The word gospel reflects the Greek word for “good news” or “momentous news.” The good news is what God has done in Jesus Christ, supremely in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. This God did in fulfillment of all that he had promised to do (Luke 24:44) to reconcile lost and guilty human beings to himself, powerfully transforming ...

The Bible portrays the wonderful Garden of Eden as a historical location, essential for understanding God’s intentions for creation, our role in the world, and the hope of eternal blessing. By word and deed, God revealed in Eden, both his love and justice toward humanity. First, there was peace and bounty; then there was judgment and a promise ...

Columnists, pundits or journalists often dismiss Christians as inconsistent because “they pick and choose which of the rules in the Bible to obey.” The argument proceeds along these lines: “Christians ignore lots of Old Testament texts — about not eating raw meat or pork or shellfish, not executing people for breaking the Sabbath, not wearing garments woven with two ...

 
God’s character never changes; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. External circumstances or conditions do not govern his love, his truth and his goodness — they never vacillate. Therefore, God’s character and the promises he makes are supremely worthy of our trust and commitment. He does what he says, and his covenant love is always ...

Laughter Heals

The psalmist declares that God himself sits in the heavens and laughs (Psalm 2:4), and the writer of Proverbs describes the “woman of strength” as one who can “laugh at” times to come ( Continue Reading →

 
This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and ...

If you’re like most people, you are somewhat mystified with the whole topic of answered and unanswered prayer. That describes me too. When my infant daughter died (her name is Rachel), the next time I taught Sunday school I started by listing all the verses that unequivocally promise that God answers prayer. Of course, all my friends in ...

For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. — Continue Reading →

Jesus’ followers risked ridicule, rejection, and even death, as they traveled throughout the Greco-Roman world sharing the gospel of salvation by faith in Christ with people from all levels and in all sectors of society. That’s what Jesus directed them to do after He miraculously rose from the dead three days following His death on ...

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. – John 1:14

In our modern age, we prefer to understand and explain our ...