Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthen the brethren Acts 15:32 Prophets – What confusion has been propagated among Christians over this word! Somewhere in the history of our contemporary understanding, we decided that a prophet was one who would tell us the future. That idea did not come from the Bible….
and as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him Ephesians 1:4 Blameless – If only we realized the power of this verse! If only we could see the compassion of God gushing into the hearts of men. If only we recognized the…
and He made darkness pavilions round about Him 2 Samuel 22:12 Darkness – “Little children, turn your lights on, for there are monsters under the bed” Santana’s Supernatural album featured “Put Your Lights On” on track three. We all knew the feeling. There really are monsters under the bed and only the light will send…
For the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand – a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness Joel 2:1-2 NIV Darkness – Day one: God separates light and darkness. In the first creative act, God rules over the dark, assigning it a subordinate role, removing its…
I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain Galatians 4:11 In Vain – Jesus wept over the fruitlessness of his message to Jerusalem. Paul’s tears come in a different form but they are just as wrenching. We must also feel what brings these men to agony if we are to…
God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all I John 1:5 Darkness – Have you ever wondered why “darkness” is associated with evil? The history is very old. In ancient times, darkness was associated with the realm of the dead. It was a place of terror, chaos and danger. It doesn’t…
A joyful heart makes a cheerful face Proverbs 15:13 Joyful – Solomon’s observation about appearance looks beneath the skin. He’s not interested in the veneer of happiness. He wants to know the root cause. And when he looks, he sees something quite different than our contemporary cultural images. If you want to see someone with…
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure”; Isaiah 46:10 Beginning – If you’re paying close attention, you will notice a very odd arrangement in the Bible. While we think of things in…
“the word of God is full of living power” Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) Living Power – So many people I meet tell me how they struggle to understand the Bible. They get confused with the language. They get lost in the stories and history. It all seems so strange to them. They know the general outline…
Beloved, I exhort you as aliens and exiles, to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11 War – What is your strategy against sin? Before you answer that question, consider this: the Greek word strateuomai is the basis of our English word “strategy”. It’s the word Peter uses to describe…
