If there is one word of advice, I’d give to new readers of the Holy Scripture it is “context.” With over 727,000 words in the NIV version of the Old and New Testaments, like fortune cookies, people can easily make up anything using out of context bible statements. Anytime you hear a bible phrase quoted,…
Read moreWe are not commanded to forgive everyone
You’ve heard ‘turn the other cheek’ and all that. So, does a good Christian (as if the term Christian needs a modifier, especially the word “good” since Jesus says “No one is good—except God alone” (Mark 10:18) but I digress. Where was I? Oh yes,) So, does a good Christian forgive those who wrong them?…
Read moreEveryone will be Resurrected
If you are like me, you may have conflated the terms and concepts “resurrection” and “salvation.” As children we are taught good people who die go to heaven. Bad people either remain dead, exist in a state of nothingness (eternally separated from God?), or go to “h-e-double-toothpicks.” (Like I said, when we were kids…) The…
Read moreThere are only two destinations, Heaven, and Hell
Despite some religions which espouse reincarnation or a ‘state of nothingness’ as the end game, the Lord Jesus himself clarified there is no middle ground, and he spoke a lot about hell. He told us more about hell than any other prophet. It seems like we needed to hear this from someone we could not…
Read moreCan there be salvation without God taking the Initiative?
After the encounter with the rich young ruler in Matt 19:25, Jesus’ disciples ask “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” John 6:44 says it is completely out of our hands as Jesus says “No one can come to…
Read moreJesus was not the first nor the only person raised from the Dead
The New Testament story of Lazarus falling ill, dying, and laying in the tomb for four days is fairly well known. This story contains the verse we all volunteered to memorize in Sunday school since it was the shortest verse in the Bible; “Jesus wept”. John recounts the action in Chapter 11. Scoffers doubt Jesus’…
Read moreWhat must I do to be Saved?
As a student of the scriptures, I have come across a number of answers to this question in my readings. The purpose of this essay is to capture references that explicitly refer to salvation in hopes of having a clear and complete answer to this most important question. Did the requirements change over the course…
Read moreChatGPT weighs in on Salvation
ChatGPT is a brilliant conversationalist, equipped with encyclopedic knowledge and unmatched language skills, making it an exceptional source of information and companionship. (just ask it!)
Read moreWhat’s Next?
As a follower of Jesus, I believe His sacrifice provides the only path to reunion with the Creator. As a believer, I am seen by the Father through the lens of the Son – right now, not just when I die, and mercifully because of Jesus, I have been found acceptable to the Father. This…
Read moreBeyond the Golden Rule
Sharing, compassion, and just plain getting along with others is something that must be learned. As a father and grandfather I can testify to seeing at least two generations of toddlers snatch a toy away from another child while growling “mine!” They are born seeming to care only about themselves. It’s only through years of…
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