Genesis We have been created by God. We have been created to be like him. "God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." We are to let His light shine. His light is the light of His love. It is the light of life. Let there be light, love and life. May light, …
Continue reading Created by God, created to be like God (Travelling Through God’s Word: Genesis)
Exodus "The people of Israel were being oppressed by the Egyptians", but God was about to do something about this. It would be something wonderful. He was about to bring them out of the land of slavery. Soon, they would be on their way to the land of blessing. The pathway to the promised land …
Continue reading What a wonderful redemption (Travelling Through God’s Word: Exodus, Part One).
Exodus God was calling Moses to something big, something very special, but, still, Moses had his doubts: "But the people will not believe me." How did God respond to Moses' doubts? Did he dismiss him, and start looking for somebody else? No! What did he do? He continued to speak to Moses. To doubting Moses, …
Exodus "Fear not", said Moses, "stand firm and see the salvation that the Lord will work for you today, for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still." Ahead of the people of Israel, there would be forty …
Exodus "Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire, and the whole mountain quaked greatly." As we stand at the foot of the mountain, we are filled …
Exodus "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him; you know the heart of a stranger, for you were strangers in Egypt." Before we give an answer to the question, "What are we to do?", we must listen to God's answer to the question, "What has the Lord done for us?" For Israel, there …
Continue reading An ethic of redemption (Travelling Through God’s Word, Exodus, Part Five)
Exodus We read about "the blood of the covenant", and we read about "the bread of the Presence on the table." As we read of Israel's worship, our thoughts turn to Jesus, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). We think of times of blessing, as we have …
Exodus And the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have called by name Bezalel, of the tribe of Judah: and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, and with ability, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship... " First, there is the gift of the Spirit of God. Then, there are the gifts of the Spirit …
Exodus The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, for your people have corrupted themselves, turning quickly from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, have worshipped it and sacrificed to it... ." God was not pleased with His people. Did he abandon them? No! He did not. He …
Exodus "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." What grace and glory, there is here. In grace, the Lord reaches down from heaven to speak to Moses. The glory of the Lord is revealed to Moses. "If thy presence will not go with us, …
Continue reading Grace and glory (Travelling Through God’s Word: Exodus, Part Nine)
Exodus Moses said, "I pray thee, show me thy glory." And the Lord said, "... you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live... you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen." The full glory of the Lord is not revealed to us. The Lord only reveals …
Leviticus The Lord called Moses, and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, "Speak to the people of Israel... ." Hearing the Word of God comes before speaking the Word of God. First, we hear the Word of the Lord. Then, we speak the Word of the Lord. "a pleasing odour to the …
Leviticus Here, we focus on three short phrases: "without blemish", "make atonement" and "as the Lord commanded." Each of thesce phrases point us forward to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. What a wonderful Saviour he is! In perfect obedience to God the Father, the sinless Son of God, offered himself as "the Lamb of …
Continue reading A hint of something more (Travelling Through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Two).
Leviticus "When Moses and Aaron came out of the tent of meeting they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all." We have read about the sacrifices, offered to make atonement for sin. Our thoughts have turned to Jesus, the atoning sacrifice for sin, Here, we catch a glimpse of the …
Continue reading The glory of the risen Lord (Travelling through God’s Word: Leviticus, Part Three).
Leviticus, "For I am the Lord your God; consecrate, yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. I brought you up out of Egypt, to be your God; you shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy." Here, we have the call to live a holy life. Again, we are reminded …
Leviticus '"You shall love your neighbour as yourself. And when a stranger sojourns with you, you shall not do him wrong. He shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." Again, we …
Numbers Numbers is the fourth book of (i) the Pentateuch; (ii) the Old Testament; and (iii) the Bible. (i) Numbers is the fourth book of the Pentateuch. It follows on from Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus. It is followed by Deuteronomy. The word, ‘Pentateuch’, is a Greek word. It means ‘five books’. In the Pentateuch, there …
Continue reading The Message of Numbers (Travelling Through God’s Word: Numbers).
Deuteronomy The people of God were about to make a new beginning. Their years of wandering in the wilderness were almost over. Soon, they would be in the promised land. God had brought them to the promised land, and he would be with them as they entered this land. Joshua would lead God's people into …
Joshua After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aide: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them, to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as …
"Everyone did what was right in their own eyes" (Judges 21:25). These are the final words of the book of Judges. It's very depressing, but it's, also, very realistic. Has anything really changed? Have we forgotten the words of the Lord's Prayer: "your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)? …
1 and 2 Samuel In 1 Samuel 3, we read about the boy, Samuel, responding to the call of God: "Speak, for your servant is listening." Towards the end of 2 Samuel,, we read these words of David, "The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; His word is on my tongue." If we are …
1 and 2 Kings "The God who answers by fire, he is God" (1 Kings 18:24). "The spirit of Elijah is resting on Elisha" (2 Kings 2:15). As we read about the fire of God, coming down from heaven, our thoughts may forward to the coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost: …
'He took up the mantle of Elijah'(2:13). Elijah’s ministry had ended. Elisha’s ministry was about to begin. It was the beginning of a new era. This may have been a new ministry. It was not, however, a new message. Both men preached the Word of the Lord. Elisha continued Elijah’s work. He took up where …
1 and 2 Chronicles Towards the end of 1 Chronicles, we read about the people of Israel, worshipping the Lord: Then David said to all the assembly, "Bless the Lord your God." And all the assembly blessed the Lord, the God of their fathers, and bowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord. "If my people, …
Ezra and Nehemiah Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10). So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half its height. For the people had a mind to work (Nehemiah 4:6). In these two verses, …
"Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). Rev George Philip preached a series of sermons on 1 Samuel 1-7, with the title, "For such a time as this." This title is taken from this verse in the book of Esther. The name of God is never mentioned …
Do you wonder if there is a God of love in the Old Testament? I hope that, through reading this selection of verses from the Psalms, you will see very clearly that, at the heart of the Old Testament, in the book of Psalms, there is a very strong emphasis on God's steadfast love _____ …
Continue reading God’s steadfast love (Travelling Through God’s Word: Psalms, Part One)
When we read the Psalms, we won't get answers to every question that comes into our minds. One thing that will impress itself upon us is this: the book of Psalms tells us, again and again, that God loves us. This brings another question into our minds: How much do we love God? I pray …
Continue reading The steadfast love of the Lord (Travelling Through God’s Word: Psalms, Part Two)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths (or make your paths straight) (Proverbs 3:5-6). Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will …
Within the context of the Old Testament, Song of Solomon, also known as Song of Songs, is an unusual book. God is never mentioned in it. It's really a collection of love songs. It's not always easy to see the connection between one part of the "song" and another part of it. It can be …
Many years ago, I led a weekly midweek Bible study in the home of one of our church members. When we were coming to the end of a series of Bible studies, I asked the group if anyone had any ideas about what we should study next. The lady, whose house we were in, suggested …
EZRA 1:1-2:35 - To ‘all’ of us, God gives His call. We are to ‘rebuild the House of the Lord’. To ‘all’ of us, He gives His strength: ‘Then... all those whose spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the House of the Lord’ (1:3,5). If the work of God is to …
Continue reading Called by God and strengthened by Him (Travelling Through God’s Word, Ezra)
EZEKIEL 1:1-2:10 – ‘The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God… The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel’(1:1-2). The Lord opens our eyes to ‘see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ’ (2 Corinthians 4:4). The Lord speaks to us and we must listen to Him: ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening’ …
PROVERBS 1:1-7 - Scripture speaks of different kinds of ‘wisdom’. In Proverbs, wisdom is closely associated with godliness. In Ecclesiastes, wisdom - viewed as mere human intelligence - is described as ‘meaningless, a chasing after the wind’ (1:12-18). This contrast is continued in the New Testament, where Paul describes Christ as our ‘Wisdom’, contrasting this …
PSALMS 1:1-6 - As well as journeying through the Old and New Testaments, we will read a Psalm at fairly regular intervals. The first Psalm contrasts two ways - the way of the Word and the way of the world, the way of blessing and the way of judgment. Encouraging us to build upon the …
JOB 1:1-2:13 - Satan is very busy - ‘going to and fro on the earth... walking up and down on it’. Why is Satan ‘roaming through the earth’? - ‘Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour’ (1:7; 1 Peter 5:8). If, like Job, you ‘fear God and …
ESTHER 1:1-2:18 - This is a very human story. It is the story of a man - Ahasuerus - and two women - Vashti and Esther. It is the ending of one love and the beginning of a new love (1:19; 2:17). It is also a very important part of the Divine Story. God is …
1 KINGS 1:1-53 - David’s reign was coming to an end. He would be replaced by Solomon (30). No one goes on forever. Every day takes us one day closer to the day of stepping down and handing over to someone else. We must pray that the future will be ‘greater’ than the past (37,47). …
1 THESSALONIANS 1:1-2:20 - If God is to be glorified through the preaching of His Word, there needs to be more than the ‘words’ of the preacher. There needs to be ‘the power of the Holy Spirit’ (1:5). Good preaching is not a matter of ‘plausible words of wisdom’. We must look for ‘a demonstration …
Continue reading Travelling Through God’s Word: 1 Thessalonians to Revelation
MATTHEW 1:1-17 - This may be the beginning of the New Testament, but it is not the beginning of God’s revelation. It is not the beginning of His redemption. The birth of Christ is the continuation of the history of salvation, recorded in the Old Testament. Matthew takes us back to Abraham (1-2; Genesis 12:1-3). …
Continue reading Travelling Through God’s Word: Matthew to Colossians
GENESIS 1:1-3 ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. These opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right – (a) The priority of God (1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) The priority of God’s Word (3). God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the …
HOSEA 1:1-3:5 - ‘Hosea’ means ‘salvation’. Married to ‘an adulterous wife’, Hosea spoke with great compassion to ‘the land’ which was ‘guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord’ (1:2). He brought God’s Word of love to the people: ‘I will show My love to the one I called, “Not My loved one”’. …
Continue reading Travelling Through God’s Word: Hosea to Malachi
DANIEL 1:1-2:16 - ‘Daniel resolved not to defile himself’ (1:8). Daniel was devoted to the Lord. It was not easy to live as the Lord’s faithful servant. His dedication to the Lord was put to the test - ‘Test your servants’ (1:12). Our faith is put to the test. We ‘suffer many trials’. Why does …
Continue reading Devoted to the Lord (Travelling Through God’s Word: Daniel)
LAMENTATIONS 1:1-22 – Jerusalem had fallen into hard times – ‘she who once was great among the nations… ha snow become a slave’ (1). The explanation for this sad situation was not hard to find – ‘Jerusalem has sinned greatly and so has become unclean…’ (8-9). Could things be turned around? Could there once again …
Continue reading Travelling Through God’s Word: Lamentations
JEREMIAH1:1-19 – To understand Jeremiah’s story, we must look ‘behind the scenes’: ‘The Word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations”’ (4-5). To understand our own story, we must go even …
ECCLESIASTES 1:1-2:26 - Without Christ. life is empty. With Him, everything changes. He fills our life with God’s blessing. With Him, we have more than life ‘under the sun’. We have life ‘in the Son’ – abundant life, eternal life (1:3,14; 2:11,17; John 10:10; 1 John 5:11-12). Which life do you want? You can settle …
Continue reading Without Christ, life is empty. With Him, everything changes.
JOSHUA 1:1-18 - For Israel, it was a new beginning. They were leaving the wilderness. That was their past. They were entering the promised land. This was God’s future. For God’s future, there is God’s command - ‘Be strong’ - and God’s promise - ‘the Lord your God is with you’. We wonder what the …
GENESIS 1:1-3 ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. These opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right - (a) The priority of God (1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) The priority of God’s Word (3). God is the first to speak. Before any human word is spoken, there is the …
Wisdom Seeker
Following Jesus while Seeking Joy and Contentment in the Christian Life
In The Beginning Man Tried Ascending To Heaven via The Tower Of Babel. Now He Tries To Elevate His Existence To A Heavenly State of Consciousness Thru The Use Of Hallucinogenic Drugs. And, Since The 20th Century, He Continually Voyages Into Outer Space Using Spacecrafts. Prayer Thru Christ Is The Only Way To Reach Heaven.
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There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true. —Soren Kierkegaard. "...truth is true even if nobody believes it, and falsehood is false even if everybody believes it. That is why truth does not yield to opinion, fashion, numbers, office, or sincerity--it is simply true and that is the end of it" - Os Guinness, Time for Truth, pg.39. “He that takes truth for his guide, and duty for his end, may safely trust to God’s providence to lead him aright.” - Blaise Pascal. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. We live in a “post-truth” world. According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Going beyond the MSM idealogical opinion/bias and their low information tabloid reality show news with a distractional superficial focus on entertainment, sensationalism, emotionalism and activist reporting – this blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell “There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn’t true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
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