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Is Living Together Before Marriage Really a Sin? Daniel Darling College life is finally over. You and your partner have started attending a new church. You love it there. The preacher opens the Bible every week. He walks through a passage of Scripture and applies it to your life. This new church reminds you a lot of the church back home where you grew up. So after attending for several months, you and your partner feel compelled to commit and become more involved. You sign up for the four-week membership class, eager to take this next step. In the first… Подробнее »Is Living Together Before Marriage Really a Sin?

Why did Jesus have to be born? The doctrine of the Trinity teaches that the three persons of the Godhead are co-equal and co-eternal, and that Jesus was God the Son and existed in eternity past in a state and standing equal to that of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. If that is true, then why would Jesus have to be born of a virgin? Jesus’ mission was to fulfill the law, be the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin and become the savior of all mankind.  So why not just come down in his co-equal state, announce… Подробнее »Why did Jesus have to be born?

Pray Your Uncensored Thoughts Esther Smith 5 Questions to Help Change Unwanted Thoughts Too often, we want to have the “right” thoughts before we go to God—thoughts that are true, reasonable, and figured out. But often this isn’t possible. We can’t always change what we’re thinking in an instant just because we want to. What’s more, I don’t believe this is what God asks of us. God invites us into his presence where he can transform even our uncensored thoughts. Pour Out Your Heart Psalm 62:8 extends an invitation: “Pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.”… Подробнее »Pray Your Uncensored Thoughts

Jesus, A Man Placed Under Authority When we read the historical accounts in Scripture, it is important to remember that these are not just fairy tales or made up stories with an ending moral.  They are actual accounts of real people doing real things in real time.  Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10 are parallel records of an incident in the life of Jesus as he was teaching and ministering in the Galilee region. His fame had gone out throughout the region as stated in Matthew 4:23-25.  One might say Jesus was in all of the headlines and the topic of all the watercooler conversations. That being… Подробнее »Jesus, A Man Placed Under Authority

Jesus: The Son of Man? After Israel left Egypt and was wandering through the wilderness, the King of Moab became afraid and hired the false Prophet Balaam. Numbers 23 records Balaam’s second message to Balak, King of the Moabites, in response to Balak’s request for Balaam to curse Israel for him. Within that message lies a verse very familiar to most Christians. God is not a man, that he should lie,  nor the son of man, that he should repent.  Has he said, and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? Numbers… Подробнее »Jesus: The Son of Man?

In the Book of Revelation, God is not the Lamb, and the Lamb is not God [This article was originally published by Bill Schlegel on his website, Land and Bible.] The Book of Revelation is “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him” (1:1). From the very first verse we are told that Jesus is not God. God is differentiated from Jesus. The God of Jesus Christ gave Jesus Christ this revelation. In Revelation 1:5-6 Jesus Christ is “the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” Jesus “loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a… Подробнее »In the Book of Revelation, God is not the Lamb, and the Lamb is not God

Jesus: The Son of Man? After Israel left Egypt and was wandering through the wilderness, the King of Moab became afraid and hired the false Prophet Balaam. Numbers 23 records Balaam’s second message to Balak, King of the Moabites, in response to Balak’s request for Balaam to curse Israel for him. Within that message lies a verse very familiar to most Christians. God is not a man, that he should lie,  nor the son of man, that he should repent.  Has he said, and will he not do it?  Or has he spoken, and will he not make it good? Numbers… Подробнее »Jesus: The Son of Man?

If Jesus Pre-existed, He Wasn’t a Human [This article was originally published by Bill Schlegel on Land and Bible] Many trinitarians believe that Jesus’ prayer in the Gospel of John 17:5 shows that Jesus pre-existed: “and now, Father, glorify thou me in thy own presence with the glory which I had with thee before the world was made”(RSV) As with any difficult biblical passage, we must consider the context of Jesus statement in this prayer to God (the Father). Just two sentences before, as recorded in John 17:3, Jesus prayed to God: “Father (17:1) …this is eternal life, that they know you the only true… Подробнее »If Jesus Pre-existed, He Wasn’t a Human

Why Israel Matters to the World It’s undeniable that Israel matters to the world. But why? We need to consider there is something Sovereign at work. And an important “something” in the Bible makes it very clear. “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” – Isaiah 60:3 From the western viewpoint, Isaiah 60 is often referred to from the perspective of “the Church.” Which would suggest that the world will come to the light that we, Christians, have within us. While that may be partially true, this is a classic replacement theology view. Isaiah 60 was… Подробнее »Why Israel Matters to the World

At 10, I fled the Nazis to live starving and alone in the woods. For two years, detection meant death Maxwell Smart lost his family in the Holocaust, but was saved by his mother’s instruction to run. It was seven decades before he told anyone what had happened By Chris Godfrey The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Maxwell Smart still feels at his safest when it rains. The 93-year-old first learned this as a boy of 10, alone in a forest, lying on a bed of leaves in… Подробнее »At 10, I fled the Nazis to live starving and alone in the woods. For two years, detection meant death

The Place of Rabbinic Tradition in Messianic Judaism by Michael L. Brown, Ph.D. Every one of us involved in Messianic ministry has thought long and hard on the question of the place of rabbinic tradition in Messianic Judaism. My own thinking has developed gradually over the last few years, but I would like to share with you why I have come to the conclusion that rabbinic traditions have little or no place in our private lives or public services. Let me say first, however, that even though I have given myself to much prayer, study, and discussion over this very… Подробнее »The Place of Rabbinic Tradition in Messianic Judaism

The Most Misunderstood Verse in the Bible Posted by Rabbi Eric Tokajer If you had to choose one verse to call the most misunderstood verse in the Bible, I believe a strong case could be made that Ephesians 5:22 is that verse. Speaking of submission, it says, “wives to your own husbands as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22, TLV). If you don’t believe me, just do a Google search, and you will find a plethora of Bible teachers using this verse as a baton to beat down women who refuse to become servants and slaves to domineering husbands who use it… Подробнее »The Most Misunderstood Verse in the Bible

8 Signs Your Christianity Is Too Comfortable BRETT MCCRACKEN In many parts of the world today, it can be easy to live a comfortable life as a Christian. Certainly where I live—in Orange County, California—this is the case. But is that a good thing? I’d like to suggest that the Christian faith is inherently uncomfortable. To be a disciple of Jesus is to deny oneself (Matt. 16:24), to take up a cross (Luke 14:27), to be subject to persecution (John 15:20; 2 Tim. 3:12), to give up the creature comforts of home (Luke 9:58), to forsake the priority of family (Luke 9:59–62; 14:26), to… Подробнее »8 Signs Your Christianity Is Too Comfortable

Don’t Settle for Only Half of the Passover Story Rabbi Eric Tokajer Every year in homes all over the world, Jewish people will gather with their family and friends around their tables for their annual Passover Seders where they will read from the Bible and tell the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. They will remind their families of the powerful way that G-D used the 10 plagues and the parting of the sea to redeem His people from their bondage in slavery. Believers in Yeshua, both Jewish and non-Jewish, will also be gathering to celebrate Passover and they will… Подробнее »Don’t Settle for Only Half of the Passover Story

The Rise of «Messianic Judaism» by Peter Hocken There have always been individual Jews who have come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, and who have become members of Christian churches, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant. The common understanding, both Gentile and Jewish, has been that these persons have «converted» from Judaism to Christianity, and have thus abandoned Judaism.{1} Nonetheless, some of these new believers retained a love for things Jewish, and maintained a hidden Jewish identity.{2} Evangelical missionary efforts targeting the Jewish people intensified in the 19th century, probably stemming from heightened eschatological interest following the French… Подробнее »The Rise of «Messianic Judaism»

Was Jesus «God» or «the son of God»? For the first nine years of the church there were no gentiles in their fellowship.  It was not until Peter’s visit to Cornelius in about 39CE that gentiles were even permitted to fellowship with the followers of Rabbi Joshua ben Joseph [a.k.a. Jesus the Christ].  It was not until the Jerusalem Council in 50CE that it was decided that gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism prior to fellowshipping with the church. Actually, there was no church until about 135CE.  The followers of Rabbi Joshua ben Joseph were called Nazarenes. By the time of the destruction to… Подробнее »Was Jesus «God» or «the son of God»?

THE ASTONISHING SIGNIFICANCE OF RED HEIFERS IN OUR DAY Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,“This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come”. (Numbers 19:1-2) God’s law, given to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai, included the requirement of perfect red heifers. No defects, no blemishes. The unyoked, flawless heifers become “unkosher” once hairs are spotted that are not uniformly red. They have to be perfect. What happens to… Подробнее »THE ASTONISHING SIGNIFICANCE OF RED HEIFERS IN OUR DAY

10 traits of narcissistic leaders Joseph Mattera By definition, a narcissist is a person who believes the world revolves around them to such an extent their desires blind them to relational reality, which makes them insensitive to the needs and perspectives of others. One of the sad realities in our consumer-driven, hedonistic culture is that we are producing millions of narcissistic people, including leaders of large organizations. Because of our sinful nature as human beings, all of us have some narcissistic tendencies to deal with. The following traits identify leadership narcissism. Get Our Latest News for FREE Subscribe to get… Подробнее »10 traits of narcissistic leaders

The Nazareth Inscription: Proof of the Resurrection of Christ? Part One: Translation, Commentary, and Date by Clyde E. Billington, Ph.D. This article originally appeared in the journal Artifax and is reproduced here with permission Introduction The Nazareth Inscription is a Greek inscription on a marble tablet measuring approximately 24 inches by 15 inches. The exact time and place of its discovery is not known. In 1878 it became an addition to the private Froehner Collection of ancient inscriptions and manuscripts, but the details of its acquisition are unknown. Froehner’s inventory of this Inscription simply states: “This marble was sent from Nazareth in… Подробнее »The Nazareth Inscription: Proof of the Resurrection of Christ?