Judas was one of the original twelve apostles of Jesus, always listed at the end and forever remembered as the traitor. We don’t know very much of how or when Jesus chose Judas to be in His inner circle, but we do know how it all ended. Judas expressed remorse, threw the thirty pieces of …
Imagine the Jewish People as Native Americans
Imagine the land of North America around 3,300 years ago. Tribes of Native Americans lived all throughout the land. Imagine one tribe living in an area about the size of New Jersey. They loved their land and believed it had been given to them by God. But one day around 2,000 years ago, a strong …
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Jesus’ House and Our Almost Empty Nest
We have two sons and our oldest moved out recently to begin his freshmen year at a university. My husband and I really miss him and each time he calls, our eyes and ears light up. We love hearing from him and can't wait to see him again as we love him so very much. …
How the Magnificat Distinguished Mother Mary from All Others
After the angel Gabriel revealed that she would soon be pregnant with Jesus, Mary praised God with her beautiful Magnificat: “And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will …
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Geological, Astronomical, and Historical Reasons for the Date of Jesus’ Crucifixion
Can we estimate the date of Jesus’ crucifixion? Yes, we can. The ancients have left us with multiple historical, geological, and astronomical reasons to support April 3 of 33. Let’s begin with Jewish expectations. 10. In the 6th century B.C., the prophet Daniel predicted the fates of four kingdoms while he was exiled by the …
What Does Atheism Have to Offer? The Atheist Value Proposition
Over the past few hundred years, the move to "secular rational modernism" has supplanted "traditional religious" views in many parts of the West. Atheists sometimes think Christianity will one day be toppled and atheists of the past century such as Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao Tse Tung certainly gave that effort their best shot. …
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Our Lady at Lourdes and the Immaculate Conception
Where did the Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception originate? I once believed the immaculate conception refers to the conception of Jesus. Rather, it refers to Mother Mary’s conception without original sin. This doctrine has ancient roots in the 2nd century when Irenaeus and Justiin Martyr referred to Mary as the “new Eve.” The first …
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The Rich Man, Lazarus, and C.S. Lewis’ Great Divorce
Though I’m well acquainted with both C.S. Lewis’ “Great Divorce” and Jesus’ “Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus,” I had never connected the two until today. This feat was achieved at my church. Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. …
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Got Hope? A Martyr, a Miracle, and a Christian Conversion (from Eusebius)
In trying times, we all need a little dose of hope. Imagine living in ancient times when Christians really needed hope. They were slaughtered for the mere "sin" of being Christians by ancient and evil pagans. Imagine being one of those slaughtered Christians who stood up for Christ no matter the gory levels of abuse …
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Undesigned Coincidences in the Feeding of the 5,000
Among the excellent testaments to the reliability of the Gospels are the undesigned coincidences they contain. Lydia McGrew, David Wood, Jonathan McLatchie, and others have identified numerous coincidences, which she has presented in her book, “Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts.” As McLatchie has pointed out, the gospel authors were …
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