The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 18:4,11,19b,28, “Every Sabbath he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.”... “So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God."… “He [Paul] himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.”… “He [Apollos] vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.” In this chapter of Acts, we see that the method of evangelism employed by both Paul and Apollos was one of reasoning, and that from the Scriptures. In just this chapter alone the Scriptures are referred to four times. The Lord has provided our lives with purpose and meaning in his kingdom by employing us to further the gospel message and to build one another up. He has not left us without tools to do this with, as he has provided us his word. In this chapter I see two men and a married couple who were very effective in their work by reasoning from the Scriptures. The nature of the sacred library we call our Bible is a bit of a mystery to me, much as the dual nature of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God. Likewise, the Scriptures have their origin in a divinely crafted methodology. Peter puts it this way in 2 Peter 1:20-21, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Clearly our Bible is from God and he used the agency of man to bring it into written form. As I recognize the unique nature of Scripture as being inspired by God, I also recognize it is to be used as a tool to aid us in our evangelistic efforts and to build one another up. Just think of what it would be like if God had not provided us with this wonderful collection of inspired writings! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, September 18, 2026
Thursday, September 17, 2026
God Wants All! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 17:29-30, “Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” As Paul speaks to those at the Areopagus, he tells them that what they worshipped as something unknown, it is God who is the creator of the world and everything in it. And, where many had worshipped God as if he were made of gold, silver or stone and that in the past God overlooked such ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent. I note Paul says God commands all people everywhere - not some people in certain places. God wants us all to turn to him, to repent - every person. He wants us all! God has a big heart, a heart that encompasses all of mankind. The Bible says that God loves the whole world and everyone in it. He wants us all. As Paul speaks to Timothy about prayer in 1 Timothy 2:3-4, he says that this “pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” It is God’s will that all men be saved! He wants us all. Peter talks about the delay in Jesus Christ’s second coming. He says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9. God wants every man, woman and child to turn to him! He has a heart for all mankind! My point here isn’t to get into a quibble over theology but to recognize the wonderful heart of love our God has for all mankind. He has a big heart! He sent his Son to die a horrible death to purchase us from his own wrath for our sins! Not just for some, but for all! It is important to note, that as the Scriptures clearly point out, even though it is God’s will we all be saved, he has chosen, decided, that only those who will embrace him in faith will be saved. He has left it in our hands. He wants us all, but he will only take those who will have him. What a big, wonderful heart our God has for each and every one of us! Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you! If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
God's Love Of Mankind - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 17:26-28,
"From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’"
In Paul’s address to the Areopagus we see that throughout the history of mankind, God has been instrumental in mankind’s affairs with the objective that “men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him.”
In another place, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, we read, “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
And as that familiar passage says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son… ", John 3:16.
God loves man! In spite of our sin, in spite of our rebellion and going our own way, our God loves us!
What an inscrutable heart and what a wonderful heart our God has!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
God Maintains Us From Moment To Moment - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 17:24-28,
"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'"
This is part of the presentation that Paul made at the Areopagus in Athens as he spread the gospel message.
In it he makes some comments about God that tell us how very involved he is in our lives. “…he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else… he is not far from each one of us… ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’”
As a friend has reminded me from time to time, every breath I breathe is another expression of God’s grace.
I know intellectually that God has created me and everyone else. I know that he maintains the universe and keeps it all going from moment to moment… but how often I lose sight of how dependent I am on God, and that, but for him, I wouldn’t even exist!
He brought us into existence, he maintains all creation as he provides all we need for life, he has condemned us all to death for our sin, but has made a way through Jesus Christ for us to inherit eternal life!
How wonderful is our Creator God!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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Monday, September 14, 2026
God: Our Great Deliverer! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 16:14b,18b,25-26,34
“The Lord opened her [Lydia’s] heart to respond to Paul's message.” … “‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her [the fortune-telling slave girl].” … “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.” … ”The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.”
Paul and his companions (which included at a minimum, Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke) visited the city of Philippi on Paul’s second missionary trip. This is the city in which Paul planted a church that he would later send a letter to, the New Testament book we call “Philippians”.
In case you missed it, in this city, the theme of deliverance is acted out by the Lord in every activity that is recorded by Luke. Paul and Silas were delivered from incarceration in the Philippian jail and a servant girl is delivered from “a spirit” that enabled her owners to make money by fortune-telling. Lydia and her household are delivered from God’s judgment through the evangelistic efforts of Paul and company, as well as the Philippian jailor and his household.
God is our God of deliverance, he is our great deliverer! Enslaved to sin and the judgment it brings, living in a lost and fallen world our great God delivers us! Of our wonderful God, David says in Psalm 18:2, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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Friday, September 11, 2026
God Uses Fallible People In An Infallible Way - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 15:37-39a,
"Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company."
The apostles were anything but infallible. That may come as a surprise to some but here we see a disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. The two of them had decided on a second trip to visit the churches they had established on their first trip. Barnabas wanted to take Mark along again, but because Mark had abandoned them on their first trip, Paul refused to have him accompany them - so they parted company.
Although we certainly recognize Paul's credentials as Jesus' hand picked apostle to the Gentiles, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God...", Romans 1:1, we can't say the same thing for Barnabas. We do find, however, in the book of Acts, Barnabas is called "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith", Acts 11:24, and called an apostle, "when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this...", Acts 14:14. But, in any event, we see disagreement and fallibility within the apostolic ranks. (Not that it is my place - or that it makes any difference whatsoever, from what we know, I side with Barnabas. Paul later recognizes the wonderful qualities that Mark contributed to ministry that apparently required time to develop. He tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.")
Another example is the dispute Paul had with Peter over Peter's attitude on an occasion toward Gentile believers. "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong", Galatians 2:11.
Here is the amazing thing I find in this: God is able to take fallible people such as Paul, Barnabas, Peter, etc. and do incredible, infallible things with them. It was with fallible people that the Holy Spirit produced infallible Scriptures. It was within fallible people that the early church was able recognize apostolic authority because God was working in and through them.
I am reminded yet again of Peter's words in 2 Peter 1:20-21, that God is able to carry along imperfect people and do perfect things. And although we have no apostles on the scene today, God still uses fallible people just like us to carry out the wonderful things he does.
Fascinating, isn't it?!
The apostles were anything but infallible. That may come as a surprise to some but here we see a disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. The two of them had decided on a second trip to visit the churches they had established on their first trip. Barnabas wanted to take Mark along again, but because Mark had abandoned them on their first trip, Paul refused to have him accompany them - so they parted company.
Although we certainly recognize Paul's credentials as Jesus' hand picked apostle to the Gentiles, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God...", Romans 1:1, we can't say the same thing for Barnabas. We do find, however, in the book of Acts, Barnabas is called "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith", Acts 11:24, and called an apostle, "when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this...", Acts 14:14. But, in any event, we see disagreement and fallibility within the apostolic ranks. (Not that it is my place - or that it makes any difference whatsoever, from what we know, I side with Barnabas. Paul later recognizes the wonderful qualities that Mark contributed to ministry that apparently required time to develop. He tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.")
Another example is the dispute Paul had with Peter over Peter's attitude on an occasion toward Gentile believers. "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong", Galatians 2:11.
Here is the amazing thing I find in this: God is able to take fallible people such as Paul, Barnabas, Peter, etc. and do incredible, infallible things with them. It was with fallible people that the Holy Spirit produced infallible Scriptures. It was within fallible people that the early church was able recognize apostolic authority because God was working in and through them.
I am reminded yet again of Peter's words in 2 Peter 1:20-21, that God is able to carry along imperfect people and do perfect things. And although we have no apostles on the scene today, God still uses fallible people just like us to carry out the wonderful things he does.
Fascinating, isn't it?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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Thursday, September 10, 2026
An Example Of "Binding and Loosing" - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 15:28-29,
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.”
The council of Jerusalem met to discuss a dispute between Paul (with Barnabas) and Christian Pharisees who had come to Antioch from Judea. The dispute was over whether Gentiles should be required to obey the law of Moses.
This was an important event for the early church and has had its impact on the church throughout its history. The conclusion of the matter was that the Gentiles did not have to keep Torah, and were not required to be circumcised. In other words, the Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism in order to become followers of Jesus Christ.
However, to facilitate the fellowship of believers that were composed of both Jews and now Gentiles, the four restrictions in this passage provided for some much needed harmony. Yes, the Gentiles did not have to obey that which provided the foundation for Jewish life and custom (the Torah), however, the apostles and elders of the church decided that this freedom should be tempered with these restrictions to enable the fellowship of the two groups. The freedoms of all in the fellowship should not be cause for culturally offensive behavior by anyone.
James says that this solution seemed good to both the Holy Spirit and "to us". To me, this is a great example of what is meant by the "binding" and "loosing" we read of in Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18. Some have misinterpreted these words as applying to the exorcism and commanding of evil spirits. This is not the case and misses the historical context Jesus taught in. Rabbinic formulations of binding and loosing in the cultural context of Jesus' day is the backdrop of Jesus' words as he spoke of the activity of the new institution he was going to usher in, the church. In the teaching of the Rabbis relative to morals and lifestyle, "binding" was that which was forbidden, and "loosing" was that which was permitted.
In Acts 15, the loosing: believers would not be required to observe Jewish life and customs derived from the law given to Moses. The binding: in order to facilitate both Jews and Gentiles in a common fellowship, these four restrictions were to be observed.
In regard to law keeping, Paul tells us in Romans 7:6, “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” He goes on to use the example of the tenth commandment, “Do not covet”, to explain himself.
There are plenty of things the Lord could require of us as believers. In providing us with justification he could certainly turn and ask us to live by the law he gave Moses or any of a number of things to conform to a lifestyle that might reflect our covenant relationship with him.
But as Jesus taught, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.
Our relationship with Jesus Christ is not reflected in law-keeping but in following the Holy Spirit, demonstrating that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9.
Jesus has done all the work. He offered himself as a sacrifice of atonement on the cross. I don’t know about you, but I find this to be a wonderful reality.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
but every fool is quick to quarrel." Proverbs 20:3
but every fool is quick to quarrel." Proverbs 20:3
Wednesday, September 9, 2026
God Provides Us His Word On Things - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 15:28-29,
“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”
This passage is the conclusion of a letter drafted by the Jerusalem council when they met to consider the issue of whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.
The letter, sent to Antioch and accompanied by Judas and Silas, provided the decision of the council, and in it the leaders provided the credentials behind the decision. In addition to apostolic authority and the wise counsel of elders, the letter acknowledges God himself: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…”!
To me, one of the wonderful things of God is that he provides us with the stamp of his own authority that we not find ourselves cast about in a sea of uncertainty. The whole concept of a divine library, a collection of written works that are recognized as authoritative, the Bible, ensures we can know without confusion what is true and what our Creator has to say.
Where some may struggle with the notion of divinely authoritative literature, many of us find within its pages illumination of God’s revelation of himself and his very own counsel! As Peter points out, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21.
It is with this very authority that the Jerusalem council rendered its decision and reflects this wonderful aspect of God’s choice to provide us with his word on things!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2026
Never A Dull Moment With God! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:26-27,
“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”
Here we have the conclusion of the first mission Paul and Barnabas undertook. They were assigned to the task by the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:2, committed to the work by the grace of God, 14:26, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:4, and had their message of salvation confirmed by the Lord who enabled them to do “miraculous signs and wonders”, Acts 14:3.
Paul and Barnabas encountered opposition from a sorcerer on the island of Cyprus, Acts 13:8, they were abandoned by Mark, their helper, in Perga, Acts 13:13, they encountered opposition from the Jews in Pisidian Antioch who were jealous of them, Acts 13:45. They also encountered persecution from the “God-fearing women of high standing” in that same city and were expelled, Acts 13:50. They encountered opposition from the Jews in Iconium who poisoned the people's minds against Paul and Barnabas and developed a plot to mistreat and stone them, Acts 14:2-5. In Lystra Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and stoned Paul.
Also on this trip we find that Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel wherever they went. On Cyprus, Acts 13:5, the proconsul believed their message. Many Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism followed them in Pisidian Antioch, Acts 13:43, where Gentiles believed, Acts 13:48. The gospel message spread throughout the region of Pisidian and we are told the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:52. In Iconium a “great number” of Jews and Gentiles believed. In Derbe Paul and Barnabas “won a large number of disciples”, Acts 14:21, and when they returned to Antioch they were able to report all that God had done through them and how “he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, Acts 14:27.
From this account we find their trip was anything but uneventful. God was with Paul and Barnabas and astonishing things happened. Both horrible as well as wonderful things happened. Their mission was productive and fruitful as well as painful. They told the folks in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”, Acts 14:22.
The account of this trip reflects so much of what I see about God as revealed throughout Scripture. When God moves, all kinds of things happen – incredible things. It seems as though there is never a dull moment.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Monday, September 7, 2026
God's Kindness Speaks Of His Existence - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:15b-17,
“We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
As Paul and Barnabas preached the good news to the folks in Lystra, they pointed out something all can relate to. Life itself is evidence that God exists. The blessings people have as seen in the weather that makes food crops possible speaks to the existence of God and demonstrates his kindness.
God is the source of the food we eat and the source of the joy we experience. That which is good in life, that which we consider to be blessing speaks to God’s very existence and his kindness toward mankind.
Although mankind is not worthy of the kindness of God – only worthy of his wrath for sin and rebellion against him - he nevertheless leaves his fingerprints in the world on those things we enjoy in life.
For those who try hard at not finding evidence of God’s existence, there is much they have to look past. For those who do not believe in God, one day they will find that God doesn’t believe in them either (their delusion that is), as he has provided them plenty to consider. Not that he has had to… but in that he has, he further expresses his kindness to mankind.
As Paul and Barnabas preached the good news to the folks in Lystra, they pointed out something all can relate to. Life itself is evidence that God exists. The blessings people have as seen in the weather that makes food crops possible speaks to the existence of God and demonstrates his kindness.
God is the source of the food we eat and the source of the joy we experience. That which is good in life, that which we consider to be blessing speaks to God’s very existence and his kindness toward mankind.
Although mankind is not worthy of the kindness of God – only worthy of his wrath for sin and rebellion against him - he nevertheless leaves his fingerprints in the world on those things we enjoy in life.
For those who try hard at not finding evidence of God’s existence, there is much they have to look past. For those who do not believe in God, one day they will find that God doesn’t believe in them either (their delusion that is), as he has provided them plenty to consider. Not that he has had to… but in that he has, he further expresses his kindness to mankind.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, September 4, 2026
The Hand Of God: Excitement And Astonishment - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:1-3,
“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”
There are those these days who mistakenly believe that during the apostolic days of the book of Acts, Paul, Peter and other apostles and disciples were able to perform miracles and healings whenever they wanted. In their attempts to mimic a misperception they have of the miraculous within the early church by the Holy Spirit, they betray a lack of understanding in this regard of the Scriptures.
Consider the case of Epaphroditus in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Paul felt a great anxiety that Epaphroditus might die in his illness as he served Paul as a gift from the church in Philippi. What was the cause of Paul’s anxiety? That Epaphroditus might die in service to the work of Christ by meeting Paul’s needs. It wasn’t that Epaphroditus lacked faith or had sin in his life, as is often offered as reasons why someone may not receive a healing these days. Paul holds him up as an example to the church: “honor men like him”, Philippians 2:29. The account can be read in Philippians 2:25-30.
Then there is Timothy who suffered “frequent illnesses”, 1 Timothy 5:23. Paul advised him to look to the medicinal qualities of “a little wine”. I’m certain if Paul had the ability to heal whenever he wanted, he certainly would have healed Timothy.
We read of James encouraging those who are sick to call the elders - not to a “healing service” but to prayer. We see the Holy Spirit performing miracles through the apostles and disciples at certain times and not at others.
What is my point here? As we read of Paul and Barnabas in this passage, Peter and John in Acts 3 and of other healings and miracles that took place in the book of Acts, I think we lose an important perspective of the activity of the Holy Spirit and the great faith of these early believers if we simply assume that there was something of a blanket enablement by the Holy Spirit to perform such deeds. As I read these accounts, I sense these wonderful folks of God might have woken up each morning not knowing what to expect that day. They lived their lives on the edge, not knowing what might happen from day to day.
I don’t think there was anything automatic, assumed or expected in those early days relative to miracles and healings as the gospel advanced. I suspect Paul, Barnabas, Peter and others were just as astounded and excited as anyone when these special events took place.
When God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, invaded planet Earth and confirmed the gospel message as the disciples took it to the world, it was just as exciting and fresh to them as it would be today.
How can anyone not be excited and astonished to see the hand of God reach out and act in a very visible way in our presence at any point in time?
There are those these days who mistakenly believe that during the apostolic days of the book of Acts, Paul, Peter and other apostles and disciples were able to perform miracles and healings whenever they wanted. In their attempts to mimic a misperception they have of the miraculous within the early church by the Holy Spirit, they betray a lack of understanding in this regard of the Scriptures.
Consider the case of Epaphroditus in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Paul felt a great anxiety that Epaphroditus might die in his illness as he served Paul as a gift from the church in Philippi. What was the cause of Paul’s anxiety? That Epaphroditus might die in service to the work of Christ by meeting Paul’s needs. It wasn’t that Epaphroditus lacked faith or had sin in his life, as is often offered as reasons why someone may not receive a healing these days. Paul holds him up as an example to the church: “honor men like him”, Philippians 2:29. The account can be read in Philippians 2:25-30.
Then there is Timothy who suffered “frequent illnesses”, 1 Timothy 5:23. Paul advised him to look to the medicinal qualities of “a little wine”. I’m certain if Paul had the ability to heal whenever he wanted, he certainly would have healed Timothy.
We read of James encouraging those who are sick to call the elders - not to a “healing service” but to prayer. We see the Holy Spirit performing miracles through the apostles and disciples at certain times and not at others.
What is my point here? As we read of Paul and Barnabas in this passage, Peter and John in Acts 3 and of other healings and miracles that took place in the book of Acts, I think we lose an important perspective of the activity of the Holy Spirit and the great faith of these early believers if we simply assume that there was something of a blanket enablement by the Holy Spirit to perform such deeds. As I read these accounts, I sense these wonderful folks of God might have woken up each morning not knowing what to expect that day. They lived their lives on the edge, not knowing what might happen from day to day.
I don’t think there was anything automatic, assumed or expected in those early days relative to miracles and healings as the gospel advanced. I suspect Paul, Barnabas, Peter and others were just as astounded and excited as anyone when these special events took place.
When God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, invaded planet Earth and confirmed the gospel message as the disciples took it to the world, it was just as exciting and fresh to them as it would be today.
How can anyone not be excited and astonished to see the hand of God reach out and act in a very visible way in our presence at any point in time?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Thursday, September 3, 2026
God Gives Us Free Will (And A Lot Of Responsibility!) - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:1-2,
“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”
There is an underlying truth in these verses about the way God has wired us that is quite sobering to me. It is that God has given each of us a free will. In these two verses we see people who have exercised their own volition to bring about two very different outcomes of many people.
As I think of salvation, I think of that which determines the destiny of each one of us. Will we spend an eternity in the agonizing torment of the Lake of Fire or will we enter into the resurrection of life and spend an eternity in the endless pleasures of enjoying our Lord God and all he has created us for?
As Paul and Barnabas take the gospel message to Iconium, this is what lies in the balance for each of the individuals they had the opportunity to reach. I recognize that God gifted Paul and Barnabas with those things that would enable them to take the gospel to previously un-reached regions and that the Holy Spirit himself commissioned Paul and Barnabas to just this task at hand. But there is something to notice in this passage.
We are told that there were “a great number of Jews and Gentiles” that believed the message that Paul and Barnabas brought. The cause for it, according to Acts 14:1, was that Paul and Barnabas “spoke so effectively”. Certainly this is an exercise of the gifts the Holy Spirit had endowed them with, but just as certain was the willingness and effort these two men took in order to speak effectively.
Just because we are gifted by God to serve him with the work he wants us to do does not mean it happens automatically, or that we will even comply with what God wants done. This is why Peter exhorts his readers to use the gifts given them to serve others, 1 Peter 4:10. Why exhort readers to use the gifts they have received from God unless a choice needs to be made to do so? I see a wonderful coming together of the Holy Spirit and the commitment of two godly men that result in the saving of many in Iconium. While other disciples might be discussing theology in the coffee shop, Paul and Barnabas are out making things happen for the Kingdom of God because they made a choice to do so.
Another thing I notice is the opposition to Paul and Barnabas by those “who refused to believe”. They made their choice and the text could not be clearer. They themselves refused to believe. They were culpable for the choice they made. It was not made for them. They made a conscious decision to refuse the gospel message.
Free will is an awesome thing. With it we can serve our God and participate with him in the change of outcomes of many: from eternal damnation to eternal life. Also with it, we can refuse our God and suffer the consequences that such a horrific choice will certainly bring, and possibly influence others to do so as well.
God has given us a wonderful thing in providing us with free will. But, as I say, how sobering it is to consider the responsibility and eternal destiny that flows from the exercise of it.
There is an underlying truth in these verses about the way God has wired us that is quite sobering to me. It is that God has given each of us a free will. In these two verses we see people who have exercised their own volition to bring about two very different outcomes of many people.
As I think of salvation, I think of that which determines the destiny of each one of us. Will we spend an eternity in the agonizing torment of the Lake of Fire or will we enter into the resurrection of life and spend an eternity in the endless pleasures of enjoying our Lord God and all he has created us for?
As Paul and Barnabas take the gospel message to Iconium, this is what lies in the balance for each of the individuals they had the opportunity to reach. I recognize that God gifted Paul and Barnabas with those things that would enable them to take the gospel to previously un-reached regions and that the Holy Spirit himself commissioned Paul and Barnabas to just this task at hand. But there is something to notice in this passage.
We are told that there were “a great number of Jews and Gentiles” that believed the message that Paul and Barnabas brought. The cause for it, according to Acts 14:1, was that Paul and Barnabas “spoke so effectively”. Certainly this is an exercise of the gifts the Holy Spirit had endowed them with, but just as certain was the willingness and effort these two men took in order to speak effectively.
Just because we are gifted by God to serve him with the work he wants us to do does not mean it happens automatically, or that we will even comply with what God wants done. This is why Peter exhorts his readers to use the gifts given them to serve others, 1 Peter 4:10. Why exhort readers to use the gifts they have received from God unless a choice needs to be made to do so? I see a wonderful coming together of the Holy Spirit and the commitment of two godly men that result in the saving of many in Iconium. While other disciples might be discussing theology in the coffee shop, Paul and Barnabas are out making things happen for the Kingdom of God because they made a choice to do so.
Another thing I notice is the opposition to Paul and Barnabas by those “who refused to believe”. They made their choice and the text could not be clearer. They themselves refused to believe. They were culpable for the choice they made. It was not made for them. They made a conscious decision to refuse the gospel message.
Free will is an awesome thing. With it we can serve our God and participate with him in the change of outcomes of many: from eternal damnation to eternal life. Also with it, we can refuse our God and suffer the consequences that such a horrific choice will certainly bring, and possibly influence others to do so as well.
God has given us a wonderful thing in providing us with free will. But, as I say, how sobering it is to consider the responsibility and eternal destiny that flows from the exercise of it.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Complete Forgiveness Through Jesus Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:38-39,
“I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.”
It is the law that condemns us to an eternity in hell. God gave the law through Moses and it shows us how unlike God we are, as it expresses the nature and character of God.
Jesus taught us how to apply the law to our lives in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:21-22 we read that, let alone murder, anger toward our brother is enough to cast us into the “fire of hell”. He told us if we have looked at a woman “lustfully” we have already committed adultery with her in our heart, Matthew 5: 27-28.
In Matthew 5:17-18 Jesus said that he had not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it and that nothing will be taken away from the Law until “everything is accomplished”. This leaves us all condemned to an eternity in hell.
That is the bad news.
But the good news, the gospel, is that through Jesus Christ we will be forgiven for “everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses”.
All of us who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith will be forgiven of all the sins we have ever committed. Every thought, every feeling, every word, every action that has violated the Law will be forgiven.
Every man, every woman and every child who has come into the world stands condemned before our holy and righteous God. But, because of our wonderful Savior, who has paid the price for all of our sins, we now have a certain future of eternal blessings.
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.” John 5:24-27.
Just how wonderful is that?!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
God's Boundless Love Makes Forgiveness Possible! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:38-39,
"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses."
When Paul and Barnabas got to Pisidian Antioch they went to the synagogue and proclaimed the gospel to the folks there.
At the heart of his message, as always, was his point that through Jesus Christ the forgiveness of sins is available by faith (alone). Earning forgiveness by serving God by the law will never bring justification.
As the judge of all creation, God’s justice always prevails, and we all face a certain fate of eternal death because of sin.
But now, through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, we have forgiveness of sins for everyone who embraces him in faith.
How remarkable that God would choose to send his Son to take our punishment! What a boundless love that is expressed here!
Today I worship our God of boundless love that has provided us believers forgiveness of sins and eternal life with him!
When Paul and Barnabas got to Pisidian Antioch they went to the synagogue and proclaimed the gospel to the folks there.
At the heart of his message, as always, was his point that through Jesus Christ the forgiveness of sins is available by faith (alone). Earning forgiveness by serving God by the law will never bring justification.
As the judge of all creation, God’s justice always prevails, and we all face a certain fate of eternal death because of sin.
But now, through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross, we have forgiveness of sins for everyone who embraces him in faith.
How remarkable that God would choose to send his Son to take our punishment! What a boundless love that is expressed here!
Today I worship our God of boundless love that has provided us believers forgiveness of sins and eternal life with him!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Monday, August 31, 2026
God Always Fulfills His Promises! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:32-33,
“We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.’”
As Paul addressed the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, he related the gospel message with a truth about God that has withstood the test of all mankind’s entire experience: “What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled…”!
Faith is predicated on the notion of fulfilled promise. Will our Creator do what he says he wil dol? The answer to that question is as certain as our very existence itself: what God promises, he will do. He told Adam and Eve, if they ate from the tree in the garden they would die. He promised to send his Savior to the world and he did. God has made promises, and he always, without fail, thoroughly fulfills every one of them!
The basis of our salvation is faith. Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, Romans 4:3, 4:9, 4:22, Galatians 3:6. Paul brings this out clearly in Romans 4:19-22, “Without weakening in his faith, he [Abraham] faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why ‘it was credited to him as righteousness.’”
Just as Abraham’s faith in God’s promises was rewarded, so is ours today, as Paul goes on to explain in Romans 4:23-24, “The words ‘it was credited to him’ were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
Nothing in all of life is more certain than the fulfilled promises of God!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, August 28, 2026
The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ Authenticates Who He Is! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:30-33a,
“God raised him [Jesus Christ] from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people. We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus.”
Here is an astonishing message! Jesus has been raised from the dead!
As Paul preaches to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, he tells them Jesus is the Savior that God had promised the patriarchs of Israel centuries earlier!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ authenticates all God has said and all Jesus taught while he was here. Whatever we learn from our Bibles is true and authoritative, as God has demonstrated to all men that Jesus Christ is exactly who he said he was when he was here - by raising him from the dead.
Our belief in this truth brings us salvation. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:11. Our sins are forgiven and we will be raised from the dead as well!
As we read of all of the blessings that are ours through our embracing Jesus Christ in faith, and of the horrific judgment for those who reject God’s one and only Savior, we best heed what is said! “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.
No Muhammad, no Joseph Smith, no other individual who has ever asserted himself as someone of importance has this authentication.
Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone has been raised from the dead, never to die again!
“I [Jesus Christ] am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
Here is an astonishing message! Jesus has been raised from the dead!
As Paul preaches to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, he tells them Jesus is the Savior that God had promised the patriarchs of Israel centuries earlier!
The resurrection of Jesus Christ authenticates all God has said and all Jesus taught while he was here. Whatever we learn from our Bibles is true and authoritative, as God has demonstrated to all men that Jesus Christ is exactly who he said he was when he was here - by raising him from the dead.
Our belief in this truth brings us salvation. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9. "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you." Romans 8:11. Our sins are forgiven and we will be raised from the dead as well!
As we read of all of the blessings that are ours through our embracing Jesus Christ in faith, and of the horrific judgment for those who reject God’s one and only Savior, we best heed what is said! “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24.
No Muhammad, no Joseph Smith, no other individual who has ever asserted himself as someone of importance has this authentication.
Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone has been raised from the dead, never to die again!
“I [Jesus Christ] am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Thursday, August 27, 2026
God Can Use Even Our Worst Impulses For His Purposes! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:27-31,
“The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.”
It is amazing to me how it is that God can use even the sinful impulses of mankind to carry out his purposes. God sent his Son into the world to provide a sacrifice to pay for the sins of all mankind.
Paul tells us in Romans 3:25, “God presented him [Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”
John tells us in 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
And Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Also, in Luke 19:10 Jesus simply says, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
For those unfamiliar with their Bibles, Jesus saves us from God’s wrath, his judgment of our sins, (and every soul that has lived has sinned.) He died in our place, to take the punishment due us onto himself.
As Paul spoke to the people of Pisidian Antioch, he noted that it was the failure of the people and rulers of Jerusalem to recognize God’s Son, so far removed from God they were, that in their jealousy and hostility to the One sent from God, they asked Pilate to put him to death. Without grounds for a death sentence, they demanded that Jesus be put to death, so great was their murderous hostility. In this, God used these sinful impulses of man to bring about his own agenda, something far beyond the small-minded purposes of sinful man: in God’s great love he brought about redemption for them!
The transcendence of God is something to behold! Nothing any of us can come up with is beyond our Creator’s ability to manipulate and/or use for his own purposes!
As Paul articulates in his wonderful doxology of Romans 11:33-36, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
It is amazing to me how it is that God can use even the sinful impulses of mankind to carry out his purposes. God sent his Son into the world to provide a sacrifice to pay for the sins of all mankind.
Paul tells us in Romans 3:25, “God presented him [Jesus] as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”
John tells us in 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
And Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
Also, in Luke 19:10 Jesus simply says, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
For those unfamiliar with their Bibles, Jesus saves us from God’s wrath, his judgment of our sins, (and every soul that has lived has sinned.) He died in our place, to take the punishment due us onto himself.
As Paul spoke to the people of Pisidian Antioch, he noted that it was the failure of the people and rulers of Jerusalem to recognize God’s Son, so far removed from God they were, that in their jealousy and hostility to the One sent from God, they asked Pilate to put him to death. Without grounds for a death sentence, they demanded that Jesus be put to death, so great was their murderous hostility. In this, God used these sinful impulses of man to bring about his own agenda, something far beyond the small-minded purposes of sinful man: in God’s great love he brought about redemption for them!
The transcendence of God is something to behold! Nothing any of us can come up with is beyond our Creator’s ability to manipulate and/or use for his own purposes!
As Paul articulates in his wonderful doxology of Romans 11:33-36, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Wednesday, August 26, 2026
God Sends His Word To The World! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:5,
“When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.”
As I read of the beginning of Barnabas’ and Paul’s first missionary trip, I see that it was “the word of God” they proclaimed at their first port of call at Salamis on the island of Cyprus.
As we continue to read of the events that took place, it was the word of God that Paul and his team carried into new territories. The message they took was not the word of the church, the word of the denomination, the word of this or that new movement. It wasn’t the word of some new world religion or the latest teaching from some seminary or university. It was the word of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not the traditions developed or the doctrines hammered out at the epicenter of Antioch: It was the word of God himself.
In that town we are introduced to a “sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus”, Acts 13:6. Saul (Paul) and Barnabas were opposed by this man and Paul condemned him as a man who never stopped “perverting the right ways of the Lord.”
Not the ways of Paul and Barnabas and not the ways of the church in Antioch. Not the ways of the early New Testament church, not the ways of the circumcised believers nor the ways of the Gentile believers, it was the ways of the Lord that Bar-Jesus was opposing as Paul and Barnabas brought the word of God to Cyprus.
We are told it was “the word of God” that the proconsul of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus, wanted to hear that Bar-Jesus was in such opposition against. Imagine the insanity of opposing God!
Two men, Paul and Barnabas, (three if we include John Mark), who set out on a journey to take the very words of God to mankind!
We’re talking about the words of the Creator of the cosmos: it is his communication to mankind that Paul and Barnabas are taking to these new areas!
The more I think of it the more astonishing I find it!
As I read of the beginning of Barnabas’ and Paul’s first missionary trip, I see that it was “the word of God” they proclaimed at their first port of call at Salamis on the island of Cyprus.
As we continue to read of the events that took place, it was the word of God that Paul and his team carried into new territories. The message they took was not the word of the church, the word of the denomination, the word of this or that new movement. It wasn’t the word of some new world religion or the latest teaching from some seminary or university. It was the word of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not the traditions developed or the doctrines hammered out at the epicenter of Antioch: It was the word of God himself.
In that town we are introduced to a “sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus”, Acts 13:6. Saul (Paul) and Barnabas were opposed by this man and Paul condemned him as a man who never stopped “perverting the right ways of the Lord.”
Not the ways of Paul and Barnabas and not the ways of the church in Antioch. Not the ways of the early New Testament church, not the ways of the circumcised believers nor the ways of the Gentile believers, it was the ways of the Lord that Bar-Jesus was opposing as Paul and Barnabas brought the word of God to Cyprus.
We are told it was “the word of God” that the proconsul of Cyprus, Sergius Paulus, wanted to hear that Bar-Jesus was in such opposition against. Imagine the insanity of opposing God!
Two men, Paul and Barnabas, (three if we include John Mark), who set out on a journey to take the very words of God to mankind!
We’re talking about the words of the Creator of the cosmos: it is his communication to mankind that Paul and Barnabas are taking to these new areas!
The more I think of it the more astonishing I find it!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2026
God Speaks! - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:1-2,
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”
Within the fellowship that Paul and Barnabas participated in at Antioch there were prophets. I note that when the Holy Spirit told the fellowship to set apart Barnabas and Saul he did it through verbal utterance. “the Holy Spirit said…” This was no “feeling” or “leading” folks there experienced, it was a verbal utterance that presumably was delivered through one or more of the prophets that Luke introduces us to in verse one.
In my mind the utterances of God are of preeminent importance in all of life. Anyone who has a healthy fear of the Lord, a reverence for him, recognizes that all of life need stand still and heed whatever it is our Creator has to say.
Peter helps us understand the nature of prophecy and the association of the prophet with the Holy Spirit relative to Scripture. Far from Scripture being the thought of any man or even the intention of any man, we are told, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21.
“Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”! This is a reality that needs to grip my mind as I consider how much time and how much effort I am going to put into reading my Bible. To think that we have sitting on our coffee tables communication from our Creator, how can I neglect the proper treatment it rightly deserves in my life, in my schedule? Surely I don’t want to hear on that day, “I had things to say to you but you wouldn’t take the time to listen to me.”
Sobering to think of, isn’t it?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Monday, August 24, 2026
God Manifests What He Is Doing In How He Gifts Us - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 13:1,
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers…”
It is at this church in Antioch where disciples were first called “Christians”, Acts 11:26. Barnabas was dispatched from Jerusalem when the believers there heard that “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” in Antioch. After arriving in Antioch, Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul (still called Saul in the account in the book of Acts at this point.) After Barnabas and Paul returned to Antioch we are told they taught the believers there for a year.
At the time, they had also been sent from this church back up to Jerusalem to take a gift to help the believers there who were experiencing a famine. When Barnabas and Paul returned to Antioch they brought with them John Mark, the author of the gospel that bears his name.
As seen, there was a lot of activity taking place at Antioch, and we read in Acts 13:1 that there were prophets and teachers within the fellowship there. God was on the move and it is from this fellowship that we see Paul’s missionary enterprise being launched. God was active at Antioch, and the Holy Spirit raised up gifted people to perform the work that needed to be done. There was a need for prophets and teachers, so the Holy Spirit gifted certain ones to fill that need.
Within the early church, and throughout the centuries of church history, we see God gifting individuals to carry out work that needs to be done. In Ephesians 4:11-13 we read, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
God gifts us all for participating in what he is doing in and through the church. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good”, 1 Corinthians 12:7. With these gifts he expects us to serve one another. In 1 Peter 4:10 we read, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”
It is in this that I find the presence of God very active in the church. He gifts us all and raises up certain ones for specific tasks. He did in the early church and he still does so to this day.
I find it fascinating to see how the Lord manifests what he is doing by looking at how he gifts his people.
It is at this church in Antioch where disciples were first called “Christians”, Acts 11:26. Barnabas was dispatched from Jerusalem when the believers there heard that “a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord” in Antioch. After arriving in Antioch, Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Paul (still called Saul in the account in the book of Acts at this point.) After Barnabas and Paul returned to Antioch we are told they taught the believers there for a year.
At the time, they had also been sent from this church back up to Jerusalem to take a gift to help the believers there who were experiencing a famine. When Barnabas and Paul returned to Antioch they brought with them John Mark, the author of the gospel that bears his name.
As seen, there was a lot of activity taking place at Antioch, and we read in Acts 13:1 that there were prophets and teachers within the fellowship there. God was on the move and it is from this fellowship that we see Paul’s missionary enterprise being launched. God was active at Antioch, and the Holy Spirit raised up gifted people to perform the work that needed to be done. There was a need for prophets and teachers, so the Holy Spirit gifted certain ones to fill that need.
Within the early church, and throughout the centuries of church history, we see God gifting individuals to carry out work that needs to be done. In Ephesians 4:11-13 we read, “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
God gifts us all for participating in what he is doing in and through the church. “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good”, 1 Corinthians 12:7. With these gifts he expects us to serve one another. In 1 Peter 4:10 we read, “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.”
It is in this that I find the presence of God very active in the church. He gifts us all and raises up certain ones for specific tasks. He did in the early church and he still does so to this day.
I find it fascinating to see how the Lord manifests what he is doing by looking at how he gifts his people.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Friday, August 21, 2026
God: Sovereign Over All - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 12:11,
"Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating."
As I read the account of King Herod’s intent to put Peter to death, I am reminded of a theme that appears in the book of Proverbs. Herod had put John’s brother, the apostle James, to death and “when he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.” Acts 12:3.
The church was “earnestly praying to God for him [Peter]” and so God had other plans. We read in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” See also Proverbs 16:1 and 16:9. No one, not even a king can thwart the purposes of God. Even a king’s heart is subject to God, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” Proverbs 21:1.
God is sovereign over all of his creation. We enjoy a free will only because our Creator has deemed it so. As I think of the choices we make in life, especially the ones I make, I think of the sheer insanity of not choosing that which is consistent with the will of God.
John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. What of those who choose not to “receive him”? Insanity! Our God is supreme in all of creation. He is transcendent and sovereign and no one, nothing, not any plan or intent, no scheme, no religion, not even if all humanity assembled to oppose him, nothing can bring even a dent against what God chooses to do.
As God says in Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
As I read the account of King Herod’s intent to put Peter to death, I am reminded of a theme that appears in the book of Proverbs. Herod had put John’s brother, the apostle James, to death and “when he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also.” Acts 12:3.
The church was “earnestly praying to God for him [Peter]” and so God had other plans. We read in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” See also Proverbs 16:1 and 16:9. No one, not even a king can thwart the purposes of God. Even a king’s heart is subject to God, “The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.” Proverbs 21:1.
God is sovereign over all of his creation. We enjoy a free will only because our Creator has deemed it so. As I think of the choices we make in life, especially the ones I make, I think of the sheer insanity of not choosing that which is consistent with the will of God.
John 1:12 tells us, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. What of those who choose not to “receive him”? Insanity! Our God is supreme in all of creation. He is transcendent and sovereign and no one, nothing, not any plan or intent, no scheme, no religion, not even if all humanity assembled to oppose him, nothing can bring even a dent against what God chooses to do.
As God says in Isaiah 55:10-11, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
God's Wonderful Heart - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 12:8,
“Then the angel said to him, ‘Put on your clothes and sandals.’ And Peter did so. ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,’ the angel told him.”
There is something here in this account of Peter’s escape from jail that touches my heart about the heart of God. As we follow the account of Acts 12 we read of the first apostle martyred, James the brother of John. As Herod persecuted the church and saw how his killing of James “pleased the Jews” he proceeded to do the same with Peter. As I read it, I find this to be a very vivid and dramatic account. Peter is thrown into jail but the church was “earnestly praying to God for him.” Two forces pitted against one another for the life of this great apostle.
I can't help but note that the church at John's mother's house was up during the night praying for Peter, no doubt filled with anxiety over Peter's plight and seeking the Lord for his deliverance. For his own part, Peter was simply fast asleep, chained between guards at the prison. I'm not quite sure what, but this does tell me something about Peter!
On this night we find Peter stripped of his clothes and bound with two chains between two soldiers with sentries at the entrance. An angel appears and tells Peter to get dressed and miraculously leads him out of the jail. The account tells us that the chains binding Peter’s wrists “fell off”. The angel leads Peter past the guards that have been assigned to keep him secured. A gate opens by itself to let them through and Peter is freed.
As many do, I find this a very exciting and fascinating account to read. And embedded within this story is something the angel does that touches my heart, and is certainly an expression of God’s heart. When the angel appears, wakes Peter and has him get dressed, in the midst of this miraculous and dramatic encounter in this fallen world with the heavenly presence of God’s angel, the angel tells Peter to wrap his cloak around himself! Maybe it is just me, but to see the angel’s concern for Peter’s comfort as he leads him out into the cold night air in the midst of this incredible drama, shows a tenderness and a care for Peter by this angel that I find remarkable. Surely this very minor detail exposes the great heart of God for Peter in this angel's care for him.
I am sure this is viewed as a somewhat insignificant comment by Luke in his recounting of the event. But for me, it is precisely these comments that speak so much of the heart of our wonderful loving God.
There is something here in this account of Peter’s escape from jail that touches my heart about the heart of God. As we follow the account of Acts 12 we read of the first apostle martyred, James the brother of John. As Herod persecuted the church and saw how his killing of James “pleased the Jews” he proceeded to do the same with Peter. As I read it, I find this to be a very vivid and dramatic account. Peter is thrown into jail but the church was “earnestly praying to God for him.” Two forces pitted against one another for the life of this great apostle.
I can't help but note that the church at John's mother's house was up during the night praying for Peter, no doubt filled with anxiety over Peter's plight and seeking the Lord for his deliverance. For his own part, Peter was simply fast asleep, chained between guards at the prison. I'm not quite sure what, but this does tell me something about Peter!
On this night we find Peter stripped of his clothes and bound with two chains between two soldiers with sentries at the entrance. An angel appears and tells Peter to get dressed and miraculously leads him out of the jail. The account tells us that the chains binding Peter’s wrists “fell off”. The angel leads Peter past the guards that have been assigned to keep him secured. A gate opens by itself to let them through and Peter is freed.
As many do, I find this a very exciting and fascinating account to read. And embedded within this story is something the angel does that touches my heart, and is certainly an expression of God’s heart. When the angel appears, wakes Peter and has him get dressed, in the midst of this miraculous and dramatic encounter in this fallen world with the heavenly presence of God’s angel, the angel tells Peter to wrap his cloak around himself! Maybe it is just me, but to see the angel’s concern for Peter’s comfort as he leads him out into the cold night air in the midst of this incredible drama, shows a tenderness and a care for Peter by this angel that I find remarkable. Surely this very minor detail exposes the great heart of God for Peter in this angel's care for him.
I am sure this is viewed as a somewhat insignificant comment by Luke in his recounting of the event. But for me, it is precisely these comments that speak so much of the heart of our wonderful loving God.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
God And Prayer - Ruminating in the Word of God
The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 12:5,
“So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.”
Here we see the clash of two wills. King Herod intended to have Peter put to death after he saw how much it pleased the Jews when he had John’s brother, James, put to death. James was the first known apostle to have suffered a martyr’s death and Herod intended to do the same with Peter.
But the church did not want Peter put to death, and not having the power to stop it themselves, they were “earnestly praying to God for him.” They made their appeal to God to spare Peter’s life, and as we read the account we see their prayers answered. So startling was this answer to prayer that, when Peter showed up at the door where a number of disciples were praying for him, they initially assumed the servant girl, Rhoda, who had answered the door, was out of her mind when she told them Peter was at the door.
Much has been said of the expectation we should have when we pray, and this account is often used as an example of what it looks like when we don’t have the faith that God will answer our prayers, “when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” Acts 12:16. Why should they have been astonished?
I see something else here as well though, which commends these believers to me. We are told in 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” These believers were praying according to God’s will. Apparently God was not done with Peter in this life and he was pleased to respond to the believer’s prayers to spare his life.
It is fascinating to me to read the verse in John’s letter. There are those times God wants us to participate with him in the actions he takes by us requesting those things that need to be done, that are according to his own will. There may be many things we pray for that do not coincide with God's will, but the clear implication here is that some things might not happen if we don’t pray for them.
What might have happened if the church had not prayed for Peter? What might happen if I do not bring those things to God in prayer that I know are according to God’s will? And, for that matter, am I engaged in those things that lead me to know what his will is in the first place?
Here we see the clash of two wills. King Herod intended to have Peter put to death after he saw how much it pleased the Jews when he had John’s brother, James, put to death. James was the first known apostle to have suffered a martyr’s death and Herod intended to do the same with Peter.
But the church did not want Peter put to death, and not having the power to stop it themselves, they were “earnestly praying to God for him.” They made their appeal to God to spare Peter’s life, and as we read the account we see their prayers answered. So startling was this answer to prayer that, when Peter showed up at the door where a number of disciples were praying for him, they initially assumed the servant girl, Rhoda, who had answered the door, was out of her mind when she told them Peter was at the door.
Much has been said of the expectation we should have when we pray, and this account is often used as an example of what it looks like when we don’t have the faith that God will answer our prayers, “when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.” Acts 12:16. Why should they have been astonished?
I see something else here as well though, which commends these believers to me. We are told in 1 John 5:14, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” These believers were praying according to God’s will. Apparently God was not done with Peter in this life and he was pleased to respond to the believer’s prayers to spare his life.
It is fascinating to me to read the verse in John’s letter. There are those times God wants us to participate with him in the actions he takes by us requesting those things that need to be done, that are according to his own will. There may be many things we pray for that do not coincide with God's will, but the clear implication here is that some things might not happen if we don’t pray for them.
What might have happened if the church had not prayed for Peter? What might happen if I do not bring those things to God in prayer that I know are according to God’s will? And, for that matter, am I engaged in those things that lead me to know what his will is in the first place?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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