Olive Tree Staff, Author at Olive Tree Blog

New Testament

I Was Blind But Now I See: The Power of Testimony

Your personal testimony has power! Consider this saying: “If someone can be argued into their faith, they can be argued out of it.” While this statement may lack nuance, it does highlight the importance of personal experience. If all you know of Christ is what others have led you to,…

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New Testament

8 Questions and Answers: Book of Revelation

This article contains answers from Brian Simmons, lead Translator of The Passion Translation 1. Why so many differing viewpoints on the book of Revelation? Most people will be surprised to learn that there are numerous interpretations on the book of Revelation. But the book is known as apocalyptic literature, which…

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New Testament

God is Able: Lessons From the End of Jude

The book of Jude is the one of the shortest books of the Bible, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less potent. With the New Daily Study Bible, let’s learn about Jude’s end to his 25-verse letter – a doxology proclaiming that God, our Savior, is able. 24 To him…

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Old Testament

Giving Thanks in the Midst of Hardship: Jonah 2

It’s easy to love God when things are going well. When we get a promotion, heal from a sickness, or receive good news about a tough situation, one of our first reactions can be (and should be) to praise God for His favor in our lives. However, as followers of…

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New Testament

Kingdom Mindset: Philippians 4:4-9

What does it mean to think and act like a Christian? The key is to have a Kingdom Mindset – a way of thinking that recognizes God’s hand on your life. When we pattern our lives from the following verses in Philippians, we encounter the peace of God and the…

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New Testament

The Sons of Sceva: Christian Magic?

In the book of Acts, many challenged the authority of God in different ways. While Paul was in Ephesus, the seven sons of Sceva, a group of magicians, mistakenly believed that if they emulated what Paul said, they could do what Paul did. In a world where there were too…

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Historical

5 Reasons Israel Wanted Saul as King

In First Samuel, we see Israel transition from a system of Judges to a monarchy. Although the narrative does give us a close-up view of what got the nation to this point, it’s helpful to zoom out and examine the factors at play. Why would Israel prefer a system like…

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Historical

David’s Eternal Dynasty: A Post-Exilic Perspective

Maybe when you first started reading the Bible, you were confused by the existence of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Aren’t they just a rehashing of other books? As you got to know Chronicles, you found that, while extremely similar, they were written after the Babylonian exile. As the Chronicler pieced…

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New Testament

Jesus is the Key to Effective Ministry

In the Gospels, Jesus takes twelve men and puts them through a spiritual bootcamp, preparing them to continue his ministry in an effective and balanced way. With the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus invites his disciples to partake in the work of ministry. Sometimes in our efforts today, it…

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Topical

When the World Leaves You Weary

There are so many things today that bombard our senses, demand our attention, and compete for our emotions. As we continue to exist in a world so bent on desensitizing us, maybe your day feels more like a survival mission. 2000 years ago, Jesus brought us a solution to our…

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