We live in a cultural time when being "educated" is synonymous with being agnostic, a time when people promote prejudice and bias about things of which they have no real experience. My favorite definition of cultural anthropology was penned...
“Speaking in tongues is demonic.” “Speaking in tongues is the evidence of Spirit baptism.” “The gift of prophecy ceased in the life of the church with the death of the last foundational apostle.” “God wants all Christians to walk in the ...
In part one of this study, we began to look at the subject of Israel as a biblical theology theme. We began looking at five truths from Romans 11:25-29 that provide a basic outline of a theology of Israel. The first two points previously ex...
Historically, the evangelical tradition has been very supportive of Israel. Yet with the growing resurgence of supersessionism (replacement theology) eroding this support, as well as the alarming increase of global anti-Semitism, it is impe...
Many Christians begin their life in Jesus Christ somewhat ignorant of the idea of spiritual battle. They find it easy to ignore what the Bible teaches - that is, that there are spiritual beings of intelligence and power that seek to defeat ...
Does Hell Really Exist? Many people blatantly deny the existence of hell. I could easily fill pages of quotes from people known and unknown who adamantly reject that there is such a place as hell. Yet that there is a place was clearly tau...
We aren't sure exactly who wrote the book of Hebrews. Some say it was Paul the apostle, but that is doubtful. Others say Barnabas—or because of the writing style, perhaps it was Luke or even Apollos—but we don't know for sure. ...
It doesn’t take long for the average news reader perusing today’s articles to come across a shocking revelation: Scandals are all around us. Of course there are the expected political and financial scandals, but as of late, the sex scandals...
2017 is a special year, marking the 500 year anniversary of a world-changing event: the start of the Protestant Reformation. It’s really not fair to mark one point alone for this revolution of faith and practice in Europe and the world, bec...
On October 31,1517, the German monk, pastor and seminary professor, Martin Luther, published 95 complaints against the church practice of selling reductions to the penalty of sin. The iconic figure we cherish is of Luther nailing a paper wi...
Have you ever tried to explain something very carefully, only to have people take away every conclusion except the one you were trying to make? Anyone who has ever worked with kids will say yes and amen. Every few years someone seems to com...
What does it mean to be sanctified? According to Thayer's Greek Lexicon, the definition of sanctification is "consecration" and "purification." God’s children have been secured from the clutches of death to remain in His holy presence and r...
Most historians mark the start of the Protestant Reformation to the 1517 publication of Martin Luther’s list of 95 complaints against a practice known as selling indulgences. This year (2017) marks the 500th anniversary of that great event....
The great men of the Reformation – Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin, and those associated with them declared their beliefs in a series of “solas” (solae if you’re really into Latin). From Latin, sola means “alone” or “single.” We ...
"Strive together for the sake of the Gospel" (Philippians 1:27). "This is My command; Love each other" (John 15:17). God is love, but he doesn’t love everything. In fact, in Proverbs 6:16-19, King Solomon compiled a list of those things God...
“About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days...
A recent study says, “Fifty-four percent of kids think their parents check their devices too often...32% say they feel unimportant when their parents get distracted by their phones.”¹ I don’t want the conveniences of technology to overshado...
As we come to Good Friday, I thought it might be good to refresh our minds on what happened on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. Although many died by crucifixion under Roman rule, there was one whose death was unique. The death of Jesu...
When you think of a worship service, what sort of things come to your mind? Some think of music styles, choirs, lighting, formality, informality, and the list goes on and on. The diversity of approaches to a worship service are so sharp at ...
My belief in the rapture of the church is strengthened by an often overlooked, prophetic passage in the book of Leviticus. It is prophetic because it completely outlines and foreshadows the life, death, resurrection and Second Coming of Jes...
Imagine a holiday in which kids dress up, wander around the neighborhood in costumes, make joyous noise, and receive sweets from all over the place. No friends—I am not speaking of Halloween. Rather, I am referring to an actual biblical hol...
Eschatology: Noun / es-kə-ˈtä-lə-jē: A branch of theology concerned with the final events in the history of the world or of humankind. - Merriam-Webster Dictionary I recognize the look on the faces of some “Millennials” and “Gen-Xers” when ...
"…And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:3). In the last article, I spoke of how the Trinity makes the Christian view of God distinct and unique. The aim of this post is to explore the relations...
The Bible tells us that Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead on the Sunday after Passover. The risen Jesus met with and spoke with people for 40 days following that, including up to 500 people at a time (1 Corinthians 15:6). At the 40 day m...
We believe there is a plan and a destiny for every life, but that was true of Jesus in a way unlike anyone else. As Jesus taught, made disciples, healed, confronted corruption, and performed miracles, He lived a life like no other. Yet, the...
Strange and important events fill the pages of history and our individual life. Sometimes, we think about great events and wonder, “Did that have to happen?” Could the crime have been stopped? Could the accident been prevented? Could the go...
There is much debate about who Jesus is. Some believe he was a good man or a great prophet. Others claim he was an angel or a god among other created gods. Still others say he was a legend, liar, or lunatic. The Bible, however, tells us tha...
I watched a Christian being interviewed by a talk show host who is notorious for his antagonism toward those who believe in a biblical morality, especially in regard to homosexuality. At one point in the interview, the host very bluntly ask...
"Do you think finite sins deserve eternal punishment? How can that be fair?" It's a common question we may hear when we're seeking to understand or discuss the nature of God's wrath as it's described in the Bible. And on the surface, it pre...