There are several times Jesus predicts His death and resurrection in the Gospels. Why is it important to our faith that He did? Christ died and rose again for this very purpose—to be Lord both of the living and of the dead. (Romans 14:9) Followers of Christ proclaim that He is the Divine Lord and that He was raised from the dead (Romans 10:9). It is the revelation and acceptance of these two basic facts that form the cornerstone of faith in Christ. It is out of these two acknowledgements that all our understanding of our faith comes forth. That Jesus Christ, the God-Man entered history and was ..read more

As professing Christ followers, we must be willing to examine ourselves for the signs of a lukewarm Christian. Eternity hangs in the balance. “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also ..read more

Do you ever struggle wrestling with the guilt of your sins after repenting of them? Here is some help with how to feel forgiven by God. Where is another God like you, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of his special people? You will not stay angry with your people forever, because you delight in showing unfailing love. Once again you will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean! (Micah 7:18-19) That moment when you make the decision to turn your life over to Christ is amazing for most people. When Chr ..read more

When considering the trap of religion over relationship, that includes any religion. Our true foundation is a relationship with the crucified one, Jesus Christ. One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is ..read more

The reason why Satan wants to tempt us may not be the reason you are thinking; the consequences may be unimaginably worse. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. (2 Peter 2:20-21) The Bible gives many names to Satan. One designation the Bible gives to Satan is the tempter. Enticing disobedience to God is o ..read more

The Great Flood is a well-known account in the Bible. Here are 3 hidden details in the flood of Noah you may have never heard. When everything was ready, the Lord said to Noah, “Go into the boat with all your family, for among all the people of the earth, I can see that you alone are righteous. Take with you seven pairs—male and female—of each animal I have approved for eating and for sacrifice, and take one pair of each of the others. Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird. There must be a male and a female in each pair to ensure that all life will survive on the earth after the flood. S ..read more

Why was Jesus born as a human? Why did He have to put on human flesh? Because God’s plan for the world required it. Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. (Hebrews 2:14-15) A lot of focus during the Christmas season is put on the baby Jesus, laying in a manager. As well it should, because this is the time we celeb ..read more

When Jesus invites us to come and see, His invitation is undergirded by faith, but it also hints at something else. What else is He asking us? The following day John was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him ..read more

Sacrifice in Christianity goes beyond simply doing what we ought. It is giving God what He is rightfully owed. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. (Ephesians 5:2) When we talk about the idea of sacrifice in Christianity, we are talking about a central tenet to our entire faith. After all, our reconciliation with God is only made possible through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. But what about our sacrifice? What is it that God expects or requires from us in the area of sacrifice? What doe ..read more

I try my best to live a life praising God even throughout what is presumed to be the bad things in life; praising God in the storm. Let me tell you why. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) I read a simple little book called Prison to Praise by Merlin Car ..read more