What was the Promised Land all about concerning Israel’s crossing over into it? Why is this important for us to know about today? The Promise to Abraham Long before Israel even existed, God called Abram (later, changed to Abraham) and told him that He would make him into a great nation (Gen 12:2) and that the families of the earth would be blessed on account of him (Gen 12:3). Later, God told Abram “Look toward heaven, and number the stars,... Read more
What was the golden calf all about in the Book of Exodus? Why was this such a grievous sin? Idolatry Idolatry can be described as the worship of a physical object or image-worship or divine honor paid to any created object by someone or others. Idolatry has been described as occurring when you look down at the fruit of your own labor and see the statue that you carved yourself, and then you worship it. It could be a blind... Read more
First, let me begin by stating a couple of propositions from the Bible: Everyone knows that God exists: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). According to God, everyone has the knowledge of God planted within them; however, some choose to suppress that knowledge and act like they don’t know what they... Read more
In the first part of this passage, we saw that everyone has an innate sense of God’s existence and presence. The passage also tells us that God created everything, sustains in moment by moment, and, in light of these facts, it is ludicrous to think that God is lacking in anything whatsoever. We also understand from these verses that God has arranged the times and locations of our existence in such a way as to make sure that we understand... Read more
What does the “canon” have to do with the Bible? What is the relation to the canon and the books of the Bible? The Canon of Scripture The word “canon” comes from the Greek (κανών) and means “rule” or “measuring stick” and they were using this term as a way to see if the books that were suggested to be included in the Bible would “measure up” to the biblical standards of what books were already accepted. Not all books... Read more
What is the Apocalypse mentioned in the Bible? Why is it important enough to know? The Apocalypse The word apocalypse doesn’t appear in most translations but the word revelation does. For example, the Greek word for revelation is “apokalypsis” which means “laying bare, making naked,” or “revealing” something like a curtain opening so that what is behind the curtain can be seen. In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John writes that Jesus Christ is the One Who does the... Read more
What was the Leviathan in the Bible? What could this creature have been? How does the Hebrew language help us find out? Self-Righteous Job In Job 41:1 God asks Job a rhetorical question, “Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?” The obvious answer is no, it can’t be done. God was answering Job who had been questioning God so God came back and asked Job a lot of questions which basically... Read more
Are joy and happiness the same thing? How are they different? How does the Bible delineate the differences between joy and happiness? Happiness is… I think most people would agree that happiness is a goal. Doesn’t everyone want to be happy? The truth is the Bible never promises happiness, however it does promise joy. There is a difference. You can have joy and be happy but you can’t really be happy without joy; at least lasting happiness. It’s easy to... Read more
There exists a theologically rich passage in Acts 17 that lays out several important truths which affect every single person who ever existed, or will exist. The Apostle Paul, while engaged in his traveling ministry of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ, entered a city in Greece where there was a group of philosophers who apparently spent their time in deep thought about the things of life. Paul entered this intellectual atmosphere and proceeded to introduce them to some deep... Read more
There is a never ending procession of online debates and discussions between those who believe in God and those who do not. In many, if not all, of these conversations atheists will submit that belief in God, the Bible, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, prayer, miracles, and/or any combination of these, is ridiculous, silly, or foolish. As I pondered the many times that I have seen this idea being fired at me, and others, this passage came to mind. Let... Read more
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