I’m back at my Bible reading and I’m currently finishing up the book of Job, which is no easy task. Like I’ve mentioned before I’m reading through The Message translation (or paraphrase) which is a little easier on the noggin when your trying to read through the whole thing. Even at a good reading clip it’s gonna take a little while to get through Job.
Job is a very long book (by my calculations it’s the sixth longest book of the Bible behind: Psalms, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Genesis and Ezekiel). Given that …

I’ve been doing a bit of catching up on my Bible reading and have recently been hanging out in the book of Job. Now, you’ve got to wonder about the book of Job. Most of the time it’s summed up by a preacher in about three chapters (the first two and then the last one), basically they say: Job’s a good guy, devil asks to test him, God let’s him take away everything Job has and even gives him boils, Job doesn’t curse God, and in the end God …

Luke 1:6-7 bring together two interesting thoughts that quickly pass me by on most readings. It’s a clear sign that God’s perspective on the world and us as individuals is often different then our worldly perspective.
Verse 6 points out very clearly that Zechariah and Elizabeth where upright in the sight of God. They had followed what God had commanded and where blameless. If we had known this, we likely would have showered them with praise and attention.
Verse 7 reveals that they had no children. Just a …

So, guess who is listed #22 on the google search for “devotional thoughts”
Yours Truly.
I know that’s not saying much, but it does encourage me to write them, sorry I forgot all this week. But noboday said anything?!
So, tune in tomorrow for your next morning of Devotional Thoughts.

I think we would of labeled Paul a suicidal loony these days and thrown him in a padded room. We just aren’t supposed to be thinking like this.
Here is where we are to live our lives radically different then the world. Paul does not mean that we should go out and live risky lives for the thrill of it, but we are to live our lives without a fear of the end of our lives. Paul doesn’t encourage us to be suicidal (remember to live is Christ!).
What …

I’ll deal with the second part of the verse tomorrow, let’s just hang out and reflect on this for a while.
Our call as Christians is to live lives where Christ is exalted in us. I think we can all agree on that, the crazy liberal and the staunch conservative, we as Christians stand in agreement that we are to exalt Christ. How we do that, and how we think we are supposed to do that varies a lot, but we start from the same basic point.
This is about …

I almost forgot to write me devotional thoughts this morning, and since I’m in a rush I’ll keep them super brief. I’ll expound on this more tomorrow but just think about what this might possibly mean in your life:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

“Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.”*
The way I see it, Paul is either the ultimate optimist or he’s got some crazy view of the world we rarely hear of. The last time I was pulled over by a police officer I wasn’t exactly cheery about it. Paul visits Philippi, heals a lady, is arrested for it, severly flogged, and thrown into jail.* I’d be a little pessimistic at that point. Then there is …