Artificial Intelligence, What Does God Think?
“Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” Proverbs 1:5 I remember showing up for my first day of college in 1971. I was eager and excited about this new chapter in my life. I had my books and notebooks ready. I was organized, and I even had […]
Jesus’ Last Words on the Cross
“It is Finished.” An eerie gloom fell over the area and the bystanders. As the hours went by, Jesus’ breath became more and more labored. Beyond his severe physical pain, Jesus began to feel the indescribably intense pain of all of humankind’s sins being borne by him. Sins of a mundane nature and sins of […]
Jesus’ Prayer in Gethsemane
Yet Not my Will, But What You Will Jesus, with Peter, James, and John, went into the labyrinth of the olive trees. As they walked, Jesus’ anxiety grew further, and he became more troubled. He was breathing heavily, at times gasping and shuddering when he was confronted with the reality of his immediate future. Finally, […]
The First Communion Service
The Blood of the New Covenant After Jesus had washed their feet, suddenly he again dramatically shifted the mood in the room by saying, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me” (Mk. 14:17). Heads turned to Jesus, shocked by his statement. Everyone but Judas searched their minds […]
How Jesus Cleansed the Temple
On Monday of the Holy Week was the day to act and make the temple a holy place again. Jesus was going to defend his father’s house. The Courtyard of the Gentiles in the Temple area had been turned into a money-making scheme, which took advantage of the masses used to buy sacrificial animals and […]
Raising Lazarus—The Turning Point
Of particular concern for Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin was Jesus raising a local man from the dead three months earlier. This incident had caused many to cross over from just wondering about Jesus to believing he was their answer—perhaps the long-awaited Messiah. While Jesus was on the eastern shore of the Jordan, two sisters, Martha […]
When the Saints Go Marching In
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,” – Hebrews 12:1 All Saints’ Day, a revered tradition in the Methodist church as well as […]
Jesus Meets Us Where We Are
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” – Revelations 3:20 A close friend recently shared his newfound journey of faith, expressing his decision to attend an Eastern Orthodox church. As […]
Forgiveness Heals Us
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. – Luke 15:32 The parable of the Prodigal Son, narrated by Jesus in Luke 15:11-32, stands as one of the most poignant illustrations of God’s unconditional love and the […]
The Prison Epistle: Philippians – The Happiest Book in The Bible
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” – Philippians 4:4 In 60 AD, the Apostle Paul found himself sitting in a prison in Rome. Despite these dire circumstances, he penned the Epistle to the Philippians, a short book of only four chapters in the New Testament. From within the cold […]