Monthly Archives: May 2012

The Kind of People You Want on Your Side

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When I was a kid, we would often play games where we would have to pick teams.  We would elect two captains who would begin to take turns picking who they wanted on their team.  The picking was often strategic.  For example, the captain not only wanted good players, he also wanted team members who would be loyal to the team and would follow his leadership. Who would you want on your side?

When Saul was king of Israel and after he had rebelled, God told Samuel to anoint David to be king.  Saul, being who he was, continued in his rebellion and tried on a number of occasions to kill David.  David stays on the run during this time and gathers an army of followers.  These men help him evade capture and also fight the enemies of Israel.  The ultimate goal, however, was to turn the kingdom over to David as God desired.

1 Chronicles 12:23 And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD. Continue reading →

He Made the Stars Also

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Genesis 1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

This one verse may contain the most understated fact in all the Bible.  After stating that God created a greater light to rule the day (the Sun) and a lesser light to rule the night (the Moon), it states that God “made the stars also”.  That is the first and only time stars are mentioned in the creation narrative. When one considers that mankind has attempted to count and catalog the stars down through history and at this point has numbered over 945,000,000 stars1, this statement seems to minimize the incredible magnitude of the accomplishment. Continue reading →

How God Justifies Sinners

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Justification is a key doctrine in Christianity.  The basic problem is: (1) all human beings are sinners and (2) God is holy and must judge sin.  Justification has to do with how God justifies sinners (declares them to be righteous) so that they can be accepted by Him.  The following is one of many verses that address this doctrine.

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. Continue reading →

Resistance or Grace?

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James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

This verse is a paraphrase of Proverbs 3:34:

Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Pride, often manifested in scorn, will cause God to resist (oppose) us.  Pride is what caused Satan to be cast out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15).  Pride is one of the seven deadly sins (Proverbs 6:16-19).  If we desire God’s grace on our lives, we must be humble.  In short, we must resist pride or God will resist us.   Continue reading →

Featured Resource – Week of 05/20/2012

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With the Word by Warren Wiersbe

Thomas Nelson, 1993
864 pages
ISBN-10: 0840792131

This resource provides a chapter-by-chapter commentary on every book of the Bible.  The format lends itself to a variety of uses.  It can be used as a commentary, a devotional, or a ready tool to prepare Bible studies or Sunday School lessons.

Wiersbe’s insights are practical and applicable to any audience.  His many years as a pastor and writer provide a wealth of insight into the Bible and how it relates to everyday life.

The book also has introductions to every book in the Bible, which provides important historical and cultural information to aid the reader in understanding God’s Word.