Old Testament
The complaints of God against His People (Malachi)
Introduction The close of the Old Testament leaves us with the unmistakable reality of the condition that existed among God’s people, and enlarges our understanding into the depths of God’s heart of love. Malachi unleashes the anguish found in God’s heart, in love for His people, and delivers, on God’s behalf, a scathing attack of... »
Two Cups (Ezekiel 23:30-32)
“I will put her cup in your hand…It contains much.” (Ezekiel 23:30-32) “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away” (Lk 22:42) “The cup which my Father has given me” (Jn 18:11) “He took the cup and gave thanks…This cup is the new covenant in My blood.” (Lk 22:17,20) “The cup of blessing” (1 Cor 10:16) Two cups. In... »
Lost Sheep (Jeremiah 50:6)
“My people have been lost sheep: their shepherds have led them astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.” Psalm 23:1-2 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” In Jeremiah, God’s people where lost... »
Worship and Honor (Jeremiah 8:1-2)
“…they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests and the bones of the prophets and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, out of their graves: and they shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and all the... »
Pursuit of wealth or the pursuit of Christ (Proverbs 23:4)
“Do not wear yourself out to become rich; be wise to restrain yourself.” (The Holy Bible, NET Version) In our world today, men and women work pursuing the god of money. Money’s evangelists cry out, calling the poor, the rich, the young and old to live for riches. ‘Happiness, success, peace, and rest... »
A Virtuous Woman (Proverbs 31:10)
“Who can find a virtuous woman”? In the Word of God is found many beautiful women. They are beautiful in character. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and at times beauty cannot be seen so quickly. Beauty runs far beyond the physical shell that makes a woman. It runs deep into the... »
His Wonders in the Deep (Psalm 107: 23-24)
“They that go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters, they see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep” We could never calculate or estimate the joy that comes from a relationship with Christ. The Psalmist said, “They that go down to the sea in... »
A Generation that did not know the Lord (Judges 2:10)
“…There arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord…” What kind of generation will ours be remembered for? In the Generations of the Sons of Noah, we read that the Nations of the Earth were divided. The great commentary on this generation is that it was a generation of division. In Judges 2 we read of... »
Holding fast to apostasy and deception (Jeremiah 8:5)
Why, then, do these people of Jerusalem continually turn away from me in apostasy? They hold fast to their deception. They refuse to turn back to me (Jeremiah 8:5, NET version). Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Tim... »
If I forget thee (Psalm 137:5-6)
“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem…If I do not remember thee…” In captivity in Babylon, the people of God wept as they remembered Zion. The conquorors wanted a song. How could they sing the Lord’s song in a strange land? All that was precious to them lay in the ruins of Jerusalem. Babylon wanted their captives to forget all... »
The Fragrance of Christ (Psalm 45:8)
“All Thy garments smell of myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, out of the ivory palaces.” (Psalm 45:8) 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us to triumph in Christ, and through us manifests the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ…to others the... »
The Joy of the Lord (Psalm 16:11)
“In thy presence is fullness of Joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). “Enter thou into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:21) How wonderful it will be! The joy of the Lord! We shall know His joy forevermore. But why wait till then? We don’t need to wait to enter into the joy of the Lord. We... »
God is Ready to Pardon (Nehemiah 9:16-17)
“But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready... »
The Word of God (Psalm 119:18)
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18) A book of wonders it is! No book has ever had a greater impact on history. This book reveals to us the mind and heart of the real God of this world, who seeks to communicate Himself through His Word. MAS ... »
The Word of God (Nehemiah 9:3)
“And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for one fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God.” Joshua 1:8 This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate... »
The Book (Joshua 1:8)
This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. Nehemiah 9:3 And they stood up... »
Be strong and courageous (2 Chronicles 32:7-8)
“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles” Isn’t... »
A still, small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13)
“A still, small voice…” The turbulent winds of life often tear our lives apart. The force of an earthquake shatters the foundations of all that is precious to us. The heat of the fire devours all within its path. You can’t see God in the fire, nor in the earthquake, nor in the turbulent wind…but He is close... »
Enjoying the inheritance of the Word of God (Joshua 13:1)
“Now Joshua was old…and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.” Here was a great man of God, who fought valiently and entered into the enjoyment of the inheritance which God gave to His people. There was more to conquor, more to be enjoyed, and yet Joshua was now too old. He had enjoyed much... »
What sin has done (Genesis 3:13)
“And the Lord God said….what is this that you have done?” Did she really know what she had done? Plunge the world into misery and sin…set into motion the course of this world…unleashed the horrors of sin…that would take the death of an innocent one to set the world aright. It would cause the delight of the... »
Manifestation of Wisdom (Proverbs 31)
The book of Proverbs ends with the manifestation of wisdom in the form of a helper, companion. Five times her hands are mentioned. Two Hebrew words are used. One speaks of a closed hand (that which holds dear) and one speaks of an open hand (that which she gives). David Swaim Jr 9/96 »
Seasons (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
“To everything there is a season and a purpose under heaven” It is good to have seasons in one’s life because it refocuses our attention on the creator of all life. No season lasts forever. Even in heaven there will be seasons which unfold: “…that in the ages to come…” The poet wrote: “and while the ages roll along, this... »
The Atoner of Sin (Psalm 65:3; 79:9; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; 4:10)
When God created the heavens and the earth as well as living things, he pronounced his word of approval (Genesis 1:10,12, 18,21, 25, 31). But when Eve was deceived and Adam disobeyed, sin came into the world (Romans 5:12, 17) and marred the beauty of God’s creation. Through time, the signature... »
Attitudes towards Government (Daniel 4:19; 6:21)
“Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation... »
Trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5)
“Trust in the Lord” The God we trust is the God who gives life freely and eternally. He stands outside of time. He holds tomorrow. He knows the end. He is the God of Peace. MAS »
Forsaking the Guide Book (Ezekiel 11:12)
“You…have done according to the customs of the Gentiles which are around you.” Ezekiel prophesied in very dark times. In chapter 10, as Ezekiel is held captive with God’s people by the River Chebar in Babylon, he sees a vision of the glory of the Lord departing from the Temple in ... »
The Pilgrimage to Home (Genesis 47:9)
“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years: few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in ... »
The Christ-Centered Home (Deuteronomy 11:19)
The believer’s home is a Christ-centered home; a place where the Word of God is honored, read and known. “Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road as you lie down, and as you get up” (Deuteronomy... »
Me and My House (Joshua 24:15)
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” The Christ-Centered Home: Many times evangelists and preachers give up the comforts of their own homes. I may be asked to do this or to aid by hospitality in my home those who may have to give up this comfort. It is for others... »
These Stones (Joshua 4:6)
“That this may be a sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in time to come saying what mean ye by these stones?” One lady told me that there are three most wonderful things in life. One getting saved, two getting married, three having a child….then seeing your child get saved, married... »
Strength in the Day of Battle (Daniel 11:32)
“The people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.” Do you want to do something great for God? The secret to finding victories, overcoming the enemies, is found in our personal relationship with God. Do we know Him? Is our relationship with Him so close that in the day of... »
Who am I? (Proverbs 13:10)
I live in your heart I’ve been there from the start I hold you down and keep you back In all your relations you experience lack. You cannot control me and when you try to Someone will notice and thence I grow inside you I make you ugly but you don’t know it You try to hide me but you always... »
Knowledge of the Holy One (Proverbs 9:10)
“The beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” What do we know? From Nature, we know of his power, design, detail, complexity. From History we know of his holiness in that he has been largely unknown, living apart from sinful men. History ... »
The Afflictions of Joseph (Amos 6:1,6)
“Woe to them that are at ease in Zion…they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph” At Easter we remember the Cross and the Resurrection. It is a traditional holiday, and the story of that last week of our Lord’s life is often times so familiar, that we tend to forget the importance and significance... »
A Prophet, A Dreamer, A Miracle Worker and God’s Word (Deuteronomy 12:32-13:4)
“Whatever thing I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it. If there arise in the midst of you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and he give you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder... »
The Shepherd’s Green Pastures (Psalm 23:2)
While the Lord promises this blessing of supplying all our needs (see Psalm 23:1), not all enjoy it. Sheep often wander looking for pastures they feel are greener, more enjoyable. We feel it best while the Shepherd knows it is not. Often in our times we work hard to obtain... »
The Lord is My Shepherd…I shall not want (Psalm 23:1)
The Lord of this Psalm is none other than Jehovah, the One who does not change, who is the eternal King of Kings, the creator and Author of all, the Savior, who saves people from their sins. This Lord is a Shepherd. But what does it mean to have the Lord... »
The Servant’s Secret (Psalm 119:23)
Though rulers plot and slander me, your servant meditates on your statutes (Psalm 119:23) What is a man to do when others plot his ruin? When others wish for his downfall or act in a way that will discourage him or even cause him to give up? What is a man to do... »
The Faithfulness of God (Lamentations 3:23)
In our world it is hard to find people who remain faithful. Many relationships are ruined because of unfaithfulness. “A faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6). The Word of God teaches that God is faithful. It is part of his character (Isaiah 49:7; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians... »
The Crown of the Year (Psalm 65:11)
“You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths drip with abundance” Years are assessed for their value. We trace our steps back upon the close of yet another season. There were good times…the difficult moments as well. Yet when we trust in God, His goodness is a crown on... »
The Foundation of the Home (Psalm 127:1)
“Unless the Lord builds the House, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalm 127:1) If you were to ask me what is important in establishing a home, I would answer first with conviction as to what is not a home for me. It’s not my home…the glittering lights of Hollywood; the illustrious... »
Birth Pains and Revival (Isaiah 53:11)
“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied.” While listening to a sermon by Henry Blackaby on repentance, his words about revival and redemption requiring pain really struck me. We have encountered many frustrations in our ministry, many of which were unexpected. There have been countless disappointments along the way. ... »
Think Carefully of Your Home (Haggai 1:4-5)
“Is it right for you to live in richly paneled houses (luxurious, well built houses) while my temple is in ruins?…think carefully about what you are doing.” (NET Version) In Haggai’s day, the Lord’s people cared more for their own houses than for the house of the Lord. They lived in well-built,... »
False Teachers and the Word of God (Isaiah 8:20)
“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Today you can hear many who claim that God speaks through dreams, visions, and even directly to them or through angels who God has sent to guide... »