Party Poopers
In Matthew 22, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a monarch who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. In our last blog, we examined the nature of this…
The Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus often used parables to convey his message, some of which are quite disturbing. Once such parable is found in Matthew 22: "Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The…
Blessing and Obedience
Throughout the story of Abram/Abraham, God's promises are closely tied to Abraham's obedience & faithfulness. The account begins with Abram's obedience to the divine command: "Go from your country, your…
Faithful Abraham
Romans 3 & Galatians 2 are two main passages where the Apostle Paul discusses "justification by faith." Martin Luther famously made this doctrine central to his theology. But as this…
Bearing the Right Fruit
The theme of fruitfulness can be traced throughout the scriptures. In the last blog, we examined Isaiah 5, which contains the song of the vineyard. God the landowner lovingly cultivated…
The Vineyard
Isaiah chapter 5 contains a song about a landowner who made every effort to cultivate a flourishing vineyard: "My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug…
The Nature of Grace
Amazing Grace is almost certainly the most widely known Christian song of all time. This beloved hymn was written by John Newton, an English slaver trader who later became an…
Scripture Alone?
Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk who launched the Reformation by posting his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany (then part of the Holy…
Life Insurance
How can a Christian know that they'll be saved? On the day of God's final judgment, can we be certain that we shall be vindicated and welcomed into God's glorious…
Blessed Assurance
Frances "Fanny" Crosby was born in 1820 just north of New York City. She was blind for most or all of her life. Her blindness might have been congenital, or…