Imagine that the Lord was calling you as a missionary to the last place on earth that you would want to go to. What would be going through your mind and how would you
Jonah’s preservation A great fish swallowed Jonah that the Lord prepared and from the belly of the great fish, Jonah prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. The book of Jonah is no mere allegory or
Are you running from God or running towards Him? Are you hiding from the Lord, or is your life hidden in Messiah? Are you fleeing from God or following Him? Jonah knew where he
Jonah the prophet Jonah is an unusual book in many ways. His mission was to reach the Gentiles and his focus was neither on Israel nor Judah. Much of the focus of this ‘minor
God called Bezalel by name and God’s call is His enablement. Merrill Unger writes, “Bezalel (“in the shadow of God”) and Oholiab (“tent father”) were selected by God for the task. God’s call is
Pleading to God in prayer Do you plead with God in prayer? Notice how Moses pleaded to God for His people at the incident of the gold calf. Why should the Egyptians contend that
Syncretism involves mixing the holy with the unholy, the godly with the ungodly and the sacred with the profane. The golden calf episode is the epitome of syncretism and cow worship in various forms,
The tabernacle was where the children of Israel met with God and everything in the tabernacle foreshadowed Messiah. Chapters 28-31 provide instruction about the priest’s functions and preparations before meeting with God. The priests
What does an ancient text written 4500 years ago, have to do with us today? Everything! The priest would not rush into the tabernacle and we should not rush into the presence of the
The remaining chapters of Exodus are centred mainly around the Tabernacle. Thirteen chapters are devoted to the description of the Tabernacle in Exodus[i] and fifty chapters in the Bible[ii]. Why is the Tabernacle so
James is not targeting ‘the wealthy’ in Chapter 5 but rather rich oppressors. He is concerned with our attitude towards money and its misuse which causes unnecessary misery to multitudes. James is not promoting
James uses the term ‘brothers, brethren or my brethren’ thirteen times in five chapters. He uses this term frequently since he is concerned with how we treat others in the congregation. Do not judge
Since James is writing to the believers, these strong words about war, fights, lust, murder and covetousness apply to us. James probes about the cause and where wars and fights originate from. Often, we
There is heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom, or divine wisdom and human wisdom. Which voice are you listening to and what type of wisdom is shaping and influencing you? Who is wise and understanding?
Although James 3 is a famous passage imploring us to be careful with the use of our tongues, the whole of this letter admonishes us to bridle our tongues (James 1:19, 26; 2:12; 3:5-8;
Is it possible to have a genuine saving faith without works? Seven questions are asked in this passage and some of these questions are rhetorical. If rhetorical questions reveal a self-evident response, why are
James outlines the scenario of how one who is well attired and another shabbily clothed, are sometimes treated differently in a congregation. Sadly, this situation has occurred innumerable times worldwide and throughout the years.
Are you a doer as well as a hearer of the word of God? “Instead of blaming God under our trials, let us open our ears and hearts to learn what He teaches by
Introduction to James I wonder what comes into your mind when James informs us, count it all joy when you fall into various trials? Do you subconsciously glance over that? Does it seem strange
Exodus 23:14-17 Three Feasts point towards Messiah In these four verses we see that three times a year, all the male Israelites kept these feasts. These were the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast
Many people struggle to understand the significance of these laws in today’s society. Both misunderstanding and debate have arisen from a superficial reading and inadequate research of this text. If we are to make
How could it be, that leading up to the American Civil War, people used the Bible both arguing for and against slavery? We should consider that an accomplished lawyer can argue a case either
The remaining six commandments show us how we can love our neighbours and we should never lose sight of the fact that when we love our neighbours that is also for God’s glory. If
The Ten Commandments are not to be viewed merely as a restrictive list of prohibitions but as active commands showing us how we can serve God and others. For example, the opposite of bearing