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 …
Saul
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Acts 11 – Unfortunately, the attitude that Peter experiences here in Acts 11 is all too common in our church culture today. People these days want to know, what is your background, what church did you grow …
Acts 9 – Saul We are reminded here in chapter 9 that even the most rebellious and hard-hearted people can be powerfully used by God. In fact, I believe wholeheartedly in the saying, “whoever is forgiven much, …
Acts 8 – It’s an awesome thing when the Holy Spirit begins to transform lives and show himself in amazing and unpredictable ways. The early church was on fire and the gasoline that was fueling it was …
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 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 …
Jeremiah 32 – This chapter essentially reiterates the destruction we’ve known will come upon Jerusalem and the peace and prosperity God has promised on the horizon…after the exile. Jeremiah is told to go purchase land. This is …
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 27 – Listed among the commanders of war was a very intriguing man by the name of Benaiah. This Benaiah was the mighty man of the thirty, and had charge of thirty; and over his …
1 Chronicles 25 – Attention musicians! Does the name Asaph mean anything to you? Anyone….anyone…..Bueller? Although it might not mean anything to us, the name Asaph was as familar as Bach or Beethoven in ancient Israel. In …
1 Chronicles 15 – Chapter 16 ends with an interesting and dramatic detail. And as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of …
1 Chronicles 13 – There is a strong theme of unity within the writings of Chronicles. Just as intensely as Saul divided the nation, David began to unify it. Part of that process involved moving the Ark …
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 11 – David’s ascent to king was not as simple as three verses. In the book of 2 Samuel, the entire process is described in great detail over 3 chapters. David would be anointed king …
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 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 …
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 …
Judges 11 – I’m not one to shy away from controversial passages, so why not tackle the elephant in the room, right? After reading this, it seems that Jephthah made a bone-headed vow and followed through with …
Joshua 10 – So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, Until the nation avenged themselves of their enemies. Is it not written in the book of Jashar? And the sun stopped in the middle of …
Matthew 12 – This chapter contains the controversial “unpardonable sin” which involves blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The first question we must ask is, what is blasphemy of the Spirit and how is it different from blasphemy …
Matthew 11 – Yet another piece of evidence that confirms Jesus was indeed the Messiah is the presence of John the Baptist. As prophecy foretold, in Malachi, there would be a forerunner. “Behold, I am going to …
Proverbs 21 – A very intriguing verse in this chapter of Proverbs includes a reference back to the days of King Saul. “Doing what is righteous and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Proverbs …
2 Samuel 23 – David was never ashamed of who he was and where he came from. In a culture that was all about notoriety and popularity, David was still the youngest son of Jesse, the peasant …
2 Samuel 22 – My rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. These were the words David penned about God after he looked over the history of his relationship. There’s no doubt that the words of Scripture speak …
2 Samuel 21 – King David was seemingly indestructible. He was a beast on the battlefield and a musician at heart. Although his sins are well-documented, it is a fact that David was blessed with many gifts …
2 Samuel 19 – It’s an awkward moment when the rebels realize their rebellion has failed and the king they opposed is still in authority. Some of those who supported Absalom double down on their opinion that …
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 Samuel 9 – David had made a promise to Jonathan, and David was a man of his word. So as he was reflecting back on Saul’s family, David remembered his oath of friendship to Jonathan and …
2 Samuel 8 – In many ways, David is presented as the “anti-Saul” even though at times, their behavior does not seem all that different. Thus far in Samuel, we’ve witnessed several questionable decisions by David. Here …
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 5 – Every sports fan knows the term “bulletin board material.” It occurs days or weeks before a big game when your opponent makes some kind of degrading or insulting comment against you. It’s basically …
2 Samuel 4 – In 2 Samuel 4, we see the collision of two different kingdoms. Humanity’s kingdom operates within an attitude of power and opportunity. The leaders in our world grab life by the horns and …
2 Samuel 3 – In 2 Samuel 3, we find two men making a deal in order to see their enemy defeated. Abner, being personally offended by Ishbosheth, makes a deal to join David. David, wanting to …
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 …
2 Samuel 1 – There are three versions of Saul’s death mentioned in Scripture and one of them is found here in 2 Samuel 1. Death Reference #1 1 Samuel 31:4 GNB He said to the young …
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 30 – David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he and his men were gone, the Amalekites had come and raided their city. They burned the place …
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 28 – I’ve always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight with the Philistines? Why did Saul think that he could contact Samuel through a witch? Was it …
1 Samuel 27 – The life of David is not all sunshine and rainbows. Though he was a man after God’s own heart, he was still human. Here in 1 Samuel 27, he makes a controversial decision. …
1 Samuel 26 – If there was ever a justifiable moment for David to end Saul’s life, this was it. Saul had repented of his wrongdoing back when David had his first opportunity to kill Saul in …
1 Samuel 25 – As well as David reacted to having a moment with Saul to himself, he backtracks with his emotions when it comes to dealing with Nabal. Yes, it’s true, Nabal was an arrogant and …
1 Samuel 24 – David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was a strategic move and a very good one on David’s part. The canyon of En Gedi is …
1 Samuel 23 – All Saul cares about is killing David. He doesn’t care about worshiping God. He doesn’t care about hearing from God. He doesn’t want to follow God. Yet, he justifies his actions by using …
1 Samuel 22 – There’s no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated. It’s hard to imagine how he managed to get through this time. But God was at work. …
1 Samuel 21 – David has lost so much. He has gone from the beloved and admired son-in-law of King Saul to the forsaken fugitive, alone and rejected. We don’t know exactly why he would choose to …
1 Samuel 20 – Saul has become a volcanic madman. David is struggling with trust and discernment. Jonathan is caught in the middle. The first day of the month was the New Moon festival which was celebrated …
1 Samuel 19 – Saul has tried everything by this point. He will not be satisfied until David is dead. Saul plotted. God protected. David escaped. Through all of this, Saul never changed. He believed he was …
1 Samuel 18 – “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that “all cities in Israel” had women who danced and sang to this tune. It was literally a Billboard Top …
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 16 – Samuel loved Saul. He wanted so badly to see him live a fruitful life. But there are moments when God asks us to move on. The time for mourning is over. God had …
1 Samuel 15 – Do what you want, and ask for forgiveness later. If God is full of love, and He always forgives, then I can just follow my heart and apologize on the way. Do you …
1 Samuel 14 – Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan demonstrated that kind of dialed-in mindset. Unfortunately, Saul operated on his own timing. …
1 Samuel 13 – Here in 1 Samuel 13, we see the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites begin when Jonathan decides to attack a Philistine garrison. Up until this point, the Israelites were at peace …
1 Samuel 11 – Nahash meant business. He threatened to humiliate and poke out the right eye of every man in Jabesh. The point of this strange act was intimidation, and eventually, to bring reproach to all …
1 Samuel 10 – Once again, I want to point out the detail that many miss when Saul is anointed king. The terminology described a leader or commander and not a king. Verse 1 opens with this …
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 1 – Historically, Israel was on the ropes. The Philistines were growing and becoming stronger because of their modern Greek military technology. They were the first in the region to discover and use iron, and …
2 Kings 9 – One of my favorite parts to this story is the fact that Jehu was recognized by his furious driving. Again the watchman reported, “He reached them, but he is not coming back. And …
1 Kings 11 – When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been. 1 Kings 11:4 HCSB How many …
Genesis 36 – The bullet points of Esau’s life were not great. God blessed him and his family, but the blessings were only material in nature. Long before, Isaac and Rebekah were concerned about Esau’s choice to …
John 16 – They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to God. 3 They will do these things because they …
Zechariah 10 – What happens when we don’t receive an answer from God as soon as we like? We turn to false gods and idols. We want to feel comfort, so instead of waiting on God we …
Obadiah 1 – Obadiah is unique in the sense that he one of the only minor prophets to address a nation other than Israel or Judah. Most likely being a contemporary of Elijah and Elisha, He would …
Psalm 145 – “Observe that David is firmly resolved to praise God. My text has four ‘I wills’ in it. Frequently it is foolish for us poor mortals to say ‘I will,’ because our will is so …
Psalm 142 – “Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell God your troubles, that God may comfort you; tell God your …
Psalm 131 – “Here we find the description of a humble, a broken and contrite spirit. It has well been said, ‘All virtues together are a body of which humility is the head.’ How many Scriptures teach …
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 97 – When we look back at Scripture, we see just how holy God really is. Anyone who came into the fullness of God (or Jesus in His heavenly form) were overwhelmed beyond comprehension. Wrestling With …
Psalm 58 – Verses 1-6We read a familiar description of those in leadership who deceive others. Consider the description. They are in a position of authority where they can judge others. Their hearts are pure evil. They …
Psalm 56 – In his book “Happiness,” Randy Alcorn writes, “I think it’s fair to say that many Christians don’t believe God is happy. If we did believe it, wouldn’t we be happier?” “Sometimes we read Scripture …
Psalm 52 – Psalm 52 is a reminder that our words matter. Like a sharpened razor, your tongue devises destruction, working treachery. 3 You love evil instead of good, lying instead of speaking truthfully. Selah. 4 You …
Psalm 25 – Have you ever wondered why David prayed so regularly for his enemies to be routed? So far, he has appealed to God on this matter in Psalm 3, 6, 9, 17, 18, 21, 23, …
Psalm 23 – Psalm 23 is known as the shepherd’s psalm. Composed by David as a youth, he was keeping sheep when Samuel came to his father’s house to find the king which God had chosen to …
Psalm 11 – Many scholars believe this Psalm was written while David was still in King Saul’s court. The hatred of David by Saul had just begun but had not manifested into open persecution quite yet. People …
Psalm 7 – As I read Psalm 7, I found myself asking if God was not righteous, would I pray to Him? In other words, what logical reason do we have for pleading our case before the …
Mark 2 – At the end of this chapter, we see a common problem that Jesus faced with the Pharisees. These law-abiding men had taken a command and turned it into a burden. The Sabbath was established …
Deuteronomy 9 – Today know this: GOD, your God, is crossing the river ahead of you—he’s a consuming fire. He will destroy the nations, he will put them under your power. You will dispossess them and very …