Answers to Common Questions About Angels
Are angels the spirits of departed humans? No. Scripture teaches that Christ Himself created all the angels (Colossians 1:16; see also John 1:3). One moment, they didn’t exist. The next moment they did. Humans and angels are seen to be distinct throughout Scripture. For example, Psalm 8:5 indicates that human beings were made lower than…
Christian Views of War – Part 2
Note: In Part 1, Dr. Rhodes explained three different views of war. They are: Activism, the view that citizens should participate in all wars in obedience to their government; Pacifism, the view that war and killing is always wrong; and Selectivism, the view that some wars are just, and others...
Christian Views of War – Part 1
At the time of this writing, Russia has invaded Ukraine, and there is now talk of World War 3. Current events have caused many Christians to seek a biblical understanding of war. As Christians give thoughtful consideration to this issue, they often come to different conclusions. Among the issues under...
In a Better Place
Last week two men in my circle died. The first was a 57-year-old husband and father of four. The other was a 71-year-old husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. I have no doubt that over the next few weeks the families of both men will comfort themselves and their loved ones...
ARTICLE SERIES
EASTER SERIES
By Contributing Authors
The Historical Basis for Jesus’ Death by Crucifixion
By Jeff Pallansch In recent years, doubt concerning the historicity of Jesus’ life and death has increased among the general populace. Let's look at the...
The Disciples Believed They Saw the Risen Jesus – Part 2
If you missed Part 1 of this article series, read it here. R.L. Wilson We began Part 1 by explaining the significance of the disciples’...
The Disciples Believed They Saw the Risen Jesus – Part 1
R.L. Wilson “When I was young, I was reading a book by C. S. Lewis, who wrote that the New Testament says nothing about the...
Who, Being in Very Nature God
Philippians 2:5-11 Reveals the Early Beliefs of the First Christians Dr. John Ankerberg with Dr. Gary Habermas Ed. Note: The following is excerpted from our...
The Swoon Theory: Could Jesus Have Survived the Cross?
By Jeff Pallansch While there is strong historical documentation that Jesus died by crucifixion, some still wonder if Jesus only appeared to die and all...
The Empty Tomb
By Pastor Carey Dean The grave still stands The empty tomb stands between Christ’s death and His resurrection. The vacated grave validates both the defeat...
Christmas Glory: Isaiah 9:6 and the Names of Jesus
By Contributing Authors
MIGHTY GOD
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called...
Father Forever
By Carey Dean All humanity enters this world as a son or daughter. The deepest part of our soul longs to know and be known...
Prince of Peace
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called...
Wonderful Counselor
Christmas is a season of awe. It’s a time when we celebrate God’s extravagant display of grace, humility, and wisdom that runs contrary to conventional...
The Christmas Story
Every year my parents would gather our family together, and each night for about a week we would quote, from memory, the Christmas story found...
Names of God Series
By R.L. Wilson
Yahweh Rohi – The Lord is My Shepherd
“The LORD is my shepherd [YHWH Ra’ah]. I lack nothing” (Psalm 23:1) Philip Keller gives us a beautiful description of what the shepherd means to...
Yahweh Mekoddeskim – The Lord Who Sanctifies You
Yahweh Mekoddeskim[1] – The Lord Who Sanctifies You “Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD [YHWH] your God [Elohim]. Keep my decrees...
Yahweh1 Tsidkenu – The Lord Our Righteousness
[1] See the companion article “Who is Jehovah?” for an explanation of why I will use Yahweh rather than Jehovah except in quoted material. This...
Yahweh Sabaoth– The Lord of Hosts
The name Yahweh Sabaoth first appears in 1 Samuel 1:3, where it is translated Lord Almighty. We are told that Elkanah, who would later give...
Yahweh1 Shalom – The Lord is Peace
As our story opens, Israel is not at peace. In fact, they are being so oppressed they are hiding in caves. Little wonder that our...
Yahweh Nissi1 – The Lord My Banner
R.L. Wilson Let’s put this in context. The Israelites has already experienced a miraculous escape through the Red Sea. They had already seen God turn...
Yahweh Rapha* – The Lord Who Heals You
“He said, ‘If you listen carefully to the LORD [YHWH] your God [Elohim] and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention...
Yahweh-Jireh – The God Who Sees
We all know the story. Abraham has finally, at the age of 100, had the son God promised to him so many years before. It...
El Roi – The God Who Sees Me
The idea of a God who is all-seeing is common in Scripture, but the name El Roi is used only one time, and that by Hagar. Remember...
El Olam – The Everlasting God
What does the phrase El Olam mean? In Psalm 90:1-2, it says Lord [Adonai], you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the...
Creation Series
By Jeff Pallansch
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? Geocentrism: Lessons from a Hard Goodbye
The timing of creation is not the first heated debate the church has worked through on a science-related topic. For three hundred years, the church...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? The Continuation of Day Seven
Having examined Moses’ construction of the first six days of creation, let us now turn our attention to the seventh day when God rests from...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? The Significance of Evening and Morning
“And there was evening, and there was morning, ______ day.” As you may recall from a previous article, this is one of the four phrases...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? Moses’ Unique Construction for Numbering the Days
In Genesis 1, Moses numbers the days of creation using a unique construction. In fact, he presents them in a way that is different from...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? The Non-Chronological Arrangement of Genesis 2
Having examined how the literary arrangements of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 develop, let us now pause to reflect upon any insights that can be...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? The Structural Correlation between Genesis 1 and 2
Having examined the literary arrangement of Genesis 1 and then Genesis 2, we can now reflect on how they correspond and the significance of their...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long?- The Structure of Genesis 2
Grasping the literary structure of Genesis 2 and seeing how it builds upon the structure of Genesis 1 is key to understanding Moses’ account of...
Were the Days of Creation 24 Hours Long? An In-Depth Look at Genesis 1-2
The Structure of Genesis 1 Genesis 1 is a structural masterpiece. The intentionality Moses gives to crafting it is quite astounding. So, let’s start by...
BLOG SERIES
By Various Authors
In Our Weakness – the Power of the Holy Spirit
My ability to serve the Lord is not dependent on my capability. There are a number of ways to phrase this, but the truth remains...
Loving the Precepts of the Holy Spirit
Excerpted from Anne Graham Lotz, Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion, Multnomah, 2019, p. 152. Used by permission. While my...
Enjoying the Presence of the Holy Spirit
One of our greatest errors in the Christian life is that we content ourselves with too little of God. We let going to church and...
Loving the Person of the Holy Spirit
Excerpted from Anne Graham Lotz, Jesus in Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion, Multnomah, 2019, pp. 6-9. Used by permission. Have you...
Sacred Wounds
By: Pastor Carey Dean Wounds These are things we avoid. They result from pain and often leave a lasting marked reminder of an undesired moment....
The Holiness of the Holy Spirit
By: R.L. Wilson In our programs with Anne Graham Lotz, she mentioned a seminary professor who confessed to being unaware that the Holy Spirit is,...
God’s Grandchild?
By: R.L. Wilson During our time with Anne Graham Lotz, she made a comment that sparked a memory of a defining moment in my own...
John Ankerberg’s Connection with Billy Graham
By: Jeff Pallansch It was over a game of softball at a summer picnic in Wheaton, Illinois, that John first remembers meeting Billy Graham. Although...