These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan in the wilderness (Deuteronomy 1:1, ESV). Deuteronomy means “second chance.” The entire “Book of Second Chance” (Deuteronomy) can be considered a pep talk to a new generation of Israelites. The children who left Egypt, having witnessed their parents’ rebellion against God and […]
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Then those who sing as well as those who play the flutes will say, “All my springs of joy are in you” (Psalm 87:7, NASB). Psalm 87 is the “second chance” Psalm. I accepted Jesus when I was 11 years old during summer Bible camp. But on the first day of school in the fifth grade, realizing that I was the only Christian
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We find the perfect example of faith economics in Acts 4: Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common (Acts 4:32, ESV). The economics of the church start with faith,
We learn about praise in the Psalms. The word “praise” is mentioned about 10 times in the entire New Testament, but about 120 times in the Psalms. My favorite verse on praise comes from the shortest chapter in the Psalms (and the Bible) of just two verses. Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples!
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There are about 60 references to synagogues in the Gospels. When questioned by the high priest before his crucifixion, Jesus said. . . I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I said nothing in secret (John 18:20). Synagogues were a major teaching venue in
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Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22, NIV). After saying “yes” to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our ability to say “no” will determine how fast (or even if) we mature in Christ. All of
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In the Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Old Testament, the word “arithmoi” or “numbers” (we get “arithmetic” from this word) was used to title the book of Numbers. However, the original Hebrew title of the book used a word translated as. . . In the Wilderness. This phrase came from Numbers 1:1. .
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Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble (Psalm 107:2, ESV). Psalm 107 is the “trouble” Psalm. It was originally written detailing the troubles the Israelites had to endure while in Babylonian captivity. Their troubles included: The Psalms always have layered meaning, so this Psalm relates to us today when we lose our
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I use the word nuance in today’s Interruption, writing about differing aspects of the love described in the New Testament. It’s estimated that over 100 million love songs have been recorded, and that around 60 percent of pop songs written today contain themes of love. In the New Testament, depending on the translation, “love” is
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Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17, NIV) I’ve been a fan of leadership developer Robert E. Quinn for decades. His book, Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within, has been influential in my life. I reread this book from time to time, and every
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