Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Jacob is the third generation of the great patriarch’s of the Old Testament and Israelite’s. He is the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. Jacob means “holder of the heel” or “supplanter”. When he was born he reached out holding onto his twin brother’s, Esau, heel. Even when they were both in the womb we are told “the children […]
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When the angel told Sarah she was going to have a child in her old age, she laughed. However, God was true to His word and a year later Sarah gave birth to a son she named Isaac. So, it should come as no surprise that Isaac means “Laughter. He laughs.” Isaac, along with his father Abraham, and son Jacob, […]
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Growing up in church, children learn at an early age that “Father Abraham had many sons, many sons had Father Abraham.” Yet, Abraham did not start out with many sons. Abraham did not even begin as Abraham. When we meet him in Genesis 12, he is known as Abram. Abram is the son of Terah and brother to Nahor and […]
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We have all heard of the great flood. In every culture there is a story about the flood that covered the earth. To this day, many still try to find the Ark, which is believed to be resting on the mountains of modern day eastern Turkey and the Mount of Ararat. However, no one has ever been able to prove […]
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Last week, we took a look at the last mention of Joseph by name or reference. This was when Jesus was twelve at the temple. The majority of what we know about the childhood of Jesus comes from the accounts found in Matthew and Luke. The two books together provide the large picture we have of Jesus birth and childhood. […]
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We’ve all heard the saying to “turn the other cheek” but that is much easier said than done. When I was in an abusive relationship, I turned one cheek to the other cheek and back to the first one and the pattern continued. I can’t tell you how many times I called out to God “how much more?” What I […]
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We’ve been studying the lives and lessons from the wives of King David, including the childless wife, some nameless concubines, a bed warmer and an almost wife. But what about his children? Only one daughter is mentioned by name. She is Tamar, daughter of Maacah. Her name is Hebrew and means date palm, palm tree or a date {the fruit}. She […]
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Sarah was the wife of Abraham {as well as being his half-sister}. We are told that she was beautiful and twice she and Abraham lied to powerful rulers about their relationship. When God told Abraham to move Sarah traveled with him and knew the life of a nomad. Sarah was originally named Sarai and God changed her name […]
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We’ve been studying the women in Jesus genealogy. There are three additional women that we know by name, although they are not listed by name in the genealogy listed in Matthew. However, they each play an integral part in the story of God’s people. We know not only their names, but their stories from the book of Genesis. These three women […]
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Last week, we finished studying the life of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This week we are starting a new study on the women in the Genealogy of Jesus. The five women mentioned by name are listed in the Genealogy account found in Matthew 1. I am piggybacking this study onto the study of Mary. With Mother’s Day just weeks […]
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We last saw Mary at the crucifixion of Jesus. She is mentioned one more time in scripture after this. Jesus has died on the cross, been sealed in the tomb, and Easter Sunday has occurred. The stone was rolled back to reveal that Jesus was alive. Now he has walked with his disciples for 40 days and ascended into heaven. […]
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We last saw Mary being rebuked by Jesus, when she came to him out of concern. Several years have passed during which Jesus was in the depths of his ministry. We’re not told which events in Jesus ministry, teaching and miracles Mary was there to witness. While she may not have been there for everything, it seems plausible that she […]
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We know the legend of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. However, have you ever thought of the true story? Everything we know about them comes from thirteen short verses found in 1 Kings in the Bible. In her book, It’s Good to be Queen, Liz Curtis Higgs dives into these verses, the history and culture of the times and […]
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The Bible tells us that our body is a temple to the Lord. We are to treat our body the way we would treat God’s temple. This is one of the first lessons we learn in First Place 4 Health. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, [box] “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in […]
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After the Battle of Jericho, all of the pilfer was “consecrated unto the Lord.” Achan took some of these devoted items. Joshua traveled to Ai, where he was directed the items stolen were now being stored. He directed the people to “consecrate themselves” because “you cannot stand up against your enemies until you remove them.” The people were given that […]
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The children of Israel rebelled against God. However, Aaron dealt with this rebellion in his own home. Aaron and his wife had four sons. Aaron and his sons were the first priest appointed by God. His two oldest sons were Nadab and Abihu. These sons knew God was real. They even accompanied Moses and Aaron up Mount Sinai. While on […]
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We are looking at those that God only gave one last chance. Cain was the first born son of Adam and Eve. After his birth, Eve said “with the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man.” Cain was the first human born. Cain had a brother named Abel. When they both brought their offerings to the Lord, […]
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Over the past months, we have been looking at the lives and lessons of those that God gave a second chance. The stories and reasons were numerous for each and there are lessons we can learn from them. However, this got me thinking about the flip side of the coin. If God was going to give these men and women […]
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We all need more grace to be given and to be shown. This hymn stuck in my mind because I had a resident ask for the song on a regular basis. For a long time I thought it was his favorite, but later discovered it was his wife’s favorite. After she passed, this hymn was a way for him to […]
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Samson may seem an illogical choice for a second chance, but we will see that God did indeed permit him to have a second chance. So who was Samson? His story begins with his parents in the book of Judges. He lived during the time the Israelites were being punished by God and given “into the hand of the Philistines.” […]
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