Following King David’s great sin, the prophet Nathan came to him with a story about a rich man with flocks of sheep who took from a poor family its lone, pet sheep and ate it. David was outraged and Nathan famously said to him: “Thou art the man” 2 Samuel 12:7. Why did Nathan createContinue reading “Prophets and Parables: the Indirect Approach. 2 Samuel 14:1-13.”
Category Archives: Read the Bible with FRESH EYES and IMAGINATION
FAMILY LINES. 1 Chronicles 23-26.
The Bible contains numerous genealogies—they make dull reading until you use imagination to see further. I ask myself what God is up to, why He chooses certain families. The first, most obvious lesson when reading genealogies is: GOD CARES MORE ABOUT FAMILY TREES/HERITAGE THAN WE DO. Clearly these things are important (and both Moses andContinue reading “FAMILY LINES. 1 Chronicles 23-26.”
THIS IS NOT MELATONIN. Ezekiel 44:5; 2 Timothy 2:15.
Sometimes Bible reading is like mood music in a department store—humming along quietly in the background, but no one’s really listening. You may call your devotional a “Quiet Time,” but your mind should NOT be quiet—it should be buzzing with thoughts about what you’re reading. Consider how we sell Bibles. Are they surrounded by teaContinue reading “THIS IS NOT MELATONIN. Ezekiel 44:5; 2 Timothy 2:15.”
Editing on Horseback. Romans 15:1.
Did you know that the sixty-six books of the Bible were codified into a single book long before the chapter and verse divisions were added? Stephen Langton, the Archbishop of Canterbury (and a key writer of the Magna Carta), first introduced chapters in the year 1228. The first Bible to be published with both chaptersContinue reading “Editing on Horseback. Romans 15:1.”
ROMANS CHAPTER EIGHT. Romans 8.
Hey! Stop whatever you’re doing and read Romans 8! Is that not the richest passage, filled with amazing promises for your life? No condemnation. The Spirit gives peace. In Christ, we conquer sin. The coming glory outweighs present problems. God helps us, even fixing our prayers. God causes good to come in all things. IfContinue reading “ROMANS CHAPTER EIGHT. Romans 8.”
WISDOM. Hebrews 4:12-13.
The year 2020 was a year of searing pain. I talked to a friend at work during the summer of 2021 about the year of 2020, and about politics, riots, COVID, vaccines, and suffering. If you measured the greatest amount of pain distributed to the greatest number of people, the pain of 2020 must haveContinue reading “WISDOM. Hebrews 4:12-13.”
MYSTERIES. John 21:25.
The Bible is massive, filled with answers to life’s questions—but NOT to every question. Many interesting things are left out. Here are three: The Transfiguration. Before His arrest, Elijah and Moses met with Jesus and talked to Him about his death. What did they say? Did they encourage Him? Remind Him of His purpose? RemindContinue reading “MYSTERIES. John 21:25.”
CAN YOU READ? Luke 24:45.
Reading is easy, right? Children pick it up early and love books. Some even become “million-word readers.” Then parents give them phones and their reading level hits a plateau. (Okay, it’s not that simple: research says texting is actually good practice for low-level fundamentals, but too much “screen time” becomes a problem later, slowing orContinue reading “CAN YOU READ? Luke 24:45.”
MUTINY ON THE PLANTATION. Mark 12:1-12.
Louisiana once boasted many plantations. One was owned by an old man from Virginia. His elderly wife inherited the massive operation but was unwilling to return to the malarial swamps of the Deep South. So he and his son leased the property to sharecroppers, men who would plant cotton and sugar cane and turn theContinue reading “MUTINY ON THE PLANTATION. Mark 12:1-12.”
WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.
I wrote a book of study tips. One tip encourages visual learners to make the content from their classes visual if possible. But visual media have their limits: “IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO STUDY, THEN CONVERT YOUR NOTES TO DRAWINGS AND DIAGRAMS. If you’re a ‘visual person’ (everyone says they’re a visualContinue reading “WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.”
Household Words: 