Understand the Word of God In the letter Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus he tells them to put on spiritual armor. Included in his list of gear is only one offensive item: “the sword of the Spirit,” which he says is the word of God. Many people understand this as a reference to […]
Celebrate Scripture On an almost daily basis, I’ve spent my life reading and studying the Bible. However, I don’t see the Bible as a rulebook for righteous living or a manual for the faithful to follow, but as a spiritual narrative to illuminate my journey with God through life. Here are ten reasons why the […]
Read Through the Old Testament by Investing a Few Minutes a Day The Old Testament reading plan Bible guide is now available. By reading about 10 to 12 minutes a day, an average adult reader can cover the entire Old Testament of the Bible in one year. The schedule, however, does not make people read […]
The Best Online Scripture Resourse I’m taking a one-week break in my posts about women in the Bible to talk about a good friend who just had a facelift. I didn’t know this was coming and was shocked when I saw the results. Hardly a recognizable feature remained. In fact, I panicked: something’s wrong! Even […]
In my post “What I Learned From The Great Divorce,” I shared three levels of spiritual understanding for a book: reading it, seeing it preformed, and discussing it afterward. These have parallels to our spiritual journey. 1. Read I was intrigued when I read C. S. Lewis’s The Great Divorce. However, my primary reaction was […]
Don’t Add to or Subtract From Scripture Most people who read the Bible are careful—or so they claim—not to add anything to God’s written word or to take anything away from it. They read the Bible with care. A commonly cited verse to support this practice is Revelation 22:18-19, which pronounces plagues for those who […]
Those who follow Jesus often concentrate on the part of the Bible that focuses on his life and his disciples’ work. But neglecting the Old Testament lessens the depth of our appreciation for who he is and what he did. It was likely St. Augustine who said, “The New Testament is in the Old concealed; […]
Just as I have favorite books in the Bible, I also have a few I struggle with. You’ll likely agree with some on my list, but others may surprise. But just because they are not my favorites one, doesn’t mean I don’t read, study, and write about them! My least favorite books of the Bible […]
The Protestant Bible contains 66 books, while the Catholic Bible adds seven more. I’ve read them all, seeing value in each one. But I like some more than others. Here are my top ten books of the Bible: 1. Luke was a doctor and the only non-Jewish author in the New Testament. He writes as […]
In the post “Hear God” we looked at Jesus’ instruction to “hear the word of God and obey it.” “Hear the word of God” is usually understood to mean “read the Bible,” but it might be more correct to comprehend it as meaning “listen to the Holy Spirit.” Regardless, the concluding part, to “obey,” is […]