In this passage, Ezra describes the dedication of the newly built temple in Jerusalem. There is not a lot of fanfare, and the entire event is captured in only three verses of Scripture.
Continue readingAuthor: joemarino (Page 13 of 50)
The passage before us today is full of contrast and provision. The contrast between the wickedness of King Herod and the worshipful obedience of the wise men and Joseph is a stark and sobering reality that we see being played out in the world around us on a daily basis.
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This passage of Scripture is Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus; it is the perfect Christmas Eve passage because it clearly outlines some of the most important things about Jesus’ first advent or his coming to this earth.
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Have you experienced the tension of the family tree at Christmas? One of the things I both love and hate about the Christmas season is the gift of family! Please catch my drift, it’s not that I hate family at all; it’s that I hate some of the drama and the disfunction and the negative emotions and experiences that come with being part of a family.
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The work of restoration and rebuilding is a long process; it’s never a short process and it typically takes longer than you hope, and it usually costs more than you expect it to.
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At first glance the text we are studying is a little bit confusing with all its hard to pronounce names and even more confusing is the date range that is embedded within all the names of the kings that are mentioned. Look at the text real quick…
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Adversity, opposition, and conflict are central to the Christian faith. From the moment we become a Christian, until the moment we stand in front of our Father in Heaven, we are immersed in a centuries-old war between the Adversary (Satan) and God, as our Heavenly Father labors to build his kingdom amidst enemy-occupied territory (Matt. 16:18).2
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This passage is all about the time, talent and treasure that Israel invested into laying the foundation of the temple in Jerusalem and it’s also about the response of the people once the foundation was finished. Have you ever set out to build something?
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As we begin our study of the book of Ezra, I want to make a few observations about this book as a whole and then move into asking some interpretive questions about the text before us today and wrap things up with some personal application.
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This week is our fourth and final installment of our theology of giving series. In week one we examined Malachi 3:6 – 12 and we surveyed the character contrast between God and his people; God is consistently faithful while his people are consistently unfaithful. The problem we saw in week one is that God’s people were robbing him of the tithe he commanded them to give therefore God was calling them to repent and obey so that the watching world would see how blessed God’s people were.
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