“God’s Mercy!”


2Chron 33 There is nothing like hooks in your nose, bronze chains, and extradition to a foreign land; a prison cell, cold gruel, day-old bread, and water to awaken your senses, and that is what happened to King Manasseh. He then “realized that the Lord is the true God” and repented. It was because of […]

Jesus Paid It All…


Lev 5 “It is all about holiness before a holy God.” One phrase is repeated in this chapter about sin: “even if he did not realize it…” This is not talking about intentional rebellion, but those sins that we unintentionally commit and then realize. When sin brings guilt we have a choice: we can ignore […]

Sin & Righteousness


Genesis 38-40 We have seen the shame of Jacob’s sons. They are jealous, envious, and hateful to their younger brother Joseph. They scheme and finalize a sale of him to the Midianites. Ever willing to go the extra mile to cover his guilt, Judah leaves home, so he doesn’t have to see his father in […]

“God’s Storms and Men’s Hearts”


Acts 28 John Jacob Astor believed that the Titanic was unsinkable, yet he and his wealth are at the bottom of the ocean because of his stubborn pride and lack of foresight—the Titanic only carried enough lifeboats for half of the passengers—Astor was not saved. We hear the words of Paul “men, you should have […]

False or True Repentance


Nahum 1-3  Nahum, the Elkoshite, prophesied to the wicked Assyrians about their short-lived repentance. One hundred years earlier, when Jonah spoke the entire city, both man and beast put on sackcloth and ashes in repentance. But, now, they had returned to their cruel ways. Some today may make a faith profession, but later it is […]

“Street Theater News”


Ezekiel 4-6 In Babylon, the captives had no newspapers or town criers, only miles and miles of desert sand. As the days passed, they wanted answers, but their priests were of no help. They knew God had called Ezekiel to be a prophet, so they came to ask him: Why are we here? What is happening […]

The Hardened Heart


Jeremiah 47-49 The soft earth nourishes seeds, yet some seeds fail to germinate even when given all the right conditions. Judas had walked, talked, ate, and enjoyed the fellowship of Jesus and the other eleven disciples, but his seed failed to germinate. Like Judas, the nations of Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Damascus, and Elam saw […]

Ezra: A man with a missionary’s heart.


In Babylon, Ezra spent his time memorizing scripture, praying, and seeking help from the king. He prepared to leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem – the city he probably never had seen, yet it was in his heart to go there and teach the people about God. [Ezra 7:10] Ezra trusted God to provide all […]