Category: Bible (Page 57 of 395)

I’m told that scare tactics fail to instill faith. Which may be true, but what about alarming future possibilities described in the Scriptures?

As the Bible reaches its end, we read of the judgement of the dead. Books are opened, and each person is appraised by what is recorded. The verdict? Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

These writings describe the future for those who refuse to acknowledge the Lord. Perhaps a lake of fire simply serves as a metaphor, but the dreadful existence in a nether world with absolutely no hint of God apparently compares to such terror.

It should cause one to pause.

What catches the attention quicker than a lake of fire? What centers the mind more clearly than the possibility of judgement? Perhaps the stark image of books of the dead are necessary to shake us from our narcissism and self-love?

Fear of wrath may not sustain faith, but the reality of wrath may spark faith. This picture of an eternity without hope clarifies our need for a Savior. Jesus saves is not just a slogan applying to the issues we face today, but a promise for our future.

What a wonderful, life-giving moment it will be when we hear our name read aloud from the pages of the book of life, and we fully grasp the concept of Savior.

Revelation 20 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by writ RHET

Ever get unwarranted advice? Or give it yourself? Most frustrating is receiving an earful from a person who’s not taken the time to listen and understand my problem. These folks dispense advice freely, whether it matches the situation or not. Mostly they like to hear themselves talk. Lest I come off as holier than thou, I recognize this quality in myself far too often.

Job endured a bevy of lousy counselors. Confident that Job committed some sort of heinous transgression, each offered up a lecture. The self-assured Eliphaz ended his soliloquy with this shot: We have examined this, and it is true. So hear it and apply it to yourself.

Another friend, Elihu, prefaced his comments like a general: Pay attention, Job, and listen to me; be silent, and I will speak. If you have anything to say, answer me; speak up, for I want to vindicate you. But if not, then listen to me; be silent, and I will teach you wisdom.

In other words, sit down and shut up. Parents of teenagers the world over know how this played out. Job shut his ears to their misguided wisdom.

Job was no rebellious teen, but rather a good man racked with pain and confusion. His friends sat with him in his suffering, a wonderful act. Then they opened their mouths and dribbled pablum.

How do I avoid the blunders of Job’s friends? What differentiates a wise counselor from a lousy one? Listening—pausing—and listening some more certainly helps. Pray for wisdom and ask the Holy Spirit to guide. Sometimes the best course is to say nothing. A good advisor helps a friend find their way, a nudge often more effective than a whack.

Lousy counselors sprout up like weeds in a garden—just a skip around the internet confirms this reality. So when you find a good one, cling to him or her like a treasure, for their friendship is more valuable than gold.

Job 5 & 33 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Hans Isaacson

Revelation, the final book of the Bible, previews a future where multitudes from every nation, tribe, language and people stand before the throne of God in worship.

John (the author) uses this language throughout his writings. During the last days God will send two powerful witnesses to prophesy and proclaim his message. These witnesses will eventually be murdered and allowed to lie dead in the streets. Then, for three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. Folks will gloat and celebrate, even sending gifts to one another in mockery of God and his prophets.

This does not turn out well for the revelers, as the prophets come to life, ascend to heaven, and an earthquake rocks the city.

The Lord, however, refuses to give up on those who continue to reject him. John writes: Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

Despite turning away again and again, the Lord pursues people from all over the world with his good news. Even the people who danced a jig over the bodies of the prophets heard from the Lord.

God is ever merciful. We’re approaching a day when men and women from every nation, tribe, language and people follow the Lord. The Christian faith spans the globe. But there’s still room for more. Let’s pray for the multitudes to continue to grow.

Revelation 7, 11 & 14 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by Craig Whitehead

We tend to think of ancient peoples as lacking in scientific knowledge. In many ways they were. It’s only been in the last one hundred and sixty years, thanks initially to the experiments of Louis Pasteur, that scientists began to understand the role of bacteria and viruses in illness. The germ theory of disease improved our lives dramatically, yet lay undiscovered for thousands of years.

However, our ancestors excelled in the study of the heavens. Magi from the east observed a unique star and followed it for weeks to the home of the Christ-child. Job spoke in praise of God when he said, He suspends the earth over nothing. No flat-earther, Job understood our planet to be a sphere hanging in space.

Job next commented on weather phenomenon. He wraps up the waters in his clouds, yet the clouds do not burst under their weight. When Job endured downpours he wondered, how does so much water float overhead? Perhaps you wondered the same while studying the water cycle at school?

As someone who earned a biology degree, I find these scientific references fascinating. Job observed and made mental notes. He saw the hand of God in nature, and realized the enormity of God’s power. He added, And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?

Magnificent sunrises and alluring moons dance on the outer fringe of God’s works. Enjoy his whisper. So much more remains undiscovered. Part of the adventure of following the Lord involves the process of exploration, of glimpsing the thunder of his power, and orienting ourselves toward his glory.

Job 26 in Through the Bible in 2024

Photo by The New York Public Library