The Woman at the Well – Chance Encounter or Messianic Mission?  Part 4 – The Rift, the Revelation, and the Reconciliation

The rift, the dispute between the Jews and the Samaritans was explained in a previous post. As stated, it was a source of hatred between the Jews and Samaritans. While there were other factors involved, it boiled down to where you worship God. The Jews contended that Jerusalem is the only place for valid worship …

The Woman at the Well – Chance Encounter or Messianic Mission? Part 2 – The Samaritans

My last post focused on the location of Jacob’s well. This small area around Sychar, known as Shechem in the Old testament, is a “spiritual ground zero” with a rich history going all the way back to Abraham. This post will focus on the history of the Samaritans as a people. Its important to understand …

The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 2

Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 (KJV) The first post regarding this prayer was about the bigger picture priorities in prayer: worship of God and praying for his kingdom to come and his will to be done upon the earth. Christian prayer should always begin with these priorities. In my experience as …

The Woman at the Well – Chance Encounter or Messianic Mission? Part 1 – The Location

A few years ago, I was asked by my home church leader to lead a study on John 4. I’ve read John 4 many times. It’s a short story about an apparent random encounter between the Lord and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. As I prepared for the bible study, what I found in …

The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 1

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 (KJV) The Lord’s prayer is the model he gave us for how we are to pray. It’s our prayer. Here is the text of the prayer: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed …

The House of Mourning

It is better to go to a funeral than a feast. For death is the destiny of every person, and the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because sober reflection is good for the heart.The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,but the heart of fools is …

The Kings of the New Earth

And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, Revelation 21:23-24 Are there any rulers of the …

God Bless America?

This is a devotional from Hope of the World Ministries that was rather direct. I thought it was worth posting here. Thursday, April 21, 2022 After September 11, everyone was saying God Bless America, God Bless America. Which God, which America and what blessing? The God of the Bible, the god of political correctness or …

The resurrection under attack… again

Over the past week, I was shocked at the anti resurrection tone of the media. I mean, this is holy week for Christians and it was always, as I recall, a time when the resurrection of Jesus Christ was front and center. I don’t ever recall a time in which there was a lack of …

The Books Will be Opened

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and  books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Rev 20:12 This passage in the Book of …