Ashley Hooker

The term preterism is used to describe the understanding of certain eschatological passages in the Bible. It is derived from the Latin word preter which means “past.” The study of preterism is centered on biblical prophecy and the debate of whether all end time prophecy has been fulfilled or not.

So, why should we not be afraid? Why should we have no fear even when we face life-or-death circumstances? Because God said so. Isaiah 41:10 says, “So do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 61:3 is a beautiful picture of what Christ can do for the mourning people of Israel and the ones hurting today. When we examine the verse, we learn that Christ is the joy-giver. He gives a joy that extends beyond the surface. Christ releases us from the bondage that sorrow brings.

In Scripture, Satan is referred to as Lucifer or the devil, to name a few. The evolution of the Beelzebub as a reference to Satan is linked to the Pharisees. The name became a bitter, scornful word and Jews began to use it as a reference to Satan.

Gideon is a man of the Old Testament that is often underestimated. He led a profound life coming to the aid of his people and serving as a judge to the Israelites. His actions give us an example to follow and lessons to learn.

In my study of Gideon, I found six lessons I want to share with you. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the life of Gideon.

Who Was Gideon?

Gideon was a young Israelite man living in Ophrah. He was the youngest son of Joash, who was of the family of Abiezer. His family line belonged to the tribe of Manasseh.

Gideon’s family was not wealthy. They lived in constant fear because neighboring groups would steal the Israelite’s grain and livestock. The Israelite people had to seek out shelter in caves to protect themselves and what little food they had.

When we meet Gideon in the Book of Judges, he is threshing wheat in a winepress. This was not the custom but had to be done to protect what grain they could get. Later in his life, Gideon becomes a judge of Israel and dies as an honored man in the history of God’s chosen people.

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Christians are quite familiar with the “I AM” statements in Scripture. They are powerful and share much about the character of Christ. They share God’s will for His son and for our lives. Along with these powerful statements, we can discover the “I WILL” statements of Jesus. These statements declare the promises of God.

Throughout the New Testament, Christ makes many promises. He often prefaces these promises by saying “I will.” There are over 30 “I will” statements in the New Testament, each one stating a beautiful promise from the Lord.

While we can’t discuss all of Christ’s promises, I want to share with you what a promise is, and six promises from God that stand out for me.

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Throughout centuries, a hot button topic has arisen in the Christian church. This topic regards the question, did Jesus descend into hell? There are schools of thought that say He did and others that disagree. There is no clear answer to this question in scripture, but, as you study deeper there is a better understanding to be had.

Christianity is a religion that has always undergone scrutiny in some parts of the world. To combat this, kings, emperors, and rulers have convened councils to discuss the issues and resolve contingencies. The result of these councils has been a group of creeds that were statements of faith. Scripture and theologians of the day were referenced to develop these creeds.

The two most well-known creeds in the Christian church are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles’ Creed. Both creeds state similar beliefs, but the one major difference is the statement “he descended into hell” found in the Apostles’ Creed.

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Do you love to go fishing? The possibility of catching the big one can cause your adrenaline to pump at high rates. I know that I love to fish with my children. It is always a wonderful time whether we catch anything or not. But, in our Bibles, we read Jesus’ thoughts on fishing in Mark 1:17. The verse states “Come follow me, Jesus said, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Becoming a fisher of man meant that Jesus was going to use his disciples to grow the kingdom of God. Let’s take this time to look further at what it means to be fishers of men and how we are to be a fisherman today.

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We are living in difficult times, physically, spiritually, and for many, emotionally. But the Psalms are never shy about tackling big emotions. Much like us, King David also faced challenges and pain. So when we are struggling to feel peaceful or courageous, we can take heart from Psalm 27, which begins with the challenge "The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?"

In Luke 1:46-55, we find a passage of Scripture known as the Magnificat, or Mary's Song. The words are a beautiful reminder of the faith of Jesus' future mother, particularly in the midst of a difficult and confusing time. And these words, recorder thousands of years ago, continue to have important lessons for modern readers.