We can see how the heart of the Apostle Paul beat with tender affection and deep concern for his Colossian readers (v. 1). He longed that they might present a united front to the enemy, and that they might fully mature and appreciate the mystery of the Godhead which he was expl …
Chapter 13 marks a major division in the book of Acts. The focus shifts away from Peter and the church in Judea, towards Paul and the churches he planted during his travels. The Lord called Paul and Barnabas to minister to the Gentiles. They were what we today call foreign missionaries. The …
This passage gives a run-down of what went on in the early Church: 1. Where did the church meet? (v. 12) ?“ They met where everyone could see them, in the open space on Solomon’s Porch, one of the two great porches that surrounded the temple area …
This Psalm may have been written right after a military loss or in connection with the Babylonian exile. God wanted the people to remember that the victory of Canaan was accomplished by the power of His hand. The people express their confidence in the Lord, based on His past dealings …
Rehoboam acted wisely at first as he welcomed those who came to worship God. He established the Southern kingdom and strengthened his personal position as a monarch. But after three years he forsook the law of God and led his people into idolatry and corruption (v. 1). At this time, it …
In this portion of Scripture Paul deals with attitudes. He exhorts us to:Be joyful (v. 16). Joy takes the burden out of service. It does not depend on circumstances, for in the world the Christian will have tribulation (John 16:33).Be prayerful (v. 17). The Christian who prays &l …
Today’s scripture passage has been called a “woe oracle†because it announces the doom of Nineveh in typical woe oracle fashion (see Isa. 5:18-23; Amos 5:18-20; 6:1-7; Micah 2:1-4). “Woe†can also be used to express grief, but that is not the case in this passage. No one was going to miss …
Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person (v. 23). You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy (v. 24). Paul was not content to name a principal and then leave it. He even names specific sins which many preachers a …
In the concluding verses of this Psalm, God’s triumphal entrance into Zion and the sanctuary is again described (vv. 24-27). It is pictured like a victory parade with singers and other musicians. The tribes of Benjamin and Judah, one small and one large, represent the southern po …
The nation’s sin was so much a part of their living that judgment had to come. God told Jeremiah that even the prayers of Moses and Samuel could not stop His judgment (v. 1). Judah had passed the point of no return in her dealings with God. The fate of the people was sealed. Destr …