A Wonderful Day in the Lord

Key word: Rebellion  Since 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book, 2 Kings picks up where 1 Kings leaves off. It covers about 270 years from the deaths of Ahab (Israel) and Jehoshaphat (Judah) to the fall of both nations. Israel to Assyria in 721 B.C. (1 Kings 17), and Judah to Babylon in 586 B.C.  The narrative concerning Israel is that of progressive spiritual disintegration until fi...

Key word: Compromise Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book split into two for convenience. As the book opens, David is on His death bed and is handing the kingdom over to Solomon. The history found in the book will take us forward 126 years through the division of the kingdom and the reigns of Jehoshaphat in Judah and Ahab in Israel. As we begin the Kings, it is on a high...

Key word: Compromise  Like 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings were originally one book split into two for convenience. As the book opens, David is on His death bed and is handing the kingdom over to Solomon. The history found in the book will take us forward 126 years through the division of the kingdom and the reigns of Jehoshaphat in Judah and Ahab in Israel.  As we begin the Kings, it...

Key word: David  This historical book begins with David ascending the throne of Israel and ends as he is old and approaching death. So, it is the account of God at work in Israel during the dynasty of King David, which extends about 40 years. David’s reign does not begin peacefully. Judah makes him king first and David reigns over them for 7 ½ years, but there was civil war with the rest of I...

Key word: Kingdom  Originally the books of 1 & 2 Samuel were one book and were eventually broken into two books because it was difficult to fit all the material on one scroll due to the large amount of material. The Samuels trace the history of Israel from the latter day of the Judges through the early life of David. First Samuel starts with the birth of Samuel, the last of the Judges, an...

After concluding our look at the Book of Ruth, Pastor Gilley takes a "pit stop" on our "Biblical Route 66" to summarize everything we've discussed so far.

Key word: Redemption  Ruth is one of the most beautiful stories in all the Scripture. It takes place during the time of the Judges, demonstrating that not everyone was living godless lives, and that the Lord had not forsaken His people even if most had rejected Him. It is instructive that in the Hebrew arrangement of the Old Testament books that Ruth is placed after Proverbs, and specifically...

Key word: Failure  There is not a sadder book in all the Bible than Judges. After the great successes under Joshua, we find the next generation not only giving back all Israel had gained, but deteriorating to a new depth of depravity (2:10-11). One tragic account after another is compiled, although there were glimmers of victory and hope. As a matter of fact, there is a reoccurring cycle foun...

Key word: Success  Finally, after 40 years of messing up, the people are ready to follow the Lord in conquest of the land. It should be noted that removal of the Canaanites by Israel was God’s judgment on them for the iniquity and idolatry and was prophesied all the way back to Abraham (Genesis 15:16) over 500 years earlier. Their removal was necessary to avoid Jewish compromise, pollution an...

Key word: Reminders  Deuteronomy means a second Law but it is really a repetition and explanation of the Law already given. It reviews many things found in the previous four books, and was written by Moses just before his death just prior to Israel finally entering the land promised to them by God. 69 times in the book God promises Israel they will inherit the land.  One of the prominent...

Key word: Wanderings  Numbers records the sad consequences of Israel’s consistent rebellion against the Lord. It is called Numbers because of the census taken of the Exodus generation (1:46), and one taken of the Conquest generation 38 years later (26:51). The numbers are essentially the same because virtually everyone who left Egypt died in the wilderness even though it would have taken only...

Key word: Holiness  While far too many people pull off the biblical Route 66 at the Leviticus exit, properly understood this is an essential and even exciting book. Its title references the Jewish tribe of Levi, the tribe chosen by the Lord to lead Israel in worship. The sacrificial system was at the heart of that worship because it was the means by which their sins would be covered until the...

Key word: Deliverance  As Genesis concludes, we find the descendants of Abraham living in Egypt, having abandoned the land promised to them for the conveniences of a more civilized and developed country. In time, the Jewish people were no longer considered honored guests but hated slaves (1:8). They had entered Egypt as free people, they were now in bondage. They had entered Egypt as worshipp...

Key word: Beginnings  We begin our journey in the biblical Route 66 with Genesis. The word Genesis means origin or beginning, and so the book is perfectly named for its details. Without the information given in Genesis, especially the first twelve chapters we would be in the dark concerning massive issues. Genesis tells us of the beginning of almost everything:  • Creation Chapter 1&nbsp...

U.S. Route 66, also known as the “Mother Road” was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway system. Established in 1926, it became the most famous road in America, running from Chicago to Los Angeles, covering 2,448 miles. Many stretches of the highway remain today and people come from all over the world to travel part or all of it. Since it runs straight through Springfield, it is part of...

U.S. Route 66, also known as the “Mother Road” was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway system. Established in 1926, it became the most famous road in America, running from Chicago to Los Angeles, covering 2,448 miles. Many stretches of the highway remain today and people come from all over the world to travel part or all of it. Since it runs straight through Springfield, it is part of...

As we finally draw our study of the Book of Ephesians to a close, after almost one hundred days, Pastor Gary returns to his basic outline of the book -- sit, walk, stand.

This episode of "A Wonderful Day in the Lord" concludes our verse-by-verse exegetical study of the Book of Ephesians. You don't want to miss it! Tune in tomorrow as Pastor Gary provides one last overview of the book!

No proper study of the armor of God is complete without recognizing the true energy and sustaining force behind the armor. Join us this morning as we conclude this section of our study, and don't forget to check back in the next two days as we conclude the Book of Ephesians.

The final component of the armor of God is the Sword of the Spirit. We will examine it together with Pastor Gary this morning on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord."

Our final full week of exegetically studying the Book of Ephesians begins with an examination of the Helmet of Salvation. Join Pastor Gary this morning as we draw near to the finish line of this particular study.

The Shield of Faith is the specific component of the armor of God that we will discuss today on "A Wonderful Day in the Lord." Grab your copy of the Scriptures and join with us.

As we continue examining the different components of the armor of God, today Pastor Gary helps us look at the Gospel of Peace.

Today we continue examining the specific components of the armor of God by looking at the Breastplate of Righteousness.

As we draw ever neared to the end of our study of Ephesians, we finally begin to examine the specific components of the armor of God. This morning Pastor Gary helps us understand the Belt of Truth.