temple ⁽⁸¹⁾

2 Kings 25:8–21; Matthew 24:1–22 The fall of the First Temple had far-reaching consequences. It was the end of the glory of Jerusalem. Granted, the Temple had long been stripped of its gold, yet the Temple was still central to Jerusalem With the burning of…

Exodus 3:2–6; Exodus 20:22–26; 2 Chronicles 3:1–2 (read online ⧉) The concept of "holy ground" has a long-standing history. In popular imagination, church buildings and their lands are—by their very nature—holy ground. Whether it was vampires (or other unholy creatures) or Immortals (e.g., Connor MacLeod)…

John 17:1–11; Ephesians 1:17–23 (read online ⧉) I thought how ironic it was that I’d dismissed dog meat as a cultural idiosyncrasy in Vietnam; that “who I am to judge?” extended to Islamic laws in Uzbekistan and Buddhist temple restrictions in Cambodia, but not to…

Exodus 35:21–36:7; 1 Chronicles 28:9–21; 2 Kings 12:4–16 (read online ⧉) When things return to normal, well, they probably won’t return to the past normal. In fact, who knows what the new normal will look like. Will places such as churches have to remodel to…

Lamentations 3:1-9; Matthew 27:62-66; 1 Peter 4:1-8; Lamentations 3:19-24 (read online ⧉) Imagine the heartache Mary and the remaining disciples. Imagine the heartache and disappointment that Jesus wasn't really the Messiah (he died after all). Imagine the relief of the leaders, as the troublemaker was…