Psalm 179 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Job records dialogue between Job and his four friends. Each one offers him their perspective on the situation—through their limited theology. To varying degrees, all four assert that Job’s downfall is either his fault or God’s doing. Job disagrees, maintains his innocence, and proclaims God’s blamelessness. […]
The Bible is Full of Surprising Verses That We Will Do Well to Explore Sometimes I see things that surprise me when I read the Bible—things I think shouldn’t be there. One example is when God tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people of Judah. Wait, isn’t Judah part of God’s chosen people? Yes, […]
Insights About Praying For One Another James writes that we are to confess our sins to one another and pray for each other so that we may be healed (James 5:16). Though the context of this instruction is for healing, we’re not wrong to extend this idea of praying for one another to a broader […]
Psalm 175 from Beyond Psalm 150 After a remnant of the exiled people return to the promise land, Ezra and Nehemiah continue to reform the people’s spiritual practices. In response, the community separates themselves from foreigners and confesses their sins and the sins of their ancestors. Then they hear the law read to them. In […]
Isaiah Tells the People that God Will Choose Them Again, but Did He Ever Stop? One phrase jumps out from today’s passage in Isaiah’s prophecy to God’s chosen people: once again he will pick Israel. God, through Isaiah, gives his people hope for a better tomorrow. At this particular time, however, God’s people are discouraged; […]
Psalm 174 from Beyond Psalm 150 Several nations come to wage war against the nation of Judah. King Jehoshaphat declares a fast, and the people come together to seek God. Jehoshaphat stands before the people and says this prayer. It sounds much like a psalm seeking deliverance (such as Psalm 86 and many others). Yahweh, […]
Where Two or Three are Gathered A church that popped up during our initial online search for nearby houses of worship was Church #21. We’d never heard of them, and no one we talked to knew anything about them. We vacillated whether we should visit, and when we had trouble finding their location on Sunday […]
David Found Strength in God When His Men Wanted to Kill Him When David and his men return from battle, they find that the Amalekites had raided their base, taken their families, and stolen all their belongings. David’s men are mad, and they blame him. They’re so inflamed with anger that they talk about killing […]
Take a Look at Prayer from the Almighty’s Perspective In the post, The Implications of Omnipotence, I noted that there is nothing that an all-powerful God can’t do, yet, not every prayer is answered—at least not the way we think it should be. Let’s consider how God answers prayer. Before we criticize God, however, consider: […]
For both visitors and regular attendees, three keys exist to having a successful, meaningful, and Spirit-filled church experience: attitude, prayer, and expectation. Following these steps can make most any church experience—despite its shortcomings—a positive one. Consider these five discussion questions about How to Go to Church. 1. In going to church I’ve experienced both positive […]