There is so much in the Old Testament that points to the saving Messiah. After the fact of Jesus coming to earth, the biblical hindsight is clear as a bell.  Micah is one of those places.  It's a one verse wonder.

Bethlehem Ephrathah,
 you are small among the clans of Judah;
one will come from you
to be ruler over Israel for me.
 His origin is from antiquity,
from ancient times.

Bethlehem was put on the map by the birth of Jesus. "His origin is from antiquity".  Wow.  The eternal focus in this statement alone is instructive. It was prophesied with specificity and boldly fulfilled.  Praise God! 

The wise men of Matthew 2 are fascinating.  They saw a star in the east, presumably the eastern part of Mesopotamia by Babylon and made the decision to travel.  There is a verse in Numbers that points to this.
Num. 24:17     I see him, but not now;
    I perceive him, but not near.
    A star will come from Jacob,
    and a scepter will arise from Israel.
    He will smash the forehead of Moab
    and strike down all the Shethites.
  The third book in the Bible is prophesying about the birth of Christ!  Praise God! 

Blessings abound, one by one, that add up to infinity!  Praise God! 

When Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost, he was full of the Holy Spirit.  He preached the good news about Jesus,  his sacrificial death and glorious resurrection.  While he was preaching he quoted from the Old Testament. The most well known is Joel 2:28-32.  He also quoted from Psalm 16:8-11.  There is a verse in this passage that is so powerful!  He was making the point about the promised Messiah. That promise became our present reality.  
Therefore my heart is glad
    and my tongue rejoices.
 Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope, (Acts 2:26)
​2000 years later, ,as believers we have an enduring hope. Praise God! 

The Christian experience is all about relationships.  God initiated His relationship with us from the first day of creation.  Throughout the biblical narrative, God declares His intention to be our God and we His people. (Ex. 6:7; Lev. 26:12; Ruth 1:16; 1 Sam. 15:30; 1 Chr. 11:2; Psa. 50:7; Is. 40:1; Jer. 7:23; 11:4; 30:22; Ezek. 36:28; Hos. 1:9; 4:6; Joel 2:26–27)
Later in the New Testament, as Paul is rolling through His list of friends he makes a great statement about some Christian friends.

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me. 

Heritage:  "They are noteworthy among the apostles"
History: "They were in Christ before I was"
Relationship:  "My fellow Jews, and fellow prisoners"

God uses relationships that we develop to show His glory, goodness and mercy.  Praise God! 

On this high Thanksgiving day, I'm thankful for the word of God, and specifically, 2 Chronicles!  You got that right.  The NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible  states that the book of 2 Chronicles is the least appreciated book in the Bible.  When you search "Thanks" in 2 Chronicles, you discover some wonderful passages.  Here they are for you, on Thanksgiving..
2Chr. 5:13 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They raised their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD:

     For he is good;
​    his faithful love endures forever.

The temple, the LORD’s temple, was filled with a cloud.

2Chr. 7:6 The priests and the Levites were standing at their stations. The Levites had the musical instruments of the LORD, which King David had made to give thanks to the LORD—“for his faithful love endures forever”—when he offered praise with them. Across from the Levites, the priests were blowing trumpets, and all the people were standing.

2Chr. 20:21 Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the LORD and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing:

     Give thanks to the LORD,
    for his faithful love endures forever.

2Chr. 30:22 Then Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites who performed skillfully before the LORD. They ate at the appointed festival for seven days, sacrificing fellowship offerings and giving thanks to the LORD, the God of their ancestors.

2Chr. 31:2        Hezekiah reestablished the divisions of the priests and Levites for the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, for ministry, for giving thanks, and for praise in the gates of the camp of the LORD, each division corresponding to his service among the priests and Levites.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Praise God! 

On the Eve of Thanksgiving, I thought I'd search the word "thanks" in the book of Psalms.  35 times with a number of verses were the result.  May the Lord richly bless you as you say "Thanks"

Psa. 6:5      For there is no remembrance of you in death;
    who can thank you in Sheol?a


Psa. 7:17        I will thank the LORD for his righteousness;
    I will sing about the name of the LORD Most High.a


Psa. 9:1        I will thank the LORD with all my heart;
    I will declare all your wondrous works.a


Psa. 18:49      Therefore I will give thanks to you among the nations, LORD;
    I will sing praises about your name.a


Psa. 28:7      The LORD is my strength and my shield;
    my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.a
    Therefore my heart celebrates,
    and I give thanks to him with my song.b


Psa. 75:1        We give thanks to you, God;
    we give thanks to you, for your name is near.a
    People tell about your wondrous works.b


Psa. 79:13      Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,a
    will thank you forever;
    we will declare your praise
    to generation after generation.b


Psa. 92:1        It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
    to sing praise to your name, Most High,a


Psa. 97:12      Be glad in the LORD, you righteous ones,
    and give thanks to his holy name.a,b


Psa. 100:4      Enter his gates with thanksgivinga
    and his courts with praise.
    Give thanks to him and bless his name.b


Psa. 105:1        Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
    proclaim his deeds among the peoples.a


Psa. 106:1        Hallelujah!
    Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
    his faithful love endures forever.a


Psa. 106:47        Save us, LORD our God,
    and gather us from the nations,
    so that we may give thanks to your holy name
    and rejoice in your praise.a


Psa. 107:1        Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
    his faithful love endures forever.a


Psa. 107:8      Let them give thanks to the LORD
    for his faithful love
    and his wondrous works for all humanity.a


Psa. 107:15      Let them give thanks to the LORD
    for his faithful love
    and his wondrous works for all humanity.a


Psa. 107:21      Let them give thanks to the LORD
    for his faithful love
    and his wondrous works for all humanity.a


Psa. 107:31      Let them give thanks to the LORD
    for his faithful love
    and his wondrous works for all humanity.a


Psa. 109:30      I will fervently thank the LORD with my mouth;
    I will praise him in the presence of many.a

Psa. 118:1        Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
    his faithful love endures forever.a

Psa. 118:19        Open the gates of righteousness for me;
    I will enter through them
    and give thanks to the LORD.a

Psa. 118:21      I will give thanks to you
    because you have answered me
    and have become my salvation.a

Psa. 118:28      You are my God, and I will give you thanks.
    You are my God; I will exalt you.a
29      Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
    his faithful love endures forever.a

Psa. 119:62      I rise at midnight to thank you
    for your righteous judgments.b

Psa. 122:4      where the tribes, the LORD’s tribes, go up
    to give thanks to the name of the LORD.a
    (This is an ordinance for Israel.b)

Psa. 136:1        Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.a
        His faithful love endures forever.
2      Give thanks to the God of gods.
        His faithful love endures forever.
3      Give thanks to the Lord of lords.a
        His faithful love endures forever.

Psa. 136:26      Give thanks to the God of heaven!a
        His faithful love endures forever.

Psa. 138:1        I will give you thanks with all my heart
    I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.
2      I will bow down toward your holy temple
    and give thanks to your name
    for your constant love and truth.
    You have exalted your name
    and your promise above everything else.
Psa. 138:4        All the kings on earth will give you thanks, LORD,
    when they hear what you have promised

Psa. 145:10      All you have made will thank you, LORD;
    the faithful will bless you.b
Praise God! ​

When you search HEARTS and THANKS in the whole Bible you get an interesting result. Some are decisions to give praise, others are testimonies of God's goodness. 

Psa. 9:1    I will thank the LORD with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous works.


Psa. 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
Therefore my heart celebrates,
and I give thanks to him with my song.


Psa. 138:1    I will give you thanks with all my heart;
I will sing your praise before the heavenly beings.


Rom. 6:17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over,


2Cor. 8:16    Thanks be to God, who put the same concern for you into the heart of Titus. 


We have a great privilege as the redeemed of the Lord to give thanks with all our heart.  Praise God! 

The word means "last".  It has been used in the New Testament to mean "what's left" as in Matthew 5:26 and Matt 20:12.  It has also been used by Jesus to refer to the end times.  Theologians use the word to define the doctrine of "last things" The word they give is eschatology.  It's just a word, but reminds us living in these modern times that an end is in our future.  There will be a "last day".  Jesus promised to raise believers at the last day. (John 6:39–40, 44, 54; 7:37; 11:24; 12:48)  Christian hope is embedded in the believer's future! Praise God! 

We are blessed to be living in this age.  We are also blessed to have relationship with the next generation. The Bible has much to say about this.

Paper is limited.  We have to deal with the text size the publisher chooses.  Bible software can adapt to the text size.  We can change the text on the fly.  We can also trick it out with the style we want.  Both Accordance and Logos offer dark mode for their platforms. We can increase and lower the font on the fly! This is a tremendous benefit for a variety of learning and reading styles. In addition, you can DECREASE the font.  Maybe you like to have multiple Bibles open at the same time.  With screen swiping (on both macs and pcs) You can have 5 ESVs open and 3 KJV, with one set to the NT, the other to the OT, and the other with the interlinear button turned on.  Take the leap, spend some time learning the interface and let Bible software turn you into a Bible Study ninja!  Praise God! 

Let's say you have found a really good study Bible like the Quest Study Bible. It has a boatload of features and the format serves to engage the reader in hard-hitting content .  There's just 1 BIG problem.  You don't like the version.  The Quest Study Bible only comes with the NIV.  If you don't like the NIV, it's not going to bbe useful to you.  This is when Bible software can drastically solve the problem and be a blessing. 

The content we need, with the version we enjoy.  Praise God! 

I was thrilled when I received the Quest Study Bible as a gift. I was impressed with the massive amounts of questions the editors of Christianity Today  It's good to ask questions of the Bible.  This is the path to growth and development.   The Quest Study Bible takes this mission on by engaging the reader in the task of discovery.  Questions lead to answers.  When we get comfortable with inquiry, we will be on the adventure of growth and spiritual maturity.  Praise God! 

God made our brains.  We learn by asking questions. A common rubric for organizing our questions is WHO? 
WHAT?
WHERE?
WHEN?
WHY? 
HOW?
The Quest Study Bible provides this format in the introduction of each book so the reader can learn! 

Praise God! 

The statements of Paul, Peter and Jesus about the end times are profound and fascinating.  Jesus promised He would return multiple times. Matthew 24 is a great example of the grand instruction from our Master about the hope awaiting us.  One of the statements of Jesus was about His sudden and imminent return.  He referred to lightning. (Matthew 24:27-28) He also referred to His coming as a "thief in the night". (Luke 12:39).  Paul picked up on this idea in 1 Thessalonians.  It is interesting to notice here that he affirms the suddenness of Christ's coming:  "1Th. 5:2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
He also makes the point that there is a dramatic contrast between believers and unbelievers. Notice what Paul says:
1Th. 5:4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, for this day to surprise you like a thief.
Glory!  We have eternal hope and can look forward to His return with joy and confidence.  You are NOT in darkness for that day to surprise you like a thief.  Praise God! 

There is more here than most realize.  It is a treasure and foundation for the Good News.  The Bible Jesus quoted and Paul preached.  

Praise God! 

The book of Revelation is telling the truth.  This world will come to an end.  Suffering and pain will also end.  Death will be no more. I'm thankful for the hope that Scripture provides.  Recently I noticed a verse that speaks to the certain victory believers are assured.   It was interesting to me that so much truth could be captured in one phrase. The context is telling about the millions of believers who will confess Christ during the tribulation.  Their earthly life will be taken away by the forces of the enemy, but their eternal life will be assured.

Rev. 12:11     They conquered him
  by the blood of the Lamb 
 and by the word of their testimony;
for they did not love their lives
 to the point of death.
Praise God! 

The Bible says so much about trust.  God is usually the object when the subject comes up in the word of God. We find in the book of Psalms that the word appears 39 times (Psa. 4:5; 9:10; 25:2; 31:6, 14; 33:21; 37:3, 5; 40:3–4; 44:6; 49:6; 52:8; 55:23; 56:3–4, 11; 62:8, 10; 91:2; 115:8–11; 118:8–9; 119:42; 125:1; 135:18; 143:8; 146:3)
The Psalmists recognize in prayer that they must decide to trust in God. 
In chapter 9 verse 10 we see the solid declaration of God's reputation for coming through on His promises:

Psa. 9:10     Those who know your name trust in you
    because you have not abandoned
    those who seek you, LORD.
This decision opens a doorway to His blessings.  We can choose to trust because He's blessed us, rescued us, delivered for us and provided for us again and again.  Praise God! 

In the book of James, the writer addresses the tasks of our human journey.  He's not shy to mention the inequities between rich and poor and the injustice of prejudice.  There is one question that resonates off the page when you are reading.  Following the warning to teachers in James 3:1, Chapter 4 begins with this question
    What is the source of wars and fights among you?
The solution is found in recognizing that our own sin and dysfunction may be the cause of inter-personal conflict. 
Thank God there is an answer for sin. 

1John 2:1    My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Praise God! 

That's exactly what Luke did. He wanted Theophilus to know the certainty of what He had been taught.  This kind of objective and critical thinking is desperately needed in the church. The good news is Luke leads the way by showing us why Jesus's coming, sinless life, miracles, substitutionary death on the cross, resurrection and ascension are so crucial to our faith!  

Engage the Gospel of Luke and discover facts and certain truth.  Praise God! ​

Jesus said much about forgiveness.  It was His mission.  In Matthew 6:14-15 He makes a radical claim.
Matt. 6:14  “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.What could this possibly mean?  Is God looking for an exception to exclude His people from forgiveness?  NO.  That's not in His nature at all.  He is always ready to show His love and offers forgiveness to whosoever will.  The issue here is the condition of the believer's soul.  As Jesus describes it, the person who harbors bitterness and doesn't want God's forgiveness.  He won't forgive because we hide the bitterness and won't ask.  We can forgive 24 hours 7 days a week because God's grace has been richly shed in our hearts.  Consider how this action is embedded in the Lord's Prayer:
Luke 11:4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us.  And do not bring us into temptation.”
​The action of forgiveness is the action of a forgiven believer.  Praise God! 

That title sounds a little stilted!  The translation into english makes it grammatically awkward.  That's what the word PARABLE means in the original language.  When we learn about the value of the parable we find a depth of  appreciation for the truth and  the wonder of the story. 

Our Savior told stories.  These true stories help us learn the glory of His good nature.  Praise God! 

God is faithful.  This truth is proclaimed with joy and certainty throughout the Bible.  In the CSB, the word faithful is found 149 times! The stages of life display a marathon of suffering rather than a sprint, but God shows up as faithful through all the seasons of our life.  God is so faithful that the Bible sometimes refers to believers with that label.  Consider the contrast of context in these two verses:
Psa. 26:3     For your faithful love guides me,   and I live by your truth.
Here it's His love that is identified as "faithful". That love being expressed changes the whole Christian experience. 
Psa. 30:4        Sing to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and praise his holy name. 
We can praise Him because our nature is growing from the experience of His faithfulness!  Praise God! 

Sometimes Christian music nails it.  There is a powerful, and singable melody along with rich lyrics. We are on a journey of faith.  There are some things simply too hard to understand.  The Gospel can always point us back to the essential elements of meaning and assurance. Vivian Dake wrote "The Old Rugged Cross" It's an anthem that has resonated with the Church for generations, and across denominations.. W. Dale Oldham, along with Bill & Gloria Gaither also wrote a powerful song.  Using the phrase "The Old Rugged Cross" they conveyed the importance of our Christian confession.  

From there we discover that the confession is truly timeless. Praise God! ​

There are times we discover that what we were searching for was empty and void.  Scripture records abundant examples of a treasure worth finding. 

We can please God and accomplish much for His purposes with the blessing of faith!  Praise God!