Neh. 8:6 - "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen,' lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground."

What a day to be present at the worship of God! The remnant of Israel that returned to Jerusalem from captivity had rebuilt the temple (Ezra), and had just witnessed God's provision as they labored to complete the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls (Neh. 1-7), now they were about to undergo an intense spiritual remodeling project that began with a public reading of the Law of Moses (Neh. 8-13).

This text stands to most readers for several reasons:

1 Thess. 1:10 - "...and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come."

So much of a Christian's faith depends on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead! If Jesus had failed to emerge victorious from the tomb, his promises would have been lies, his proclaimed power would have been proven impotent, and we would still be lost (1 Cor. 15:17-19).

When Paul was chased from Thessalonica after having been in town for less than a month, he left behind…

Gal. 4:13-14 - "You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus."

If you grew up in the 1980s, when someone asked you this question and left it open-ended you would most likely sing the jingle, "What would you do for a Klondike bar?" The TV commercials and print ads asked to what hilarious extreme you were willing to go in order to enjoy the chocolate-covered ice cream sandwich in the silver wrapper. The unspoken assumption of the marketing campaign was that the treat was worth enduring absolutely anything! As much as I enjoy good ice cream (and am celebrating the return of Blue Bell to local supermarkets!), I'm not willing to endure just anything to have a bite of a frozen, creamy treat.

However, according to God, there is something worth whatever inconveniences you may face…

2 Cor. 12:14 - "Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children."

As Paul began wrapping up 2 Corinthians, he tried to help the Grecian church remember that he had sincerely and sacrificially served them, despite what some were saying. In the midst of that reminder, he made a powerful statement, "For I seek not what is yours, but you." He explained that one of his primary goals in preaching was to win people, not possessions! He wanted to be reconciled with everyone who would choose to be united in Christ.

Luke 8:18 - "Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away."

When I call to mind the memories I have of learning math during my academic years I still shudder. It wasn't pretty. Give me Literature or History, but math? It pains me to think of the years it took me to learn Algebra. That's correct, the previous sentence did not contain a typo…

Gen. 25:21 - "And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren."

It was touching to read about Isaac's tender concern for his wife as he brought her before God in prayer. As a husband, I need to be reminded that it's my privilege and responsibility to care for my wife even by taking her concerns before the throne of God…

Ex. 2:22 - “She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

After his wife gave birth to their first son, Moses named his oldest son "Sojourner". Moses had been raised in the home of the Israelite's oppressors, rejected by his own people and subsequently fled and found refuge in the foreign land of Midian. He went from a life of royal luxury in a place familiar to him, to a life in a foreign land specializing in middle eastern animal husbandry (he became a shepherd). Apparently to some degree he still felt…

Deut. 22:6-7 - "If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you shall take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long."

Some of the recent news circulating online reminded me of these verses in Deuteronomy. Several years ago I was given the opportunity to teach through that book, the record of Moses' last five sermons to the nation of Israel before his death. I remember studying through some of the seemingly obscure laws, like the one above, and wondering why God was making such a big deal…

John 7:18 - "The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood."

There is an inherent danger when we attempt to teach someone else, regardless of the topic. When thinking of the possible dangers, many might remember the warning James gave, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (Jas. 3:1).

Besides the greater accountability teachers will be held to John 7:18 warns of a different danger. When I teach, there is a temptation to speak from my own limited and flawed authority. Taking the thought further…

[I normally only share one blog post per week. But this morning my wife and I attended the funeral of a sweet young man. Some of the thoughts shared during his service reminded me of this article that I wrote less than 3 months after the death of our son, Whitaker Troy, back in 2013.]

1 Thess. 4:13 - "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope."

I'm sure others have figured this out long before me, but personal experience seems to bring old truths into new focus…

Ps. 107:26-27 - "They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wit's end.”

I went to bed and set my alarm clock for 7:00 AM. I had a to-do list ready to be marked off with a mechanical pencil, with a calculated amount of time for each task. I thought I knew what the day would hold, but I was wrong. Instead, shortly after 1 AM I found my middle son having a prolonged seizure. Instead of turning off my alarm clock I dialed 9-1-1 from my cordless phone…

2 Cor. 12:14 - "Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children."

As Paul began wrapping up 2 Corinthians, he tried to help the Grecian church remember that he had sincerely and sacrificially served them, despite what some were saying. In the midst of that reminder, he makes several powerful observations about what it takes to be able to share the gospel with others and help them grow. These observations are by no means exhaustive, but they are instructive…

John 11:35 – "Jesus wept."

This past week my wife and I took the kids to see the latest Disney/Pixar movie, Inside Out. It was a colorful and fun children’s movie [spoiler alert] emphasizing that every emotion plays an important role in life, including unpleasant and unwanted feelings. While not completely theologically accurate (what movie is?), watching the movie provided an opportunity to talk with our kids about their emotions, [spoiler alert] moving a great distance, as well as what God says about emotions. Here are 5 things about emotions that Brian Borgman wrote about in his book, Feelings and Faith: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life…

Matt. 5:14-16 - "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

My children are fascinated with light. For instance, my 4-year-old daughter has a strand of small, pink, paper stars attached to a string of white Christmas lights above her bed to dispel some of the darkness at night. She also has a toy turtle with an inner light that projects an assortment of constellations on her ceiling.

As I considered what text to write about this week, God kept bringing me back to Jesus' words in Matthew 5 about how Christians are lights in the world. There are three points I would like to emphasize this week from this text…

Matt. 21:43 - "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits."

As you evaluate your daily behavior, what do you see? Toward the end of Matthew's gospel we read of the chief priests, elders and scribes as their desire for popularity and control drive them to crucify the promised Messiah. However, their rejection of Jesus was not an isolated event but the latest symptom of a larger problem demonstrating that they had rejected the rule of God in their lives long before Christ came.

Gen. 28:17 - Jacob was afraid and said, “ How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”

An author shared the following insight.  "Artists talk of the dynamic of visual lethargy, which means that the more you see of something, the less you actually see it.  On that drive to work the first day, you are conscious of all the sights and sounds.  You notice that beautiful grove of ancient trees and that cool modern duplex on the corner.  But by your twentieth trip, you've quit noticing, and you're wishing the traffic would move faster so you could get to work, for Pete's sake!  Something has happened to you that seems inevitable but it is not good.  You have quit seeing, and in your failure to see, you have quit being moved and thankful" (Paul David Tripp, Dangerous Calling).

Just as artists can suffer visual lethargy from constant exposure to beautiful works of art, if we're not careful it is equally possible for saints to develop divine lethargy…

Judges 2:3 - "So now I say, I will not drive them out before you, but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you."

Were you ever in such a hurry to finish something that you did as little as possible to complete the task and left some of it undone? Maybe it was your chores, homework, or a small job you were paid to do. You cut a few corners for "efficiency" or overlooked a few "small" mistakes but under closer examination, you had to go back later to do the job right.

Mark 5:19 - "And he did not permit him but said to him, 'Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."

This is such a powerful and motivating statement from Jesus! This sentence is part of Mark's conclusion to the account of the delivery of the Gerasene Demoniac. The Demoniac was a man who had been possessed by many unclean spirits. Those spirits drove him to live an isolated and painful existence among the tombs and in the mountains. He was delivered from the unclean spirits when Jesus sent them into a herd of swine, which subsequently drowned in the sea. When the locals were told what had happened they rushed to the spot and found the previously uncontrollable wild-man calmly sitting and in his right mind. As Jesus began to get back into the boat to leave, the delivered man begged to remain with Jesus. However, Jesus responded that the man was to stay and tell people what all had been done for him.

There are many important lessons God intends us to learn from this text, of which these stand out…

Ps. 148:5-6 - "Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away (transgress)."

In Psalm 148 the psalmist repeatedly calls for people to praise God, giving them multiple reasons why He is worthy of such praise. In the first half of the Psalm the heavenly creation is called on to praise God because He spoke them into existence, put them right where they were meant to be, and they would never violate His command.

At the end of the Psalm (v. 14), Israel is given a special cause for praising God…

Gen. 41:14 - "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they quickly brought him out of the pit. And when he had shaved himself and changed his clothes, he came in before Pharaoh."

As I read Genesis 41 last week there were several things that made me consider Pharaoh and Joseph in a new light. Have you thought much about their conference before? Let's first remember that Joseph was a foreign shepherd turned slave (Egyptians didn't think too highly of those who tended to livestock). Besides his ethnic heritage and previous occupation, Joseph was unjustly in prison when the events of chapter 41 occurred, forgotten and abandoned for two additional years by Pharaoh's cupbearer…