Do witch familiars have to be demons?

Witches and familiars are distinctly different while being sacrosanct at the same time. It is to say you can’t be a witch or communicate with familiar spirits without demonic interaction. The Bible has a lot to say about witchcraft. Witchcraft and its many cousins, such as fortune-telling and necromancy, are Satan’s counterfeits to holy spirituality. …

Prodigal Son, why did the Older Son get upset with his Father for taking his Younger Brother back?

This is a significant question that deserves more than a quick response, so I ask for your indulgence with the length of this article as I respond here. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is found in Luke 15:11-32. The main character in the parable, the forgiving father, whose character remains constant throughout the story, is …

What are the differences between demon, devil, and Satan? Are they the same entity?

People’s beliefs concerning Satan range from the silly to the abstract—from a little red guy with horns who sits on your shoulder urging you to sin, to an expression used to describe the personification of evil. The Bible, however, gives us a clear portrait of who Satan is and how he affects our lives. Put …

How did the very first sin happen in the heart of a holy angel Satan?

With both the angels and humanity, God chose to present a choice. While the Bible does not give many details regarding the rebellion of Satan and the fallen angels, it seems that Satan— (Ezekiel 28:12-18)—in pride chose to rebel against God in order to seek to become his own god. Satan (Lucifer) did not want …

What is higher criticism and the historical critical method of examining the Bible?

Redaction criticism and higher criticism are just a few of many forms of biblical criticism. Their intent is to investigate the Scriptures and make judgments concerning their authorship, historicity, and date of writing. Sadly, most of these methods end up attempting to destroy the text of the Bible. Biblical criticism can be broken into two …

What does it mean to use the Lord’s name in vain?

Although many people believe taking the Lord’s name in vain refers to using the Lord’s name as a swear word, there is much more involved with a vain use of God’s name. To understand the severity of taking the Lord’s name in vain, we must first see the Lord’s name from His perspective as outlined in …

Is it necessary to read the Old Bible before reading the New Testament?

The key to understanding the relationship between the Christian and the Law is knowing that the Old Testament law was given to the nation of Israel, not to Christians. Some of the laws were to reveal to the Israelites how to obey and please God (the Ten Commandments, for example). Some of the laws were to show …

What are the conditions for the ongoing possession of eternal life in John 5:24?

When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it refers to a gift of God that comes only “through Jesus the Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). This gift is in contrast to the “death” that is the natural result of sin. The gift of eternal life comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is …

Why did writers create the new international version of the Bible?

The New International Version (NIV) was conceived in 1965 when, after several years of study by committees from the Christian Reformed Church and the National Association of Evangelicals, a trans-denominational and international group of scholars met at Palos Heights, Illinois, and agreed on the need for a new translation in contemporary English. Their conclusion was endorsed by …

What is the meaning of 144,000 in Revelation?

The 144,000 are first mentioned in Revelation 7:4, “Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.” This passage comes in an interlude between the judgment of the sixth seal of the tribulation (Revelation 6:12–17) and the opening of the seventh seal (Revelation 8:1). How one answers …