If ideas about Israel are discussed within a non-church environment, it could be quite uncomfortable because many of those ideas can point to some concepts contained in British-Israelism which are widely considered to be racist. British Israelism is a belief that asserts the people of Great Britain are the descendants of ancient Israel. When asked if British-Israelism is racist, ChatGPT, an AI language model for generating human language, responded: “Yes, British-Israelism can be … [Read more...] about Why Israel?
Redemption
Predestination
Many are working very hard to build a closer relationship with God. We all have ideas and concepts that are not exactly where they need to be. One small step further in this relationship building is to understand better God’s personal plan for each of us. As individuals we tend to plan out our lives in advance. As we plan, questions arise: Were we, as individuals, chosen before the foundation of the world? Does God plan our life in advance? Has God predetermined our future? We need some … [Read more...] about Predestination
The Purpose of the Church
Humanity has lost the story that connects us all. There is a lot of noise, but no context to give life meaning. So, we drift through life without a true meaningful purpose — a story that connects us to something bigger than we are. Aristotle observed, “When the storytelling in a culture goes bad, the result is decadence.” We see all around us the result of the collapse of mankind’s story. We have tried to replace it with small, narcissistic stories that have no lasting impact. It has turned us … [Read more...] about The Purpose of the Church
The Kingdom of God
The world has been successively ruled by kingdoms. From a biblical perspective we see this clearly outlined by Daniel as he explains to the Babylonian king the contents of the king’s dream. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar, “For the God of heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory” (Daniel 2:37). There were to be three similar kingdoms to follow the Babylonian kingdom. The progress of the dream’s revelation ends with a future fifth kingdom – the Kingdom of God. “And in the days of … [Read more...] about The Kingdom of God
Perspectives from the Prodigal Son
We are familiar with the biblical story of the prodigal son. The story resonates with many due to the emotional reunion of a wayward son and his patient and merciful father. It is a story we can all relate to naturally because, like the son, we have all made our share of mistakes and decisions we wish we had never made – with the associated regret. We may yearn for redemption from the consequences of past actions, but do not know the way. This world is not good at forgiving and forgetting. But … [Read more...] about Perspectives from the Prodigal Son