When We Understand The Text
In Acts 17, the Apostle Paul stood at the Areopagus (also known as Mars Hill), a place where many idols had been erected to many false gods. Among those idols was an altar “To the unknown god.” The Greeks wanted to make sure they had their bases covered, lest their be a god they …
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” What a great single-verse summary of the gospel! But even though this one verse stands true on its own, there is still a context that we must …
Today’s charismatic gatherings are not producing the kinds of miracles the apostles did. Instead of being obvious supernatural signs like we read about in the New Testament, their own teachers have to admit it’s mostly fake. “In the last twenty years, I have concluded: in manifestation meetings all over the world — and again, …
Hebrews 1:1-2 says, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.” That’s something to keep in mind …
There’s a word you won’t find in your Bible, yet you’ll find the subject all over your Bible: theology. What does theology mean? Augustine was perhaps the first to use the word, theologia in both Greek and Latin, which he defined as “reasoning or discussion concerning the Deity.” Now, people often say things like, …
The Shack, a novel by William Paul Young, has sold over 20 million copies and has been made into a feature film. It’s about a man whose daughter was murdered, leading him to ask why a loving God would allow such evil. He returns to the place where she died and meets God as …
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “It is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast.” All three of those things mentioned there — grace, salvation, and faith — are a gift from …
It’s often said that because Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, and Christianity share a common historical heritage in Abraham, then they all worship the same God, right? No, they don’t. While Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are all monotheistic. Mormonism is not. Mormons believe in many gods and that they will become gods themselves. They might worship …
Christian musicians are fond of saying things like, “Well, we’re not a Christian band. We’re Christians in a band,” and think they’re being profound. Front-man Jon Foreman was once asked, “Is Switchfoot a Christian band?” And he answered, “To be honest, this question grieves me because I feel that it misrepresents a much bigger …
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Aw, Jesus is such a polite guest, isn’t he? He stands at the door of our hearts if we’d just …
Jeremiah 29:11 reads, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, a plan to prosper and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.” What a beautiful promise from God’s Word, right? Slap it on a coffee cup and fill me up with some of that! …
Jesus never said anything condemning homosexuality, so that must mean it’s okay, right? Well, based on that argument, you could also say that Jesus never condoned it either, so that must mean it’s wrong. There are actually a lot of things Jesus didn’t say. (He also didn’t say pedophilia is wrong, but surely you …