In Acts 20, Paul calls the Ephesian elders - the ministry leaders - for a final goodbye. If we were able to look around Miletus that day, we'd see men crying - sobbing uncontrollably. We'd see a group of men gathered around a solitary individual hugging and kissing...
A special shout out to ChurchMediaHQ and Luke Clayton for the work done to provide a refresh to the site at https://jmichaellester.com. Recently, three new resources were integrated into my blog site: Worldview with J. Michael Lester - a podcast that discusses where...
NOW AVAILABLE! Earlier this year, I released the rough draft for a writing project I was working on. Over a period of about two months, 500 words on average per post, you were able to read Victory: Hope for Struggling Overcomers. In a nutshell, here's the summary:...
John's gospel is the classic example of profundity wrapped in simplicity. In his opening chapter, John takes us all the way back to eternity past (In the beginning was the Word...), brings us to his present day (Behold, the Lamb of God...), and takes us to the future...
The story of Joseph from the book of Genesis has always gripped me. I've wondered as an older brother, how do I compare! I've tried to grasp the depth of hatred it would take for one sibling to sell another one, create a false narrative to explain his disappearance,...
The parables in the Bible have been both the source of great encouragement and instruction as well as prime examples of improper hermeneutics. As a Bible college student decades ago, I remember hearing, "Never build your major doctrines from parables," - but I confess...
If you've been out of school for any length of time, perhaps the mere mention of the word verb conjures up bad memories from an English class. Take hope - today's post doesn't require a re-immersion into high school grammar classes! Verbs are the action words of our...
Let me describe a situation for you to consider. A person moves to a seaside village in America during the Fall season. This person doesn't understand the language or the culture yet - they just want a better opportunity for their children. As they look outside the...
Perhaps you remember the first time you read the Bible in its entirety - or, perhaps you are still working on that goal. As a kid, the Bible intimidated me - it seemed so big, so long, too difficult for me to understand... After all, "only preachers could really...
Within the context of theological systems and hermeneutical approaches to the text of Scripture, two systems dominate the theological landscape today: Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology. Granted, these aren't the only two, but these two will always enter into a...
Meaning? Perhaps I am a little naive, but much of the Scriptures is fairly straightforward in understanding its meaning. "Thou shalt not kill" still means the same today as it did nearly 4000 years ago. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" is cut-and-dry. No amount of...
Peter at St. John Lateran Church (Rome) Sometimes I write from a perspective of having spent much time with a subject. In a recent post about Dispensationalism, I wrote in my comfort zone. After completing my terminal degree, I decided I wanted to write a book where I...
Study to shew thyself approved unto God... (2 Timothy 2:15) 2 Timothy 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Bible Study can be a complicated subject. There are so many different...
What does the text mean? In a recent post entitled Hermeneutics Matters I made a statement: "It [the context was a biblical passage] cannot mean what it never meant." Future generations cannot reinterpret and give the ancient text a contemporary meaning. That is a...
Have you ever been misunderstood? Have you ever had your words taken out of context? Have you ever had someone take your words and give them their meaning? If you have, you understand the frustration that can come with being presented inaccurately. Yet, I'm sad to...
In a previous post, I offered some working definitions of Dispensationalism as a system. I defined what it is as well as what it isn't. In this post, I want to provide a description, an illustration, of what Dispensationalism is. A House Law Have you ever noticed this...
I grew up reading Clarence Larkin's charts and C.I. Scofield's study notes. Many preacher's I knew introduced their text with the page numbers from the 1917 Scofield Reference Bible. I didn't know it at the time, but I was being exposed to a dispensational...
Studying the Bible is the task of a workman (2 Tim 2.15). Yet, one doesn't need a terminal degree in Biblical Exposition to be able to study the Bible personally. For those just starting out - or for those who need a reminder - here are three simple steps to jumpstart...
About 8 weeks ago, this book became available on Amazon's site. I wanted to take a moment to say a special thank you for each person who received either the digital or print edition. Today, nearly 500 copies have been distributed. For the reviews, for the kind...
A few weeks ago, many of you participated in a Facebook poll to help me choose a name. A special shout-out to Missionary Chris Reed who suggested the name Rightly Divided. This book is now available in the Kindle store as a free download until Monday as a way to say...
Recently, I posted about the inherent pitfalls and dangers that may accompany word studies. The dangers come when context is ignored, when a word is lifted from a text because “that’ll preach,” or when a dictionary is consulted and a definition is chosen that supports...
Isaiah 6.1, In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne... I am thankful for the love and grace of God. Yet, when the cherubim, seraphim, and angels all gather round the throne, this is not the virtue they extol. Rather, they...
OK, I admit it. I'm a lover of words. I actually enjoy studying the etymology of words and learning some of its history. I can be a "word nerd." Given that disposition, I enjoy word studies. Many times a good word study has shed light and provided a nuance that I had...
2 Timothy 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Bible Study can be a complicated subject. There are so many different methods that are promoted. Yet, my goal in this post is to keep...