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, …
Philippians
31 posts
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 …
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 …
Philippians 3 – Have you ever met someone who always tries to one-up you? No matter how the story goes, they always pull the trump card with some experience or credential that’s bigger and better. It’s not …
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 …
Philippians 1 – He who began a good work… Paul qualifies the promise of God completing a good work with a specific view. He says “in view of your participation in the Gospel from the first day …
Matthew 16 – The Pharisees and Sadducees (who demanded signs in this chapter) were two of the five major political parties during the time of Jesus. There were also the Herodians, the Zealots, and the Essenes. The …
Philemon 1 – Paul offers us a lesson in diplomacy and peacemaking. At the time, Paul was a prisoner in Rome and his friend Philemon was stationed in Colossae. We don’t know all the details but it …
2 Samuel 16 – The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul’s family is because here in 2 Samuel 16, we read of how Saul’s family wants to kick David …
2 Timothy 4 – I have never really noticed this before, but I am struck by Paul’s confidence in 2 Timothy 4. He writes that he is being poured out as a drink offering. Drawing from the …
1 Timothy 4 – Expect turmoil. Expect opposition. Expect deception. These are the difficult expectations Paul lays out to Timothy and the church. His choice of language is certain. He doesn’t write that some might depart, but …
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 …
Nehemiah 1 – Back in the minor prophets, we learned that very few Jewish people left Babylon to return to their own land when they were granted permission. Out of approximately 2.5 million Jews, only about 50,000 …
Hebrews 5 – First, let’s just point out that this chapter is deep! Here in Hebrews 5, we see two distinctive attributes of Christ’s character. It was by humility He was given (by God) the title of …
Zechariah 14 – In Philippians, Paul urges the church to “hold onto the truth we have attained.” This means as truth is revealed to us, we must continue to move forward and not lose ground with regard …
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 8 – What can be more susceptible to rot and disease than ripened fruit? There is a short window of time for the beautiful and refreshing sweetness of ripe fruit to be tasted. But after that …
Amos 1 – Nelson’s Commentary gives an informative but concise background on the book of Amos. “The Lord sent Amos, a Judean, to Bethel to prophesy of coming judgment on Israel. But in Bethel, Amos faced a …
2 Corinthians 9 – Paul sarcastically (playfully) urges the Corinthians toward giving in verses 1-5. He mentions that they will be put to shame if he sends someone to collect their offering and they are unprepared. Paul …
Psalm 148 – It is a word that has become obsolete in many Christian circles. Sin. The rebellion of man that separates us from God is our primary issue in life. The Bible opens in Genesis with …
Psalm 138 – The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalms 138:8 NASB David knew and believed that the Lord was working in …
Psalm 70 – The reality of this Psalm is palpable. We’ve all had days where we face an urgent situation that requires trusting God quickly and assuredly. It’s one thing to be able to pray over a …
Psalm 60 – Defeat is never easy. Never. But since Jesus took on sin and death and triumphed over it through His resurrection, we have the power to face it. For the believer rooted in faith, defeat …
Mark 13 – No one knows the day or hour. This is a familiar passage, yet, there is one question that I’ve always wondered. If Jesus was both God and man, then why didn’t He know the …
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 …
Deuteronomy 34 – So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in the valley in the land of Moab, …
Ecclesiastes 7 – Even the day of one’s birth is ominous, despite all the hopes and potential in a baby’s birth. Children come into the world uttering the human sound – a scream. “Before ever a child …
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 …
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 …
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 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, …