   (…continued) John begins his account of the life of Jesus with the same words that begin the very first book of the Bible.  The books of Genesis and John both start with the phrase “In the beginning.”  “In the beginning,” says Genesis 1:1, “God created the heavens and the earth.”  “In the beginning,” […]
1136) The Trinity (c) Read More »
   (…continued) #2) GOD THE SON, JESUS OUR SAVIOR.  Eventually, all that God has given you will be taken away.  But that is not the end of the story.  In the second article of the Creed, we say we believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Jesus died and rose again from the
1135) The Trinity (b) Read More »
   (…continued)  The Jews did as they were told to do way back in the days right after their time of slavery in Egypt.  At that time, they did not yet even have a land.  There was no land, no temple, no king, not anything yet.  All they had was the miracle of freedom won
1131) “These Words are Your Life” (b) Read More »
   Before sending Lewis and Clark out west on their famous expedition, President Jefferson prepared a list of scientific questions for them to investigate on their expedition.  Most were the kinds of questions you might expect, concerning things like geography, geology, plant and animal life, weather, and so forth.  But there was one very odd
1130) “These Words are Your Life” (a) Read More »
Above Painting: The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Edward Poynter, 1890 —————– I Kings 10:4-8a  —  When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his officials, the attending servants in their robes, his cupbearers, and
1096) Solomon (part two of two) Read More »
   In his book Intellectuals, historian Paul Johnson described the personal lives of several people considered to be among the smartest and most influential people of the last few centuries.  He wrote about Rousseau, Shelley, Marx, Ibsen, Tolstoy, Russell, Sartre, and more, people whose books are still read and whose ideas have shaped the
1095) Solomon (part one of two) Read More »
Above: David, 1623, Gian Lorenzo Bernini  (1598-1680) ——————-    (…continued)  King Saul reluctantly allowed David to fight Goliath, offering him all the best armor and weaponry.  David declined everything, taking only his slingshot and five smooth stones.  Goliath was irritated to see David coming at him with not much more than the shirt on
1092) David (part two of two) Read More »
Above: King David Playing the Harp, 1611, Gerrit van Honthorst ——————    David was Israel’s greatest king.  The nation reached the heights of its power under David’s son Solomon.  But Solomon also sowed the seeds of the nation’s destruction, and within a generation after Solomon died it had been divided and devastated by civil
1091) David (part one of two) Read More »
   (…continued)  There are many other times this sort of thing happens.  In Numbers 10 Moses is leading the Jews out of slavery into the promised land.  In the desert they meet Hobab, a Midianite.  Moses said to him, “Come along with us, Hobab; we’ll do you good.  The Lord has promised good things
   British journalist William Ewer (1885-1977) once wrote a silly, but profound little poem using only eight words:  How odd Of God To choose The Jews.     A lady once expressed a similar thought in a Bible study I was leading when she said, “Everything in the Old Testament centers so
