The Fear of the Lord: A Path to Blessing, Not Terror
June 16, 2025IntroductionIn the Bible, we are often told to “fear the Lord.” For many, this phrase might conjure up feelings of dread or anxiety, as if God is a figure to be feared in the way we might fear a harsh judge or an angry parent. But this is a misunderstanding of the true meaning of…
Right With God: Understanding Righteousness and Justification
May 23, 2025Introduction: Walking Together into Truth As we’ve walked this journey of faith together, certain words come up often—words like righteousness and justification. They sound lofty and maybe even intimidating. But they’re at the very heart of what it means to be saved. And more than that—they’re deeply personal. This isn’t just theology—it’s your story. It’s…
Does the Bible Teach Reincarnation?
April 28, 2025The question of reincarnation — the belief that souls are reborn into new earthly lives — often comes up when we talk about what happens after death. Recently, during a conversation, someone asked me directly: “Does the Bible teach reincarnation?” It’s an important question because what we believe about life, death, and eternity shapes how…
Are People Inherently Bad?
November 20, 2024My sister Eileen recently shared that she had been contemplating whether people are inherently bad and asked for my opinion. My immediate response was a quick “yes,” but then I reconsidered and said, “I think people learn to be bad.” She challenged me to explore the topic further, so here are my thoughts. The question…
Is God Cruel?
October 28, 2024Thomas Paine (1737–1809) was a significant English-born political philosopher, writer, and activist whose works, such as Common Sense and The Age of Reason, helped shape revolutionary ideas in both America and France. In The Age of Reason, he wrote, “Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man,” suggesting that a person’s view of God…
The Greatest Commandment: Understanding the Decalogues and the New Covenant
October 10, 2024I recently revisited my post from the 2024 Easter Sunrise Service, where I mentioned two different sets of Ten Commandments (decalogues). At the time, I noted “a completely different (and less familiar) set of commandments that I cannot explain, and this is not about exegesis.” The context was that the Ten Commandments we are most…
Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People
September 17, 2024The question of why bad things happen to good people is a profound and deeply emotional inquiry that has been explored for centuries by theologians, philosophers, and people from all walks of life. In this context, a “good person” typically refers to someone who embodies moral virtues such as kindness, compassion, integrity, and selflessness. However,…
Who has the Authority to Forgive Sin
May 29, 2024HopeHouse.vi operates as a non-denominational ministry, and I have written previously about what it means to be non-denominational, but in truth, I cannot get too far away from my Pentecostal roots. I believe that in confessing my sins, I confess them to Jesus and ask for His forgiveness, but not all denominations feel the same…
Structure and Content of the Bible
April 13, 2024I was moved to create this post because of all the faith attacks on social media, most notably that the Bible is unreliable for guidance; that it was written by a man, and is intended to control people, not guide people – that it is a lie. As a Christian, I believe the ultimate author…