Category: THEOLOGY
Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
“My head’s kind of spinning,” my friend said as we turned to walk up the steps to yet another house in my neighborhood. We had just knocked on 5 or 6 doors hoping to engage people about their spiritual beliefs and experiences. This time out, we...
What is Truth?
Pilate, the first-century Roman governor in Judea, asked this question of Jesus in response to his affirmation that He was a king, ruling over a kingdom that is not of this world. “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into...
It’s About Christ
When the forlorn disciples met up with Jesus following His resurrection, it made the short trip from Jerusalem to Emmaus much more pleasant. Before revealing who He was and that indeed the Christ was alive from the dead, Jesus talked with them as a fellow pilgrim...
The Ultimate “No-win Situation”
The little house was hopelessly surrounded. Innumerable soldiers with unimaginably powerful weapons prevented any hope of successful resistance or escape. Their Commander stood confidently and patiently, waiting for the barricaded rebel to show his face. After many days, a small, unarmed man strode out of the...
The Worth of Warnings (Part 2)
In Part 1 of this article we discussed the value and purpose of biblical warnings to believers—warnings about making salvation certain. Now I want to challenge you to consider four of these warnings and examine your own response to them. The Warning Not To Love the...
Unless You Believe: The Starting Place
I understand that doubts can be a problem. But in the passage below, Jesus says there is something we must believe if we expect forgiveness for our sins. Zoom in now and note carefully what Christ says about belief: And He was saying to them, “You...
When God Says, “However . . .
A curious event in Genesis 48 demonstrates how God’s work in us is never really over. Joseph was about 60 years old, and his father, Jacob, was dying. As was the custom, Jacob called for Joseph’s two sons so he could bestow the patriarchal blessing upon...
Who Is the Person of God-Pleasing Faith?
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1). Faith is also the means of gaining God’s approval, “for by it the men of old gained approval” (11:2). Furthermore, faith is the only means of gaining God’s...
What Does Luck Have to Do with It?
Joni Eareckson Tada is one of the most gracious and effective Christians in the world. She has lived with the results of a diving accident that broke her neck during her teen years. At 50 she continues to radiate Christ to a listening world. Joni is...
The Cross or Loss
The cross is the character of Christianity. As the self-appointed spokesman for Jesus’ handpicked coterie, Peter says the right thing at the right time: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” But Peter cannot leave good enough alone. As Jesus goes on to...