blessing ⁽⁴⁵⁾

1 Corinthians 7:32–38 When we read this passage, we have to understand that Paul really was expecting the world to end. The Messiah had come, why wait? Over the years, there has been an interesting development. The Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches have elevated male…

Genesis 14:17–20, Hebrews 5:1–4, Acts 13:1–3 The calling of God is mysterious. The Levitical line produced the priests, but who would be called was something different. The calling of pastors is equally mysterious (including to the pastors). How and why God calls certain people to…

1 Samuel 24:1–19, Revelation 6:12–17 The tug-of-war between King Saul and King-to-be David lasted a number of years. The man who could have been Saul’s Number One and led Saul to victory over the enemies of Israel was instead hunted by Saul. In many respects,…

Genesis 25:19–34, Genesis 27:1–45 If you have siblings or multiple children, you probably understand the tension that exists between siblings. Often, the tension may seem completely silly, but it is still there. Rabekah’s War in the Womb was definitely a precursor to the strife between…

John 20:19–23, Acts 1:4, Acts 2:1–36 The short vignette in the locked upper room after the Resurrection seems as if was a snippet of a memory that was lacking something. Yet, John felt it was important. As a precursor to Pentecost, Jesus’ statement/blessing about receiving…