As followers of Christ, many of us grapple with the balance between acknowledging our shortcomings and recognizing our identity as children of God. This post addresses a common issue: diminishing the power of the gospel in our lives by failing to embrace and practice who we are in the Lord Jesus. We will discuss five …
For Christians who are students of the Bible and disciplined about using Bible reference resources and reading books about the Bible, there are times authors and scholars will refer to non-biblical sources in their discussions. Three of the most common sources referenced are the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, and the Gnostic writings. Here I …
One of the most common objections to or misunderstandings about Christianity relates to the divinity of Jesus Christ. Many people fail to understand that Jesus’ claims in the Gospels to be divine, in fact, to be God incarnate, are the most powerful assertions in all of the Bible. The Bible, from Genesis through the Book …
Continue reading “Jesus as God in the Gospel of Mark – The Divinity of Jesus Chapter by Chapter”
In our politically charged culture, it is not unusual to hear the words sound bite, deep fake, fact check, misinformation, disinformation, or even fake news altogether. There is so much going on in our country and world, it is hard to follow up on everything we hear, even for those who are intentional about it. …
Even among Christians, there can be some confusion about where we will spend eternity. Virtually all Christians believe that immediately following death, we are escorted into heaven—there is clear New Testament evidence for this. The Apostle Paul says, “We…would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). …
Continue reading “Do Christians Go to Heaven When They Die? Yes…and No.”
Hurtful words, misunderstandings, injustices, and worse. These painful encounters can involve everyone from people we love dearly to complete strangers. Regardless, they all have the potential to wound our heart and mind, placing us in a position of anger, sorrow, and even extended periods of depression. Many of us get “stuck” here, unable to freely …
As I write this morning, I am looking out the window in front of my desk at the snow that is blanketing my neighborhood; it is a brisk fifteen degrees on this cold January Sunday morning…no one else in my home is stirring, all snuggled up toasty warm and soundly sleeping. The sky is slowly …
Continue reading “What Does it Really Mean to Be a Child of God?”
One night while doing mission work in Japan many years ago, I was enjoying the company of several Japanese friends. At one point I began trying to teach them some English tongue twisters: The big black bug bleeds black blood, Sally sells seashells by the seashore, and something as simple as saying “toy boat” five …
Continue reading “Is Your Eye a Window or a Mirror? Jesus and the Evil Eye”
We are all familiar with wedding ceremonies. This magical event brings loved ones together to witness an unparalleled expression of love and commitment—two people swearing to uphold a binding agreement never to be broken. The gravity of this agreement is so powerful that the very words are spoken publicly so that all in attendance become …
Continue reading “Covenant in the Bible – Understanding New Covenant Christianity”
Agape love means to intentionally choose to do what is in the best interest of another person whether we feel like it or not.
How to Practice Agape Love As followers of Jesus, it is important to understand that we experience and practice both concepts of love used in the New Testament—phileo, the more affectionate, familial kind of love, and agape, the love we have been discussing and is centered equally in the will and in the heart. As …
Continue reading “Part 2 – What Does “Love” in the Bible Really Mean?”
As Christians, we have been given the most amazing treasures imaginable: the love of God, forgiveness, reconciliation, redemption, and promises of glory. In all the other major Faiths of the world, people live with the tension of not knowing what their post death experience will be. Hindus and Buddhists live knowing they will be returning …
Continue reading “You Believe Correctly, but Are You Behaving Correctly?”
The New Testament is brimming with calls and commands for unity. In fact, it is difficult to find a value more highly prized. The unity that Jesus and the apostles call for is deeply rooted in the relationship between Jesus and his Father. The following verses illustrate the kind of unity modeled by the Lord …
Continue reading “Unity in the Body of Christ – A New Testament Survey”
The word was in the beginning with God…in fact, the Word was God. He became flesh in order to dwell among his own people, but his own people rejected him. Nevertheless, he chose to lay down his life for them; he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross. The Lord …
Continue reading “You Are Not Your Own – The Imagery of Slavery in the New Testament”
Though it may seem odd for us to consider, Jesus was once a little boy who had to be fed, changed, bathed, and educated, not only in the most practical ways, such as, reading and writing (in multiple languages), and learning mathematical skills necessary to becoming an accomplished carpenter, but he also had to learn …
Continue reading “Is “Believing” in Jesus Enough? – Understanding Discipleship”
This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: Hi there! I’m a bike messenger …