A Religion Modified for Man’s Convenience – Dan

Posted on by
Reply
Altar at Tel Dan, Israel Tour, BJ Lawson, thethirdcup.com, Precept Ministries, Bible Studies

The above photo is of the site of the altar at Dan. The metal frame work is of course a reconstruction to illustrate what the altar might have looked like

Recommended Reading for today: 1 Kings 11-12

Facts about Dan

  • Was named after Jacob’s son Dan (Judges 18:29)
  • The priest Jonathan established a shrine here.( Judges 18:30)
  • When Israel split, Jeroboam ruled the Northern Kingdom (Israel), which included Dan.
  • When he feared his people would go to Jerusalem to worship and possibly return to following Rehoboam (King of the Southern Kingdom, Judah) he made golden calf idols and told the people these gods brought them from the Land of Egypt. (1 Kings 12)
  • Dan was the furthermost northern city of Israel, and Beersheba was the southern; hence the phrase “from Dan to Beersheba” meant to cover the whole country. Continue reading →

Woe to you Chorazin!!

Posted on by
Reply
bible studies, bj lawson, precept ministries international, the third cup, david lawson

Ruins at Chorazin

Recommended Reading:
Matthew 11:20-24, Luke 10:13-14

This is the first day of our tour and the first site we visit is Chorazin.

 Facts about Chorazin

  • Two miles north of the Sea of Galilee and north of the site for Capernaum.
  • The Talmud mentions its fame for wheat in the first and early second centuries, but by the second half of the third century it was no longer inhabited.
  • Listed along with Capernaum and Behtsaida as one of the cities in which most of Jesus’ miracles were done.
  • The ruins indicate that it was a fairly important city. Remains of a synagogue, probably from the 4th century A.D., include a carved seat with an inscription, an example of a “Moses’ seat” (Mt 23:2) Continue reading →

God is Love

Posted on by

bjlawson,precept ministries,bible study,the third cup, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.  We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.                  1 John 4:7–8, 16

God is love. If we are believers and we are “in” God then our lives should be characterized by the same love that characterizes Him. This love we are talking about is not simply a warm fuzzy feeling; rather it is a choice that has the highest good of the object loved in mind.  This means in relation to others, encouraging them and doing things they will like. Sometimes  it means having to say hard things,  or things that are  difficult to hear. Continue reading →

Love hurts!

Posted on by

Looking at “Loving God and Others” I was reminded of how sweet it is that despite all we did, do or will do Jesus still loves us. But even sweeter than that is realizing He took our sins on the cross, died for us, and despite all that pain and suffering we caused Him, He wants to be an intimate part of our life. Now that is HUGE!

When we really grasp how much He forgave us and the fact that He still longs to have an intimate relationship with us, it should radically affect our relationships. None of the hurts we have suffered at the hands of others even compare to what Jesus suffered because of us. To say we love someone and want their best, refuse to have anything to do with them and even cause others to pull away, is just as wrong. Continue reading →

Holy Week – Good Friday

Posted on by

On Good Friday, the entire Church fixes her gaze on the Cross at Calvary. Each believer tries to understand what it cost Jesus to win our redemption.  Across denominations there are many traditions observed on this day. Good Friday is not a day of celebration but of mourning, both for the death of Jesus and for the sins of the world which His death represents.

It is Friday morning and we see the transfer of Jesus from the Jewish to the Roman authorities. There are several events that take place on this Good Friday: Continue reading →

Holy Week – Thursday

Posted on by

Communion,Holy Week Thursday,The Last Supper,Maundy ThursdayThere are several events that occur on this last day before Jesus was arrested. These are:

  • The Last Supper (The Passover Meal)
  • The Institution of Communion
  • Jesus Praying in the Garden of Gethsemane while the disciples fell asleep
  • The Betrayal of Judas

This is the day that Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with the disciples, four days after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Only hours after the Last Supper, Judas would betray Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, setting the stage for Jesus’ Crucifixion on Good Friday. Continue reading →

Holy Week – Wednesday

Posted on by

It was Wednesday and Jesus had just finished all He had to say to the disciples on the Mt of Olives, (known as the Olivet Discourse). He reminded the disciples that the Passover feast was only two days away and that He would be handed over to be crucified Continue reading →

Palm Sunday – Beginning of Holy Week

Posted on by

Holy Week

This is Holy Week, the week immediately preceding Easter or Resurrection Sunday. It is observed in many churches as a time to remember the suffering and death of Jesus through various traditions and worship services. We are often so focused on the joyful celebrations of Palm Sunday and Easter that we miss the suffering, humiliation and death that are all part of Holy Week. It is important that we place the hope of the Resurrection and the promise of newness of life, against the background of death. As you walk through the shadows and darkness of Holy Week and Good Friday, only then do you really grasp the horror and magnitude of sin and its consequences. Only then can you fully understand the light and hope of Sunday morning! This week we’ll take a look at the events which led up to the death of Jesus. Continue reading →

All Things New

Posted on by

For the past several years in my prayer time at the end of December, God has given me a specific word for the upcoming year. It has been interesting to see how significant that word was throughout the year. This year God gave me the word “NEW” and, with that He gave me a glimpse of what some of those new things would be.

  • New Year – this one seems obvious but only on the surface. I knew we were beginning a new year but I have yet to see all that is hidden beneath the surface.
  • New jobs – we are still with Precept Ministries International. However, as of the beginning of the year we are now on the Social Media Team in the Marketing Department. You got it, all things are new as we learn all about Facebook, Twitter and other social media forums.
  • New blog – new look, new posts and hopefully new followers. Unfortunately it has taken me 4 months to roll it out, but here and it is new to you!
  • New milestones – anniversaries, stages of life, new life etc.

Continue reading →