Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda was a Puerto Rican preacher who founded a controversial religious movement called Creciendo en Gracia (Growing in Grace) in the late 20th century. He made several controversial claims, including that he was the second coming of Jesus Christ and the Antichrist. Early Life and Background Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico in 1946. Not much is known about his early life, but reports indicate he grew up in poverty and had a troubled childhood. As a young man in his 20s in New York City, he became involved with heroin…
Author: Kerry Baysinger
Here is a 9000 word article on what it means that a Christian is a new creation according to 2 Corinthians 5:17: The Bible teaches that when someone becomes a Christian, they become a new creation in Christ. This radical transformation is described in 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This verse packs a lot of meaning into just a few words. As we unpack what it means to be a “new creation” in Christ, we see that it includes…
Evangelicalism is a worldwide Protestant Christian movement that emphasizes the authority of the Bible, the importance of personal conversion (being “born again”), and evangelism or sharing the Christian message. The word “evangelical” comes from the Greek word evangelion meaning “good news,” reflecting the core belief that the gospel message Jesus Christ brings salvation or deliverance from sin. Evangelicals adhere to basic orthodox Christian doctrines but are diverse in their denominational affiliations, theological distinctives, worship styles and practices. Core Beliefs and Characteristics There are several key beliefs and characteristics that define evangelicalism: Conversionism – Evangelicals emphasize the need for personal conversion…
The Bible provides some context as to why King Jehu of Israel destroyed the worship of Baal but tolerated the worship of golden calves during his reign. To understand this, we need to look at some background information. After the united kingdom of Israel under Kings Saul, David, and Solomon split into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, the northern kingdom set up golden calf idols for worship in Dan and Bethel (1 Kings 12:25-33). This was done to prevent the people from going to Jerusalem in the southern kingdom to worship at the temple.…
The verse Matthew 6:31 states “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”. This verse assures us that God will provide for our basic needs of food, drink, and clothing. Yet, in the world today, millions of people lack these basic necessities. This begs the question – if God promises to provide for our needs, why do so many still go hungry, thirsty, and poorly clothed? There are a few things to consider when examining this issue from a biblical perspective: 1. The fallen state of the world…
The “time of Jacob’s trouble” is a period of great tribulation and suffering for the people of Israel that is prophesied in the Bible to occur before the second coming of Jesus Christ. It is referred to specifically in Jeremiah 30:7 which says “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.” This period is also commonly known as the “Great Tribulation” based on Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:21: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been…
Marriage is a sacred union between a man and woman, instituted by God. However, as with any close relationship between two sinners, conflict is inevitable. When conflict arises, how can a Christian couple handle it in a biblically faithful way that honors God and strengthens their marriage? The Bible offers much wisdom on this topic. Here are some key principles for handling conflict in marriage drawn from Scripture: Be quick to listen, slow to speak “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). When conflict arises, our natural…
The verse in question, Luke 6:28, reads “Bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” This verse comes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain, where he teaches his followers how to live and act as citizens of God’s kingdom. In this section, Jesus instructs his followers to love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who abuse them. This teaching goes against human nature and worldly wisdom, which tells us to retaliate against those who wrong us. However, Jesus calls his followers to a higher standard…
The Bible makes some bold claims. It claims to be the inspired word of God – a revelation from the all-knowing Creator of the universe to His creation. Understandably, many people are skeptical of such claims. Why should we believe that this ancient book holds any authority or truth for our lives today? Here are 9 reasons to consider trusting what the Bible says: 1. The Bible’s historical and archaeological accuracy For a long time, skeptics dismissed many of the Bible’s historical claims as myth or legend. However, over the past 150 years, archaeological discoveries have consistently confirmed that the…
The Parable of the Unjust Steward is found in Luke 16:1-13. Here is a summary of the key points: – A rich man had a manager who was accused of wasting his possessions. So the rich man called him in and told him he was going to be fired (Luke 16:1-2). – The manager came up with a scheme to reduce what some who owed the rich man owed, so they would take care of him when he lost his job. He called in each one and reduced their debts substantially (Luke 16:3-7). – Though the manager had acted shrewdly,…