Category Archives: Trinity

Can I Trust the Bible?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua

Study the Evidence of the Resurrection Objectively

We see examples in scripture where Pharisees and Sadducees make up wild explanations to explain away the miracles Jesus was plainly doing in the name of God right before their very eyes. People today who do not want to believe in Jesus continue to do the same today.

There is strong evidence of the following, for those who are willing to genuinely study it with an open mind, seeking truth rather than seeking to justify positions they already hold that reject Jesus.

  • Jesus was a real historical figure who performed many miracles
  • Jesus claimed to be God
  • Jesus was brutally tortured, crucified, killed, and buried in a tomb
  • On the third day, the tomb was empty despite guard by Roman soldiers
  • Jesus appeared before many witnesses after His death
  • The disciples were transformed through the death and resurrection of Jesus from those who would hide or deny Him (e.g. Peter) to those willing to suffer and die to proclaim Him.

It is difficult to capture the detailed study of each in a devotional or post. Each of these points can be, and have been, more fully developed by Christian scholars in a variety of books. There are also additional evidences including fulfillment of prophecy that are powerful testimony to the truth of Jesus Christ as God.

I encourage each of you to spend time studying objectively to convince yourselves where the evidence really leads. Even if you believe and already follow Jesus,  studying the evidence can better prepare you to share testimony with non-believers or just to strengthen your own faith for trials that may come your way.

Couple recommendations to get a quick start…

  • Christianity on Trial: Does the Christian faith hold up under scrutiny? What does science tell us about the plausibility of a god? Can we trust the alleged eyewitness testimony of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus?
  • The Third Day, by Hank Hanegraaff, examines factual evidences from the fatal torment and empty tomb to Christ’s appearances and transformation in a way that builds Christians’ confidence in sharing the truth of the gospel.
  • Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Qureshi, describes a dramatic journey from Islam to Christianity including the friendships, experiences and investigation that led to conversion.
  • Josh McDowell Ministry, at www.Josh.org. As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling, overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith.

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Evidence in Scripture, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles

Jesus Heals the Mute, Crippled, Lame, and Blind!

Matthew 15 is filled with inspiring record of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus talks about inner purity, the importance of following God’s law instead of man’s tradition, and responds in compassion to the request of the gentile woman to cast out a demon. What follows next in Matthew 15:29-31 is nothing short of amazing.

29 Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. 30 A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn’t speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. 31 The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn’t been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel.

It is all too easy to read quickly over these few lines of scripture. But if we intentionally pause and dwell on this scripture we see another amazing record where Jesus performed His miracles in front of large crowds. It was certainly no slight of hand or trick, but the power of God Himself. Those who could not talk could now talk… the lame, the blind, the crippled… all healed in front of large crowds that had known these people and known that they were truly suffering with these conditions before Jesus healed them.

There will always be those like the Pharisees, who make up wild reasons to rationalize Jesus was not God. They look at the evidence and then choose to make up explanations to avoid the natural and obvious conclusion that Jesus is God. Some major world religion is based on logic such as this… rejecting the accurate record of the Bible and creating new records that just make up a new story about Jesus to say He is only a prophet and that He did not die for us and come back from the dead… despite irrefutable evidence of the public and brutal execution and the empty tomb and the many witnesses who saw Him for 40 days after He rose from the dead.

Jesus was clearly recognizable by the crowds and they saw in mass the miracles He performed during His earthly ministry. As His followers, we can know that He is God… just like He said. He does not ask us to just take His word for it, but rather came down to live among us and leave us much evidence.

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Hearing from God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Share the Good News

Jesus Was Not Honored In His Hometown or Amongst His Family

Matthew 13:53-58 reveals to us how Jesus was rejected in Nazareth despite people observing that He had great wisdom and power to do miracles. The scoffed at Him and dismissed Him… some were deeply offended by Him.

53 When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. 54 He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, “Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?” 55 Then they scoffed, “He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph,[f] Simon, and Judas. 56 All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?” 57 And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him.

Then Jesus told them, “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family.” 58 And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.

It is common for us to tend to dismiss those we know as having special wisdom or relationship with God and instead look to strangers. Similarly human nature sometimes leads us to trust those that are like us and reject those that are different from us based on appearance or language or home country. We should always challenge ourselves to test what a person teaches against scripture itself, not against our biases or opinions of where they were from or what they look like or whether or not we know them.

There is also much encouragement for those who follow God’s instruction to share the gospel with others. Do not be discouraged by those who come against you or dismiss your efforts telling you “Who are you to teach people?” Look and see that Jesus received the same treatment. He did not let it discourage Him. Study the word, as Jesus did, to learn greater depth and understanding. Continue to proclaim God’s word boldly and share the gospel with others.

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Consequences of Sin, False Prophets / Teachers, Heaven and Hell, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Wickedness / Evil

Parable of the Fishing Net

Jesus continues to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven through  parables in Matthew 13:47-52 using a comparison to a fishing net.

47 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. 48 When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away. 49 That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous, 50 throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 Do you understand all these things?”

“Yes,” they said, “we do.”

52 Then he added, “Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old.”

It is important to recognize once again that not all of us will go into heaven to spend eternity with God. We must choose the offer of grace through Jesus which also leads to repenting from our sin and changing our behavior and thoughts. We can not just keep sinning and ignoring God or outright rejecting Him and then expect Him to accept us into heaven.

We must not claim to be His followers and wear the label Christian, but then not submit to His leadership and follow Him. God calls us to change our behaviors to be righteous, not to change the interpretation of scripture or laws of man to accept our sins.

The good news is that we do not have to be perfect! We can put our faith and hope in Jesus Christ and genuinely repent of our sins (yes, imperfectly) and seek to follow Him wholeheartedly. We can proclaim His message loudly and try to bring others with us to Jesus.

One final observation… Jesus calls out the teachers of religious law that become disciples of Kingdom of Heaven… these are two separate things. Many who are or just seem knowledgeable as religious leaders are not disciples in the Kingdom of Heaven. Even Satan knows the word of God very well. The difference is a matter of the heart and the desire to serve God or serve themselves.

Praise God for those teachers and church leaders who are disciples of Jesus! They are messengers bringing joy to the world.  Please look for opportunities to thank and encourage those who teach God’s whole word according to the Bible. Many will reject them for it, but the encouragement is great when receiving it genuinely from their flock.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Obeying God, Parables, Righteousness / Serving God

The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like A Mustard Seed

Jesus continues teaching in parables in Matthew 13:31-35.

31 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

Jesus is not providing a lesson on plants, so do not get distracted by the fact that there are smaller seeds and larger plants. He is using memorable word pictures to help people understand and remember His message. This parable applies to the church, those who submit to and follow Jesus. From something small and seemingly unimportant… a few disciples… comes forth a body of believers that is large and significant and impacts many in a positive way.

Jesus continues with a separate, similar parable to continue driving the point home.

33 Jesus also used this illustration: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough.”

Once again the parable of the yeast reminds us that something small and seemingly insignificant, a small body of followers of Jesus, can affect the whole loaf… or known world.

Both of these parables convey the rapid growth of the church from seemingly irrelevant to wonderfully significant. They may also be thought of in terms of our individual faith and service to God. When we each as individuals accept Jesus and begin on our journey toward living for the kingdom of God, we start with but a little part of us reflecting Jesus but given time and effort we can grow our faith to guide our entire l lives.

34 Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. 35 This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

“I will speak to you in parables.
    I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.[c]”

Jesus speaks in parables to reveal truth about the kingdom of God for those who will hear it and accept it. Others will dismiss it as stories and miss the point.

Ask yourself… “Am I allowing God’s instruction to affect all aspects of my life? Why not? What area(s) am I holding back and not submitting to God?”

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Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Parables, Satan, Share the Good News, Suffering / Adversity

Sharing God’s Word – Parable of Farmer Planting Seeds

Jesus prepares us for sharing God’s word through the parable of the farmer planting seeds in Matthew 13:1-23. Jesus Himself even provides the explanation at the end to describe what the parable means.

13 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

10 His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

11 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. 12 To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. 13 That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
    They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand.

14 This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says,

‘When you hear what I say,
    you will not understand.
When you see what I do,
    you will not comprehend.
15 For the hearts of these people are hardened,
    and their ears cannot hear,
and they have closed their eyes—
    so their eyes cannot see,
and their ears cannot hear,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and let me heal them.’[b]

16 “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. 17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.

18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

I find great encouragement in this parable. I am reminded that my role is to be the farmer planting seeds and I have the opportunity in some cases to help the plant grow by watering or fertilizing with more discussion about the gospel and prayer or sharing personal testimony. I am not responsible for the plant to grow… I can not accept Jesus on someone else’s behalf.

I should not expect that every encounter where I share the good news of Jesus Christ will result in transformed lives, but I keep on planting seeds for those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.”

Praise God for giving us His written word! Praise God for coming to walk among us as man in the person of Jesus Christ and showing us how to live for God and how to relate to Him! Praise God for dying for our sins! Let us help as many as we can to come to know Him.

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Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Salvation, Share the Good News

Salvation In Jesus Through Grace Alone

We gain important insight into salvation in Romans 10:1-15.

10 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. 2 I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. 3 For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4 For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.

5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.[c] 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says,

“The message is very close at hand;
    it is on your lips and in your heart.”[d]

And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[e] 12 Jew and Gentile[f] are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[g]

14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”[h]

A few key comments that strike me from this passage:

  • As followers of Jesus, we want God’s people to be saved. We want them to do more than claim the label Christian, but to understand God’s word and change their lives and hearts to seek Jesus wholeheartedly.
  • Often even people with zeal for God end up on the wrong path, seeking to do things their way instead of God’s way. This is true of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus when this scripture was written and is true today of people who accept their sin or the sins of others and ignore the Bible because they do not want to change or cannot see the need to change.
  • None of us can meet God’s holy standard for salvation by ourselves, our sin comes between us and God.
  • God loved us enough to make a way to reconcile and forgive that sin through grace alone. We are to openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead. 
  • We are all called to be messengers of the good news of the gospel, the news of forgiveness and grace through Jesus Christ with the world.  

We must ask ourselves… Do we really believe? Are we sharing the good news? Are we proclaiming Jesus Christ as our lord and savior? Does our life… our behaviors and thoughts … reflect our submission to Jesus and His teaching? Are we in fact living differently from the world of non-Christians and people who claim the label of Christian but live the lifestyle of the world?

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Demons, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Wickedness / Evil

Show Us A Miraculous Sign

Many call upon Jesus to show them a miraculous sign before they are willing to wholeheartedly follow Him. They often do not realize that He has already shown us a miraculous sign… and they dismissed it and are asking for another.

Matthew 12:38-45 continues after Jesus has just healed a man who could not see or speak and was demon possessed. So obvious was the miracle that even those who wanted to reject Jesus could not deny it happened, but rather had to make up a wild accusation that Jesus was prince of demons to explain it. Jesus spends time confronting them and explaining why this makes no sense. So what happens next… after this miraculous sign, which some refused to acknowledge… they demand a miraculous sign. Yes, really.

38 One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority.”

39 But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign; but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights.

41 “The people of Nineveh will stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for they repented of their sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to repent. 42 The queen of Sheba[e] will also stand up against this generation on judgment day and condemn it, for she came from a distant land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now someone greater than Solomon is here—but you refuse to listen.

43 “When an evil[f] spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order. 45 Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

Are you still waiting for a miraculous sign to follow Jesus as were the teachers and Pharisees in Jesus’ time of earthly ministry?

He has already given us countless signs and miracles, many of which were carefully preserved in scripture. In particular, Jesus points to his death and resurrection as the primary sign He will provide. As we see later in scripture, and in the world around us today, even after He dies and comes back to life in a very public way… there are many who refuse to accept Him as God and follow Him.

What more powerful sign can He give? Is He to personally die and come back to life before each of us across every generation? Jesus calls them an evil and adulterous generation (e.g. reference to worshipping other idols instead of God) that rejects the signs He has given and demands signs.

Don’t sit around waiting for another miraculous sign. Make the decision today to accept Jesus wholeheartedly, proclaim His word loudly, and change your life to be more like his and less like the world. We must truly live differently from the world and those who just claim the label of “Christian” if we are to lead others to Jesus Christ… to be a lamp on a lampstand for all to see.

For those who are already committed to living their lives for Christ… be encouraged. We serve a wonderful God who has given us many signs to encourage us and provide evidence for who He is and how He wants us to live. Praise God for the signs He has given!

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Demons, Discerning / Judging, Disobeying, Rebelling Against, Ignoring God, Forgive Others / Seek Forgiveness, Grace / Forgiveness, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Satan, Wickedness / Evil

“Anyone Who Isn’t With Me Opposes Me” – Jesus

There is much to explore with Jesus in Matthew 12:22-37 including His power over Satan and Satan’s demons, His ability to heal, the willingness of many to see the truth about Jesus from the evidence they witness and the rejection of Jesus by those who are evil regardless of the evidence presented to them.

22 Then a demon-possessed man, who was blind and couldn’t speak, was brought to Jesus. He healed the man so that he could both speak and see. 23 The crowd was amazed and asked, “Could it be that Jesus is the Son of David, the Messiah?”

24 But when the Pharisees heard about the miracle, they said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his power from Satan,[d] the prince of demons.”

25 Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

31 “So I tell you, every sin and blasphemy can be forgiven—except blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man can be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.

33 “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. 34 You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say. 35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. 36 And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. 37 The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.”

Let’s review a couple key points:

  • Jesus heals a demon possessed man who is blind, cannot speak. Those who are unbiased in their view observe the evidence and immediately consider it as pointing toward Jesus as Messiah. Even those with evil in their heart cannot deny that the miracle happened or that a demon was cast out and the man healed. Instead, they make up a wild explanation to continue their pre-existing bias against Jesus. They refuse to see.
  • Jesus takes the time to clearly show the wicked why their argument against Him makes no sense, despite knowing they will ultimately reject Him anyway. He tells them the truth and gives them the opportunity to turn toward Him.
  • This demonstration of the power of God to cast out a demon demonstrates also that God has power over Satan.
  • Jesus reminds us that there is no neutral position, no quiet position “sitting on the fence”. “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.” [Matthew 12:30]. We must each decide if we are working with Jesus or we are working against Him. It requires more than quietly acknowledging Him with our lips and then refusing to speak out against sin and speak up for God’s way. It requires living boldly for Jesus and proclaiming Him loudly – even in the face of persecution.Jesus speaks of the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. There can be some Christian debate on to what exactly Jesus is referring. One likely conclusion is that Jesus is speaking of the Pharisees experiencing an undeniable miracle of the Holy Spirit, and consciously choosing to reject this evidence and instead attribute the event to power from Satan.  There are examples of others, like Saul of Tarsus who later became Paul, who rejected the Holy Spirit at first and then accepted it later. Thus we conclude it is not a one time rejection, but rather a continuous and willful rejection of the Holy Spirit.
  • Jesus uses the wickedness of the Pharisees as an example for us to understand how to use discernment to evaluate the wickedness of someone’s heart. We are to identify or judge a tree by its fruit. While we should do so carefully and with grace, we are given direct example from Jesus that we are to use discernment to identify the wicked / evil. By discerning properly, we will be better prepared to tune out the false teaching of the evil and focus on proper teaching and leadership of the righteous.
  • Continuing, Jesus reminds us that we are accountable for our words, that they represent an overflow of the condition of the heart, and are very powerful and at times can be either helpful or destructive.

There is a lot of important teaching to dwell on in this small amount of scripture. I encourage each of you to read it again and think about how to apply each part to your life to grow closer to Jesus.

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Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?, Jesus Christ / Yeshua, Miracles, Prophecy

Jesus Fulfills The Prophecy Of Isaiah

Matthew 12:15-21 clearly states that Jesus was God’s chosen servant about which Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 42. This scripture, along with many others, demonstrate the continuity of the Old Testament history of God and His people with the New Testament gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Old Testament points forward to Jesus. Jesus fulfills prophecy and the law; He does not abolish or replace it. It is important to study and know both the Old and New Testaments.

15 But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, 16 but he warned them not to reveal who he was. 17 This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

18 “Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.
    He is my Beloved, who pleases me.
I will put my Spirit upon him,
    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
19 He will not fight or shout
    or raise his voice in public.
20 He will not crush the weakest reed
    or put out a flickering candle.
    Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.
21 And his name will be the hope
    of all the world.”

While Jesus’ earthly ministry changes our relationship with God with forgiveness through the grace of Christ and His death on the cross, God is still unchanging and the Old Testament continues to be a rich source of information about how we relate to God and how He relates to us as His people. It shows us much about what He likes and despises. It gives us much wisdom about how to live our lives in a way that makes our lives better and honors God at the same time.

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