In Romans 5, Paul lays out a couple massive concepts. Simple enough to grasp, mind-bending to fully comprehend. Rather than dilute the beauty of the two ideas by explaining them, I’m simply going to quote them. Then, you can spend the rest of the day (or the rest of your life, if you prefer) stewingContinue reading “Romans (entry 5)”
Tag Archives: the bible scribe
Romans (entry 4)
We’ll go anywhere looking for love. But you know where we go looking the most? To our peers in the lifeboat. Instead, what if we looked to a connection and a validation that doesn’t come from within our species, from our fellow humans? What if, instead of looking to what everyone else said about us,Continue reading “Romans (entry 4)”
Romans (entry 3)
I mentioned in a previous post how the Gospel is the great equalizer. But the Law is also the great equalizer. I mean, who hasn’t broken at least one of the ten commandments? Most of us, at some point, in some way, have broken all of them. Reminder: I’m still on the bad news piece,Continue reading “Romans (entry 3)”
Romans (entry 2)
After his introduction, Paul begins to lay it all out on the parchment. But instead of starting with the good news of “salvation,” he actually starts with the bad news. Why? Because good news doesn’t sound so good unless you hear the bad news first. Here’s the bad news: People are and were refusing God.Continue reading “Romans (entry 2)”
Romans (entry 1)
Romans is arguably the best known letter of the New Testament. I’ve heard it takes some pastors years, almost decades to preach through it. I’ve seen commentaries on the letter that are bigger than the Bible itself. Why? Because some people are just crazy. But also because it’s the go-to letter for big doctrines, forContinue reading “Romans (entry 1)”
Acts (Entry 2)
I mentioned in the last post: I can’t help but feel sorry for Paul. Just like Joseph in Genesis, he’s left to sit and rot in prison. A man of tremendous accomplishment, with much more potential and talent to reach the masses, is sitting still in shackles. This situation reminds me of Nelson Mandela orContinue reading “Acts (Entry 2)”
Acts (Entry 1)
For Acts, I switched to recap posts, rather than chapter by chapter. I completed the book of Acts during the month of January. I am continually amazed at how stories slow down and speed up in the Bible. Here’s what I mean by that: The book starts slowly. The way I understand it, chapter 1Continue reading “Acts (Entry 1)”
Jeremiah 39-40
I am stuck on these two truths: The Lord punishes the wicked and upholds the righteous. The Lord does whatever He pleases. King Zedekiah watches the Chaldeans murder all of his sons. Then his eyes are poked out. The very last thing the man sees is his sons being murdered. Jeremiah, on the other hand,Continue reading “Jeremiah 39-40”
Jeremiah 38
And Jeremiah sank in the mud. … … Just let that ring in your ears and heart for a minute. This man, this prophet, this man of God, is being obedient, proclaiming the words the Lord tells him, living uprightly–and for all of this, he is thrown in a cistern. Thrown in a deep, dark,Continue reading “Jeremiah 38”
Jeremiah 37
Can you imagine being put in prison? In a dungeon? In solitary confinement? For speaking truth. Obviously Jeremiah comes out a little bit upset–at least that’s the way I read his tone when he asks questions of King Zedekiah. I don’t know what the court of the guard was that Jeremiah was placed in, butContinue reading “Jeremiah 37”
Jeremiah 36
God tells Jeremiah to write all these prophecies on a scroll. Jeremiah hires Baruch to scribe it all on the scroll. The scroll is read at the temple, read to the king’s officials, confiscated, read to the king, and burnt. God tells Jeremiah to write it all again. Baruch scribes it all again. Today, weContinue reading “Jeremiah 36”
Jeremiah 35
The Rechabites. First, there is an interesting summary statement about all the prophets in verse 15 of the chapter. There have been a few other times we have seen this statement in Jeremiah. It is a great way to remember the overall message of the book. Sometimes we get bogged down in details and wonderingContinue reading “Jeremiah 35”