Truth Be Told: A Blog by Pastor Bill Alderson

  The God of the Bible is a covenant God and has established multiple covenants (legal agreements) with various men on behalf of God’s people, including Noah, Abraham, Israel (through Moses), and David. These covenants with Noah, Abraham and David were unconditional, meaning that God promised to do something without man meeting conditions. The Old Covenant, God’s covenant with Moses at Mount Sinai, was different since it required man to fulfill his part in order for God to complete His. Then in Jeremiah 31, God revealed the New Covenant, another unconditional covenant with Israel and this covenant was extended to the church in Hebrews 8:10-12.   “ But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.   Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, an...

  To most, the passage in John 9 deals with a blind man being healed by Jesus on the Sabbath, but it is much more about the healing from sin that Jesus accomplished at Calvary. The new covenant is the means by which every believer can find the victorious life and deliverance from the effects of sin which places believers in its bondage. Jesus uses this miracle, the only one in the gospels in which the one healed has been afflicted before birth , to clear up many of the myths that the Jewish mindset embraced regarding the impact of sins on future generations. He also was illustrating the power of the cross in opening the eyes of believers to the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven which God has reserved for new covenant saints (Matthew 13:11). The Jewish mindset of Jesus’ day recognized a direct link between sin and suffering and was the reason for the disciples’ question when passing this blind man in John 9. Their question was basically asking who was to blame for the man’s blind...

  “ 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the fl...

  There are many heroes throughout human history that we laud for their great accomplishments. Whether we are referring to scientific discovery (Sir Isaac Newton, for example), political conquests (Alexander the Great), social justice reform (Martin Luther King), or religious expression (Moses), there are so many more names that have played an integral part in human achievements whose names we may never know. Throughout the development and maturation of Christianity over the last two millennia, there have been many who have contributed immeasurably to the revelation of Jesus Christ throughout the church age, yet those accomplishments may never be remembered. They are the unsung heroes of our faith. Without them, Christianity would be far less than it is today. Just read a few pages of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to get a flavor of what I mean. God uses many without fanfare and they may be as important as or even more important than the ones we know.   I recently read a great book...

“13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables.  15 And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling the doves He said, ‘Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business.’  17 His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." 18 The Jews then said to Him, ‘What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?’ 19 Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’  20 The Jews then said, ‘It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?’ 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His...

  For many Christians, the Gospel of John is the most precious book of the Bible. It is dramatically different than the other three gospels on many levels; an examination of the circumstances and motivations of its writing make it especially unique. Much of this perspective of the Gospel of John comes from William Barclay’s, “The Gospel According To John, Volume 1”. It provides an in-depth analysis of many historical facts and background that most other commentaries on John’s Gospel never address. There seems to be no real consensus about the year each of the gospels was written, but it is fairly clear that the synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke were written prior to A.D. 65 while John’s Gospel was not written until somewhere between A.D. 90 – 100. The Christian world at the end of the first century was made up mostly of gentiles while the early gospels appeared during a time dominated by Jewish Christians. In addition, the 30+ year time difference represented a maturing ...