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…
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…
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…
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…
Pulling Things Together
In evangelical circles, Ephesians 2:8-9 is perhaps the most frequently quoted text in the entire Bible: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves,…
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…
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…
The Riddles of the Torah
The Bible can be a puzzling book. The Torah - the first five books of the Old Testament - is the most archaic portion of the scriptures. According to tradition,…
Gentle Jesus, Meek & Mild
There is a widespread sentiment - both in our society & in some quarters of the church -that Christians ought to be "nice" people. And no doubt there is a…