カテゴリー: Faith

Ezekiel 1:18 & 22 – Awesome, Dreadful, Terrible

I was just reading Ezekiel 1 and these two verses, 18 and 22 really stood out to me. The reason being, they both use the word “awesome” in the NIV. This word is used 34 times in the entire NIV translation, all of these times are in the Old Testament. These two verses particularly stood out to me though because the word “awesome” is used without a direct reference to God as most of the other usages are. Ezekiel 1:18 NIV Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. Ezekiel 1:22 NIV Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what […]

Luke 12 – The Servants

I enjoy reading Luke, in many places he has bits of information that help explain things from the other gospels. In Luke 12 for example, there is one section that is paralleled in both Matthew and Mark (though more closely in Matthew), and there is one verse in Luke that is not in the other gospels. This verse helps explain the entire section much more clearly. Luke 12: 35-48 35“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good […]

What Is The Most Important Commandment?

Mark 12:28-34 is one of my favourite examples of Jesus outwitting the questions of the priests, pharisees, teachers etc that were designed to trap or trick him. 28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor […]

Why a star?

I started reading through the book of Matthew again recently, and in Matthew 2, it talks about the three wise men (or magi in some translations) that came from the East. Something I’ve heard and read many times, but I got to thinking, why was it a star? 1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Matthew 2:1, 2 It’s also mentioned again in verses 9 […]

Romans, Grace, Faith, Law

I hear Christians referred to a lot as New Testament Christians, but what does that actually mean? Christians didn’t exist prior to the New Testament, before the New Testament there were no Christians, Christians only came into existance after Christ came to earth, prior to that there were no Christians, or I guess you could say “Old Testament Christians”. My understanding is that they are referring to the new covenant with Christ. Again though, the new covenant didn’t exist until the New Testament anyway, so it’s really a confusing way of saying you are a “Christian”. Often though I hear as part of this that the old covenant and the […]

What does the Bible say about the rapture and being left behind?

The concept of the rapture is an interesting one. It is Biblically based, but the popularised concept in the “Left Behind” series, isn’t Biblically correct at all. If anything, it’s backwards. I’ve been studying this a bit, and the key things to the rapture concept seem to me to be, the saved will be taken with no warning and the sinners left behind on earth. That doesn’t line up with what the Bible says, though. To start with, the Bible doesn’t indicate that there will be no warning. Only that no one knows the time. Have a look at Matthew 24:42-44. 42“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on […]

A character comparison of Christ vs Satan

Recently I’ve been listening to a series of prophecy seminars presented by Pr David Asscherick. They’re quite interesting studies, I just thought I would share a few verses with you though that he pointed out which compare the characters of Christ and Satan, so clearly. Have a look at Isaiah 14:12-14: 12How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the […]