Many believe that Jesus will reign 1000 years when He returns (the doctrine of "millennialism"). In fact, the Bible says that, "they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him [Jesus] for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:6) However, it's just one verse. Could it be a figurative way to [more]

Many today live as though they will never come before God in judgment. But Jesus said, "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44) In the same context, he divulges that "concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even [more]

With the popularity of the "social gospel" that exists today, it's often assumed that Jesus performed miracles purely as an act of compassion. Of course, He was compassionate! But is that Jesus performed miracles when on earth? Miracles (or "signs and wonders") were directed by God1,4 and performed through the [more]

The idea of the Holy Spirit having a dwelling is well established in Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word "shekhinah" means dwelling or settling and culminates into this Jewish idea of "Divine Presence". We can read of God's (e.g. Holy Spirit's) dwelling among the people of Israel first in the wilderness wanderings (Exodus [more]

Where Jesus is today is a simple enough question.  However, levelsetting on the answer can be foundational in understanding other aspects of the Godhead.  It can also be the first step in understanding other characteristics and responsibilities for the Son of God. Jesus is in heaven, seated at the [more]

The inward call versus the outward call. Many today distinguish these as two different types of Godly or heavenly 'callings'. Dividing the spiritual callings found in scripture between an 'inward call' and an 'outward call' is perpetuated at least in part by teachings credited to John Calvin. "Calvinism", or more currently labeled Reformed or [more]

What Christian's believe and how they have come to understand what the Bible teaches isn't always shaped purely by scripture. The Ancient Greek influence of Gnosticism has had a profound and enduring effect on Christian thought. Indeed, that may be the case in needing to ask the question, "For whom did Christ die?" This question [more]

God's irresistible grace, also referred to as the 'effectual call' in the Westminster Confession of Faith. It is probably better known as "irresistible grace" as it represents the "I" in "TULIP" - a broader collection of doctrines ascribed to John Calvin (even though he existed long before the acronym). This doctrine of irresistible grace [more]

Jesus teaches that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin that is unforgivable. The “unforgivable” aspect to this can be alarming and troubling. Undoubtedly, there's no Christian that would want to be guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit! Matthew 12:31: Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but [more]

A literal return of King David is a tenant of much of the modern religious thought today. Purveyors of premillennial doctrine, such as David Jeremiah, teach that King David will return in the flesh to rule alongside Jesus during the thousand year reign on earth. The prophets have much to say about David's reign. However, [more]

The Roman soldier's gladius was a double-edged sword used for stabbing and slashing. It was highly effective in its day. The metaphor describing God's word as a double-edged sword is made several times in Scripture. Some references are explicit, others implied, but all together they show something about God's word that's poignant. [more]

Helping the needy was a central activity of Jesus during His short public ministry. Whether He was healing the sick, feeding the poor, even raising the dead, we see Jesus helping the needy in various ways. In fact, his reputation for helping the needy spread and great crowds would come to be healed or [more]

The seal of God or 'God's seal' is a term that comes up enough in Scripture to take note. In fact, based on much of the published material about God's seal, there is too often only one instance that seems to be taken as the primary or default passage. Unfortunately, forming an opinion (or worse, [more]

Understanding the kingdom of God and its characteristics is fundamental to understanding much of God's revealed word. How and what one understands the kingdom of God to be will impact their understanding of such monumental events as Jesus coming to earth, His promised return and the final judgment! First published in 1896, Leo Tolstoy [more]

Much is debated today about if miraculous gifts (aka "power of the Holy Spirit" in Scripture and charismatic gifts today) of the Holy Spirit still exist. Miraculous gifts as a topic is sometimes condensed into two camps - cessationists and continuationists. It is a debate closely associated with and connected to whether or not God [more]

Jesus will return to earth. This is the unchallenged position of many Christians today. It's part of and foundational to a much broader belief around Jesus' second coming - also known as end times doctrine or eschatology. In addition to Jesus’ return to earth, other popularly believed aspects of His second coming include an [more]

A literal one thousand year reign of Jesus on His throne. There are many that believe Jesus' return is for just that - a one thousand year reign (millennium) on earth. It is widely taught and even passed down as "church doctrine." It is a teaching that comes from primarily one verse - Revelation [more]

Someone hearing the gospel is certainly one way for an individual to come to know about God's word and His will. When somebody hears the "good news" they learn about Jesus, His mission on earth and God's plan for mankind's salvation. While hearing the gospel is one way, is it the only way [more]

Jesus' mission is something that can be confused with His actions. What Jesus came to this world to do (Jesus' mission) and what he did (Jesus' activities) are not necessarily the same thing. For example, one of the things He did was feed the hungry. But was that Jesus' mission on earth? He also [more]

"It's a miracle!" That's an exclamation we hear often and have probably uttered ourselves. It might be used to describe passing a test you didn't study for or to sum up a great, come-from-behind victory. For example, the great Olympic victory by the U.S. Men's Hockey team is known as the "Miracle on Ice." [more]

Must an apostle see Jesus? This question gets raised when attempting to justify the appointment of apostles today. The word "apostle" in the Greek (apóstolos) literally means "one who is sent" or "to send off" or simply "messenger". Therefore, while the word could be applied to any missionary or emissary, the question about requiring that [more]

Whether or not the Bible is God's complete revelation has profound implications on Christianity today. If the Bible isn't the complete revelation of God, then the door remains open to "other" revelation. If the Bible is not the complete revelation, then it must require other scriptural authority such as the Quran or the Book [more]

Christ's church goes by many, many different names in this day and time. The signs in front of Christian churches testify to the countless denominations that exist as well as thousands of independent or non-denominational groups. Christ's church may indeed be hard to identify with a sign. Wikipedia defines a Christian denomination as a [more]

How worship to God happens and what it actually looks like varies around the world. In fact, others' offering of worship to God in your own community may look completely different from how you worship. Of course there are differences in how people dress and things they might recite, but this question is [more]

It may seem like an odd or obvious question, but it's definitely worth asking. Christian's should be mindful of who we worship when coming together. More and more evidence in the Evangelical and Christian world today would suggest the question of who we worship is either forgotten or not terribly important. Advocacy for [more]