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While submission is a theme of Paul’s marriage commentary and is essential for functional and happy relationships, “submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Eph 5:21), Paul is much more focused on love and why that is the foundational ingredient for a successful marriage: Ephesians...

After the deep dive into the more sobering aspects of this vain existence in Ecclesiastes, Solomon looks at the brighter side of the joy and fulfillment of intimate relationships. It appears that later in life after having “it all” with a slew of women at his beckoned call, Solomon reflects back...

Perched above the small congregation gathered in my cousin’s church for their wedding ceremony, the fire-breathing pastor exclaimed, “’Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord’ (Eph. 5:22). Submit and obey!” My agnostic mother and aunt gasped, turned white as ghosts, and just about...

This is interesting advice from a king who had 700 wives and 300 concubines; talk about amplifying an out of control husband and wives' roller coaster ride. I can't even imagine the drama in the royal palace. However, Solomon tells us that we should "live joyfully with the wife [singular] with...

Edom is modern day Jordan. Do your research and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you.

Luke 13:1-5 New King James Version Repent or Perish 13 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had [a]mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other...

Thank you for turning me on to this fantastic news source.

The Iranian "theocracy" is a brutal regime, and their leader is an insane despot. I agree 100% about the Persian people. I remember that they freed my brothers, Judah, from Babylon and allowed them to return to their home in Palestine. Nice post, brother.

I just love this next section of Ecclesiastes 9. Solomon certainly had his character flaws, but he was one “hell” of a writer. And, the way he mixes poetry and prose together is masterful. He’s like a chef who knows how to choose the perfect ingredients and cooking tactics blended together to...

Peter’s quote from Psalm 16 verses 8-11 is very powerful, and it must have come from some different source material than the verses from Psalms (check out the different language used between the two versions from Acts and Psalms): Psalm 16:8-11 New King James Version 8 I have set the Lord...

It doesn't appear that Solomon believed in or had hope in the resurrection. He says, "...the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it" (Ecc. 12:7), but what that means is abstract at best. For example, if our spirit returns to God at death, why would...

Solomon seems filled with conflict and strikes me as a basket case spiritually at this point in his life. He makes the conclusion “…that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God,” on the one hand, yet says right after: “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun...

Chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes is a beautiful blend of poetry and prose. The first part focuses on Solomon’s fixation with death once again. Notice the way the verse is structured to emphasize key words and concepts: Ecclesiastes 9 New King James Version 1 For I [a]considered all this in my heart...

The balance of chapter 8 switches back to prose, and Solomon has some important reflections to share: Ecclesiastes 8:9-17 New King James Version 9 All this I have seen, and applied my heart to every work that is done under the sun: There is a time in which one man rules over another to his...

Jesus steps up to the plate, stares the feared fireballer, "the wild thing", down, and jolts a 101mph fastball down the right field line for an impressive triple: "...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). A wise pastor of mine best...

Baseball was always my favorite sport to play, and it's good to see that my Detroit Tigers are back on the Major League map again. When we had to cancel a game due to weather, often those games were made up with a "double header." I loved playing double-headers, so I'm going to do two for the...

I decided to read through the rest of Ecclesiastes to see where Solomon was taking us as an audience from chapters 7-11 especially. Chapter 12 is the climax of the text and leaves us with the key lesson we should take away from the king's experience and wisdom - to "Fear God and keep His...

Let’s do a comparison/contrast of Solomon’s dad, David’s, verse vs. verse from Solomon in Ecclesiastes: Psalm 23 New King James Version The Lord the Shepherd of His People A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not [a]want. 2 He makes me to lie down in [b]green pastures; He...

Solomon continues to pound the “vanity” theme in Ecclesiastes chapter 6, but I’m noticing more “lessons learned” being shared with his audience. Yes, he has a lot of wisdom, but it seems to be limited to the confines of this short “shadow” of an existence on this troubled planet. Ecclesiastes...

Yes, brother, we need that renewal of our mind, and we belong to God now. That old man needs to be body-slammed back into the grave on an ongoing basis, and we need to walk in the light of the Spirit. God knows it all - our thoughts, emotions, intentions, and certainly our sinfulness. Our faith...