Like Joseph living as a slave in Egypt, Daniel was also exiled to a foreign land 800-900 miles away. Like the young Jewish girl captured by Naaman during the war with Syria, Daniel was a captive of war with Babylonia. Once in Babylon, Daniel was forced to go to school to learn the language and […]
God would make a great florist. He designed among flowers a variety of shapes, fragrances, and various colors. He made them fragile enough to be crushed with a boot, yet strong enough to withstand heavy rains and pelting hail. God planted at least three gardens: Garden of Eden – “The Lord God planted a garden […]
I enjoy watching gymnastics at the Olympics. You’ve probably noticed that there are no tall gymnasts. Simone Biles, the top women’s gymnast of all time, is only 4’8”. Taking nothing away from her (I can barely get off the floor when I fall), I’m just pointing out that she has used her short stature to […]
Recently I listened to a message by a good friend, George Bradley (Hosea 12:7-14:9 — Shepherd’s Gate Church PDX – shepherdsgatepdx.org). He was speaking about Hosea, one of the lesser-known prophets in the Bible. After the nation of Israel divided into two nations, during the reign of Jeroboam, the first king in the north, God […]
When I was young, I liked TV shows about cowboys. I wore my six guns so often that one of Dad’s friends nicknamed me “Tex” (He called me that until he passed away). If you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have said, “A cowboy.” I liked Gunsmoke, […]
In the village of Shunem (in the northern kingdom during the nation’s split) lived a kind and generous woman whose name we don’t know. She was hospitable to the prophet multiple times. “One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he […]
There has been a debate for a long time on whether the rapture happens before, during, or after The Tribulation. I’m not going to die on this hill, but I thought I’d share my perspective. We are not supposed to argue, especially over the timing of future events, but it’s good to see if what […]
Shortly after His triumphal entry in Jerusalem, “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” (Matthew 21:12) For this, the chief priests and elders of the people called Him into question and asked, […]
When I was young, I hoped to find a pirate’s map to a buried treasure. I don’t know how many other kids shared that dream, but I know that many adults now have the dream of winning the Powerball Lottery and retiring early. You’d think that possessing millions of dollars will set a person for […]
The first three kings of Israel, Saul, David, and Solomon, ruled over the United Kingdom of all twelve tribes of Israel. After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam was slated to ascend the throne, but before his inauguration, the people made known their grievances. They said, “‘Your father put a heavy yoke [heavy taxes] on us, […]