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Who Caused the Plagues? What Are the Plagues About?
Exodus 8-10 covers 8 of the 10 plagues that occurred in Egypt. I think what I would call the traditional, standard, or conventional reading...
Did God Forsake Jesus?
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why...
What Is the One Thing Jesus Spoke Plainly?
“And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem,...
Experiencing Jesus Opens the Bible: Part 3 – A Low Whisper
(This post is Part 3 of the series Experiencing Jesus Opens the Bible. The other posts in the series are Introduction, Part 1...
What Work Is Forbidden on the Sabbath?
In my last post, we saw that the man supposedly killed by God for picking up sticks on the Sabbath was actually a picture...
Why Is Immediately Used So Much in the Gospel of Mark?
“And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on...
What Is Repentance toward God and Faith in Jesus?
“How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying...
What Is the Wrath of God?
“Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath...
Egypt, Assyria, and Israel in That Day
In Isaiah 19:16-25, there is an interesting confluence of Egypt, Assyria, and Israel “in that day.”Why does verse 24 say, “In that day Israel...
Solomon Asked for a Hearing Heart, not Wisdom
It’s interesting what we come to “know” because we have heard it repeated so many times. For example, we’ve probably all heard countless times...
What Does the Land of Canaan Symbolize?
For the past couple of days, I have been reading the book of Joshua. Joshua is the account of Israel finally entering...
What Is Bearing Fruit 30, 60, and 100 Fold?
“But those that were down on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit,...
How Do We Keep From Being Sold Under Sin?
In Romans 7:14, Paul said, “I am of the flesh, sold under sin.”Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the...
What Are the Two Trees in the Garden of Eden Really...
Posted onA tree of life. And, a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Man could eat from the first but not the...
The Tabernacle, the Priests, and the Men of War
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Numbers 1-4 can seem like boring chapters. There are separate lists of the 12 tribes for finding assitants for the census, registering the...
Who Says “I Destroy” – God or Satan?
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Who says, “I Destroy?” The Bible gives a clear answer. Do you know what the Bible reveals? More importantly, do you believe...
God Provides Himself the Lamb
Posted oIn addition to the written teaching below, here’s the audio to tonight’s CUMO Mid-Week Bible Study.Genesis 22 is one of the most well-known...
Jesus: The True Bread from Heaven
Having been brought through the Red Sea, or baptized, by God, Israel was led through the wilderness by the pillar of fire and the...
Is vs. In – It Makes All the Difference
Posted on“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” – Colossians 1:15 (see also Romans 8:29, 2 Corinthians...
The Word of God – It’s Not the Bible
Posted onSpeaking of Jesus, Revelation 19:13 says, “…and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.”And, Revelation 20:4 says, “Also...
Food and Clothing; Christ in You and You in Christ
Two of the great themes that run through the Bible from beginning to end are food and clothing.The first instruction God gives directly to...
What Book Could You Read Over and Over?
In our company newsletter, we have a section where you can get to know new employees. We ask them a series of questions that...
Bible Study: Why? How? What?
Posted onA couple of weeks ago, LaMarque, my good friend and pastor at Cincinnati Urban Ministry Outreach (CUMO), said he wanted to restart the...
The Principles of Giving – Part 1
Several years ago I taught a series called GYM – God, You, Money. Today and tomorrow I am going to post the audio to...
What Is the Righteousness of God and Its Effect?
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and Prophets bear witness to it – the...
The Principles of Giving – Part 2
Posted onToday is part two of the principles of giving (part 1 is here) that was part of a teaching called God, You, Money...
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Bodies “A” Living Sacrifice“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him to water to drink,...
Increasing vs. Ruling
sted onProverbs 29:2 – “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”I find this to be a...
No More Breath in Me
osted onIn 1 Kings 10 we read about the Queen of Sheba. I think we could think of her as a type of the...
The Word of God before He Became Flesh
sted onIn 1 Kings 12-14, the phrase the “word of God” and the “word of the Lord” are repeated frequently. I think when...
Where’s Your Treasure?
Asa was king of Judah and Benjamin. We read his story in 1 Kings 15 and 2 Chronicles 14-15.Early in Asa’s reign, Zerah the...
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Elijah and the Prophets of Baal or Jesus on the CrossIn 1 Kings 17-18, I believe we can see Elijah as a picture of...
To Seek or Not to Seek? That Is the Battle
Posted onPaul writes in Romans 15:4, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement...
Elijah:Elisha, John the Baptist:Jesus
2 Kings 2 has an interesting story about Elijah and Elisha.The Lord was about to take Elijah away as the two traveled together. Elijah...
Why Are God’s Thoughts and Ways Higher than Ours?
Posted on“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than...
Elisha, the Woman and Her Son or God, Israel and Jesus?
2 Kings 8:1-6 has a short little story about Elisha, a woman and her son. Elisha tells the woman to arise and depart with...
Are You Following a Man-Made System or Jesus?
We have a choice to make. We can follow a man-made system. Or, we can follow Jesus.How do we know whether we are following...
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What Sins Need to Be Forgiven and Blotted Out?TODAY’S READING: ACTS 1-3
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you...
The Baptism of Jesus as Seen in Zechariah
Posted on2 Chronicles 24:20-22 – “Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people,...
As the Lord Lives, or Jesus Is Lord
“If you return, O Israel, declares the Lord, to me you should return. If you remove your detestable things from my presence, and do...
What Is the Judgment Seat?
“So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement,...
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In Genesis 22, we read about God testing Abraham. Is Abraham willing to sacrifice his son? Even more, does...
What Is Required for Love?
In the Old Testament, the view was that God loved his people, Israel, and would cut off his enemies.Psalm 59.10 says, “My God in...
Why Did God Send Jesus?
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be...
Jesus: I Am the Burning Bush
In John 1, we read that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Rightly, we understand that this is Jesus. We know...
Jesus: The True Bread from Heaven – Audio
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Israel ate the manna in the wilderness, but they died. However, the manna, the bread that God rained down from heaven, was a...
Experiencing Jesus Opens the Bible: Part 5 – Knowing His Resurrection
(This post is Part 5, and the last, of the series Experiencing Jesus Opens the Bible. The other posts in the series are Introduction,...
Three 40s: Comparing Moses and Jesus
John 1:17 says, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”John writes that Moses and Jesus had different...
Experiencing Jesus Opens the Bible: Part 4 – Seeing Jesus
(This post is Part 4 of the series Experiencing Jesus Opens the Bible. The other posts in the series are Introduction, Part 1...
Why Is the Purification for a Woman Twice as Long for...
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LEVITICUS 12
Leviticus 12 gives the ritual of purification for a woman after she gives birth to a child. One issue that is particularly...
Jesus and the Holy Spirit: Cleansing and Powering the Leper on...
Like we saw yesterday with the law of the clean and unclean creatures in Leviticus 11, the last verses of Leviticus 14 tell us...
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How Do You Hear the Word of God?TODAY’S READING: LUKE 7-8
“Take care then how you hear.” – Luke 8:18In almost every modern Bible I...
Creation: A Witness to Jesus
In addition to the written teaching below, here’s the audio to tonight’s CUMO Mid-Week Bible Study.Creation-A Witness to JesusTo go along with this week’s...
Does Jesus Know You?
“The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.”...
The Details of Solomon’s Temple Reveal Jesus
The Bible has lots of little, seemingly insignificant, details – particularly dates, times, and measurements. These details are extremely important.For example, 1 Kings 6:37-38...
I Will Build You a House
“And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees, also carpenters and masons who built David a house.” – 2 Samuel...
The Story of Saul as the Story of Our Soul
The story in 1 Samuel revolves around Saul, the Philistines, and David. As I have meditated on this, I see 1 Samuel as the...
Jesus in the Oracle Concerning Babylon
While reading through these chapters this morning, the Spirit impressed upon me a few places we can see Jesus in the oracle concerning Babylon.Isaiah...
May the Scent of Our Breath Be Like Apples
In yesterday’s post, I wrote about how the woman, the bride, the church, of Song of Solomon saw her beloved, Jesus, as an apple...
Is God’s Love Balanced by His Justice?
Deuteronomy 16.19, 20 says, “You shall not pervert justice…Justice, and only justice, you shall follow, that you may live and inherit the land that...
That Day Sin Was Taken Away
“In that day the Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the...
A Signal for the Peoples
“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.” – Isaiah 11:1Jesse is...
That Day: The Preservation and Inheritance of Life
In yesterday’s post, That Day Sin Was Taken Away, I wrote about the phrase “that day” and its connection with the crucifixion of Jesus,...
Are There Reasonable Exclusions for Following Jesus into War?
The more I read the Bible, the more I see Jesus standing out.As I have read Deuteronomy recently, I noticed so many little allusions,...
Pride, not Sin, Keeps God from You
It is often said that God cannot look upon sin and that God cannot tolerate the presence of sin. Therefore, sin keeps God away...
The Scriptures Are a Shut and Open Case
An open and shut case is a court case, legal matter, or problem that is easy to decide or solve because the facts are...
Why Is the Purification for a Woman Twice as Long for...
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Leviticus 12 gives the ritual of purification for a woman after she gives birth to a child. One issue that is particularly difficult...
Jesus Untangled: An Interview with Keith Giles
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In this special episode of Living Room Theology, I interview my good friend, Keith Giles, about his new book, Jesus Untangled: Crucifying Our...
Why Did Jesus Breathe the Spirit on the Disciples?
“And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.'” – John 20:22After his resurrection, Jesus...
Getting Water from the Rock
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Israel got water from the rock at the beginning and end of their journey through the wilderness. Why are their two separate instances...
Does God Hate You?
If I had to guess, then I would guess that a lot of people in the world believe God hates them.Strangely, I feel more...
How Is the Word of the Cross Folly and the Power...
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power...
Why Were the Bereans Examining the Scriptures Daily?
“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if...
A Greater than Solomon Is Here
In Matthew 12:42, Jesus said, “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she...
Jesus Is the Key to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and...
Since Genesis 12, we have been reading the story of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But, the story we have been reading is also about...
Why Is Tamar Listed in Jesus’ Genealogy?
Genesis 38 is the story of Judah sleeping with his daughter-in-law Tamar. We know this is an important story because Tamar is the first...
What Is the Second Death in the Book of Revelation?
“This is the second death, the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20.14)“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually...
Anointed Three Times – David and Jesus
Have you ever noticed that David was anointed king on three separate occasions?“Then Samuel took the horn of...