For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 The cross is a mystery. How can suffering and dying on a cross be the power of God? The Jews viewed anyone who died on a tree… Continue reading Cross of Jesus Christ: What is the True Meaning of Jesus’ Death on the Cross?
What Is Lent?
Lent is a 40-day period starting on Ash Wednesday that goes until Easter Sunday. The 40-day period does not include Sundays. It is a season in which believers prepare for Easter through self-denial and repentance, seeking for personal piousness, and meditation on the passion and death of Jesus Christ. The number 40 appears frequently in… Continue reading What Is Lent?
Matthew 5:10-12 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Sufferer For Christ
Matthew 5:10-12 NIV 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets… Continue reading Matthew 5:10-12 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Sufferer For Christ
Matthew 5:9 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of Bringing Men Together
Matthew 5:9 NIVBlessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. We must begin our study of this beatitude by investigating certain matters of meaning in it. (i) First, there is the word peace. In Greek, the word is eirene ( Greek #1515 ), and in Hebrew it is shalom ( Hebrew #7965 ). In Hebrew… Continue reading Matthew 5:9 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of Bringing Men Together
Matthew 5:8 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Clean Heart
Matthew 5:8 NIVBlessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Here is the beatitude which demands that every man who reads it should stop, and think, and examine himself. The Greek word for pure is katharos ( Greek #2513 ), and it has a variety of usages, all of which have something to add… Continue reading Matthew 5:8 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Clean Heart
Matthew 5:7 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of Perfect Sympathy
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. – Matthew 5:7 NIV Even as it stands this is surely a great saying; and it is the statement of a principle which runs all through the New Testament. The New Testament is insistent that to be forgiven we must be forgiving. As James had… Continue reading Matthew 5:7 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of Perfect Sympathy
Matthew 5:6 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Starving Spirit
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. – Matthew 5:6 NIV Words do not exist in isolation; they exist against a background of experience and of thought; and the meaning of any word is conditioned by the background of the person who speaks it. That is particularly true… Continue reading Matthew 5:6 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Starving Spirit
Matthew 5:5 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The God-controlled Life
Matthew 5:5 NIVBlessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. In our modern English idiom the word meek is hardly one of the honourable words of life. Nowadays it carries with it an idea of spinelessness, and subservience, and mean-spiritedness. It paints the picture of a submissive and ineffective creature. But it so… Continue reading Matthew 5:5 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The God-controlled Life
Matthew 5:4 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Broken Heart
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 NIV It is first of all to be noted about this beatitude that the Greek word for to mourn, used here, is the strongest word for mourning in the Greek language. It is the word which is used for mourning for the… Continue reading Matthew 5:4 Bible Study Guide: The Bliss Of The Broken Heart
Travel to Jerusalem, the Holy City of Israel
Known as the “Eternal City”, Jerusalem has strongly attracted millions of devout pilgrims for thousands of years. For them, it is the holiest city in the world. It is a holy city that cleanses the soul and fascinates people with its ancient religious culture, but it is also a vibrant city. A visit to Jerusalem… Continue reading Travel to Jerusalem, the Holy City of Israel