The winter celebration of the birth of Christ dates first appears on a Roman calendar in 336 AD, centuries after the event took place. Scholars believe that there may have been an attempt to co-opt an existing pagan festival that marked the coming of the light after the shortest day of the year. Clues in […]
Advent is a time to reflect upon the birth of Jesus more than 2,000 years ago and to prepare for his return. It commemorates the eagerly anticipated arrival of a Messiah promised by God to Abraham, Moses and prophets of Israel for millennia. But it is also a time for Christians on the other side […]
Many who put their faith in science and history believe that Christians have a non-scientific worldview. However, Christians also believe in science but they realize that science is not infallible. Men of science make mistakes, reports of scientific discoveries may be distorted to affirm a point of view in opposition to biblical understanding. However, true […]
When a person decides to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ he or she receives the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is a new life that one finds only in Jesus. In other words, a person is ‘born again’ and becomes a new creation in Christ. The Bible clearly states in Galatians […]
Jesus said: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” When taken out of context, this answer that Jesus gave to a Canaanite woman makes it appear that the mission of Jesus was to the Jews alone. When read in the context of the story related by both Matthew and Mark, the opposite […]
Have you ever wondered where God lives? It’s a big question, and the answer is both simple and incredibly deep. The Bible tells a beautiful story of how God has always wanted to be close to people—from walking with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to living inside believers today through the Holy […]
When I read Matthew 5:7, I am perplexed. Jesus declares, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” I thought that the mercy that God showed to me was not dependent upon me being merciful to others. So I had to ask God to unpack this for me. Is this beatitude, nestled within […]
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” — Matthew 5:4 (NIV) At first glance, Jesus’ second beatitude seems like a contradiction. How can mourning—grief, sorrow, lament—be a blessing? In a world that avoids pain and idolizes happiness, Jesus’ words are radically countercultural. Yet within this paradox lies one of the most profound […]
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” — Matthew 5:3 To be poor in spirit is not about financial poverty or low self-esteem. It’s a spiritual posture—an honest recognition of our deep need for God. The Greek word used for “poor” here, ptōchos, refers to absolute destitution. Jesus is […]
The name “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for “fiftieth,” and that’s the term used in the New Testament to describe the day when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples in Acts 2. The disciples of Jesus were in Jerusalem to celebrate the Jewish festival, Shavuot, marking the wheat harvest and the offering of […]
