born and raised twice in the bay, I preach Jesus and him crucified
No one: Hey, it would be fun to revisit your trip to Egypt, Jordan, and Israel in 2019. For the next few days, you should post letters describing each day. Me: Say less Dear Friends, I hope this letter finds you well. Today has been an incredible journey filled with spiritual insights and historical wonders. As we... Continue Reading →
Israel's Rejection of Jesus as Messiah With only a brief dip into the pool of the Gospels, a perplexing dilemma emerges – why did the majority of Jesus' own people reject his claim to be the Messiah? Even with miracles validating his messianic role, the paradoxical rejection remains a significant problem. Moral Stubbornness and Intellectual... Continue Reading →
This year, at the @Eastside Church of Christ, we are embarking on a voyage together. "The Big Picture: The Narrative of Scripture" is a journey through the grand tapestry of God's redemptive story woven from Genesis to Revelation. This series uncovers the threads of promise, covenant, and redemption that bind together the pages of the... Continue Reading →
The book of Jude sits near the end of the New Testament; inside, we discover a potent and relevant message for Christians facing challenges. Jude tackles the threat of ungodly influences infiltrating the Christian community with solid theological affirmations, poetic condemnations of ungodliness, and practical guidance for believers in such situations. We are living in... Continue Reading →
When Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, she took about seventy miles from Nazareth to a place near Jerusalem—possibly Ain Karim, five miles west of Jerusalem, where Zechariah and Elizabeth lived. Later, in 2:4, Mary would make a similar journey, but this time, she would be much more pregnant. Mary's song, found in Luke 1, sounds... Continue Reading →
Phillip W. Martin 