“You are my son; today I have become your father,” (Psalm 2:7). By itself, this little piece from the second psalm doesn’t look like much—certainly not a prophecy of the resurrection. (It actually looks more like a birth announcement). Be that as it may, Paul nonetheless quotes this text in support of the resurrection ofContinue reading “He’s Alive And We’re Forgiven”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
For The Good Of The World
I was a few hours away from home. The two people in the vehicle with me were examining the backs of their eyelids for scratches so I needed some company. I turned the radio on but were in an isolated area so there wasn’t much available—a lot of static and little else. Finally, I foundContinue reading “For The Good Of The World”
Mountains And Models
When most of us see a mountain range, our eyes are instinctively drawn to the mountain tops. I’m not sure why, perhaps it’s something about what you can see—the clarity we get through the unobstructed, panoramic, mountain top view. Whatever it is, I just know we tend to look up when we see a mountain.Continue reading “Mountains And Models”
Fear, Faith, And Focus
When I was growing up, we had a white Siamese cat named Charlie. I don’t know how much breeding goes into a white Siamese, but I know this—Charlie was thoroughly domesticated. He was a household cat with a capital “H.” Yet every once in a while, Charlie got the itch to see what was onContinue reading “Fear, Faith, And Focus”
“Excuse me, could you help me with this?”
The man from Ethiopia (present day Sudan) needed help to understand the Scripture! That much is clear. Some say it was because there was no New Testament to aid him in interpreting the Old Testament text (Isaiah 52:13-53:12) he was reading. It is suggested that if he would have had the complete Bible he couldContinue reading ““Excuse me, could you help me with this?””
Everywhere They Looked
Wouldn’t you love to know exactly what the apostles were saying that morning of Pentecost when they were “declaring the wonders of God” (Acts 2:11)? Were they speaking of the extraordinary reversal of events God had brought about by raising Jesus from the dead? Was their topic the ascension of Christ they had recently witnessed? DidContinue reading “Everywhere They Looked”
Disciples And Hardships
I think it was Bobby Knight, the mercurial coach of Indiana men’s basketball for many years, who spoke about the player who shows up on game day saying, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win the game today.” He said that was good but who he really wanted was the player who shows up forContinue reading “Disciples And Hardships”
Bringing The World Together Through Jesus
One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was the Colossus of Rhodes. The statue stood in the city’s harbor and at over 150 in height (including the pedestal) it towered over the incoming ships. This is where our word colossal comes from. Luke’s account of the conversion of Cornelius and his household in Acts 10Continue reading “Bringing The World Together Through Jesus”
Something About 1 John
1 John is a powerful, vibrant read! There’s a lot packed into this brief letter that disciples need to hear. But as with any other writing, there are a few things about John and his style that are helpful to recognize if we are to glean everything that he has for us. John’s first letter isContinue reading “Something About 1 John”
Praying Up
In 1 John 3:21-22, John writes: 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. What does John mean by this? Is he saying God gives disciples carte blanche when it comes to them asking and Him answering? Understand,Continue reading “Praying Up”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 