The Lord’s Prayer and the Kingdom of God – Part 3

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (KJV) Forgiveness is a powerful tool for restoring and maintaining relationships between individuals, ethnic groups, or even nations. It even restores a broken relationship with God and leads to immortality. God’s forgiveness of us restores relationship with Him; our forgiveness of each other …

Sodom, Gomorrah and the Rapture

There is debate among Christians about an end times event called the rapture, which is the instant removal from the earth of all true believers in Christ when the mission of the church on earth is complete. So what in the world does an account of Sodom and Gomorrah have to do with the rapture …

The Woman at the Well – Chance Encounter or Messianic Mission?  Part 4 – The Rift, the Revelation, and the Reconciliation

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 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 …

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 …