Drugs & Medicines in the Bible: Are they Related to Witchcraft & Sorcery? — and What about Those Miracles?

Unless you know what to look for, medicinal and recreational drug use in the Bible isn’t always evident, because they didn’t speak about drugs as we do today. They used plants and minerals for treatment and healing of ailments and pain, or to produce certain mental effects such as mood relaxers and hallucinogens. Since many …

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Our Future After Death — Resurrection on Earth or Life in Heaven?

This was a rather difficult article to write, because there are so many Christians with opposing opinions. Serious debates covering this topic produce anxiety, and many lay people show signs of agitation discussing this subject. I know, because I’ve seen, heard, and been involved with it all. I’ve been called sacrilegious, profane, and anti-Christian in …

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“Those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.” — What did Jesus mean?

A study of Luke 20:27-40 A widowed acquaintance asked me recently, “If I get remarried, who will I be with after the resurrection?” She meant, was she to join her first husband, or the newer husband in the ‘afterlife’. Unlike Jesus, I could not come up with a fast, simple, and concise answer, but began …

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Anger Management: A Christian Perspective

The Bible tells us of two opposing groups of spiritual emotions, desires, and acts. There is a good or nice group which we should strive to emulate and the other, a bad or evil one of which we should choose to reject. On the good side are the ‘fruits of the spirit’: “love, joy, peace, …

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“If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” — Does Jesus expect us to be wimpy?

During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to …

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Additions to the Book of Daniel from the Apocrypha

The Christian Bible is divided into two testaments containing many books: the Old Testament (Hebrew Scriptures) and the New Testament (Greek Scriptures concerning Jesus Christ). But not all Christian Bibles are the same. Of course, there are various versions and translations, but I’m talking about the books within the Bibles. In some denominations or sects, …

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Nachash: the Snake in Genesis 3 — was it Satan or Not?

As I get older and my knees hurt more, I use a walking cane to help me get around. I thought that a really nice one would be fun to have when leaving the house and going someplace special. In my grandfather’s day, he would have called it his “Sunday-go-to-meeting cane.” Since on our wedding …

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Electronic Voice Phenomena (EVP): Voices of Ghosts or Not? — A Biblical Perspective

A belief in ghosts is very common. Worldwide, more than half the population believe in ghosts or spirits of the dead. A lot of years ago, I did, too, although I never had any personal contact. Before a study of God’s word to guide me, I thought this belief was true, because that concept was …

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Paul’s Trip to Philippi — the Story of Lydia, the Demon, and Jail

The Book of Acts, according to tradition, was written by the apostle Luke from his personal experiences and those of people he knew. There are, however, academics that believe another source of authorship should be considered, but that is not our focus at this time. Our study will concern chapter 16 of Acts, which includes …

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Circumcision in the Bible: What was it really all about? – Why on the 8th day?

Ritual circumcision was already practiced by some heathen people before the time of Abraham. Even though the original significance is no longer remembered, the rite was known to be used by some cultures as a sanitary operation, a tribal mark, or a sacrificial portion of flesh to gods after human sacrifices began to decline. Another …

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