Events

Israel now had a king, and one who had already proved himself a capable soldier. So, they had a strong sense of well-being. However, Samuel’s speech analyzed the present situation and explored the past, in order to provide guidance for the future. The speech makes it clear that the future did Read More →

The importance of this chapter is that it explains why Yahweh and the prophet Samuel rejected Saul. It is a frequent human error to think that God will overlook and forgive all one’s sins so long as one is careful to attend church. Several OT prophets had to attack this false reasoning; Amos Read More →

The tragic story of Saul is a study of wasted opportunity. Here was a man who had it all—honor, power, wealth, good looks, and so much more. Nevertheless, he died in despair, terrified of his enemies and knowing that he had betrayed his nation, his family, and his God. Saul’s problem is Read More →

Pentecost is a long-standing Jewish harvest party, a Christian celebration as old as Jesus’ Church. And the Pentecost moment described in the New Testament is a 1st-century event in Jerusalem where people’s heads caught fire (sort of). At this event, an indoor windstorm swirled through a packed Read More →

Jesus calls Matthew, a despised tax collector, to follow Him. Matthew does. Later Jesus is reclining at a table in Matthew’s home with other tax collectors and sinners, when the Pharisees ask Jesus’s disciples why their master associates with vile people. Jesus responds to them with a parable Read More →