The prophet Habakkuk lived around 600 BC during a time of great trouble for the nation of Judah. The Assyrian empire had already captured the northern kingdom of Israel, and now the Babylonian empire was rising to power and threatening Judah. Habakkuk cried out to God about the violence and injustice he saw all around him. In chapter 3, after lamenting the state of his nation, Habakkuk remembers the mighty works God did for Israel in the past. He reflects on how God delivered His people from Egypt and guided them through the wilderness. This causes Habakkuk to find hope…
Author: Kerry Baysinger
The Infinite Way is a spiritual teaching founded by Joel S. Goldsmith in the mid-20th century. It emphasizes direct mystical union with God through contemplation and inner stillness rather than ritual or ceremony. The core of The Infinite Way is that God, or Infinite Being, is the only reality – and by turning within to experience this truth, one can align themselves with the peaceful and loving nature of Being. Origins and History Joel S. Goldsmith (1892-1964) was an American spiritual teacher and author who founded The Infinite Way movement. Born to a Jewish family in New York, he had…
Bloodguilt is a biblical concept that refers to being culpable or responsible for unjust bloodshed. It is mentioned several times in the Bible, including in Joel 3:21 which says, “I will avenge their blood, blood I have not avenged, for the Lord dwells in Zion.” Here, God is speaking about avenging the bloodguilt of crimes committed against His people. In the Old Testament, bloodguilt was associated with murder and manslaughter. When an innocent person was unjustly killed, their blood “cried out” for justice and vengeance (Genesis 4:10). The person who spilled the innocent blood was said to be guilty of…
The phrase “pisseth against the wall” appears a few times in the King James Version of the Bible. It is an outdated and vulgar phrase that refers to male urination. Here is an overview of where this phrase shows up in the Bible and what it means in each context: 1 Samuel 25:22 So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. In this verse, David is angry with Nabal for refusing to give provisions to David’s men. David…
Bearing fruit as a Christian is vitally important, but it can often feel challenging to live a fruitful life. When we look to the Bible, we find that the key to bearing fruit ultimately comes down to our connection and obedience to Jesus Christ. In John 15:5, Jesus declares, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” This verse makes it clear – remaining connected to Jesus is essential for bearing fruit. As branches connected to the…
The issue of homosexuality and same-sex relationships is a complex and sensitive one that raises many questions for Christians today. One such question is whether it is biblically permissible for a pastor to be openly gay or in a same-sex relationship. This 9,000 word article will examine what the Bible says about homosexuality and consider various interpretive viewpoints on this topic in order to shed light on this question. The biblical basis against homosexual behavior There are several passages in both the Old and New Testaments that directly address and condemn homosexual behavior between men and between women: The story…
The verse 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” This verse comes in the context of the apostle Paul discussing a “thorn in his flesh” that he pleaded with God to remove. God’s response was that His grace was enough and that His power is perfected in weakness. This powerful verse teaches some key truths about how God works in and through our weaknesses: 1.…
Gehenna is a Greek word that appears several times in the New Testament as a translation of the Hebrew term Ge Hinnom, referring to the valley of Hinnom located just outside the walls of Jerusalem. This valley was infamous as a place where some of the evil kings of Judah engaged in idolatrous practices, including human sacrifice by fire (2 Chronicles 28:3, 33:6). By New Testament times, the valley of Hinnom had become a garbage dump where refuse was burned. The word Gehenna is used metaphorically in the New Testament as a picture of the final place of punishment for…
The verse in Joel 2:25 refers to God’s promise to restore what was lost or destroyed by locust plagues in ancient Israel. Locusts were a common problem in ancient times, capable of completely devastating crops and bringing famine. This verse comes in the context of Joel telling the people of Israel to repent and return to God so that He would restore the years of crops that were eaten by swarms of locusts. This verse points to some key truths about how God restores: God is able to redeem lost time and restore lost blessings The locust plagues served as…
The Bible teaches that followers of Jesus Christ are citizens of heaven. Though we live on earth now, our true home and citizenship is in heaven with God. This spiritual reality has profound implications for how we should live and view our time on earth. The concept of heavenly citizenship originates in Philippians 3:20, where Paul says “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Greek word for citizenship here refers to a colony of foreigners living in a city. Just as the Philippians were a Roman colony living in a…