Christians ought to value and treasure things that will last forever and the salvation of themselves and others. We must remember that these things have eternal value, rather than working only for creature comforts that will burn and rust away.

It seems that ever since God expelled humanity from the Garden of Eden, mankind has tried to find its way back. Whether they build a personal paradise like the fabled hanging gardens of Babylon, or they seek a land too good to be true like the golden city of El Dorado, people seek perfection. Even today, theories about going to Mars to build utopia in biodomes abound.

In the Bible, there are mentions of a promised land, which have bled into Christian culture as songs and as powerful imagery. Sometimes, centuries, even millennia, of use in culture distorts the meaning of a word or concept. Let's first discuss where the promised land is. In the Old Testament, the promised land referred to a place in the Middle East promised to Abraham’s descendants, known as Israel; in the United States, enslaved people used it to refer to states where they would be free. In recent times, it refers to Heaven, the land promised for those who follow Jesus Christ in this life.

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The Old Testament is full of epic battles, weighty history, and examples of God’s might and mercy. One of the most exciting books of the Bible, with one of the most unique governmental structures in Israel’s history, is the Book of Judges.

Chronicling a time before there were kings on the throne, but after the death of Moses, the people had the law, but lived as the twelve tribes, without a singular monarch. This book examines the covenantal relationship between God and the Israelites as they settle in the promised land. It examines themes of failure and faith, strength and weakness, and God’s promise-keeping in the face of Israel’s inability to uphold its end of the covenant and follow the law.

It is a fascinating history featuring some of the most memorable individuals from Biblical history. Understanding its place in the Bible can illuminate God’s plan for man’s salvation, the complicated relationships between people, and human nature.

Here’s seven things to know about the Book of Judges:

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The 10 Commandments established the law for Israel, and many if not all of these laws are still accepted by us today. Commands like "do not murder" or "do not lie" seem commonsense. But what about the command to not commit adultery? When we take a deeper look at this one, we see that God was not just protecting our bodies, but our hearts and souls as well.

All of human philosophy centers on discovering the order of the universe. How did it start? How will it end? How does it work? Science provides some answers to how the physical world works, but the metaphysical questions, especially regarding matters of the soul, lies in the purview of theologians and philosophers.

Many people seek answers from amongst the great minds, or from their own reason and logic. A common conclusion all these people have come to is that you get what you deserve, that goodness is rewarded with good things, and bad behavior is punished with consequences. Sometimes those rewards or punishments are during someone’s mortal life, and sometimes they are in the next one, either through reincarnation or in heaven or hell.

This system and mentality is not reflected in the Bible. Instead of giving humanity what it deserved for its sin, for all men are sinful and fall short of the perfect goodness of God, He sent Jesus to pay the price for those sins, giving man the opportunity to get what he does not deserve - an eternity of joy in the presence of the loving, almighty God.

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The search for the road to heaven is an earnest quest to ensure that whatever comes next, it is better than what happens in this life. Many religions, teachers, and gurus offer their take on paradise, and how to get there. In the Bible, God laid out His one way to spend eternity with Him.

The Book of Revelation describes Heaven as a beautiful place with streets of gold, no suffering, gates of pearl, no sorrow, and infinite beauty; all of these wonderful attributes pale in comparison to the joy that being in the eternal presence of God will bring forever.

However, man lives his life in rebellion against God, and cannot be in the Lord’s holy presence in sin, and therefore cannot go to heaven on his own merits. To rectify the issue of man’s sinful nature, God sent His Son Jesus to die and bear the punishment for the sins of the world, and Jesus was resurrected three days later. If someone acknowledges their sin, repents of it, and accepts Jesus as the Lord of their life, and His substitution for us on the cross, placing their faith in Him, that person can spend eternity with their Savior in heaven.

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In our modern world, doves are a sign of peace. But this bird, which can be found in almost all corners of the earth, has many different meanings in Scripture. From its connection to Noah and the flood, to its appearance at Jesus' baptism, doves are highly important birds in the Bible.

When looking at the world, people take in information from everywhere, process it, and then choose what to do with it. Some people seem to do nothing with what they see and learn. Others seem to take in their surroundings and be one step ahead of it; they make smart decisions, have an almost supernatural ability to determine who is trustworthy, or seem to always have the perfect advice for a situation. They seem to have unique wisdom.

This gift is called discernment, and it is a kind of wisdom that comes from insight as much as from learned experience and knowledge. In the Christian faith, it comes from the Holy Spirit, and is a way of having insight in determining the true nature of a situation, person, or thing.

People with the spiritual gift of discernment have it, though wisdom and discernment can be bestowed to those who ask for it as well. Discernment is a tool God gives believers as they walk through life, though it must be understood and the believer must follow the Lord’s leading to be useful.

What Is Discernment?

In the simplest terms, discernment is wisdom. The dictionary defines discernment as, “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure; skill in discerning; an act of perceiving or discerning something.” In the Christian faith, it is a similar concept, but it is bestowed by the Holy Spirit, and many denominations believe it can allow someone to know whether a demonic of heavenly influence is over a person, place, or event. It is also a gift that can be requested, used, or ignored. 

One of the harder elements of defining discernment, and finding information about it in the Bible, is that discernment is not always the word used in any given English translation. Often the version will use another word. Synonyms include wisdom, understanding, discretion, prudence, testing, and sense. Any time a reader sees these words, that is a signal the subject is discernment.

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Prayer is one of the most important actions during an election, next to voting. A vote made due to worldly concerns, overpowering emotions, or with cold logic that does not seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit is one that risks being a foolish vote. Throughout the Bible there are assurances that God will always guide us if believers turn to Him in prayer and ask for His help. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

Prayer is the ultimate connection between God and His people, and when people have important decisions to make, like who to vote for in an election, lifting the decision up to the Lord is a wise starting place. Leading up to the vote, Christians should consider what is best for the country, what agenda best reflects biblical values and prescription for governance, and most importantly, pray that God’s will and His plan would be implemented here on earth.

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Forgiveness is one of the most prominent themes of the Bible. Indeed, Jesus life, death and resurrection is the greatest story of undeserving forgiveness that has ever been told. But even still, it can be hard to ask for or grant forgiveness ourselves. This list of three Psalms will help give you wisdom as you navigate forgiveness in your own life. 

One of the more traditional lines in a wedding ceremony includes, “Marriage is an institution ordained by God,” for the procreation of children, the happiness of the individuals involved, and to act as the foundation for a healthy society. The question of what that institution should look like is one that has been on the forefront of people’s minds.

While today in most western cultures, it is commonly accepted that marriage is a partnership, through the centuries many have established polygamous marriages, commonly where one man has more than one wife, though some have one woman with multiple husbands. Even in the Old Testament, some of the patriarchs and leaders had multiple wives.

However, the Bible never shows these polygamous marriages as successful, or appropriate. The more marriages the Bible shows, and the more it is discussed, the more the problems of polygamy come to light.

As a foreshadow of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church, marriage is shown to be sacred and meant to bring two people together to grow closer to Christ, not to be divided between multiple spouses.

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Salvation is the beginning of the Christian life. After a person turns from their sins, and accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior, they have now entered into a new adventure and a Spirit-filled existence.

It is also the beginning of a process known as sanctification. Once the Holy Spirit becomes the guiding force for a believer, it begins to convict and transform the individual. This process of change is known as sanctification. Through sanctification, God makes someone more holy, less sinful, and more prepared to spend eternity in Heaven.

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When we think of the "Seven Deadly Sins," some honestly seem worse than others. But no one wants to be considered a glutton. The image many of us have of a gluttonous person, or one who overindulges in food, drink or other things, is not good. But what exactly is glutton, what does it look like in our everyday lives, and most importantly: is it really a sin?

Transcendentalism was a great artistic and philosophical movement of the 19th century. The core tenets of this philosophy was that divinity is in all nature and humanity, and it emphasized a progressive view of time. But is this philosophy biblical? Let's take a look at some pros and cons of Transcendentalism.