Because of Rebekah’s kindness to him, Abraham’s servant presented her with gifts of jewelry. The “earring” was actually a nose ring. The servant said later that he had put this piece of jewelry “upon her face” (Genesis 24:47). Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES (JEWELRY FOR THE NOSE AND ARM)
Any description of God will necessarily use terms and ideas solidly anchored in humor experience. Our own experience, after all, is our only reference point for knowing God. It should be no surprise, then, that most of the emotions people feel are attributed to God at some time: jealousy, fatigue, rapture, love, and even hate. Continue reading IS GOD CAPABLE OF HATE AS WELL AS LOVE? (PSALM 5:5)
HEBREWS 11:31- “By faith the prostitute received the spies in peace and didn’t perish with those who disobeyed.”
There’s no nice way to say it. Rahab was a harlot-in modern parlance, a hooker. At her home atop the wall that surrounded the bustling, ancient city of Jericho, Rahab took in strange men and gave out sexual favors.
ANTICHRIST- The antichrist is an adversary of the Messiah, used by Satan to oppose the work of God (2 Thess 2:9; Rev 13:12). Various terms in Scripture designate this individual, including “abomination of desolation” (Dan 12:11 Matt 24:15), “the beast” (Rev 13:1-8), “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thess 2:1-10), and “antichrist.” In the Greek, the prefix anti- means “against,” “opposite,” or “in the place of.” Appropriately named, the antichrist stands against Christ and operates contrary to Him by speaking lies and blasphemies and by persecuting God’s people. In addition, he seeks to stand in the place of Christ, garnering to himself the worship due to God alone.
Old Testament rules of holiness had a vital either/or quality about them, unlike more tolerant religious rules of the present day. These older rules paint a portrait of a holy and just God, one whose will cannot be dismissed and whose word cannot be ignored. On one occasion that illustrates the stringency of these rules, a bystander tried to save the ark of the covenant from a fall, but in so doing violated the rule of holiness and lost his life (2 Samuel 6:6-7). Continue reading WHY WOULD PEOPLE DIE IF THEY GOT TOO CLOSE TO GOD?
There were several different ways of bowing in Bible times. These ranged from lowing the head to bending the knees to kneeling down before another person. Continue reading BIBLE CUSTOMS AND CURIOSITIES “TOTAL BODY BOWING”
No doctor operating on a patient has ever discovered an organ called the soul, yet we have no better term to describe what distinguishes human beings from every other part of God’s creation. Only people have the unique gift of self-consciousness, the ability to reflect on their own experience, to interpret it to others, and then to speak about it. A famous professor once said, “Dogs bark, but dogs never bark about barking.” Continue reading WHAT IS A SOUL “3 JOHN 2”
We judge what’s good by establishing a benchmark, which has been the task of moral philosophers since the invention of language. Several benchmarks currently compete: personal pleasure, social stability accepted norms (“do not inflict needles pain” is one example). following religious teaching. or obeying God. Continue reading HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT “GOOD” IS? (3 JOHN 11)
Skipping the next 30 years in Jesus’ life, Matthew jumps to the start of his ministry, marked by two events: baptism and temptation. Continue reading JESUS GOES PUBLIC
Ancient city at the modern site of Izmir, Turkey. Smyrna surrounded a well-protected harbor on the Aegean Coast at the outlet of the Hermus River. The city lay at the foot of Mount Pagus and is located about 35 miles north of Ephesus. Extensive trade to and from Asia passed through the city. During the first century A.D. Smyrna reigned as one of the grandest cities of all Asia. Strabo (64 B.C- A.D. 20s), the Greek geographer, called Smyrna “the most beautiful city of all” cities along this coast. A large temple there, dedicated to Emperor Tiberius, boasted Smyrna’s close alliance with the Empire. Continue reading DEFINITION OF THE DAY “SMYRNA”
