Above: The Baptism of Christ, Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto (1518-1594) —————– Matthew 3:13-17 — Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for […]
3401) The Baptism of Jesus Read More »
Rembrandt’s Head of Christ, c. 1648-1650 ——— By Harry Blamires, On Christian Truth, 2005: A child was born in Bethlehem and his name was Jesus. When he grew up he healed the sick and restored the dead to life. He called himself the Son of God and declared, “I and the Father are
3372) A Hundred Christs Read More »
“No clue” is an informal idiom that signifies a complete lack of knowledge, understanding, or information on a topic. —————————– I’ve seen several YouTube videos of ‘person on the street’ interviews where people are asked the big questions of life. Random people are approached, the interviewer puts out the microphone, and asks, “Why
(…continued) I went to church conventions for over 40 years. I heard many debates on resolutions in which well-meaning Lutherans have supported various causes in the name of peace and justice. Some have wanted to support unjust regimes because at least they kept the peace, and some have wanted to support violent revolutions
3333) Peace and Justice and Pontius Pilate (2/2) Read More »
Many Christians place a great emphasis on ‘Peace and Justice’ issues. There are many churches in which you will hear more about peace and justice than about Jesus Christ. To be concerned about these issues is certainly implied in the teachings of our Lord, who was called the ‘Prince of Peace,’ and who
3332) Peace and Justice and Pontius Pilate (1/2) Read More »
I begin with the account of a deathbed conversation. I was not a part of this brief discussion, but recently heard about it from my friend Alan, who was there. Alan was visiting his old friend Ray. Ray had only a few days left to live. Ray was a Christian and said he
3319) Eagerly Awaiting Him? Read More »
(…continued) Jesus is enduring these forty days of suffering in the desert because God the Father Himself is putting him through it. Why would God do that? Part of the answer can be found in Hebrews 5:8: “Although he (Jesus) was a son, he learned obedience by what he suffered, and once
3308) The Temptation of Christ (2/2) Read More »
Above painting: The Temptation of Christ, Titian (1490-1576) In this brilliant depiction of the temptation story, Titian paints the devil as an innocent child, appealing to Jesus to turn the stone he is holding into bread. He is illustrating the fact that temptations can appear to be very innocent, as it says in II Corinthians
3307) The Temptation of Christ (1/2) Read More »
Malcolm Muggeridge (1903-1990) English journalist, author, media personality, satirist “I may, I suppose, pass for being a relatively successful man. People occasionally stare at me in the streets– that’s fame. I can fairly easily earn enough money to qualify for admission to the higher slopes of the Internal Revenue– that’s success. Furnished with
3278) Jesus is Everything Read More »
By Eric Watkins (above), pastor of Harvest Orthodox Presbyterian Church in San Marcos, California (from November 2023 Christianity Today) ——————————————– I was born outside the church—very far outside. Neither of my parents were Christians when I was a kid. We were a military family, my dad a Marine, and we bounced around several
3270) Meeting Jesus on a Greyhound Bus Read More »
