Direct Revelation

When my students at Moody Bible Institute give persuasive presentations, I listen for their sources. I teach my students to assess the credibility of their source material and to clearly identify which content belongs to them and what belongs to others. To present someone else’s ideas as their own …

A Perverted Gospel

Scroll through your social media feed, and you’ll be bombarded by different voices and opinions. Some of those messages are downright dangerous. And while the sheer volume of messages is far greater now than during the time of the early church, the consequence of listening and adhering to lies rema…

Jesus, the Rescuer

In 1876, J. Willis Westlake, a literature professor in Pennsylvania, penned a manual titled How to Write Letters. The professor gives detailed instructions and samples. But he finishes by emphasizing just how important letters are for cultural and historical documentation. In letters, Westlake says…

Waiting in Hope

When is Advent over? Advent calendars begin the season on December 1 and end on December 24. Churches that observe Advent consider the first Sunday of the season to be the one closest to November 30 and finish on December 24. By that reckoning, Advent was over a week ago. Or was it? Jesus taught H…

Second Advent

During the Last Supper, Jesus told the disciples that He was going away (John 13:36–37). When Simon Peter asked where the Lord was going, Jesus answered indirectly: “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Then Jesus told them He was going “to prepare a place” for them …

False Peace

The sentiment engraved on thousands of Christmas cards expresses a wish for peace on earth. Most people identify it with the angel’s message announcing Christ’s birth to the shepherds. They declared, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:1…

A Voice Is Heard

One popular Christmas song describes this season as “the most wonderful time of the year.” Sadly, this isn’t true for everyone. Matthew chapter 2 is a sobering reminder that the coming of Christ was not all angel song and celebration. Indeed, the events Matthew narrates in these verses anticipate t…

Star of Wonder

The Christmas carol “We Three Kings” is supposed to tell the story that Matthew narrates in the Bible. The carol sings of three kings who traveled over “field and fountain, moor and mountain” to pay homage to the newly born King of the Jews. However, the biblical account is a bit different. Matthew…

Taken by Surprise

Have you ever been taken by surprise when something or someone showed up unexpectedly? Jesus told several parables about unexpected arrivals. The parable of the ten virgins (Matt. 25:1–13), the watchful servants (Mark 13:24–37; Luke 12:35–40), the friend at night (Luke 11:5–13), and the tenants (Ma…

Good News!

If you are gathering together with your extended family today, you may hear your relatives retelling family stories. Often, one person’s version will sound a great deal different than someone else’s memory. They are not necessarily contradicting one another. Instead, each is describing the same eve…