February 15, 2015. I have been listening to a lot of sermons and podcasts recently that have dealt with the mission of the church and how we need to relight our fire. Of particular note was the distinction between two different paradigms in Christianity that we need to be aware of to choose the…
Category: Christianity
Psalm 148-150: Ending in praise.
January 7, 2016. Reading: Psalm 148-150. Background: Psalm 145-147. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 148 Praise the Lord: As we draw near the end of the book of psalms, we find that the majority of psalms are solely songs of praise to the Lord. This is the case with this song, as we are called together…
Song of Songs 4-6: Drunk with love.
December 17, 2015. Daily Reading: Song of Songs 4-6. Background: Song of Songs 1-3. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 4 The consummation of marriage: The majority of this chapter is dedicated to Solomon’s admiration of his bride’s beauty. He describes her form in such detail that we still blush in parts of the poetry today. There…
Deuteronomy 16-19: Statues.
December 14, 2015. Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 16-19. Background: Deuteronomy 13-15. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 16 The Passover, Feast of Weeks and Feast of Booths: The main body of this passage deals with three feasts that the children of Israel were to hold each year as memorials and religious ceremonies to the Lord God. The first…
II John: Truth and love.
December 13, 2o15. Daily Reading: II John. Background: This is John’s second epistle written to those that he loved in truth, likely disciples of whom the aged apostle had some role of oversight (see background to I John). The elder expresses his love for them and his joy in finding some of them walking in…
Acts 15-18: The second missionary journey.
December 12, 2015. Daily reading: Acts 15-18. Background: Acts 13-14. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 15 1. The Jerusalem counsel: As Paul and Barnabas return from their first missionary journey and proceeded to tell the Jewish believers in Antioch all that God had done for the Gentiles through them, there were some men who were of…
Psalm 132-134: The last of the songs of ascents.
December 9, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 132-134. Background: Psalm 129-131. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 132 The Lord’s choice through David: Another psalm in the series of the songs of ascents (see psalm 120), this psalm speaks of the house of the Lord that David sought to build (see II Samuel 7 and I Chronicles 22, 28)…
Deuteronomy 13-15: Laws for the people of God.
December 7, 2015. Daily Reading: Deuteronomy 13-15. Background: Deuteronomy 10-12. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 13 Serving the Lord only: As part of the core of the Deuteromic core, the main teaching of this chapter is never to listen to anyone who suggests to go and serve other gods. This has a close connection to the…
Haggai 1-2: Lethargy and obedience.
December 4, 2015. Daily Reading: Haggai 1-2. Background: Not a lot is known about the prophet Haggai other than he was the first of three post-exilic prophets. His ministry is set around 520 BC in the second year of Darius, king of Persia, and deals with the people’s failure to build the house of the Lord as issued by…
Zephaniah 1-3: Judgment and restoration.
November 27, 2015. Daily Reading: Zephaniah 1-3. Background: Zephaniah’s ministry was during the reign of King Josiah in Jerusalem which lasted from 641-610 B.C. This date would make Zephaniah a contemporary of Jeremiah and probably a very influential prophet for King Josiah’s religious reform. Zephaniah’s message is a oracle of judgment against Judah and the…
Psalm 126-128: Blessings.
November 24, 2015. Note I am switching today’s and tomorrow’s reading because of time constraints. Thank you for understanding. _________________________________________________ Daily Reading: Psalm 126-128. Background: Psalm 123-125. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 126 Restoration: Another psalm in the series of the songs of ascents (see psalm 120), this song was likely written after the end of the…
Acts 9: Saul’s conversion.
November 21, 2015. Note that I have decided to only do Acts 9 today, as chapters 10 and 11 shouldn’t be split up in my opinion. Thus, next week we will do Acts 10-12. Thank you for following along with me. ___________________________________ Daily Reading: Acts 9. Background: Acts 7-8. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 9 1….
Twenty Eight Eighteen 