“I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His

Why Was It Necessary for Jesus to Die for Our Sins?The reason Jesus had to die for our sins relates to substitutionary atonement and penal atonement. From the very beginning, the price of sin was always death. In the garden, God told Adam the day you eat of the fruit, you will die (Gen. 2:17). We know the death Adam experienced was not physical imm

are beingare beingIn What Practical Ways Do These Verses Encourage Us in Our Day to Day Lives?areare Sam StormsConclusionThe Letters to the Colossians and to PhilemonMike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hannah. He is also the lead pastor at Calvary of Neosho, MO. Mike is the author of Torn to Heal and Jesus Is All You Need. His w

What Was Mealtime Like in Jesus’ Day? Background information can help us understand some of the aspects that seem unusual to us, and the cultural similarities and differences from our own mealtimes today.Just as today, shared meals were an important part of culture and community life in Jesus' time, probably even more so then without other forms of

What Do We Mean When We Say ‘Unanswered’ Prayers? allMost people find prayer mysterious. We don’t always understand how it “works,” let alone how it “doesn’t work.” When we believe our prayers aren’t answered, we might wonder whether our faith is small or if there are any one of a hundred reasons why God might turn away from our prayers. “Unanswere

A Wedding Interrupted by Christmas Imagine with me, the scene…Mary and Joseph were planning a dream wedding. They had gone to all the wedding halls in the area and tasted the food. They narrowed it down to the Nazareth Beach Club, reserved the date, and signed the contracts. They landed on a menu to include a seven-day cocktail hour with three carv

2. Run from TemptationAlthough the Bible does not tell us to run from many things, it does tell us to flee from sexual temptations. “The Bible tells us the best equipment for getting out of that situation is the best pair of Adidas money can buy,” Dr. Jeremiah wrote. “Just get out of there.” Avoid tempting situations and do not hang out with wicked

Recognize God’s Presence “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You…” (Isaiah 26:3).Peace is actually a mindset that recognizes God’s presence in every situation, even when things appear chaotic. When you realize that your daddy (who happens to be God) is with you, fear and worry leaves, anxiety leaves, doubt leaves and confid

6. Divine RemindersThank God for the Holy Spirit Who, when the enemy says remember when, speaks to our spirits and says, remember what?“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).When the enemy prompts you to remember your sketchy past, listen to th

Chara shares, “Attempts to convey the original meaning and to be readable in contemporary English, using language and idioms that would be understood by modern readers.”Bible Versions that are Readable: NIV and NLT3. ParaphrasedChara shares, “There is less emphasis on using the actual words of the Hebrew and Greek and is often not considered an off

That’s why having a “great high priest,” a mediator who is perfect and does not fall short – yet still, as a man, understands what people face – is extraordinarily comforting. We know he was tempted — three of the Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) tell us how, after his baptism, Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and nights. Then th

In the Bible, What Is Sanctification? If we could choose just one verse to communicate our definition of the sanctification of believers, it would have to be (in this author’s mind) 2 Corinthians 3:18, which reads, “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to

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"Van," as Fanny called Alexander, was the first of the Institute's students to attend "regular college." After obtaining his teaching certificate, he returned to the Institute as a music teacher, where he and Fanny soon connected over their mutual love of music and poetry. Despite their eleven year age difference, their friendship rapidly ripened i

SourcesEdersheims, Alfred. Elisha the Prophet: The Lessons of His History and Times. London: The Religious Tract Society, 1882.Gleanings From Elisha, His Life and Miracles. The Bible Knowledge Commentary An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Old Testament and New TestamentWilmington’s Guide to the BibleBethany Verrett is a freelance wr

You might live in a place where it is legal to use weed. But you might still refrain because you want to avoid opening yourself up to a mind-altering state that can let in evil, or put you closer to the edge of a dangerous precipice.The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say — but not everything is be

Thus, at Christmas, we joyfully celebrate that God’s greatest promise was fulfilled: God’s kingdom has come. The final movements in God’s plan (the last battle against Satan, the resurrection of the dead) are still to come. As some scholars have put it, we live in the “already/not yet” phase of God’s kingdom, where it has arrived, but the final eff

Not only will we see the antichrist forcing everyone to worship an abomination (himself, Matthew 24:15), but many of Antiochus IV Epiphanes’ characteristics will appear in him as well.He will deceive many (Revelation 19:20). Satan comes disguised as an angel of light, and so the one to whom he will give his power, the antichrist, will operate under

What Happened to Saul?Why Would God Choose Someone Like Saul?Jefferson P. Webster, ed., “The Meaning of the Phrase ‘And the Witnesses Laid down Their Cloaks’ in Acts 7:58. Review of Expository Times 123 (December 2011) by Brice C. Jonesquot,” Bibliotheca Sacra 169, no. 673–676 (2012): 246.Mike Leake is husband to Nikki and father to Isaiah and Hann

Why Should We Let God Know That We Love Him? When the question comes up of why we should let God know of our love for Him, some may not have an answer, while others may have the right answer that is not the best answer. Some might say that we “owe” God so much because of what Jesus did on the cross for us, that our love should be given to Him wheth