The Original Bo Jackson

The word ‘Gospel’ simply means “good news”. For many generations (from the 2000’s back to the 1800’s) it has been taken to mean something that is absolutely true. A witness on the stand would say, “And that’s the Gospel truth, Your Honor.” Why do you think “gospel” was (for such a long time) always equated with “truth”? How did it come to be used that way? Good News That’s the Gospel Truth Even…

There are only TWO eternal Things here on Earth. Have you ever wondered what will actually last forever? Let’s talk about that as we work our way into and through the four Gospels: Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Luke 21:33, KJV). Over the last month and a half (in case you haven’t noticed), my FB posts worked their way through every book in the…

The Canon is the official standard list of books that make up the Bible. People ask all the time, “why are those books in the Bible? Why aren’t other books in there as well?” Many who are unfamiliar with Scripture are often critical of it without doing any research about where it came from or how reliable it is. They dismiss the Canon or take shots at it without really knowing why scholars and…

Covenants are a more definitive way to describe contracts that have more substance, or are of greater importance. It has been applied most often to politics, real estate law, and religion. Outside of those parameters we don’t seem to use it much. Surely covenants are old-fashioned, a thing of the past, right? The Bible is an ancient book, and it speaks about them over and over: Where are…

Minor Prophets Maybe not so Minor You may have noticed names like Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi over the last few days as we have worked our way through the “Minor” Prophets. Perhaps you’ve also noticed a larger trend: over the last 40 days or so, we have written and read about every book in the Old Testament. That means if you have been following along, you have now read at least a…

This is Day 40 of working through every book in the Bible. It is our last day of the Old Testament, and it is fitting when you think about it: Malachi blends the harsh message of judgement with a surprisingly happy picture. He challenges us to be aware of God’s coming judgement but to frolic in Grace. An Unusual Message From the Messenger in Malachi “I will send my messenger, who will prepare…

Life can be hard in more than one dimension. The bumps and bruises we get as a toddler are nothing compared to the emotional distress of rejection in middle school. And the painful episodes in middle school don’t compare to the true heartbreak we often encounter as young adults. The ancient Hebrews knew that our heart is more than a pump to distribute oxygen to the blood- it is the center of our…

They tried and tried, but it didn’t happen. But perhaps Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones were describing some of us when he said, “I can’t get no satisfaction”. All of us spend at least some of our time trying to get enough, whether it’s money or control or food or pleasure… But what do you do when having enough just doesn’t satisfy? According to the Stones, you can try and try (and try!) but…

There is a song your Creator is singing, and it is not the dirge of judgment or the chant of condemnation, it is the Lullaby of Delight. Often we are so focused on God’s righteousness and authority that we tend to forget His love. Zephaniah reflects on those attributes and reminds us that God is not limited to who we sometimes think He is… “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who…

On our recent vacation, we had the opportunity to get an astronomer’s tour of the French Canadian Observatory on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The Telescope there is several stories high, and it gazes continually out into the far reaches of the galaxies. As we stood there looking at the stars, it hit me once again that the universe is utterly amazing. I hope I am never so jaded that I fail to be amazed by…

The Minor prophets preached about gloom and doom., reminding their audiences that people who worshipped idols and thumbed their noses at God were headed for trouble of the worst kind. If you read their warnings, it seems like we humans can’t avoid the destruction God’s holy wrath will bring. So, is God merely angry and mean, or is sin is just really deadly? The prophets provide certain…

Many folks would say that we are living in dark times. If you just listen to the nightly news, you will be moved to feel both uncertainty and anxiety. The constant reports about armed conflicts, who we hate in politics, and “what went wrong today” affect not only how we live but how we react to others where we live. Depression casts its shadow over normally happy lives, and shadows prevail over…

Remember being in VBS and listening to the story about Jonah and the whale? (Well the Bible says “great fish”, but the key thing is he was swallowed. That DOES recall a Seinfeld episode where George pretended to be a marine biologist (https://youtu.be/0u8KUgUqprw ) and said he walked right up to the big fish! Jerry corrected him: “Mammal.” George, engrossed in telling his story about being a…

Jesus must have been pretty familiar with Obadiah, since many of his statements about being judgmental resonate pretty strongly with this short prophetic word. (In fact, Jesus seemed pretty familiar with ALL of the Old Testament, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog!) One of the things Obadiah said could be paraphrased like this: Take a hard look in the Mirror: if you see a judge looking back at you,…

(Quick Note: Before we get into judgement, for those of you following along since Easter on Linked In or WordPress, in the last thirty days or so, we have covered the first thirty Books of the Bible. We started after Easter in Genesis and have been reading day by day straight through into the Minor Prophets. In another month or so we will have covered devotional thoughts from all 66 books of the…

I remember seeing an old movie about some settlers on the prairie who were attacked by a swarm of locusts. The insects literally darkened the sky like a cloud and brought darkness and fear everywhere they went. These clouds of millions of bugs literally consumed all of the crops in their path. These kinds of swarms of Locusts came sweeping through Biblical lands from time to time, eating crops,…

Sin, addiction, and selfishness threatened to destroy the relationship between the Smitten Suitor and the wayward bride. There was a destructive pattern of behavior which caused irreparable harm. Restoration seemed impossible between them, because the betrayal was too personal, and the wounds were too deep. As we continue our devotional journey through the entire Bible, the Book of Hosea is one…