Revelation is a book of symbols. For hundreds of years, God has hidden their symbolic meaning until it becomes time for them to be understood. To appreciate the book of Revelation, a good foundational understanding of the Old Testament is necessary. Romans 15:4 (CSB), [...]
Many today believe that the dead are not dead but are really more alive than ever. They do not realize they are believing the original lie taught by Satan disguised as a serpent, “that you will not die, but you will be like God” [...]
The nation of Israel received the Law Covenant 50 days after the Passover in Egypt. Thus, historically, Pentecost (meaning 50) was very important. However, Pentecost in the New Testament is even more significant. Pentecost was the Greek name for a feast celebrating a wheat [...]
No. Dead people are really dead. The vision that the woman medium saw and spoke with was not the prophet Samuel. It was a demon pretending to be Samuel.Remember a few years earlier, Samuel had said to Saul, “The LORD has torn the kingdom [...]
King Solomon, while dedicating the Temple, considered the greatness of God. 1 Kings 8:27, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” God’s greatness is [...]
1 Corinthians 14:34–35 is an often-misunderstood passage:The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says. If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own [...]
Perhaps you are thinking of Enoch and Elijah. First, consider Enoch. Genesis 5:24 (NIV), “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” And Hebrews 11:5 (NKJV), “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not [...]
1 Corinthians 7:14 (ESV), “For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his (believing) wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her (believing) husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean (sinners under condemnation, unjustified, unrelated to God, aliens from His [...]
Yoga exercises stretch and strengthen muscles, increase balance, and may reduce stress. As an exercise, it can be beneficial. However, if a class includes Eastern meditations, those meditations may have a non-Christian, religious dimension. Some meditations simply focus on body awareness. People breathe quietly, [...]
No. Isaiah 64:6 (NIV), “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…” Even if we try as hard as we can, we are still sinners, and our deeds are unclean. Job asked a similar [...]
The angel, Gabriel, told Zecharias that his wife Elizabeth would give birth to a prophet who would be named John. John would “be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with [...]
No one may demand a sacrifice or gift from another. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, never asked for, nor demanded, nor owned a house. Luke 9:58, “Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man [...]
Many churches seem to focus on tithing, attendance numbers, beautiful buildings. Of course, we all know those things do not bring us closer to God. We need to feed on God’s word and then apply those truths to our lives. In our non-demoninational group, [...]
Revelation 17:1,5-6,15-18 (ESV), “… Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, ... 5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.’ 6 [...]
Many think if a person believes in Jesus and lives a righteous life, that is enough. Not so. Jesus said, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Mark 8:34. We deny our own wills, [...]
The book of Colossians was written by the apostle Paul to the church at Colossae, a city in Asia Minor. After his greeting (verses 1-2) Paul expresses his thanks to God for them and encourages them in their dedication, service, and love in the [...]
Animals are souls. Genesis 1:21,24 (KJV), 21 “And God created great whales, and every living creature (nephesh) that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. ... 24 And [...]
Isaish 28:16-16 (NASB1995): 16 Therefore this is what the Lord God says: Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed.The one who believes in it will not be disturbed. 17 I will make [...]
The phrase “son of God” demonstrates the special relationship between parent and child. It indicates closeness, favor, protection, guidance and love. In Luke 3:38, Mary’s genealogy records that Adam was a “son of God.” Adam was created perfect in God’s image and likeness (see Genesis [...]
Summary: To receive a heavenly resurrection, a person must accept Christ as his Savior, deny his own will to obey God’s will, and be faithful to the heavenly calling.Discussion: The Old Testament offered a promise of earthly, eternal life to anyone who could perfectly [...]
