By 1) Fathers, keep yourself and your family from worldliness In Ezekiel 14 the prophet grabs for names that would picture impeccable righteousness in spite of the absolute worst cultural sinfulness, and the names he decides on are the names of Noah, Daniel, and Job. These are men who kept themselves and, where
The main themes of the Bible
In the preface to The MacArthur Study Bible, John MacArthur gives the following synopsis of the theme and purpose of the Scriptures: There is one God. The Bible has one Creator. It is one book. It has one plan of grace, recorded from initiation, through execution, to consummation. From predestination
People of the Bible—James, the brother of Jesus
Ever wonder which of all the James’s in the Bible wrote the book of James? The author of James is most likely the James that we meet in the New Testament as the ‘brother of Jesus’. The author of James, is the brother, or more accurately the half-brother, of Jesus
Urim, Thummim and Decision Making
The Urim and Thummim are mentioned a few times in OT. They refer to the two stones used for serious decision making and stored in the high priest’s breast-piece. Because of the decisive factor of the Urim and Thummin, the breast-piece was called the breast-piece of judgement (Exodus 28:30). The
Safety from Apostasy
Sadly, many stories can be told of Christians departing from the faith: good children who leave the church when they leave their parental home; close friends who get hurt by a Christian and then reject it all; pastors even who recant their faith. We know they were never true Christians
When a little faith is more than enough
What does “faith like a mustard seed” refer to (and how to answer questions like that from the Scriptures)? Matthew 17:14-20 (Same event recorded with additional details in Mark 9:17-29 & Luke 9:38-43a) Basic Observations Conclusion “Faith like a mustard seed” in this event appears to point to the reality that even the
Mark: A tract about Jesus
Mark is short, by far the shortest account of Jesus’ life. Among the four inspired accounts of Jesus’ earthly life, Mark is the most tract-like. Like a good tract it is short, but not too short. Mark uses simple vocabulary, assumes little knowledge of the Bible from his readers, and
Whose wisdom would we want?
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from
When God points His finger at you
I’ve sat under a few preachers who appear to look right into your soul as they preach – eye-contact, for a whole minute, with such an intense look that the minute feels like eternity. That is what God does for our souls in passages like Colossians 3:18 – 4:1 (and many other
A Checklist of Godliness
Ready for work, dressed, teeth brushed, hair done, lunch packed – Checklists! Be they mental habits or studiously marked on an app, checklists keep us from becoming the common fool. Scripture is filled with lists to keep our souls from common sins. Titus 3:1-2 has a brief checklist of godliness