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 …
repent
116 posts
Lamentations 2 – In the second chapter of Lamentations, God expresses His hatred for sin. It’s important for us to remember that although God hates sin, it does not cloud His compassion for us. However, when we …
Leviticus 5 – In Leviticus 5, there are some deep theological principles that begin to come to life. We’ve heard it said that our body is the temple of God. Here in the OT, we get a …
Leviticus 1 – The book of Leviticus picks up right where Exodus left off. The opening verse begins with “Then the Lord called to Moses…” ‘Then’ signals us to look back at the end of Exodus which …
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 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 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 10 – This vision differs from the others for the simple fact that John is engaged in the action firsthand. The angel that appears before John is hidden in a cloud and his legs were pillars …
Revelation 9 – The 5th Trumpet The 5th trumpet releases a key to open the abyss. Many scholars believe this is the same abyss that the demons begged Jesus not to throw them in. It may be …
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 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 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 2 – Although these letters are addressed to specific congregations in the first century, I believe they are representative of all churches that will exist throughout history. No matter what church you attend, it is likely …
Jeremiah 44 – Once again the people of Judah have hardened their hearts to God. It’s unreal. To be honest, this is such a hard chapter to read because Jeremiah stands here confronting them as a prophet …
Jeremiah 36 – Anyone could argue that God knew what was going to happen to these people. He knew their hardened hearts. He knew for certain that the King would do what he did …
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. …
Jeremiah 25 – The warnings of God to the people were constant. Most of these chapters seem to say the same thing over and over again. It’s easy to skim past and overlook it as it often …
Jeremiah 21 – It has finally happened. Babylon is bearing down on Judah and God is allowing it to happen. He has warned them over so many chapters of this coming doom if they did not repent …
Jeremiah 19 – What happens when we flirt with sin? For whatever reason, our society has divided sin into many different levels and categories. Though Jesus taught that a sin in the heart is equal to a …
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 …
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 18 – Would you rather be a well-liked king or a ridiculed prophet? In a bizarre revelation, God asks for a lying, deceitful spirit to go an entice Ahab to fall at Ramoth-gilead. Why was …
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 8 – Some boast in chariots and some in horses, But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God. Psalms 20:7 NASB “Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall …
2 Chronicles 7 – The temptation of reading this promise from God is to universally apply it to national and personal situations. For instance, many believe that if we as a nation would repent, God would hear …
1 Chronicles 23 – David appoints Solomon king, then numbers the Levites for their special work. He made arrangements to ensure that the worship of the true and living God would continue long beyond his life. These …
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 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 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 34 – The idea of this chapter is that the Lord will conquer all who oppose Him. There is no question about it. Within the text, the language is bold and abrasive. Divine wrath will be …
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 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 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 19 – What do we use to replace God in our lives? It’s really a thought-provoking question. The temptation is to brush it aside, or minimize it. But when given proper thought, and approached with humility, …
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 …
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 – 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. …
Judges 20 – The story we read from the Levite priest in Judges 20 is not the same story we read in the previous chapter. Here, the priest states that it was “the men of Gibeah” who …
Job 42 – Without… Without knowing answers to all of his deepest questions, Job bowed his knee in humility to the Lord. Without understanding how everything works together, he repented. It’s no coincidence this happened. While so …
Job 22 – When we do not pay attention to the needs before us, true care can turn to condemnation. This is what summarizes Eliphaz’s words to Job. He has a mold of what he understands to …
Job 9 – The description of God’s power in verses 5-9 is breathtaking. I like the HCSB version… God is wise and all-powerful. Who has opposed Him and come out unharmed? 5 He removes mountains without their …
Ezra 9 – This chapter is a perfect example of why context is so important when reading Scripture. The Israelites have already been through the humiliation and anguish and being exiled. The reason for this exile, very …
Matthew 15 – It’s the worst feeling that any human can experience in this life. It’s the realization that I wasted my life. I can’t imagine a more horrifying reaction than those who thought they were living …
Matthew 4 – “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Matthew 4:1 NASB Wow! What a chapter! Let’s read and re-read this opening verse. Satan didn’t just …
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 14 – As we journey through Proverbs, you can really pick out any phrase and focus on its content and meaning. I want to zoom in specifically to 14:3. “By the mouth of a fool comes …
Titus 3 – Have you ever been involved in a foolish conversation? How about an endless quarrel about a technicality? Most likely, all of us have been …
2 Samuel 24 – This account of a census is a puzzling chapter. We wonder today, what could be wrong with taking a census? It seems pretty harmless to us. In the ancient world, a man had …
1 Samuel 31 – Let’s do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back Samuel from the dead and predicted Saul’s death the next day. Today is the next day. Also …
1 Samuel 5 – There are times when God uses circumstances to demolish the false gods that we all cling to. Initially, we tend to make excuses and stick with the status quo. This is especially true …
Romans 6 – Grigori Rasputin was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed “holy man” who claimed to speak on behalf of God. He gained considerable influence in Russian during the early 1900s. Controversy surrounds Rasputin as he claimed …
Romans 2 – When you hold up God as the standard, as you should, that standard is one that not only condemns the person you are correcting but yourself as well. As the old saying goes, “You’re …
2 Kings 25 – It’s definitely fitting that the fate of Israel was determined at Jericho. “It seems ironic that here, at the very spot where Israel first set foot on the Promised Land, the last of …
2 Kings 24 – This is such a tough time for Judah. Jeremiah had been prophesying about Babylonian captivity for quite some time. This was the voice of God. Josiah, in the previous chapter, had found God’s …
2 Kings 14 – What I am struck by in this 14th chapter of 2 Kings is just how much of an impact a single generation can have on all the generations that follow. Take these verses, …
2 Kings 8 – The pattern of Elisha’s service to the Lord consistently reflects the act of leading others to a spiritual mind. There was the birth and healing of the Shunammite woman’s son, the enlightening of …
1 Kings 22 – What’s the deal with Ramoth-Gilead and why did they want it back? Ramoth was a Levitical city so it was considered important to the Jews. During King Solomon’s reign, it was a key …
1 Kings 13 – As we read in 1 Kings 12, Jeroboam’s kingdom was in a terrible state and God had a message for him. There are three different scenarios we see play out in this scene. …
John 13 – John would have known the story well. He (the disciple whom Jesus loved) was reclining against Jesus when it all unfolded, so this firsthand account is most likely as accurate a picture as we …
Malachi 1 – Malachi’s ministry would have overlapped with Nehemiah. The temple had been rebuilt (v. 13), and there was a presiding governor over the nation (v. 8), but the people were struggling with the same sins …
Zephaniah 3 – Destruction. Conversion. Restoration. This chapter reads as a Gospel presentation as all glory goes to God. He is the One to correct, convert, and restore. Though these prophecies address an immediate time period, they …
Nahum 2 – Micah’s choice of wording is not random. He sarcastically refers to the nation of Nineveh as lions in verses 11 and 12. “Archeologists have found a carving from a palace showing an Assyrian king …
Nahum 1 – The book of Jonah was God’s grace to Ninevah, and Nahum is His truth. God would judge Nineveh. For some, the thought of His judgment invokes imagery of an all-powerful Being looking down on …
Habakkuk 2 – What’s the use of an idol? It is only something that a human being has made, and it tells you nothing but lies. What good does it do for its maker to trust it—a …
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 3 – How can two people walk hand in hand if they aren’t going in the same direction? “They do not need to be agreed about everything. They must, however, wish to keep each others company, …
Joel 2 – The plague of locusts would be devastating and overpowering. Their appearance would be like horses as they scaled walls like men and dodged arrows with speed and agility. The scene is poetic and reads …
Joel 1 – The book of Joel centers around The Day of the Lord. Here is a brief synopsis of what that entails… The Day of the Lord Though it probably refers to future events, it …
Hosea 8 – Here we see the consequences and punishments of Israel. It was one compromise after another as they decided to bring idol worship and pagan rituals into their lives. They said they knew God with …
Hosea 7 – “Two-faced and double-tongued,they steal you blind, pick you clean.It never crosses their mindthat I keep account of their every crime” Hosea 7:2 God exposes Israel’s two-sided nature in this chapter. He compares them to …
Hosea 5 – “I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.” Hosea 5:15 It is such a strong statement. You know, this phrase is …
Hosea 4 – God is honest and open with Israel about their sins. As The Message translation puts it, it was sheer anarchy. “No doubt, this happened after the pattern of human nature. When Hosea and Gomer …
Daniel 4 – What do we make of these 7 years when King Neb lost his mind? “There is, understandably, no preserved secular record of this; but Abydenus, a Greek historian, wrote in 268 BC that Nebuchadnezzar …
2 Corinthians 7 – “If one gives up easily, they can never walk in repentance, though they may perform acts of repentance.” David Guzik On the surface, this may sound like a works-based mentality. But consider that …
2 Corinthians 2 – The man Paul is referring to in this chapter was most likely the same man who was having an incestuous affair when Paul wrote his first letter to the …
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 133 – Through Jesus, the Holy Spirit has been poured out over us. Like a priest who would be anointed by a fine oil, we as believers have been abundantly blessed by the Holy Spirit. This …
Psalm 124 – The storms that God allows only further serves to reveal His power and glory within. When we are faced with opposition, we clench tightly to the anchor that we know and trust. In those …
Psalm 103 – How long do you strive? It seems like an odd question on the surface. Let me rephrase it. Where is the limit of your patience and trust? Let’s say a friend were to ask …
Psalm 101 – “I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.” Psalms 101:2 HCSB Christians are often singled out …
Psalm 94 – O LORD, God of vengeance, God of vengeance, shine forth! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth, Render recompense to the proud. Psalms 94:1-2 NASB The appeal to God to exercise His vengeance …
Psalm 80 – There are some aspects to growth that can only happen in community. This is the central theme of this chapter. Three times the psalmist pleads for victory through restoration. However, it is not a …
Psalm 79 – The Psalms continue to reveal the human struggle with control. When we have control (or think we do), everything is fine and dandy. When we feel control slipping away, we struggle. Immediately, we turn …
Psalm 74 – He purchased. He redeemed. He dwelt. The invasion by their enemies has devastated the people of Israel and Judah. They know that these enemies are a manifestation of His punishment for their waywardness. However, …
Psalm 64 – “One of the most pressing theological questions today is “why do the evil ones prosper?” If one looks around, it certainly seems as if the bad ones are winning, be that on the streets …
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 …
Psalm 54 – Though the opening verses do not indicate the specifics of the trouble at hand, the plea is for action. The desire of the psalmist is for God to do something. Verses one and two …
Psalm 53 – When God looks down from heaven at humanity, He’s not looking at innocent people. He’s looking at guilty people who love evil. People love their sin. This is why the sin problem had no …
Psalm 51 – It is known as “The Sinner’s Guide” and contains some of the most quoted verses in all of Psalms. It is not surprising that this Psalm features some of the most beautifully articulated phrases …
Psalm 44 – Following God wholeheartedly is a practical act of cooperation (our response) and faith (assurance of God’s love). When we teeter too far to one side or the other, we fall short and end up …
Psalm 38 – Once again, the psalmist is upset with his enemies and those who do evil. However, picking up from yesterday’s blog, the writer is primarily concerned with his own relationship with God. In fact, the …
Psalm 36 – The Warehouse staff has just begun to have weekly accountability meetings. Each pastor on staff has a different week in which they will be asked to evaluate where they are seeing fruit and where …
Mark 12 – Total sacrifice. Do we understand it? Do we live it? Jesus pulls his disciples aside to highlight the faith of the poor widow. In this story, the NASB translation reads… A poor widow came …
Mark 3 – The healings of Jesus are well-documented and factual. Interestingly, the Jews did not dispute the healing power of Jesus, but rather, the source of that power. The Greeks did not dispute the healings either, …