When the framers of our American constitution first gathered, they faced a fundamental question. The question was not merely, Can we create a free republic? The question was, Can we create a free republic that …
Religion or Faith?
There is a difference between religion and faith. That may be a little hard to explain, but I think it is fair to say that a lot of people have a religion who have very …
Beyond Redemption
I have heard it said that the Nazi war criminals were convicted and hanged because of the testimony of Jews against them. It’s not true, you know. The testimony of the survivors of the death …
Who’s Who in Prophecy #2
It’s too bad more people don’t read the Old Testament prophets. I know, they can be a little hard to follow at times. Most of them are poets, and they use a lot of imagery. …
Who’s Who in Prophecy #1
When you study the Old Testament prophets, it is clear that they are often speaking about the last days of Man on the earth—or perhaps, more accurately, the last days before the return of Christ …
Interpreting the Bible
I had a friend some time ago who loved to argue the Bible, and whenever we got to a certain point, he would say Well, the Bible says what it means and it means what …
In His Name
Over the years, I have been unclear in my mind about the meaning of one phrase in the Lord’s Prayer. You know how it begins: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. …
The Gospel of John #12
I can understand why Jewish leaders were concerned about Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ. If I were Jewish, I would probably feel the same way. I know I am profoundly disturbed by …
The Gospel of John #11
It’s fascinating that the longest discourse of Jesus in the entire New Testament is also the most private, the most intimate, the most personal. It is the night of the Last Supper and he’s going …
The Gospel of John #10
Have you ever wondered why it is that Christian people feel they are never alone? It’s true, you know—we are never completely alone. In the night of the last supper, Jesus told his disciples: If …
The Gospel of John #9
One of the saddest things about the ministry of Jesus is the number of people who believed him, believed his message, believed what he said about who he was, believed on him, but could not …
Faith in a Box
I think I am at long last beginning to understand something that puzzles a lot of people. How was it possible to hate a man who could make the blind see, the lame walk, the …
The Gospel of John #8
Jesus defies explanation. You can’t just put him in a category and then say you have him figured out. Nearly every conventional idea of Jesus is contradicted by the basic source documents—the four gospels of …
The Gospel of John #7
I must confess, I was a little puzzled at the reaction of the Jewish community to the movie The Passion of the Christ. But when I reflected on some of the persecution of Jews by …
The Gospel of John #6
Jesus was a constant puzzle to the Pharisees. Sometimes he is a bit puzzling to us, too. And we have had a lot of time to digest what he was saying. And, let’s face it, …
The Gospel of John #5
Considering all that Jesus did, and considering his personal charisma, does it strike you as strange that there was a point when many of his disciples turned away and didn’t follow him any longer? What …
The Entrance to Covenant
View PostThy Will Be Done
The disciples of Jesus came to him one day with a request: Lord, teach us to pray. Jesus replied with a remarkably concise, model prayer. We call it the Lord’s Prayer and everyone knows it …
The Gospel of John #4
Of the four gospel writers, it is John who is the theologian. More than the others, he captures and reports for us those words and deeds of Jesus that tell us who he is and …
The Gospel of John #3
Jesus of Nazareth was full of surprises. His disciples often had trouble figuring him out, but Jesus had an agenda. Everything he did was for a reason. Take an incident early on in Samaria. Jesus …