March 2, 2015. Daily Reading: Genesis 32-35. Background: Genesis 28-31. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 32 Facing fear: We saw in the previous chapter how the angel of the Lord had come to him in a dream and reminded him that God and been with him and it was time to rise and return to the land of…
Category: Christianity
I Corinthians 4-6: Judgement and love.
March 1, 2015. Daily Reading: I Corinthians 4-6. Background: I Corinthians 1-3. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 4 1. Stewards and judgment: In the previous chapters, Paul addresses the Corinthian church’s problem with forming factions and elevating certain men, like himself and Apollos, above others and following them in pride as opposed to seeking the unity of…
Matthew 20-22: Wisdom of Jesus.
February 28, 2015. Daily Reading: Matthew 20-22. Background: Matthew 17-19. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 20 1. The first shall be last, and the last first: Two of the main stories in this passage carry with them the same message at the end: the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Each story pertains…
Isaiah 40-44: The Holy One of Israel.
February 27, 2015. Daily Reading: Isaiah 40-44. Background: Isaiah 34-39. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 40 1. A voice of one crying in the wilderness: Comfort was coming for the people of Israel, which is likely an immediate reference to the Babylonians (who had taken Judah captive) being defeated by the Medes and Persians. As chapter 40…
Job 15-17: Miserable comforters.
February 26, 2015. Daily Reading: Job 15-17. Background: Job 12-14. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 15 Eliphaz’s answer and accusation. 1. “It’s because you don’t [insert criticism here] enough”: Often when we are trying to comfort someone that it pains us to see in the state that they are in, we want to help them help themselves….
Psalm 21-23: The Lord and the Christ.
February 25, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 21-23. Background: Psalm 18-20. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 21 1. Rejoicing in the Lord: King David often writes psalms of praise when the Lord has delivered him from his enemies or out of a bad situation and he is apt to give all the gory to God. We know that…
Judges 11-16: Jephthah and Samson.
February 24, 2015. Daily Reading: Judges 11-16. Background: Judges 6-10. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 11 1. You are not the sin of your parents: The story of Jephthah is a rather peculiar one that some might find even hard to read though. When you consider that it is in the context of the bible, it…
Genesis 28-31: Jacob and his wives.
February 23, 2015. Daily Reading: Genesis 28-31. Background: Genesis 24-27. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 28 1. Reaffirming the promise: Twice in this chapter is the promise that was given to Abraham and subsequently to Isaac reaffirmed through Jacob, once by his father and once in a dream from the Almighty. We can see the distinct lineage…
I Corinthians 1-3: A call for unity.
February 22, 2014. Daily Reading: I Corinthians 1-3. Background: The church in Corinth was founded on Paul’s second missionary journey, as he traveled to the city of Corinth and stayed with them for a year and six months (see Acts 18:1-16). Paul had a deep connection and love for the church in Corinth, as we…
Matthew 17-19: The transfiguration and practical teachings.
February 21, 2015. Daily Reading: Matthew 17-19. Background: Matthew 14-16. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 17 1. The transfiguration: The account told here of the transfiguration of Christ is a well known story that displays the glory and majesty of Jesus as the Son of God. Jesus takes His inner core, so to speak, of Peter,…
Isaiah 34-39: Answers from the Lord.
February 20, 2014. Daily Reading: Isaiah 34-39. Background: Isaiah 29-33. It should be noted that the text found Isaiah 36-39 is quoted in/from II Kings 18:13 to 2 Kings 20:19, with the only difference (besides a minor word change here or there) being Hezekiah’s prayer found in chapter 38. These chapters also serve as a…
Job 12-14: Many words that have caused frustration.
February 19, 2015. Daily Reading: Job 12-14. Background: Job 11. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 12 1. Laughing at the misfortune of others: Sometimes, though it will seem very wrong when said aloud, we get some internal satisfaction when we see the misfortune of others, especially when it comes on people that we don’t particularly like…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 