In the book of Mark, Jesus performed many miracles. Two important categories are awakening from death (5:35-43), and healing of people possessed by unclean spirits (1:23-26; 1:32-34; 5:1-20; 9:25-29). The New Testament describes Jesus awakening three people, and these are detailed by the evangelists [...]
Consider the context of “the moon became as blood.” Revelation 6:12 (NIV), “I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red.” Removing the sixth [...]
All mankind are born sinners and have inherited Adam’s death sentence.(Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12,18). So, how could Adam (and all his children) be released from the prison house of death? Justice required that someone else had to take Adam’s place in death. It was [...]
John the Baptist immersed Jews into the Jordan River with the baptism of repentance. Acts. 19:4, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” Therefore, John’s purpose was to [...]
The cross was a well-known tool implemented in one of the most excruciating forms of execution: crucifixion. Public crucifixion was used by the Persians as early as 500 B.C. and later the Greek and Roman empires also employed this method of capital punishment. The [...]
Neither God nor His words in the Bible are ever contradictory. In fact, Romans 3:3-4 asks “What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true…” (NIV) The abandonment of Jesus on [...]
The words, “my God, my God” (Matthew 27:46) reveal Jesus’ thoughts and feelings while he hung on the cross. Throughout his earthly life, Jesus was constantly in communion with God and was renewed in strength and love thereby. However, part of Jesus’ sacrificial experiences as [...]
Scriptures are quoted from the New International Version Bible. Today the term “Christian” is typically used to name a person who is a believer in Jesus Christ, usually in the sense of distinguishing that person from people of other religions. However, the true meaning [...]
A better understanding may come from the Amplified Bible: "If your right eye serves as a trap to ensnare you or is an occasion for you to stumble and sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better that you lose [...]
There are three men of importance named James in the New Testament. First, there was the Apostle James, who was one of the “sons of Zebedee” (Matthew 4:21). This James was beheaded by Herod (Acts 12:1-2). Second, James the son of Alphaeus (Mark [...]
Scripture teaches that there were only two perfect men, Adam and Jesus. “The first man is from the earth, earthy” (1 Corinthians 15:47) The second perfect man - Jesus - was not of mixed natures but was fully a human being. John 1:14, “And [...]
Abraham’s bosom represents the Abrahamic covenant. The reference to Abraham’s bosom or chest is found in Luke 16:22 as part of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. The parable starts with the Rich Man clothed in purple and linen living in luxury. [...]
Mary certainly died. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “…in Adam all die…” Since Mary was part of the Adamic race, she did die. The last mention of her in the Bible does confirm that she continued as a believer with [...]
We believe that Jesus was born about October 1st. However, since Jesus never suggested we commemorate his birthday, it’s not important which day we choose to celebrate that wonderful, blessed event. On Christmas day, we may properly enough join with all whose hearts are [...]
We can only go by what the scriptures tell us and the scriptures are clear that Jesus was perfect. Hebrews 7:26: Jesus was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” Note he was “separate from sinners.” Sin means to [...]
There are many theories as to the origin of the word Easter. One theory claims the pagan Saxon fertility goddess, sometimes referred to as Ä’ostre, Ostara, Eostre or Eastre, was celebrated at a festival in the springtime, around the time of the Passover, although no [...]
The word "Christ" first appears in the New Testament in Matthew 1:1 and appears over 500 times. From the Greek "christos", the word means "anointed". To Anoint something or someone means to consecrate or make sacred, or to dedicate to the service of God. “Christ” [...]
I Corinthians 6 (NIV) begins: “If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints.... If you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?” (verses [...]
First, an angel was sent to Mary to tell her she was going to become pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. “The angel Gabriel was sent by God into a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin.....named Mary.....He said, thou shalt [...]
The King James Translation of 1 Timothy 3:16 is inaccurate. The word “God” is added. It is not in the original Greek. The actual word in the Greek is “he” and it is referring to Jesus Christ. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is respected [...]
