In this parable, ten women use oil lamps to welcome a bridegroom and lead him in a celebrative procession. But only five of the women bring enough oil so that, when the bridegroom...
In Matthew 24, Jesus spoke of the future, including his own coming as the victorious Son of Man, one who would fully usher in the kingdom of God (see Dan. 7:13-14). Yet, curiously enough, he...
Throughout Matthew 24, Jesus was talking about the future, the time when God would renew heaven and earth. The precise time of this renewal was unknown, even to Jesus. “Only the Father knows,” he...
The blog network is quickly approaching 200 members. (We're doing our very best to welcome everyone, and visit your blogs.) L.L. Barkat...
In keeping with the 1980s nostalgia that has captured some bloggers, I started thinking about one of my all time favorite movies...
"Perspective is everything." I've heard many people say that - painters, writers, and photographers to name a few. It's all how you look at things. A different point of view can change your...
Taken out of context, the first part of Matthew 24:35 seems to suggest the future obliteration of the universe: “Heaven and earth will disappear.” But Jesus is not saying that God will wipe out...
So what happens if you don't get to be the star? What happens if you're second fiddle, second place, not in the spotlight? The truth is, most people are not the stars. Most...
High Calling Blogger "New Breed of Advertisers" asked a hard question in a recent posting. Who is at fault for the rank materialism and consumer greed in our culture? Are we selfish and...
Tithing was instituted through the Old Testament law primarily as a way of supporting those who labored in the Temple: the priests and the Levites. But the Torah did not contain a definitive guide...
I know of a lady who takes great delight in watching her hummingbird feeder. So many birds flock to the station that she refills it almost daily. A few weeks ago, she noticed...
Jewish men in the time of Jesus wore teffilin when they prayed: boxes that were attached to one’s left hand and forehead during daily prayers (see Deut. 6:4-9). They also attached tassels (zizith)...
When asked by some Pharisees which commandment was the most important (or greatest, literally), Jesus cited two passages from the Torah. The first, from Deuteronomy 6:5, was a call to love God with...
In this story, the Pharisees, along with some supporters of Herod, put Jesus between a rock and a hard place. They knew that paying taxes to Rome was extremely unpopular among the people...
Writer and professor J. Schaap keeps intriguing me with his love of New Mexico and his respect and love for native American people. Now he's telling small stories that never get told. Small stories...
In the context of Jesus' ministry, this parable indicts many of the Jews in the time of Jesus for failing to enter the kingdom of God, even though they had been invited. They...
The video to the right is a slideshow of images from the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. Sadly, China seems to be censoring the video images of the opening ceremony itself, which...
Many of the religious leaders in Jesus' day were snared by their own self-righteousness. They looked down upon ones they considered to be hopeless "sinners," people like tax collectors and...
Matthew 21:22 is one of those verses that gets some Christians into trouble. They take it out of biblical context and turn it into something Jesus never intended. Faith becomes a magic formula for...
I am in charge of 32 English teachers in the second largest high school in New Jersey, and it is my honor...
