Yes, it is true. The sentence “There is no God” appears in the Bible. In fact, the words appear twice. They can be found in Psalms 14:1 and Psalms 53:1.

Blood has been shed to preserve the Scriptures for us.

But (and this is a very big ‘but’), look up these verses and you will find that the complete text reads: ‘The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”’

In other words, it is vital to read Bible verses in context.

When someone quotes a Scripture, the first check as to whether they are using it correctly is to read the immediate context – that is, the words preceding and the words following – and then examine the wider context, asking questions such as: Who was speaking, and to whom, and why? Was God pointing to a truth that would be fulfilled later? And the questions don’t end there.
» Continue reading “Shock! The Bible says: “There is no God.””

What is the key to building a large church — not a bricks and mortar building, but a dedicated following? A survey of the largest churches in north America gives an answer, and it has implications for your personal journey of faith.
» Continue reading “How to build a big church”

Books have been written on how to dress for success. Dress up, the books say. People will respect you and then they will pay attention to what you have to say. They tell us that we never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Dressed for success?

The well-cut suit and power tie is standard uniform for business leaders, politicians and anyone who wants to influence people and gain their trust. The well-groomed person, dressed in expensive clothing, is making an effort to impress us with their success and social standing. Others have apparently showered them with money to be able to dress stylishly, so we should trust them too. It is a subtle signal (and it has always had the effect of influencing people) so it is a surprise to read that the apostles dressed in rags – 1 Corinthians 4:11.

Does this suggest that Christians should deliberately be the opposite of the world and be unkempt and shabbily dressed? Not at all. Paul and the other apostles dressed in rags because they were poor. They were rich spiritually, but financially impoverished – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10.
» Continue reading “Heaven, hell, and what to wear”

If you believe in Jesus then you have been purified by that faith ( Acts 15:8-9 and 1 John 5:12 ) and the Holy Spirit lives in you ( 1 John 4:13-15 ).

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire ... (Acts 2:3)

This is an incredible truth: Because you believe in Jesus and because of that simple childlike trust, the supernatural power of God – the same Power who raised Jesus from the dead – dwells in your mortal, corruptible body ( Romans 8:11 and 2 Corinthians 4:7 ).

You have the Holy Spirit. If you did not have the Holy Spirit in your life then you would not be saved ( 1 John 4:2-3a ).

However, you can have more of the Spirit’s power in your life. You gain more of Him by allowing Him to have more of you.
» Continue reading “The Spirit of God dwells in you”

Learn to lean on Jesus

The patriarch Jacob, son of Abraham and Isaac – the man whom God re-named Israel – was a manipulator who went out of his way to take care of his own interests. Although Jacob knew God, and was blessed by God, he was always scheming to his own ends, until God dealt with him. When Jacob was in great danger, the Bible records that he spent a night wrestling with God, and God wrenched his hip so that ever after he walked with a limp ( Genesis 32:22-32 ).

» Continue reading “Don’t trust a man who walks without a limp”

I will give you three simple steps to take if you want to hear from God. It’s not a formula. It’s three principles that are on view in the Bible.

Communicating with God

If you confess that Jesus is the Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you belong to God. You are adopted into His family. He is your Father in heaven. You have every right to hear from Him. ( Romans 10:9 and Ephesians 1:4-5 ).

Jesus also said that those who follow Him hear His voice ( John 10:4,27 ). So, you should expect to hear from Him. You should hear from Him, but many Christians do not. They believe in Jesus. Their salvation is not in doubt. And yet they live without the blessing of hearing God’s voice.
» Continue reading “How to hear from God”

We learn valuable lessons for the life of faith when we study the attitudes of the Jewish people at the time of Jesus, and ask why so many rejected Him. While it is true that the majority of Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah, it is important to recognise that the first to believe in Him were a relatively small group of Jews – numbered in the thousands out of all the millions of Israel.
» Continue reading “Why did so many Jews reject Jesus?”

Jesus Christ was crucified. He died a painful death on the cross, to redeem us for God.

Crucifying the sinful nature. You'll need help with the third nail

We are saved by faith in Jesus. We are saved because we believe that He died and rose again.

The Bible says that we receive salvation through the mercy of God. We did nothing to deserve mercy. We are able to place our faith in Jesus because God has given us the ability to believe. It is a gift from God ( Ephesians 2:8-9 ). This gift is a treasure that is worth more than gold.

However, the Bible says that we must endure to the end in our faith in Jesus Christ ( Colossians 1:22-23 ).

There is a huge difference between earning salvation (which would mean that God would owe us something, and would give us reason to take pride and to boast), and guarding the gift of salvation.

Of course, if you see the gift of salvation as something that can never be lost, then there is nothing to guard — always assuming you can ever be sure that you had the gift in the first place.
» Continue reading “Crucifying the sinful nature”

Jesus "high and lifted up"?
It is His name that is exalted above the heavens.

Jesus Christ was crucified. He died on the cross of Calvary. Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians have a long tradition of portraying Jesus on the cross. Protestants favour the symbol of an empty cross. However, the crucifix image of Jesus is so embedded in human consciousness that you may be surprised that it differs somewhat from the biblical description of Jesus’ sufferings.
» Continue reading “What the Bible says about Jesus’ crucifixion”

The word ‘chutzpah’ has entered the English language from Hebrew and Yiddish. It means ‘impudence’.

Who is guilty?

More commonly, we might say, “You’ve got a cheek”, but we could equally say, “That’s chutzpah.”

Jews illustrate the meaning of the term through the story of a boy who murdered his parents, and then asked to be pardoned because he was an orphan.

This may seem like a strange way to open the question of “Who killed Jesus?”, but do keep reading.

» Continue reading “Who killed Jesus?”