eating food offered to idols

Am reading the NT and re-encountered the part about eating foods offered to idols ... Knowledge leads to self-importance whereas love strengthens the church That not all believers know that there is one Father and one Jesus and therefore they continue to think that idols are real As such they, for example, will see certain foods that were associated with these idols (before becoming believers) as still attached to their worship Thus if they...

Read More

the end is nigh!...?

There are many theories and ideas about how and when the world will end.  Will it be an environmental cataclysm, world war 3, the eventual destruction of the sun, even alien invasion. For some people who profess Jesus as real these theories include his return and associated with the various apocalyptic visions of the bible's book of Revelation, among others.  The nation of Israel is also normally included into the theory.  Will...

Read More

holy holy holy

Please first read Colossians 1 Are all people made holy through Christ?  Is he reconciling all creation to Him?  If so, then how are we to understand Ephesians 4? Apostles. Prophets. Evangelists. Teachers. Pastors.  These are the five roles given for the equipping of the saints.  But pause for a moment ... are these words accurate translations? Saints ... This is an English word used to translate the Greek word meaning...

Read More

cost of pursuing Christ

What is the cost of pursuing Christ and his kingdom? Why does love cause you to feel both great sorrow as well as joy, sometimes both at the same time? How will the members of your family, who profess to love Jesus treat you?  Will they support you or tear you apart?  How will you treat them? How will the members of your church congregation/parish, including those who preach treat you?  Will they persecute, judge, and...

Read More

luke 15

What is the gospel of the kingdom from Luke 15? church leadership Man's Kingdom: The designated leader is unable, even unwilling to leave the flock in any other hands for fear of loss. God's Kingdom: The designated leader is released by a well nurtured and equipped flock to go and find the lost. disciplinary action Man's Kingdom: When people stray and allegedly function disloyally to community or leadership, they are disciplined and exiled...

Read More

james

... it is good when you obey the royal law as found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”   But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin. You are guilty of breaking the law.  For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.  For the same God who said, “You must not commit adultery,” also said, “You must not murder.”  (James...

Read More

monsignor

Not sure if this will amount to anything but staying open ... Monsignor Dream 27 July 2012 Had a dream this morning in which a household had two demons in it The first was within two young ladies who were lesbians The other was in an older gentlemen dressed in robes his name was monsignor ... the rest of his name sounded European, Italian not sure. In both cases, their tongues had turned to a black goopy substance. The first time I tried to...

Read More

where are we going?

When I read about and see God's heart, one thing I understand is that we are meant to be family. Yes, he presents himself and gives people the option of embracing or rejecting him. But he gives numerous opportunities to change our mind, our ways.  Why?  Remember the parable of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32)? Lost yes, but never not his family. Just as I cannot abandon my kids, how can I walk away from the people God embraces...

Read More

segregation

Recently heard a senior elder of a local church tell members of that church, on behalf of the head pastor and other leadership the following: "At no time shall a man and a woman be alone together under any circumstances, unless they are married." Basically, unless there is a third person, men and women are not to interact.  Does this apply only among the people of this church?  Does it apply for when they are at home with their...

Read More

confusion in the pews

God why are your people so confused? Why do we prefer to choose a life of niceties and self protection and justify it with the name of your son?  Why are we so ready to reject your reality?  Why do we call comfort and preference faith? Why do we insist on giving all our time to people who are either like us, don't threaten us, or serve our self interests?  Please God bring our enemies, strangers, foreigners,...

Read More

fasting

Have you heard of the 40 hour famine? Does your church encourage you to fast, for whatever reason? These days, probably to include more people including young children, we are asked to go for a period of time without.  But what are we asked to abstain from?  Food, junk food, alcohol, TV, computer games, etc?  Are you given the freedom to choose what you give up or are the items specifically outlined for you? Does it make a...

Read More

pay your church leader's wage?

Please read 1Timothy 5 This passage is sometimes used to justify a call for people to financially support the leaders of local churches and parishes.  But is this an accurate assessment of the passage? It should first be noted that of the various English bible translations, only a few mention "financial support".  Of these, the inclusion sometimes appears within brackets indicating uncertainty as to whether or not it...

Read More

please, discipline me nicely

Discipline is doing what you don't want to do when you don't want to do it. Have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? Don’t downplay God's discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For he disciplines those he loves, and punishes all those he accepts as his child.  Endure by remembering  God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never...

Read More

what is a church?

The following is adapted from an article written by  Mark D. Roberts © 2011 website link where people get their ideas of church past experience of church … Although many have no church background, some do even if limited to weddings and funerals.  Some come with negative memories they want to avoid again.  Others are nostalgic about the past, even if it didn’t help them know God better. pop culture … Even people who...

Read More

postmodern church

"I'm alright - I don't believe in the law of gravity" Everyone has a way of thinking, a way of viewing how the world works.  Postmodernism describes one of these. Consequently, people who accept a postmodern mindset tend to behave in certain ways, as others do according to their mindset. And as such, given people inhabit the church, how do the mindsets we bring affect the church? How do they impact you, your family, your friends? Exploring ...

Read More

either/or … both/and logic

In recent years, people connected with the church, have made active attempts to change how they think and speak.  Specifically, they advocate for the replacement of “either/or” logic (statements and questions) with “both/and” logic. This need comes from key motivations To prevent contradictory statements of faith To pay attention to parts of God’s word ignored, overlooked, not focused on enough I am passionate about this, therefore I must...

Read More

equipping the church

These are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. (Ephesians 4:12-13) It was...

Read More

pediatry

pediatry A rarely used term for pediatrics, meaning an area of medicine concerned with the health of infants, children and adolescents, their growth and development, and their opportunity to achieve full potential as adults. It is the study of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders in children. podiatry The medical study of the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the foot. This was in relation to Michelle (15 year old girl) seems...

Read More

who is abraham's seed?

First read Genesis 12 and Genesis 13 to find the section where God is promising Abraham about his descendants. Next read Galatians 3:15-21: When Abraham was promised the land to be inhabited by his descendants, there is a correction: Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. Using the concordance link (left sidebar) read again the parts you found in Genesis, specifically the word descendants (Strong's number 2233). So what appears to have...

Read More

gender specific messages

introduction The use of terms referring to gender occur throughout the bible (e.g. mother, father, son, daughter, wife, husband).  Some apply to specific people.  Others provide information about a principle.  For instance: Characteristics of a wife … (Ps 31) How women should behave in church meetings … (1Co 14:34-35) Definition of a widow … (1Tim 5) How fathers need to treat their children … (Eph 6) But how does reading Galatians...

Read More

God agrees with ME (friendship)

introduction When you read the bible, how do you discover and understand what God means?  Do we simply read the words and go apply it?  Do we listen to a church sermon from or the advice of a Christian and simply do as suggested? Why did Jesus say to the religious leaders and scholars of his day that knowing the words is not enough (e.g. John 5:39-40)?  What did he say we need instead? Can understanding what God means...

Read More