Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 2 ERV; Ch. 3 NASB Associate Producer Howie Podcast Introduction It’s Poetry Thursday, and we’ll read Proverbs 2-3. I’m calling this episode “Trust.” Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Jamie Street on Unsplash Comments on Proverbs 2-3 Thoughts on Proverbs 2 Chapter 2 encourages us to pursue wisdom, because in so doing we will come to know God. If that is not a worthy endeavor, I don’t know what is.  Much of the teaching seems to be directed at one of Solomon’s sons, so the teaching is especially applicable to a young person just starting out in life, but the lessons (as noted earlier) are good for everyone. Thoughts on Proverbs 3 Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Here’s a guy who could very easily be tempted to lean on his own understanding, but he had evidently learned that it’s better to “trust in th

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 66 GWT; Ch. 67 NLV; Ch. 68 GWT Podcast Introduction It’s Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 66-68. I’m calling this episode “Essentials.” Design: Jason Paschall | Photo: Midjourney Comments on Psalm 66 This psalm opens with a call to all the earth to praise God because of His awesome (in the truest sense of the word…awe-inspiring) deeds. It even gives a sample of what should be said to God: “How awe-inspiring are your deeds! Your power is so great that your enemies will cringe in front of you. The whole earth will worship you. It will make music to praise you. It will make music to praise your name.” All of this is true, of course. God is worthy of the praise of the whole world. Most of this psalm gives various reasons to give him worship, and one can’t help but say “Yes!” and “Amen!” as we read them. But the last five verses are a bit different:  16Come and lis

Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today 1 Kings 5-9. I’m calling today’s episode “A Diverse Group.” Comments on 1 Kings 5-9 King Hiram had been friends with King David for many years. Note that Hiram was not a Jew, but it does appear as if he had become a believer in the one true God…as a result of his long friendship with David. And David arranged for King Hiram to be the supplier of lumber and some of the labor for the temple. It’s interesting to note that the Tabernacle, the temporary dwelling place of God, had been built only by Jewish hands. But the Temple was to be built by Jewish and Gentile hands, which is appropriate because the Temple really is a type, or example of the church, which is made up not of buildings but of individual believers of every ethnic and national background. And also, every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, is the temple of God, as the Holy Spirit dwells in each one of us. (1 Corinthians 6:19). Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Gareth Harper on Unsplash Today’s Bible Translation

Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today we’ll complete the book of  Exodus by reading chapters 37-40.  I’m calling today’s episode “Jesus In the Tabernacle.” Comments on the Tabernacle As we close the book of Exodus, I think it’s important to talk about the significance of the Tabernacle. Given the fact that God gave Moses such intricate detail about how it was to be constructed, we can see how important the Tabernacle was to God and therefore, His people. Why was it so important? It represented the very presence of God. His presence was there in a tangible way. And this was where the Ark of the Covenant was. This was where sacrifices were made for the sins of the people. This is where the priests did their ministries. The Tabernacle was the center of the spiritual life for the children of Israel. It is where they could draw near to God, and at the same time be reminded that He is Holy. But more than that, the Tabernacle was a picture of the coming Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth.  How so? First, the name itself points to Jesus. Tabernacle means dwelling place. And when Jesus came to earth, He truly was Immanuel, which means God with us, or God dwelling with us. There were eight main parts of the Tabernacle. First was the enclosure around the Tabernacle, which was made of linen curtains. This illustrated the separation between God and man, caused by sin. This separation shows our need for Jesus the Messiah. The second part of the Tabernacle was the door. There was only one entrance, one door to the Tabernacle. The fact that there was a door showed that God wants us to come near to Him. And in John 10:9, Jesus said, “I am the door.” Inside the outer court, the first thing you saw was the bronze altar for burnt offerings. The priests would offer sacrifices for the atonement of sin, or for giving thanks, worship or praise. Animals used in the sacrifices were bulls, goats or lambs. Jesus is the Lamb of God, the once and final sacrifice. The next object in

Transcript Podcast Introduction In our reading today we’ll complete the book of Galatians with the reading of chapters 4-6. I’m calling today’s episode “I Choose Freedom.” Comments on Galatians Paul’s biggest concern with the Galatian church was that some believed the teaching of the false teachers who were saying that it was necessary to follow the Mosaic Law. In chapter 5:2-4, Paul answered that teaching very succinctly. “2I, Paul, promise you that Christ won’t do you any good if you get circumcised. 3If you do, you must obey the whole Law. 4And if you try to please God by obeying the Law, you have cut yourself off from Christ and his gift of undeserved grace.” Paul was saying that by attempting to follow the Law, they would actually be denying the message of the Gospel, and therefore denying Christ. Attempting to please God by following the Law is the exact opposite of placing your faith in Jesus. In following the Law, or “Legalism”, it is impossible to please God, because it is impossible to follow the whole Law. Our only hope of salvation is in Jesus.  Paul said in verse one of chapter five, “Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don’t ever become slaves of the Law again.” There are those who will wholeheartedly agree with Paul here because they are not Jews. But these same people have adopted their own list of laws. Don’t drink, don’t smoke and don’t go with girls who do. You get the idea. There are denominations within Christianity that have adopted, if not officially, certainly culturally, a whole host of forbidden activities. I know this because I have been involved with a few of them in my 50ish years as a Christian. You couldn’t go to a movie theater. You couldn’t go bowling. You couldn’t drink alcohol. You couldn’t smoke. Women were required to wear dresses to church. Men had to wear a suit and tie. You absolutely could not wear shorts to church.  Which of those “laws”

Transcript Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Luke 7-8. I’m calling today’s episode “Got A Light?” Comments on Luke 8 Jesus speaking: 16“No one lights a lamp and then hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand. Then those who come in can see its light. Jesus is saying here that when you have a light, you let the light shine. Of course, in this chapter Jesus is speaking in parables. In this parable He is saying that when you have the truth of who He is, it is your responsibility to share that truth, you don’t hide it. Whenever God gives you the opportunity to share the Good News, He expects you to grab that opportunity. If you saw someone running toward a cliff, you wouldn’t just let them go, would you? I read an article today about the president of Gateway Seminary. His name is Jeff Iorg. Since I’m not sure about the pronunciation of his last name, I’ll just call him Jeff. He was speaking at a meeting of church leaders, and his message was that evangelism has an “image problem”. I won’t go into the whole article, but the crux of his message was this: The Christian polling company known as Barna Research, who does really good work, has found that there is a large gap or contradiction among Christians when it comes to evangelism. Statistics indicate that most Christians believe sharing the Gospel is an important part of being a Christian and they feel equipped to share the Gospel adequately, but still almost half of millennial Christians and 20 percent of Boomers think it is wrong to share one’s Christian faith with someone of another faith with the intention of converting them. “We imagine evangelism positively, until it turns

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 47-49 NLT, Ch. 50-52 HCSB Podcast Introduction It’s Prophecy Friday, and we’ll read chapters 47-52,of Jeremiah, which will complete the book. I’m calling this episode “Is There A Limit To God’s Patience?” Design: Scott Snider | Photo: Matt Artz on Unsplash Comments on Jeremiah 47-52 In the book of Jeremiah, much of what we read was God warning the people of coming judgement, and does not make for fun reading, does it? But imagine how difficult it was to be in Jeremiah’s shoes, being the one chosen to deliver these messages. No wonder he is known as the weeping prophet. It’s so much better to talk about the love of God, His faithfulness, His love, His forgiveness, His grace. But for there to be forgiveness and grace, there must be a turning away from sin. There must be repentance. And often, the people who were under judgment showed that they had no interest in following the will of the Lord. In Genesis 6:3 God said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever.” God is patient, but He does not wait fore

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1 ERV Podcast Introduction It’s Poetry Thursday, and well begin the book of Proverbs with chapter 1. I’m calling this episode “God’s Wisdom.” Design: Scott Snider | Photo: Ave Calvar on Unsplash Comments on Proverbs 1 The book of Proverbs was written by King David’s son, Solomon. Solomon is commonly thought of as the wisest man, and the richest man who ever lived. His wisdom was a gift from God as a result of the prayer he made upon his ascension to the throne at the death of his father, David. Instead of asking for wealth or victory over his enemies, or power, he prayed a simple prayer asking for wisdom to lead God’s people. God was so pleased by Solomon’s prayer that He not only granted him great wisdom, but He gave Solomon the things he could have asked for but didn’t.  The book of Proverbs is primarily a collection of short, often just single sentence teachings, or nuggets of truth. They are thoughts and ideas that God revealed to Solomon. Remember, it has long been the belief by ort

Transcript Today’s Bible Translation Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 63 HCSB; Ch. 64 NLT; Ch. 65 ERV Podcast Introduction It’s Psalms Wednesday, and we’ll read chapters 63-65. I’m calling this episode “Safe In God’s Strong Hand.” As always with the Psalms, I’ll give you a brief introduction before reading each chapter, and I’ll end the reading with some comments. Design: Scott Snider | Photo: Aaron Burden on Unsplash Comments on Psalms 63-65 Introduction to Psalm 63 The title of this psalm is A Davidic psalm. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.” Commentators have two primary ideas as to when David wrote this psalm. Many believe that it was before he became king of Israel. Others believe it was when David was fleeing Absalom. Other commentators thing the psalm was written when King Saul was pursuing David. Charles Spurgeon said that the very early church father, John Chrysostom (kri-SOSS-tum), who lived from a.d. 347 to a.d. 407, “tells us that among the primitive Christians it was decreed and ordained

Transcript Podcast Introduction Our reading today is 1 Kings 1-4. I’m calling today’s episode “Another Pretender To the Throne.” Comments on 1 Kings 1-2 Once again we see a member of David’s family trying to grab the throne.  Adonijah knows that David is near death, and he thinks that by being proactive he can take the throne. He knows that Solomon is the one chosen to succeed David, and once David dies it will be too late because Solomon will immediately become king. Solomon was God’s choice to become king. So Adonijah, too clever for his own good, gathers all of his brothers (except Solomon), Joab (the general of the army) and Abiathar (the high priest) and all the other men of Judah to his coronation party. He figures that with all of these men in attendance he’ll have the throne. But the prophet Nathan is a wise man, and he short circuits Adonijah’s plan by letting Bathsheba know what’s going on. There is good evidence that Bathsheba was David’s most loved wife, and she had no problem getting immediate access to David to let him know what was happening. So David told them what to do to squash Adonijah’s plan and make Solomon king post haste. Once Adonijah heard that Solomon was crowned, he rightfully feared for his life, but Solomon showed him grace. King David is dead. Long live King Solomon. David was king for forty years, many of them turbulent. And on his death bed, he gave his young son words of advice. We’re not sure how old Solomon was when he became king, but some scholars believe he might have been as young as twelve years. Others think he was in his twenties. I tend to go with the second opinion. Either way, David told him to stay close to God and follow his commands so that his kingdom would be lasting. And then David give Solomon some directions about some specific people. Joab, who had killed innocent men; the family of Barzillai, who had given David shelter when he was being pursued by Absalom; and Shimei, who had cursed David even though he knew that David was God’s

Transcript Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Exodus 33-36. I’m calling today’s episode “Alone.” Comments on Exodus 33 Chapter 33 begins where chapter 32 left off, immediately after the people made the golden calf. The Lord is angry, and tells Moses to quickly leave this place. And he tells Moses that He will not go with them, but will send an angel to go with them instead, because, “you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.” There are two things I would like to talk about in this short scene. 1) Do you think God really was considering whether or not to destroy them when He said, “…I might destroy you on the way.”? Did He really need to remove Himself from their presence so He wouldn’t destroy them in a fit of anger? Would He have wiped them out because they built a golden calf and worshipped it?  I remember when my sons were just young boys. There were times when I would catch one or more of them doing something they knew they shouldn’t do. Sometimes I would discipline them on the spot. But other times, I would send them to their room. And with a stern look and firm tone, I would say, “I’ll be in to deal with you later.” And then when they were very young, they’d trudge off to their room, crying all the way. The waiting for the other shoe to drop was sometimes worse than whatever punishment might come. Beloved, God was not surprised when the people built that golden calf. When we sin, it doesn’t shock God. But He does want us to learn to obey His Word. So I believe that He said He “might destroy them on the way” so that they would think about what they had done, and know that God does not take their sin lightly. 2) God did not remove His presence from them to restrain Himself. He had no intention of wiping them out. Their sin was not going to change God’s plan for the redemption of mankind! No, in removing His presence from them, He was testing them. Up to this point, God had been with them in a ver

Transcript Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Galatians 1-3. I’m calling today’s episode “Ultimate Truth.” Comments on Galatians 1 Paul opens the letter by establishing that he is an apostle, chosen not by men, but by Jesus Christ Himself and God the Father. Those are some pretty impressive bona fides, wouldn’t you say? He’s not doing this to impress them, but to answer the charges brought against him by those who made their way into the Galatian church who were questioning his qualifications. After this, Paul expresses his amazement that they have allowed themselves to be sidetracked to a different Gospel (or Good News) such a short time after becoming believers. He says, “7There is no other message that is the Good News, but some people are confusing you. They want to change the Good News about Christ. 8 We told you the true Good News message. So anyone who tells you a different message should be condemned—even if it’s one of us or even an angel from heaven! 9 I said this before. Now I say it again: You have already accepted the Good News. Anyone who tells you another way to be saved should be condemned!” Other translations say “cursed” or “anathema”. Those are strong words. And I’m sure you noticed the part where Paul said, “even if it’s one of us (who tells a different Gospel) or even an angel from heaven!” Beloved, over the years there have been, and there now are, people who try to change the Good News. Many of them are great salesmen. They often bring a message of love and sunshine and prosperity. And they even sprinkle their message with snippets of scripture. And so did Satan as he tempted Jesus in the desert. And another message that is popular today is, “Well, listen. There are many ways to interpret scripture. There really isn’t an absolute truth. My truth is this. Maybe your truth is that. That’s cool. Whatever your truth is, is ok.” It is unfashionable to say today, but there *is* black and white. There is such a thing as truth. If “your truth” differs from “the truth” it

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Luke 5-6, and I’m calling the episode “Let’s Go Fishin’.” Comments on Luke 5 Jesus’ first request of Simon didn’t require much faith from him, did it? He got into Simon’s boat, and asked Simon to put out a little way from the shore. That’s all He asked. “Take me out just a little way, Simon.” He wanted to speak to the people who had been pushing and crowding Him so they could hear the Word of God.  Picture the scene. Simon Peter (called Simon at this point in Luke’s gospel) and some other fishermen were by the lake with their two boats, washing their nets, after having been out all night try unsuccessfully to make their day’s catch. Jesus is being followed by a throng of people anxious to hear Him teach. And when He sees the boats, Jesus decides to get into one of the boats and speak to the crowd from a short distance away, using the water as a way to put some space between himself and the people, and also using the water as an acoustic aid so that more people can hear. The sound of his voice would carry as it bounced off the surface of the water. The fishermen were tired. They worked hard all night. And they were frustrated, because of the lack of anything to show for their work. And now Simon, the one that, as we get to know him, is most prone to emotional outbursts, is asked to stop cleaning his net and take Jesus out in his boat. We are not told what Simon’s reaction is when Jesus makes this request, but I can imagine that Simon was less than thrilled. I’ll bet that he was looking forward to going home to get cleaned up and grab some shuteye. And I doubt that he hid his frustration from Jesus.  Nonetheless, Simon takes Jesus out in the boat. And…he becomes a captive audience in the process. He has to listen to Jesus’ sermon. Don’t you just love Jesus? I don’t think that Jesus’ choosing to go out on Simon’s boat was an accident, do you? Luke does not tell us what Jesus said in his sermon, but after his message to the people, Jesus tells Simon to go out to the deep water and put his nets back out for a

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Jeremiah 42-46, and I’m calling the episode “But You Promised.” Comments on Jeremiah 42 and 46 Thoughts on Jeremiah 42  Have you ever made a bargain with God? You’ve been in trouble or in some other hard place, and you said, “Lord, help me here and I will never sin again! I’ll devote my life to you!” And then the trouble passes, and you go right back to your old ways. Yeah. Most of us probably have done that, and let me say that it’s not a good thing to do. We may forget, but God doesn’t. Thankfully, God understands our foolishness and we have forgiveness in Jesus, but making a promise to God is still a serious thing. My suggestion is that you take your promises very, very seriously. In chapter 42 the people came to Jeremiah and said, “Please pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. Whether we like it or not, we will obey the Lord your God to whom we are sending you with our plea. For if we obey him, everything will turn out well for us.” So they made a promise that they would do whatever God told them to do, didn’t they? Let’s see how they followed through on their promise. But first, did you notice that in the first sentence, they said to Jeremiah, “…pray to the Lord YOUR God”? Isn’t that interesting? These were *supposed* to be God’s chosen people, and yet they didn’t say “pray to the Lord OUR God.” But when Jeremiah replied to them, he reminded them of this when he said, ”All right, I will pray to the Lord your God, as you have asked…”  Beloved, either He is our God or He isn’t. Either we follow Him or we don’t. Sure, we are weak and we fail, but if we are His, when we fall we get back up and, with His help, we try again. But that’s not what these people did in chapter 42. You heard what happened. They did NOT keep their promise to do whatever God told them to do. God told them to stay there in Babylon and not go to Egypt. He told them that he would bless them if they stayed and bring disaster on them if they went.  They said in essence, “Yeah. No. We’re going to Egyp

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is  we will complete the book of Job 41-42, and I’m calling the episode “A New Beginning.” Comments on Job Alexander Maclaren wrote in his “Expositions of Holy Scripture” “The close of the book of Job must be taken in connection with its prologue in order to get the full view of its solution of the mystery of pain and suffering. Indeed the prologue is more completely the solution than the endings; for it shows the purpose of Job’s trials as being, not his punishment but his testing.” “So we have the grim thing lighted up, as it were, at the two ends. Suffering comes with the mission of trying what stuff a man is made of, and it leads to closer knowledge of God, which is blessed; to lowlier self-estimation, which is also blessed; and to renewed outward blessings, which hide the old scars and gladden the tortured heart.” I love that.  As gold is purified by fire, so a good man is tested and purified by trial.  Was it unjust for God to allow Satan to test Job?  We look at the miserable and painful events that came to Job and we feel pity for him. We think, “How could a loving God allow this?”  But God had the end in mind even before the enemy ever thought of attacking him. God knew the heart of Job. He knew that Job was a good man. He said to Satan, “Have you seen my servant Job?” My servant. God knew that Job loved Him, and would continue to do so even if everything was taken away from him. And He knew that in testing Job, Job would come to love and trust Him even more. I am quite sure that if we could ask Job today if he regretted going through the trial, his answer would be a resounding, “No!” If you belong to God, if you have given your heart to Him, if you have trusted Jesus and asked Him to be your Lord and Savior, don’t ever believe the lie that God is angry at you if you are going through hard times. He uses the fire to purify you and bring you into a more intimate relationship with Him. I’m not talking theory here, my friend. I’m talking from experience. My wife and I have had many heartbreak

Some verses feel like they were written for the moments when your vocabulary fails—when you’ve prayed all you know to pray, and all that’s left is a quiet hope that God is still at work. In this episode of Verses We Missed, we sit with Ephesians 3:20 and listen to Paul stretch language to the breaking point as he points us to a God whose power and generosity are beyond measure. Today’s Reading Today’s reading is Ephesians 3:20 (ESV). Reading: Ephesians 3:20 Follow along here: Ephesians 3:20 (ESV) on BibleGateway. Commentary Paul doesn’t simply say, “God can help.” He piles word on top of word—able, then more, then far more, and finally “than all we ask or think.” It’s as if he’s reaching for the biggest sentence he can build, because ordinary language won’t hold the weight of what he’s trying to say. And notice where he locates the miracle: not only in what God can do “out there,” but in what God is already doing “in here”—“according to the power at work within us.” The same God who exceeds our prayers is also at work forming us, strengthening us, and teaching us to trust Him beyond the limits of our imagination. Verse of the Day Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God is not constrained by our best request or our biggest idea. When you’ve reached the end of what you can ask—when you’ve hit the ceiling of what you can even think—God is still God. Let this verse reframe your prayers today: not toward anxiety, but toward awe. Value for Value If this episode encouraged you, would you consider supporting the show? Your prayers, shares, and financial support help keep Verses We Missed going and growing. Learn more about value-for-value and how to participate at Lifespring Media, and thank you for being part of this work. More from Lifespring Media If you’

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Psalms 60-62, and I’m calling the episode “Be Quiet.” Comments on Psalm 62 “1 It is surely true that I find my rest in God.” NIRV I believe that the NASB is a better translation: “1 My soul waits in silence for God only;” NASB Sometimes, the very best thing we can do is come before God and…just…be quiet. FB Meyer wrote, “This is why God keeps you waiting. All that is of self and nature must be silence; one voice after another cease to boast; one light after another be put out; until the soul is shut up to God alone.” Our natural inclination when we are in great need is to *do something*. We feel that “if it to be, it is up to me”. But if we have that mentality, we are not putting our faith in God.  But David said, “1My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. 2He only is my rock and my salvation…” Beloved, there is no better place to go for deliverance from any circumstance, any hardship, any trouble. Throughout this psalm, David expresses his complete confidence in God. I like the way Spurgeon put it: “Observe how the Psalmist brands his own initials upon every name which he rejoicingly gives to his God – my expectation, my rock, my salvation, my glory, my strength, my refuge; he is not content to know that the Lord is all these things; he acts in faith towards him, and lays claim to him under every character.” Our confidence is well placed when we lean on Him. There, we can find complete and enduring rest.

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is 2 Samuel 20-24, which will complete that book. I’m calling today’s episode “Forgiven and Forgotten.” Commentary on 2 Samuel 22 Chapter 22 is David’s wonderful song of praise to God, whom he had served his entire life. As David wrote this, he included the highs and the lows from his life. How God had delivered him from his enemies, and how he was blessed. He gave praise for who God is and how incomparable He is. He acknowledged that God was his source of…everything. Did any particular part stand out to you? The section from verses 21 to 25 certainly did to me. 21You are good to me, Lord, because I do right, and you reward me because I am innocent. 22I do what you want and never turn to do evil. 23I keep your laws in mind and never turn away from your teachings. 24I obey you completely and guard against sin. 25You have been good to me because I do right; you have rewarded me for being innocent by your standards. 2 Samuel 21-25 CEV Wait, what? David was not blameless, was he? He was an adulterer, a schemer, a murderer. How could he say he was innocent? Because God had forgiven him. In 2 Samuel 12:13, Nathan the prophet told David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” Beloved, When God forgives, He forgets. He no longer holds it against you. It is as if it never happened. David wrote in Psalm 103:12, “12As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Beloved, David put his faith in God, and he trusted God’s mercy, and he was called the friend of God.  So what does that mean for us? It means that when we remember our sins, it is only in our memory, not God’s, if we are in Christ. If you have confessed your sins to God and if you have trusted Jesus as your savior, you can join David in this song and say, “You reward me because I am innocent.”  Beloved, I can guarantee that that is the best news you will hear all day!

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is Exodus 29-32. Since it’s Monday, you know that this is one of the books of the Law. I’m calling today’s episode “It’s All Him.” Comments on Exodus 29-32 Oh my goodness. What a tremendous range our reading covered today. From the anointing of Aaron and his sons as priests, to the instructions for sacrifices, to God’s giving the tablets of the Law, inscribed with his own finger, to the abomination of the golden calf, to Moses’ interceding on behalf of the people. I hardly know where to focus my comments today.  I could talk about how Jesus is represented in establishing the priesthood, in the daily offerings, and in the different elements talked about in chapter 30, which were the altar of incense, the ransom each person was to pay at the census, the bronze basin, the anointing oil and the incense that was used in the tent (or tabernacle). All of these things pointed to Christ in a specific way.  I could talk about how God enables us for the work He calls us to, as He did Bezalel and Oholiab, and all the workers who were to help with the work.  Or I could talk about the significance of God delivering the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone. And, I could talk at some length about the shameful scene of the golden calf.  Beloved, as I sit here today reading these four chapters, I am dumbfounded at God’s infinite patience and love for us. I cannot fathom how or why our omniscient, righteous, holy God, knowing the path mankind would take, would nonetheless create us. Think of it. He created a perfect planet for us. He placed our first parents, Adam and Eve there, where there was no sickness, no death. Nothing was there that would cause harm. But because God wanted mankind to love Him of their own will, He gave them the ability to make the choice between right and wrong, knowing that they would make wrong choices. And you know the rest of the story.  Ultimately, God made a way, at great cost to Himself, for mankind to be reconciled to Him, if they would just believe in the Savior He, Himself provided.  This is a love that drives me to my knees,

Podcast Introduction Our reading today is 2 Corinthians 11-13, which completes the book. Yesterday I got ahead of myself and said we would be starting the book of Galatians today. That’s next Sunday. I’m calling today’s episode “Is It Time For An Audit?”  Comments on Chapter 13 Put yourselves through a test. See if you belong to Christ. Then you will know you belong to Christ, unless you do not pass the test. 2 Corinthians 13:5 NLV The apostle Paul was having some difficulties with some of the people in the church at Corinth, so he gave them this challenge. But it is good for all of us to take stock from time to time. Are we walking with the Lord as we should, or have we drifted away? It is good to ask God if there is anything in us with which He is unhappy. And we should ask Him to reveal it to us, so that we can confess it and ask for forgiveness. This is one of those times I talked about a few days ago when it is good to be quiet before the Lord, by the way. Listen for His still, small voice. Charles Spurgeon wrote, “Now, what is it to have Jesus Christ in you? The true Christian carries the cross in his heart; and a cross inside the heart, my friends, is one of the sweetest cures for a cross on the back. If you have a cross in your heart – Christ crucified in you, the hope of glory – all the crosses of this world’s troubles will seem to you light enough, and you will easily be able to sustain it. Christ in the heart means Christ believed in, Christ beloved, Christ trusted, Christ espoused, Christ communed with, Christ as our daily food, and ourselves as the temple and palace wherein Jesus Christ daily walks.” Sometimes we find it easy to see shortcomings in the people around us. Perhaps we would be better off if we spent time with the Lord looking for areas in our own lives that don’t measure up. Is it time for an audit?