Tag: JOHN D. BARRY

  • BEHIND THE SCENES

    Connect The TestamentsEsther 3:1-7:10; 3 John 1:1-4; Psalm 117:1-118:16 Sometimes life can look so bleak that it seems as if all hope is gone. This was the situation for Esther and Mordecai: “Letters were sent by couriers to all the provinces of the king to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both…

  • THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUTH

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 12:1-13:31; 2 John 1-6; Psalm 115:1-18 John the Evangelist’s letter to the “elect lady” presents a picture of joy and hope, as he “rejoiced greatly to find some of [her] children walking in truth, just as we were commanded by the father” (2 John 4). One word keeps reappearing in John’s letter,…

  • FROM CONCERN TO ACTION

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 9:1-10:27; 1 John 5:13-16; Psalm 111:1-112:10 When I approach God, I often try to persuade Him that I am worthy of something or that He should act on my behalf. But there is no reason God should act on our behalf—none is worthy of His intercession. When we pray, we often need…

  • POSITION, PRAYER, AND STRATEGY

    Connect The TestamentsNehemiah 1:1-3:32; 1 John 4:13-15; Psalm 108:1-13 Trying to make a difference in the world can be disheartening; it’s easy to feel like merely a drop in the bucket. When Nehemiah first heard about the suffering of His people, he could have been discouraged. When he learned that the returned exiles were “in…

  • THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY

    Connect The TestamentsEzra 7:1-8:36; 1 John 4:1-6; Psalm 107:1-22 The Bible is full of unexpected moments. Some events seem almost coincidental, where people are in the right place at the right time. This is exactly the case with Ezra. In ancient times, it was unusual for a king to honor a foreigner with a decree.…

  • LEARNING FROM ENEMIES

    Connect The TestamentsEzra 3:1-4:24; 1 John 3:11-18; Psalm 106:16-29 If a new venture is really worth pursuing, it will probably be opposed. Some people will refuse to get on board, and others will intentionally get in the way. While these people may be trying protect their own interests, it’s more likely that they don’t like…

  • ENCOURAGEMENT AND POSITIVITY

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 35:1-36:23; 1 John 2:28-3:4; Psalm 105:23-45 If we were to make encouragement one of our main strategies, we’d see positive results in most situations. If we made providing for others one of our goals, the world would be a kinder place. King Josiah epitomizes both of these attributes in 2 Chr…

  • LANGUAGE, LETTERS & LIES

    Reflections on 2 John What does God have in common with Romeo? When I first started dating my wife, I wanted to speak like Romeo, but without the tragedy part. What I didn’t realize is that the way we write and speak is already influenced by Shakespeare. Every language is a product of its great…

  • FOR IT IS BETTER

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 31:1-32:33; 1 John 2:15-17; Psalm 104:16-35 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it from you! For it is better for you that one of your limbs be destroyed than your whole body go into hell” (Matt 5:30). We might struggle to relate to this…

  • WHEN GOD DOESN’T ACT

    Connect The Testaments2 Chronicles 24:1-25:28; 1 John 1:5-10; Psalm 103:1-14 When Jehoram ascended to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and murdered all his brothers with the sword, and even some of the princes of Israel.… And he did evil in the sight of Yahweh. But Yahweh was not willing to destroy the…