Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
James 5:1-11 Throughout this letter, James wrote about the lure of materialism and the danger of believing that success was God's reward. At the end of chapter 4, James called out those who claimed their success was a measure of God's pleasure, saying they boasted in arrogance. James continued his condemnation of that arrogance, being… Continue reading Steadfast to the end
Nahum chapter 1. It seems like every blockbuster movie or popular novel tries to create a sequel that matches the drama and characters of the original. Most of the time, the sequel falls flat. Either the original writers don't return or there's some formula that they try to squeeze the story into or they just… Continue reading Nineveh: the Sequel
1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:11 So, this is the passage that brought me to 1 Thessalonians after reading Joel. The Day of the Lord is God's just wrath poured over the evil of the world (Joel 2). The Thessalonians knew about it, and worried about when it would happen and whether their fellow believers who… Continue reading The Day of the Lord
Joel 1:1-3:21 Joel's word from the Lord opens with a dire warning. I had to look up the context of the book and I learned that it was written after a massive natural disaster: locusts that consumed everything (insightforliving.org). Joel starts by telling the people to remember this disaster, and to prepare for even worse.… Continue reading Yet, even now
Galatians 6 Paul is adamant that the Galatians get his point: what you do doesn't save you, only Jesus. However, salvation is not an excuse to be useless; there is still good work that needs to be done. The work isn't the issue, but our reason for doing the work matters. If we participate in… Continue reading One last thing
For the next few days I will ponder the book of Galatians. Paul opens this letter with his credentials. As a scholar, I understand the importance of leading with my resume. If people are going to pay attention to my scholarship, I have to demonstrate my expertise early. That demonstration is also tailored to the… Continue reading Galatians
January 21, 2020 There are some days when I don't have a solid plan for my Bible study. Having just finished Habakkuk, today was one of those days. Perhaps it was the recollection Dr. ML King's work during yesterday's holiday, but my eyes landed on Amos 5:24, "But let justice roll down like waters, and… Continue reading Let justice roll
He stands at the window, looking as far in the distance as his aging eyes can see. The road twists away to his left, toward a trade route that branches out in all the directions of the wind. As always, the road is empty in this early morning hour, just before the sun breaks the… Continue reading Solitary
Defaulting to Grace 