Purchase and Promise
The death of Abraham's wife Sarah is recounted in Genesis 23. For many Bible readers, this is a very strange chapter of the Bible. Although the Lord had blessed him…
The Good News of God’s Judgment
If you were to ask most evangelical Christians to explain "the gospel" - the good news - the reply would no doubt be that we are offered forgiveness and reconciliation…
God’s Blessing
Among evangelical Christians, Abraham is quite possibly the most overlooked character in the Bible. He's certainly the most misunderstood. In my experience, not one in a thousand Christians can provide a coherent…
Musical Emergency
The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest has been held annually since 1982. According to the contest's website, this upside-down award goes to the author who pens the most "atrocious opening sentence to the…
The King of Israel & the Rescue of the World
Last week we learned that when the first Christians went out into the world to proclaim the message about Jesus, there was one thing above all else that they said:…
God Loves Religion
Some time ago, we began to examine the aphorism frequently heard in evangelical circles, "Christianity is not about religion, but about relationship." Religion and Relationship – Why Seek the Living…
Setting Things Right Again
Last week we saw how Jesus' visit to Jericho brought about an extraordinary result: Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector and a man of great wealth, dramatically amended his life. In…
The Heavens Declare the Glory of God
The 19th Psalm, attributed to King David, is one of the most well-known. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after…
Religion and Relationship
There is a very bizarre contemporary trend in some church circles to downplay the fact that Christianity is a religion. Specifically, it's become quite common to hear folks claim that…
The Tears of God
The book of John is partly constructed around a series of miraculous signs performed by Jesus. The apostle describes seven such signs prior to Jesus' death & resurrection. The number…