The Family Bible Journey Podcast

Death and God's judgement will be the great equalizers of all. Earthly success is an illusion that will be shown as counterfeit if those who found it failed to embrace the Lord and His way.

"Living it up," usually means that someone has everything going their way. They are enjoying this life and the best of all that this life has to offer. It is an inherently selfish and superficial mentality. God offers us something so much more in Christ, that we can't imagine it, until He reveals it to us in Christ.

Babylon was but a representative of all oppressing and corrupt human power. When Isaiah prophecies her demise, he warns us all that judgement is coming. The theme of coming judgement resounds loudly through out many of the next 25 chapters of Isaiah, so that we may be warned and ready!

We rejoice in Jesus, our Savior, because in Him, God has become our salvation. When we are weak, He is strong. Even when we don't love or don't even like Him, or what He's doing in our life, He loves us still the same. So much so that He redeems even our weakest moments.

It's hard to tell the difference beetween the genuine article and a counterfeit, even when it comes to faith. Paul teaches the Colossians to find their stay in Christ alone, and to be firmly rooted in His work in their lives. We are also taught how to tell the difference between what is and is not important when it comes to our life in Christ.

In this chapter, we hear yet another bright and hopeful passage of prophecy that describes the gracious reign of Jesus in our lives. Living in a world of injustice and oppression, we hear how our Savior will exalt the downcast. Instead of being decieved by appearances, He will always judge in righteousness and truth.

The opening verses of Isaiah 9 are read each year by many Christians as a part of the Christmas Eve liturgy. We are reminded of the One who came from the Galilee, Jesus Christ our Lord. Our faith is strengthened when we hear these verses that so clearly describe our Lord, knowing they were written over 600 years before Jesus was born.

Colossians is written to a small, declining agricultural community that Paul never visited himself. He writes to encourage them in their faith, which was under atttack. Some were trying to get the Colossians to put their faith in something less than Christ. Paul's words encourage them, as they do us, by rooting us deeply in Christ, the Source of our love and life.

Judah and Jerusalem had no chance against the overwhelming power of her neighbors to the north who were conspiring against her. But God saved Jerusalem from destruction, as yet another example of His saving power. The idea of the prey escaping the jaws of certain death offers a vivid illustration of Israel's fate in this episode.

God offers wicked King Ahab the opportunity to ask for a sign of His divine power. In a false pretense of faith, Ahab rejects the Lord's offer. God, undeterred by the king's stubborned unbelief, gives the believing Jews the sign of Imanuel as assurance of His loving redemption.

Paul accomplished untold good for people who were blessed by His labors. We are encouraged to know that when we labor with the Lord and for the Lord, that He will prosper us. It may not look like it. It may not always feel like it. But we know that the Lord's purpose will endure at the end, so we do well to serve the Lord in boldness and love.

Isaiah recounts the day he was called into heaven's glory, and made a prophet of the Most High God. In one of the few places in holy scripture we get to see into heaven, we learn that God's prophets are His, not ours. Those whom God calls into holy ministry serve Him, not us. Their divine call carries great weight and tremendous responsibility for both the preachers and the hearers.

The parable of the vineyard is used by Isaiah, and at least three times by Jesus, as a warning not to use God's love and mercy as the excuse to indulge sinful selfish desires. We live in a world that celebrates ungodliness. We may be tempted to use God's forgiveness as an excuse to indulge our sinful desires. Resisting this temptation, let us strive to live in the Lord's way, as unpopular as that may be.

Philippi was a town full of citizen soldiers. They enjoyed the blessings of being citizens of a favored Roman colony. They also knew the price that must be paid, often by others in blood, for the blessings of citizenship. As we read this chapter, we are encouraged in our valiant fight for Christ, and encouraged by the promised resurrection and life everlasting that are ours in Him.

Despite Judah's rank idolatry, God still loved His people. He promised, in the midst of their spiritual rebellion against Him, that He'd love them. Instead of treating them as they deserve, He will would send a Savior to them.

By the time God sent Isaiah to Judah, they had fallen deep into spiritual depraivity. His judgment began at home, and extended to the godless nations around them. God had grown tired of their hypocrisy, which favored self and friends over foreigners and enemies.

Paul encourages us to embody the spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of sacrifice, service and humility. The world seeks its own glory and praise. We seek the glory and praise of another, knowing that when we do, all those around us are blessed.

Not only does Isaiah utter many prophecies about Christ, he also prophecies the rise of the Church. Christian or not, it is hard to deny the fact that the Church has been the most influential, and in many ways most influential earthly institution.

Isaiah stands as a mighty prophet to the kingdom of Judah through earthly prosperity and spiritual poverty. He lived under good and evil kings. His words are just as applicable to us today, because we live in a time that is materially rich and spiritually poor.

Paul affirms his love for his dear children in faith of Philippi. This city was home to many of the first converts to Christianity in Europe. As Paul encourages these Christians by pouring his heart out to them, we think of those that we love, who we want to encourage in their faith.

The book closes with an easy tie to Christ's undying love for us. We appreciate this book as a unique and powerful description of love and look forward to the day we will live in such love forever!

The wondrous love described for us in this book is but a foreshadowing and foretaste of the uninhibited love we will enjoy in heaven. Try hard as we might, we can't even begin to imagine the love we will have with each other and know with God in His presence.

The final chapter of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians concludes his twin themes of the righteousness we have in Christ Jesus and the continual work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, which leads us in godliness. His very familiar parable comparing the gifts of the spirit to Roman armor is a beautiful depiction of the blessings that we have as God's people. We are well fitted and well suited for spiritual warfare as God's soldiers, redeemed in Christ Jesus, and built up by the Holy Spirit's continual work in our lives.

Solomon is captivated, no, intoxicated by the beauty of his wife. Here we explore some of the poignant metaphors describing his love for her.

The Song of Solomon is an epic romantic poem, penned by young King Solomon, before he wandered far and wide from the Lord's will. It is a description of human and divine love, a picture of God's love for you! Although it may make some uncomfortable with its frank and detailed account of Solomon's relations with one of his many wives, its lessons are timeless.

Husband and wives are called in this chapter to surrender their desires their wants, and their needs and to sacrifice for their spouse. It is hard for us to love those who hurt us, but that is exactly what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. In this section talking about serving one another in Christ, we learn how marriage, in particular, is a wonderful display of God's work in the world.

There is no better time than the present to honor God! This is what wisdom teaches. God's Wisdom keeps us on the straight and narrow and blesses us in every season of life. Thanks be to God for His unending patience and everlasting love!

There is a pervasive "paralysis of analysis" gripping many, institutions, and a great number of churches. When we are in preservation mode, we operate out of fear, not faith. Instead of waiting for everything to be just right, Solomon encourages us to invest and get to work.

All Christians share a common calling to speak the truth in love. Even though distinct offices are mentioned in this passage, we do well to focus on our shared calling. When we grow spiritually, we are conformed by the Holy Spirit's power to the likeness of Christ, to be a blessing to others, even as God in Christ Jesus has blessed us.

The Parable of the Woodcutters is a modern leadership paradigm, the seventh principle of Steven Covey's famous leadership book about highly effective individuals. Abe Lincoln is also rumored to have taught this parable, but we learn it here from the lips of Solomon. It enourages us towards effectiveness and efficiency in all that we do by applying wisdom to every aspect of our lives.

The common Hebrew toast at weddings and celebrations is, "L'Chayim!" It means, "to life," or "for life!" It is an encouragement and blessing for us to enjoy the blessings God gives us in this life. Amidst all that subtracts from our joy and peace, it is good to thank God for the blessing of this life by enjoying it as the gift it is. "L'Chayim!"

Paul leaned into his calling as an apostle, encouraging the Ephesians in their faith. The same God who calls His children to faith calls faithful pastors to serve in His Church. We will discuss this holy calling and consider how God's blessing of ministers is a blessing for the entire church.

Solomon recognized that God's mercy is often used by men to justify doing more sin, more wrong, more injustice. The temptaion to judge God is purely human, and comes from the part of us that wants to be god, wants be the judge. Recognizing this sin within ourselves, we seek the Lord in faith and thank Him for His mercy.

As a preacher, I know that I have my audience's attention much more at a funeral than at a wedding. It may seem or sound morbid, but it is absolutely true, because all the distraction and noise is dead silent when the congregation is looking at an urn or casket. Solomon also knows that God has our attention in times of sadness and encourages us to think with sober judgment about this life, so that we live one that is worth living.

There was a literal wall that separated gentile believers from the Jewish believers in the Temple area. It was a physical barrier of exclusion. It demonstrated the separation of God and men by sin and the religious and ethnic divisions between the Jewish people and others. Paul uses this feature of the Temple to describe God crossing all barriers in Christ Jesus.

Paul teaches that we weren't saved to become bumps on a log. Rather, we've been saved to be productive as members of God's family. God has created good works for us to do, that we might walk in them. It is a calling and challenge from God to put our faith to good work.

A much depressed old King Solomon warns us against the evil of seeking lasting fulfillment and satisfaction in the fleeting pursuits of this life. The same vices he fell headlong into, pride, greed, lust, these are still what the world is selling as the keys to a happy life. May we learn from one who was the richest, most powerful and influential man of his time, that none of these things satisfy. Only God can give us lasting fulfillment and contentment.

Old King Solomon had everything, yet ended up depressed and reflective. In this chapter, we are encouraged to find the blessing in our place in life, wherever we are and whatever we may be doing. There is great blessing in honest labor, and much vexation if we seek satisfaction in the passing things of this life.

Ephesians is a bright light of Paul's epistles because it emphasizes the communion we have with God through Jesus Christ. Many passages of promise and confident assurance are found in these pages. As we explore the blessings of communion with God, we will be challenged to expand our understanding of the importance of our relationships with others in Christ Jesus. Our communion with God leads to a deeper understanding of the community of believers.

"A strand of three cords cannot be broken!" The old saying goes, "if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, bring others along." In this chapter, we hear of the benefits of togetherness, and going through life with God and those you love.

We hear the wisdom of embracing life in its seasons. For everything, there is a season, and there is beauty and wisdom to behold everywhere. We pray that God will show us this beauty wherever we find ourselves and whatever this life brings.

There are those who are going to insist on outside markers of spiritual purity, trying to delineate between true and false believers. We resist such temptation, knowing that we are not the judge. Only God gets to judge. Instead of judging others, we do better to judge ourselves in Christ, knowing that when He returns, He will welcome us into His presence not because of what we have done for Him, but simply for all He has done for us.

Solomon sought fulfillment in entertainment, wealth, building great monuments and sex. In the end, everything he did for himself was a disappointment. We will fare no better if we think the things of this world will satisfy our craving desires.

Even though Solomon had everything the world could offer, when he sought lasting joy and peace in his earthly wealth, he felt empty. This king who once prayed for wisdom proved to be the fool. Let us learn from his mistakes not to try to find fulfillment in the fleeting things of this world, but in God alone.

For freedom Christ has set us free! Paul gets a little testy with his children in the faith who were testing him and took to task those who were leading them astray from Christ. We will learn how to use our freedom to honor God in Christ Jesus without forfeiting the blessings of His love.

We return to Proverbs 8:35-36, where we hear the Second Person of the Trinity tell us, from before the beginning of time, the blessings of Wisdom. May we seek to live in a way that brings God's life and love to bear on those around us, and by so doing, enrich and enliven them as He has us.

A most blessed spouse is described for us in this passage. The greatest earthly blessing we can attain in this life, besides the gift of salvation itself, is a godly spouse. Here, she is described in beautiful poetry, as a blessed gift from the Most High.

We grow in our understanding of God as Father when we consider the significance of God's invitation to pray to Him as, "Abba," "Father." This old Aramaic word is rich with meaning, all of it pertinent to a mature understanding of our relationship with God.

This prophet's identity, place and time have been lost to history. Yet, the wisdom of his words endure! He challenges the godly with "number" proverbs. These riddles give us much to ponder as we persist in patient faithfulness.

Worldly "wisdom" teaches that might makes right. In this final chapter of Solomon's proverbs, we are reminded that only the righteous will endure forever. God's promised justice brings His children comfort, even, maybe most especially, when they suffer for righteousness, as Jesus did.