Mar 1
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jbarrows added a text contribution An Eternal PerspectiveI've often wondered what it is that makes some people more active in their faith than others. Why do some people seem to go to church faithfully every Sunday, yet during the week, their lives are indistinguishable from those who do not go to church? What is it for instance that set Paul apart from other Christians of his day? I believe the answer lies in having an eternal perspective. Paul frequently refers to his eternal perspective in all of his letters as he does in verses 50-58 here. It… Read more »
Jan 18
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jbarrows added a text contribution Party...don't weepThis scene is fascinating to me. To have all the residents of Jerusalem gathered together and hungry for the Word of the Lord. It must have been an amazing time. They didn't have to be told to "go to church". They were eager to go listen to the Bible being read. And the response...they were all spontaneously weeping. In fact, their weeping was so great that Ezra and Nehemiah had to comfort the people and tell them to go and enjoy themselves...the ESV says that they told them to go… Read more »
Dec 14
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jbarrows added a text contribution Finishing StrongIt always concerns me to read of someone in either the Old or New Testament who starts very strongly in their relationship with God, but finishes poorly. It means that except for the Grace of God, I can do the same. Here is Asa who early in his life does something I'm not sure I could do. He leads an army into battle against a superior enemy while depending on the LORD. Likely, I would have gone the other way. But then, over time, something slips away...he begins to rely more on himself and… Read more »
Nov 27
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jbarrows added a text contribution Self ControlI've been thinking a lot lately about the whole concept of self control. My son Caleb wears a t-shirt from college that quotes Prov. 25:28- "Like a city whose walls are broken down is man who lacks self control." Peter tells us here in verse 7 that we should be clear minded and self controlled. Within the very concept of self control is implied the idea that we can't do everything we naturally desire. That in and of itself is contrary to what is being taught in the world. Adv… Read more »
Oct 22
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jbarrows added a text contribution Directing heartsIn this seemingly non-descript verse, Paul uses a terminology that strikes me not so much at first by what it says, but rather what it doesn't say. As Paul is finishing this thought about being faithful and obedient to the commands that he left with the Thessalonians, he prayerfully asks the Lord to direct their hearts to the love of God. Strange thought at first. Why instead wouldn't Paul ask the Lord to put reminders in their mind for instance, or direct their mind to the importance… Read more »
Oct 12
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jbarrows added a text contribution Loving GodThere is a theme within the Old Testament that has to do with how the Lord values certain people who have followed Him with all their hearts. It is true here of David, but there are others who are highly valued by God including Abraham, Moses, and even some of the later kings like Jehoshaphat. In other words, there is a characteristic displayed by some men of God within the Old Testament that endears them to God. He prizes that characteristic and even rewards it. Here the description is given th… Read more »
Oct 6
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jbarrows added a text contribution God's PromiseI struggle with the early part of this chapter because it is confusing to me. At first, the LORD seems to make an unconditional promise that He will keep an association with the Temple that Solomon has built. But later we find that the promise is in fact conditional. It depends not only on the faithfulness of Solomon, but also on the faithfulness of all of His offspring who will later occupy the throne. If a promise of God is dependent on the performance of man, the promise in reality is not goi… Read more »
Sep 29
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jbarrows added a text contribution Living FreeThis chapter opens with Paul's statement "It is for freedom, that Christ has set us free...". Like so many other verses in Scripture, I've read over that many times without really understanding the meaning behind it. Christ's death on the cross has freed us from having to serve the Law. We no longer have to live under the law with it's sacrificial system to achieve forgiveness for our sins. The death of Jesus has accomplished that for us...for the rest of our lives.… Read more »
Sep 28
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jbarrows added a text contribution TemptationsWhat strikes me first as I read this passage is that God is angry with Israel and David, and yet it seems that it is God who incites David to do the numbering. It simply doesn't make sense that God would cause David to do something, and then later be angry about David's obedient action. As we look closer at this, the truth becomes clear. The first piece of important evidence is found in 1 Chronicles 21 verse 1 which is a parallel account of this story, with an important difference. In… Read more »
Sep 18
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jbarrows added a text contribution The fruit of unforgivenessAs I read this chapter, I can't help but wonder if Absalom's later rebellion would have been prevented if David had handled this crisis differently. After all, what causes a son to seek the destruction of his own father? Obviously, pride, greed and a lust for power are involved, but what is it that causes these desires to reach the level of control in a person's life that they sacrifice even the relationship with their own father? It's difficult to make this sacrifice when th… Read more »
Sep 14
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jbarrows added a text contribution Ministry of the GospelPaul reveals the glory of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by contrasting it with the giving of the Law. He calls the Law "the ministry of death" and "the ministry of condemnation", while referring to the Gospel as "the ministry of the Spirit" and "the ministry of righteousness". We dare not miss this! When Moses handed down the Law to the new nation of Israel, it was celebrated and accompanied by a glory that even today would bring us to our knees! God had dire… Read more »
Sep 13
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jbarrows added a text contribution God's victoryWhen a chapter of the Bible contains the exact same phrase twice, chances are good there's a reason and a message behind that. This particular chapter contains the phrase, "And the Lord gave victory to David wherever He went" in verses 6 & 14. I know that when I begin to have victory in some small way in my life, it doesn't take very long before I'm taking far more credit myself than I should. No doubt David struggled with this as well. The writer of 2 Samuel wants t… Read more »
Aug 31
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jbarrows added a text contribution Where is the dough?In verse 7, Paul talks about removing the leaven or old yeast from the batch of dough. The context tells us that he is not talking here about us as individuals removing old yeast from ourselves, but rather the church removing an individual who is committed to participating in a particular sin. Paul is also not saying that every sinner should be removed from the church since all of us sin at one time or another. He is talking about a person who either does not believe a particular action is sin,… Read more »
Aug 20
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jbarrows added a text contribution How to be savedIn this verse, Paul tells us what we must do to have the wonderful grace of God applied to our lives and be saved. We must confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, and we will be saved. The key word here is "believe". This is one example of where English falls short of the depth of meaning of the Greek word. The English word emphasizes the intellectual aspect of faith, i.e. believe in the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead. The Greek… Read more »
Aug 19
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jbarrows added a text contribution Righteousness through faithIn this chapter, Paul is writing about the fact that in large measure, the Jewish people are failing to receive God's righteousness because they are rejecting the Gospel. Instead, the Gospel is being accepted by Gentiles, which include most of us today. Paul gives the reason in verse 32, which is also very instructive for us as we pursue after Christ. Paul says that the Jewish people failed to receive righteousness because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if they could obtain righteo… Read more »
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jbarrows added a text contribution Living the abundant lifeI often find that I have read or even memorized verses, but have not really allowed their meaning to fully penetrate my life. Romans 8:1 is one of those verses. There is no longer any condemnation for me as a Christian. None. I will have...no...I already have eternal life...secure...no question...I will live forever with the Lord. If I really fully understood that concept, joy would inevitable invade my whole demeanor. Yet I don't live out of joy as often as I should. I allow the worries of… Read more »
Aug 17
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jbarrows added a text contribution Already...but not yet fullyFew chapters in the New Testament cause more confusion than the words of Paul written in Romans chapter 7. To properly understand Romans 7, you have to understand the concept of "already... but not yet fully." By that phrase I mean that in one sense we are already risen with Christ, but not yet fully risen. We are already righteous in Jesus Christ, but not yet fully righteous. We already have eternal life in Jesus Christ, but not yet fully. It revolves around the fact that when Jesus d… Read more »
Aug 14
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jbarrows added a text contribution Intellectual faithFor the longest time, I read and intellectually comprehended the concept of justification by faith, but yet I didn't really understand it. In it's depths, it is so radical that it is not understood by the intellect alone, but also must be accepted and understood by the heart. It is the concept of grace, undeserved love and forgiveness coupled with complete acceptance. All that is required of us is to believe...not just intellectually, but rather accept that love in a way that binds us… Read more »
Aug 9
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jbarrows added a text contribution Risk takingI love the story of Ruth because it is a story of vulnerability and grace. You don't have to read far in the Old Testament to see how vulnerable single women are during this time. As you read this chapter closely, it comes out loud and clear. It was not at all uncommon for a woman working on her own to be assaulted by a man or group of men. Yet, Ruth took the risk and went out in part to help her mother in law. There can be no doubt that she understood this risk as she ventured out, and yet… Read more »
Aug 8
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jbarrows added a text contribution The real truthIf we had been present during this "trial" before King Agrippa, it would have appeared at that time that Festus and Agrippa were in control of everything. They were the ones who seemed to possess the power while Paul was simply a prisoner. But as we look back at that situation now almost 2000 years later, we understand it very differently. The power and control of Festus and Agrippa were temporary, while the truths of Paul were eternal. Few of us would want to be Agrippa now, while I&#… Read more »
Jul 17
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jbarrows added a text contribution A small worldThere is an unfortunate tendency within human nature to get comfortable in our lives and forget about God. It is certainly evident now, and no doubt Joshua was worried about it some 3200 years ago. That's why he gathered all the leaders of Israel to Shechem before he died. One of his main themes within his final words was that it was the Lord that accomplished everything for them. I like his reminder in verse 12 that it was not their sword or bow that conquered the people of the land. It wa… Read more »
Jul 16
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jbarrows added a text contribution RepentanceOne thing that sets Christianity apart from all other religions is how it deals with our failures. It is inevitable that we as human beings will fail in our ability to perfectly obey God. The issue then is how we reestablish our relationship with God after our failure. All other religions outside of Christianity require that we do something to make up for our failure. Christianity reminds us that it has already been done, by the Lord in His death on the cross. Yes, we must change the wrong actio… Read more »
Jul 15
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jbarrows added a text contribution God at workIn the past, I've found it easy to get caught up in the details of this chapter. It is a marvelous scene and one that I wish I could have witnessed. But there is one thing that strikes me this morning as I read this chapter reflectively...this is something that God did, not man. It is an increasing revelation in my life that though I may accomplish tasks...only God truly accomplishes something worthwhile. How often I get caught up into the wrong thinking that I am doing something significan… Read more »
Jul 14
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jbarrows added a text contribution The Promises of GodThis chapter ends with an amazing statement...that every one of the good promises the Lord made to Israel was fulfilled. As I sit here this morning, and reflect on my own life, I find that I am compelled to testify that in my life...the Lord has fulfilled every single promise He has made to me. He is a faithful God, and His faithfulness is new every morning. If we truly seek Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength...He in turn will be faithful to us and will bles… Read more »
Jul 8
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jbarrows added a text contribution Soul ThirstOne of David's greatest strengths was that he understood that his soul was thirsting for God. I must constantly remind myself that the disquiet within my soul has its roots in my separation from God. One of my favorite quotes is from G.K. Chesterton who has said..."Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God." That quote always stops me in my tracks because it recognizes that even the most base actions on our part arise out of our soul's thirst for God.… Read more »