Too soon old, too late smart
Gay/Anti-gay, Trans/Anti-trans....these subjects have been in the news a lot recently. But how do we separate simple truth from embellishments? Let's look at what eye-witnesses of Jesus' life and teaching have to say about these contentious discussions.
The stain of sin
As Pastor Marcel has shared: "Sin will take you further than you intended to go, keep you longer than you intended to stay, and cost you more than you intended to pay." The results of sin are pernicious, and they are deadly....but what IS sin?
Amazed and Astonished
When God revealed more of Himself through Jesus, He claimed authority over the physical and the spiritual....and proved it by the things He said and the things He did. Let's examine what He commanded, specifically the "Top Ten."
Choose to remember
Psalm 119 beautifully displays a love for the Word of God, and challenges us to remember what is shared there. Do you remember? Or have you ever chosen to remember? Let's examine ourselves, and our priorities.
The power of the tongue
Can you remember something said to you, positive or negative, back when you were in elementary school, that you still remember to this day? Not unlike the power of God's Word, even our words have great influence and effect on those around us. Let's examine.
To trans or not to trans
There are a lot of hurting people in the world, and it has been said that hurting people HURT people. The current world trans phenomenon seems to be evidence of that. Let's see what the Bible and science have to say about it.
Flexible
Okay. You have planned something for days, weeks, even months or years. And then something unexpected happens. Your plans are disturbed, interrupted. How do you respond? What is the right attitude to have? What kind of perspective does God suggest in the Bible?
Guilt
What is the purpose of guilt? Where does it come from? How does God use guilt? How does satan use guilt? What should our response to guilt be?
Can we trust the Bible?
Is the Bible old, ancient, and irrelevant? OR, it it trustworthy, provable, and absolutely vital for understanding life today? Let's explore some facts about how the Bible came to be.
Can a loving God allow pain?
No one likes to suffer. No one likes to hurt. If God loves us, why does He allow pain? In the same vain, a friend of mine shared: "The wrong question is: Why would a loving God send people to hell? The correct question is: Why do people prefer hell to a loving God?" Let's examine what God controls, and what He allows US to control.
Searching, part 1
Ack! I lost my GPS unit. Sad. Have you ever lost anything? Did you find it? What does the Bible say about losing something....how long should you continue to look for it? How about a Bible verse that you are trying to find, and cannot find?
Searching, part 2
People search for many things – physical items, spiritual items. Even things like good health, or friendship, or satisfaction, or peace. What are the things YOU are searching for? Have you found them? What are you still looking for? What SHOULD you look for?
A Galilean wedding gives us clues about Jesus' 2nd coming
Even though we cannot know the day or the hour.....even Jesus said He doesn't know. Why? Let's look at the Galilean wedding ceremony, and how it points to the EXACT point when Jesus will return.
Eating Christ? Drinking His blood? What’s that all about?!
Last week we talked about a young man offering his blood, offering his life for a young woman; and Jesus using that SAME metaphor in the Upper Room. Here, now, we look at John, chapter 6, where Jesus talks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood....and many followers were confused. What does that mean?!? Let's look at chapter 6, AND 2 Old Testament prophets that also ATE the Word of God.
How God Uses PATTERNS to Inform of Future Events
For example, there are over 300 places in the Old Testament have been identified as prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. Now, Jesus is not named “specifically”, but the characteristics of God, the qualities of God, the PATTERN of God narrows it down as to WHO could BE the “Redeemer” [Job 19]……born of a virgin, descendant of King David, born in Bethlehem, will be “despised and rejected” [Isaiah 53], remove the sins of the people IN A SINGLE DAY [Zechariah 3:9], He will be pierced in His hands and feet [Psalm 22], etc., etc.…eventually the list of candidates narrows down....to 1.
Interesting that the Messiah HAD to descend from King David, out of the tribe of Judah. At the time of Jesus there was a big repository, a hall of records, a library of lineages in the center of Jerusalem. Anyone could go and trace their ancestry all the way back to Abraham, and even Adam.
In 70 A.D. that was all destroyed, demolished, dismantled by the invasion of Rome, the quelling of a Jewish revolt. Every building was torn apart, and foundations were dug up.
Since the lineage archives were also destroyed, no one since the destruction of that repository can claim “Messiah-ship”, because all evidences to back up a lineage to King David have been lost.
Let's examine more of these PATTERNS.
Stinkin' Thinkin'....how important are your thoughts?
There are laws that govern our actions, and moral teachings in many cultures that dictate what we should and should not do.
But what about our thoughts?
Do they play any role in what is right or wrong? Let's see what Scripture says....especially checking Matthew 5.
Where do we go when we are really hurting?
During my 10-mile walk on Monday, I ran across a girl who was stumbling, and weeping. Though she would not accept any help, I promised to pray for her, and thought about the things that God Himself promises when we are hurting....let's check it out.