Christmas is the season that we rightly associate with joy because joy comes when we are in the Presence of the Lord. However, false expectations and our refusal to take God’s Word seriously robs us of both. God wants to so transform us that we will be able to live in joy despite our disappointments, hurts and sorrows.…

Prepare the Way | Michael Niebur by Christ Church JerusalemAv Christ Church Jerusalem

The Day of the Lord is often described as a terrible day, a day of great fear and terror. And it will be a day of judgment. But instead of constantly watching the times Jesus told His disciples to watch themselves. It isn't the signs in the world we should fear but the one who will judge. We should also be grateful that He will come to redeem us. T…

"My kingdom is not of this world.” So Jesus stated when He stood before Pilate, the Roman governor. The reality of God’s kingship and sovereignty in the world is best understood by taking into account the Jewish thinking of Jesus’ day. This will help every Christian come to a deeper understanding of the Kingdom of God as proclaimed, illustrated and…

[11/13/24, 10:21:58 AM] John Arnold: The readings today should remind us of true generosity. However, if we aspire to be hospitable and generous, both in our thanksgiving to God and our love towards our neighbours, we must also understand our own hypocrisy.[11/13/24, 10:22:11 AM] John Arnold: Maybe?Av Christ Church Jerusalem

In a day and age when sainthood seems impossible we must not lose sight of our ongoing relationships with those faithful Christians who have gone before us. While we do not venerate or pray to saints, those who died in Christ are still very much alive and their faithfulness continues to show us how it is possible to finish the race that is set befo…

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.Av 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 JerusalemAv 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 JerusalemAv Christ Church Jerusalem

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

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

TRIBES AND MARCHES | Jeremiah 2:4-28; 3:4 with John Arnold by Christ Church JerusalemAv 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.Av 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 …