Here's one of the many beautiful developments in Scripture
1. God's Word runs the universe. From creation to the end, as 2 Samuel 22:31says, "The Word of the Lord proves True." God says it, and there is it! (Gen 1:3) God's Word runs everything; God's Word will be established. God's Word is always trustworthy.
Terrorists know that the best way to maximum damage is to weaponize good things. Put a bomb in a hospital. Send a mother and child into the market strapped with explosives. Poison the water supply. (Where did they come up with this idea? Something so repugnant and inhuman?)
How do you feel, as a Christian? In relation to God? Shame and guilt? Like a failure? Rightly accused for your sins and weakness?
"Everyone did what was right in their own eyes." This is the lament of the book of Judges. The people did the things that they thought were right, for them.
Read MoreWhat is the Word of the LORD for you today?
Here's an observation from 1-2 Samuel that can help answer this. The Word of the Lord in 1-2 Samuel included the Word of God's anointing--i.e. the statement of fact that Saul, and then David, was anointed by God.
We conquer by holding the Word of Jesus' faithfulness and victory by His blood. We conquer by letting Jesus do the conquering. We just love it. That's how we conquer. We love the Gospel.
Read MoreNow when Simon (the "magician") saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
Read MoreThis day the LORD will deliver you into my hand...that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand. (1Sam 17:46-47)
Read MoreThe early church father, Irenaeus, wrote the often-quoted phrase, "The glory of God is man fully alive." This smacks of pop-spirituality--best you, best life, right now. But there's truth in it.
Read More"The single most characteristic thing about David is his relationship to God. ...The evidence for David's pervasive, saturated awareness of God is in his profusion of metaphor: rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, horn of salvation, stronghold, savior. David is immersed in God. Every visibility reveals an invisibility. David names God by metaphor."
Read MoreIn Luke 4:16-21 Jesus announces that the hope of a just, healthy, community is fulfilled in Him. Hooray! Justice!
Guess what happens next? They carry Jesus on their shoulders and celebrate? Nope. They try to lynch Him.
David versus Goliath looks like Genesis 3. There is the "snake" defying God. There is King "Adam," charged with "keeping" God's people but failing. But this is new: a Spirit-filled champion who will answer the snake so God's glory might fill the earth. And he will sacrifice himself to see it done. It reminds us of Genesis 3 but also pictures the future fulfillment of the Genesis 3:15-promise.
Read MoreIn 2 Samuel 13-18, David is broken; he's a non-character: he stops being an actor and becomes a prop. But it's still David’s story; only now it is told through the story of others. And there is only one character in these chapters who interacts with David in a good way.
Read MoreFor YOU have died, and YOUR LIFE is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then YOU also WILL APPEAR with him in glory. (Col 3:3-4)
Read MoreThe season of David's life described in 2 Samuel 2-5 raises some questions.
Read MoreWords of inspiration from... Piglet. Yes, Piglet-and-Pooh, Piglet.
Read MoreThe Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; his word is on my tongue. (2 Sam 23:2)
Now we have received...the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1 Cor 2:12)
What does the truth say about you? Here's a hint: it's a "good testimony." The truth is not like "everyone." The Gospel-Truth does not wait around assessing your works. Rather, it is a plain statement about Jesus' works and what they mean for you.
Read MoreThe Big Idea of 1 Samuel 13-15 is that we need a King who listens to and obeys the Voice of the Lord, with faith: like Prince Jonathan and unlike King Saul.
Read MoreEvery passage of Scripture teaches a Big Truth. There are other things it teaches, to be sure, but the passage has A Point. The point of the passage is the Truth the Holy Spirit inspired it to communicate. It reveals. Without that revelation, we would be blind.
Read MoreWhat is that work of ministry? Here I'd like to tie together a few strands of Scripture, Theology, and life.
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