For many people the Bible resembles a jig saw puzzle, the scattered pieces of which do not immediately suggest a single coherent picture. When a sufficient number of pieces have been fitted together the “big picture” begins to emerge. The purpose of this website is to assist you with that process and enable you to see, through the maze of sub-plots, how the Bible functions as a single book. It reveals who God is and how he has guided the journey to its appointed destination.
The Message of the Old Testament
The Old Testament, written and compiled over the course of many centuries and by a widely differing authors, consists of many literary genres including narrative, history, law, prophecy, poetry and wisdom literature. It contains many accounts of human failure, judgement and redemption, both in terms of individuals and nations, especially Israel. It contains God’s plan to restore the whole creation through the promised Messiah and describes how his line of descent was preserved through succeeding generations. Over and above all of this it is a revelation of who God is, a corrective to the God of our desires and imaginations, the God who is actually there. [Click to start this series]
Genesis
Genesis contains the essential information for making sense of the rest of the Bible and also for understanding the condition of the world in which we live. It portrays the perfect creation that has been corrupted and explains how the promised seed (Messiah) was produced and then propagated through a specially chosen couple and their descendants. This series unpacks the story of that family and also explains how God’s interactions with them set the scene for what is to follow and traces the downstream effects in the rest of the Bible and beyond. [Click to start this series]
The Exodus
Exodus continues the "Big Story" - Creation to New Creation. There has been an apparent hiatus after the dramatic events recorded in in the latter part of Genesis. Around 400 years have elapsed but from God's point of view everything is on track. Exodus begins with the words, "And these are the names of the sons of Israel", linking directly to the final part of Genesis, as if there has been no interlude at all. The story moves on to a new level - a nation rather than a family. a new revelation of who their God is, the fulfilment of His desire to be present among them, and the prospect of realising another aspect of the Covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. [Click to start this series]
From Old to New Covenant
In the previous series on Exodus we saw how God redeemed Israel from slavery and brought them to Himself at Mount Sinai. There He entered into a covenant relationship with them. This was a critical stage in His plan to restore His creation. They were free, but not with the perverse kind of freedom to which Adam aspired. The rest of the story describes what they did with that freedom and discovered what the LORD intended. [Click to start this series]
The Return of the King - Jesus in Luke's Gospel
The Hebrew prophets foretold the coming of the Messianic King. He would be the descendant of David, the promised seed of Abraham, who would restore the kingdom to Israel – a kingdom of freedom and peace and justice. Usually they saw it as a single event but sometimes there was an enigma – the glorious king was also the suffering servant, the humble king riding on a donkey. [Click to start this series]
Acts Chapters 1 - 15 : The Church on Fire
In the first verse Luke informed us that we have happened in on the second volume of his book; The first part described what Jesus began to do and teach ; the second part is, therefore, what He continued to do and teach. This naturally leads to the question, "In what way did He begin to do and teach?" [Click to start this series]
Romans Revisited
First of all let me explain the title - "Romans re-visited". Several years ago I was in process of teaching it when I came upon a tape by David Pawson giving an overview of the whole letter that changed my perspective. I had long known that God chose Israel and has purposes for them, as a people, to the end of time... [Click to start this series]
Revelation
Many people shy away from reading and studying Revelation. This is a pity. The opening statement declares that what follows is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to his servants”, and that “those who read, hear, and keep the words of this prophecy are blessed”, and. this is re–emphasised in the last chapter... [Click to start this series]
Israel, Church, Islam
Israel, Church, and Islam are sometimes characterised as the three great monotheistic, Abrahamic faiths, but that does not tell the whole story. Israel claims that God’s covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob remain valid and effective. The Church claims continuity with Israel, and that Christians have inherited her promises. This study series examines the overlapping, and frequently conflicting, worldviews of the three... [Click to start this series]
This website has been an eternal blessing to myself and to those with whom I have shared it.
The spirit in which it has presented the truth has been exceptionally lucid and understandable.