Category: Bible
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Magi: The Riddle of Reality and the Mystery Men from the East
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the…
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Name Him Jesus; Call Him Immanuel: The Names of Jesus and the Point of Religion
The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After Mary his mother had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So her husband Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly. But after…
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The Riddle of 13
Critics of the theory of biblical inerrancy will point to “inconsistencies” in the text, seeking to debunk its reliability as the Word of God. Frankly, some of those are just cheap shots. Others deserve to be wrestled with. One significant “problem” shows up here in the first chapter of Matthew, in the genealogy itself —…
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The Kingdom at Hand: The Gospel Is Bigger Than You Think
“Repent,” John the Baptist cried in the desert, “for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” In other words, it’s HERE. The kingdom has arrived. It has come. It is no longer far off, but at your fingertips. Jesus, Matthew tells us, preached the same thing. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.…
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Son of Blessing, Son of Kings: Why Jesus Is the Gateway to Life
The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1, HCSB) Two weeks ago I asked if we know who our king is. Unlike Luke (who traces Jesus all the way back to Adam), Matthew starts with Abraham. As he lays out the genealogy of Christ (following an interesting,…
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“I Am”: How We Make God in Our Image … and How to Know Who He Really Is
When the children of Israel came out of the desert and God made a covenant with them, his very first two commands were these: You shall have no other gods before me, and you shall make for yourself no graven image — no idols. The interesting thing is that they weren’t in all that much…
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Anointed One: Is This the Jesus YOU Know?
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. (Matthew 1:1, NASB) We are citizens in the kingdom of God. Do we know who our king is? I’m asking that question seriously, because honestly, I think this is the number-one scandal in the church today. We’ve gotten…
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Review: Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?
Origins matter. Few answers are more enlightening that those that tell us where something—or someone—came from. Origins give us insight into the shape of reality, answering not only the what but the why. Even if you are a literalist* Bible reader (which I assume most of my readers are), you’ve no doubt heard people—maybe even…
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perseverance
Yes, I know, this post is REALLY late. I am pulling a late night in the office because I have so much to do today: besides “normal” work, I’m preparing to run a week-long arts camp next week as part of the outreach of Soli Deo Gloria Ballet. I am scheduling, arranging travel for, and…
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Abide in My Love
This morning I read John 15:9-12 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept the Father’s commandments, and abide in his love . . . This is my commandment, That ye…