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A popular Christian radio station advertises itself as “positive” and “encouraging.” A majority of contemporary worship songs are upbeat. Many churches advertise themselves as “the friendly church.” None of this is necessarily bad. Visitors might hesitate to try a church that promises, “We will make you miserable!” However, for the nations that reject God, today’s prophecy is anything but encouraging.
With so many versions of the Bible, how do I know which is the right or best one?
Since Jesus was raised from the dead on a Sunday morning, hasn't Sunday become the correct day of worship for Christians?
According to Genesis 2:2, God blessed the seventh day and set it apart. Shouldn't we be worshiping on Saturday, not Sunday?
John Koessler, professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute, recently celebrated his 25th year as a member of the Moody faculty. Originally from the Detroit, Michigan area, John and his wife, Jane, now live in northwestern Indiana. They have two adult sons. Writer, teacher, and pastor, John writes devotionals for Today in the Word, authors the "Theology Matters" column every month, and serves as our theological editor. His latest book is Practicing the Present: The Neglected Art of Living in the Now (Moody Publishers). Read more of John's writing at johnkoessler.com.
Jerusalem is often called the "holy city." What makes this particular city so special? It is because God chose to make Jerusalem His city. In Deuteronomy 12:5 the Lord promised Moses that He would choose a "place" among the tribes of Israel "to put his Name there for his dwelling." This special place would become a center for worship, a place where God's people would bring their burnt offerings, sacrifices, and tithes.
When our children were little, they would ask Dee and me some pretty deep theological questions: How big is God? What does He look like? Because we wanted to be good parents and raise our children in the knowledge of the Lord, we would do our best to explain exactly who God is. I would tell them that God is bigger and more powerful than anything they could imagine: bigger than the tallest skyscraper, more powerful than their favorite super hero. And I would read to them from the Bible where Isaiah says God is so big He holds the oceans in the palm of His hand (Isa. 40:12).
