May I have a WORD with you?

References:

• The Command - Isaiah 55:6-7
  • Seek - imperative (command)
  • Call - also imperative
  • Steps of repentance
    • The urgency of “while you can find Him,” and “while He is near.”
      • If you feel far from God, who moved?
      • He will never leave or forsake
    • Forsaking of wicked ways - see ESV
    • Banishing of evil thoughts - see NLT
    • Receiving the abundantly generous forgiveness
• Our Transcendant God - Isa 55:8-9
  • Reality Check - ...

References:

• Grief, suffering, hardship, pain… These are not signs of God’s abandonment or condemnation.
  • Romans 8:35, 37-39
    • Counter cultural 
    • The promise that allows people of faith to grieve differently
  • Paul’s last letter, near the end of his life (martyrdom)
• 2 Timothy 2:1-14
  • The reality of discipleship
    • What witness do you bear when you are suffering?
    • Endurance - κακοπαθέω (kak-op-ath-eh'-o)
      • to suffer (...

References:

• Still being in the season of Easter I wanted to share with you some powerful insights the Lord laid on my heart that I shared with people at our late Good Friday Service.
  • Reading the Passion According to St John 18:1-19:42
  • Three images of power
    • John 18:3-9
    • John 19:5-11
    • John 19:25-27
• The display of worldly power met by True Power
  • As the contingent arrived with torches, clubs and weapons, Jesus “stepped ...

References:

• The Passover is a time when Jewish households do a thourough cleaning of the home to be sure all leaven is removed.
  • Deep Cleaning: Homes are thoroughly cleaned, including searching for and removing all crumbs of chametz.
  • Symbolism: This process represents cleaning out the spiritual "leaven" (pride or sin) from within.
  • Bedikat Chametz: A ritual search for the remaining leaven occurs on the night before Pass...

References:

• The “Holy”
  • Holy - ἅγιος (hag'-ee-os): most holy thing, a saint
    • 229 times in 219 vss in NT
    • Often associated with the Spirit (Holy Spirit)
    • Sometimes with places
      • The holy city, being Jerusalem
      • The Holiest place in the tabernacle 
      • The Holy of holies in the Temple (Heb 9)
  • Hagiography vs damnatio memoriae
  • The Holy “Triduum” -  not a Biblical word. Latin for three days (Maundy Thu, Good Fri, Holy Sat)
• ...

References:

• Review
  • Setting and background/context of Joel
  • Structure
    • Poem 1 - 1:1-20
    • Poem 2 - 2:1-17
    • God’s response - 2:18-27
      • God will defeat the invaders - 2:20-21
      • God will restore the land - 2:22-26
      • God will dwell with His people - 2:27
    • THE Day of the Lord - 2:28-3:16
• THE Day of the Lord in three mirrored parts begins with God’s presence
  • God with us - 2:28-32 (Chapter 3 in the Hebrew text)
    • “I will pour ou...

References:

• Review
  • Setting and background/context of Joel
  • Structure
    • Poem 1 - 1:1-20
    • Poem 2 - 2:1-17
    • God’s response - 2:18-27
    • THE Day of the Lord - 2:28-3:16
• Joel 2:18-19 - God will take pity
  • A turning point - upon repentance God shows love for the land and His people
  • Answered prayer - grain, wine, oil = satisfaction
  • Shame removed - the surrounding nations that once mocked Israel will be silenced
• God’s response in...

References:

• Review
  • Setting and background/context of Joel
  • Structure
    • Poem 1 - 1:1-20
    • Poem 2 - 2:1-17
    • God’s response - 2:18-27
    • THE Day of the Lord - 2:28-3:16
• 2nd Prophetic poem - Joel 2:1-17
  • Announcement of disaster - 2:1-11
    • The sounding of the shofar שׁוֹפָר (sho-far')
    • The Eden imagery of 2:3 and shalom
    • Descriptions of the judgement forces
      • We’ve moved beyond locusts to a cosmic sort of army (think Rev 9)
      • Wh...

References:

• Review
  • Setting and background/context of Joel
  • Structure
    • Poem 1 - 1:1-20
    • Poem 2 - 2:1-17
    • God’s response - 2:18-27
    • THE Day of the Lord - 2:28-3:16
• 2nd Prophetic poem - Joel 2:1-17
  • Announcement of disaster - 2:1-11
    • The sounding of the shofar שׁוֹפָר (sho-far')
      • Meant to trigger an immediate physiological response: fear (awe) and readiness. 
        • Military Alert: It signaled that an invading army was...

References:

• Setting and background/context of Joel
  • Who was Joel?
  • When did Joel work as God’s Prophet?
    • Some suggestions from the text
      • Temple - Jerusalem
        • No kings - ?
        • Most likely post-exhile in the time of Ezra/Nehemiah
      • Joel shows familiarity with many other prophets
    • Joel never identifies any specific sin on Israel’s part
      • He announces God’s judgment, but doesn’t say why.
      • Perhaps he assumes that the people, like...

References:

• 40 Days of Lent
  • A season of introspection, devotion and journeying to the cross and the empty tomb
  • Consider Biblical 40 day/night periods
    • Noah and the flood - Gen 7 (purifying)
    • Moses on Mt Sinai - Ex 24 (law-giving)
    • Elijah’s journey to Mt Sinai - 1 Kings 19 (preparing)
    • Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness - Mt 4; Lk 4 (fighting for us)
• Sackcloth, dust and Ashes
  • A sign of mourning - Esther 4:1
  • A sign of re...

References: 

• The Day of the Lord - v 1
  • Burning בָּעַר (bāʿar) - see Ex 3:2
    • Joel 2:28-32
    • Acts 2:16-21
  • The זֵד (zade') arrogant and the רִשְׁעָה (rish-aw') wicked
  • Same words as in 3:15 - the reversal making evil good and good evil
    • From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. 
    • For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm.
  • Not only consuming the arogant and wicked, bu...

References: 

• The sixth argument - 3:13-15
  • God says “You’ve been hard on me” v 13
  • The peoples’ typical response, “what are you talking about? How?”
  • Vss 14-15 - “Why do the evil prosper and the righteous suffer?”
    • A prominent question being wrestled out in Job
    • The theory of “temporal retribution.”
    • See John 9 - “Who sinned that this man was born blind?”
• The Scroll of Rememberance - 3:16-18
  • The remnant
    • Remember Elija...

References: 

• The fifth argument - 3:6-12
  • Immutability of God - vs 6
    • See Hebrews 6:16-20
    • Also Hebrews 13:8
  • Therefore… 
    • People referred to as children of, or descendents of Jacob
    • Another point back to Genesis; Jacob as deceiver, cheater, robber.
  • An unanswered question of the people? Vs 7
    • Consider God’s question to Adam “Where are you?” Gen 3:9
    • To Cain “Where is Abel?” Gen 4:9
  • Is it unanswered? God goes on to a...

References: 

• Review Malachi 1:1-2:9
  • Love vs hate
    • Love = God’s covenant faithfulness
    • Hate = God’s disdain for prideful self reliance
  • Honor vs contempt
    • Correcting from Part 1 - Mal 1:14
      • The “cheat” נָכַל (naw-kal') - to be deceitful, be crafty, be knavish
      • Curse - Septuagint ἐπικατάρατος
        • Jesus becomes the curse (Gal 3:10-13)
        • NOT the “cheat”
• The third argument - Mal 2:10-16
  • Vss 10-12
    • Vs ...

References: 

• Historical setting
  • Where this book fits in the Old Testament
  • What was going on with the people of Israel
    • The Past
      • Babylonian captivity - Prophetic hopes
      • Return to Jerusalem - see Ezra & Nehemiah
    • 100 years after the return
      • Rather than the New Jerusalem
      • We see poverty, injustice and corruption
• The “burden” of Malachi (a name which means messenger)
  • The first argument between God and Go...

References:

• This podcast has been about words, specifically God’s words.
  • As another season and year gets going I’d like to direct us to the connections between
    • Old and New
    • The past, present and future
    • The Timeless
  • Malachi to John the Baptist
    • The burden (מַשָּׂא - mas-saw’) of the message
    • The timeless vision Mal 1:11 (Holy ambiguity)
      • Is or
      • Shall be
    • Can we be grateful for 400 years of silence?
    • What good are words in...

Recorded remotely while traveling

References: 

• My “One Word” for 2026 - Health
  • 3 John 1:2 - “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2 ESV
  • What constitutes “good health?”
  • Health - healthy:  ὑγιαίνω (hoog-ee-ah'-ee-no)
    • to be sound, to be well, to be in good health
    • Metaphorically:
      • of Christians whose opinions are free from any mixture of ...

References: 

• The 26th of December is Boxing Day! 
  • In the UK and Canada. 
    • Churches would fill alms boxes during Advent, which the clergy would then distribute to the poor on St. Stephen's Day, directly linking charity with this date.
    • It became a day for servants to receive their Christmas gifts (boxes) and time off after working on Christmas Day.
    • Good King Wenceslas Christmas Carole
      • Good King Wenceslas looked out on t...