"An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.  If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.  And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it." (Ex. 20:24-26, ESV)     Immediately after giving the Decalogue (ten commandments) to Moses and Israel, the Lord cites some instructions in regard to the building of altars. These rules were important considering the worship practices of the time. The Israelites were not the only people who used altars. To distinguish between the two the Bible often referred to these as "high places." Molech, Baal, Dagon, and other "gods" mentioned in the Bible demanded sacrifices from their worshipers. Some worship went so far as t...

This week marks one year that I have been posting Biblical insights online. "Thank you" to each of you that have read, commented, shared, or have otherwise been encouraged in your faith. As a way of commemorating the first year, I have decided to post some of the most popular posts of 2013, chosen by your interactions with them. I look forward to many more years of encouraging and equipping believers in the Word. "… And Jesus said to him, 'If You can?' All things are possible to him who believes.'" (Mark 9:14-29, emph. v.23, NASB)    The issues of faith and prayer intersect in the passage of Scripture in such a transparent way that it is difficult to find another passage like it in Scripture. Notice how the story plays out. First, the father brings his demon-possessed son to the disciples, who are unsuccessful in bringing relief. He then brings him to Jesus, who has words of rebuke for both the disciples and the father. However, Jesus has no ...

"Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. - Joshua 1:3 (NASB)    If you look forward from this point in Joshua you will find that Josh and the Israelites are constantly driving out their enemies. At every turn they are taking up their swords and routing another enemy. In some cases, the enemy routes them. Eventually they manage to conquer the Promised Land, but not completely, for they let some of their enemies stay because the fight was too difficult.        This brings me back to the verse above. The LORD told Josh that He was going to "give" the land to him. Give. When I think about someone giving something to me, I envision me reaching out my hand and simply taking hold of what is being given. The LORD said He was giving the land to Josh, he simply had to reach out and take what God was giving. It belonged to His people, but His people would have to fight to claim it.    As...

"Lord, if You had been here, my brother wold not have died." - Jn. 11:21 & 32 (NASB)      This piercing statement was made not once but twice to Jesus, each time by a sister of Lazarus, and a friend of Jesus. However, the responses were much different. When Martha asked the question (v.21) , Jesus responded by telling her Lazarus was going to rise again (v.23) . She did not get it, so Jesus reminded her that He is the resurrection and the life. (v.25) She still did not get it. We know this because she responded to Jesus by avoiding His question. On the contrary, when Mary spoke those same words (v.32) Jesus responded by asking where Lazarus's body was buried, then proceeded to the tomb to resurrect him. (v. 34-44)         Why did Jesus respond to them differently? He could have just as easily asked Martha where Lazarus's body was buried. Perhaps Jesus wanted to engage the faith of each of these women at the level they were. In Luke, th...

"My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Your word." - (Ps. 119:25, NASB)    Psalm 119 is one of the two most well-know in the collection, and retains the title of the longest. At 176 verses, it covers an entire five pages in the Bible I am looking at this moment. Besides the length of this Psalm, one of the most glaring facts that stand out is the focus on God's Word. When we use that terminology today, we are referring to the Bible, the entirety of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. In David's time, the NT was not written, neither were many of the writings among the prophetic collections, and some others. David uses various terms in referring to God's Words: law, ways, statutes, commandments, testimonies, and precepts, and others. However, each refers to the inspired directive that comes from God. So, even though David did not have access to the collection of books we have today, we can still refer to all of these as the Word of God. At its co...

"…He came…and said to Peter…"…the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." - (Matt. 26:40-41, NASB)    Many of us are familiar with the words of Jesus highlighted above, and most of us can identify with the truth of Jesus statement. As I read this passage this morning, I noticed something that I had not put together before. When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane, He took all the disciples with him, but only took Peter, James, and John with Him deeper into the garden.  Jesus went a little further alone and prayed. When he came back to the group, the Bible records that he found them sleeping. And, to be honest, it was past time for bed for these guys. Jesus wakes them up and rebukes them. Now, notice Jesus' words in verse 40, "And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to PETER." (emphasis mine) He did not necessarily rebuke James and John, but directed His words at Peter. Why is this? If you back-track to verse 33-35, you will f...