It took at least 4000 years for the events in the Classic (Old) Testament to take place.  From Genesis-Malachi, you need 4000 years.  Genesis covers half of that time in the first 10 chapters.  Then it zooms in on one family.  The family of the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob get the Bible's attention moving forward.  That's when we need to know what 2 major events help to orient us to this vast and complicated history.  
1. The Exodus.  The second book in the Bible describes the deliverance of the Hebrew people from 400 years of slavery.  God's strong hand and mighty arm changed the trajectory of this people group.  From this nation, would come the Messiah.
2.  The Exile.  There were two actually.  The first was the exile of the people of Israel in 722 by the aggressor nation of Assyria. The second was the exile of the people of Judah in 586 by the aggressor nation of Babylon.  Knowing these 2 events and their significance, helps us to to orient where we are in the Bible. 

I know what mine is.  It's Psalm 145.  It's an ancient worship pick me up that will orient your focus back to the goodness of God.  

What's yours?  Let's build a list of favorite Psalms in the comments below.  Praise God! 

Moral training is a hallmark of the Christian tradition. Christian parents want their children to grow as Jesus did, in favor with God and man.  Many times the goals of moral training get transposed with the grace of God.  Simply, we try to be nice so that God will like us.  I have good news today. God already likes you.  Paul made mention of this truth in Romans 10.  This is a fantastic chapter because it contains a simple statement about how to accept Christ in Romans 10:9-10.  The verse to which I'm referring to is number 4.

Rom. 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Because of what Christ has done, the law ends.  No more trying to be perfect so we can be accepted by God.  We live righteous BECAUSE of what He has done for us.  Praise God! 

God wants a relationship with His people.  That's what He told Moses!  Deuteronomy 6:1-9 lays the foundation for how that relationship is to be conveyed from generation to generation. 

I am discovering that my experience at church for all my life was a high privilege.  I happen to learn through auditory means.  Church in the 60s and 70s was musical.  We sang songs out of a hymnbook titled "Melodies of Praise".  We sang many of the verses.  The writer's of these songs, like many of the writers of Christian music today, focused on the Gospel message.  It's a powerful means to convey the best news in the world.  Often, I want to believe by the Spirit, I'll here a phrase in my head that I haven't thought of or heard in years.  Today it's this:  "Like the cruse of oil unfailing is His grace forever more, and His love unchanging still..." It comes from the song "Bring Your Vessels Not a Few" written by Mrs. C.H. Morris.  (thanks to www.hymnary.org).  Here are all the verses about vessels.

1 Are you looking for the fullness
of the blessing of the lord
In your heart and life today?
Claim the promise of your Father,
come according to His word,
in the blessed old time way.
Chorus:
He will fill your heart today to overflowing,
As the Lord commandeth you,
"Bring your vessels, not a few;"
He will fill your heart today to overflowing
With the Holy Ghost and pow'r.
2 Bring your empty earthen vessels,
clean thro' Jesus' precious blood,
Come, ye needy, one and all;
And in human consecration
wait before the throne of God,
'Till the Holy Ghost shall fall. (Chorus)
3 Like the cruse of oil unfailing
is His grace forevermore,
And His love unchanging still;
And according to His promise
with the Holy Ghost and pow'r,
He will ev'ry vessel fill. (Chorus)
Praise God! 

It's a word that is rarely emphasized in the Christian church today.  In fact, the only time it's referred to is at funerals.  The person being remembered is affirmed for their faithfulness.
It's not a feature of the current Church growth leadership culture.  Just like in business, the success of a pastor and his or her church is compared to how it has grown in the past year.  If it's in the positive by a wide margin, affirmations abound.  If they've faithfully preached the Gospel and loved their congregation, it is forgotten if attendance has declined, offerings have dropped or both. It's interesting to me, that when the Bible refers to "faithful" it is describing God's nature.  Jesus did not draw large crowds or raise great sums. He was faithful to what God asked Him to do.  In so doing, He changed everything.  The word is in the Bible 276 times.  Maybe we should focus on it, and discover there is a whole other aspect to ministry than just the incorporation of "leadership principles" into our fellowships.

Ex. 15:13; 20:6; 34:6–7; Num. 12:7; 14:18–19; Deut. 4:4; 5:10; 7:9; 10:20; 11:22; 13:4; 30:20; 32:4; 33:8; 1 Sam. 2:9, 35; 22:14; 2 Sam. 7:15; 20:19; 22:26; 1 Kings 3:6; 2 Kings 18:6; 1 Chr. 16:34, 41; 17:13; 2 Chr. 1:8; 5:13; 6:41–42; 7:3, 6; 20:21; 32:1, 32; 35:26; Ezra 3:11; Neh. 7:2; 9:8, 17; 13:14, 22; Job 10:12; 37:13; Psa. 4:3; 5:7; 6:4; 12:1; 13:5; 16:10; 17:7; 18:25; 21:7; 23:6; 25:6–7, 10; 26:3; 30:4; 31:7, 16, 21, 23; 32:6, 10; 33:18, 22; 36:5, 7, 10; 37:28; 42:8; 44:26; 48:9; 50:5; 51:1; 52:1, 8–9; 57:3, 10; 59:10, 16–17; 61:7; 62:12; 63:3; 66:20; 69:13, 16; 77:8; 78:8; 79:2; 85:7–8, 10; 86:2, 5, 13, 15; 88:11; 89:1–2, 14, 19, 28, 33, 37, 49; 90:14; 92:2; 94:18; 97:10; 100:5; 101:1, 6; 103:4, 8, 11, 17; 106:1, 7, 45; 107:1, 8, 15, 21, 31, 43; 108:4; 109:21, 26; 115:1; 116:15; 117:2–118:4; 118:29; 119:41, 64, 76, 88, 124, 149, 159; 130:7; 132:9, 16; 136:1–26; 138:8; 141:5; 143:8, 12; 144:2; 145:8, 10, 13, 17; 146:6; 147:11; 148:14–149:1; 149:5, 9; Prov. 2:8; 12:22; 21:21; 28:20; Is. 1:21, 26; 26:2; 49:7; 55:3; 57:1; 63:7; Jer. 9:24; 16:5; 31:3; 32:18; 33:11; 42:5; Lam. 3:22, 32; Hos. 4:1; 6:6; 10:12; 11:12; Joel 2:13; Jonah 2:8; 4:2; Mic. 7:2, 18, 20; Zech. 7:9; 8:3, 8; Matt. 24:45; 25:21, 23; Luke 12:42; 16:10–12; 19:17; 1 Cor. 1:9; 4:2, 17; 7:25; 10:13; 2 Cor. 1:18; Eph. 1:1; 6:21; Col. 1:2, 7; 4:7, 9; 1 Th. 5:24; 2 Th. 3:3; 1 Tim. 1:12; 3:11; 2 Tim. 2:2, 13; Titus 1:6, 9; Heb. 2:17; 3:2, 5–6; 10:23; 11:11; 1 Pet. 4:19; 5:12; 1 John 1:9; Rev. 1:5; 2:10, 13; 3:14; 17:14; 19:11; 21:5; 22:6
I'm glad God focuses on Redemption. He is faithful.  Praise God! 

It's in the book of James.  I had to memorize it in the KJV when I was in Bible Quiz as a teen.  It has stuck with me.  The Greek word is HUPOMONE and mostly translated endurance or sometimes perseverance in the modern versions. Like many times the KJV just sounds better so here it is.  It's a grand phrase that works well.   Whether it's best as "endurance", "perseverance" or "patience", it's the work of God in our mind an spirit as we allow His presence in our lives. 

James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Let patience have her perfect work.....Praise God! 

When a person becomes a Christian, emotions get an upgrade.  Anger is redirected toward sin.  Joy is not temporary and based on circumstance.  Sorrow is no longer permanent.  The apostle Paul had this understanding when he spoke to the Thessalonians.

1Th. 4:13   But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The hope of the believer changes human sorrow to temporary sorrow.  Praise God! 

Word plays are helpful ways to learn.  The work of Bible translators is to make a version as understandable as possible.  One of those ways is to find phrases that show the right comparison, alliteration, or even rhyme.  There is a quotation in the hard-hitting book of James that is one of those places.  It's a quotation from Proverbs 3:3. James refers to it as a gift of God's grace.  

James 4:6    But he gives greater grace. Therefore he says:
     God resists the proud
​    but gives grace to the humble.
James just made it clear for us. I want to be on the side of God's grace giving power rather than His resisting.  Praise God! 

The apostle Peter had a unique experience.  He was one of the disciples of Jesus, probably saw most of the miraculous things that Jesus did and heard His teaching.  He was front and center on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. He wrote his last two books at the end of His life, some 30 years after the ascension.  I find it so interesting how God led Peter in those decades when after so much happened. In 1 Peter he mentioned Christ as the foundation for everything. 

1Pet. 2:4 As you come to him, a living stone--rejected by people but chosen and honored by God--

​Praise God! 

Jesus said much about prayer.  He also demonstrated that the right time to pray was often.

It's a theological truth that is right in black and white.  It hides in plain sight among those who know their Bibles and it is absent in the worldview of those who don't.  Jesus clearly stated that because He lives, we will live. (John 14:19).When Martha repeated back to Jesus the theological hope of eternal life, Jesus countered with a grand truth in the present tense:

John 11:25        Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. 
The hope of believers is not just the end of death, it is the certainty of. new life.  It's why the conjunction "AND" is so powerful. The truth comes straight from the lips of Jesus on the darkest day of Martha's life.  She had no idea that He was about to do a miracle, That's exactly what happened.  The resurrection of Lazarus is the object lesson for our guaranteed resurrection.  THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE!  PRAISE GOD!

The Bible Jesus used is the Bible we refer to as the Old Testament.  Codified 400 years before His birth, he learned it from a child and discussed it with the teachers of the law when He was 12. (Luke 2:46).   Jesus quoted from Isaiah that his prophecy had been fulfilled while reading in Nazareth (Luke 4:21)
He criticized the reading of the Pharisees. (Matt 21:42) After the Resurrection, Jesus taught the disciples on the road to Emmaus that the Bible He used, was the one we should use as well. 

Luke 24:25        He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.

​Praise God! 

Much is said about the will of God. The Bible shows that sometimes people discover that in the midst of a crisis, they are in the middle of God's purpose and will.  Such was the case with Nehemiah. 

This word only occurs in the New Testament and it's in that New Testament 41 times. it's evidence of the coming of Christ to the world.  His presence on the earth became the promise of this word for all who believe.

Resurrection

Matt. 22:23, 28, 30–31; 27:53; Mark 12:18, 23; Luke 14:14; 20:27, 33, 35–36; John 5:29; 11:24–25; Acts 1:22; 2:31; 4:2, 33; 17:18, 32; 23:6, 8; 24:15, 21; Rom. 1:4; 6:5; 1 Cor. 15:12–13, 21, 42; Phil. 3:10–11; 2 Tim. 2:18; Heb. 6:2; 11:35; 1 Pet. 1:3; 3:21; Rev. 20:5–6

Praise God! ​

New Year and new opportunities abound. Many pastors and motivational leaders say 
"the past doesn't matter".  It is true in the sense that it cannot be changed.  Christians understand that "new" is also "eternal".  Paul gave this grand declaration to the Corinthians:

2Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!

Praise God for new life and THAT more abundantly (John 20:30-31).