The Northern Kingdom, Israel, was overcome by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. and many of its people were carried away captive at that time. (Israel was divided into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah, after the reign of Solomon over 200 years earlier.) Known for their fierceness, the Assyrian armies had defeated many nations and, hadContinue reading “Abandon Your Own Plans”
Author Archives: randylivingston
I Will Have Mercy
When Levi (Matthew) began to follow Jesus, the Scriptures record that he “made him [Jesus] a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, why do ye eat and drink withContinue reading “I Will Have Mercy”
Pushed Along by Our Feelings or Led by the Spirit
We have all been in that place where our reactions to our circumstances got the better of us and we said or did things that we regretted later. The Scriptures remind us “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly” (Proverbs 14:29). To beContinue reading “Pushed Along by Our Feelings or Led by the Spirit”
The Custom of Jesus
Luke records that “when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him [Jesus] for a season. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all” (LukeContinue reading “The Custom of Jesus”
The Temptation of Jesus (Part 3)
Following his baptism, the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil for forty days. There are three avenues where temptation finds access to human nature to provoke us to sin. John records these in his first epistle and all of our sins tend to find their expression throughContinue reading “The Temptation of Jesus (Part 3)”
The Temptation of Jesus (Part 2)
We noted previously that the Spirit of God led Jesus into the wilderness following his baptism to be tempted of the devil for forty days. The devil first tempted Christ to turn stone into bread to satisfy his hunger. This seemed a reasonable suggestion since Christ was the Son of God and had the powerContinue reading “The Temptation of Jesus (Part 2)”
The Temptation of Jesus (Part 1)
Immediately following his baptism “Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil” (Luke 4:1-2). This temptation of the devil occurred at the very beginning of Christ’s earthly public ministry. Note that the devil is a real person,Continue reading “The Temptation of Jesus (Part 1)”
The Baptism of Jesus
John the Baptist came preaching repentance as a necessary preparation for receiving the coming Messiah. Those who received his message came to be baptized as a testimony of such repentance. Yet the Scriptures record that Jesus himself came to be baptized by John even though he had no need of repentance. “Then cometh Jesus…unto John,Continue reading “The Baptism of Jesus”
The Leading of the Lord
After the LORD delivered the people of Israel from Egypt, he brought them to Mount Horeb (Sinai) where he gave them his laws and statutes. It was there at Sinai where God entered into covenant with his people giving them his ten commandments. The LORD then said to Moses, “Depart, and go up hence, thouContinue reading “The Leading of the Lord”
Is God There?
I’m sure that every child of God has experienced a time when they longed for that confirming presence of God and yet felt very alone. Does that mean that God was not there? Do we interpret the silence as meaning that he, perhaps, does not care? The Old Testament records the experience of a godlyContinue reading “Is God There?”
From the Chaplain 