“from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’”-Matthew 27:45-36 While studying for today’s morning sermon, I kept running across this… Read More »
Jesus, “Who Is He?”
“I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”-John 8:24 We know we must believe in Jesus, but what must we believe? It’s not quite as simple as you might imagine. The best answer comes from two Scriptures. In Matthew… Read More »
Nets, Hooks, And Jesus
“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”-Matthew 4:19 The word of God has much to say about the humble profession of the fisherman. Our Lord’s first four apostles were harvesters of the sea. When Jesus called Andrew and Peter, he told them he would make them fishers of men. For the Jews… Read More »
Why Study Genesis?
For many, the Bible really starts with the first verse of Matthew chapter one. Any time we study from the Old Testament, someone will come up to me and say some version of this, “I hope we don’t stay in this long. We need to hear about Jesus.” They will complain the Old Testament isn’t… Read More »
Is It Worth The Warm And Fuzzies?
It is all so grand. The Christmas play, the Nativity scene, the midnight mass, Linus, and all the talk about the “Christ child.” It allows us to tut-tut a little public morality about how commercialism has made all those worldly, sinners forget “Jesus is the reason for the season.” In fact, why don’t we have… Read More »
Confusing And Confusinger
Allow me to offer a gentle reminder as we begin: “The word of God says what it says.” As we examine I Peter 3:18-20, we may vary on the meaning of the passage, but we are bound to agree on the words. What does this section of Scripture actually say? “For Christ…being put to death… Read More »
Beginnings and Endings
“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”-Matthew 1:1 I wish my memory would allow me to name the person who first suggested a study of the opening and closing verses of Bible books to me. It has been a most profitable tip for studying God’s word. … Read More »
Was Jesus Born Before Anno Domini?
Perhaps no other group of Christians is as concerned with the date of Christ’s birth, resurrection, and ascension, as churches dedicated to restoring the faith, worship, and practice of the New Testament. An unknowable number of tracts, sermons, and Bible studies have focused on doing away with every tradition of man that has been added… Read More »
The Word of God; Part VI
“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”-Luke 24:46-47 Jesus rose from the dead to give life to all those who trust and serve him (John… Read More »
The Word of God; Part V
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”-Luke 2:11 The last book of the Old Testament is Malachi. Four hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Malachi prophesied about a messenger who would come in the spirit of Elijah and prepare the way of… Read More »