Although many of our churches spend little time in the Old Testament, we must remember that it is Scripture in the exact same way as the New Testament. But there are a few ground rules to properly understand and apply the Old Testament. That is covered in this article. From New Wineskins via Patheos.com………
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/newwineskins/5-ground-rules-when-studying-the-old-testament/
This article wants us to realize how gentle and kind God is with us, His adopted children, and how this understanding of the Lord God can bring about so many benefits in our lives. From Crosswalk.com………
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/ways-gods-gentleness-has-made-you-great.html
This is an excellent article on avoiding both a loose conception of sin and the tendency to become legalistic. That is accomplished through a biblical understanding of the conscience and the place of repentance in the believer’s life. From blogger and author Frank Viola……….
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/frankviola/exposing-a-misguided-teaching/
“What is Christian contentment? I would define it as a settled condition of peacefulness and happiness in whatever God has willed to be our portion. It is an act of faith, of trust in the sovereignty of God and in His essential goodness for us. It is a cheerful resignation to God’s superior wisdom, His higher plans and purposes. It rests entirely on God’s character and promises.” From Two Journeys……………
https://twojourneys.org/articles/detail/2616630/strength-for-christian-contentment/
This article argues that there is a life pathway of shalom that should be a goal for every believer. From Bible Gateway Blog………………….
Self-control is one of the fruits of the Spirit, so this article focuses on the hallmarks of someone with self-control. From Crosswalk.com…….
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/traits-of-someone-who-has-self-control.html
There are some interesting insights to be found in this article. From Crosswalk.com……….
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/why-it-matters-that-god-is-yahweh.html
| God is waiting for you. God is not pushy—for now, in any case. He is not going to overwhelm you if you don’t want Him. He gives you the power to put Him out of your mind. And even if you want Him, you have to seek Him. Now, I realize that there is a sense in which He is already seeking you, and I am not trying to dispose of that, but we misunderstand what is our part and what is God’s part. God is ready to act. He is acting. We are not waiting on Him; and if it doesn’t hurt your theology too badly, He is waiting on us to respond.From The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Copyright © 2006 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers |
That phrase, “stand in the gap,” occurs in the Book of Ezekiel, but the idea behind it is scattered throughout Scripture. From Crosswalk.com………
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/ways-we-can-stand-in-the-gap-for-others.html
An exhortation is a call to some sort of action or mindset, and the Bible has a number of exhortations we should take note of. From Crosswalk.com……..
This article serves as a good reminder that even if we feel like God is silent, He is not missing! From Crosswalk.com…………………
This article does a fine job of advocating for why a believer should learn to trust God. We really cannot do a better job of living in total control of our lives, as we are designed to be dependent on our Maker. From RickThomas.net………..
https://rickthomas.net/learning-how-to-trust-the-author-of-your-story/
Jesus is the key to God’s kingdom
To be sure, that [God’s] kingdom has been here as long as we humans have been here, and longer. But it has been available to us through simple confidence in Jesus, the Anointed, only from the time he became a public figure. It is a kingdom that, in the person of Jesus, welcomes us just as we are, just where we are, and makes it possible for us to translate our “ordinary” life into an eternal one. It is so available that everyone who from the center of his or her being calls upon Jesus as Master of the Universe and Prince of Life will be heard and will be delivered into the eternal kind of life.
From The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. Copyright © 1997 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers
Knowledge and faith go together
We don’t have to look very far into our own thinking and living to see the effects of either being sure of God or not being sure of God. I believe that scripture always presents real faith as something that is based on knowledge as well as something that goes beyond anything you could know, and involves a commitment to God and his kingdom. Those two things, knowledge and commitment, are not exclusive of one another; rather, they are related. If we do not have a knowledge of God at the foundation of our commitment, that commitment simply will not hold up. It will waver; it will not govern our lives. It will be like pulling a chair away from someone in the act of sitting down. We will not be able to hold on to our belief as God intends, by the action of his Spirit on our hearts and our minds.Knowledge and faith are intended to go together.
For example, when you read Hebrews 11, the great chapter on faith, you will see faith equated with a vision of reality. We are told that Moses endured as one who sees the invisible. Faith is not a mere thought that something is true or the hope or resolve to believe it is. As Martin Luther said in the preface to his commentary on Romans: Faith is a living, well-founded confidence in the grace of God, so perfectly certain that it would die a thousand times rather than surrender its conviction. Such confidence and personal knowledge of divine grace makes its possessor joyful, bold, and full of warm affection toward God and all created things—all of which the Holy Spirit works in faith. Hence, such a man becomes without constraint willing and eager to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer all manner of ills, in order to please and to glorify God, who has shown toward him such grace. It is thus impossible to separate works from faith—yea, just as impossible as to separate burning and shining from fire.From The
Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus. Copyright © 2015 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Commentaries on the various books of the Bible are an indispensable tool for bible study, but like any tool, they must be used in the proper way. Here are some guidelines from Knowable Word…………
https://www.knowableword.com/2022/02/18/ten-commandments-for-commentary-usage/
The Bible does say, “Nothing is impossible with God.” However, there are some things God cannot do….and that’s a good thing! From GospelRelevance.com…………
https://www.gospelrelevance.com/2017/08/06/4-things-god-cannot-do/
While Bible study is vital for every believer, this article challenges Christians to make a habit of spending time alone with God. From RickThomas.net…………
https://rickthomas.net/do-better-than-bible-study-spend-time-with-god/
Here, Bible scholar and author Ann Spangler discusses the meaning behind Jesus’ important title of the Lamb of God. From AnnSpangler.com……………
http://www.annspangler.com/arnion-amnos-tou-theou-lamb-lamb-of-god/
We all had fathers and some were healthy in their parenting and some were not. But we also all have a heavenly Father who cares for us deeply. Let’s concentrate on Him on Father’s Day. From Core Christianity………..
This article puts forth the idea that we can learn a lot about how to respond to spiritual and personal conflict by studying the Book of Nehemiah. From Theological Apologetics via Patheos.com………..
This article reminds us that we should foster a mindset of being grateful to God in all circumstances. From Two Journeys…………..
https://twojourneys.org/articles/detail/2585090/a-sacrifice-of-thanks/
If you did not already know it, you should be doing exegesis every time you read the Bible. But what is exegesis? Here is the answer from Logos.com………
https://www.logos.com/grow/what-is-exegesis-and-why-is-it-important/
This article shows how important and biblical is the use and practice of regular rest. From JesusMusings.com……………………
There is a good amount of theological meat in this article by Ann Spangler!……………………..
Christ, Messiah — Anointed One
I have heard so many stories over the years of how wait staff at restaurants hate to serve Christians because they are so rude and poor tippers. This article encourages us to take up these opportunities to be winsome ambassadors for Christ. From Stand to Reason………
Here is a timely article from a Christian financial advisor on invest schemes and scams. From Retirement Stewardship…….
https://www.retirementstewardship.com/2021/12/01/schemes-and-scams-and-fraud-oh-my/
Joy is a positive outlook of hopefulness based upon a pervasive, overall sense of well-being. Joy, like love, has a “feeling” component that is pleasant. Yet joy, like love, is not a feeling. Joy maintains a positive posture in life that assumes that good will be supported and eventually triumph over any apparent obstacle. Therefore, joy is fully compatible with the experiences of pain, disappointment, or sorrow, because joyfulness always takes a wider view of circumstances and works with hope to expect good to prevail. Joy enables patience, faithfulness to commitments, and the all-important ability to defer instant gratification. Joy gives one the ability to say no, or perhaps a very firm “not yet,” to the immediacy of desire. Both responses are evidence of joy’s ability to overcome the tyranny of the urgent, since one is joyful with the present state of affairs, whatever that may be. The bearing of joy on the good life should be obvious. It is indispensable to steady contentment and perseverance in any task. Joy liberates from the demand or temptation of immediate satisfaction, which resists waiting for what is good or best. Accordingly, joy is the best platform from which to make any sound investment.
From The Divine Conspiracy Continued: Fulfilling God’s Kingdom on Earth. Copyright © 2014 by Dallas Willard amd Gary Black Jr. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
In this article, Randy Alcorn makes the case that the precious truths of the gospel and who God is must move from just our minds into our very souls. From Eternal Perspectives Ministries…………………
Solitude well practiced will break the power of busyness, haste, isolation, and loneliness. You will see that the world is not on your shoulders after all. You will find yourself, and God will find you in new ways. Joy and peace will begin to bubble up within you and arrive from things and events around you. Praise and prayer will come to you and from within you. With practice, the “soul anchor” established in solitude will remain solid when you return to your ordinary life with others.
From The Great Omission: Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings on Discipleship. Copyright © 2006 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
When one understands that 1Timothy and 2Timothy were written at the end of Paul’s life, then we can appreciate those final words to Timothy as Paul’s encouragement and exhortations for all of us. From Christian Crier…………………………
This was an enjoyable read. Here, blogger and author Frank Viola discusses how Christianity tells the best story in the world…and everyone likes a good story! From The Deeper Journey…………………
This article serves up the reasons that a Christian can trust in and rely on the Bible. From TheologyHitsHome.com………………………..
This brief article reminds us that our salvation is not just a “rescue” from an eternity in hell, but more is a growing in our spirits and minds, and hearts to become like Jesus. (and that process will never end). From GraceLifeInternational.com…………….
For you theology fans out there, here is an interesting article that reviews the various views on the Atonement in relation to the sacrifice of Jesus’ life. From Jesus Creed at Patheos.com……………………..
Jesus announced in the Beatitudes that even the most deprived and insignificant people on earth could be blessed by living in the kingdom: the poor, those who were grief-stricken, those without reputation or standing (the meek), and so forth. About them he said, “Blessed are they, for theirs is the kingdom of God” (Matt. 5:3–10; Luke 6:20–23). The blessedness was not in their condition of being poor, mournful, or disrespected. They were blessed because they could enter the kingdom, and to be in the kingdom means to be blessed no matter what else happens. They can rest in that. Their future in God is secured, and their present condition redeemed. Forever. No matter what.
From Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge. Copyright © 2009 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
Most believers in North America (and, indeed, in all parts of the world) work in a secular environment for secular employers and with non-Christian work colleagues. As such, we all can learn a lot from the Bible on how to conduct ourselves in the workplace. Here is a brief lesson from Mark 6. From TheologyofWork.org…………………
Here is another helpful and interesting article from Bible scholar and author Ann Spangler on theological lessons derived from the various scriptural names for God. In this installment, the focus is on the “King of kings.” From AnnSpangler.com………………………….
Basileus Basileon — King of Kings
I am a firm believer in the thought that, even if one is not called to a ministry of apologetics, studying important aspects of apologetics for any believer will help to increase their faith and trust in God and the Bible, plus also get someone ready to answer any questions about God one may encounter on a day-by-day basis. So, this article does a really great job of summing up six of the most effective arguments for the existence of the God of the Bible. From FreeThinkingMinistries.com…………………..
This is a nice article from one of my favorite writers, Jared C. Wilson. Here, he points out how marvelous are God and His ways through an examination of Mark 12, where the Pharisees and Sadducees tried to stump Jesus in their question about who would the women be married to in heaven that had multiple husbands on earth. Interesting! From For The Church………………………
This article does a fine job in discussing one of God’s incommunicable attributes — His eternal nature. From RickThomas.net………………………….
When people ask, “Why are you hopeful in the midst of this world, with all of the suffering and evil that goes on and all of the things that are happening to you?” they don’t want to hear merely about a great God. They don’t want to hear merely about redemptive history, an infallible book, or a covenant people who are a constant testimony to the real hand of God in history. They want to know what’s happening to you, what’s going on in your life. You are saying, “He is my fortress, he is my deliverer.” So they’re going to want to know when the last time he delivered you was. What does deliverance mean? How does this really work? Sharing the good news is often about sharing the personal good news of your life in Christ and not the abstract and generalized good news. They want to hear about your personal relationship to this personal God, who is the foundation of all of reality.
From The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus. Copyright © 2015 by Dallas Willard. All rights reserved. Used with permission of HarperCollins Publishers.
This article makes a really stupendous point: The changed life of a believer lived out is as great a miracle as those who went to Jesus with leprosy and then returned completely clean! From writtenforourinstruction.com……………………..
When we are confronted by another for an obvious sin toward them — like speaking harshly to a spouse or child — rather than give excuses and explanation, this article submits we should rather say, “Please forgive me.” From blogger Tanner Kay………………………..
If a follower of Jesus happens to be OCD regarding their salvation, or if they attend a legalistic church, then reading the Bible might be hard and depressing. But this brief article reminds believers that it is primarily through Scripture that they can become familiar with Jesus Christ, and then grow to see that God is loving and kind and merciful. From NavPress.com……………………….
This article by Bible study leader and author Ann Spangler shows the scriptural and cultural significance of a title Jesus gave to Himself — the Gate. Good stuff! From AnnSpangler.com………………..
Pyle, Thyra — Gate
This article does a great job in pulling together some lessons and insights from the miracle of feeding the 5000, mentioned in all of the gospels. From Stephen Bedard………
A sermon based on Luke 9:10-17 preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Introduction How do we know when someone really means something? Usually they will repeat a statement more than once. Obviously it would be good if we took things seriously the first time. Unfortunately that doesn’t always happen. If I say something to my children […]
I am growing in my appreciation of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, and this article is quite interesting! From Crosswalk.com……………………….
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/lessons-we-can-learn-from-joel.html
Here is some wise advice on reconciliation with a friend after a falling out from pastor and author Randy Alcorn……………….
https://www.epm.org/blog/2021/May/5/reconciliation-friend-offend
I have gotten away from posting articles and reviews of good biblical resources, but here is one for a commentary on the Book of Joshua. I have a number of books in this series and it is really a good series that focuses on biblical thoelogy and practical applications for preachers, teachers, and laypersons. From Euangelion…………..
This article shares some thoughts from the late, great J. Vernon McGee on the issue of prayer that we might believe has been “unanswered.” Not so!, says J. Vernon McGee. From Anchored in Christ……….
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