Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. (John 13:3-4) In most cases, powerful people use their power for their own glory and for their own ascension to greater power. Right now my mind goes to the ... [Continue Reading]
Defending What’s Right (Nehemiah 10:28-39; 11:1-2; 12:27-47; 13)
But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. (Nehemiah 13:21) It is believed that Edmund Burke once said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.” Sadly, the great temptation of many good men and women is ... [Continue Reading]
The Opportunity is Now (Esther 1-5)
And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? (Esther 4:14b) Does anything happen by accident? Does God put circumstances in our lives for no purpose? Does He give us our jobs, our neighbors, or other relationships for no reason at all? Or perhaps He uniquely places us where we are for the opportunities He has in store for us. The ... [Continue Reading]
The Writing’s On the Wall (Daniel 4-6)
The story of King Belshazzar in Daniel 5 is, in my mind, one of the funniest stories of the Old Testament. Belshazzar (King Nebuchadnezzar's son) hosted a party with his lords, his wives, and his concubines. Someone at the party had the great idea of drinking from the "golden vessels" from the temple in Jerusalem, so Belshazzar sent for them and used them in his ... [Continue Reading]
More than Humility (2 Chronicles 32-33)
And when [Manasseh] prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. (2 Chronicles 33:13) Throughout the Old Testament the lives of many kings are recounted for us, and the level of their humility plays a role in how well each king is remembered. ... [Continue Reading]
Losing What Isn’t Yours (1 Kings 12-14)
Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth. (1 Kings 13:33-34) Christian leadership is ... [Continue Reading]
The Danger of An Assumption (2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 19)
When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites, the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out and overthrow it?” So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard, cut off their garments ... [Continue Reading]
The Risk of Doing Right (2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18)
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” (2 Samuel 9:1) Doing what's right can sometimes be risky. I was watching an episode of MasterChef a few months ago, and one of the contestants forgot to grab a certain ingredient. Due to the rules, she wasn't allowed back into the kitchen, so she began asking ... [Continue Reading]
God’s Guiding Presence (2 Samuel 5:1-10; 1 Chronicles 10, 11:1-9)
And [David] became more and more powerful, because the Lord God Almighty was with him. (2 Samuel 5:1-10) A very stark contrast existed between King David and King Saul as it came to God's presence in their leadership. The difference between the two men was that David sought to bring glory to the Lord and Saul sought to bring glory to himself. Since David's efforts were ... [Continue Reading]
Authority’s Origin (2 Samuel 1-4)
David asked him, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (2 Samuel 1:14) Authority always answers to a higher authority. It's true. Just think about it. I own my house, but the government could confiscate it at any time. At work you probably have a boss, who has a boss, who has a boss, who has a board of directors. The board of ... [Continue Reading]
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