I was preaching/teaching through Revelation on Sunday nights. We had just looked at the first part of chapter 21 and talked about how although this text is commonly applied to heaven, it’s really about the exalted church that has just been delivered from Roman oppression. On the way home my wife Janice made the comment, “That’s really not that hard toContinue reading “A Bookish Approach To The Bible”
Category Archives: Getting Started In The Scripture
Doing It By The Book
Have you ever seen the previews to a movie, gotten all excited about it, then watched the movie and walked away disappointed because it wasn’t anything like what the previews suggested? Welcome to the club. I suppose the people who put the previews together could tell you they were just doing their job (which isContinue reading “Doing It By The Book”
Working With Pictures
You don’t have to read the Bible very long before you appreciate the fact that God speaks to us in pictures a good deal of the time. Pictorial speech is part of the language of Scripture in the same way that rain is part of the weather. It may rain more at certain times ofContinue reading “Working With Pictures”
Background On The Twelve Prophets
When the earliest of the Twelve (whoever that was) began their ministry in the latter part of the eighth century BC, God’s covenant people were almost two centuries into their time as a divided kingdom. The northern kingdom of ten tribes (referred to as Israel, Ephraim, or Samaria), had plunged into idolatry and numerous otherContinue reading “Background On The Twelve Prophets”
Appreciating Emphasis
We emphasize something we want others to pay attention to because we think is important. We raise our voice, lower our voice, or talk slower. We raise our eyebrows, maintain eye contact, or use gestures. If the message is written, we might use boldface, or italics, underlining, the dreaded ALL CAPS, or even worse, ALLContinue reading “Appreciating Emphasis”
Go And Do
I have two Swiss army knives. A small one is on my keychain. It has a knife blade, a blade that is a file (with a notch on the end so you can also use it as a screwdriver), and a tiny pair of scissors (which is what I use the most). A larger versionContinue reading “Go And Do”
Exploring Off The Coast
Our planet is a remarkable place. It is home to almost eight billion people living on six continents (seven if you count the few hearty souls in Antarctica). In addition to human life, it is populated by all sorts of amazing plants and animals. But most of the life on this planet isn’t visible toContinue reading “Exploring Off The Coast”
Dwelling In The Shelter And Resting In The Shadow
Everyone recognizes there’s a difference between knowing what someone said and understanding what they meant. Several times a day we come across situations where we have to decipher the meaning of what we have heard or read. Here are some examples: “We will sell gasoline to anyone in a glass container.” “Students hate annoying professors.” “Happily theyContinue reading “Dwelling In The Shelter And Resting In The Shadow”
Digging Deep And Standing Tall
Weekend Edition of NPR ran a story about the rising rate of obesity in France. It explained how this trend runs counter to the French culinary tradition of slow cooked meals of healthy foods eaten around the family table. A finger was pointed in the direction of American culture as imported through movies and television and it wasContinue reading “Digging Deep And Standing Tall”
Back To The Garden (2)
5. God sent Jesus to redeem and restore what was lost. Again, we need to see beyond the center of the picture to the edges. This means we don’t narrow or limit the mission of Christ. It was to reconcile man to God, but there was more. Colossians 1:15 speaks of Him reconciling “all things, whether things on earth orContinue reading “Back To The Garden (2)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 