Christians: Winners or losers?
Answer: Winners - but not in the way many think.

A story is told – and I have every reason to believe it is true – of a man of God who was recently shown through a magnificent church property. I don’t have the details, but it could have been any one of a number of papal palaces or stone basillicas filled with art treasures across Europe, or crystal cathedrals filled with the latest electronics and broadcasting facilities anywhere in North America.

“See,” the man was told, “no longer can the church say, ‘Silver and gold have I none’.”

“Yes,” was the response. “But neither can the church say, ‘Arise and walk’.”
» Continue reading “Abundant life for Christians”

Jesus - turns your thinking upside down

It is a process where we need to work in harmony with the Holy Spirit ( Gal 5:16-17,25)

The change is not outward. It is inward. Jesus said: “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks ( Matt 12:34-35).
» Continue reading “Changing toxic thinking”

One out of every five verses in the Bible predicts the future. That makes the Bible unique. No other writings foretell what is to come in quite the same way. Certain Bible prophecies, such as those which predicted the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as well as those which said that Israel would be scattered throughout the earth, have been fulfilled. Other prophecies speak of events which have yet to transpire.
» Continue reading “Amazing Bible prophecy coming true”

Jesus spoke Hebrew. His mother-tongue would have been Hebrew – the language of Jews in Israel and the language of their Scriptures.

Yeshua - the name of Jesus in Hebrew

Nowhere in the original Greek text of the New Testament is the word ‘Aramaic’ to be found, although a very few Aramaic words are used. Certain passages in the original text of the Old Testament Scriptures are in Aramaic, namely Daniel 2:4-7:28 and Ezra 4:8, 6:18 and 7:12-28. Because Jesus studied the Old Testament Scriptures during His earthly ministry, we can be sure that He also understood and spoke Aramaic.

Jesus would also have spoken Greek and Latin.
» Continue reading “What language did Jesus speak?”

The Garden of Gethsemane, on the side of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, is where Jesus went to pray before His ordeal on the cross of Calvary.

Olive oil is pressed from the fruit of the olive tree

The Bible says that Jesus was troubled and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of sweating drops of blood. Three times Jesus prayed that if it were possible the cup of suffering would be taken from Him, but that the will of the Father would nevertheless be done.

Chapter 12 of the book of Hebrews tells us that Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame” and that He did this “for the joy set before Him”. In other words, although He was under immense pressure, and in torment at the suffering He was undergoing, He pressed on, firstly, because it was the will of the Father and, secondly, because, by faith, He knew that He would have great joy on the other side of the suffering.

The setting of His spiritual travail before the crucifixion, at Gethsemane, and even the name of the place, is deep with meaning.
» Continue reading “What Gethsemane means”

When Charles Dickens wrote the classic novel “David Copperfield”, he created an unattractive character called Uriah Heep – a greedy, insincere, ambitious manipulator who constantly proclaimed his “humbleness”. But Uriah Heep was not humble. He was proud, and self-absorbed and self-serving. The words that came out of his mouth were false. Someone who is really humble is not even aware of their humility. They aren’t absorbed with themselves at all.
» Continue reading “False humility and Christians”

Here is one of the wonderful promises of God: “He will keep in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” (Isa 26:3) Peace in our hearts is not only a promise and reward of God – a state that unbelievers often envy in an increasingly frenetic world – it is also a condition that we are commanded to enter. Jesus said: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” ( John 14:1,27 )
» Continue reading “Peace in your heart”

In June 2010 the United States federal government debt passed the $13 trillion mark. The figure had increased by $2.4 trillion in the previous 18 months. And it excludes money owed by the different USA state governments, and by business and individuals. Thirteen trillion is a number so frighteningly large that it is difficult to comprehend its magnitude. The following example may help:

• One million seconds is equal to 11 days.
• One billion seconds is equal to 31 years.
• One trillion seconds is equal to 31,000 years.
• Thirteen trillion seconds is equal to 412,000 years!

» Continue reading “Debt, gambling and greed”

There is a plant that grows in arid areas of Israel that the Bible uses as a prophetic picture of what is to happen in the future. The plant is the “galgal” (Hebrew: gimel lamed gimel lamed). It is mentioned twice in the Old Testament – once in Psalm 83 and again in Isaiah 17. The NIV translates the Hebrew as “tumbleweed”. This is probably as good a word as could be used for an English translation, but it does not identify the exact plant and it fails to capture the essence of what God is going to do. » Continue reading “God’s deliverance of Israel”

Jesus did not have money. Jesus carried no money. We can know for sure that Jesus was not rich in monetary terms in this life because the Bible gives us stories and examples that prove that Jesus did not carry money.

Roman coins

We know this is so because when the Pharisees tried to trap Him, and He told them to “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s,” He first had to ask them to bring Him a coin ( Matt 22:15-21 ).

Also, in Matthew 17:24-27 we read that Jesus told Peter to catch a fish, open its mouth and there he would find money to pay the Temple tax. Jesus carried no money. He looked to His Father in heaven to supply His needs. » Continue reading “Did Jesus have money?”