Browsing Tag:

Context

In 1 Samuel, Bible Study, Blog on
November 7, 2023

Divine Regret

Have you ever been reading the Bible and come across something that appears to contradict what it says elsewhere? Have you ever discovered a verse that seems completely antithetical to what you’ve been taught by pastors and other teachers at your church?

This is not all that uncommon. There are many areas of Scripture that can be confusing and may seem at first glance to be in direct opposition of other Scripture passages. One particular place is 1 Samuel 15, where God declares that he regrets making Saul king.

But is it truly possible for God to regret something? After all, isn’t He all-knowing? Isn’t He sovereign over everything that happens in the universe? Doesn’t the Bible tell us that God can never change?

To answer these questions and gain clarity on the real meaning of 1 Samuel 15, we must examine the biblical context.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Book Reviews on
July 31, 2022

Literarily

As you can probably tell from the dozens of book reviews I have written, I love to read, and reading has been one of my favorite hobbies ever since I was a child. I like to read all kinds of different books, from Christian living and theology to classic fiction and mystery, from nonfiction and memoir to dystopian and romantic suspense.

I read different types or genres of books for different reasons. If I want to grow in a particular area of my faith, I’ll pick up a Christian living book. If I want to read something engaging and entertaining, I’ll grab a fun novel. If I want to learn about something in culture or politics, I’ll choose some nonfiction. And if I’m looking for an easy, comfort read, I’ll turn to a book I’ve read many times before.

Every book genre is different from the others, and they each have a particular style and purpose. And it’s the same with the Bible. The Bible is one book, but it contains several different genres with completely different styles, tones, and features. As Kristie Anyabwile argues in her new book, Literarily, knowing the genre of each biblical book is the only way we can truly understand the messages of the Scriptures.

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Self-Help on
August 9, 2021

Getting Over Yourself

There’s a new kind of gospel being spread amongst the western Church today. This gospel is a very me-centered gospel, one that is focused on MY dreams and MY destiny. It tells you that God has something greater for YOU, YOU have untapped potential, God has a vision for YOUR life. Those who preach this say that God is turning YOUR setback into a comeback and that the best is yet to come for YOU.[1] This message is very hyper-focused on the self, and it is incredibly anti-gospel. It could be described as a “self-help” or “new prosperity” gospel, and pastor Dean Inserra exposes this false gospel in his new book, Getting Over Yourself.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Jeremiah on
July 26, 2021

Plans to Prosper

I am a big Disney fan. I love watching animated Disney films, listening to Disney movie soundtracks, and going to Walt Disney Word. One of the best parts of Disney movies are the sidekicks. Pascal from Tangled, Olaf from Frozen, and Mushu from Mulan are just a few of my favorites. But we, as believers, run into a problem when we begin to treat God like a Disney sidekick.

What does it mean to treat God like a Disney sidekick? We can think of Him as our very own Fairy Godmother, who instead of giving us a big blue gown and a pumpkin carriage, will give us perfect health, a dream job, or a new relationship. We can think that if we pray hard, do good Christian things, and rub the lamp in just the right way, God will be like our genie, whose wish is our command. We can think that if we wish upon a star and have enough faith all our dreams will come true, just like Jiminy Cricket sang.

We treat God like a Disney sidekick when we begin to see Him as someone whose sole purpose is to give us good things. And while God does certainly give us good things, He does not promise or guarantee that we should or will receive certain things in our lives. This belief is rooted in a misinterpretation of scriptures like Jeremiah 29:11.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Philippians on
May 3, 2021

All Things Through Christ

One of the most popular and well-known Bible verses is Philippians 4:13. It’s a particular favorite of many Christian athletes, and it appears on numerous Christian Instagram bios. But Philippians 4:13 is also one of the most misused and abused verses of the Bible. Christians often take it out of context and use it in a way that attempts to manipulate God’s power to serve their own wants and desires. But when we look at the context of this popular and misused Bible verse, we will see that its true message is far more comforting and encouraging.

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