The rift, the dispute between the Jews and the Samaritans was explained in a previous post. As stated, it was a source of hatred between the Jews and Samaritans. While there were other factors involved, it boiled down to where you worship God. The Jews contended that Jerusalem is the only place for valid worship …
The Woman at the Well – Chance Encounter or Messianic Mission? Part 2 – The Samaritans
My last post focused on the location of Jacob’s well. This small area around Sychar, known as Shechem in the Old testament, is a “spiritual ground zero” with a rich history going all the way back to Abraham. This post will focus on the history of the Samaritans as a people. Its important to understand …
The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 2
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11 (KJV) The first post regarding this prayer was about the bigger picture priorities in prayer: worship of God and praying for his kingdom to come and his will to be done upon the earth. Christian prayer should always begin with these priorities. In my experience as …
Read the full post →“The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 2”
The Woman at the Well – Chance Encounter or Messianic Mission? Part 1 – The Location
A few years ago, I was asked by my home church leader to lead a study on John 4. I’ve read John 4 many times. It’s a short story about an apparent random encounter between the Lord and a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. As I prepared for the bible study, what I found in …
The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 1
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 (KJV) The Lord’s prayer is the model he gave us for how we are to pray. It’s our prayer. Here is the text of the prayer: After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed …
Read the full post →“The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 1”
The resurrection under attack… again
Over the past week, I was shocked at the anti resurrection tone of the media. I mean, this is holy week for Christians and it was always, as I recall, a time when the resurrection of Jesus Christ was front and center. I don’t ever recall a time in which there was a lack of …
The Books Will be Opened
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. Rev 20:12 This passage in the Book of …
Resurrection
The Apostle Paul’s Hope, indeed, the Hope of all those who trust Christ. Resurrection is a very rich doctrine in the New Testament and the hope of all who trust in Jesus Christ. Hope in the worldly sense is kind of empty – sort of like you wish something would happen but knowing it probably …
The Supernatural Ministry of Jesus
The world of the first century was filled with paganism. Idolatry and veneration of the dead were common practice in the ancient world since the earliest times of the bible following Genesis 3. The world of the intertestamental time was filled with all kinds of deities: the Roman pantheon, the Greek pantheon, the ancient deities …
Where do we go from here?
COVID shattered the status quo in the western church. What is the path forward for those who follow Christ as the prophetic countdown clock continues to tick away? What should the church model be in these final days of the church age? Is the traditional western model we have built over the last 50 years …