By His Friendship We Are Healed

by Tiffany Ann Lewis 

"He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

Through God's anointing and the use of modern-day technology, we have been able to experience the fulfillment of this verse almost as if we were right there. Images of the beating, images of the crown of thorns, images of the nails...selah. These images have been burned into my mind and change me every time I ponder the Cross of Christ. I am undone over and over again that Divine Love offered His life for our transgressions and became the source of our salvation and healing.

Yet this year, as I looked at the Hebrew letters of light within this verse, I saw something even more. I saw the friendship of God within the stripes on Jesus' back. Let me explain.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ: Faking Death

by Tim Chaffey, AiG–U.S

In addition to studying the importance of the Resurrection of Jesus, we have looked at the “infallible proofs” and other evidences for this event. We have also critiqued many of the skeptical and critical attempts to explain away the historical evidence recorded in the New Testament. Each of these alternative hypotheses can account for portions of the evidence, but they do not come close to explaining all the facts. Unbelievers have posited that Jesus did not exist or was not even crucified, that the disciples were just seeing things, that someone moved the body, or that His body was buried in a family tomb. This article will examine a couple of views that admit Jesus was crucified but claim that He somehow managed to survive for a short time after being taken off the Cross.

The Swoon Theory

Proposed by Heinrich E.G. Paulus in The Life of Jesus (1828), the swoon theory states that Jesus was not actually dead when He was removed from the Cross. Instead, He had fallen into a coma-like state (a swoon) on the Cross and was then buried in a tomb in that condition. He later revived, rolled away the tomb’s stone from the inside, evaded the Roman guards, and escaped. He then appeared to His disciples proclaiming He had conquered death. But rather than making a full recovery, Jesus died soon thereafter due to His numerous injuries.

Mocking Jesus: Blasphemy Reveals Condition of Darkened Hearts

SHAWN A. AKERS

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President Barack Obama

For two days, I struggled with writing this column. My spirit has grieved over it immensely. 

I have prayed in earnest about what God would have me say about a subject that I have become so passionate about. I have asked Him for wisdom and guidance so that I would not be offensive in my words. I have even told myself that I cannot write it in fear that some would take umbrage.

But fear, as I know from reading the Word, comes from Satan. And I know that from 2 Timothy 1:7 that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind.”

With that in mind, I would like to address the recent intense trend in American society that has seen the public mocking of Jesus Christ. By now, you have probably seen the video of Jamie Foxx declaring President Barack Obama as “our lord and savior.” And, the story that Charisma posted Wednesday about the painting depicting President Obama as Jesus, with a crown of thorns on his head and his outstretched arms.

VALUE DOUBTS AND MYSTERY

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

This is a scripture passage that many use in discipling new believers. The New International Version of the Bible footnotes this verse with the reminder that in the Greek language the word “temptation” or “tempted” can also mean “trial” or “testing.” It is a characteristic of the human condition that we often have doubts about God and we feel badly about them. But the story of Job in the Old Testament reveals that we should value our doubts because they bring God close.

Experiencing the Cross: A Glimpse of Hell

Julie Barrier

I had the most remarkable encounter with God today. I was meditating upon Jesus on the cross, and, after decades of being a Christian, God revealed to me an aspect of Jesus’ suffering that I never understood or even considered. What was it truly like for Jesus to experience “hell” on the cross?