Love Truth Blog

Is doctrine just head knowledge? No! Understanding Christian doctrine is a vital component for a believer’s life. Hank Hanegraaff says, “Essential Christian doctrine is the North Star by which the course of Christianity is set.” 1 To know what you believe and why you believe can greatly benefit the Christian and it can never be considered merely a cerebral exercise that simply fills a person’s mind with just facts and figures—cold dull content organized categorized and labeled in nice little boxes. Such an idea is pure foolishness. So what is so important about learning doctrine anyway? Understanding Christian doctrine liberates the soul. A person who sins against God is a slave to sin, but Christ says, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32). There have been so many occasions wherein I would be told some legalistic prescription tagged with a proof text by another Christian, only ...

The Charlie Brown Christmas has been one of those television programs that I pretty much expect to see each Christmas holiday. It is a simple yet well built story. Charlie Brown is flustered over the crass materialism associated with the Christmas holiday, his sister Sally simply wants things from Santa, his dog Snoopy enters a contest for the best decorated dog house, his concerns are valid. Nothing about the holiday offers him an answer to the meaning of Christmas. The highpoint of the story is when Linus share about the meaning of the celebration... "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the c...

Many might criticize the Christmas holiday as having been co-opted by crass materialism. Some might even suggest refocusing upon the “reason for the season,” which is remembrance of the birth of Christ, or the First Advent. Why is that so? The exact month and day of Jesus’ birth can only be speculated. The birthday of Jesus was said to be December 25th by Hippolytus (AD 165-235), which was also set by John Chrysostom (AD 345-407), and this is the day Western Christians observe Christmas; however, the Armenian Church observes Christmas on January 6th, and the biblical evidence does not rule out either possibility. 1 Wasn’t Christmas a pagan festival? A major Mithraic festival did occur on December 25th at the time of the winter solstice; but evidence indicates this mystery religion did not become established in Rome until AD 168, which makes its genesis after Christianity. 2 Still, the Romans celebrated the Saturnalia festival at the close of December, but they also observed the pa...

John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, declares, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being…. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 14). In these few lines, the Gospel writer pronounces the person of Jesus Christ to be both fully divine and fully human and the co-eternal Creator of the universe. The theologically rich language of the fourth Gospel offers truth that can revolutionize lives and offer solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. John understands Jesus to be the Divine Word who incarnated Himself and lived among men. The biblical writer does not believe the material universe is an illusion, so that one must acquire mind over matter psychic techniques to come to realize the pri...

“This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’ ” (Matt. 2:23, NASB) Matthew 2 tells about magi from the East coming to the land of Israel to worship the infant Christ, Herod’s plan to kill the Child by ordering the execution of all male children two years old and under in Bethlehem, and an angel leading Joseph, Mary and the Child to safe haven in Egypt, and then leading them back after the death of Herod, but to avoid any trouble with Herod’s son and successor Archelaus, directing them to settle down in Nazareth. Matthew then declares, “ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: ‘He shall be called a Nazarene’ ” (v. 19b). Many have difficulty understanding how Matthew connecting Nazareth the Old Testament prophets, particularly because no particular prophet ever says, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” There is no mistake on Matthew’s part. He is not citing a specific Old Testament prophecy. He actually uses of “prophets” i...

Many of us look at things going on in the world and see a lot of things getting out of hand. But tis the season to know that things do not have to be that way. Things can be different. Charles Wesley’s “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus” is a wonderful Advent hymn, which reminds us that a better world is possible. It  goes… Come, thou long-expected Jesus, Born to set thy people free; From our fears and sins release us, Let us find our rest in thee: Israel’s Strength and Consolation, Hope of all the saints thou art; Dear Desire of every nation, Joy of every longing heart. Born, thy people to deliver; Born a child, and yet a King! Born to reign in us for ever, Now thy precious kingdom bring: By thine own eternal Spirit, Rule in all our hearts alone; By thine all-suficient merit, Raise us to thy glorious throne. The message of the Old Testament can be summed up in the world “promise,” whereas the New Testament word is “fulfillment,” both point to Jesus Christ. Wha...