Perhaps many of us might have heard of the wealthiest and the wisest king of Israel: Solomon. But what else do we know about him besides these renowned qualities? Let’s take a closer look at who King Solomon really was, and why he played such an important role in the history of Israel, God’s chosen nation.
Continue reading “A Closer Look: Solomon, the King Who Broke God’s Covenant”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to hell anyway,” they say. Their faces tell it all, God hates me. God only cares about Christians. For one reason or another, many non-Christians often feel like God doesn’t care if they go to heaven or not. Like they’re on some blacklist with a sealed fate. But the truth is, God doesn’t only have Christians in His heart to save and redeem. He looks upon the whole world with this hope:
Continue reading “Who Does God Want to Save? Just Christians or All People?”
For a long time growing up, I had very little connection to the Bible. Since the only real Bible we had was a King James version, as a child my reading plan always fell apart by the time I got to the Tower of Babel. And a children’s picture book of Old Testament stories could only take me so far. My knowledge was…vague at best. I could maybe recite a few key points regarding events of the Old Testament– often confusing Jonah with Noah. Regarding Abraham, I knew he had a son named Isaac…or was it Jacob? Or was he the one with twelve sons?
Continue reading “A Closer Look: Abraham, the Father of Faith”
Why does God seem so angry in the Old Testament? And why does He always destroy the Israelites, the very people He created and chose? Why doesn’t He just forgive them? Isn’t He the God of love?
I’ve grown up hearing these questions my whole life when it comes to God. Things like this made me believe in the idea that there was the wrath of God versus the peace of Jesus. These ideas grew into assumptions that God was the one who was always full of anger and wrath, while Jesus was our friend, brought peace, and never acted out in anger…or at least not as intensely as God did.
Continue reading “Why Is God So Angry in the Bible?”
Most of us make countless promises throughout our lives.
Whether it was a ‘serious’ pinky-swear during elementary school or a legal business contract, there are many forms promises can take. However, the purpose is always the same. It is an agreement between two or more groups that is meant to be kept by everyone involved.
Continue reading “What is the Covenant and Are You Keeping It?”
Trust. What does this word mean to you? Do you give your trust easily? Or does it take a lot of time and effort for you to even start thinking about trusting someone new? When we think about the ones we trust the most, think about what has led you to give it. Usually it has something to do with time. You’ve known them since childhood or their friendship has weathered the test of time. Or maybe they’ve proven that they are reliable again and again and will be there when we need them. For those that do have our trust, we could probably all agree that these people are the ones we would be okay sharing our important information or vulnerable feelings with. We trust these people to safeguard our secrets and the things we hold closest to the heart.
Continue reading “Is God Able to Trust Everyone?”
If we think about relationships, do you think it’s possible to have a successful relationship without having any standards? Maybe in a romantic relationship, you want to be with someone who lives a certain lifestyle that matches yours. Maybe in a friendship, you make an effort to keep friends who are positive and encouraging instead of gossipy or cynical.
Even if we don’t want to admit it, we all have standards and expectations for our relationships. And we should. Having standards is a way of ensuring you can trust the other person while also protecting your own heart. But let’s also think about when you have clear or set standards in a relationship, but the other party constantly breaks or ignores them. How would you react? Even when you sincerely love a person, you set standards that you hold them to and usually they do the same for us. For any of us who say we’re in a relationship with God, should we expect God to be any different?
Continue reading “Are You Living Up to God’s Standards?”