Award-Winning, Bestselling Christian Author
BETHLEHEM’S STAR that led the wise men to young Jesus was no star. That’s according to the most popular theory. It was a sky full of stars. I upgraded my art that illustrates the theory, and released it a few days ago with my paraphrase …
Q Paul was preaching about a radical shift in the ancient Jewish religion. Essentially, the Chosen People weren’t as elite as they used to be. Now, everyone was chosen: “Here’s God’s plan that I’ve been entrusted to pass along to you. Non-Jews are …
THIS IS HOW I FEEL when I finish writing a book. But all I’ve done is to paraphrase the Gospel of Matthew for the Casual English Bible and produce a 127-page leader’s guide and atlas of hi res maps. But it took many months, just like some …
I’VE BEEN SCRAMBLING to take the Casual English Bible’s paraphrase of Matthew live on the website. I was shooting for yesterday. But there’s not enough time in the day. God could have added a few more hours, but I wouldn’t …
Q LIFE APPLICATION. Paul told the Christians, “You have been saved by kindness” (Ephesians 2:5). What do you think he meant by that? And have you ever seen anyone saved by kindness? A The Greek word is more often translated as “grace.” It’s sometimes …
I THOUGHT THE COYOTE WAS A DOG. It came walking down the middle of the road toward me and Buddy the Dog. I had decided to walk Buddy later in the day than normal. I have been working on trying to wrap up the Gospel of Matthew for the Casual English …
SEE THE PICTURE OF JERUSALEM? That’s what I’m doing at the moment. Making maps for the Gospel of Matthew, for the Casual English Bible paraphrase. This one is a composite image to help folks get an idea about where some of the events took …
Q LIFE APPLICATION. Paul says God gave us “the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13) and that “God’s Spirit in us guarantees that we’re in his family and we’ve got the family inheritance waiting for us.” (1:14). How do you think people can know that God’s …
I’LL GIVE YOU THIS MUCH: Jesus never told anyone how to vote, as far as I know. He couldn’t vote. Nor could anyone else in his part of the world. His country was occupied and ruled by an autocrat—a dictator in Rome. Jesus did, however, tell his …
Q Paul serves up a big plate of predestination in Ephesians 1, or so it seems to many Christians. Paul says “God chose us. Even before he created the world, he decided that we should be his children” (1:4). Who do you think Paul was talking about? …
I WAS MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS, proofing my work on the Gospel of Matthew paraphrase for the Casual English Bible, when I tripped over a surprising Bible verse. I paraphrased Jesus putting it this way, “If people want to find their own worst enemies, …
Q In a nutshell—which is where many Jews probably felt Paul belonged—Paul essentially argued in Galatians 4 that God had a two-part plan for saving people from sin. Part 1: Obey the laws of Moses until Jesus comes. Part 2: Obey the laws that the …
