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Peter’s quote from Psalm 16 verses 8-11 is very powerful, and it must have come from some different source material than the verses from Psalms (check out the different language used between the two versions from Acts and Psalms): Psalm 16:8-11 New King James Version 8 I have set the Lord...

It doesn't appear that Solomon believed in or had hope in the resurrection. He says, "...the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it" (Ecc. 12:7), but what that means is abstract at best. For example, if our spirit returns to God at death, why would...

Solomon seems filled with conflict and strikes me as a basket case spiritually at this point in his life. He makes the conclusion “…that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God,” on the one hand, yet says right after: “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun...

Chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes is a beautiful blend of poetry and prose. The first part focuses on Solomon’s fixation with death once again. Notice the way the verse is structured to emphasize key words and concepts: Ecclesiastes 9 New King James Version 1 For I [a]considered all this in my heart...

The balance of chapter 8 switches back to prose, and Solomon has some important reflections to share: Ecclesiastes 8:9-17 New King James Version 9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his...

Jesus steps up to the plate, stares the feared fireballer, "the wild thing", down, and jolts a 101mph fastball down the right field line for an impressive triple: "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). A wise pastor of mine best...

Baseball was always my favorite sport to play, and it's good to see that my Detroit Tigers are back on the Major League map again. When we had to cancel a game due to weather, often those games were made up with a "double header." I loved playing double-headers, so I'm going to do two for the...

I decided to read through the rest of Ecclesiastes to see where Solomon was taking us as an audience from chapters 7-11 especially. Chapter 12 is the climax of the text and leaves us with the key lesson we should take away from the king's experience and wisdom - to "Fear God and keep His...

Let’s do a comparison/contrast of Solomon’s dad, David’s, verse vs. verse from Solomon in Ecclesiastes: Psalm 23 New King James Version The Lord the Shepherd of His People A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not [a]want. 2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures; He...

Solomon continues to pound the “vanity” theme in Ecclesiastes chapter 6, but I’m noticing more “lessons learned” being shared with his audience. Yes, he has a lot of wisdom, but it seems to be limited to the confines of this short “shadow” of an existence on this troubled planet. Ecclesiastes...

Yes, brother, we need that renewal of our mind, and we belong to God now. That old man needs to be body-slammed back into the grave on an ongoing basis, and we need to walk in the light of the Spirit. God knows it all - our thoughts, emotions, intentions, and certainly our sinfulness. Our faith...

Amen. Those verses from Paul in Ephesians are benchmark, foundational concepts that encapsulate a core concept of Christianity. We are saved by grace through faith, and it is a gift of God. We can't earn salvation by our own futile efforts at obeying the old covenant laws - that's an...

That's a great point, Pilgrim. We need to have that living faith stirring up the Holy Spirit to generate fruit that pleases God and serves others. And James talks about what true religion is all about: "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in...

It's been awhile since I've looked at the theories on what day Jesus was actually crucified on, but the chart above aligns with the research I looked at back in my "seminary" days that made the most sense to me. The "Sabbath" referred to after Jesus had died was likely the First Day of...

When I opened my Bible this morning, the first page I turned to was Job chapter 16, and I had these verses underlined with "Jesus" written in the margin: Job 16:9-11 New King James Version 9 He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; My adversary sharpens His...

Amen. We are without excuse. Even before conversion as a hard-hearted teenager, I looked at the creation around me and the wonders in the sky above and knew we had a Creator. I love those verses you referenced from Psalm 8: Psalm 8:3-4 New King James Version 3 When I consider Your heavens...

Great point, it's all about Jesus. Like Paul said, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (I Cor. 2:2). God has "...spoken to us by His son," and Jesus continues to speak to us today. And, as we remember on this Good Friday, He speaks to us not...

The Old Testament and New Testament fit so nicely together, brother, and prophecy is a large part of God's Word. We are assured that God keeps His Word and the promises of redemption we have in Jesus Christ. A good portion of the New Testament actually has its roots in the Old Testament, and...

What else has the "preacher" learned from his life of excess and experimentation? Ecclesiastes 5:8-17 New King James Version 8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent [a]perversion of justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official...

James has some excellent things to say about love, listening, and following through on our vows to obey the Lord with our whole being: James 2:8-13 New King James Version 8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well...