The Bible Blog
Ezra 10 – The book of Ezra opens with the people of Israel in captivity, the temple in ruins. As the story unfolds, Ezra recounts the return. There were…
Ezra 9 – After a 4 month, dangerous journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, Ezra arrived to find things not as he had thought. A culture of compromise within his own…
Ezra 7 – There is a gap of 60 some years between chapter 6 and 7. It was during these 60 that the wonderful story of Esther took place…
Ezra 6 – It’s almost like a footnote. As a refresher of the story, the people surrounding were having a fit because the Temple of God was being rebuilt in…
Ezra 4 – Obstacles are a part of life. We run into many of these in every situation we face. When we are doing the work of God, fulfilling…
Ezra 3 – Where God calls, He will equip! This is something we must be reminded of again and again on this journey of ours. The plan of God…
Ezra 2 – Genealogies were very important to the Jewish people. For them, if they could prove they had descended from Abraham, they were considered true Jews and could…
Ezra 1 – 48 years had passed since Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, defeated the southern Kingdom of Judah and carried the Jewish people off to captivity. When this Babylonian king…
Joshua 23 – Joshua’s time on earth and as a leader was coming to an end. He had brilliantly fulfilled the plans and leadership God had given to him. …
Joshua 24 – The book of Joshua opens with a new leader filling Moses’ role and facing an impossible task. The book ends with that task completed as Joshua’s…
Joshua 22 – We all have those times when we jump to conclusions. We hear something not very favorable about people and we make up our mind based on…
Joshua 21 – “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” – Joshua 21:45 What a…
Joshua 20 – God had preplanned many things and instructed Moses as to how the government of this new nation of Israel should function. One of these was the…
Joshua 19 – The final division of the land is done. All tribes have been given land to make their home. On some levels, the reading of the division…
Joshua 18 – Joshua 18:3 Joshua said to the children of Israel, “How long will you neglect to go in to possess the land, which Yahweh, the God…
Joshua 17 – There is an interesting comparison to be noted in the attitudes of the different tribes and the division of land. With Caleb, he took what was…
Joshua 16 – It’s an interesting thought to ponder. The tribes of Joseph were given land but not titled in the 12 Tribes as a whole. Joseph did not…
Joshua 15 – As the allotment of the land for Judah takes place, Caleb makes another appearance. Be it ever so brief we read of his brother Othniel. After…
Joshua 14 – Caleb was one of the 12 men alongside Joshua when over 40 years before had gone into the land to spy out what awaited the people…
Joshua 13 – “Now Joshua was old and advanced in years when the Lord said to him, “You are old and advanced in years, and very much of the…
Joshua 12 – It reads as an exhaustive list. In fact, to us who were not involved in the battle of taking of the land, we are probably apt…
Joshua 10 – Throughout the Israelites taking of their new land we see Joshua’s integrity and faith. He was called to victory and acted upon it. When the kings…
Joshua 9 – They were a people living in Canaan. As Israel had conquered two cities, news brought terror far and wide. Deception would be the tactic the people…
Joshua 8 – With the failure behind them, having cleansed the camp of Achan and his sin, Joshua readied the people for their second attempt at taking Ai. The…
Joshua 7 – The Israelites went from an extreme high to the very depth of low. The unfolding of the story of Jericho was astounding as they conquered the…
Joshua 6 – The Canaanites considered Jericho invincible. Built thousands of years before Joshua, it was one of the oldest cities of the world and a fortress. The walls…
Joshua 5 – The Israelites spent 40 years in the desert because they were terrified of the Canaanites. They foolishly doubted God’s ability to do for them what He…
Joshua 4 – It almost seems like a pause. The entire nation of Israel had crossed over the Jordan River and didn’t move any further. There was an act…
Joshua 3 – “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.”– Joshua 3:5 My gosh, I love this statement Joshua made to the people on the…
Joshua 2 – Joshua was a man of strong leadership. He had been trained for this moment by God and through Moses. He had accompanied him partway up the…
Joshua 1 – For 40 years the Israelites had wandered throughout the desert. It wasn’t because they were following their leader – far from it…
Matthew 28 – “He is risen!” These are 3 words that have changed the very outlook and trajectory of all humankind. These 3 words are the key…
Matthew 27 – Four miraculous events took place at Jesus’ death. Darkness came upon the land. The curtain in the temple was torn in two. …
Matthew 26 – “Why the waste?” We use such a question when we consider something that was of value is recklessly used up. Obviously this concerns physical…
Matthew 25 – David Wilkerson was the founding pastor of Times Square Church in New York. His humble beginnings were in Indiana where in time he would…
Matthew 24 – It began as a random observation by the disciples which turned into quite a teaching of end times and Jesus’ return in all His…
Matthew 23 – The word hypocrisy in Greek was a term used for an actor onstage who played a specific role. Jesus took this word and turned…
Matthew 22 – I remember after The Warehouse had been established for about 3 years I was struggling with a few things concerning the church. Although not…
Matthew 21 – We often look at Jesus’ ride into Jerusalem as a statement. He was humble. But what He rode was a powerful statement. He was…
Matthew 20 – We often live in the mindset – people get what they deserve. We think about this when it comes to the laws of the…
Matthew 19 – Let’s face it, childlike trust in God is hard. Many times circumstances bombard our thoughts to the point of giving up. Our bank account…
Matthew 18 – It is almost ironic that Jesus looks to little children in making a point to his own men about greatness. It’s hard not to…
Matthew 17 – It’s known as the Transfiguration. Jesus took his closest friends with Him to the mountain and what took place was more than astounding. The…
Matthew 16 – One of the deadliest enemies of the church is cheap grace. We cheapen the grace of Jesus that has been given so freely to…
Matthew 15 – We spend a lot of time and money investing in making ourselves look good, feel better about ourselves. From the makeup industry to fashion lines…
Matthew 14 – Need is everywhere. We stand in the sea of human hurt, unbelievable pain others have. Their hardship slaps against us like waves of the…
Matthew 13 – Jesus taught in parables and this chapter is chock of several tremendous truths. Truths that to the hearers either they ‘got’ or they didn’t. …
Matthew 12 – There is no neutral ground with Jesus. We either believe who He is and act accordingly or we don’t. We either live in that…
Matthew 11 – The prison walls felt like they were closing in on him. The cold dampness they held seemingly, somehow began to creep into his mind…
Matthew 10 – In the choosing of the disciples, it is obvious he didn’t decide who ‘qualified’ for the job based on pedigree or social standing. They…
Matthew 9 – Human need is all around us. The question is do we see it completely with the heart of compassion or with a heart of…
Matthew 8 – Life’s storms can take on different meanings and venues for each of us. They can come on unexpectedly, bring a devastation to our person…
Matthew 7 – As Jesus finishes His sermon, He has done a remarkable thing. He’s taken the Law and made it practical or deeply personal. Often in…
Matthew 6 – Within the times of which Jesus spoke, there were 3 pillars of a godly life the Teachers of the Law taught. They proclaimed if…
Matthew 5 – The United States has the Declaration of Independence. The Communist regime operated under Karl Marx’s thoughts of the Communist Manifesto.
Matthew 4 – After Jesus’ 40 days in the desert with the temptations of Satan playing on every aspect of His calling and life; mocking who He…
Matthew 3 – John the Baptist was one unique guy. Today we would say strange on many fronts. From his odd clothing to the wild look he…
Matthew 2 – Every Christmas Nativity scenes are pulled out and set for the season. Each character represents one found in Scripture who was there. From the…
Matthew 1 – There is reason Matthew is placed as the first of the 4 Gospels. First, among the early church, it was known as the most…
Proverbs 31 – The readings of Proverbs come to a close. These have spoken of most practical and inspirational advice to walk uprightly before God. They have shown the…
Proverbs 30 – There is nothing known of this author Agur who writes these parables. What is clear though he admits he is nothing without the hand of God…
Proverbs 29 – Stiff-necked – Inflexibly obstinate, haughty, stubborn. – Merriam Webster Within the Old and New Testaments, this word was used for those who were stubborn and unable…
Proverbs 28 – Leadership is no easy thing. It’s ironic how many desire such a role but the responsibility of being a leader holds many tough decisions and acts…
Proverbs 27 – We need people in our lives who speak truth to us. We need others who are friends enough that they can talk freely about decisions we’ve…
Proverbs 26 – It’s hard to hold our tongue sometimes. We enter into a conversation where another may have an opposing view. We are dragged into a discussion where…
Proverbs 25 – It’s one of the Fruit of the Spirit. Self-Control is something all wrestle with and without it we can find ourselves in mess after mess, standing…
Proverbs 24 – My mom says quite often, “I don’t know what people do without God.” And this statement resonates so deeply because of the times we live in,…
Proverbs 23 – The warning is clear: Do not envy those who seemingly have it better than us. It’s an easy thing to do, isn’t? We get caught up…
Proverbs 22 – Who are the people that speak into your life? Who are the ones whom you entrust yourself completely to in relationship? We often become like the…
Proverbs 21 – We make excuses all the time. We excuse decisions we made because we wanted something. We justify speaking our mind even though we may be wrong…
Proverbs 20 – Sometimes we have to pick our battles. So often within our relationships we have to weigh in if it is the right time to speak or…
Proverbs 19 – Sometimes we build a house of cards. We have plans we want to see accomplished. We have purposes we want to attain. We have goals we…
Proverbs 18 – “He who separates himself seeks his own desire; he quarrels against all sound wisdom.”– Proverbs 18:1 Hello kettle, this is the pot. Sometimes we say something…
Proverbs 17 – “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.”– Proverbs 17:3 To purify gold and silver it takes an…
Proverbs 16 – It’s the silent growing cancer. Usually unrecognizable within, pride destroys relationships, trust, marriages, churches and families. It is the whisper that says, “I am right. I…
Proverbs 15 – “A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil…
Proverbs 14 – There’s much to be said about the choices we make. If we were honest, many times what we gain is what drives our decision. This is…
Proverbs 13 – Relationships have profound effects on who we are and what we become. Those who we bring into our inner circle of friendships often are like minded…
Proverbs 12 – Correction is never easy. Discipline is harder. Both go hand in hand when a person acts stupid. Wow, a bold statement right? But ironically the Bible…
Proverbs 11 – “When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of strong men perishes. The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes…
Proverbs 10 – For the next 14 chapters of Proverbs we read short snappy statements with depth of wisdom written. These couplets are what we…
Proverbs 9 – 2 tables have been set. 2 invitations given. The choice is ours as to where we will pull our feet up under and feast upon what…
Proverbs 8 – “Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doorposts. “For he who finds me finds life and obtains…
Proverbs 7 – The ancients used the phrase “apple of the eye” in reference to the pupil due to its shape. They believed it captured what was important to…
Proverbs 6 – In chapter 6 Solomon pens 4 verses stating there are 6 things God hates, and 7 that are detestable to Him. Although they aren’t the only…
Proverbs 5 – “Drink water from your own cistern and fresh water from your own well.” – Proverbs 5:15 The imagery from this statementare Solomon’s words against adultery. He…
Proverbs 4 – Solomon speaks of a parent’s great responsibility in teaching their children to pursue wisdom. He shares of how even his own father David had conversations with…
Proverbs 3 – I would perceive that these 2 verses are some of the most widely recognized and known of all. But do we really understand the depth of…
Proverbs 2 – “Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her…
Proverbs 1 – Knowledge is good but without wisdom used to applying what we’ve learned and living it, it is useless. He was the third king of Israel, David’s…
2 Peter 3 – “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 Peter ends his letter the same way he opened…
2 Peter 2 – Jesus had warned they would come. He said they would rise up among them. Hearing these thoughts, Peter now was living it. False…
2 Peter 1 – A few times a month (maybe it’s more) at noon the air is pierced with sirens. They reverberate throughout the town almost sinking…
1 Peter 5 – Leadership. It’s always been interesting to me how there are some who long for leadership within the church but are not willing to…
1 Peter 3 – We hate the word – submission. It really goes against everything within our human nature as we want to be independent, don’t want…