Building on the Foundation

  In the Gospel of John, we discover the following detail during Jesus’ ministry: “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch” (John 10:22-23). In Hebrew, “dedication” is hanukkah (Strong’s # H2598), which appears several times in the Old Testament. For instance, when Moses dedicated the altar in the tabernacle, the word used for that dedication was hanukkah (Num. 7:10, 11, 84, 88). Again, Solomon’s dedication of the altar in the temple was a hanukkah (2 Chron. 7:9). Both dedications lasted seven days as God commanded (Ex. 29:37). The New Testament, of course, was preserved in Greek rather than Hebrew. But among the Jews of Jesus’ day, this would have been called the Feast of Hanukkah, it was at the temple, and it was in winter. To this day, the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah is in winter. So what is Hanukkah? Where did it come from? It isn’t among God’s commanded Holy Days, but is it okay for us to cele...

Updated: 4/1/2025 I'll just preface this article by saying that what one reader pointed out in the comments is true (mostly, as it regards authority in the congregation), and I'd recommend reading the post on Authority in the Church before you read this one. The leadership principles laid out in this post apply almost exclusively to the family structure rather than the congregation, since there is no hierarchy in the congregation. However, these principles are very valuable for leadership in the family structure, where there is a hierarchy. I was mistaken about that, and I tried to edit the areas where I mentioned authority on the congregation, but I might not have found all of them. That's why I recommend the article on church authority, because it will make it crystal clear that there is no hierarchy in the congregation. - KB  In modern Christianity, there is a fundamental misunderstanding surrounding the topic of leadership and authority, especially in the family, but i...

  We live in a world driven by pride, greed, and envy. A world focused on self and advancing oneself. “You need more!” society exclaims. More money, more power, more toys, more fame… whatever someone else might have that you don’t. Power, wealth, and fame are status symbols in this society. The more of them you have, the more important you are. If you have these things, other people will look up to you and think you’re someone special. But this isn’t the view of Almighty God! In the eyes of our Creator, one’s wealth, power, and social status have no bearing on his or her value. All are equal under God’s law, from the President of the United States to the homeless woman sleeping on the park bench. No one’s social status will matter when standing before the judgment seat of God. True Value Speaking through Moses, God commanded the Israelite judges, “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence,...