All through this period of Kings, there is pattern that develops. The people would fall away, go after idols, and suffer all the results of that. In Judah, though, they would occasionally be led back …
The Book of Kings #17
The days of the prophet Elisha seem to have been somewhat unique in the history of Israel. Prophecy was vital in those days, but most of it was delivered orally. We don’t encounter much in …
The River
View PostThe Life & Teachings of Paul #11 - Galatians
Paul’s epistle to the Galatians may be the most controversial book in the New Testament. It’s been studied, it’s been talked about, it’s been argued about for generations. In fact, there are indications in the …
The Book of Kings #16
I’m still amazed at how many would-be prophets want to take on the mantle of Elijah. I think I mentioned that I have met three or four Elijahs in my time. What’s funny is that …
The Book of Kings #15
One of the most dramatic moments in all the stories of the Bible is that moment when Elijah and Elisha have crossed over the river Jordan, and a great whirlwind comes down from heaven, and …
The Book of Kings #14
It has been 62 years since the death of Solomon. For 62 years there have been two Israels: the House of Israel, now with a capital in Samaria; the House of Judah, capital in Jerusalem. …
The Book of Kings #13
Not everyone gets this, but let me have a run at it anyway: God does not care for centralized authority. That is not to say he hasn’t allowed it. And I realize that, in one …
The Life & Teachings of Paul #10 - Thessalonians
And then shall that Wicked One be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the breath of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the …
A Message from God
I have a message from God. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t had any visions or heard voices in my ear. The message comes straight from the Bible, and all I am doing is applying …
The Book of Kings #12
I simply cannot imagine a greater prophet than Elijah. He was not a smooth man, like I suspect Isaiah was. Isaiah was a poet, and a great one at that. I see no hint of …
The Book of Kings #11
He is the archetype of all prophets; his name was Elijah. Probably one of the reasons he is so well known is because he is so persistent in the Bible—he keeps cropping up. He was …
The Book of Kings #10
I was standing, looking out an open window in my hotel room at Victoria Station in London one night. My wife and I had been to the theater, had just got back in, and opened …
The Book of Kings #9
When you settle in to read the Bible, you run into any number of difficulties—none of them fatal, of course. The sense of the Bible is not that hard, it is just that the writers …
The Inward Man
View PostThe Life & Teachings of Paul #9 - Thessalonians
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose …
Leadership and Honor
George Washington, in his farewell speech to his troops said this: the foundation of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality. Private morality has something to do …
The Book of Kings #8
Never take counsel of your fears. The saying is often attributed to Andrew Jackson who also, plainly, read his Bible. It is fascinating how often fear strips a man of victories already won. This was …
The Book of Kings #7
When you read those books of the Bible that contain the history of Israel, the lessons come at you one after the other. There is a man in the Book of Kings named Jeroboam, for …
The Book of Kings #6
When you are reading the history in the Bible, you have to resist the temptation to see things in terms familiar to the modern reader. Take the idea of cities, for example. Solomon has finished …