Posts from 2023 (Page 22)

  BIBLE READING: Exodus 21-23             Have you ever sung a song in worship and wondered what does that song even mean? For instance, what is a “night with ebon pinion” or how can I “raise my Ebenezer”?  If you have ever asked that question, you’re not alone.  I once had a teenager in my youth group try to convince his parents that it was okay for him to have his ears pierced because of the song “Pierce My Ear”. …

  BIBLE READING: Exodus 17-20                      In James 3, the writer is expressing a severe concern for those that are jealous and envious.  He says, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3.16).  In fact, James isn’t the only writer that warns us of the danger that jealousy presents to Godly people.  Paul warns the church at Corinth against it in I Corinthians 3.3.  It is even included in Paul’s list…

BIBLE READING: Exodus 14-16                 “… “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.” (John 6:35).  Those were the words that Jesus spoke to the crowd that had followed Him across the sea after the feeding of the five thousand.  They were following Jesus, not because He was the Son of God but because they were hungry and wanted another free meal.  Jesus’ statement was…

  BIBLE READING: Exodus 11-13             Have you ever gone to the mailbox and noticed a small postcard from the Power Company with the large print letters that say, “Final Notice”?  Maybe you received a scolding from a parent that said, “You better stop hitting your brother, this is your FINAL WARNING!”  The point of a final warning is to let you know, “This is your last chance, if you do not do what needs to be done there will…

  BIBLE READING: Exodus 5-7             I imagine as Moses enters the throne room of the Pharaoh, he is just oozing with confidence.  After all, just days before he had been specifically called by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.   He had been reunited with his brother Aaron, he had the weight of the Israelite elders behind him and he had the signs from God to support him.  Deep down, he probably knew that Pharaoh wasn’t just going to lay down…

  BIBLE READING: Exodus 1-4                                              After the initial shock of the whole burning bush incident, I am sure Moses felt pretty special to have been selected by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.  I am sure he knew that facing those same people he had fled from all those years ago was not going to be easy.  I am also confident he knew it was going to be difficult to convince the elders of Israel to…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 48-50                                               As we close out the book of Genesis, we see the beginnings of God’s amazing story of how He planned to redeem His people.  Within this story, we are introduced to the Jewish nation, a nation that would later be called the Children of Israel.  We are also informed of God’s Promise that he had made with Abraham and his…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 46-47                                                                                                                                               Before Jacob heads into Egypt to see the son that for so many years he thought was dead, he makes a stop at Beersheba to offer sacrifices to the Lord (Genesis 46.1-4).  On the surface this would seem like a small hiccup on his long journey to Egypt, but don’t be fooled, this…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 43-45                           The pain is indescribable.  It doesn’t feel like the pain you may experience if you were physically hurt, in fact it is much worse.  It drains you like a sickness, yet it isn’t like any virus you have ever contracted.  It begins in your stomach, but over time swells to every cell of your body.  Before you know it, your entire being is consumed with that painful, gnawing feeling…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 40-42                                                                                                                                                 This morning I came across one of those quick motivational posts that really has stuck with me.  It read “Don’t worry! God is preparing you for what he has prepared for you”.  That post sums up the life of Joseph doesn’t it?  Hated by your brothers, sold into slavery, wrongfully accused…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 34-36                                                                                                                                 After the reunion of Jacob and Esau, God sends Jacob to Bethel in Genesis 35.1-15.  Bethel was the same place that he had fled to in Genesis 28.10-19.  It was also the place that God sent Abraham to when He revealed to Abraham His promise in Genesis 12.8.   The term “Bethel” simply means “House…

  BIBLE READING: Genesis 31-33                                                                                                                                       If there was one thing Jacob was good at, it was holding on. At birth, he held onto his brother’s heel. Then he’d grabbed a hold of Esau’s birthright and blessing. He continued to hang on for fourteen years to get his wife Rachel.  Now in Genesis 32, Jacob is once again holding on and…