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God Sightings for September 2023

God Sightings for September 2023

God Sightings for September 2023 The rebellion of Absalom had passed. David had returned to Jerusalem. The burden of Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjaminite, had been lifted along with his head. King David was once again established upon his royal throne. He could not sit peacefully, however, because God had some unfinished business with the house of Saul. David was yet to face trouble for his sin against the Lord in the case of Uriah and Bathsheba, but the famine of rain was for something different (II Sam. 21). The three years of draught was for Saul’s house, “There is blood guilt on Saul and on his house, […]

God Sightings for August 2023

God Sightings for August 2023

God-sightings for August, 2023 I was pondering the theological relevance of the genealogies from the Chronicles recently. I was wondering how God might be manifesting Himself in a text which might seem obscure to many Christians, I suspect.  Just as I thought, there was Yahweh shining through, manifesting Himself through the Chronicler and onto the page of inspired genealogy. The genealogies of I Chronicles stretch over the first nine chapters of the book and speak to the lineages of:  Adam through before David (1:1-2:55); David to the Captivity (3:1-24); the twelve tribes (4:1-9:1); the Jerusalem dwellers (9:2-34).  These genealogies specifically served the post-exilic Jerusalem dwellers coming back to the Promised […]

God Sightings for July 2023

God Sightings for July 2023

I was deeply moved by the nature of God from Judges chapter 10. The ESV renders verse 16, “and He (Jehovah) became impatient over the misery of Israel.” The NASB lends another helpful angle, “He could bear the misery of Israel no longer.”  Hebrew scholars, Keil and Delitzsch, share this practical commentary: “Jehovah could no longer look down upon the misery of Israel; He was obligated to help.” “This is the attitude of God towards His people,” says our German authors. It appears that as He withdrew His helping hand, Israel turned away from her homage of the Baals, Asherah, Ashtoreth, and from similar gods of neighboring cultures. Time after […]

God Sightings

God Sightings

“It  has been said by someone that the “ proper study of mankind is man”. I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true, that the proper study of God’s elect is God, the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead. The highest science, the lofty speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God, whom he calls his father.” -C.H.Spurgeon God Sightings are the current study reflections of Author , Bible Teacher , Dr. Mark, L. Graham. In his life […]

UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC WORSHIP

Insights and Observations:     “. . .For the due solemnization of the seventh month, the festal month of the year. For this purpose the people came from the cities and villages of Judea to Jerusalem, and assembled ‘in the space before the water-gate,’ i.e., to the southeast of the temple square.”  – C. F. Keil The public reading of the Law was upon the hearts of God’s people and they compelled Ezra to fetch the Book and read it in the presence of the great assembly. From the morning until mid-day or from daylight ‘til noon, a spanse of about six hours was the Law of God read.    “Ezra, God’s […]

ENDURING HARDNESS

Scripture Meditation:  Second Timothy 2:1-3 Insights and Observations: Timothy was Paul’s son in the faith and spiritual offspring in the Gospel. Endunamoo: “be strengthened, become strong, or strengthen thyself.” Paul, here, urges Timothy to draw upon those resources with which God Himself has enabled Timothy—and every genuine convert of Christ—to combat evil and fight the “good fight” (I Cor 15:10; Philip 4:13). There are several points with the immediate context which brings weight to Paul’s admonition, “be strong.” First:  Timothy’s heritage of faith, i.e., Lois and Eunice, mother and grandmother, respectively (1:5). Second:  Timothy’s commissioning as guardian of the “good thing” (sacred trust – 1:14 cp, I Tim 1:18,19). Third:  […]

DEVOTIONS IN THE HOME

Scripture Meditation:  Matthew 18:3-6; 19:14 Few things in life are more important than the discipleship of children. The failure of parents to seriously commit themselves to raise their young in the way of the Gospel and in the Word of the Lord will come to light in the next generation. Nothing should distract moms and dads from their God-given responsibility to daily immerse their children in the things of God.  Neither  work, hobbies, recreation, nor service through the church, community, or school are worthy excuses for the neglect of the development of our child’s devotional life. It’s an all-important task! You and I, as  Christian parents, must be ready to […]

RESURRECTION ORDER

I Corinthians 15:20-23 “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the first-fruits , afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” Today, we are again honing in on the Fifteenth Chapter of I Corinthians, moving to a close in our study of I Corinthians. Resurrection, of course, is our subject matter, and today most of our time will be spent looking at the order […]

WORDS FOR COMING AND GOING

Pastor Mark Graham, 5/25/14 Have you thought much about the fact that life is so much about coming and going, arrivals and departures, traveling here and there?  In this rushing world how many of us really think long about our daily traverse, our routine destinations which make up so much of our lives? Today, we have a great lesson before us about travel; about how to avoid the mindless rush of travel and how to enjoin the verse which says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,do all to the glory of                        God.” – I Co. 10:31     […]

I Am the Light of the World

John 9:1-7  “As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him  who sent Me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ Having said these things, He spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the […]