Biblical Reflections

This is the longest episode in the series and will be split into 4 parts. It is almost two-hours long. Where we find the gospel message in the book of Revelation is pretty, straight forward, and I do that at the beginning of the episode. Trying to understand the Book of Revelation, well that’s another matter. In keeping with my rather, unique story-telling style, I present four-challenges to readi...

Part 2 - I cried when I recorded this episode. We all know the simple children’s stories of faith and rescue in Daniel. But there is another faith story in this book; it a very dark, very bitter story. You will quickly understand why we don’t tell this story to children, but why we need to hear it.

I cried when I recorded this episode. We all know the simple children’s stories of faith and rescue in Daniel. But there is another faith story in this book; it a very dark, very bitter story. You will quickly understand why we don’t tell this story to children, but why we need to hear it.

The church in Philippi was the Apostle Paul’s favorite church. Yet, this favorite church, with his favorite people, had what looked like a small problem on its face, yet it was tearing the church a part. How do you talk gently to people you love that they need to fix something? Along the way, Paul gives the clearest expression of the incarnation, the Son of God taking on the nature of man, without...

Psalm 22 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament.  Although written by King David 1,000 earlier, Jesus refers to this Psalm moments before he dies on the cross.  Psalm 22 is beautifully written in poetry and takes some time to unfold.  But you understand why Jesus calls Psalm 22 to our attention before he dies.

This episode unfolds the narrative of Genesis culminating in the Substitutionary Sacrifice of Isaac in Chapter 22. It is the account of Abraham, Isaac’s father. Abraham was a deeply flawed man, yet he was a man of faith. Through Abraham, the man of faith, God’s plan of salvation is offered to all the peoples of the world.

This episode unfolds the narrative of Genesis culminating in the Substitutionary Sacrifice of Isaac in Chapter 22. It is the account of Abraham, Isaac’s father. Abraham was a deeply flawed man, yet he was a man of faith. Through Abraham, the man of faith, God’s plan of salvation is offered to all the peoples of the world.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus are siblings who run a lucrative bed-and-breakfast, in the town of Bethany, a two-mile walk outside of Jerusalem. This is where Jesus and his entourage stayed when they visited Jerusalem for the three-annual festivals at the Temple. These are three different people, and Jesus presents the gospel to each of them, but in ways that are a unique to each person. Which sibling...

The Book of Isaiah is challenging, one could say difficult, to read and to understand.  Most Isaiah is written in poetry, including the 4th Servant Song, which foretells the death and resurrection of the suffering servant, who suffers and dies for the sins of others.  This will be an interesting look at poetry.

The Book of Hebrews is written in the most excellent Greek of the New Testament.  It presents the gospel, but it does so by comparing the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to the sacrificial system of the Old Testament.  Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians, who would have understood the Old Testament sacrifices.  In order for us to appreciate the message of Hebrews, we first need to understand...

The letter to the Romans is the Apostle Paul’s magnum opus, or great work.  Here Paul gives a complete and thorough doctrinal basis for the gospel message and for how that should be applied in a person’s life after believing in faith.  Many people witness the gospel from Romans by citing several verses that make statements.  This practice is known as the Romans Road .  In this episode we will pres...

The Gospel of Luke is written by the only non-Jewish, non-Hebrew writer in the Bible.  Luke is the gospel of inclusion, specifically calling to women, underprivileged, and non-Jewish gentiles.  The key verse in Luke is 19:10, for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost .  

The Gospel of Mark is short and full of action scenes.  Unlike Matthew, who presents Jesus giving five great oral teaching dissertations, Mark presents Jesus saying very little, and with no long sermons.  Rather than what Jesus says, we learn who Jesus is and why he came by what he does.  Mark and Matthew are two diametrically opposed teaching methods, which carry the same message.  In the Gospel...

The Gospel of Matthew is the transition between the Old and the New Testaments.  Matthew is writing to Jews living outside of Israel to tell them that in Jesus all of the prophecies and the promises of the Old Testament have been fulfilled.  The key verse for Matthew is 5:17, where Jesus says that he did not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.  Matthew presents Jesus as t...

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians is likely his earliest letter in the New Testament and his most stern letter.  He is upset that people in the churches in Galatia are turning from a gospel of “grace through faith” to a different gospel of “grace through faith plus obedience to the Law of Moses” in order to be saved.  This is an intense presentation of the Gospel.  This is the book that turned the he...

The Gospel of John is a deep, deep book, that is exquisitely written.  While we focused on the person of the Apostle John and his first epistle, 1 John, in Episode 1 of this series, here we take a look at the Gospel of John.  John says that he wrote this Gospel so that we, the readers, would believe that Jesus is the Christ, that is the Messiah, God come in the flesh, who died to take away the sin...

The testimony of the Angels is reported to us in scripture by Mary, the Mother of Jesus.  Mary tells us that the Angel Gabriel told her she would give virgin birth to the Messiah.  Mary reported what the shepherds told her that the angels had said to them on the night Jesus was born.  Mary told us what the angel of God said to her betrothed, Joseph, that Mary was pregnant with the Messiah by reaso...

The testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the early church is recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11.  Taken on its face, it is a masterful, legal presentation of concentric rings of evidence, consisting of different witnesses, with different perspectives, sympathies, indifference, and even opposition, yet who all testified that Jesus is God come in the flesh, who died to take away the sins of the...

The Apostle Paul was a Type A++++ personality, who always graduated first in his class. Unlike Peter, Paul, as a Pharisee, thought that if he could work hard enough, he could get to heaven on his own merit.  And so, God broke Paul, over and over and over.  Finally, in his old age, Paul could say with confidence in his letters, it is not my work or my accomplishments, but God’s grace that has saved...

The Apostle Peter was the oldest of the disciples.  He was not an ignorant fisherman.  He could read and speak four-languages; he ran a small business; he was an accomplished speaker; and he wrote two of the letters in the New Testament.  Unlike the other disciples, Peter knew that he was not good enough.  Peter constantly failed, yet our Lord in his mercy restored Peter each time.  Peter’s testim...

The Apostle John is the most credible, unimpeachable witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He was one of the first disciples to be called by Jesus.  He witnessed every major event and miracle in the ministry of Jesus, including the transfiguration and the resurrection, and he was the only disciple to witness the crucifixion.  It is clear John was the beloved disciple whom...