‘Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple [Body], and I will raise it again in three days.”’ John 2:19 NIV Let’s examine another theory put forth by those who try to disprove the truth of Christ’s bodily resurrection: the ‘Swoon Theory’. In his book, The Passover Plot, Hugh J. Schonfield theorises that Jesus simply swooned, was [...]
2 Kings 21–23 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is [...]
2 Kings 18:17–20:21 25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. [...]
‘What I do have I give you.’ Acts 3:6 NKJV Notice two things in this story. First: it’s important to know what you have and don’t have. ‘Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.”’ You must become comfortable in your own skin and confident in [...]
Galatians 5:22 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 1 Corinthians 13 14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he [...]
‘Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer.’ Acts 3:1 NKJV The Bible says: ‘Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer… And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple…to [...]
‘If we can be acceptable to God by obeying the Law, it was useless for Christ to die.’ Galatians 2:21 CEV While grace doesn’t give anyone a licence to live as they please, the judgmentalism that comes from insisting that others live by our standards has caused untold damage. Chuck Swindoll writes: ‘Legalism spreads a [...]
2 Kings 16–18:16 29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the [...]
‘I delight to do Your will.’ Psalm 40:8 NKJV Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth, wrote: ‘Tonight I sit on the porch, our old German Shepherd dog lying at my feet. Thunder rumbles in the distance. As the storm nears he tears into the front yard to meet it… furiously doing battle. As it passes he returns [...]
2 Kings 13–15 3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will [...]
2 Kings 11–12 29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against [...]
‘Offer up your prayers and requests to God.’ Philippians 4:6 CEV The Bible says, ‘With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. Then God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.’ (Philippians 4:6–7 CEV) When you pray [...]
In our last program we took a look at the parable of the prodigal son from an eastern perspective, rather than from a western perspective and it looks really quite different. We also learned what an appalling offense it would have been for a son to request his inheritance before his father has passed away…it [...]
‘She has done a beautiful thing to Me.’ Mark 14:6 NIV Most of us are good actors, but it’s difficult to fake a reaction. And when the woman broke the alabaster jar, the reaction of the disciples is telling. ‘Why this waste?’ They thought she was pouring her perfume down the drain by pouring it [...]
2 Kings 9–10 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves. 16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is [...]
Luke 15:17-24, ‘But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I’ll arise and go to my father, and I’ll say to him, ‘Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and before you. I’m no longer worthy to be called [...]
‘More than a year’s wages.’ Mark 14:5 NIV It’s possible the alabaster jar of perfume represented every cent of this woman’s life savings. The value is evidenced by the fact that two gospel writers find it noteworthy enough to give us a written estimate: three hundred denarii—the equivalent of an entire year’s salary. Let’s get [...]
2 Kings 7–8 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on [...]
The Hebrew words of the Bible are incredibly rich not only because of their history but also because of their meaning. Like all languages, words have meaning and are used to communicate; the Hebrew alphabet has a fascinating history and progression, originally the Hebrew characters were symbols and over the course of very early centuries [...]
2 Kings 4:18–6:33 34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart [...]
‘A woman who had lived a sinful life… brought an alabaster jar of perfume.’ Luke 7:37 NIV The Bible says, ‘A woman who had lived a sinful life… brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping… poured perfume on them.’ (Luke 7:37–38 NIV) This perfume was pure [...]
Exodus 20:17 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 1 Kings 5 10 He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. Luke 12:13–34
‘It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.’ Galatians 2:20 NAS When men first learned to navigate the seas by using the stars, a whole new world opened up to them. A common saying in those days was, ‘He who is a slave to the compass enjoys the freedom of the [...]
2 Kings 1–4:17 15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed [...]
As the church grew bigger and they became busier, they made a life-changing decision: ‘We will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word.’ As a result, the church grew and multiplied.