Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder
1,571 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago -Be With Me is a daily 7 minute chronological walk through the New Testament hosted by Michael Smith. It is for everyone who is curious about what Jesus actually said and did in the gospels. Most episodes will leave you with at least one good thought to chew on for the rest of the day. We start with the Bible and hopefully end with Awe. We are walking through the chronological events of Jesus' life and then thoughtfully considering them. It is meant to spur the devotional life of the Christian and the not-yet-Christian. We occasionally venture into the Old Testament when it helps our understanding of the New Testament events. Everybody has 7 minutes. Everybody needs to wonder. Be With Me is hosted by Michael Smith who has absolutely no special qualifications to do a podcast. He is not a pastor. He has not been to seminary. He does not lead a mega-church. He is not a professional and he has no more credentials than you do. He does, however, follow a great God with an observant eye and a curious heart. Each day, he starts with a study bible and aims for astonishment. ‘be with him’ for 7 minutes as he sets out daily to discover the God who invites us to ‘Be With Me.’
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Episodes
Are You HUNGRY(of Soul)? Lk1:53 s4e14
June 21, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.33 MBSend us a Text Message. Are you hungry today, that is, of your SOUL? Is your spirit longing a bit for your Maker? If so, have I got a God for you. Mary leads us on today with here great praise prayer of Luke 1. He has looked. He is mighty. He has done. He is holy. He is faithful. He has faithfulness to the ungrateful (hesed from the Old Testament). He exhalts the humble. My favorite today: He fills the hungry (soul) with good things. Are you poor of spirit? Are you hungry of soul? ...
He Has LOOKED. So What? Lk 1:48 s4e13
June 20, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.15 MBSend us a Text Message. The awe-stonishing thing isn't that mankind and womankind looks to God. The truly awe-stonishing thing is that HE LOOKS TO US. He does look. And, He looks to US. Mary worships about this very concept today. But what if God did NOT LOOK? What are the implications? Would this be a world that you'd want to live in? No holding of the world together, no orbits, no sunrise, no birds, no common graces, no marriage, no family, no intercession at the right hand of the ...
My Soul Magnifies the Lord Lk1:46 s4e12
June 19, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.46 MBSend us a Text Message. Mary is a spiritual rock star. You have THE essential ingredient that she does: a SOUL. You know, the seat of your decisions, words, understanding and will. Your soul is fantastic, amazing, and is to be celebrated. But here's the rub: you did not make your soul. That should stop you in your tracks. It did to me today. Suddenly, the large, personally important footprint of my soul is viewed differently. It is created. I am created. My soul is not an accident. ...
What makes MARY so special? Lk1:45 s4e11
June 18, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.49 MBSend us a Text Message. What makes MARY so special? Her relative Elizabeth tells us the basics: Blessed is She who believes. Now Elizabeth was no stranger to this. Her husband had THE SAME angel visit him 6 months earlier. He did not believe the angel. His question betrayed his unbelief. Therefore, for the last 6 months, 5 of which "she kept herself hidden" probably at home alone with Zechariah. Don't forget though that he was stricken dumb and deaf, so this probably came with its own...
Open This FIRST! Lk1:37 s4e10
June 17, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.32 MBSend us a Text Message. An angel is opening a gift to Mary and the world. He is describing some of the 'who is Jesus' questions that you may have. Jesus is proclaimed now to be occupying the office of the 'throne of David'. This was promised about a 1000 years previous to this to David who wanted to build God a nice house. God turns the tables and says to David, 'no, I am going to build YOU a house.' By this, He means a heritage, an inheritance, a lineage that will go on FOREVER. It is...
What Do You Do With The Disturb? Lk1:29 s4e9
June 16, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Gabriel comes to give the triple reveal of pregnancy of Mary: that you are pregnant (miraculously) that the gender is male that He already has a name (but you are the first to know it) Mary is knocked off her game. She is DISTURBED: deeply troubled, confused So here is the big question for today, what does she do with the DISTURB? We are sobered here because Zechariah, Gabriel's last assignment betrays UNBELIEF with his question. Mary is at risk, how will sh...
What Do Your Questions Betray? Lk1:20 s4e8
June 15, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.48 MBSend us a Text Message. Zechariah, though he is earlier described as a righteous man, betrays himself by a question. The question seems innocent enough, but we get an angelic clarification. The angel just calls him out definitively: you did NOT BELIEVE MY WORDS. This is to a faithful, chosen, professional priest, who has stood the test of time. If you wanna know, the question is on the surface pretty 'innocent.' In reality it is not. Here it is, "How should I know this?" In this, he ...
To You a Child is Born...It's NOT JESUS Lk1:14 s4e7
June 14, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.47 MBSend us a Text Message. The Gospel of Luke starts with the birth of a child. IT'S NOT JESUS. Surprise. Surprise. We get the prequel to Jesus' birth by the story of John the Baptist's PARENTS. They are a couple of good people that were dealing with the bad thing of barrenness. It is not because of sin, it is for the sovereignty. Certainly they didn't have the end of the story here at the beginning, so likely, this was definitely a life pain for them. God shows up after 400 years of ...
Am I in the READING of the WILL? Mt1:1 s4e6
June 13, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.5 MBSend us a Text Message. Matthew gives us the family history at the arrival of Jesus. It is a record of the legal claim that family members have to the bounty of the riches that Jesus brings. This is a family that Jesus attaches himself to, and by extension, we are attached to. With it come rights, and benefits, and inheritances, and power, and offices. Ultimately, you want to be a part of this. It is like the reading of a will of a person of great wealth. You WANT to be a part of this...
God Pitches His Tent In My Backyard Jn1:14 s4e5
June 12, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.43 MBSend us a Text Message. God comes to us in a certain way. Why? Because we need it. Absent Him, what answer do we have for sin? How? Flesh had to do it. Our flesh couldn't do it and fulfill all the righteous requirements. Moses reminded us of that. He comes in the flesh. This fulfills prophesy and fixes problems. Where? He pitches His tent in my backyard. He comes close. He dwells among me and us. He moves into the neighborhood and makes His home right here. Who? Jesus. The Word. ...
My Salvation Verse/Story Jn1:12 s4e4
June 11, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.43 MBSend us a Text Message. If I knew this day was going to be so important, I would have paid more attention! Does anybody wake up and know that later on today, I am going to yield my heart, believe in all that I know about God, trust Him that He's true, and receive all that He did to remedy a great big sin problem? does anyone's list look like: Walk the dog go grocery shopping pay credit card bill practice piano become a Christian I got saved by surprise. "On accident", as children are...
I Wasn’t Created. You Didn’t Give Me Life. Jn1:11 s4:e3
June 10, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.28 MBSend us a Text Message. After the introduction of Jesus as eternal, creative, creator, life-giver, light-giver and darkness fighter, we today hear a few words about mankind. I suppose some is good. Hey, He uses us as messengers primarily, rather than angels or something. But mostly, we hear about offense. We hear about us not receiving Him. We hear about the "yet..." in the passage. How can this be?! I was offended, even incredulous. How can the created, say to the Creator, "You did...
Podcaster Eats Humble Pie Jn1:1 s4e2
June 09, 2021 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.56 MBSend us a Text Message. Podcaster + Revelation of God Himself = Big dose of HUMBLE PIE. John does not start his gospel in a small way. There is creation, creator, sustainer, Word-naming, Jesus=God, originator of stuff, originator of life and epic battle-doer of dark and light. God is making Himself manifest here. In a big way. In a BIG way. We will start the sipping of spiritual experiences and spiritual truth and spiritual revelation soon. For now, John pours buckets of spiritual st...
This is a GREAT PLACE to START! Lk1:1 s4e1
June 08, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 4.9 MBSend us a Text Message. Welcome to Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder. If you are new to the podcast, you are starting in the best place. We are on a sequential walk through Jesus' life as detailed in the gospels. The real story starts here. Season 4 is actually the start of the story. The order is actually season 4 then 1,2,3. So, you are in exactly the right place. What kind of a knucklehead would start an epic in the middle? Me and George Lucas. ;-) Why a chronological wal...
Knute Larson answers: WHY IS THERE PAIN? s3e82
June 07, 2021 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.69 MBSend us a Text Message. Pastor Knute Larson will help us understand the third biggest question of all-time: Why is there pain? How should we handle our pain? How should we handle other’s pain? When will all of this be over? Do Christians have problems and suffering? We will learn how Pastors handle that painful phone call. Thank you Lord, for giving us Pastors. Mike Singletary will make a verbal appearance from the gridiron to help frame our discourse. If you have some pain, you...
KNUTE LARSON and the Critical MINUTE SPOTS s3e83
June 06, 2021 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.69 MBSend us a Text Message. Pastor Knute Larson joins Be With Me for 7 minutes as he explains the importance of 59 seconds. He is known for the MINUTE-SPOT, a 59 second TV segment that went city-wide and drew in the curious. He did hundreds of them. Nobody ever did it better. Historically, they actually started on the radio in 1966 in Ashland, Ohio. He’ll tell us how it all got started and why those first few seconds are so important. This ministry served as an early “side-door” to the ch...
Knute Larson explains the COMBINATION LIFE s3e81
June 05, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.37 MBSend us a Text Message. Knute Larson explains the COMBINATION LIFE Be With Me joins Pastor Knute Larson on the beach of Lake Michigan to hear his thoughts on the COMBINATION LIFE. That is, what are the responsibilities or the “job-description” of a believer. On the other hand, what are the responsibilities or the “job-description” of God Himself? Who does what in the process of sanctification? Perhaps you have wondered this. Knute will help you get started. We will hear from Knute’s g...
KNUTE LARSON on MENTORING and COACHING s3e80
June 04, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.22 MBSend us a Text Message. This morning we find Pastor Knute Larson on the shores of Lake Michigan. We will hear about what work continues to drive him today. He is involved in a task that carries forward his passion for mentoring the next generation of young leaders. He is what he likes to call a “Coach of Pastors.” If you are a young-at-heart pastor, I think you’d be crazy not to find him at https://pastorknutelarson.com/about and get the wisdom that comes from more than 50 years of expe...
KNUTE LARSON on How to be a Delight to Your Pastor s3e79
June 03, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 4.95 MBSend us a Text Message. Today, Knute Larson encourages both Pastor and parishioner. He will tell us how the non-pastor can be a delight to their pastor. There is a charge to be engaged spiritually as well as in relationship. What is wrong with this scenario? A two year old goes tearing down the halls of the church, and the mother declares, “Stop running, here comes PASTOR LARSON.” Only Knute could come up with the solution he proposes to this scenario. Can one extend the hand of frien...
Knute Larson Discusses Inventing ABF's s3e78
June 02, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.24 MBSend us a Text Message. Imagine discussing something that 1000's of churches have found useful. Imagine literally talking with the guy WHO WROTE THE BOOK and INVENTED ABF's. You don't really have to imagine. Today, we are going to do it. Join me as I discuss a way of doing fellowship in the church with Pastor Knute Larson. His book is Growing Adults on Sunday Morning or The ABF Handbook. His idea is an organizational juggernaut that incorporates care, fun, service, teaching, and the o...
In a WORLD of Books, One is Enough. Jn21:25 (s3e77)
June 01, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 4.89 MBSend us a Text Message. We finish the end of the gospels today in John and Luke. Unfortunately, we didn't exactly start at the beginning. What kind of a knucklehead doesn't start a multi-episode epic at the beginning? George Lucas and me, that's who. I'd like to 'finish' the gospels from the start to where season one began in Luke chapter 7. Complete the cycle. Please join me. The doings of Jesus were not all written. If they were, the "world itself could not contain the books that ...
Asking the Wrong Question Jn21:22. (s3e76)
May 31, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.12 MBSend us a Text Message. Jesus tells Peter he's going to die in a way that his abilities will be lost, he won't be doing what he wants, he won't be where he wants, and even he won't be wearing what he wants. Even amidst all of this loss, FOLLOW ME to the end. Peter is probably pretty rattled. Appropriately so. His counter: HEY, what about THIS OTHER GUY? What about John? Why is his path different than mine. What if it is "easier?" What if it is more difficult? Jesus rebukes and r...
Glorify as ABILITIES are LOST Jn21:18 (s3e75)
May 30, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 4.93 MBSend us a Text Message. America (and probably the country you might be listening in) is all about doing what I want when I want where I want wearing what I want heading in the direction I want Peter finishes a wonderful "do you love me? Yes I love you. Feed my sheep" time with the Lord. It just had to be a highlight or dare I say THE highlight of his life. It is intimate, a restoration, a pursuit by the Lord and it is repeated 3 times. 1 second later, Peter is told he won't get t...
Love First. Serve Second. Jn21:17 (s3e74)
May 29, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.32 MBSend us a Text Message. Peter has betrayed the Lord. He has repented, but is waiting for restoration. He's run to Jesus. He's hurled himself into the sea towards Jesus. He's ready, and now, after breakfast, he gets his chance. I am charmed that a huge offloading of responsibility is predicated by LOVE. Do you love me? Yes! Then do this stuff. It is the stuff I used to do and is most precious to me. Now I am going to have you do it. But first, but primarily: love me. Yes, I want...
Don't Let 153 Fish Go To Waste. Jn20:31(s3e73)
May 28, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 4.98 MBSend us a Text Message. 153 Fish gave their lives today so you could understand this revelation. Let's not let their lives go to waste. In the gospel of John he edits the Lords 40+ known miracles to just 8. This is the last one. He lines up 153 fish, packs them together and then lets themselves be caught but not break the net. They count them, because they know this is the world record. Jesus, at least today is recognized in this last miracle, and in the circumstances of Him on the be...
I am WITH YOU ALWAYS Mt28:20 (s3e72)
May 27, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.18 MBSend us a Text Message. The last sentence of the Gospel of Matthew. It had better be good. ;-) Guess what, it is! Today God asks the IMPOSSIBLE again. He asks that we be involved in a process that initially connects (belief) and then strengthens connection (sanctification) of a holy God/all powerful/all creating God with a sinful puny mankind and womankind. Only God could even remotely handle this kind of work. The AWE part of this is that He even bothers with us. What is man that yo...
I will NEVER Believe. John21:25 (s3e71)
May 26, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.25 MBSend us a Text Message. We look at a guy who doesn't believe today. Not just neutral unbelief. Active unbelief. Jesus describes him as DISBELIEVING. It is Thomas, who when we last heard from him was ready to go to Jerusalem and die for Jesus. He went a long way south since then. He gets a RESCUE mission from Jesus. In the context of this epic moment of Jesus rising from the dead and giving the Holy Spirit to mankind, there is this one lost sheep that garners Jesus' attention. Jesus go...
A JOB and a BENEFIT PACKAGE Jn 20:22 (s3e70)
May 25, 2021 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.59 MBSend us a Text Message. After the resurrection all four gospels have a commissioning. The disciples get a JOB and a BENEFIT PACKAGE to facilitate the successful completion of that job. The Job is to go and expand the borders of an invisible kingdom. Go to the edge of the spiritual wilderness and push the invisible border around a probably uncooperative knucklehead. Make the kingdom a little bigger by enveloping that person in a blob by belief. This of course is IMPOSSIBLE. This is a...
Nothing So Rare as an OPEN MIND Lk 24:45 (s3e69)
May 24, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.38 MBSend us a Text Message. Is there anything so rare as an open mind? I didn't think so. Yet, this is the critical business that Jesus is in: to open the crusty minds to His Word and to Himself. This is the turning a heart of STONE into a heart of flesh. I suppose there is cracking open the willingness to listen and perceive of God...but there is more: the is the cracking open the ability to perceive God. Lord, please give me both. Please give my listeners both. Increase both my skills ...
Jesus is Touchable(&See,Hear,Taste,Smell) Lk 25:43 (s3e68)
May 23, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.38 MBSend us a Text Message. The process of belief is messy. The Bible is really quite bold in admitting it. It just reeks of authenticity though. It is true. There is a lot of two steps forward, one step backward. So a knowledgeable, experienced, intimate group of Jesus' disciples hear some news and announce, and I quote, "He is risen indeed." All good, at least externally and verbally. Then the risen Jesus shows up and they are described as: startled frightened thinking they saw a sp...
The HEARTBURN of the VOICE of JESUS. Lk 24:32 (s3-e67)
May 22, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 4.93 MBSend us a Text Message. The long road of the slow-of-heart to Emmaus starts with eyes that were kept from recognizing. But as the 7 mile walk goes on, they get HEART BURN. That is, the heart burn of the opening of Scripture. Jesus walks them through the Old Testament, explaining how it is about Himself. And so, their hearts burn. This is heaven touching the earth, one heart at a time. It is the voice of Scripture, which is ultimately the voice of God. It is the voice of the current wo...
Jesus LOVES the Old Testament! Lk 24:27 (s3-e66)
May 21, 2021 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.52 MBSend us a Text Message. There's an old joke that ends, "If the King James Bible was good enough for Jesus, then it is good enough for me." On the road to Emmaus, on the road of the SLOW OF HEART, Jesus goes all Old Testament on the two walking with Him. He rebukes them for being slow of heart to believe the PROPHETS, that is, the Old Testament. The Old Testament is about Jesus. No wonder He loves it. It points to Him. It points to His character. It points to the NECESSITY of His comin...
SLOW of Heart. Luke 24:25 (S3-E65)
May 20, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.26 MBSend us a Text Message. Jesus calls people of His own company SLOW OF HEART in a long account of the Road to Emmaus. It is a long story, of a long road, of the Slow of heart. He also calls them foolish. I just couldn't go there today. Most disturbingly, their eyes were kept from recognizing Him. And how about all the truths? Kept from that too? You know we are slow and foolish of heart. You see it. You don't leave us to wallow in slow foolishness. You come alongside and as our pa...
Did 'NOT' SEE An Angel/resurrection Mt28:13 (s3-e64)
May 19, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.29 MBSend us a Text Message. I fell asleep (punishable by death) we all fell asleep (punishable by death) while we were asleep we saw scardy-cat disciples come and move a large rock that did not wake us up. Then they stole a dead body. Then we lied about it for money...for the rest of our lives. Just maybe, these guys were the contemporary witnesses to the actual resurrection of Jesus. Certainly, they saw an angel and became afraid, trembling, and 'became like dead men'. I think that means the...
Grave Robber at the Tomb. John 20:16 (S3-E63)
May 18, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.15 MBSend us a Text Message. There was a GRAVE ROBBER at Jesus' tomb. Mary of Magdala tries to figure out who it was. It is a classic case of mis-identity. She mis-identifies the dead Jesus the buried Jesus the stolen Jesus the lost Jesus the gardener Jesus (my personal favorite) She finally gets it right at the end: Jesus Jesus. Rabboni Teacher Jesus. The GRAVE ROBBER Himself! She gets her moment, she gets her name called. Then she gets her job. Go tell the brothers. Along the way...
Last INSTANT of Unbelief. John 20:8 (S3-E62)
May 17, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.48 MBSend us a Text Message. So how about if we recorded you in your last few moments of being an unbeliever? Might that episode be fraught with misunderstanding, impaired communication, frenzied activity, and even chaos? Might there be both physical and spiritual chaos? You don't have much warning that it will be your last few seconds. You don't know that in just an instant EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE. You don't know that everything will change FOREVER. You don't know that everything will neve...
When you Meet Jesus, HOLD ON & WORSHIP Mt 28:9 (S3-E61)
May 16, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.36 MBSend us a Text Message. Women, not men get the first appearances of Jesus after resurrection. You just gotta love Jesus' sense of irony in entrusting these females with the greatest news of all time. Jesus is very pro-women! Anyone who says otherwise hasn't read or understood the Bible. It was a surprise. Absolutely no one anticipates that He would rise from the dead. They are surprised when they encounter a stone-moving lightening-appearing angel who demonstrates the empty tomb. But...
When We Meet Him, There Will be HOLES. Mk16:6 (S3-E60)
May 15, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.51 MBSend us a Text Message. When we meet Jesus in heaven, there will be holes in His hands, feet and side. He took His body with Him. He got a resurrected body, but it was sort of similar. Remember, Thomas got to stick his fingers into the holes in Jesus' hands. Here is my question, will any of us NOT want to stick our resurrected body's fingers into the holes in His hands? I didn't think so. I think Jesus will be involved with this demonstration CONSTANTLY in heaven until everybody there h...
KNUCKLEHEADS at the Resurrection Lk 24:1 (S3-E59)
May 14, 2021 08:00 - 8 minutes - 5.52 MBSend us a Text Message. I want a better resurrection story. It is a story of chaos, confusion, unbelief, surprise, forgetfulness, laziness, fearfulness, etc. In short, it is like a bunch of knuckleheads encounter the resurrection. I would NEVER write a story in this way. It would have better people, better thinking, better sequencing, less confusion, more faith, less fear, less laziness, less disrespect, and more belief. So I want a better story. Yet, as I think back to my experience a...
Guarding the DEAD. Mt 27:66 (S3-E58)
May 13, 2021 08:00 - 6 minutes - 4.74 MBSend us a Text Message. Those who posted a guard around the dead guy were right about one thing: Resurrection is a big deal. Either it is true, or it is not. They help us here by posting a guard. They assure us that the disciples did NOT steal any dead body. They actually give credence to the fact that Jesus really does rise. They were, as all Roman guards do, "guarding with their life." Not that the disciples were much to worry about. 100% of them fled from Jesus. Peter came back o...
The Burial and Burial-ers of Jesus Lk 23:50 (S3-E#57)
May 12, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.33 MBSend us a Text Message. Listen for 7 minutes and learn with me about one of Jesus' earliest followers: Joseph of Arimethea. He's from a nearby town, he's rich, a member of the Sanhedrin council that convicted Jesus; he doesn't consent to their decisions or actions, he is a SECRET disciple for FEAR of the Jews, and that he is looking for the kingdom of God. Perhaps he is like you. Then at a particular risky moment, he goes PUBLIC with his faith. It says HE TOOK COURAGE and went to pila...
Is God Safe? Where is God? Mt 27:51 (S3-Episode #56)
May 11, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.52 MBSend us a Text Message. Is God SAFE? CS Lewis said via Mr. Beaver in The Lion Witch and the Wardrobe, "NO. But He is GOOD." There is a curtain that in a sense protects us from Him, from His holiness. It keeps us from His burning holiness and keeps Him from our ugly sinfulness. Where is God? He's behind the curtain. God wanted to be uniquely in one place in the Old Testament in contrast to the pagan gods. In fact after David and Solomon settled in Jerusalem, all good Jews were to travel...
AWE Is A GREAT START but isn't enough. Mt 27:54 (S3-Episode#55)
May 10, 2021 08:00 - 6 minutes - 4.78 MBSend us a Text Message. A Roman Centurion is a practiced, professional, accustomed killer. Suffering is his actual business, particularly if he leads the crucifixion squad. Remember, the idea is ultimate suffering. Death is the byproduct. So that this man is touched by Jesus' process and death is remarkable. He only gets maybe 8 hours of exposure to Jesus total. Only a few sentences that we know about. But it is enough. There are some physical manifestations: the sun's light failed, ...
Done! Finished! Accomplished! Achieved! Ps 22:31(S3-Episode #54)
May 09, 2021 08:00 - 6 minutes - 4.74 MBSend us a Text Message. Ps 22 starts out with "why have you forsaken me?", but it doesn't end there. It ends with a triumphal, "he has done it"!!!!! On the Cross Jesus starts out with "why have you forsaken me?" but similarly doesn't end there. He ends with the ultimate triumph. A single greek word. Tetelestai! "it is finished" or "he has done it".!!!! It is as if he was asking the reader to consider the middle parts of Psalm 22 as well. Those speak of intimacy, hearing, fellowship...
R U an "ABANDON-er?" Ps 22:24 (S3-episode #53)
May 08, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.44 MBSend us a Text Message. Is Psalm 22 a song of abandonment? Is it one of distance or intimacy? Is it used ("...why have you forsaken me?") to conclude that God abandons Jesus on the Cross, or is it more of a question, a feeling, a Starting point? The best theological principle is to rely on the Scripture. Let's be "abandon-ers" or not as much as the Word allows us to be. Probably, you, like me are not theologians. We are more like faithful admirers of the Word. Using Psalm 22, in Jesus'...
PIERCING Hands and Feet PREDICTED before it's INVENTION. Ps 22:16 (S3-E#52)
May 07, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.53 MBSend us a Text Message. The Persians invented crucifixion in about 300BC. Yet, Psalm 22 refers to "they have pierced my hands and feet" in about 1000BC. 700 years before the technique was invented. It is my favorite of the Psalm 22 prophesies about Jesus' crucifixion. There are many other fulfilled prophesies in Psalm 22. We want to get at the "forsaking", so we are finding out the context of the passage, like good Bible students. We hear of garments distributed by lots, wagging head...
DELIGHTING in Psalm 22:1 (S3-Episode #51)
May 06, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.44 MBSend us a Text Message. What if we thought about the psalm that the New Testament writers thought MOST about...What if we had some Old Testament reflection on the crucifixion...What if we heard from God Himself about what would happen that day at the place of the Skull? My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? It is in the Bible. It is in the Bible, TWICE. Jesus only spoke 7 recorded sentences on the Cross. Why? Air-hunger. Air-starvation. Suffocation unto death. Every word He spo...
The DEATH of Jesus/Throw-up in my Mouth. Matt 27:50 (S3-Episode #50)
May 05, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.17 MBSend us a Text Message. The death of Jesus is well documented but brief. In all four gospels it is about 14 verses in total. Let's read them and sit with them today. I've got throw-up in my mouth because of it. The death is real, voluntary, excruciating ("of the cross"), suffocating, prophetic, sin-bearing, and for me, "triggering". That is, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Martha when she had throw-up in her mouth over the death of her brother Lazarus. Jesus gave her sweet words an...
Who is at the Cross? John 19:25 (S3-Episode #49)
May 04, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.27 MBSend us a Text Message. We are at the central event of human history. It is at the central place of human history. It is at the central time of human history. (It literally splits time in half as we refer to it: BC and AD) It is with the central figure of human history, Jesus. I wonder who else is there. Let's make a list! Jesus the four soldiers and the centurion in charge of the execution 2 robbers Chief Priests: Ananias and Ciaphas Scribes and Elders Some Bystanders and "t...
The LANGUAGES at the Cross. John 19:19 (S3-Episode #48)
May 03, 2021 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.49 MBSend us a Text Message. The Cross is the great Grand Central Station of history. All Scripture intersects there from the Old and New Testament. People intersect there. Today, I am struck with how LANGUAGES intersect at the cross. The troubled Mr. Pilate has one more jab available towards the Jewish leaders. He writes KING OF THE JEWS and has it put on the cross. Of note today, it is in three languages. Three! Latin: the official Roman language of more recent conquest. Greek: the pre...