The Lion of Judah
The book of Genesis lays the foundations for the story of the Bible. It begins with the creation account whereby God brings the universe into being by the power of…
The Fruitless Fig Tree
Mark 11 contains an excellent example of a literary "sandwich." The meat of the sandwich is the so-called cleansing of the temple. Many Christians fail to grasp the importance of…
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…
Context Is Crucial
Every Bible reader acknowledges (at least in theory) that context is crucial for understanding the scriptures. If you want to make sure you've properly understood a verse, you need to…
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:…
The Myth of the Pharisees
Anyone with even a passing familiarity of the Bible has heard about the Pharisees. This group is mentioned dozens of times in the New Testament. They were often bitter opponents…
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…
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…
Stop Doing Wrong, Learn To Do Right!
In the last blog, we began exploring the theme of faith and works. We first asserted that in order for human beings to fulfill the image-bearing role God has given…
By Faith, Not By Works
Generations of evangelical Christians have been eagerly taught that their salvation is a gift from God. By placing their faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus upon the cross, they…