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…
Salvation and the Spirit
It's not at all unusual to hear Christians talk about the time when they were "saved" in the past tense. Perhaps this salvation event occurred when they were a child…
Standing Before the Pearly Gates
When people think about salvation, there are lots of ideas which fill their minds. In Revelation 21, John describes a vision of "the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down…
Abraham and the Apostles
Acts is one of the easiest books in the Bible to read. It has a fast-paced narrative filled with memorable scenes. One such scene is recorded in chapter 3. Peter…
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 Boast of the Jew
Perhaps no passage of scripture is more frequently quoted in evangelical circles than Ephesians 2:8-9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not…
Vindication of the Martyrs
The two witnesses of Revelation 11 represent God's holy people. They've been given the task of prophesying to the nations, warning them that God's righteous judgment will come upon everyone…
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…
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:…
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…