You know you should pray for your church. But where to begin? The building needs a new roof. Vacation Bible School could use more teachers. People get sick and ask for our prayers. What does God want you to pray for?
Continue reading HOW TO PRAY FOR YOUR CHURCH
The New Testament is full of “Marys.” With six or seven different women sharing that same name, it’s easy to get confused. The Mary we’re looking at here was a resident of Bethany, near Jerusalem. She was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We meet her in three separate stories in the New Testament.
Continue reading WOMEN OF THE DAY (MARY “THE SISTER OF MARTHA”)
The most common NT word for sin is hamartia . Parabasis, “trespass” or “transgression,” literally, means to step across the line. One who steps over a property line has trespassed on another person’s land; the person who steps across God’s standard of righteousness has committed a trespass or transgression. Anomia means “lawlessness” or iniquity” and is a rather general description of sinful acts, referring to almost any action in opposition to God’s standard of righteousness. Poneria, “evil” or
Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY (THE NEW TESTAMENT PERSPECTIVE OF SIN PT 2 OF 2)
Walled cities of Bible times had guards posted on the walls to warn of approaching danger (2 Sam 18:26). These words of Solomon’s bride showed that armed guards also policed the area inside the walls, particularly at night.
Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS & CURIOSITIES (POLICING THE STREETS)
Because there were always some who suffered more quickly and more deeply from the onset of famine, it also tested the willingness of God’s people to show charity to those who were less fortunate. Believers living at the time of both Nehemiah and Paul responded
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN THE BIBLE TIMES (FAMINE PT3)
The request that God speed His intervention is not a complaint about slowness so much as a free expression of the writer’s acute sense of need. Everywhere the Bible encourages believers to speak openly with God about feelings, moods, and attitudes. The God of the Bible is not like
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6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them.
7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.
8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
Continue reading SCRIPTURE OF THE DAY (JOB 1:6-22 “THE DEVIL AND GOD HAVE A TALK”)
One day, King Josiah noticed that the Temple needed repairs. So he ordered men to fix it up. While they were working, someone found a scroll with God’s laws written on it (2 Kings 22:8). When Josiah heard what was written on the scroll, he became very sad.
Continue reading DID YOU KNOW THAT A DUSTY SCROLL LED TO A GREAT NATIONAL REVIVAL
There are many things we may want in life but only two things we really need to sustain life: food and water. A famine takes both away. The famines mentioned in the Bible were typically initiated by a change in climate or a declaration of war. The food and water resources of the Promised Land were based on predictable climatic patterns that brought rain and dew into the region during expected season (Deut 11:10-15). This moisture recharged the springs and wells,
Continue reading EVERYDAY LIFE IN BIBLE TIMES (FAMINE PT1)
Yes, God decides to prosper some nations (Old Testament Israel most dramatically) at the expense of neighboring nations (three are mentioned in this psalm). As land is limited, when God gives land to Israel, it must come at someone’s expense. In this case, Canaanite fiefdoms “lose.” in that sense, some nations are put down.
Continue reading DOES GOD “PUT DOWN” CERTAIN NATIONS?