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 …
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, …
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, …
Pictured: Enrique Simonet - Flevit super illam 1892 In Matthew 24 Jesus answers His disciples' questions of: 1. When will the destruction of the temple be?, 2. What will be the sign of His coming?, and 3. What will be the sign of the end of the age? Jesus answers in three stages: 1.Twelve signs …
Pictured: The Mystic Lamb by Hubrecht and Jan van Eyck, 15th Century A Response to: "Leviticus 17:11" written by the Director of Education and Counselling of Jews for Judaism (Canada), Rabbi Michael Skobac. His article linked: Click here I. Does Leviticus 17:11 Concern Atonement? Rabbi Michael Skobac begins by quoting from Leviticus 17:10-12 and commenting, “What …
Daniel 1 Section Summary: Chapters 1-6 The book of Daniel can be divided into two main parts. The first six chapters describe the biography of Daniel as he served in the courts of Babylon, and the last six chapters contain four prophetic revelations. This biographical section, which will be outlined below, must also be viewed …
Project Objective: Imagine you are building a church in an inner city that is racially divided, violent, poverty stricken, and has a slew of social and economic problems. You are the pastoral leaders and you need to build a biblical foundation amongst yourselves and in your church in order to provide space for unity to …
Continue reading Race and America in 2019: Facilitating Discussions on Race
In the first chapter of Daniel a pattern of heart posture and spiritual disciplines can be found that carry broad applications for Christian discipleship. One of the wonders found in this chapter is how such godly characters were found in such young teenagers. In light of such a wonder, the real goal in the discipleship …
Continue reading Daniel 1: What kind of community formed teenagers like Daniel and his friends?
Zephaniah 1-3 The main theme throughout Zephaniah chapter one is "the day of the Lord," which event is spoken of 14 times in this passage with the following negative descriptions: at hand, sacrifice, punishment, crying, wrath, trouble, distress, wasteness, desolation, darkness, gloominess, clouds and thick darkness, trumpet, and alarm. It is spoken to Israel, but …
“The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, And all kings your glory.” (Isaiah 62:2) Isaiah 62:2 reveals the heart and motives of Jesus as Bridegroom, King, and Judge. His heart is selflessly given and moved towards the redemption of his people. There is no selfish vindication to be found. Rather, he desires to invite others into …
Continue reading Meditation on Isaiah 62: The Beauty of Jesus as Bridegroom, King, and Judge
The judgements of God are for the salvation of mankind and are centered around the redemptive acts of God in and through the Messiah, Jesus. Thus, they are unto an ultimate victory and cleansing of the failure and sin of man. This care is clear in these passages, as it is God who initiates man’s …
Continue reading Meditation on Isaiah 62 – 63: The Beauty of Jesus as Bridegroom, King, and Judge
All scripture references are from the New King James Version God’s People are those who are in christ and have the holy spirit; an eschatological community, awaiting the fullness at the second coming of christ The main storyline throughout the Scriptures is God creating a people in the earth as his dwelling place.‘I will take …
...and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” 