Is the Shroud of Turin the actual burial cloth of Jesus Christ, or is it an elaborate medieval forgery? Bible teacher and pastor Joseph Z blends historical context, scientific scrutiny, theological perspectives, and the latest research findings to provide a well-rounded examination of the Shroud ..read more

The words “swaddling clothes” are from a Greek word that describes the bandages or strips of material used for wrapping infants. But the original word was also used to depict wrapping the little legs of newborn lambs, and as such, these strips of cloth would have been available in the cave where Jesus was born. Caves of that kind were the primary barns and stables of Bethlehem — even the caves in the countryside were used by shepherds as a shelter for themselves and their flocks. So having such materials on hand would have been expected in those particular caves. In typical caves near Bethleh ..read more

There’s a part of the Christmas story that’s been forgotten. Eric Metaxas, talk-show host and bestselling author, interviews Rick Renner, exploring the deeper history of the Christmas story ..read more

Many paintings, Christmas cards, and other illustrations incorrectly give the image of Magi presenting Jesus with three small boxes of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But this image simply falls short of reality. When the Magi came, they arrived with a whole caravan that transported precious cargo filled with unimaginable and inestimably valuable treasures that had been thoughtfully and painstakingly prepared as gifts for the greatest king ever born. As we already saw, this elite group was accompanied by bodyguards and a real army to protect them and the treasures they carried. If we were able ..read more

When Herod heard Magi were approaching Jerusalem, Matthew’s account tells us that it threw him into a state of panic and frenzy. While I go into more detail with Herod in my book, Christmas—The Rest of the Story, suffice to say that Herod never forgot an earlier rendezvous with the Magi in 39 BC when they supported an uprising to depose him, and he surely must have wondered, Why are Magi coming to Jerusalem? What is their agenda? What will they do to me when they get here? Making this even more fearful for Herod was the fact that as the Magi entered the city, they could be heard announcing th ..read more

An early Christian document tells us that Joachim and Anna (Mary’s parents), originally from Jerusalem, were wealthy and used their resources for the work of God. Some say Joachim was a “scroll scholar,” or what we today might call “a man of the Word,” and that his life was centered in the Scriptures. As a side note, another early tradition and subsequent archeological research have shown that Mary’s grandparents on her mother’s side lived in a house in Jerusalem that was located just behind the north wall of the Temple, only a short distance from the entrance to the Pool of Bethesda. This co ..read more

Before I was ever saved, I had a relative who loved Jesus and taught me the significance of the protection of His Blood. I learned that by pleading the Blood over myself, the Lord would keep me safe. Throughout grade school and junior high, whenever I felt in danger, I would plead the Blood of Jesus as my protection. Although I had little understanding of what I was really doing, I knew the Blood of Jesus could and would protect me if I asked. When I would plead the Blood, I was applying its protecting and life-giving power over myself. It didn’t work according to the level of my understandin ..read more

The God who answers and approves by sending fire is clearly understood in the examples we have seen throughout Scripture. It is also one of the reasons the prophetic pattern of the Blood, water, and Spirit is shown throughout Scripture. It is to not only show what is available in the life of every believer but why certain things happened to Jesus on the cross. It was not only to fulfill God’s redemptive plan, but to establish the Lord’s pattern in our lives. Yet even more powerfully, it shows prophetically why God would send fire and pour out His Spirit on Pentecost. This was all to reveal th ..read more

If we are to operate in resurrection power from the Courts of Heaven, we must understand the legal relevance of Jesus’ activities on our behalf. This includes His death, His burial, His resurrection, and His ascension. We must know how to take what He has legally done and present it as evidence in the Court of Heaven that it might speak for us. One of the greatest joys of my heart is presenting evidence in the Courts of Heaven based on Jesus’ atoning work. All that was done in regard to these things was legal in nature. Through His death He legally judged sin, sickness, poverty, disease, and ..read more

Passover was the first of the three feast seasons in Jewish culture. The Passover was to be a memorial to the Hebrews’ deliverance from Egypt. This deliverance happened during the month of Nisan and represented God’s first encounter with His covenant people. (Exod. 12:1-14; 43-48.) You recall that God chose Moses as His instrument to lead the Hebrews out of bondage. Working through Moses, God sent ten terrible plagues against Egypt. This was God’s way of convincing Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go. But each time God sent a new plague, Pharaoh’s heart hardened (Exod. 3-10). God gave Pharaoh every ..read more