1st century Christianity in the 21st century
SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
The teaching that Jesus will reign upon the earth for 1000 years is part of the Premillennial doctrine common to many denominational churches in today’s religious world. The teaching relies in large part on Revelation 20:1-7, which speaks of the devil being bound for 1,000 years, and the faithful of God living and reigning with Christ for the same period of time.
Continue reading “Jesus Will Not Reign on the Earth for 1,000 Years”SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
For many people in Jesus’ day, it was a challenge to accept His divinity. In fact, it was His claims to divine nature that caused the Pharisees to oppose Him so vehemently, even to the point of seeking His life. After Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, some who believed in Christ went to the opposite extreme—affirming that Jesus did not come in the flesh. The apostle John wrote:
Continue reading “Jesus Christ is God Come in the Flesh”SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
While in conversation with Jesus, the Jews asked Him, “Who are You?” (John 8:25), and again, “Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” (8:53). In the context, He identified Himself as “the Son of Man” (8:28; cf. Daniel 7:13), the “Son” of God (8:36, 54) and the “I AM” (8:24, 28, 58). He was as clear as could be about His identity; He claimed to be deity—God. And, His questioners understood Him, for “…they took up stones to throw at Him…” (John 8:59). On a subsequent occasion, He asked them why they sought to stone Him (John 10:31-32). Their response, “…because You, being a Man, make Yourself God” (10:33).
Continue reading “Jesus – More Than A Man – the Divine Son of God”SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
At the time this article was written, the #1 result for the words “Jesus” and “legalist” on the internet is an article titled, “Why Jesus Hates Legalism.” The author calls legalism a sin and tells us that “Jesus had more conflicts with the legalists of His day than any other group.”1 In fact, the writer tells us that Jesus deliberately provoked the legalists by not following their hand-washing customs and by healing people on the Sabbath. Obviously, the writer of the article in question, like many others, identifies the Pharisees as legalists.
Continue reading “Was Jesus a Legalist? What the Bible Actually Teaches”SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
From time to time, I’ve had conversations with folks who insist that Jesus speaks directly to them. Some borrow language from an encounter Elijah had with God in 1 Kings 19:12 (“a still small voice”). One described the Lord’s voice as being loud and authoritative. Another said that she hears multiple voices, and must discern which of them is God speaking to her.
Continue reading “That Voice You Hear – It’s Not Jesus”SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
In 1980, The Commodores released their 11th album, “Heroes.” The final track was a song written by Lionel Richie entitled, “Jesus Is Love.” Some warned Richie that the song would ruin his career. Anyone familiar with 80s pop music know how his career turned out.
Continue reading “Jesus is NOT just about love”SERIES: DO YOU REALLY KNOW JESUS?
According to The World Factbook1, one third of the world’s population (2.4 billion people) identify themselves as Christian. This includes everyone from those who are Christian in name only to those who might be viewed by others as fanatical. For the former, the idea of knowing Jesus may be far fetched—how can you really get to know a man who lived almost 2,000 years ago? However, for many in Christendom, getting to know Jesus better is a daily pursuit.
Continue reading “The “My Jesus” Mentality: When Faith Becomes Self-Made”
Was David afraid of or friendly with Achish (1 Samuel 21:12; 1 Samuel 27:3; 29:6)? Is there a contradiction?
Continue reading “Did David Fear Or Befriend Achish? Answering The Atheist”
There’s no shortage of teaching about the antichrist in religious circles, though the validity of what is taught is certainly questionable. Antichrist theories come and go with major world events or leaders. Many are looking for “a great antagonist expected to fill the world with wickedness but to be conquered forever by Christ at his second coming.”1 Suggestions in the recent past have included Pope Benedict XVI, Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Saddam Hussein, among others. In fact, a 2011 survey by Public Policy Polling found that 13% of Americans believe President Obama is the antichrist, and another 13% are unsure.2
Continue reading “Revealing The True Identity Of The Antichrist”– PLUCKING THE PETALS OF JOHN CALVIN’S TULIP –
In their book The Five Points of Calvinism, Steele & Thomas capably state the Calvinist belief of the perseverance of thhe saints. They have written:
Continue reading “TULIP: Exposing the Falsehood of Perseverance of the Saints”The doctrine of perseverance of the saints does not maintain that all who profess the Christian faith are certain of heaven. It is saints—those who are set apart by the Spirit—who persevere to the end. …Many who profess to believe fall away, but they do not fall from grace for they were never in grace. True believers do fall into temptations, and they do commit grievous sins, but these sins do not cause them to lose their salvation or separate them from Christ.
