You may have heard it said that “God tests but does not tempt.” Such conviction is usually based on a well-known verse: “No one, when tempted, should say, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one” (James 1:13...
If you don't know what shofar is, don't feel bad. It's an obscure item, a ritual instrument, and its name comes from ancient Hebrew. It is a special trumpet used in Jewish holiday observance, connected to the Jewish new year and Day of Atonement...
One of the best-known verses from the Gospels is John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world..." But just before that, Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so, must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes...
There is a common sentiment among those who embrace Christ – “Jesus paid it all. That is all you need for atonement of sin”. This is very true, but much more needs to be said about sacrifices in this context. There is a common and naïve assumption that all sacrifices are...
If you are looking for a way to dig into the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible and get access to great dictionaries and research tools I frequently use, I have just partnered with Logos - my favorite Bible Software. We share a common value of putting the Bible first,...
Have you ever felt as you read the Bible that it makes no sense? You understand the words but not the meaning or the point the text is trying to make. The truth is - you are not alone. I have just published a new book entitled "Missing Ingredients:...
About 1,300 years ago, some unknown scribe in Roman-dominated Palestine took a book of the Gospels in Syriac, erased its original text, and reused the parchment for another purpose. The parchment was scarce in antiquity, so existing texts were sometimes erased, recicled and materials were reused for new books....
In this day and age, most Christian readers are aware that the "New Testament" is a Jewish composition. Yet because these writings have been read as anything but Jewish documents for so many generations now learning how to re-read them in a more natural way is a slow...
We live in the age of science, logic, and information when many spiritual beliefs that cannot be rationally explained are questioned and dismissed. There is one particular belief that lies at the core of Jewish and Christian faiths that is often doubted by skeptics from both sides. Yes, more and...