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We often think references to Jesus’ coming mean just one thing: the future Second Coming at the end of the world.  On this point, Scripture does not tell us when Christ will return. On the contrary, Jesus tells us that “it is not for you to know times and seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority” (Acts 1:7). And again: “Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” (Matt. 24:36). Thus, the Ca …

Many years ago, as a graduate student, I spent a summer with a Christian Palestinian family in Bethlehem. It was my first visit to the Holy Land, and, as it does for many new pilgrims, it rocked my world.One thing struck me immediately. Throughout the Holy Land, you can see the word hic inscribed in various locations, like churches and alleyways. This simple word, Latin for “here,” was written as a reminder to the believer that the events recorded in the Gospels all happened in …

The end time prophecies contained in Scripture have led Christians in every age to wondered whether they will be the ones to face such tribulations. The historic answer is yes. Jesus warned us that we would have to face persecution (John 15:20), and no generation of Christianity has been exempted. However, in the nineteenth century, dispensationalists began teaching that Christians will not have to face this trial. Instead, before the great tribulation begins, they will be caught up to heaven a …

When I was deciding whether or not I should be a Christian, I made sure to read about as many other religions as I could. At first it was overwhelming to compare the teachings of faiths like Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism to Christianity, but then I noticed they all had one thing I could compare: a teaching about Jesus Christ.Almost every major world religion has a teaching about the identity of Jesus. Jews say Jesus was a human teacher, Muslims say he was a prophet, and Hindus and Buddhists …

Please enjoy this Ascension Thursday devotion from our brand-new devotional by Mike Aquilina and Adam Lucas, Feasts 0f Our Fathers: Praying the Church Year with the Early Christians, out now.Christ’s Ascension: A New Path In his commentary on the Gospel of John, St. Cyril of Alexandria reminds us that what happens to Christ affects the whole human race; and so, as Christ is raised up to heaven, he brings us with him into paradise. Reflect:Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11 …