seal that was opened. Here in Revelation 8, the seventh seal is broken and he hears and sees nothing …
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 …
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 1 – It was a bittersweet time for Israel. The Jews had just returned from 70 years of captivity but their situation was significantly different from when they left. There was no king and little …
Ruth 3 – The act of Naomi asking Ruth to go and seek out Boaz does not translate well to our current cultural norms. Boaz was not only a relative, but he was considered the goel, or, …
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 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 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 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 – 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 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 52 – God’s people will be redeemed. They were sold for nothing but they will be bought back without money. The foreshadowing of the future for Israel is also a foreshadowing for humanity. The Messiah will …
Isaiah 50 – Here in Isaiah 50 we read a soliloquy by the Servant as well as statements directed toward the believers and unbelievers of Israel. The soliloquy is found in the opening verses of 4-9 and …
Isaiah 49 – His words were like a sharp arrow ready to pierce the heart. Israel would be his servant and he would be their master. But something was wrong. Their response was rejection! Though he came …
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 – “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 42 – God is the only Savior. His creation will bring glory to Him alone and it will not be shared with an idol. In the beautiful and symbolic open verses, the theme of restoration continues. …
Isaiah 41 – In this chapter, God is reminding His people of His promises. The people of Israel would be used to glorify the one and only true God of this world. Even though consequences were coming, …
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 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 35 – The promise at the end of the chapter is beautiful. There will be no lion there, and no vicious beast will go up on it; they will not be found there. But the redeemed …
Isaiah 33 – The book of Isaiah is very clear. Trust in nations; destruction. Trust in God alone; deliverance. The irony is that God would use nations to humble His people, but He would command them not …
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 25 – Following a chapter on the destruction and judgment of God, we read a deeply personal appeal to His faithfulness. It almost reads like a prayer, and this is significant. When we face trials, struggles, …
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 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 – 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 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 11 – There is a good point here to be made about the wrath of God. Many skeptics are quick to point out God’s wrath, especially in the Old Testament. Of course, we have all heard …
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 …
Isaiah 4 – Isaiah 4:2 describes the Branch of the Lord. The time is coming when the LORD will make every plant and tree in the land grow large and beautiful. All the people of Israel who …
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 …
Isaiah 1 – The book of Isaiah is full of prophecy. Hebrew poetry used a literary style called parallelism, much like a modern-day analogy. In the first several verses, we see the parallels being drawn. “An ox …
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. …
Philippians 4 – As I introduced in my commentary on Philippians 1, we read in Chapter 4 that this church was the only one to form a contractual friendship with Paul. There was an active relationship of …
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 – 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 – 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 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 4 – I admit that sometimes I get so caught up in my own wants and needs that I miss the bigger picture. We all tend to gravitate toward a “me first” attitude even if we …
Galatians 1 – Just like we see today in the political sphere, Paul was battling against two extreme views within the Christian movement. There were the Judaizers who were local Christians (Gentiles) that had succumbed to the …
Exodus 34 – The term glory is not really an accurate depiction of what Moses asked for and received from God. We tend to associate the word “glory” with majestic light. A lot of times it has …
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 – “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 17 – The team was assembled and ready to go! Joshua would lead the army into battle. This is the first we’ve heard of Joshua but, of course, it wouldn’t be the last. His training here …