Online Bible Institute | Jeff | Activity

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:28:42 -0400

What a great post in regards to you becoming more faithful to recognizing the deity of Jesus as the Christ in the New Testament narrative. Having this understanding and the ability to articulate it is often times key when you speak to someone who thinks that Jesus is “just a historical figure” or they deny the deity of Jesus such as the…

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update
Reflection on Session 1: Divine Christ Session 1 of Divine Christ gave me a deeper understanding of the person and nature of Jesus Christ. The lesson challenged me to look […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:24:08 -0400

I just completed this course a few weeks ago. Get ready for an amazing ride! It has already strengthened my Biblical reading comprehension and word study. There is a complementary course by Dr. Mackie entitled, “Heaven and Earth” that I am taking now, they link so well together.

In reply to - Daniel posted an update “What ideas or images come to mind when you hear the words “heavens” or “earth”?”

To me, its the just the vastness of it all. Sometimes when I start a project, I see how far I have to go […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 11 continues the revealing of the Hebrew […]

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 12:20:09 -0400

Session 11 continues the revealing of the Hebrew Bible’s compilation as a Mosaic. Dr. Mackie describes the Hebrew Bible as a collection of scrolls that has been arranged into a mosaic or composite unity.

They are all connected to tell the whole story. No one part of a mosaic, or think of a handmade quilt, can stand on its own. It has to be a…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:54:26 -0400

One amazing thing about reading the four Gospels is that each time you read them, they will reveal something new and different as it pertains to your current spiritual growth and what you are experiencing personally in your life.

In reply to - Kemar posted an update

This module helped me appreciate the Gospels in a deeper way because I now see them not simply as four books about Jesus, but as unique theological biographies that reveal different […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:51:41 -0400

You are going to love this course. Each lesson builds on top of the previous one. The overall understanding of each book builds a solid framework to understanding the order, placement, of each book and it’s major themes.

In reply to - Depree posted an update

Reviewing the books of the Bible and reading a short synopsis of each book, has first humbled me. There’s so much I didn’t know! It has helped me realize that from Genesis to Revelation […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 10 begins to explain how the actual Hebrew […]

Tue, 29 Sep 2026 16:48:41 -0400

Session 10 begins to explain how the actual Hebrew Bible text was brought into something we recognize today.

Dr. Mackie guides us through the initial stages of development. The first stage where the Biblical events themselves. Things like the creation story, the fall, the flood, the Exodus, the calling of Abraham and so forth. Then came the…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:58:54 -0400

I believe that your statement that the Second Coming of Christ is a “central biblical teaching” is spot on. The Hebrew Bible tells the story of the anointed representative to come as well as the ultimate restoration of Israel and all things (from a Genesis 3:15 starting point). They are one and the same individual. The New Testament was…

In reply to - Ilrick posted an update Course: Christology Lesson 13 Lesson 13 emphasizes the biblical promise of Christ’s Second Coming and the hope it gives believers. Jesus clearly promised, “I will come again,” and […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:49:55 -0400

This sounds like an extraordinary course. I love apologetics. Studying the “historical” life of Jesus, that he actually was a real person in history is one of the first apologetics concepts that I had to discuss with a non-believer. If they just hold to the “fact” that Jesus the human person never actually existed, then they can more easily…

In reply to - Kemar posted an update

One of the ideas that stood out to me from this module is that studying the historical Jesus can actually deepen our appreciation of who Christ is. I was especially encouraged by the […]

Jeff posted an update: In this session, Dr, Mackie again builds upon the ideas […]

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:38:29 -0400

In this session, Dr, Mackie again builds upon the ideas of not importing our modern understanding of cosmology onto the Biblical texts.

He give two “revolutionary facts” in support of how he intends to wrap up how we should read the Hebrew Bible.

Revolutionary Fact #1- the Bible is an ancient text, but some people don’t treat it like it when…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:46:37 -0400

That was a great reflection. God is not limited in his ability to bring about his will even when we “scheme” to circumvent his timing. Abraham and Sarah are a perfect example. They used Hagar to “expedite” the promise of a son but God still provided in his timeline.

In reply to - Dominic Otieno posted an update

Session 21 of the course Jacob has reminded me that God’s purposes are often worked out through ordinary people, imperfect circumstances, and difficult seasons. I have learned […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:43:07 -0400

What awesome parallels there are in some of these stories. I wonder if Joseph thought that when the Israelites would finally leave Israel, at that time God would also renew Eden, and Joseph wanted his bones brought to that place?

In reply to - Roscoe posted an update

Session 28 really stands out to me because it shows that Joseph’s final words are not simply about his death, but about hope for the future. I was especially excited by the connection […]

Jeff posted an update: This was a very short session. It focused again on […]

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 12:38:41 -0400

This was a very short session. It focused again on the implications of us only importing our modern understanding of cosmology into the Bible. We are going to misunderstand what the biblical authors are trying to communicate.

Dr. Mackie uses 2 Corinthians 12:2-7 for this discussion. In the passage Paul the apostle says that he had a friend who…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:20:15 -0400

1 Corinthians 6:12 sums this up perfectly, “I have the right to do anything,” you say-but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”-but I will not be mastered by anything.

In reply to - Kemar posted an update

The module on freedom challenged me to think more deeply about what it means to be created in the image of God. I was reminded that freedom is not simply the ability to make our own […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:17:12 -0400

What a simplistic concept, but one so rarely and correctly performed on a regular basis by us. Jesus is the perfect and ultimate example of mercy. Of the many Christ like qualities we are commissioned to exemplify, this one is sometimes the most difficult.

In reply to - Misael Elias posted an update

Lesson 30: The Gift of Showing Mercy

Showing mercy is a divine commandment that must be carried out with cheerfulness and not with a gloomy attitude. While justice consists […]

Jeff posted an update: Some sessions with Dr. Mackies just blow my mind. I go […]

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 13:02:11 -0400

Some sessions with Dr. Mackies just blow my mind. I go back to a saying I use when something new is taught or revealed to me from the Bible. “The more I discover, the more I discover that there is more to discover”. This was one of those times.

The session is focused on Dr. Mackie showing us how the Biblical 3-tierd cosmology understood by the…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:48:58 -0400

There are interesting parallels when God says “I require mercy and not sacrifice”. I believe the Old Testament sacrificial system was to show the Israelites their inability to be holy on their own, that they needed a ultimate redeemer.

In reply to - Justin posted an update

In the book of Leviticus, we see more laws given to the people of Israel. This was done to show Israel how to live as a Holy nation. In this book we see laws concerning sacrifices all […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:45:23 -0400

Yes God has never been in favor of the halfway. In Revelation he admonishes the Church at Laodicea as being neither hot or old, but lukewarm.

In reply to - Justin posted an update

As Moses writes the book of Numbers, we get a detailed look into Israel’s journey in the wilderness. The lesson taught us that this story is a “type” of a defeated Christian. As we read […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 9 is Dr. Mackie unpacking what the Biblical […]

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:41:12 -0400

Session 9 is Dr. Mackie unpacking what the Biblical prophets say what the Hebrew Bible is. We have previously learned about the Biblical hyperlink from the end of the Torah, Deuteronomy 34, to the beginning of the book of Joshua were is says that Joshua meditated on the Torah to make him successful, then a future generation forgot what the…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:33:05 -0400

@jacobgilmore I agree. Try walking over to a neighbors house and sharing the Gospel. It doesn’t get more hostile than that.

In reply to - Jacob posted an update

This chapter opened my eyes up to just how much this modern society needs a revival. We are witnessing a worldwide backslide. We are experiencing things that the indiviuals in the […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:29:38 -0400

I loved this course. We are also given the same type of power that Jesus held, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We have Spiritual gifts and we are called to live out the fruits of the Spirit. These show todays modern world the same restorative and saving power that Christ had.

In reply to - Anthony posted an update

This chapter was a very short one but extremely powerful with touching on John 7:46, “Never a man spoke as He”. Focusing on the power of Jesus in all aspects from the time of His […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:27:06 -0400

This course, and this lesson, opened my eyes as to just how difficult it can be to pray for others. In that sense I mean to pray for corrupt world leaders, our religious and political enemies. Those around us on a day to day basis who are anti-Jesus. But we are called to pray for them.

In reply to - Jacob posted an update

This chapter opened my eyes up to just how much this modern society needs a revival. We are witnessing a worldwide backslide. We are experiencing things that the indiviuals in the […]

Jeff posted an update: This was a very interesting session as Dr. Mackie gives […]

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 23:24:22 -0400

This was a very interesting session as Dr. Mackie gives us three Old Testament (Hebrew Bible) verses that show us when the Bible itself actually says that it is to written down.

The first mention is Exodus 17:8-9, 14. After the story of Moses holding up his arms and staff to defeat the Amalikites, verse 14 says, “Then Yahweh said to Moses,…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:42:07 -0400

It looks like this lesson would be beneficial to everyone. I too, and just recently, at work had this conversation with someone at work. I did the same thing you mentioned. I tried to show the superior humanity towards slaves in the God fearing Biblical model, but to no avail, because “slavery is wrong and your God allowed it”. This will be…

In reply to - Don posted an update

Finishing Module 15 has totally changed the way I think about one of Scripture’s most difficult subjects. The instructor’s biblical slavery paradigm, rooted in salvation history and the […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:36:07 -0400

I just started this course and I am already finding myself pleasantly challenged. I love the way Dr. Mackie explains things while at the same time, interweaving the comments from the students into the teaching.

In reply to - Noel posted an update

This session examined relations among the six days of creation in Genesis 1. The instructor described the more commonly discussed parallels between Days 1-3 (ordering of skies, sky […]

Jeff posted an update: Dr. Mackie attempts to give us some understanding into […]

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 17:32:53 -0400

Dr. Mackie attempts to give us some understanding into how the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, came into being. He compares and contrasts the “God drops golden tablets” idea verses the “It was only written by human beings” idea.

The “golden tablets” idea is one of God as the only worker. He puts the author in a trance and compels their hands…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:43:20 -0400

Great synopsis of the lesson. All throughout the Old Testament we see God working through the lesser. Taking the weaker to conquer the greater. One such possible reason, besides God getting the glory, for Abraham to win the battle with and inferior sized army, was to protect Abraham from pride. Form Abraham thinking that his power and might…

In reply to - Jeff posted an update Less is more. Abraham had only 318 trained men, yet they defeated powerful kings and armies. This was not because Abraham had the biggest army, but because he trusted Yahweh. His small […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:38:34 -0400

Great parallels. Loud, long and energetic do not mean the same thing as honest and heartfelt. God even hears the unspoken grumblings of things we can not even express. Prayer is about connection to our loving Father, not a show to be seen and admired by others.

In reply to - Jacob posted an update

My main takeaway from this chapter was in the introduction. It is not how loud we pray or how energetic we are, but how sincere we are. We can be the loudest in the room, but not sincere […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 2 further unpacks our preconceived, 21st […]

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:35:36 -0400

Session 2 further unpacks our preconceived, 21st century technologically advanced perception of what the “heaven(s) and earth” are compared to the Biblical authors.

In the Hebrew Bible, “heavens” means the sky. This is a different concept than our modern conception of heaven. We, in our day and time, might as Dr. Mackie puts it,…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:35:46 -0400

This was a great course and a great lesson. Love is the premier fruit of the Spirit. I heard a quote once that said, “The Holy Spirit is given for power, the fruits of the Spirit are given for character”. So if we embody love, the foremost of the fruits of the Spirit, then we portray the character of God, love, for God is Love, to those around…

In reply to - Ade posted an update

This lesson focuses on the power of love. Love is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galations 5) and 1 Corinthians 13 is shown to be greater than tongues, knowledge, prophecy, […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:31:19 -0400

Dr. Heiser is amazing and has such a unique mind and mindset. From what I understand he is trying to say is that only we as a created creation in his image have the mental capacity to “imagine”. I can imagine what it would be like to win a million dollars in the lottery, an animal has no such imaginative capabilities. We can as created in…

In reply to - Jason posted an update

Session three of the Unseen Realm 101, talks about what I find most interesting. It is starting to take place, and my favorite subject is the Image of God, also referred to as: imago […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 6 continued to unlock the idea that the Hebrew […]

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:22:49 -0400

Session 6 continued to unlock the idea that the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) was the continuing story of the anointed one to come (the Christ) as well as what to do while they (the Jews) waited for him.

In the editorial design of the TaNaK, the first verses of Psalm 1 are similar to Joshua 1. “He delights in the Law of the Lord”. This…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:32:00 -0400

What a great course and lesson. Reading a verse in context is crucial for proper interpretation. I liked how you said to read the verse in relation of other similar verses. Proper hermeneutical reading of verses avoids the trap of imposing “what we want or need the verse to say” into the authors intended meaning. Scripture cannot contradict Scripture.

In reply to - Barbra posted an update CHAPTER FOURTEEN

VERSE STUDY

Verse study has been as interesting as the previous studies;book study, chapter study and paragraph study. But two things have stood out for me in this […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 5 continues with the theme of the messages that […]

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:27:52 -0400

Session 5 continues with the theme of the messages that are at the “seams” of the dead Sea Scrolls and the intentional ordering of the books of the TaNaK. The premise is that the ending of one book, leads to clues as to the beginning of the next one in sequence.

An example of this would be Deuteronomy chapter 34, the end of the Torah. Moses…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:11:33 -0400

The devil loves his footholds. He can only tempt us with what we show him. If we show him anger and rage as emotions we cannot control, he will use circumstances to illicit those emotions.

In reply to - Rebecca posted an update

Good Morning everyone,

As I reflect on today’s Bible verse of the day I am reminded of how important it is to take responsibility for our emotions. Instead of letting hurt turn into a […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:09:04 -0400

Great synopsis of the lesson. Joseph is a treasure trove of theology, foreshadowing and typography. I like how you blend the Garden of Eden restoration into the famine narrative.

In reply to - Roscoe posted an update

Session 2 really stands out to me because it helped me understand the Joseph story as part of a much larger pattern throughout the Bible. I was especially excited by the “symphony” […]

Jeff posted an update: What an outstanding session. So much revelation of […]

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 15:06:05 -0400

What an outstanding session. So much revelation of the order, shape and “textual hyperlinks” from one scroll to another.

The Dead Sea Scrolls preserve the “technology” of scroll making during the pre-Christian period, revealing what the Hebrew Bible would have looked like in the time of Jesus and the Apostles.

The Dead Sea Scrolls were…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:29:42 -0400

What a great mission we have in Christ! Total transformation for the glory of the one who transformed us. Reading your post convicts me on how much I have to work on on a daily basis.

In reply to - Misael Elias posted an update

Lesson 16:

The Living Epistles This lesson explores how the epistles bridge historical redemptive acts with daily Christian living by explaining the believer’s profound union […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:27:17 -0400

This sounds like an amazing course. I had read all of the apocryphal (or deuterocanonical) books. They are interesting in historical and theological accuracy, and in other cases, their inaccuracy. It will be interesting to hear what Dr. Halstead says about them.

In reply to - Jason posted an update Jewish and Greco-Roman Backgrounds of the NEw Testaments: Module 6: Storeis and Traditions, Part II, is a continuation of the apocryphal writings to help us inform our understanting […]

Jeff posted an update: Dr. Mackie stated the goal of the course "is to engage […]

Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:21:37 -0400

Dr. Mackie stated the goal of the course “is to engage the Bible’s first story in a way that honors our unique life experiences without simply imparting those experiences into the Biblical narrative.”

What a big goal! We all have an essential view of the universe-how it was formed and our place in it. And intentionally or unintentionally,our…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:27:45 -0400

Great synopsis of the lesson. I love your statement that God spoke of his plan of salvation one final time in his Son, Jesus. It reminds me of when Jesus is on the road to Emmaus with the two disciples after the crucifixion and resurrection (Luke 24:25-27, 44) and he takes them through all the previous plans spoken by God for the plan of…

In reply to - Misael Elias posted an update Lesson 15: God Speaks in His Son

God spoke a final, ultimate time in His Son, Jesus Christ. This incarnation was the method God chose to sum up and fulfill all that He had said in […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:21:25 -0400

Glad to see another early riser! 4 am for me. This was a great course for me. As you go through different courses, you can see the tie ins, or tie backs, to other courses. When you were speaking of things that can interfere with us hearing God’s voice, personal ongoing sins, it reminded me of another course called Environmental Analysis.…

In reply to - Roger posted an update

One of my favorite topics concerning GOD’S Word is what’s not contained within it and chapter 8 does a masterful job in determining some truths. Questions like, does it glorify God and […]

Jeff posted an update: Session 3 of Intro to the Hebrew Bible takes us from […]

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:14:18 -0400

Session 3 of Intro to the Hebrew Bible takes us from what Jesus and the Apostles believed the ancient writings were, to how they took shape and how we we them in the order they are in now.

We as modern day Christians call the Hebrew Bible the “Old Testament”. However that term was not used until around the 3rd century. Jesus and the Apostles…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:33:45 -0400

Obadiah is a very interesting short, prophetic book. As the book does not directly name Jesus, it does directly link the prophecy to the end times battles between Jesus and the surrounding nations of Israel. Obadiah verse 15 states “the Day of the Lord is near”. That is second coming of Yahweh language. Jesus’s triumphal return to judge…

In reply to - Terry posted an update

The Book of Obadiah points to Jesus Christ by showing us how God defends the humble, judges evil and establishes an everlasting global kingdom. While Obadiah, the shortest book in the […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:19:08 -0400

Great take away from the lesson. Several times in the New Testament Paul and Luke both say that believers are able to better understand the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 2:14-16 and Luke 24:45 are two good examples. John 16:13 is also a powerful verse in this as well.

In reply to - Shaojun posted an update

It is interesting that there is a prerequisite for understanding the Bible. And the prerequisite is to know God. It is true that without the Holy Spirit, learning the Bible is […]

Jeff posted an update: Mackie in session two takes us through some exercises […]

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 11:13:17 -0400

Mackie in session two takes us through some exercises that help us to see what Jesus and the Apostles thought the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament was, and how they read and understood it.

He looks at Luke 24:13-49, the famous road to Emmaus story were Jesus presents himself concealed to two apostles, shows them through the scriptures (Old…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:55:40 -0400

This was such a great course. It puts front and center that we are really in an unseen, spiritual battle. Knowing the enemies playbook is our best defense. Understanding how the enemy may attack us, through our own sin, through the sin of others, through physical injury or ailments, or through social or political avenues.

In reply to - James posted an update

In the course Strategies for Spiritual Warfare, I find it very important to understand the tactics the devil and our enemies are using against us. We must study Scripture to decern what […]

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:52:37 -0400

What a wonderful way to study the Bible. Types and shadows are becoming more and more evident each time I read through the Bible. Looking for typological similarities is stories of Biblical heros, or villains, does bring out new context and meaning.

In reply to - Jacob posted an update

using the typological method opens many interesting doors to study. We can study the likeness of some of the Old Testament characters to New Testament characters etc. We can study […]

Jeff posted an update: Mackie states that one of the goals of this class "is […]

Fri, 11 Sep 2026 23:50:05 -0400

Mackie states that one of the goals of this class “is to learn how to read the collection of narratives and poetry that make up the Hebrew Bible without imposing our agenda onto it. We will intend to understand what the authors intended to communicate.”

One of the first questions posed by Mackie was, “How to each of us come to the Old…

Jeff posted a new activity comment

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:43:04 -0400

Great synopsis of the lesson. Using typically unbiblical or worldly methods to hear God’s voice in our lives is often a slippery slope. I especially like your take on emulations, just because someone is doing something, however well, does not always mean that we should copy them and assume that the thing we are copying was what was intended for us.

In reply to - Roger posted an update “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”

I would imagine through course study that emulations would be in regards to […]

Jeff posted an update: This final lesson in the Art of Biblical Words intended […]

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 10:38:12 -0400

This final lesson in the Art of Biblical Words intended to bring all the pieces of the previous lessons together. To give a solid overall base on how to read, interpret and do biblical word studies.

Mackie reminds us that each Biblical author has a unique set of emphasis, style and ideas. Sometimes the same word, wherever you are reading it,…