It is the eve of Christ's betrayal into the hands of Israel's chief priests and elders. From the beginning of His public preaching ministry, Jesus has been teaching that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. At the end of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus declares that the kingdom is here. Since Matthew is the most Jewish... Continue Reading →
The Abomination of Desolation
Jesus’s disciples have asked when the end of the Temple will come, when will not one stone be left upon another? When will Christ judge Jerusalem? Jesus has already made it clear that the judgment upon Jerusalem will happen within their lifetimes (Matthew 23:36). He will repeat His timeframe in Matthew 24:34. He is revealing... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: Ephesians 4:25-32
Therefore, since we put on a new self in Christ and reject our natural entitled and self-absorbed ways, we lay aside falsehood and speak the truth to one another. The practice of falsehood is a selfish practice. We lie because we don’t want to be found out. We pretend to be righteous because we want... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: Ephesians 4:17-24
God provides His Spirit and gifts each believer. Each believer is trained for ministry in the context of a local church. So, we no longer walk like the Gentiles, or like unbelievers. Unbelievers walk in the futility of their minds, being darkened in their understanding, and are excluded from the life of God because of... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: Ephesians 3:1-13
Paul calls the inclusion of the gentiles into God’s kingdom people by the proclamation of the gospel a mystery that was not revealed until Christ. Even though Paul is a great sinner, he gets to proclaim the unfathomable riches of Christ, administering the mystery that was hidden for so long—the gospel for the gentiles. We... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28
Paul closes his letter by instructing the Thessalonian believers to rejoice always. Show your joy again in celebration. Party like something good has happened. Out of all the people on God’s earth, Christians are the ones with most reason to have a good time, celebrate, and rejoice. The rejoicing does not stop. God is doing... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: Romans 10:1-11
After writing about God’s work of predestination, Paul, still referring to Jews who were not predestined, shares his desire that they be saved. They have a zeal for God, but their zeal is without understanding. They are trying to establish their own righteousness instead of resting in God’s righteousness—something many religious people in every context... Continue Reading →
Daily Devotional: Genesis 50:1-26
Jacob is buried in Canaan, and Joseph dies. Before he dies, Joseph’s brothers beg his forgiveness for their evil against him in Canaan. Joseph explains that he is not in the place of God. What his brothers meant as evil against him, God meant for good in order to bring about the salvation of many... Continue Reading →
The Creation of Humankind
During the creation week, God created the heavens and the earth and has been filling them both. Moses’s language has been inexact. We have not received the minutia of creation. We simply know that God speaks to create and command His creation. Moses has presented God as the sole creator and has called out the... Continue Reading →
Tongues vs Prophecy
We return to Paul’s discourse on spiritual gifts, which have been used to cause division within the local church at Corinth. There were some who, apparently, exalted the gift of tongues such that others desired the mystical gift above all else. There are many in our own day who exalt mystical sign gifts like tongues,... Continue Reading →