It is interesting to note that the modern State of Israel has been established on May 14, 1948. The last time the Jews inhabited a nation was during the Hasmonean Kingdom (c. 141-37 BC) which followed after the Maccabean Revolt (c. 167-160 BC). There, they had political sovereignty and religious autonomy. Rome conquered the Hasmonean …
I’m excited to share that my work, “A Theology of Hope for Missing Persons and Lost Causes,” has been selected as the graduate student essay for Salubriatas: International Journal of Spirit-Empowered Counseling, published through ORU’s Digital Showcase. You can follow the link below to download the journal for free and give my writing a read! I’m especially grateful …
In the book “Preaching with Cultural Intelligence: Understanding the People Who Hear Our Sermons,”[1] Matthew D. Kim leads preachers to understand how to effectively communicate across many various boundaries including cultural and ethnic boundaries, gender and denominational boundaries, the boundaries of varying locations, and even the boundaries of various religions. Central to his work is …
Introduction: The Problem of God Apostle Paul writes to the Church of Rome that the existence and majesty of God is common knowledge among all people, and that these truths of God are, “manifest in them,” being displayed by creation (Rom 1).[1] In other words, God does not believe that atheists exist. At the most …
For me, the five hallmarks or indicators of personal success are quite the same as with professional or pastoral successes, so I will strain to separate the two. I would say that the five hallmarks of personal success, to me, are as follows: First Commandment Lifestyle: The greatest success in this life is to relate …
Main Takeaways Chapter 1: Basics of Church Planting 1. Planting a church should have a missional goal to reach the field around it and to addapt it's approaches while maintaining its theology. 2. Church planters can often be energetic entrepeneurs but should not lose touch with the fact that their jobs are one of spiritual …
A new church plant’s survival is largely based on it’s ability to engage the culture it finds itself in. For instance, Griffith and Easum explain in Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by New Church Starts, that many churches fail to survive due to a fantasy vision that fails to exegete the culture of the community …
One of the most surprising mistakes mentioned in Griffith and Easum’s book, Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by New Church Starts, concerned church planters having “no plan for the other six days of the week.”[1] The authors explain how churches that are built around a model based on codependency to the pastor will only have …
Continue reading Reflections on Common Church Planting Mistakes
Chapter One: "Mistake Number One: In pursuit of the Great Commission, church planters neglect the Great(est) Commandment." (Griffith and Easum, 8) "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Revelation 2:4) The church of Ephesus had remarkable works, labor, and patience. They hated evil and loved good. They were able to …
I believe the toughest question author Reggie McNeal poses in his book, The Present Future: Six Tough Questions for the Church1, concerns “The Shift from Church Growth to Kingdom Growth" as summarized by Tony Bowick in Sums2, or, as McNeal writes, "how do we deconvert from churchianity to Christianity?” This is the toughest question due to the …
"Our view of the nature of God influences our understanding of sin. If God is a very high, pure, and exacting being who expects all humans to be as he is, then the slightest deviation from his lofty standard is sin and the human condition is very serious. If, on the other hand, God is …
I saw myself in Yosemite National Park and was in awe with the beauty and majesty of the trees and valley. In my hand I was holding the reigns of a horse. I was establishing trust with this horse, and it was at peace. Suddenly, a man took the reigns from me and he was …
I see myself sitting at a picnic bench in an unkept park that is run down. It's such a broken place. Poverty stricken. A group came in to clean it up. They started picking up the trash and mowing the lawn. They put up a volley ball area. Still, all around the park were projects. …
Why God is not done with Israel. Key themes to understand, to intercede for Israel. I. Who is Israel? God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham that has three main aspects: they will be a great nation (innumerable descendants), a blessed nation (saved), and through them all the earth will be blessed. Through Abraham, Isaac, …
I see myself holding a baby. There's a sense that I have to focus only on this baby. I realize this baby is Jesus. I try to put him down in a carrier and am distracted by things around the house. What does it even mean to sit at his feet? I feel bored and …
Prayer Request from David "Esophageal cancer & left ureteral stem needs healed. This has been almost 2 years. I dropped from 185 to 116. Thank you for helping me pray for a complete healing." Lord what would you have to say to your servant David? I began to see a twig that was alive. It …
As I prayed for a friend. . . She was laying on a hospital bed. The Lord was on the right side of the bed, looking intently at her vitals. I said, "wow, she is very sick." Lord, what would you have to say? There was a strong sense that He knew more than any …
As I prayed for a friend . . . Lord, what would you like to do for her? I began to sense a strong feeling of fear. Would you like to give that fear to the Lord? I handed the fear to the Lord and it looked like cards turned face upwards. Showing the cards. …
I was standing on the shore, and I saw a large wine barral. When I looked inside, the wine level was so low, and all the inside of this wood was rotting and leaking. Do you want to give the Lord this rotten wine barrel? I gave the Lord the wine barrel and He threw …
The search for wisdom continues to be among humanity’s chief pursuits. Yet, what is wisdom? In the words of David Penchansky, ". . . God embedded knowledge in the structure of things. The wise person observes discerned patterns, which he or she extrapolates into principles. The wise ones live according to these principles.”[1] In this …
Continue reading The Wisdom of God in Christ and His Saints, as Described in the Pauline Epistles
Follow the link below to view my Chronological Bible (New King James Version), which organizes the biblical text according to the chronological sequence of events. To Cite, please use the following:Yanko, Joelle. A Chronological Harmony of the Four Gospels (NKJV). ofhisglory.com, Fall 2019. Last revised September 28, 2020. Chronological NKJVDownload
Featured Image: Marc Chagall, Song of Songs IV, 1958 Where the third chapter of Song of Songs ends with the Bride gaining revelation of the cross and resurrection of Christ, the fourth chapter begins with the Bride’s identity in Christ and the sixth chapter ends in her victory through His victory. Finally, in the seventh chapter …
Featured Image: Marc Chagall, Song of Songs III, 1960 Summaries and reflections on Song of Solomon 4-6 Where the third chapter of Song of Solomon ends with the Bride gaining revelation of the cross and resurrection of Christ, the fourth chapter begins with the Bride’s identity in Christ and the sixth chapter ends in her …
Featured Image: Marc Chagall, Song of Songs III, 1960 Chapter summaries and reflections on Song of Solomon 1-3 In the first chapter of Song of Solomon, the Shulamite woman seeks the kisses of the king’s mouth, symbolizing the believer seeking the words of God. When we hear what God speaks it heals us and drowns …
Painting: The Prophecy of Isaiah by Marc Chagall, 1960's Isaiah 1-5: God’s Approaching Salvation Through Judgment Isaiah chapters 1-5 stand as an overture to the book of Isaiah. Here, God reveals His verdict of judgment against Israel and the reasons why He has a controversy with her. She is described as rebellious, her religion insincere, …
...and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 