Of the 66 books in the Bible, which book should Christians know the best and study the most? That’s a hard question and the answer varies, perhaps, to each individual Christian. But, the book of Acts is such a key book to Christianity, for it shows the inception and the early years of the religion of Jesus Christ on this earth. There…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 45)
Only two chapters in the Bible have more verses than the twenty-eighth chapter of Deuteronomy (i.e., Numbers 7 and Psalm 119; 1 Kings 8 has more words but fewer verses). The length of the chapter should tell us something. Moses is about ready to die and he is laying out the “Blessings of Obedience” (in 14 verses) and the “Curses on Disobedience” (in 54…
There are certain people that you know exactly “what is pleasing” to them. For some it’s fresh flowers. Others like the solitude of holding a fishing pole on a quiet lake. For many it’s a trip through the Starbucks drive-thru. But what is it that is a “delight” to God? Or, as the Hebrew word is defined, what “is pleasing” to God? Perhaps multiple answers could be…
Sometimes students will complain that they “deserve a better grade.” Sometimes employees will argue that they “deserve a raise.” Sometimes children will claim that they “deserve a treat.” The word deserve means “to do something or have or show qualities worthy of reward or punishment.” Sometimes people get what they deserve. Sometimes people get what they don’t deserve. Let’s consider two monumental…
Have you ever seen a fellow Christian have a particular need and deflected your eyes away and thought, “Not my problem! Someone else can deal with this. I’ve got other things to do”? Is that a big deal? Consider first these instructions to the Jews long ago. “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them…You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his…
Did you ever loan someone some money, and then you wondered if you would ever get paid back? Do you think that God would be good at paying someone back? There is some interesting terminology to that effect in Colossians 3. Read it carefully: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord…
Every parent (and probably every teacher) knows what this is like. You tell your kid to do something and the immediate response is something like, “Ok, but first I’m going to do this other thing.” What’s going on in that response? “This other thing” has taken priority over whatever the child has been instructed to do. The child thinks he/she knows better…
The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, was so egotistical that he thought that he was all-powerful and could wield his authority to coerce anyone to do anything that he wanted. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego did not bow down to him or his image, the king threatened to throw them “into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” And then he asked this sneering question, “Who…