The road of recovery, whether personal or corporate, is not easy. Yet, the end result is well worth the sacrifice and the hardships we endure.بقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

Many of us think of joy as a spontaneous emotion, and perhaps some of us recognize that it’s the mature fruit of the Spirit. Yet God commands all His people to be joyful during the Feast of Tabernacles as they remember His provision in the wilderness. Psychologists and therapists now recognize that joy comes to the grateful, something the Hebrew Bi…

The encounter between Jesus and a rich young man often causes Christians a good deal of distress. Over the centuries we have found ways to interpret this text so that it doesn’t apply to us. Whether we are rich, not so rich, or poor, the words of Jesus are a warning about those things that would hinder us from entering the Kingdom of God. Just as J…

The Lord Will Provide | Rev. John Arnold by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

The Feast of Michael and All Angels highlights the spiritual warfare that Satan continues to wage upon the earth. His goal is not only to create chaos in “the world” but also among the saints. Never before in history have we been so bombarded by lies, fake news and deception that even we can become confused, demoralized and inactive. Let us not fal…

More than any other gospel writer Mark writes that Jesus was a teacher, yet unlike the others he records very little teaching. But what Jesus was teaching and how He taught can be recovered once we begin to understand the principles that guided First Century Jewish discipleship. That context is more than just historically interesting and remains re…

Believer vs Disciple | Bro. Eyal Friedman by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

Kings, Prayer, or God? | Rev. John Arnold by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

IF YOU OBEY | Isaiah 49:14-51:3 with Aaron Eime and John Arnold by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

"The Church on Earth," otherwise known as "The Church Militant," is the historic idea of God's own people, spiritually prepared and armed, who will resist and eventually overcome evil. We find early instructions for Israel to live this reality in Moses' parting speech in Deuteronomy 4. Ephesians sees righteous living as a manifestation of these sam…

Not to be confused with the biblical book, this haftarah pairs with the parasha of Torah known as Shoftim//Judges. This haftarah of consolation is a window into the world of those who receive hope when they need it most.بقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

TRIBES AND MARCHES | Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4 with John Arnold by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

Belief, in modern minds, can be relegated to the realm of simple thought. But when Jesus commands belief, He means obedience–a kind of holistic behavior that reveals underlying belief. So when self-professed "believers" in Jesus pick and choose when to obey Him, they stir up in themselves the beginnings of eventual treachery. Even Judas' infamous b…

Christians believe that the Kingdom of God–which the prophets envision and proclaim in their own writings–is both already here and also not-yet here among us. We feel this tension in Isaiah's comfort over Jerusalem and discuss the tension we feel in our own hearts between the Already and the Not-Yet.…

Is it comforting to consider the vast differences between our fallen nature and God's perfection? Sometimes it can be, other times, it isn't. This week, we look at the blessed role of comfort in the lives of those who would willingly see their imperfections against the light of God's perfect love.بقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

What do we do when even the most heartfelt repentance won't spare us the natural consequences of our sin? Is it possible to truly repent while also preoccupied with avoiding punishment? This week, we look at Isaiah's condemnation of Israel and Judah amidst the seemingly unstoppable punishment coming from the nations of Assyria and Babylon.…

Greek has two common words for “life.” Day-to-day, living organisms all exhibit “bios” (where we get the words “biology” and “biography”). But humans especially were made to experience something more fulfilling–a rich and unending kind of life that Jesus calls “Zoē” (later adapted as a common girl’s name). The “life” that Jesus offers us is the lat…

The speech of Jesus in John 6 contains many shocking statements, including the perplexing promise and warning: "No one can come to me unless the Father first draws him" (6:44).No one likes to be told they can’t, and yet that’s Jesus’ response to the grumbling crowd. However as we move past what appears at first to be insulting we find in his words …

Our gospel portion this week shares just a snippet of a conversation–one that will infamously end with many of Jesus' disciples abandoning him in the Galilee. What led to this eventual split was not a simple misunderstanding of his words, or fears over cannibalism, but an intentional rejection of the concept that Jesus Himself could be better than …

Contrary to God’s will the people of Israel clamored for a king. They were desperate for security, especially from the Philistines, but were forewarned by Samuel the prophet that the burden of kingship would be crushing. Even David, the most ideal of rulers ended up abusing his power as seen in rape and murder (Bathsheba/Uriah). And when Jesus feed…

Instead of connecting thematically to the Parashah this week, our Haftarah begins the first of 3 weeks of "Affliction," commemorating the period of fasting between 17 Tammuz and 9 of Av in the Hebrew calendar. Marked as the saddest part of the Jewish year, we commiserate with the "weeping prophet," Jeremiah.…

BALAK | Micah 5:6-6:8 with John Arnold by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

THE RITUAL LAW | Judges 11:1-33 with Krystal White by Christ Church Jerusalemبقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

In one of the Old Testaments most famous stories of rebellion and destruction, we investigate the particular sin of Korah and see how the prophet Samuel (himself a descendent of Korah) would have seen his own history intertwined with his ancestor's sin.بقلم Christ Church Jerusalem

"Is there a God in Heaven?" Many of us are quick to answer, "Yes!" and wait expectantly to see our God face to face when we join Him there. But another question presses our day-to-day faith: "Is there a God on Earth?" This second question forces us to remember that we cannot (re)create God in our own image. Clearly, His sovereignty defies our expec…