In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul explores the powerful motivations behind living for Christ—eternal hope, the love of Christ, and the fear of the Lord. As believers, we are called to walk by faith, live as new creations, and boldly share the message of reconciliation. Discover how these truths can transform your life and deepen your relationship with God.
In this blog post, we explore 2 Corinthians 5:5 using verse mapping and the DEEP Bible Study Method. Discover how God has prepared us for eternal life and given us the Holy Spirit as a pledge of what is to come. We’ll dive deep into the scripture, ask reflective questions, and learn how to apply this powerful truth in our
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 4, Paul addresses criticism, spiritual blindness, and the power of the Gospel in transforming lives. Despite facing intense opposition, Paul remains steadfast in his mission, viewing his sufferings as ‘light and momentary troubles’ compared to the eternal glory that awaits. Discover how Paul’s teachings offer hope and resilience in the face of life’s challenges.
Explore 2 Corinthians 4:7 through verse mapping using the DEEP Bible Study Method. Discover how God’s power shines through our human frailty, and apply His truth to your daily life.
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 3, Paul contrasts the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. He argues that the New Covenant, fulfilled by Jesus, offers a lasting glory and transformation, unlike the Old Covenant’s fleeting glory. Our true measure of ministry is reflected in the transformed lives of those we serve, showing the power of Christ’s message.
Dive into 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 using verse mapping. Learn how this method reveals the depth of spiritual transformation and freedom found in Christ.
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 2, Paul explains his change in travel plans to avoid causing further pain to the Corinthians, emphasizing his love and sincerity. He highlights the necessity of forgiveness and restoration within the church. Paul uses the metaphor of a triumphant procession to describe the victory Christians have in Christ, encouraging trust in God’s guidance.
Explore 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 with a step-by-step verse map, guiding you through Christ’s triumph and your role in spreading His fragrance.
In 2 Corinthians Chapter 1, Paul passionately defends his apostleship, responding to the criticisms of the Corinthian church. He emphasizes that his apostleship was appointed by God’s will, not by man. Paul also explains the purpose of troubles and suffering in the Christian faith, showing how God uses these experiences for our comfort and to strengthen our faith. Paul’s unwavering
Dive deep into 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 as we explore how God’s comfort is meant to be shared. In this step-by-step guide, discover insights and practical ways to apply this SOAKER verse to your life. Watch the full video for a detailed study!
Discover how Bible Mapping can transform your study of Scripture with the DEEP Bible Study Method. In this post, we dive into the ‘Exploring the Text’ phase, using tools like book maps, chapter maps, and verse maps to uncover deeper meanings in the Bible. Watch our video and start mapping your Bible study journey today!
There are generally two camps of Bible readers out there—those who can’t bring themselves to write in their Bibles and those who throw caution to the wind and mark it up! I fall into the latter category.
Silencing our minds in a world that is full speed ahead can be challenging. Distractions begin to pile up as we crowd our minds with things that are not needed, leaving no space for the one “to-do” that matters: spending time with our Lord and hearing His voice. There are 5 things we can do to hear God’s voice in
What is the most important thing in your life? What is your priority? Show me how you begin your day, and I’ll tell you what your priorities are. The way you start your day will affect the end of your day. Doing this one thing changed my life and it will change yours too.
In 2 Thessalonians Paul warns us about living an undisciplined life. Did he mean we should avoid stopping for that chocolate donut on the way to work every morning? Or perhaps he meant we should be sure we get that much coveted 8 hours of “beauty” sleep every night? Or maybe, he was suggesting we remain committed to the goals
Most of us have been “done wrong” at one time or another and, more than likely, have at least toyed with the idea of revenge. No doubt, the idea of making someone suffer for our suffering is sometimes tempting, but God clearly states in Deuteronomy 32:35 that vengeance is His and His alone. No matter how tempting it is, we
Second Thessalonians might be only three chapters but don’t let its length fool you; it is full of hidden treasures just waiting for you to discover! But before you dive in to look for the gems, first get your feet wet with some introductory information that will help you appreciate even more the riches you are about to discover!
The Church is God’s army. Its primary mission is to take the Good News of Jesus to the world and make disciples not by force but by influence and love. God calls His soldiers to walk in a manner worthy of Him, to be set apart, and to live holy lives. He calls us to love, do good, and have
Movies, art, and literature heavily influence what people believe about the Rapture. Sometimes what we see and hear is accurate, but other times our eyes and ears are deceived by culture’s misrepresentation of this significant event. While certainly entertaining, we need to know what the Bible says about the Rapture. So let’s find out.
Throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament alike, we are encouraged to walk in a way that pleases God. In Genesis, God tells Abraham to “walk before Him, and be blameless” (Gen. 17:1). And in Exodus, Jethro encourages Moses to make the Israelites “know the way in which they must walk and what they must do” (Ex. 18:20). Paul urged
Most of us have heard the old adage, “Leave no one behind.” The Apostle Paul followed this same principle in his apostolic ministry: he would leave no one behind. Paul didn’t make it a habit to establish churches and leave them. He didn’t lead someone to Christ and then desert them. Discipleship was important to Paul and it should be
“But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict,” 1 Thessalonians 2:2 ESV As followers of Jesus Christ, we are entrusted with the Gospel. Much responsibility comes with the Truth. Responsibility to proclaim it. And the responsibility to
“Set a good example!” You’ve probably said it if you’ve been around kids for any length of time. I know I have. We all agree that we should be a good example, but what does a good example look like for a follower of Christ? The Apostle Paul applauded the Thessalonians for being good examples to believers throughout Greece (1
You’ve seen in your Bible, before each Book, a lengthy introduction to the text. Most likely, if you are like me, you have skipped over that information and just dove right into the Book. However, before you dive in, I encourage you to warm up a bit, look at your surroundings, and better understand where you are going; otherwise, who
Jesus said, “Treat them like unbelievers and tax collectors!” Does that phrase make you stop and take pause? It did me. I began to ask myself, is that really what Jesus meant? Since Scripture interprets Scripture, I decided to look at exactly how Jesus treated pagans and tax collectors. Here is what I discovered.
Opening your Bible is the best thing you will do today. But first, check your heart. How you approach this precious time in the Word will determine what you get from it. Align your heart with God’s heart through prayer. Here are three things you can pray about before you dive into the Word.
Just as faith is a powerful force, the opposite of faith, unbelief, is also a powerful force. Unbelief produces disastrous consequences and prevents people from receiving God’s blessings.
God, through the flood, had given mankind another chance to make things right, yet not 100 years later, humanity had once again begun to turn from its Creator.
The story of Noah and the Ark paints a beautiful picture of God’s plan to redeem His creation by way of a future Messiah. God always provides a way out.
Skimming the surface, Genesis 3:15 seems straightforward, but once we dig deeper, we find a Seed of Promise hidden in its depths. Not only is Genesis 3 a picture of the sacrifice Jesus would make 2,000 years later on the cross, but it is the promise of a future Savior: the first Gospel. Genesis 3:15 also is the reason, we
Read Genesis 6-8 Noah and the flood is one of the most well-known stories of the Old Testament. However, this story, for many causes doubts to rise about the very nature of God. How could a God who is willing to destroy the entire planet and every living thing on it be just and merciful? To truly understand God’s purpose
Prophecy is a prediction of future things to come. According to “The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy” by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 in the New Testament. Prophecies constitute 26.8 percent of the Bible’s volume. In the prophetic verses, there are around 333 prophecies about Christ. Out of these 333 prophecies, 109 were fulfilled at Christ’s first coming, and 224 will be
The first sacrifices are shadows of the reality that God would offer Jesus as an innocent sacrifice to pay the price for all of our sins.
Everything changes…Except for one thing. Let’s start with chatting about things that change and looking at the definition of change – as you know, a definition is my favorite place to dig in. Change a: to make different in some particular b: to make radically different c: to give a different position, course, or direction to When we think of
Does prayer really accomplish anything? How do I have faith my prayers will be answered? Those are good questions that aren’t without an answer. James 5:16 tells us that the “prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” and then demonstrates the awesome power released through prayer using the story of Elijah, an Old Testament prophet.
At some point most people enjoy being right. But sometimes, our focus is more on being right than loving well. God calls us to be reconciled.
When we love someone, naturally, we want to please them. Not because we expect to get anything in return, but because we want to make them happy and be proud of us. The same goes for God. We should want to please Him because we love Him; we want to make Him happy and be proud of us. But what
God knew what this world would bring. He knew that we would have situations where we would feel weary, weak, woeful, and worried. He knew we would need warnings, instruction, encouragement, and guidance.
God, in the book of Joshua, showed the Israelites their victory before they received it. Their faith and obedience determined their victory.
Faith compels you to act in ways that you never would have expected like building a boat to save yourself from a flood when it has never even rained, or fighting a giant that everyone is too scared to fight, or believing a promise that in the natural, just doesn’t make sense.
Genesis is the book of beginnings. It provides the foundation on which the Bible is built. Genesis was written by Moses around 1300 B.C. and is quoted or referred to more than 165 times in the New Testament. We often don’t associate Jesus with Genesis because Jesus was born 2,000 years after the events described there. But Jesus permeates its
Did you know that Peter considered the Old Testament “more sure” proof of Jesus than His own eyewitness account? In fact, Old Testament preachers and teachers relied on the Old Testament to point people to Jesus. This is Part 3 of a 4 part introduction to our new study “Finding Jesus in the Old Testament”.
In Genesis, you will find similarities between Adam and Jesus. Adam is considered a “type of Jesus,” a shadow of things to come.
We can understand the Old Testament because we have Jesus, who lifts the veil of our understanding and opens our mind to the revelation of God, our Father. Jesus is the key to understanding the Old Testament.
Jesus makes clear that the Old Testament points directly to Him. The purpose of Scripture is not to point us to eternal life but to point us to Jesus.
Image is important, right? So much time is spent trying to cast that perfect image to get more likes, followers, and friends. Photos are edited, scenes are staged, and stories are embellished all in the name of image. Image may be important to people, but image isn’t important to God. God doesn’t look at the things people look at. “People look at the outward
Does prayer really accomplish anything? How do I have faith my prayers will be answered? Those are good questions that aren’t without an answer. James 5:16 tells us that the “prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” and then demonstrates the awesome power released through prayer using the story of Elijah, an Old Testament prophet. Although Elijah
Faith. That word is tossed around a lot. We are told to “have faith,” “take a leap of faith,” and that “faith is blind.” Some people think that faith is simply believing in someone or something. That is true, but faith is so much more than that. So what is faith, really? There are no human words that can adequately
When my kids were little, I used to say “pinky promise” to them as a way of noting I was sincere and serious in making the promise. I spoke to my now-adult son and asked him if he remembered this gesture and what it meant to him when I did it. He said, “I knew you were serious and would
The Gospel of John is a love letter written by the Holy Spirit on my heart, not with ink, but with the blood of Christ. It is a love letter to be read not once, but again and again, each time allowing the love of Jesus to wash over me and to move me from higher truth to higher truth.
“Who is doing this—you or Me? ~God” That’s the question I read recently, and it was interesting timing considering within a week’s time the messages “don’t give up” and “keep praying” came up. Especially, because it can feel deflating and wearisome when we keep praying for the same thing and don’t see results. Does a conversation like this ever happen
Today’s devotional is relatively short but written with heartfelt thanks and hopefully still serves as a valuable takeaway for those of you reading it. The definition of thanks shows a deeper meaning than when we typically use the word in today’s culture. To show thanks means “kindly or grateful thoughts; and expression of gratitude.” Today is Good Friday, for Christ-followers
In my pursuit of truth, I questioned narratives and demanded reliable sources. As a skeptic, I sought to discern fact from fiction and considered the existence of a singular truth. Surprisingly, I found the Bible to be the ultimate truth despite initial skepticism. Overcoming doubt required acknowledging its authenticity and transformative power. This journey liberated me from doubt and gave
“Don’t let one lie spoil a thousand truths.” ~unknown When I read that, it struck a chord with me. Any of these lies sound familiar? That healing will never come. They always… They never… That relationship is too broken. I’m alone. No one understands. I’m not good enough. The list of lies Satan uses is extensive. He is a liar.
I’m one of those people who must see it to believe it. A skeptic, I guess that’s what you’d call me. Tell me something I’ve never heard of before or something that seems unlikely, and chances are I will have to verify it myself. I want to know the how, when, why, where, and once I know, I might believe.
As Christ-followers we should be weeping for what grieves God. We should be paying attention and weeping for what’s happening in the nation we live, pray to see what grieves Him, and praise Him that we still have the freedom to openly worship Jesus. We should be weeping for those that have blended Christianity into a dying world instead of
When Eve chose sin over God, the image of God in us grew dimmer and dimmer until finally, God was hardly recognizable in us. Then in God’s infinite wisdom, He sent Jesus to earth to remind us how to live and ultimately to offer us the gift of salvation. Colossians 1:15 says that “Christ is the visible image of the
Defeated Faith. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever spoken defeat out loud? How about let heartbreak define the situation instead of hope and the possibilities with God? If so, here is what you must remember.
Growing up, people told me to hold my head high and be proud. Pride to me meant I was strong. It meant I was capable. Pride meant that I would never need anyone or anything. You see, I thought pride was my key to success. Well, I was wrong. Dead wrong. Open your Bible. You don’t have to read far
If you’re married like me, you are probably well-versed with the word compromise. During our almost 29 years of marriage, this word has been applied numerous times. Especially if you’ve ever asked the question “What do you want for dinner?” Can anyone else relate? Compromise is something that is applied in most of our relationships whether with our children, family,
Directionally challenged. That’s how people used to describe me. Never knowing where I was at or how I was going to get there. LOST. Google maps changed my life. Really. I spend a lot less time lost. Spiritually challenged. That’s how people used to describe me too. Never knowing where I was at or how I was going to get
As Christ-followers, we are part of the King of King’s official envoy. We represent Him with every word shared and every interaction we have. It’s why we must not only know His Word, but we must also live His word.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 I recently moved. For almost fifteen years we had lived in the same house. The closets in that house were after-thoughts, really. Especially my upstairs clothes closet. It was cramped and somebody forgot the light. Seriously. The closet was a dark abyss. There was no place for
There was a truth that was waiting for me and if you’re struggling with how to answer your ‘who’ and ‘what’, there is a truth that waits for you too. The absolute TRUTH. The truth of what God says about who and what we are.
Jesus knew that His followers, that we’d need more than just ourselves to walk out our lives fully surrendered to Him, to follow Him. He knew that to accomplish God’s plans and purposes for our lives we’d need supernatural power. That is why He sent to us as a gift from God, the Holy Spirit our Power from Heaven.
Have you ever had to tell a child or even a pet “no, stop it, it will hurt!”? Do they always listen? As a momma of two, now adult children, and one dog I can say in my experience it’s a flat-out no. Have you ever had to repeat yourself when giving instructions or advice to a child or an
Without spiritual power, we are dead; the church is dead. We can go about our lives looking all religious, praying, raising our hands during worship, quoting Bible verses, but without the Holy Spirit’s power, it means nothing; it is just religion.
Everything changes…except for one thing. But before we get to that, let’s chat about things that do change, and of course, the best place to start is with the word definition, at least to a word nerd like me. Change: a: to make different in some particular b: to make radically different c: to give a different position, course, or
What tempts you? The donut in QuikTrip? Gossip? Popularity? Material things? Each of us faces temptation in one way or another. But we can resist it and here is how.
Ever heard the quote “we find time for what we value most”? It’s a quote that hopefully makes us think and ask the questions, ‘Where do I spend my time? Am I spending it on what I value?’ We all get busy with life, work, spouses, kids, church activities which aren’t bad things to spend time in. There’s a but
Self-confidence is essential for success, but even more vital than self-confidence is God-confidence. Without God-confidence, molehills can morph into mountains, and grasshoppers can seem like giants.
Emotions are in part meant to be a radar for us. A warning system of sorts that alerts us that something is amiss, our focus and direction has veered off course.
Sin and pride blind us from seeing the truth. When we can’t recognize the truth, we become bound to wrong beliefs, wrong actions, and false perceptions, which cause us to make decisions that can hold us prisoner. We all need truth tellers in our lives. We all need to speak the truth in love.
Faith and trust. The definitions of these words don’t change based on our feelings. Even when our flesh reacts. Even when our mind doubts. They remain the same.
The Prophet Habakkuk knew a little something about waiting on God. Although his story is one from thousands of years ago, the lessons his story teaches are still relevant today. Especially today in our drive-through culture. Most of us hate to wait. Waiting takes patience, and patience is a virtue that can be in short supply. We expect to get
“What if I go through my life believing and following the Bible and Jesus, and the Bible is just a made-up story and Jesus was just some nice guy who did good things?”
Let’s truly ponder that for a minute or two… What if? What if it’s all a made-up story, what have I lost?
When we don’t listen to the Word we forfeit the kind of life Jesus died for us to live, and even bigger yet, we fail to show love for our Lord and Savior the One who gave it ALL. That breaks my heart. Does it break yours?
I find myself craving the deeper mysteries from God’s word and all it has to teach us and prepare us. Did you know that Jesus preached much more about the coming of God’s Kingdom than he did love? That is what, in part, made me realize Believers in Christ are called to be more and more diligent at sharing the
In the last blog, we talked about the Jesus Kind of Peace and how it is different than the world’s kind of peace. We found out that it can put us back together; it is eternal, and it doesn’t depend on our circumstances. You might be thinking, yes, that kind of peace sounds DIVINE, but HOW DO I GET IT?
God loves you. Ever heard that before? Consider for a moment that truth. Consider how at times we break His heart. And then consider again His love.
Peace and quiet. If asked, most people would probably say they seek it, long for it, and even need it. A peaceful life. A peaceful home. And the big one, (drum roll, please……..) world peace, we all want that, right? Peace. It often seems just out of reach – something we can never quite get our hands-on. But that’s not
If someone asks you do you trust God, what’s your answer? If like me, your answer is ‘of course’. Then why does my trust not always remain with Him?
We make thousands of choices daily. Thankfully, during my “poor choice” chapters, I believe God was still pursuing me, asking me to choose differently. I believe the prayers of others, even ones I didn’t know were being spoken, were influencing my choices in ways I couldn’t understand. I believe my poor choices, once admitted, and surrendered, either have been or
Danger, danger Will Robinson! Anyone remember this line from the tv show, movie, or remake? It’s from Lost in Space. That title seems apropos with where the world is lately. The word danger literally means “the state of being warned”; so, if we dig a little deeper, the word warn means “to give notice to beforehand especially of danger or
Believers have been given heavenly keys that open doors of opportunity and blessing, but many times they toss the keys aside or even forget the keys are theirs to be used.
Have you ever felt tired of the fight? Or just plain angry that it feels like the setback sneaks up on you just when you think forward is the direction you are heading? Or that you’re dealing with the same issue, again? I wrote this from my prayer chair tucked in my quiet corner at home shortly after screaming at
Last year marked something new, something different. Things started shifting and moving. I’ve been locked in and locked out. I’ve been shut in and shut up. I’ve been passionate. Sometimes a little too passionate. I’ve spoken when I should have remained silent and remained silent when I should have spoken. I’ve felt this urgency, an urgency I can’t explain. And through
I love to read. I used to easily read 4-5 books a week. Most of which were filled with mindless escape, passion, and puzzling ‘who done it’ plots. There’s a wonder and mystery contained in books that have the ability to take us to different places, meet different people and go on a journey all between page one til “the
What we believe about the Bible is paramount to our Christian faith and how we view God. As Christians, we must grapple with questions like these: Is the Bible really the inspired word of God? And if so, was the Bible passed down from generation to generation accurately? The answer to these and related questions are important because, as Christ-followers,
Who is ready for an uncomfortable question? Here is where my mind pictures a room full of people and no one raises their hand. Fortunately, you can read the question in the privacy of your own home and percolate on your answer. That’s where I found myself, at home in my prayer chair, when I felt this being asked of
The photo at the beginning of this devotional is in one of my journals. There was a time in my life when that photo served as a regular reminder that life could be enjoyed and wonderful without being perfect. Let’s be honest though sometimes we just want perfect, not imperfectly perfect. In conversation with someone I love deeply we were
Satan knows his fate, he won’t give up easily. But nothing will stop Christ the King’s return to earth. In this installment in our Back to the Future series, we will explore Armageddon in more detail, including Christ’s victory over the Antichrist. We will also take a look at what is happening in Heaven during the final part of the
Focus. It’s a simple word really. Focus. We all know what it means but as you may know, definitions are kinda my jam. Focus, when peeled back and defined is “a center of activity or attention; directed attention.” Does the definition resonate a little more than the word itself? One morning not too long ago, I was awake at 1:30
United and it feels so good… Ok, ok, that’s not the lyrics. If you don’t know the song reference, I’ve just totally dated myself. That was my feeble attempt to start this devotional with humor. As it’s true, when we feel connected, joined together, being united does feel good. There’s not much of that feel-good going on in the world.
We have seen God’s wrath unleashed on earth in a series of two sets of judgments, each set progressively worse and more devastating as time goes on. Here, we will explore the third set of judgments, the bowl judgments, and their worldwide effects. Finally, we will take a look at the fall of commercial and political Babylon. Three Angels
Fear. I don’t know one person that hasn’t experienced fear at some point in their life. There’s fear that is generally deemed as small or silly like the fear of spiders or clowns. There’s fear that is generally understood by most of us like fear for our family or a loved one health or safety. There’s fear that is sometimes
In Revelation 12 and 13, Satan and his demons battle Michael and the holy angels in one final battle in Heaven before Satan and his angels are permanently tossed down to earth. Knowing his time is running out, Satan will make the earth his battleground and unleash an evil like never seen before. His goal will be to kill the
A little fib? Is there really such a thing? Like most folks I know I would say “I’m honest” and I do think that’s true. But I want, no I need, to be a truth speaker because of who I am in Christ.
The Book of Revelation describes three waves of God’s judgment of earth’s inhabitants, each wave progressively worsening. The judgments begin with the seven seal judgments, continue to the trumpet judgments, and end with the bowl judgments. In a previous post, we discussed the first six judgments: First seal (Rev 6:1-2) white horse, antichrist comes to conquer Second Seal (Rev 6:3-4)
Who do you work for? Typically, when we hear this question we answer with the name of our company. However, the real answer should be what’s buried in our hearts. Let me share a real story with you that will help explain. I’ve worked at the same company for almost ten years. I’ve had three different bosses, titles, and various
Who do you believe yourself to be? What truth do you need to believe about yourself? Your belief or God’s? Your truth or God’s? Which is it?
The Church has been raptured, leaving behind all the counterfeit religions, including the apostate church. The religions left behind will culminate into one false religion which will wield massive power and control over the world. But as we forge ahead to Revelation 13, we find out the fate of false religion during the Tribulation. False Religion Throughout the Book
Life. It’s made up of rollercoasters and winding roads. There are rarely straight paths. No matter where life takes me, One goes with me. And His name is Jesus.
I use to do interpretive dance when I was growing up. One of the songs that my dance team interpreted has been a favorite song since thenOf course, with interpretive dance, you have to really listen to the words, and this song has always had me thinking. So I thought I would throw it out into the world and let
I’m not sure exactly how or when it happens but during at least one chapter in our lives most of us have compared ourselves in one form or another to someone else. Measuring ourselves in comparison with others is not what God wants for us.
The Book of Revelation describes three waves of God’s judgment of earth’s inhabitants, each wave progressively worsening. The judgments begin with the seven seal judgments, continue to the trumpet judgments, and end with the bowl judgments. Here we will discuss the first six seal judgments: First seal (Rev 6:1-2) white horse, antichrist comes to conquer Second Seal (Rev 6:3-4) red horse, open warfare breaks out Third Seal (Rev 6:5-6) black horse, world famine Fourth Seal (Rev 6:7-8) death
A mustard seed. That’s it.
That’s the amount of faith Jesus says we need, and NOTHING is impossible. Not a reconciliation of a broken relationship ~not the healing of a body ~not the redemption of a lost child.
Daniel’s statue prophecy and beast prophecy give us a solid prophetic framework for interpreting New Testament prophecy. The prophecy speaks of a fifth kingdom, a revived Roman Empire that will play a significant role in end time events.
The power of a hug is a real thing. The exhale hug is my favorite. When is the last time you let Jesus hug you with a sweet embrace that makes you exhale?
The time between the Rapture of the Church and the Glorious Appearing of Christ is referred to by many names throughout the Bible. We, however, will refer to it as Christ did in Matthew 24:21 when He informed the disciples that there would be a tribulation, a period of intense suffering like the world has never known. Although we have
I heard a pastor mention these statements; they caught my attention. I have been thinking them out. There is WAY more information that needs to be said about each one, but I’m just going to give you a tidbit about each statement. Church needs to be churchie again, it’s time for church to be church again… We need to go
It’s a word with weight. The word trust is one that shouldn’t be used lightly. Ever had your trust broken? Ever been the one to lose someone’s trust? Then you know the struggle it truly is to rebuild. Even with that in mind, we find ourselves trusting in some form every single day. We trust in small things and big
The Old Testament prophesied of the birth of a Messiah who would overcome the world, set up His Kingdom, and bring peace to all. Just as from a distance, two mountains are often seen as one, the Jews from the distance of the Old Testament viewed the Messianic coming as just one event. The Old Testament hinted at what
One of the greatest obstacles to overcome when someone struggles with perfectionism is being vulnerable. We are so worried that someone will use our weaknesses against us or not love us because of them. I speak from experience on this subject. It has taken me years to learn that the root of perfectionism is really a fear of not being
The churches that Jesus chose to write letters to were real churches located in Asia Minor, now western Turkey. There are two explanations for why Jesus chose these specific 7 churches. The first is that these churches represent the varying spiritual conditions of churches throughout the church age. The second is that each of these churches represents the seven stages
Anyone ever felt panic? That moment where you panic about the outcome. What to do. What not to do. I know I have, despite my faith in God, in my humanness, there are times when panic creeps in. Let me share a true story that will hopefully paint a picture, and will most likely make you giggle at me, but
The Apostle John, the last living apostle of Jesus, was exiled to the island of Patmos by the Roman authorities for the faithful preaching of the Gospel (Revelation 1:9). While on the island of Patmos, he had a series of visions which he wrote down and now form the Book of Revelation. This book is divided into three parts: “the
“Don’t let one lie spoil a thousand truths.” ~unknown When I read that, it struck a chord with me. Any of these lies sound familiar? That healing will never come. They always… They never… That relationship is too broken. I’m alone. No one understands. I’m not good enough. The list of lies Satan uses is extensive. He is a liar.
While salvation is a gift from God that all believers receive, there are also rewards for faithfulness and a loss of rewards for unfaithfulness. Because of this, our ambition should be to please Christ (2 Corinthians 5:9-10). As our righteous judge, Jesus will look at our deeds and reward us based not just on external service but on inward devotion.
God knew what this world would bring. He knew that we would have situations where we would feel weary, weak, woeful, and worried. He knew we would need warnings, instruction, encouragement, and guidance.
When we think of judgment in the Bible, we often think of the fiery pits of Hell and gnashing of teeth. However, “to judge” in the Bible has two different meanings: one to condemn and the other to give out rewards. Judges can decide whether you deserve punishment or freedom, a blue ribbon or a red one. Not all judgment
“Rain, rain go away come again another day”. I’d say most of us have heard or even sang those lyrics at some point in our lives. During a recent rain shower, that was pretty much my attitude, “rain go away!” I started to complain, “ugh rain!” or something to that effect and while I was in the middle of complaining,
There are many views on when the Rapture will occur. Some think it will happen before the Tribulation. Others believe it will happen mid-way through the Tribulation, and still others at the end of the Tribulation.[1] All three opinions are scripturally based; however, the main difference in interpretation is determined by whether the scriptures are taken metaphorically or literally. Using
At some point most people enjoy being right. But sometimes, our focus is more on being right than loving well. God calls us to be reconciled.
Whatever that is, is what we should desire. But how often do we crave, desire, plea for or dare I say try and demand what we want? There is no finger pointing here. This is a personal conviction. To share a level of transparency, I’ve had the following emotions/reactions when battling between God’s will or mine… hurt and rejection self-righteousness
No one disputes that Jesus will come again; the dispute is whether His Second Coming will be in one phase or two and when He will come for His Church. Here, I will show why I believe His Second Coming will be in two phases: the Rapture and His Glorious Appearing.
Most of us don’t wait well. I know I struggle with “the wait.” The waiting is not something any of us look forward to. At least no one I know.
When people hear the word “Church,” they often think of a brick and mortar building or an institution of some kind. But the Church is much, much more than that. The Church is not just a collection of churches across the world, but it is also a body of Jews and Gentiles who know Christ and whose sins are forever
Hi, my name is Shahla and I’m a control seeker, freak, craver and am in recovery for my tendencies. I wish I could say that’s a joke or meant to be funny, but the truth hurts sometimes. There are areas of my life that I still desperately try to hold on to. Anyone else? In reality, there is very little
The prophecies in the Book of Daniel are integral to understanding the prophetic timeline that begins with Judah’s deportation by Babylon and ends with Christ’s Second Coming. Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream in Daniel 2 predicts successive Gentile kingdoms that will dominate the earth until Christ returns and establishes His eternal kingdom. Jesus refers to this period of Gentile domination
God sovereignly set apart Israel as a nation to enter into covenant with so that all the families of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:1). God gave Israel the Word of God to guard, protect, and deliver to the world, not only through the Prophets but through the promised Messiah, the Word made flesh (John 1:1). In Israel and
To understand the prophetic passages of the Bible and have a clearer picture of Israel’s future and our future, we must have a good understanding of God’s covenant promises with the people of Israel.
Have you ever wanted to do something, or has God told you to do something, but you have no clue what to do or how to start? You could start looking in a book or in all the wrong places to learn. But instead, you go to the right place; you go to God. Once you spend some time with
As revelation unfolds throughout the Old Testament, it becomes clear that the prophesied Messiah, the godly seed, can only be Jesus Christ.
Prophecy is a prediction of future things to come. According to “The Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy” by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament and 578 in the New Testament. Prophecies constitute 26.8 percent of the Bible’s volume. In the prophetic verses, there are around 333 prophecies about Christ. Out of these 333 prophecies, 109 were fulfilled at Christ’s first coming, and 224 will be
Overview of Ezra and Nehemiah The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book called Ezra. They are most likely written by Ezra and cover around eighty years of Jewish history. Ezra and Nehemiah are the last historical books before the New Testament picks up around 400 years later. Their purpose is threefold. First, they show that God is
1 and 2 Kings introduce us to Solomon, Elijah, and Elisha as shadows of Christ. Although imperfect, the imperfect allows us to see the perfect more clearly.
From the beginning of Ruth, God had a plan of rescue, and ultimately his plan resulted in King David’s lineage coming to fruition.
Both the prophet Samuel and King David are types of Christ. Their lives predict and point us toward the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Samson was far from perfect. He needed God’s grace, just as we need God’s grace. But even with his imperfections, we see glimpses of Jesus.
God, in the book of Joshua, showed the Israelites their victory before they received it. Their faith and obedience determined their victory.
Deuteronomy is the most quoted Old Testament book with over eighty New Testament references. Not only did the New Testament authors value the lessons taught in Deuteronomy, but Jesus esteemed them as well. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy to Satan each time Satan tried to tempt Him, and when asked what the greatest commandment of the Law was, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5:
The book of Numbers continues the story of the Israelite’s journey to the Promised Land. The Israelites had just come out of Egypt, walked through the Red Sea, and were led into the wilderness. Their journey through the wilderness to the Promised Land should have taken eleven days, but instead, it took forty years because of their unbelief and disobedience. Numbers takes place in the wilderness, where God
Last time in Christ in Leviticus, the Offerings, we discussed the Old Testament sacrificial system and how God, through this system, revealed to the Israelites how to get in His presence and fellowship with Him. Here, we will talk about the Old Testament Feasts ordained by God through which He shows the Israelites how to maintain their newly founded fellowship
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation beautifully weaves the story of God’s salvation plan within its pages. Genesis informs us about man’s fall into sin and God’s plan to redeem humanity (Genesis 3:15). Then, Exodus goes on to tell us about how God delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 20:2) and chose Israel as “a kingdom of priests and a holy
Through studying the Tabernacle, its design, and its use, we discover that Jesus perfectly fulfilled its purpose. Like the Tabernacle, Jesus came so God could be with us. God designed the Tabernacle in all its glory as a dwelling place for Him and as a shadow of the Savior to come. Last time in the Tabernacle as a Type of
The Tabernacle and all that was in it is a beautiful picture of Christ. Each piece of the Tabernacle represents a truth about our Messiah.
Three months after God freed the Israelites from their bondage to Egypt, they arrived at Mount Sinai. There on top of the mountain, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and instructions for building a tabernacle, a dwelling place for His presence. God had set the Israelites apart as His holy nation, but the Israelites were far from holy. The Ten
Exodus provides us a glimpse into the very nature of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. In “Finding Jesus in Exodus,” we see Jesus in a burning bush, as the Great I Am, and as a promise-keeping God. But these aren’t the only images we discover in the ancient pages of the second book of the Bible; we also see Jesus in
From Adam to Jesus, we see that innocent blood must be shed for the guilty. Sin must be paid for, and payment must be made through a sacrifice that only God can provide.
Even today, Pharaoh’s character offers us much insight into humanity’s flawed nature. He is more than just an evil ruler; he represents us at our worst.
The first time we meet Jesus in the Bible is not in the New Testament, but in the Old Testament, in the very first book of the Bible. We meet Him in Genesis. Genesis is full of Jesus. We see that through Jesus, God spoke creation into existence. We see hints of Him as the Seed of Promise. Then we are given insight into why He is called the Last Adam. We see Him in
For 400 years, Egypt enslaved Israel in the darkness of bondage. But God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he heard his people’s cries and took action. He saved Moses, a Hebrew baby boy from certain death, raised him to power in Egypt, then hid him in exile in Midian to prepare him for his ultimate calling: the
Reading: Exodus 1&2 About 2,500 years passed from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Adam’s one act of disobedience plunged the whole creation abruptly into an ice-cold curse. However, in the same moment that it seemed as if all hope was lost, God promised us a way out, a Savior (Genesis 3:15). From the beginning, we were never without hope. There was always Jesus. The Book of Genesis gives us a foretaste of God’s divine plan of salvation; how He would fulfill his promise of redemption through one
Even though Joseph’s story begins in a pit of despair, it ends in a palace of blessing. This rags to riches story is one of encouragement, showing us that God can and will take what is meant for evil and use it for good (Genesis 50:20). But it is more than that. It also points us to Jesus, reminding us
Gates. I hadn’t given much thought to them until recently. It seemed every time I opened my Bible, there they were: Lot sitting in the gate, God promising Abraham he’d possess his enemies’ gates, David commanding gates to lift their heads, God breaking down gates, and Jesus calling himself “the gate.” Deciding to dig a little deeper, I found that the Bible mentions gates over 400
Is the grass really greener on the other side? We hear this saying all the time: The grass is greener on the other side!!! BUT my question is, is it really greener on the other side? This really boils down to perspective: So we have two fields; 1) Yes, it is greener on the other side. It is pretty,
Reading: Genesis 28:10-22, 31:3, 35:3, John 1: 47-51 In every book of the Old Testament, we find Jesus. We discover Him in creation, we call Him the last Adam, we see Him in the first sacrifice, and as the ark of salvation. He comes alive in the story of Abraham and Isaac, and we can also discover Him in the
Most of us are familiar with the account of Abraham and Isaac and how God put Abraham’s faith to the test. Abraham’s obedience is a lesson for all of us. Yet, did you know that this story also represents beautifully the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus? In this often misunderstood story, Jesus was both pictured and promised.
We often overlook or ignore the story of Melchizadek. In fact, many have never heard of him. But as it turns out, this ostensibly insignificant story in Genesis is actually very important. Understanding Melchizadek helps us to more tightly grasp the reality that no fact in the Bible can be simply glossed over; all details are included for a reason.
Last time in “Who Was Abraham?”, we saw how God appeared to Abraham and promised that He would bless the entire world through him. This time in “The Better Promise,” we continue to see how God is working in Abraham to strengthen and stretch Him, increasing his faith through every trial and every blessing. Reading: Genesis 12:10-20, 13 Separate Ways When
Through one man Abraham, we see God’s divine plan of salvation begin to unfold. This plan started with a man named Abraham.
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