This is a commentary on the first letter of the apostle Paul to the Corinthians. The city of Corinth, in Paul's day was a wealthy city. The church was a mixture of Jewish and Gentile converts who had been influenced by the wealth and immorality of the Corinthian culture of the day. These new believers struggled to overcome their past and this had become quite obvious in their church life.Paul wrote this letter to challenge the Corinthians to deal with a number of issues that had ar...

Amos the prophet spoke to a nation steeped in materialism. It is the story of a nation who allowed her blessings to turn her away from the Giver of blessings. It is also the story of how a simple shepherd accepted the call of God and courageously preached to a nation rapidly rushing to ruin.Obadiah spoke to the Edomites, a self-sufficient and embittered people with unresolved conflicts with her neighbour Israel. It is the story of the downfall of a nation because of pride and a ref...

The account of Israel's history in the book of Numbers begins in the second year of Israel's release from captivity and records the events that took place as Israel wandered in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land. It ends with the people of God camped beside the Jordan River ready to enter the land God had promised their fathers.In this book we learn about the people God had chosen and His requirements for them as they prepared to enter the land of Canaan. This wandering...

One day the Lord Jesus was asked, "What is the greatest commandment of all?" He told his listeners that the greatest of all commandments was to love the Lord with all their heart, all their soul, all their mind and all their strength. There was nothing more important than this.What does is mean to love the Lore with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength?As you read this study, you will be challenged to consider your own walk with God in light of thi...

Ezra was a priest whose God-given vision was to see the temple and worship of God restored after Israel's exile in Babylon was completed. The book shows how Ezra had to overcome false expectations, discouragement, and deteriorating relationships in his effort to accomplish his purpose.Like Ezra, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem from captivity in Babylon. His vision was to see the wall of the city rebuilt. He too faced opposition from the enemy and from his own people as he sought to ...

Proverbs is a collection of wise sayings. While much of the book is written by King Solomon, it also contains a section of sayings by Agur, and King Lemuel's mother. The focus of the book is to draw its readers into seeking God and living according to His purpose. The fear of the Lord seeems to be a central teaching of the book and underlying motivation for livin the life tht the writers describe. The heart cry of each writer is that their readers will be drawn to fear their great creator ...

Joshua was a military commander who served with Moses and who would ultimately take the people of God into the Promised Land. While he distinguished himself as a military commander he was also an able administrator and spiritual leader as well. Joshua is the story of his leadership and the conquest of the land of Canaan.The book of Judges is the record of the judges who ruled from the death of Samuel to the anointing of Saul as king. Like Joshua before them, many of these judges we...

The books of 1 & 2 Kings cover the history of Israel over a period of about 450 years (from the reign of Solomon to the exile into Babylon). The focus of the books, as the title suggests, is to trace the leadership of the nation under the kings of Israel and Judah.It should be noted that the books are, in reality, a spiritual history of Israel and Judah. While they focus on the kings of the period, the intention of the author is to show his readers the impact of both godly and ungo...

This is a devotional commentary on the Epistles of Paul to the Thessalonians and to Timothy.Thessolonica is in modern day Greece and in the days of Paul the believers in this city were facing persecution. Paul writes to teach them about the second coming of Christ and their personal hope in Him. Despite their struggles, this church had become a model of hope and perseverance. Paul writes to encourage them in their faith.Paul's letters to Timothy are quite personal in nature...

For 430 years that nation of Israel had been in slavery in Egypt. The book of Exodus recounds how God raised up a man named Moses to deliver His people from bondage and organize them as a nation. At the foot of Mount Sinai, God's people were divided into family groups (tribes) and given a central place of worship. Priests were ordained to serve as spiritual leaders. A governing law was written with the requirements of God for them as a new nation under His leadership.This is a devo...

Who among us has not enjoyed the praise and recognition of those around us for a job well done? While it is nice to know that we have been appreciated, sometimes this praise and recognition is more important to us than it ought to be.Our ministry can quickly become about us--about being recognized by people or about giving ourselves a sense of personal value. When this happens, God is pushed aside. We use His name but we no longer seek His glory.This is a brief look as what...

Psalm 127:1-2 speaks powerfully to a hard working people who find themselves living as if everything depends on their efforts. It challenges those who toss and turn on their beds at night trying to find human solutions to the problems they face. It is a reminder to us that the God who created us is also active in the events of our daily lives.These two verses encourage us to pause for a moment in the busyness of our lives to remind ourselves that the God who created us and allows o...