Category: Bible (Page 264 of 419)

After a five minute ride into the bay, our guide dropped us in. The serene blue surface gave nothing away, but once submerged a new world opened before our eyes. We swam atop a massive underwater trench, lined with coral and filled with an endless array of living creatures. Brilliant colors of fish danced in the sunlight to create an otherworldly scene. Fins flashed in coral caves, while far below scuba divers emerged from mysterious fissures.

Snorkeling in Roatán, Honduras, proved the highlight of our family vacation, and indeed one of the most fantastic natural sights I’ve ever seen. I never dreamed of the glories to be found in the depths of a coral reef. Best of all, the deeper we went the better it got.

In the life of the believer, the Holy Spirit serves as our guide to greater depths.

The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along (I Corinthians 2:10, The Message).

Paul taught on the Holy Spirit, pointing out how only those with the Spirit—followers of Jesus—can truly understand the ways of God. Those who don’t believe yet, or turn away from the Lord, are on the outside. Without the Spirit one cannot possibly understand the Lord.

This very day I can ask the Holy Spirit to take me from flitting around on the surface to diving into the depths. Through the scriptures and those around us we’ll begin to fathom the Lord in refreshing ways.

Drop into the waters—a new world awaits.

1 Corinthians 2 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Shifaz Abdul Hakkim

It’s interesting to contemplate what counts as wisdom and what counters as foolishness in our world. For instance, is it wise, or foolish, to invest in crypto-currency? Time will tell, I suppose.

For many the way of Jesus shows like a bad investment. Paul writes, the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Paul adds, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

The idea that God appeared on this earth in human form, then was murdered and buried and rose from the dead, sounds ludicrous on first pass. What a foolish message to preach. People look at you cross-eyed.

But Paul preached it. Peter and Priscilla and Aquila preached it. Men and women preached it over the centuries and across the continents. Everywhere this message is met with either skepticism or incredulity or indifference or hostility—or welcomed as the power of God.

For those of us who preach this message, it’s tempting to smarten it up a bit. Make it a little more palatable, add a clear-coat. On first glance it’s an ugly message—I’m perishing, I’m foolish, I’m weak and I’m lost, separated from my Creator. God offers only one way out—this crazy story about Jesus.

But when it dawns on us that we’re stranded in an ugly place with no way out, then the foolishness of the cross starts to look like the power to save. Then Christ Jesus becomes for us wisdom from God—our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

That’s foolishness we can count on, live in, and share with the world.

I Corinthians 1 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Jack B

Big yellow buses parade though my neighborhood as schools reopen their doors. Most kids seem excited to get back and see friends they’ve missed over the summer (and most parents are super excited to send their angels out the door). But in nine months, those same kids will eagerly anticipate summer break.

A school term is only one situation with an anticipated end day. I counted the days down to the finish of a semester, all the way through college. Later I looked forward to the end date of jobs, and I knew exactly when to pick up my paychecks.

Isaiah recorded a prophecy against the neighboring kingdom of Moab with such specifics: But now the Lord says; Within three years, as a servant is bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.

Not many biblical prophecies carried such an exact timeline, and within three years the invasions of Moab started. No mention of any Moabites taking Isaiah’s words to heart, but I’m sure folks paid more attention to Isaiah. He nailed it.

Or rather, the Lord nailed it. We can count on the words of the Lord, good or ill. When the Lord speaks, take notice. Of course, the issue becomes—how do we know what the Lord is saying?

We don’t run into prophets like Isaiah roaming about, but we do hold in our hands the writings of all the prophets, as well as Jesus and his disciples. If you want to know what the Lord says, that’s the place to start.

Just as Isaiah spoke to his people, the Lord speaks to us through his word. And like the Moabites tragically understood, we can count on the fulfillment of his promises.

Isaiah 16 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya

Poor Judas. It’s hard to read the accounts of his betrayal without wondering what ran through his head. Did he do it for money? Did he betray Jesus for spite? Or did he simply cut his losses and move on?

The scriptures provide no clear motive for Judas’s actions. I lean toward the theory that Judas followed Jesus for the crown, not the cross. Judas looked to Jesus as a soon to be earthly king. As one of his chief lieutenants Judas would stand alongside Jesus, vanquishing Rome and reigning over a free Israel. When it finally dawned on Judas that Jesus planned to go to the cross, Judas bailed.

In the end, Judas found Jesus disappointing.

You and I face the same conundrum. If we look to Jesus to bless us with wealth we’ll be disappointed at not having more. If we look to Jesus for health we’ll find ourselves frustrated as we face the breakdown of our bodies. If we look to Jesus to solve all our problems the disillusionment will eventually lead us to cut our losses and move on.

Jesus promised neither health or wealth or a problem-free life. Jesus, however, did promise to walk us through the problems and challenges and tragedies of life.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (John 14:27).

Judas heard these words from the mouth of Jesus, but failed to grasp the concept of not as the world gives.

When I look to Jesus for what I can get for myself, or when I allude to others that by following Jesus their problems will go away, then I walk the dead-end path of Judas. I need to check myself and my messaging. The Jesus way is harder, more uphill, challenging and frustrating.

But it’s the only way that leads to life.

Matthew 26 & 27 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022

Photo by Zlaťáky.cz