Do we as Christians rejoice knowing that Christ ushered in something new? In him, we are no longer bound by the 400 hundred plus laws that the Israelites had to obey under the Old Covenant. Do we as Christians fully understand Christ's redemptive power found in the New Covenant? By possessing this understanding of Christ's redemptive power, does... Read More
The article, Jesus Triumphs Over Sin/Evil One, identifies Jesus possessing authority over the demoniacs. In addition, the Beelzebub Controversy also identifies Jesus's authority over Satan and his evil forces. The Beelzebub Controversy (Matthew 12: 22 – 30) begins with Jesus healing a demon-possessed man. The onlookers who witness this... Read More
Colossians 2: 13 – 15 identifies Jesus canceling our debt, by nailing it on the cross. In this act, He disarmed the rulers and authorities of the evil one. He publicly exposed the actions of the sin/evil one and triumphed over them. Jesus triumph over sin, more specifically Satan and his evil forces occurs numerously in his ministry prior to the... Read More
Most Christians prefer to meditate on the goodness of God. We also may prefer to meditate on his blessings as a reminder of his power in our lives, his undivided devotion, and his protective care. However, would we meditate on blessings that require actions which demonstrate God's sovereignty in our lives? The beatitudes denote such... Read More
Ephesians 1: 11 -14 describes praise for the assurance of believer's heritage. Christians praise God, the one who predestined them according to his purpose. Verse 12 states that those who place their hope in Christ will be for God's glorious praise. Therefore, God receives honor from humankind, when they are redeemed from sin. More specifically,... Read More
Christians explore what our lives would be like if we meditated on Christ's authority. Would we walk around more confident? Would we take more risks or do the impossible for God in our everyday lives? Would we speak more boldly to others, especially about the Gospel of Christ? Would we interact with others without fear? Most likely, we would... Read More
The narrative of Jesus feeding the five thousand exists in all four Gospels. John, however, provides more detailed information than the Synoptic Gospels. He identifies the Jewish Passover being near, Philip being perplexed over feeding the crowd, Andrew bringing the boy with food to them, the loaves being made out of barely, Jesus handing out food... Read More
The Synoptic Gospels declare John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus. In his preparation, he calls those who hear to a repentant lifestyle. Matthew (Matthew 3: 7 – 10) and Luke (Luke 3: 7 – 9) expand upon John's message of a repentant lifestyle, when they identify John's response to the multitude. Unlike Matthew, Luke does not associate... Read More
The previous article identifies the different audiences that three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke addresses in foretelling the preparation for Christ by John the Baptist. The three Gospels, however, quote Isaiah 40:3 to indicate John the Baptist as the voice in the wilderness who prepares the way for Jesus. The noun voice in the Greek... Read More
Prior to Jesus going to the cross to bring forth salvation, John the Baptist prepared the way for his ministry. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) describe John the Baptist and his preparation for Christ. They present similar and contrasting perspectives to John the Baptist and his relation to the Jesus' narrative. For instance, Mark... Read More
- God is Love: Nuts & Bolts Pt II
I wanted to know and allow others to know that there is no fear in God’s love and judgment. His love is perfect and complete. However, in His perfect love, God prompts us to respond to make it complete.
- God is Love: Nuts & Bolts Pt I
Background In 1 John, John calls the believers back to a fundamental understanding that God is love. He reveals that God is love later in the book. The first issue that he addresses deals with a split or division between strongly opposed sections or parties, caused by differences in opinion or belief. The opposing ideology known as Gnosticism split the believers into two. In 1 John 2:18 – 23, John reveals that antichrist who denied Christ lived among them. These individuals eventually left the church community, but their false teachings continued to infiltrate the church. 1 John 4:1 – 3 …
- God is Love Pt III
When I started this study, I aimed to prove that God’ love remains complete and that His believers reside in His love. I wanted to demonstrate that when believers are imperfect, God perfectly loves them. This understanding is true. God loved us first, so much so that He sent His Son as our sacrifice. In this sacrificial love, God tells us that we do not need to fear the Day of Judgement. Fearing Judgment Day means that we have not embraced the salvation that He has provided. At this point, I wanted the study to be complete. I wanted to …
