What is the gospel of Jesus Christ? Whenever I ask this question I get numerous responses. Some say to preach the gospel is to proclaim the word of God found in the Holy Scriptures. Others say that the gospel is the message that Christ gives us power to overcome our sins. More refined theologians might … [Read more…]
James 2:26 is one of the most misunderstood texts in the bible, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also” (NKJV). This verse is often a reminder of the fear that permeates many of the professed Christian churches. I have heard many sincere ministers counsel their church … [Read more…]
Richard Dawkins, one of the most famous atheists of the 21st Century, is noted for asking the age-old question: If God created the Universe then who created God? He then goes on to state that if it is illogical for the building blocks of the universe to “pop” into existence then it is even more … [Read more…]
Religion is not a game. God is real. Everything that we do in our lifetime has real consequences. Some may think that they are getting away with bad behavior, but every person who lives will be judged by God and held accountable for their actions. Right now, God might seem like an illusion. Religion might … [Read more…]
“All I can say in this affair is that, however mysterious the leadings of Providence are, I have no doubt but they are superintended by an infinitely wise God.” ~William Carey One of the main objections to Christianity is the question of evil and suffering. If God is all powerful and good, then why does … [Read more…]
God will never tell us anything that is contrary to the plain teachings of the Holy Scriptures. The more we learn of the Bible the easier it is to discern the voice of God in our daily walk with Him. Most of the time He is simply reminding of us what He has already said … [Read more…]
For Bible study I am reading commentaries on the book of Revelation. During these studies I see that there are many ways to approach the book in light of its linguistic, grammatical, historical, and spiritual contexts. Not everyone agrees on times, dates, symbols, or events. It almost seems that the book was written for ancient … [Read more…]
I may be the only one that I know who was made fun of for being “too religious” at a private Christian boarding school. I would sit in the common area of the dormitory, read my Bible or another piece of religious literature, and organize prayer meetings and bible studies. I didn’t have many friends … [Read more…]
Jesus is our only hope of salvation. But we miss out on many blessings he offers us if we are not attempting to be more obedient to his laws. Legalism is putting our self-righteousness before the righteousness of Jesus Christ for salvation, but being a mature Christian means that we are willing to conform to … [Read more…]
When it comes to the Christian faith there is nothing new to be learned about Bible doctrine that hasn’t already been discovered. The goal of reading the Bible is not to unearth something new, but to gain a deeper understanding of what is true. The truth of the Gospel is a straight and narrow path. … [Read more…]
Tonight, I was feeling burnt out on ministering to others by sharing the word of God. I was thinking that I was either preaching to the choir or pushing people away. I know these thoughts are not of God, and I asked God for some motivation. Then the thought came to me that ministry is … [Read more…]
One of the most difficult things to accomplish is to bring theology out of the realm of ideas and infuse the truth about God into the practicality of everyday life. It is easy to read the Bible texts about how God interacted with the ancient world of the Israelites. But few people ever stop to … [Read more…]
In the Book of Genesis, Moses tells the story of Cain and Abel who were brothers born to Adam and Eve after sin entered the world. One day Cain and Abel brought an offering of sacrifice before the Lord. Cain offered fruit from the field while Abel sacrificed one of the sheep from his flock. … [Read more…]
There is a book sold in book stores around the world called, “The Bible Code” where the author claims that there are secret messages encoded in the Hebrew Torah. Unlocking the “Bible Code” requires computer software that scans for keywords found in specific mathematical skip patterns. This is a case of people going to extremes … [Read more…]
Have you ever wondered why the disciples of Jesus were enthusiastic about quitting their jobs to follow Jesus? Honestly, they had no idea what they were getting themselves into at first. They thought that they had been called upon to start a political campaign for world domination. This is exactly why they closed down their … [Read more…]
The first verse of the Bible reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, NIV). If God did not create the universe then there is no point to reading the rest of the Bible. However, if God created everything that exists then human beings have a responsibility to read the … [Read more…]
There is simply no excuse for people living in the United States of America to be ignorant of the word of God. There is at least one Christian church in every town, and anyone can find a Bible in a library or bookstore. Turn on the radio and you can tune into a Christian radio … [Read more…]
“The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry.” ~ Psalms 34:15 Have you ever wondered where God is on days when it seems everything is going wrong? I know that there are some days when it seems that God is ignoring us or that He has … [Read more…]
When it comes to spiritual warfare, most people either ignore the devil or focus on him. The only way to fight the devil is to focus on the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Evil spirits exist and their main objective is to destroy our faith in Jesus. They don’t worry much about the … [Read more…]
I have learned over the years that most Christians use the same words to explain biblical doctrines: Salvation, Grace, Faith, Obedience, etc. The problem is that many have attached different meanings to the words they use to describe Christian beliefs. Different word definitions often leads to confusion for new believers who are interested in learning … [Read more…]
One of my favorite authors, Ellen G. White, wrote a single sentence that encapsulates most everything there is to know about the act of praying to the God of heaven. She wrote: “Prayer is the secret of spiritual power.” She also wrote in Steps to Christ, a 126 page book that ranks in the top … [Read more…]
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” ~ Psalms 1:2 The King James Study Bible (1988) contains a statement in the beginning section, “How to Study the Bible”, that contains valuable insight into the best way to study the Holy Scriptures: “A … [Read more…]
The first sentence of the first book of the Holy Scripture reveals the origins of the universe, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Moses penned these words as the Spirit of God –the same spirit that “moved upon the face of the waters”—directed his attention to the day God … [Read more…]
If anyone had a reason to lose faith in God it was Daniel. King Nebuchadnezzar invaded his country and stole him away from his family and friends. He was taken as a royal captive and forced to live in Babylon. He was given a new identity and made to serve the Kingdom that destroyed his … [Read more…]
I don’t know where many television evangelists get the message that we can have the assurance of health and wealth by believing in Jesus. This can be misleading to new Christians who expect that Jesus will take away all their troubles if they have enough faith. Jesus said plainly, “If the world hates you, keep … [Read more…]