Did You Ever Wonder...?
Christians from all theological traditions make at least a passing mention of Pentecost when it arrives during the liturgical year. Yet the small degree of attention Pentecost receives in comparison to Christmas and Easter indicates that most of us probably do not see Pentecost as very important. In truth, Pentecost, or the Feast of Weeks, was among the weightiest festivals of the old covenant. (read more)
Since the fall of man, the basis of salvation has always been the death of Christ. No one, either prior to the cross or since the cross, would ever be saved without that one pivotal event in the history of the world. Christ's death paid the penalty for past sins of Old Testament saints and future sins of New Testament saints. What has changed through the ages is the content of a believer's faith. God's requirement of what must be believed is based on the amount of revelation He has given mankind up to that time. (read more)
by Patrick Zukeran
The events of the gospels seem to correlate best with a Friday crucifixion. Only one passage talks about him being in the grave three days and three nights, Matthew 12:40. If not for this one passage, all scholars would agree on a Friday crucifixion. So we are really dealing with the question of one passage and how is that related in light of all the other passages? (read more)
During the lifetime of Jesus, the holy temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. The temple was the place where animal sacrifices were carried out and worship according to the Law of Moses was followed faithfully. Hebrews 9:1-9 tells us that in the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies—the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence—from the rest of the temple where men dwelt. This signified that man was separated from God by sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). Only the high priest was permitted to pass beyond this veil once each year (Exodus 30:10; Hebrews 9:7) to enter into God's presence for all of Israel and make atonement for their sins (Leviticus 16). (read more in English)
¿Cuál fue el significado de que el velo del templo se haya rasgado en dos cuando Jesús murió?
Qual a importância do véu do templo ter sido partido em dois quando Jesus morreu?
ماذا كانت دلالة تمزق حجاب الهيكل إلى نصفين عند موت المسيح على الصليب؟
Какое значение имел тот факт, что завеса храма разорвалась напополам, когда умер Иисус?
The word knowledge in the Bible denotes an understanding, a recognition, or an acknowledgment. To “know” something is to perceive it or to be aware of it. Many times in Scripture, knowledge carries the idea of a deeper appreciation of something or a relationship with someone. The Bible is clear that the knowledge of God is the most valuable knowledge a human being can possess. But it is also clear that simply being aware of God’s existence is not sufficient; the knowledge of God must encompass the deep appreciation for and relationship with Him. (read more)
At the heart of the Word of Faith movement is the belief in the "force of faith." It is believed words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God's sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to these laws. This is nothing short of idolatry, turning our faith—and by extension ourselves—into god. (read more)
In the prosperity gospel, also known as the “Word of Faith,” the believer is told to use God, whereas the truth of biblical Christianity is just the opposite—God uses the believer. Word of Faith or prosperity theology sees the Holy Spirit as a power to be put to use for whatever the believer wills. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a Person who enables the believer to do God's will. The prosperity gospel movement closely resembles some of the destructive greed sects that infiltrated the early church. Paul and the other apostles were not accommodating to or conciliatory with the false teachers who propagated such heresy. They identified them as dangerous false teachers and urged Christians to avoid them. (read more in English)
Español: ¿Qué dice la Biblia acerca del evangelio de la prosperidad?
Português: O que a Bíblia diz sobre o evangelho da prosperidade?
Arabic: ماذا يقول الكتاب المقدس بشأن إنجي ل الإزدهار؟
Italiano: Cosa insegna la Bibbia sul vangelo della prosperità?
Indonesia: Apa kata Alkitab mengenai injil kemakmuran?
Polski: Co Biblia mówi na temat ewangelii sukcesu?
Bulgarian: Какво казва Библията за евангелието на просперитета?
Magyar: Mit mond a Biblia a bővölködés evangéliumáról?
Srpski: Šta Biblija govori o evanđelju prosperiteta?
Slovenčina: Čo hovorí Biblia o evenjeliu prosperity?
Russian: Что говорит Библия о евангелии процветания?
Français: Que dit la Bible de l’évangile de la prospérité ?
Christians believe the Prophet about whom Moses prophesied was Jesus. Muslims believe Muhammad was the prophet. Who is right, Muslims or Christians? In some ways the answer is quite simple. (read more)
by Matt Slick
Sometimes people will say that Jesus can't be God because Jesus died and God cannot die. What they fail to understand is that Jesus has two natures: God and man. In theology we call this the hypostatic union. It is the teaching that in the one person of Christ are two distinct natures, the divine and human. (read more)
The answer may just surprise you. For many, Christmas is the time to think of Jesus Christ as a baby in a manger. While the birth of Christ is a special and miraculous event, it isn't the primary focus. The central truth of the Christmas story is this: the Child of Christmas is God. (read more)
Every year Christmas poses a question to the world—and to you this morning—namely, why did Jesus come? Or what is the meaning of Jesus Christ? Or, more personally, what difference should this man make in my life? In my marriage, in my work, in my leisure, in my thinking, in my emotions? (read more)
The Biblical Critique of Materialism
by Gary Delashmutt
Luke 12:16-19 could be considered a description of the American Dream! This man was evidently hard working and honest--there is no evidence that he broke the law, evading taxes, etc. He was a shrewd investor; he retired early, etc. Such people are regularly and highly commended by our society. They write best-selling books, give expensive seminars that are packed out, held up as models of what makes America great, get buildings named after them, etc.
Yet Jesus calls this man a "fool" (read 12:20a)!! What a shocking assessment! What could possibly possess Jesus to render such a severe verdict? (read more)
Many resist the notion that there is an absolute moral code that comes from a source higher than themselves. When considering the existence of moral truths, the questions are simple: “Does morality come from people or does morality come from God?” “Does our society shape our moral beliefs, or are they handed down to us from God?” If we, as people, are the source of moral truth then we can simply follow our own path. But if morality comes from a source greater than ourselves, we have an obligation to that source and we ought to at least make an effort to identify the source of all moral truth. (read more)
In his fascinating book, Josh McDowell Answers Five Tough Questions, this well-known apologist answers:
- Is the Bible completely reliable?
- What should I believe about evolution?
- Is Israel God's chosen people?
- Is the church necessary today?
- Are we living in the End Times?
People are asking these questions today. They were asking them centuries ago. They will ask them as long as human life endures on earth.
There is no shortage of answers. But the various answers conflict. They can't all be right, can they?
This book provides some answers. The answers come from the highest authority--the Bible. (read more)
Fulfilled Prophecy: Evidence for the Reliability of the Bible
by Dr. Hugh Ross
Unique among all books ever written, the Bible accurately foretells specific events--in detail--many years, sometimes centuries, before they occur. Approximately 2500 prophecies appear in the pages of the Bible, about 2000 of which already have been fulfilled to the letter—no errors.
(The remaining 500 or so reach into the future and may be seen unfolding as days go by.) Since the probability for any one of these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance averages less than one in ten (figured very conservatively) and since the prophecies are for the most part independent of one another, the odds for all these prophecies having been fulfilled by chance without error is less than one in 102000 (that is 1 with 2000 zeros written after it)! (read more)
The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church. These are those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal savior and have received eternal life. In the New Testament, Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). (read more)
Has history been wrong for 2000 years—was there a Mrs. Jesus Christ?
According to Harvard scholar Karen King, a tiny papyrus fragment, smaller than a business card, ignites the controversy about whether or not Jesus had a spouse. In the newly publicized fourth century fragment, Jesus supposedly refers to, “my wife.” Just below that phrase, the papyrus includes a second provocative clause that purportedly says, “she will be able to be my disciple.” (read more)
The idea of a second chance for salvation is appealing to many. Once a person dies, are there more chances? What about those who do not believe? Wouldn’t they repent and believe if they were given a second chance? Is the Bible clear in its teaching on this subject? (read more)
(In Portuguese: Haverá uma segunda chance de salvação após a morte?)
(In Spanish: ¿Habrá una segunda oportunidad para salvarse después de la muerte?)
(In Arabic: هل توجد فرصة ثانية للخلاص بعد الموت؟)
There are literally hundreds of promises in the Bible. How can we know which promises apply to us, which promises we can claim? To frame this question another way, how can one tell the difference between general promises and specific promises? (read more)
by John MacArthur
Occasionally someone will quote Isaiah 45:7 (KJV) and claim it proves God made evil as a part of His creation: "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things" (emphasis added).
But the New American Standard Bible gives the sense of Isaiah 45:6-7 more clearly: "There is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these." In other words, God devises calamity as a judgment for the wicked. But in no sense is He the author of evil. (read more)
This is a simple question and we are tempted to answer it simply by saying, "Why not? Why shouldn't God make people if He knows they are going to sin?" But, such an answer isn't very satisfying. We could always say we don't know why God would do this since He is infinite and we are not and His ways are not our ways. But this answer also leaves us a bit empty. So, let's see if we can answer the question by analogy. (read more)
by Heath Lambert
If we are to grow up in Christ in the context of our conversations, the apostle Paul commands two things about our words. First he makes a command about the content of our speech—it must be truthful. Second, he makes a command about the method of our speech—it must be loving. Everything we say needs to be both wise and loving. Our speech is to be full of gracious candor. (read more)
The Da Vinci Code claims that Christianity is not rooted in a unique, historical Jesus who claimed to be the Son of God, was born of a virgin, died, and was resurrected in three days. Instead, it says that early Christians borrowed these ideas from pagan mystery cults like Mithraism, and attributed these characteristics to the historical Jesus who never really said or did any of these things. Did Christianity borrow its history and theology from Mithraism or any other mystery religion? (read more)
The meaning of Numbers 23:19 could not be more clear: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” How then do we explain verses such as Genesis 6:6, “The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain”? Also, Jonah 3:10, which says, “When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened.” (read more)
¿Cambia Dios de parecer?
Apakah Allah mengubah pikiranNya?
神は心変わりしますか？
神后悔了么？
السؤال: هل يغير الله فكره؟
Est-ce que Dieu change ses plans ?
In his vision in Revelation 19:7-10, John saw and heard the heavenly multitudes praising God because the wedding feast of the Lamb—literally the "marriage supper"—was about to begin. The concept of the marriage supper is better understood in light of the wedding customs in the time of Christ. (read more)
In Genesis 11:8-9, Moses writes, “So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and they stopped building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of the whole earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
The confusion led to a scattering of the people over the “whole earth.” God did not allow human rebellion to reach the level that it had before the flood. God forced people to do what they refused to do voluntarily, namely, scatter over the face of the earth. (read more)
There’s no doubt that persecution is a stark reality of living the Christian life. The apostle Paul warned us that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). Jesus told us to expect persecution from the world because if they persecuted Him, they will persecute His followers also. (read more)
by John MacArthur
Sin is a very unpopular term in our society, very unpopular word in our culture, even in churches there is a rather careful effort to avoid the subject of sin, if possible. Sin is offensive. Today people don't want to acknowledge their sin. They want to avoid culpability any way they can, place blame beyond themselves, outside themselves. But the fact of the matter is, at the very heart and soul of the Gospel is the issue of sin. (Available in online, audio and PDF formats.) (read more)
by David O. Dykes
This sermon on "What Is God Really Like?" focuses on the story of the prodigal son and highlights what Jesus' story reveals about the character of God.
Some people think the most important question of life is “Do you believe in God?” But a more important question is “What kind of God do you believe in?” There is something worse than being an atheist - it is believing in God, but having an erroneous concept of Him. (read more)
The validity of Jesus' claims about Himself rests on the Resurrection -- whether He rose from the dead or stayed in the grave. The Resurrection sets Christianity apart. No other religious leader has broken the power of death and conquered sin. (read more)
The eminence of Jesus as a historical figure and the suffering and controversy associated with his death have stimulated us to investigate, in an interdisciplinary manner, the circumstances surrounding his crucifixion. Accordingly, it is our intent to present not a theological treatise but rather a medically and historically accurate account of the physical death of the one called Jesus Christ. (read more)
Many cultures throughout the world have long held to the concept of reincarnation. A recent Gallup Poll revealed that one in four Americans believed in reincarnation. Reincarnation literally means, “to come again in the flesh.” World religions author Geoffrey Parrinder defines reincarnation as, “the belief that the soul or some power passes after death into another body." (read more)
The choices in accounting for our universe boil down to three: Chance, multiple universes, or design. The evidences for the fine-tuning of the universe to permit life to exist on one medium-sized planet, third from the left, are mounting. Scientists are looking at the extreme rarity of life in our universe and asking, “why are we so lucky?” (read more)
The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make? (read more)
by Dr. Jason Lisle
Matthew was one of the twelve apostles. He also wrote the first book of the New Testament. In that book, he recorded that the birth of Jesus was accompanied by an extraordinary celestial event: a star led the magi (the “wise men”) to Jesus. This star “went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was” (Matthew 2:9). What was this star? And how did it lead the magi to the Lord? (read more)
Can he bring meaning to your life? “Why Jesus?” explains how Jesus answers the big questions of life: “Who am I?” “Why am I here?” and “Where am I going?” This article, from our affiliated website, www. Y-Jesus.com, examines the mystery of why Jesus came to earth and how it is possible for someone to enter into a personal, eternal relationship with him.
(read more in English)
(Chinese - 耶穌與我何干？)
(Dutch - Doet Jezus er vandaag de dag toe?)
(Hindi - क्यों यीशु? यीशु आज प्रासंगिक है?)
(Indonesian - Apakah Yesus masih relevan sekarang?)
(Italian - Gesu’ e` Attinente Alla Vita di Oggigiorno?)
(Japanese - イエス関連する今日ですか?)
(Spanish - ¿Es Jesús Relevante Hoy?)
(Swahili - Yesu ni Muhimu Leo?)
(Urdu - حضرت عیسی علیہ السلام متعلقہ آج ہے؟)
Albert Schweitzer, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1952 for his humanitarian efforts, had his own views about Jesus. Schweitzer concluded that insanity was behind Jesus’ claim to be God. In other words, Jesus was wrong about his claims but didn’t intentially lie. According to this theory, Jesus was deluded into actually believing he was the Messiah. (read more)
Otherwise why is the universe so big?
by Gary Bates
Many people, Christian or otherwise, struggle with the notion that the earth is the only inhabited planet in this enormous universe.
Those who believe life evolved on the earth usually see it as virtual ‘fact’ that life has evolved on countless other planets. Discovering life on other planets would in turn be seen as confirming their evolutionary belief. (read more)
In my experience, it is the most commonly asked question by honest skeptics: "If God is real, if God is personal, if God loves us, why does God allow evil?" A proper understanding of this issue not only provides great insight into the nature of God, it ties together a comprehensive understanding to some of life's ultimate questions: the answers to my origin, meaning, morality and destiny! (read more)
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