The Early Years
A look at Paul’s background as a Jew, a Roman, and a Pharisee. Beshert is a Yiddish word meaning “fate” or “destiny.” My late mother used it frequently when she…
Biblical Studies/Theology
The Road Before the Road
A look at Paul’s conversion experience and how God drew the apostle to Jesus Salvation should never cease to amaze us…
Why Should We Study Bible Prophecy?
Most people want to know the future and understand their purpose. They ask, “Where did I come from? Why am I here…
‘I Will Not Forget You’
Three critical, frequently misinterpreted chapters in the book of Romans reveal Paul’s tender heart for Israel. Romans 9—11 is often misunderstood. Some pastors…
Paul: Jewish Preacher to the Pagans
Paul’s famous Mars Hill message demonstrated his Jewish teaching style and laid the groundwork for the church’s…
Paul the Persecuted
During his 30-plus years serving Jesus, Paul endured much at the hands of many people in many ways. Living as God’s servant isn’t easy. The apostle Paul counseled his…
Introduction to Colossians
Although the apostle Paul penned the book of Colossians nearly 2,000 years ago, its message rings as true today as when he…
A Midnight Song in Philippi
The city of Philippi awoke one morning, unaware that change was coming. It was a bustling Gentile metropolis in the Roman…
Inside View May/Jun 2025
Christian Zionism is a question of which side a believer in Jesus takes: Israel’s or its enemies’. The growing belief that the Lord has rejected Israel…
Whose Side Is God On?
Many Christians sit on the fence concerning Zionism. But we can’t afford to ignore God’s promises to Israel. It has been more than a year and a half since Hamas…
What Is Meant by ‘God’s Grace’?
Grace is often defined as “God’s unmerited favor toward humanity.” Though true, this definition is incomplete…
God’s Sufficiency
When an army goes to war, its survival and success in battle depend on a lifeline of supplies. Likewise, missionaries who go forth to preach the gospel…
What Happened to the Tikvah?
As the coordinator for the Tikvah Team, The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry’s volunteer network, I am grateful…
The Ultimate Passover Lamb
When Jesus entered Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey shortly before His crucifixion, more was transpiring than met the eye…
What Is the Mystery of Israel’s Blindness and the Gentiles’ Fullness?
A biblical mystery is a truth the meaning of which God has kept secret since eternity…
The Authority of God’s Kingdom
How close did Israel come to seeing a Davidic Kingdom on Earth again? So close, and yet, so far…
One With God
Jesus possessed divine authority because He is divine. Some people say He never claimed to be God but He stated His deity plainly: “I and My Father are one”…
Is the Kingdom of God in Our Hearts?
When the Pharisees approached Jesus on the road to Jericho and asked when the Kingdom of God would come…
The God-Man’s Symphony
Like a composer conducting a score he wrote himself, Jesus orchestrated all the events of His death. It has been said…
To Calvary and Beyond
he resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of the Christian faith. Jesus told His disciples He would be killed, as prophesied in Scripture…
The Contented Life
Contentment is a difficult word to define. It varies based on each person’s values and perspective on life. Some people believe pleasure, popularity, prestige, power…
Malchus’s Encounter With Jesus
Rising in the morning, Malchus didn’t know his time was near. He had no clue his blood would be shed that evening as he shared…
Salvation to the Nations
John “Hannibal” Smith, leader of the A-Team in the 1980s television series of the same name, always had a plan to…
Why Should I Study the Book of Revelation?
The book of Revelation sparks widespread reactions. On the one hand, like a magnet, it draws readers seeking to…
The Great Delusion
In 1917, famed American journalist H. L. Mencken concocted a story that has never completely come undone. The fact that everyone…
The Path to Peace
Everyone faces discouragement. The Jewish patriarch Moses became so discouraged with the Israelites’ complaints for meat in the wilderness that he said…
John the Baptist: His Purpose and Passion
In 1906, a new land-speed record of 127 miles per hour was set by Fred Marriott on Ormond Beach in Daytona, Florida…
Essene or Not Essene?
John the Baptist’s ministry and message bear striking similarities to a sect of Judaism active in the 1st century called the Essenes. Like John, the Essenes lived…
Jesus & John
John the Baptist is one of the strangest, most unusual, and most interesting people found in the pages of the Bible. From the predicted forerunner of the…
‘Why Then Do You Baptize?’
While preaching in the Judean wilderness, John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Mt. 3:2)…
Speaking Truth to Power
Celebrated Jewish cartoonist Bob Mankoff once said in an interview, “I know everybody wants humor to be subversive and…
Did Jesus Promise to Do Whatever Christians Ask?
Many people misinterpret Jesus’ statements concerning His promise to do…
The Death of John the Baptist
The wine flowed freely throughout the lavish banquet hall. The occasion was the pagan birthday celebration of Herod Antipas…
Steadfast in Unity
We live in a changing, decaying, unraveling world. A general increase in lawlessness and crime, government regulations, high taxes, poor education, and a…
Inside View Sep/Oct 2024
God designed and ordained marriage as the natural order of a man and a woman becoming one flesh. The first marriage occurred at the beginning of human history…
Do You Believe in Miracles?
It was dubbed the “Miracle on Ice.” On February 22, 1980, the United States Olympic hockey team defeated the…
Marriage: The Beginning of Meaning
Genesis, the first book of the Bible, describes the beginning of everything. It opens with the creation of the universe…
Reflections of the Trinity
In his letter to the Ephesian believers in Christ, the apostle Paul paralleled the marital relationship between a man and a woman…
How Were People Saved in the Old Testament?
When Adam and Eve first sinned, God promised that one of Eve’s…
The Christian’s Walk
The writers of Scripture often used the word walk to describe the Christian’s conduct or manner of life. The apostle Paul instructed Christians to…
Are Christians Eternally Secure?
Many Christians are not certain they will enjoy eternal life when they die. Some doubt because they have neglected to…
Israel’s 6 Steps of Redemption
Ezekiel said, “So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day forward” (39:22). Israel will…
Israel’s Hope
The Battle of Gog and Magog will mark a dark time in Israel’s history. Facing a united attack from a coalition of powerful nations, Israel may feel helplessly alone…
One Thing I Do
Professional athletes devote their lives to the pursuit of a prize. They focus all their efforts on reaching their goals, putting aside all distractions…
Can a Christian’s Name Be Erased From the Book of Life?
In Revelation 3:5, the apostle John wrote, “He who overcomes shall be…
The Million-Dollar Question
Israel is always at the center of conflict. Will there ever be true peace—shalom—in the Middle East?..
Paul’s Testimony
Contending for the faith is not easy. It’s an unpopular, perilous, thankless job. It is more pleasant to be an appeaser than an opposer…
The Truth About Sin
The world is filled with iniquity. The evil we see overtaking the world today proves yet again the truth of Scripture: “The heart is deceitful…
Why Blood?
Today we don’t associate blood with cleansing. In fact, bleeding is often the result of an injury or disease. So, it’s natural to wonder why…
Israel’s Reconciliation
Scripture places much emphasis on Israel’s reconciliation with God through faith in His promised Son. Beginning in Genesis 12, we see God working…
The Mystery of Salvation for the Gentiles
When Jesus was on Earth, He told His disciples, “Do not go into the way of…
A Special Type of Fear
Most people fear something. Some fear heights, others fear wild animals, and others fear spiders or snakes or sharks. In Australia, where I live, you can experience…
Was Jesus Impeccable?
Theologians hold two positions on the nature of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness (Mt. 4:1–11). One position teaches…
The Great Forgiver
Corrie ten Boom couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It was 1947, two years after World War II had ended; and Corrie just finished talking to…
I’m Forgiven—Now What?
If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, you may be wondering about the practical implications…
The Way Back to God
Few believers in Jesus Christ will deny that we have been swept up in a period of chaos and confusion that threatens the survival of our nation…
How to Become Right With God
“How do I become right with God?” is neither a Jewish question nor a Gentile one. It is a human question…
Words of Warning
Life is full of warnings. The Internet, TV, and billboards bombard us regularly with warnings, telling us what to think, believe, and do…
The Many Faces of David
How do you encapsulate the biblical hero David? The “man after [God’s] own heart” (Acts 13:22) was a…
A Boy Named David
My first encounter with King David came in a Sunday-school kindergarten class. We learned a peppy little song called “Only a Boy Named David”…
The Warrior King
The acronym SERE refers to military training for Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape. It prepares U.S. combatants for wilderness survival, enemy evasion, and…
The Sweet Psalmist of Israel
Imagine an aging, frail King David (1 Ki. 1:1) reflecting back on his life—his mind flooded with moments of joy and sadness…
What Is the Key of David?
The “key of the house of David” or “key of David” is mentioned only twice in the Bible (Isa. 22:22; Rev. 3:7). Possessing the key…
A King After God’s Own Heart
It’s easy to imagine the men who became America’s Founding Fathers in 1776 hard at work in the small east room…
David and Goliath
Hollywood often makes a mess of things when it takes on the Bible. Its multiple renditions of David’s battle with Goliath are frustrating…
The Jewish Temple Mount Deed
The most contested piece of real estate on Earth is the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Today, its 36 acres house a…
Paul’s Partners
The apostle Paul personally discipled several committed men who partnered with him in spreading the gospel. Most of them came to salvation in Christ during…
Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh
I’m sure he meant well, but the president of the United States was not supposed to kiss the Queen Mother of the United Kingdom…
Bridging the Gaping Chasm
What an experience it must have been. For 400 years, the Israelites lived in Egypt, a land whose gods were as numerous as the…
God’s Holy Mishkan
God’s revelation concerning the Israelites’ Tabernacle covers 50 chapters in the Old Testament, while His revelation about the creation of the world…
How Does a Church Lose Its First Love?
Christ commended the Ephesian church for its zeal and service to God. He recognized the believers’ devotion in…
Holiness Today: The New Administration
God chose Israel to be a holy nation. He told the Israelites, “You shall be holy to Me, for I the LORD am holy…
Patterning Christlikeness
Many godly men and women in the Bible serve as examples for us of how to live for Christ. They trusted God’s…
Inside View Sep/Oct 2023
Recently, I have had trouble seeing clearly. My doctor attributes my struggles with vision to advancing cataracts, which must be removed…
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
Most people want a stamp of affirmation when they complete a transaction. All types of affirmation exist…
The Difference Between ‘Do’ and ‘Done’
If you’re like me, you examine the guarantee offered when you buy a product. The better the guarantee, the more confident you are…
In Jesus’ Words
For many who come to faith in Jesus Christ, the phrase once saved, always saved plays an integral part in their discipleship. For others, eternal security is a false teaching…
What Does It Mean to Partake of the Divine Nature?
Originally, humanity was created perfect by God. People possessed a perfect…
Unconfused!
Paul and Peter wrote 59 percent of the New Testament’s 27 books. Paul wrote 14 (some people believe he also wrote Hebrews), and Peter wrote two…
The Mind of Christ
In Philippians 2:3–4, Paul admonished Christians to live in spiritual unity with one another. Nothing was to be done within the church through selfish ambition…
Building Up, Not Tearing Down
The Bible Jesus and the apostles used was the Old Testament because no New Testament existed in the…
The Enduring LXX
The oldest translation of the Hebrew Scriptures is called the Septuagint, usually identified as the LXX, Roman numerals that stand for 70…
The Jewishness of Peter
Newsflash: The apostle Simon Peter was not a Roman Catholic. He did not consider Rome his homeland, and he certainly…
Peter and the Gospel of Mark
It was well attested in the early church that Peter was the source of Mark’s Gospel. Papias of Hierapolis…
The Jewish Tanakh
Have you ever wondered why Jesus used the phrase from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah (Mt. 23:35) when He…
Q: What Is a Biblical Mystery?
A mystery is something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain. It has a secret quality whose meaning is…
The Gospel of the King
Many people are confused by the relationship between the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) and the New Testament. Both were penned by Jewish men…
Sermon on the Mount
One of the most often-quoted passages in the New Testament is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5—7). Delivered to His disciples atop a mountain near Capernaum…
3 Proofs and a Mystery
When the apostle Paul’s epistles and the Epistle to the Hebrews were written in the 1st century AD, the only Holy Scriptures accepted in the synagogues and churches were…
Paul: God Has Not Abandoned Israel!
Throughout the ages, some Christians have claimed the negligible number of Jewish people who possess…
Spiritual Unity
The 6th-century BC Greek storyteller Aesop, whose oral tales compose the famous Aesop’s Fables, has been credited with the origin of the…
Q: Does God Really Know Me?
The answer to the title’s question is an unequivocal yes! God is omniscient and knows everything about your life…
To Live is Christ
An old martyr once told his executioners, “You take a life from me that I cannot keep and bestow a life upon me that I cannot lose…”
God & Money
The popular musical Hello Dolly! had many memorable lines; but my favorite is this one: “Money,” said Dolly Levi, “pardon the expression, is like manure…
Behind the Book
Reading the book of Esther is like reading a novel filled with suspense. Chock-full of intrigue, heroism, pathos, and deception, it holds your attention from beginning to end…
Ahasuerus
King Solomon wrote, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He [God] turns it wherever He wishes” (Prov. 21:1)…
