Faithfulness is a key theme throughout the Bible. God demonstrates His faithfulness to His people repeatedly through Scripture. Likewise, God calls His people to be faithful – to Him, to one another, to our commitments and responsibilities. Faithfulness is associated with integrity, loyalty, perseverance, and living according to God’s commands. Here is an overview of some of the major ways the Bible speaks about faithfulness: God is Faithful One of the primary ways the Bible describes God is that He is faithful. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant…
Author: Kerry Baysinger
The Planetshakers movement is a Pentecostal Christian movement that originated in Australia in the late 1990s. It is associated with Planetshakers Church, an international ministry founded by Russell and Sam Evans and based in Melbourne. The movement is known for its spirit-filled worship, emphasis on youth, use of contemporary music, and vision for ’empowering generations to win generations’. Planetshakers Church began in 1997 when Russell Evans, along with members of the youth ministry he led, started a church service for youth in Melbourne. The services were characterized by loud, passionate worship music with a rock concert-like atmosphere. As the church…
A mezuzah is a parchment scroll inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah that is placed in a case and attached to the doorposts of Jewish homes. The word “mezuzah” comes from the Hebrew word meaning “doorpost.” The primary passage written on the scroll comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and states: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk…
The story of Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt is found in Genesis 19:26. She is not named in the biblical text, but is referred to simply as “Lot’s wife”. The background to this story is that Lot, Abraham’s nephew, was living with his family in the city of Sodom. God was planning to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the extreme wickedness of the cities. But God sent two angels to warn Lot and his family to flee and not look back. Here is the key verse: “But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she…
A denomination is a distinct religious body within Christianity that has its own beliefs, practices, and organization. The term refers to the various Christian groups that are identified by specific names and doctrines. Some key things to know about denominations: Denominations form when groups of Christians break away from an existing branch over theological disagreements or other issues. This has led to numerous divisions within Christianity over the centuries. Each denomination has its own set of doctrines, rules, leadership structure, worship style, etc. This allows them to practice Christianity according to their own interpretations and convictions. Some examples of major…
Ayurvedic medicine is an ancient system of health care that originated in India over 3,000 years ago. It emphasizes using natural treatments such as herbs, massage, and dietary changes to promote wellness and treat illness. Here is an overview of how Christians can view Ayurvedic medicine from a biblical perspective: Acknowledge that true healing comes from God The Bible teaches that God is the ultimate healer and source of health and wholeness. Exodus 15:26 states, “I am the Lord who heals you.” And Psalm 103:2-3 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives…
The apocryphal gospels refer to early Christian texts that are not part of the canonical New Testament. These texts claim to recount events from the life of Jesus Christ and his followers, but were ultimately not included in the Bible for various reasons. While they provide interesting historical insights, most biblical scholars do not view them as scripture or as historically reliable as the New Testament gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Some of the most well-known apocryphal gospels include: The Gospel of Thomas – A sayings gospel discovered in Egypt in 1945. It contains 114 sayings attributed to…
How does God’s sovereignty work together with free will? The question of how God’s sovereignty and human free will work together is one that has been pondered and debated for centuries. At first glance, the two concepts seem contradictory – if God is truly sovereign over all things, directing and ordaining everything that happens, then how can humans have any real free will to make their own choices? Yet the Bible clearly presents both concepts. So how do we reconcile them? To start, we must recognize what Scripture says about God’s sovereignty. The Bible tells us that God reigns over…
The Bible has a lot to say about the importance of feeding the hungry. Throughout Scripture, God calls on His people to show compassion towards those in need by providing food for the hungry. In the Old Testament, God gave laws and instructions to the Israelites about leaving food in their fields for the poor and the foreigner (Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22). Farmers were commanded not to harvest all the way to the edges of their fields so that the hungry could come and find food. God calls the Israelites to remember that they were once slaves in Egypt, so they…
The doctrine of the Trinity states that there is one God who exists eternally in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons of the Trinity are equally God, co-eternal, and co-equal. However, there is a certain order or hierarchy that exists within the Trinity that speaks of how the persons of the Trinity relate to one another. This order does not imply inequality between the persons, but it does imply different roles or functions. The primary passage that indicates a form of hierarchy within the Trinity is John 14:28, where Jesus says, “The…