1st century Christianity in the 21st century
– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parable of the Fig Tree, Signs of the Time
During a discourse about the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus used a fig tree parable to illustrate the need to read the signs of the time. He said:
Now learn this parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. (Matthew 24:32-33)
Continue reading “Signs Of The Time: Tender Branches And Unfolded Leaves”– PARABLES OF JESUS –
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
Our text this week is very much like the text we looked at last week. Matthew 13:44 spoke of a man who found a treasure in a field. With great joy he sold all that he had so he could purchase it. Of course, the treasure is the kingdom of God. Now we come to the pearl of great price.
Continue reading “Treasure Beyond Measure: The Pearl Of Great Price”
For the past 14+ months, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought with it a lot of restrictions and constraints. For a good part of that time, we in Ontario have been under lockdowns, shutdowns, or stay-at-home orders. When the CDC and other drug regulatory agencies across the globe began to give the green flag for vaccines from various pharmaceutical companies, there was an understandable prospect of hope, the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel.” At the same time, there has been skepticism and uncertainty about the safety of the vaccines, given the speed with which they were developed or the efficacy they will have on the virus variants. And then for some, there is concern that it is not just a vaccine, but could it be the mark of the beast?
Continue reading “Is The Covid-19 Vaccine The Mark Of The Beast? What You Need To Know”
“You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God … You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you: you were on the holy mountain of God … You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you.” These words appear in Ezekiel 28:12, 14, 15. Many think the “anointed cherub” of Ezekiel 28 is Satan, just as the they assume the “Lucifer” of Isaiah 14 is the devil. Is Satan the “anointed cherub”? Let us consider Ezekiel 28.
Continue reading “The Mystery of the Anointed Cherub: Insights into its Identity”
“How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you whho weakened the nations!” These words appear in Isaiah 14:12. Many people, for many centuries, have equated this Lucufer with Satan, the devil. The primary definition in Webster’s dictionary for Lucifer is “…a name of the devil.” Is Lucifer in fact the devil? Let us consider Isaiah 14.
Continue reading “Unveiling The Fascinating Truth Behind Lucifer”
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”