Carl Rogers

Essential 100 - Day 32, Part 1 - Israel asks for a king

Wow! I can't believe that it has been over a month since I have written anything here. I hope this entry doesn't seem too disjointed, as obviously, it's been a while since I first read this passage in…

Essential 100 - Day 31, Pt 3 - Samuel's Call

Now comes another very familiar story ~ especially to those of us who went to Sunday School as a child ~ the call of Samuel in the night. But before the story begins there is a interesting statement that…

1 Samuel 3:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 31, Pt 2 - Samuel

God's Strong WordsThis chapter begins and ends with God's prophetic word, and in between is the sad state of Israel represented by Eli and his two “scoundrel” sons. In verses 1-10, Hannah prays a powerful…

Essential 100 - Day 31, Pt 1 - Samuel

We now come to an important pivotal point in the history of God's people, Israel. They have failed to follow God almost the whole time they have lived in the promised land. God has spoken to and led them…

Essential 100 - Day 30 - Ruth

It's been a while since I have written here and there are several reasons for that, but since these “reasons” double as “excuses” I won't even go there. I want to confess that the Holy Spirit has convicted…

Ruth 1:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 29 - Samson

Like Gideon and his fleece, some of Samson's story (the part about Delilah cutting his hair) is very familiar, but the whole story is in four parts (one chapter each) so I'll comment that way too.Ch 13…

Judges 13:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 28 - Gideon

Martyn Lloyd-Jones, in his classic book, “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount,” says that Gideon is an example of one who is “poor in spirit.” (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom…

Judges 6:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 18 - The 10 Plagues

OK, here’s where I’ll admit that I occasionally struggle with God’s Word. Now I have no problem accepting that God is all-powerful and that He works miracles. I have no doubt that God brought each of…

Exodus 7:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 17 - Moses, Pt 2 - The Burning Bush

Moses’ (and by extension, the Hebrew people) didn’t really know God. “I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (Gen 3:6) He was the God that they had heard about in the old…

Exodus 3:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 16 - Moses, Pt 1

Random thoughts as we jump ahead some 400 years.Praise God for the midwives. In a time that God is rarely mentioned (or worshipped, or served, etc.) “the midwives feared God.” (Ex 1:17 & 21)Moses’ mother…

Exodus 1:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 15 - Joseph, Pt 5

And then, “Joseph could not restrain himself…” so he sent his servants away and made himself known to this brothers. Talk about emotion! They couldn’t even speak because of their dismay. This was the…

Genesis 45:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 14 - Joseph, Pt 4

Now the story gets dramatic, full of emotion and heart-rending moments. Jacob’s agonizing decision to send Benjamin to Egypt with his brothers and Judah’s heartfelt promise to bear the blame forever if…

Genesis 43:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 13 - Joseph, Pt 3

“There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” (Gen 37:7)“And Joseph’s brothers came…

Genesis 42:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 12 - Joseph, Pt 2

God blessed Joseph with great success and great trials. He gifted him with natural leadership abilities and charisma. But along with that, God “blessed” Joseph with trials and hardships so that he would…

Genesis 39:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 11 - Joseph, Pt 1

Joseph was a dreamer. From his youth he was set apart by God and destined for great things, but like most people who “dream big” he was not readily accepted. All he had were dreams and those dreams upset…

Genesis 37:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 27 - Deborah & Barak

The Book of Judges covers a pretty big chunk of time – from right after Joshua led the Israelites into the promised land until many years later when a young boy named Samuel grew up and anointed a man…

Judges 4:1 (NIV)

Essential 100 - Day 10 - Jacob & Esau, Pt 2

Some thoughts on the name change from Jacob to Israel. (Gen 32:28) My margin note says that Israel literally means “Prince with God,” but some other research indicates that the Hebrew word is translated,…

Genesis 32:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 9 - Jacob & Esau, Pt 1

“Is he not rightly named Jacob?” (Gen 27:36)According to my margin note on Gen 25:26, the name, Jacob, literally means supplanter which means “one who, through force or scheming, takes the place of another.”…

Genesis 27:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 8 - Abraham, Pt 3

It “finally” begins to come to pass. “Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.” Gen 21:2. God really is in control!How precious to Abraham and…

Genesis 21:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 7 - Abraham, Pt 2

Talk about an awesome night! God spoke to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Gen 15:1) He also dealt with Abram’s concerns about having no…

Genesis 15:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 6 - Abraham, Pt 1

More wonderings… How did God appear to Abram? What revelation would cause a 75 year old man to leave his country and family (his father’s house) and travel to an unknown land? What concept did Abram have…

Genesis 12:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 5 - Babel

Another instance of God’s Spirit spurring my “sanctified” imagination. I’m wondering what society was like before Babel, when communication was hindered by language differences. Was there anything man…

Genesis 11:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 4 - The Flood, Pt 2

In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve live, serve and fellowship with God in the paradise of the Garden of Eden. Here they have everything they need. They eat the fruit of every tree (and bush and plant – ?) except…

Genesis 8:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 3 - The Flood, Pt 1

Probably more people know this Bible story than just about any other. Unfortunately, it has been reduced to a cute little story about Noah and his family getting on a cute little boat (with a graffe’s…

Genesis 6:1 (ASV)

Essential 100 - Day 22, Pt 2 - Moses' Shining Face

These two chapters have much to do with Moses “face-time” with God, and the resultant glow or reflection of God’s glory on his face. After the golden calf fiasco, Moses went back up to the LORD, hoping…

Exodus 33:1 (ASV)