Incredibly, Jesus prayed three times and did not get His prayer answered: “Let this cup pass from me” and “take away this cup from me,” He cried. (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36). It was not possible. What exactly was in that mysterious cup that caused Jesus to shrink from drinking it? And what was in it…
The incredible teaching of Jesus in the story of the “Rich man and Lazarus” indisputably teaches the reality of hell. This story is not a parable as Jesus tells of a particular rich man and a poor man named Lazarus. In no parable is a personal name ever given. This story teaches the reality of…
Who is the Holy Spirit? One might think that the Holy Spirit is merely a power, a force, or a strength from God. However, it is foundational to our faith in God to understand that the Holy Spirit is a Person, the Third Person in the eternal Godhead. As a person, we should experience His…
During Black History month, it is good to highlight powerful examples of black history from the Bible. As I have lived in a black community for many years and also started and pastored churches with significant numbers of Christians of color, I have learned to have a deep appreciation for black people, their godly faith,…
The rapture is the catching away of believing saints from the earth to meet Jesus Christ in the air. The English word “rapture” is not in the Bible but derives from the Latin word raptura, which means, “to carry away.” We translate the Greek word that relates to the word rapture with “caught up” in…
Getting married is one of life’s most revealing, most character making (or breaking) decisions. In Malachi’s day God’s people were dealing “treacherously” against God and one another. (This word appears five times in Malachi 2:10-16 and means to betray) How? By marrying unbelievers or those who worshiped “strange gods” (Malachi 2:11), and divorcing the wife…
There are five strong reasons in Malachi 2:13-16 that lead believers to remain faithful to their marriage vows. Our study of the first three reasons are in part one and part two of this series. They are: Remain faithful because of the divine covenant of marriage, because of the infinite power of the Holy Spirit,…
Colossians 1:24: Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body’s sake, which is the church. Paul’s bold statement on suffering is amazing on a number of levels. First, it is amazing that Paul rejoices in suffering. Writing…
By Pastor Matthew Recker Church attendance is dropping nationwide. Many think they are perfectly justified. They offer many excuses, but here are some common ones: 1.“Someone said or did something to hurt me deeply.” 2.“I’ve got new interests.” 3.“I don’t like how the church treats people.” 4.“I’m not being fed” or “the church is not…
In a Gospel Coalition article, Sam Storms has a piece entitled “Why I Changed My Mind on the Millennium.” He says that it is now impossible for him to hold to premillennialism, having now switched to an amillennial position. As a response, I would like to share why I cannot change my mind on a…
