Seven Keys to Happiness

Most people want to be happy. From ancient philosophers to modern man, many have spent their entire lives seeking happiness and contentment without ever finding it, because the formula is found only in God’s Word. Happiness comes from our Creator, who wants us to be happy both now and eternally. He wants us to realize that He is the ultimate source of joy and peace. With that in mind, here are seven critical keys to happiness:

  1. Being right with God – Being happy both now and eternally requires a good relationship with the One who made us.
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How We Know the Bible is from God

1. Fulfilled Prophecy

· The Bible contains hundreds of specific prophecies written before the events they describe.

· These prophecies are detailed, verifiable, and historically fulfilled, not vague predictions.

·  Examples include:

· The rise and fall of empires (Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome).

· The rise and fall of world leaders such as Alexander the Great, Nero, and Domitian.

· The destruction of cities like Nineveh, Tyre, and Jerusalem.

· Detailed Messianic prophecies fulfilled in Jesus (His lineage, place of birth, place of death, burial, and resurrection, etc.).… Read more

What About the Ethiopian Bible?

Overview of the Ethiopian Bible

  • The Ethiopian Orthodox Church uses a very large canon of Scripture—one of the largest of any so-called “Christian” tradition.
  • It includes 81 books (some versions count even more, depending on the source).
  • Their Old Testament contains traditional books, plus several apocryphal and pseudepigraphal texts not found in Jewish, Catholic, or Protestant canons.
  • Their New Testament includes all 27 books recognized in most Christian traditions, plus additional books.

Old Testament Contents

In addition to the standard Old Testament books, the Ethiopian Bible includes:

  • 1 Enoch
  • Jubilees
  • 1, 2, 3 Meqabyan (not to be confused with the Catholic 1–2 Maccabees)
  • Book of Josippon
  • Book of the Covenant
  • Book of the Mysteries of Heaven and Earth
  • Ascension of Isaiah

These books often contain:

  • Erroneous, mythical cosmology (e.g.,
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Rethinking New Year’s Resolutions

Every year, there are lists of the “Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions.” They rarely change: lose weight, exercise more, save money, reduce stress, etc. There is nothing inherently wrong with these goals, but have you noticed they are usually self-centered and focused on temporary physical things rather than eternal ones?

Many people obsess over improving their aging and decaying physical bodies, while completely neglecting their souls that will exist forever. God says that bodily exercise has limited benefits, but godliness is profitable in every way (1 Tim.… Read more

God Gave Jesus the Holy Spirit “Without Measure”

John 3:34 teaches that the Father gave the Spirit directly to Christ “without measure,” meaning without limitation or partial distribution, which is different from the way others received and exercised the power of the Holy Spirit in limited, task-specific ways during certain parts of the Old Testament period (Num. 11:17; Jdg. 3:10) or the miraculous period of the first century A.D. The terms “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “The Anointed One,” indicating that Jesus was anointed in a unique way, fully empowered by the Father.… Read more

Are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit All the Same Spirit?

Some claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are not distinct Persons at all, but are the same divine Person or Spirit revealed or manifested in different ways. Others claim that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are truly distinct divine Persons, yet share one undivided divine essence and are therefore regarded together as “the one God.” However, in the Bible the phrase “the one God” only refers to the Father, and He is not the same Spirit/Being as the Son or the Holy Spirit (Jn.… Read more

When the Truth About God the Father Sounds Strange

How is it that one of the plain truths of Ephesians 4:4-6 (often called “the seven ones of unity”) now sounds strange to many Christians? “One body… one Spirit… one hope… one Lord… one faith… one baptism… one God and Father of all, who is above all…” (Eph. 4:4-6).

These seven simple, Spirit-given truths are meant to produce unity, yet one of them — the truth about God the Father — has been largely overlooked, softened, or even denied by many children of God.… Read more

Is a Wife’s Submission Shameful?

Many people today hear the word submission and immediately think of something degrading or humiliating. They associate it with weakness or inferiority, and thus the Bible’s teaching about a wife submitting to her husband is often quickly dismissed without proper consideration. The Scriptures present a very different picture, which is neither shameful nor demeaning. Submission is honorable, reasonable, and an example of God’s wisdom in designing the home. Any group of people requires leadership to be orderly and function properly.… Read more

A Tremendous Lack of Love

If we know the Truth but refuse to live by it, this reveals a tremendous lack of love on many levels.

• A lack of love for God: If we truly loved Him with all our hearts, we would be doing His will to please Him and to be with Him forever (Mt. 22:36-38; 1 Jn. 2:3-4; 5:3).

• A lack of love for Christ: If we truly loved God’s Son, we would be obeying Him out of gratitude for His selfless sacrifice: “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn.… Read more

Leaders Must Lead

Throughout history, God has revealed that in any group of people, there is a great need for leadership. A system of authority can bring order out of chaos and peace out of strife. Even in a group of only two people, such as the husband and wife, God has placed one in authority over the other, giving the husband the leadership of the household (Eph. 5:22-24). There is also a type of leadership in the Godhead Itself, in that God the Father is Head (Psa.… Read more

What If Jesus Were Coming Back Next Week?

When asking the question, “What if Jesus were coming back next week?” understand that there is absolutely no way to know when Jesus will return. Jesus said we cannot know when He will return, and even Jesus Himself did not know when He would return: “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father” (Mark 13:32). Paul wrote that there is no need to waste time speculating about “times” and “seasons” regarding Christ’s return: “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.… Read more

Why Ephesians 2:8-9 Does Not Teach Salvation by Faith Alone

• Acts 19 records the day the Ephesians were saved, and they were not saved by faith alone or told to pray—they were baptized to wash away their sins, just as others had been (Acts 19:5; cf. 2:38; 10:35; 22:16). Ephesians 2 was written after they had been saved by grace through obedient faith, submitting to Christ in baptism (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Gal. 3:26-27).

• Paul was not contrasting faith and obedience, but grace and the Law of Moses.… Read more

Why the Thief on the Cross is Not the Pattern for Salvation Today

  • The New Covenant was not yet in effect. It came into effect after Christ’s death (Heb. 9:15–17; Col. 2:14). The thief was forgiven under the Old Covenant, not the New Covenant of Christ. We now live under a different covenant with different conditions of forgiveness.
  • The Great Commission had not yet begun. Jesus had not yet commanded belief and baptism for the salvation of all nations (Mt. 28:19–20; Mk. 16:15–16).
  • Jesus still had authority on earth to forgive sins personally.
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Samaria: The Site of Sin for Centuries

From Jeroboam’s corruption to Philip’s Gospel preaching—how a region known for rebellion became ripe for redemption.

When King Jeroboam led the northern kingdom of Israel away from Jerusalem (c. 931 B.C.), he also led them away from God. Fearing that the people would return to Jerusalem to worship, he set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, saying, “Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kin. 12:28).… Read more