-I will make you into a great nation.-I will bless you.-I will make your name great.-I will make you a blessing to others.-I will bless those who bless you.-I will curse those who curse you.-I will bless all the people on earth through you. Eight times God said I will. There was only one requirement necessary to set these promises of God in motion.

The Psalms were poems set to music, highlighting the different abilities of the poet and the musician. In Exodus, God states that He selected one man to be a metal-worker for the tabernacle, as well as empowered Him to teach others to do the same; “Then Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, so

He was chosen by God and commissioned. None of the disciples appointed themselves. He commissioned them and gave them specific instructions (Matthew 28:16-20). Here Jesus says “All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.: Tea

Through the Eyes of Mary People often don't appreciate how Mary, the teenager hand-selected by God to be the mother of Jesus, was a hero we can all learn from. If fact, Mary's courage in the face of her God-given mission shows us how much God is with us in every circumstance. If Mary made it through the challenge set before her, so can you!The peop

What Does Redemption Mean? To redeem something, that object must be cleared or taken back. In the secular world, people redeem coupons, rebates, and promises. Unlike a normal transaction, there is an implication that something was owed beforehand, as opposed to walking into a store and making an immediate exchange.Merriam-Webster offers the followi

It is clear from the narrative that God ordered the Israelites to take the land. He gave it into their hands. It is God who is given credit for the fall of Jericho. As much as it might help our comfort, we cannot remove God from the story of the destruction of the Canaanites. But what do we do with this story?John H. Walton in his excellent book Th

God wants us to believe in his faithfulness too. It may not be how we like, but He will come through. God rewarded Caleb and Joshua for their faith. He desires to bless his children. No matter what may be standing in our way, God wants us to believe he is more powerful and through his strength, we can overcome.God is bigger than our giants.We have

“Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense” (Luke 1:8-9).2. Casting lots for Jesus’ garments“’Let’s not tear it,’ they said to one another. ‘Let’s decide by lot who will get it.’This happened

What Does the Title “Man of Sorrows” Teach Us about the Character of God?Seeing the Lord of all things called the man of sorrows is a reminder of God’s care, and our ability to harm Him by our wicked thoughts, actions, and feelings. There are many verses which remind us that God can be grieved:Ephesians 4:30 “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of Go

What is most startling about Isaiah’s words is that he mentions Cyrus by name, again some 150 years before Cyrus would come to power.Why would God do this? Why mention a pagan king by name over a century before the king would come to power?Israel’s chief sin was to repeatedly enter into idolatry—they wandered from the true, living God of Israel and

1. Create a Space for Reading Your Bible Some people find it easier to read under certain conditions. Some of them prefer to be in dark corners with overhead light, or others in a window with full natural light. Creating a personalized space with your favorite chair and good light that you want to spend time in can make reading the Bible a treat.Th

What Does the Bible Say about Gentleness? In the Scriptures gentleness is at times translated as meekness. In many languages, gentleness and meekness are equated with gentle speech. Teddy Roosevelt said he thought it wise to “speak softly and carry a big stick.” Gentleness for many is synonymous with being quiet spoken, a pushover, and weak. This i

When Is it Biblical to Disobey Leaders and Laws?Jason Soroski from Crosswalk shares, “As Christians, we are to live in a fine balance; standing for that which is true while seeking unity amongst ourselves whenever possible, standing firm in the faith while showing grace to those who do not, holding our leaders accountable while praying for their wi

Does Satan Have Power through Magic and the Supernatural?There is another very interesting and powerful story of the supernatural which we read from 1 Samuel, and it concerns King Saul. In an effort to see into the future to attain information about an upcoming battle, he consults a witch. We read:“Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman

God lamented putting Saul in power because of his rebellious spirit. Samuel soon told Saul that he would be replaced, and though the king begged forgiveness, Samuel was adamant about the prophecy. They parted ways that day, and did not see each other again. In time, God anointed David to become king, and Saul was killed in battle.Why Does The Lord

But we can ascertain that his descendants had earned a reputation. So much so that even though the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea and witnessed miracles in the wilderness, they didn't think they could face the descendants of Anak, many generations removed from the original Anak. We have to keep in mind that the genetic code of people corrupts o

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will send you out to fish for people.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, J

A portion of the book of Hebrews may be likened to a treatise on the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system, for it is grounded in them. What Hebrews adds, however, is the good news about Jesus! Through Jesus, we will receive our Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4:9), for He is our “Great High Priest who has passed through the heavens…who was in all poin

This was the very mission of Jesus.“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19).G

What Is the Kingdom of God? A kingdom is simply a territory that is ruled by a king. Therefore, the kingdom of God is territory that is ruled and controlled by God himself.When we think of kingdoms, we often think of physical territory. But you cannot apply that ideology to the kingdom of God because it goes beyond that. In our present state, the k