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Melchizedek to Jesus: The Divine Thread of Bread and Wine

This past Sunday at church, we were looking at Genesis 14 in the sermon. There’s a lot going on in this chapter with nine different kings all at War fighting one another, and Abram and Lot somehow mixed up in the middle of it (this is before Abram is renamed to Abraham). Sodom gets invaded, Lot gets taken captive (along with everyone else) and then Abram mounts a daring rescue with 318 of his men! It’s really quite action-packed for such a short chapter. I don’t know about you, but I always think of Abraham as this kindly old man, not some tribal Warrior ready to go all “Taken” on his enemies (Gen 14:14–16). Abraham, probably It’s in the mids...

How Old Was Jesus When He Died? A Fresh Look At The Historical Clues

...s and The Jewish War. N.p., Kregel Academic. Martin, Ernest L.. The Star That Astonished the World: “Star of Bethlehem”. United States, Academy for Scriptural Knowledge, 1996. Ossuary of the High Priest Caiaphas, 18–36 CE | Center for Online Judaic Studies Reconciling Herod’s Death: A Debate Between 4 B.C.E. and 1 B.C.E. Through Biblical and Historical Lenses — Christian Publishing House Blog Valerius Gratus° | Encyclopedia.com PROCURATORS — JewishEncyclopedia.com Lucius Vitellius | Roman general | Britannica    ...

Has Brexit just spoiled “End Times” prophecy?

...y saw the Jewish War and the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 AD as fulfillment of Daniel’s “70 Weeks” prophecy, and also as fulfillment of Jesus’ predictions in Matt 24/Luke 21 about the “end of the age”. To the Early Church, it wasn’t about the world ending in a ball of fire, and arguably, it never was. So why is it the focus of the Church today? We’d do well to know our history in these cases. “Brexit” may or may not be bad for the UK and Europe in general, which has possibly got you worried, but as for an anti-christ rising from the ashes? I don’t think so, I don’t see any Scripture to support the notion either.   I...

Does Easter Have Pagan Origins?

...Much like any major Christian holiday, there are the usual arguments and accusations about how it’s all just pagan festivities with a “Christian mask”. Easter is no different, and usually gets hit the hardest over its so-called “pagan roots”, or in the month or so preceding it, Lent being some “invention of the Catholic Church”. Table of Contents The Lenten Fast The Easter controversy and why we celebrate it when we do Is the Name “Easter” really the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre? Chocolate eggs and bunnies? Concluding Thoughts Further Reading and Sources I like to try and observe Lent, as it is one of the most ancient custom...

The Coming of Jesus: Introduction

...  Will Jesus return in the way most of us have been taught? I suspect that when many people think of the "Second Coming" — that is, the return of Jesus, images of the world ending in a blaze of fire and glory come to mind; or of some super-War called Armageddon where the Anti-Christ battles it out with God's people one last time before the End comes. You may even think of Jesus surfing across the sky on clouds with a bunch of angel in tow, or maybe the Left Behind book and film series frames your view of the "end times." Whichever it is, one thing I can assure you of is that some of that imagery has been embellished and some misunde...

Keeping Christ in Xmas

...The abbreviation “Xmas” often sparks discussions about its origins and whether it diminishes the significance of Christmas. Contrary to misconceptions, the use of 'X' in "Xmas" has deep historical roots dating back to ancient Greek, where it represents the first letter of “Christ” (Χριστός). Additionally, the Chi Rho symbol, formed by superimposing the Greek letters Chi (Χ) and Rho (Ρ), is a notable Christian symbol representing Christ. The Origins of "Xmas" The letter ‘X’ in “Xmas” finds its roots in the Greek letter ‘Chi’ (Χ), which abbreviates the word “Christ” in Greek. This practice of using ‘X’ as an abbreviation for...