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…
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 Conditional Love of God
God is love. What churchgoer hasn't heard this declaration? The phrase comes from I John 4:16. But what exactly does this mean? There is much confusion in our modern society…
People From the Earth, For the Earth
Last week we turned page on 2022 and ushered in the new year. The new year can certainly be a time of hope. But it won't be long before folks…
Crossing the Jordan
Last week we saw how the nation of Israel faced a moment of great decision just before they crossed the Jordan River and entered the promised land. Moses implored the…
Let’s Choose Life and Prosperity
Just before entering the promised land, the children of Israel were encamped beyond the Jordan River in the land of Moab. God had brought Israel out of bitter slavery in…
One Who Shall Arise to Rule Over the Nations
I recently read an article by Russell Moore entitled "Christian Nationalism Cannot Save the World." In this article, Moore offers the following definition for Christian nationalism: "the use of Christian…
The Priests of Baal
Elijah is regarded as perhaps the greatest of all the prophets in ancient Israel. He prophesied during the reign of king Ahab. The Bible does not paint a flattering portrait…
The Net Zero Catastrophe
In the last several weeks, we've learned how fossil fuels have been an amazing blessing to humanity. The energy we derive from oil, coal and natural gas has allowed human…
The Powerless World
The human population of the planet earth is now approaching 8 billion. This is a remarkable fact because for many centuries the world's population barely grew at all. Scholars estimate…