Eloi, Eloi, Lama Sabachthani—My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22 Matthew 27:46About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani,”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These words that Jesus cried out as he was hanging on the Cross have been a source of much confusion …
Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation?
No, because then it would not be salvation. 1 Peter 1:23 (KJV) says that a Christian is “born again of incorruptible seed.” Why does God use that terminology? Because He wants us to understand that our “New Birth” in Christ parallels our physical birth. You were born of the seed of your father that he put in your mother, but that seed …
Binding and Loosing
FAQ: What is the “binding” and “loosing” that Jesus referred to in Matthew 16:19 and 18:18, and does it refer to binding and loosing demons? “Binding” and “loosing” were common terms used by the Rabbis in biblical times. When the rabbis “bound” something, they “forbade” it, and when they “loosed” something, they “permitted” it. In spite of the fact that the …
Are “Heaven” and “Hell” Real Places?
Never does the Bible use the word “heaven” as either the current habitat or future permanent destination of any human being. In Scripture, it is used only to refer to (a) the earth’s atmosphere (e.g., “the birds of heaven”), (b) the stellar universe (e.g., “the stars of heaven”) and (c) the realm beyond our known universe where God and Christ …
Are Christians Required to Keep the Sabbath?
Good question, considering how prevalent among Christian churches is the custom of getting together for a Sunday service. As usual, the question we must ask is, “What does the Bible say?” And yes, the Bible does prescribe taking one day a week, “the seventh day,” as God did, for a “Sabbath.” It is most important to understand that the word …
Where was God on September 11, 2001?
With the release of a new movie about 9/11, we will once again see the horrible images that are burned into our collective consciousness. And, concurrently, many people will again ask the same questions like the one above that they asked years ago in an attempt to make some sense out of this indescribable tragedy. How sad that such questions …
Where Is God When Tragedy Strikes?
“Why did God allow this to happen?” This is often the question that runs through the minds of family and friends when tragedy occurs. To some, it sounds too hideous to say something like, “God killed your son,” when a child is killed in a car accident. So they euphemistically say that God “allowed” the child to die such a …
The Urgency of Obedience
Although Satan is “The god of this age…” (2 Cor. 4:4), he does not have carte blanche to afflict God’s people. The more precisely we as believers obey God the more difficult it is for the Devil to succeed in ruining our lives. Sections of Scripture like Psalm 91 make it plain that the effectiveness of God’s protection of us is in large …
Satan’s Opposition
Satan is a parasite and a counterfeiter. Thus, he and his purposes are actually defined by a proper understanding of God and His purposes. Satan’s character and his purposes are diametrically opposed to God’s. The Devil especially tries to undermine man’s perception of God’s goodness by afflicting the righteous while prospering the ungodly. His deception is geared to obscure both …
Must Satan Ask God’s Permission To Do Evil?
A very well known biblical record that needs to be considered at this point is the book of Job. In Chapters One and Two, “Satan” is referred to as one of the angels who presented himself before the LORD. In light of the New Testament, we today realize that “Satan” is one of the names Scripture gives to the Devil, …