Tag Archives: Kingdom of God

I Am Your Shield After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1). After Abraham’s rescue of Lot and … Continue reading →

The Land . . . I Give to You Scripture Reference: Genesis 13:14-18 God was going to make an everlasting, unconditional covenant with Abraham and three steps were required before the covenant was given. He was to leave the idolatrous … Continue reading →

I Will Bless You Scripture Reference: Genesis 12:1-3 God is sovereign—over all creation and in all ways, (see Isaiah 40:12-31). He is sovereign over time, events, nature, people and spirit beings, including Satan. He plans, purposes, programs and puts into … Continue reading →

Remembering My Covenant Scripture Reference: Genesis 9:12-17 As Noah surveyed the scene before him, so drastically changed, he certainly needed God’s assurance. This God gave in His covenant with Noah, his sons, (Genesis 9:8), “all flesh that is on the … Continue reading →

Seed Time and Harvest Scripture Reference: Genesis 8:20-22. Seven days before He sent the deluge the Lord invited Noah and his family—eight persons in all—into the ark. Then, under God’s direction, the animals arrived from every part of the world. … Continue reading →

You Shall Go Into the Ark “And behold, I Myself am bringing floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die. But I … Continue reading →

Her Seed . . . Shall Bruise Your Head “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel” (Genesis 3:15). Having … Continue reading →

From Beginning to End Endings are always difficult. But when they’re new beginnings, they’re revitalizing. At the end of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we not only see Paul the apostle, but Paul the empathetic and concerned pastor. Paul knows … Continue reading →

The Proverbs 31 Woman A Proverbs 31 (Proverbs 31:10-31) woman is hard to find, but it isn’t for lack of effort. She’s been the topic of more than a few Bible studies. She can be recognized by her many positive … Continue reading →

The Grace of God Shines Through I was once asked why the Bible is so brutal—why it depicts things like babies being killed and war. It’s true, the Bible has many moments of darkness and violence. But these depictions of … Continue reading →

Unity Paul calls us to refrain from judging others (Romans 14:3). That’s easy enough to do when the people in our communities are the people we’d want to have over for dinner. What happens when those in our community don’t … Continue reading →

Love Is Good News Love is good news for those seeking guidance. Love is the guide we need. Many first-century Jewish Christians faced the question of what to do with the Law (the first five books of the Bible), by … Continue reading →

Community She might be the one we tend to avoid—the member of a small group who always states the obvious or brings up topics unrelated to the discussion at hand. I’m always a bit impatient for her to finish speaking … Continue reading →

Laziness and Lions When we consider ourselves wise, we’re in danger of losing perspective on the truth and making others feel small. The Proverbs often discuss this problem, remarking, “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There … Continue reading →

You Should Do This, But Maybe You Shouldn’t We all know the feeling. When someone belittles us in front of others, we want to rail against them or make their lives miserable by filtering our rage through our best passive-aggressive … Continue reading →

The Rise to Power If you’re driven, you’ve probably worked very hard to get to where you are. Being driven is a good thing, but being driven at a cost to others or by elevating yourself by your own accord … Continue reading →

A False Form of Righteousness Zeal can be treacherous if it’s misplaced. It may lead us to set and strictly follow standards that have nothing to do with God’s work—standards that make us feel like good people but that can … Continue reading →