Shortly before Jesus’ ascension, we read his powerful words to the disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in both Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This immediately conjures up images of …
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A Brief Cultural Survey
What’s the point in studying the Scriptures? Surely we can learn everything we need to know by simply reading our modern English translations of the text, right? Sure – as long as you are a first-century Palestinian Jew. But if not, we’ve got a ways to go before we can hope to understand even a …
Inconvenient Love
Happy Valentine’s Day! In honor of the special day, I thought we might take a brief look at the inconvenient love to which Jesus calls us (his followers), and of which He Himself demonstrated for us. In His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus tells His followers, “You have heard that it …
New/Renew
“Behold, I am making all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) Happy New Year! I love this time of year. It’s the one holiday that people all around the world seem to celebrate, regardless of culture, background or religion. Many take the opportunity to reflect on the previous year (or “put the last nail in the coffin” …
When God’s People Get ‘It’ Right
Israel’s history in the Old Testament is not particularly inspiring. In fact, it’s often quite depressing if we’re honest. Story after story recounts this people’s obstinacy and outright rebellion towards God, and it’s not difficult to draw the conclusion that God’s love for His people is seldom reciprocated. But that’s not the whole story (thankfully). …
Waiting with Hope
O come, O come Immanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in longing exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel has ransomed captive Israel. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.” (Is. 9:2) …
Gratitude and Contentment
We are members of a race that isn’t always described as being especially content or grateful. Many are caught up in the game of achievement and status while others seem to enjoy spending their time in jealous admiration of the first group. “It must be nice to have ______…” “If I had _______, life would …
How does faith work?
In a previous post we asked the question, what is faith? Feel free to go back and review that post in preparation this follow up question, how does faith work? We are aware of the significance of faith in the Scriptures. Habakkuk 2:4 contains a familiar passage, “The righteous will live by his faith.” So …
What is faith?
One of the most foundational terms in Christianity (and other world views for that matter), I am astounded with how often faith is referenced but neither defined nor taught about in modern times. Jesus and others spoke/taught about faith on a regular basis, but today we seem to assume everyone instinctively understands what faith is …
What are You doing Here, Elijah?
Elijah has long been one of my favorite figures in the Old Testament. As a prophet of God, Elijah was privileged to not only speak God’s truth to the Israelites, but also to bear witness to many astounding miracles. In what may be his “crowning moment,” Elijah arranged a showdown on Mount Carmel with 450 …
Just for a Closer Walk 