Jubilee Year 2025

This is the Year of Jubilee! The Jubilee is an ancient tradition from the times of the Old Testament. It was a special time that occurred once every 50 years. During a Jubilee, all land was returned to its ancestral…

Overcoming One’s Past

It is said our lives consist of where we have come from, who we are right now, and where we are going. For many of us, where we have come from can be very dominant in our minds. Sometimes it…

Laws of Man, Laws of God

I am sometimes asked the question, “Is it a sin to break the law?” The general answer is yes, but there is an important exception. Civil laws are the ones enacted by the legitimate authorities of our land. As Christians,…

The Unity of Man and Woman in Genesis

In the second chapter of Genesis, we hear about how God created the woman out of the man. One of the most important points to grasp from this story is how men and women are made to be equal in…

A Conversation About the Virgin Birth that Really Was

Just in time for Christians all over the world to celebrate the birth of Our Savior, the New York Times published an article titled “A Conversation About the Virgin Birth that Maybe Wasn’t” The purpose of the article was quite…

The Shepherds and the Manger

A rather unusual aspect of the Christmas story is that the newborn baby Jesus is laid in a manger, a feeding trough for animals, instead of a crib. Mary and Joseph are traveling to Bethlehem to be registered. When they…

The Truth of Myth

You will often hear that the Creation stories in the Bible are “myths.” For some people, this is very challenging to hear. To the modern ear “myth” means “a story that is not true.” You can see this play out…

Advent and the Apocalypse

Happy Advent! We are now in that blessed season where we prepare for Christmas. Some you have already trimmed the tree and started your Christmas shopping. Everywhere you go, you are bombarded by the constant sound of Christmas music (probably…

Set Yourself Up for Faithfulness

As Christians, we want to follow Jesus and be faithful to him: it is what is right. But as human beings, we all know that good intentions aren’t always enough to do the right thing. Doing what is right is…

Martin Luther Misunderstands Grace

Several hundred years ago, Martin Luther led a revolt that today we call the Protestant Reformation. There are several areas of contention to be found between Luther and the Catholic Church. Sadly, Luther made some very astute points about corruption…