Last week we talked about what really did, and didn’t, happen around the time of Jesus’ birth. So what is the truth about the visit of those wise men? Were there three wise men? The wise men’s visit is described in Matthew 2:1-12. Western tradition says that there were three Read more…
We’re only a few days from Christmas, so manger scenes and wise men are everywhere. But what really happened two-thousand years ago? Let’s look at a few Christmas facts and Christmas myths. Was Mary a virgin? Yes. Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 1:26-35 both affirm that Mary was a virgin when Read more…
During Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount,[1] he makes this startling statement: “Therefore you shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”[2] Is he serious? Didn’t Paul tell us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”[3] and that we must rely on God’s grace rather than Read more…
A famous saying—said to be an ancient Chinese curse, but more likely the product of British diplomats—is, “May you live in interesting times.” Joseph and Mary certainly lived in interesting times. Both were visited by angels (although Joseph’s visitation was in a dream) to prepare them for an unexpected pregnancy Read more…
In the story of Esther, an evil man name Haman, the Persian king’s right-hand man, planned the destruction of the Jewish people in Persia (modern Iran), and got the king to issue a royal decree to make that happen. Esther, the Queen of Persia, was also secretly a Jew. So Read more…
God gave Jonah the prophet a task: “Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and cry out against it, because their wickedness has come up before Me.”[1] Jonah was a prophet during the early part of the 8th century, B.C. Nineveh, the capital city of the Assyrian Empire, was located Read more…
There are many examples in the Bible of God giving people no real choice in what they do. For example, when God sent Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, God said he would “harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in Read more…
When Pontius Pilate questioned Jesus, they talked about truth: Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this purpose I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to testify to the truth. Read more…
My first book, Beyond Blind Faith, talks about many of the reasons why I believe Christianity is true and is unique among the world’s religions. My hope in writing it was that it would help lead people to Christ by removing some of the stumbling blocks to faith that I Read more…
The New Testament talks a lot about love. We are told to love God,[1] love one another,[2] love our neighbor,[3] and even love our enemies.[4] In 2011, a wonderful CD was published entitled, “Music Inspired by The Story.” One of the most beautiful songs on that album is “How Read more…