Have you grown up hearing that you need to know the Bible? Maybe you took it off the shelf to read or maybe not. Did you ever ask yourself…why? And was your conclusion ‘just because?’ Let’s see what the Bible itself has to say.
Continue reading “Why Do I Need to Know the Bible?”
The big picture. It’s important to know, but easy to forget about. It’s easy for our thoughts and minds to be completely consumed with what’s right in front of us. Maybe it’s unexpected bad news. Perhaps it was something someone said to you, or a huge event or presentation looming before you. No matter how hard you try, it’s all you can think about, captivating your attention at all times.
We often lose sight of the big picture when hard times hit or when we focus too much on the little details. As believers, it’s often our lives of faith that end up getting pushed to the sidelines when something in life hits us hard and consumes our thoughts. God and His plans are forgotten while we worry about the other issues right in front of us. What happens when we forget about the big picture? And before we even answer that, another question: what is God’s big picture?
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Have you ever considered, or has it ever felt like there was a cost for following God’s truth? That you would have to suffer something difficult or pay a price for your faith? What would that cost look like in our daily lives? And more importantly, would we be willing to pay it?
It’s easy to say yes. But when we examine those who followed the truth throughout the Bible, we can see that the price they paid was high. And what is this Truth we are referring to? John 17:17 tells us that God’s Word is truth. God’s Word, the Bible, the way we get to know God and the way we can learn about salvation. Those who followed God’s Words throughout history faced unnaturally harsh persecution and hardships. Why? Because in a world full of lies, they pursued God’s truth.
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When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negev. Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him.
Psalm 126
Continue reading “The Lord Has Done Great Things – The Psalms Series”
If you grew up in the United States and are old enough to remember the ‘90s, then you may recall a show named, “Touched by an Angel.” It was a popular Christian family drama that ran from the mid-‘90s to the early 2000s.
The concept of “guardian angel” is a popular belief in many Christian communities. And this TV show used that idea for their basic plotline. If you’re not familiar with the show, it centers around three angels (disguised as normal people) who help others during difficult times in their lives. The main character of each episode doesn’t realize they had been touched or helped by an angel until the end of each episode when the angels reveal themselves to be messengers sent by God.
Continue reading “Touched By An Angel: A Look At God’s Heavenly Workers”
“Get behind me, Satan!” These were words that Jesus spoke to his own disciple, Peter. Undoubtedly, Jesus was known for being sharp with his words, but doesn’t it seem a little extreme to call a disciple, who left everything to follow you, ‘Satan?’ But unfortunately for him, Peter had done something to hinder God’s work. Let’s take a closer look at the situation.
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In today’s world, we are all about inclusivity. We don’t want to alienate people or make them feel left out or bad. That’s a great thing when dealing with people in our daily lives. We should be loving and accepting of others. We can share information and knowledge with people we meet and form relationships with them.
But if you had a deep secret, you wouldn’t want to tell just anybody, right? You would only tell the people you trust. If you told just anyone, that person could tell someone else and then your secret is no longer a secret. We all have things we would only tell to people we trust. God has those things, too.
Continue reading “Would Jesus Choose to Explain the Secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven to You?”
All types of soldiers, past and present, need to wear some type of armor when they go into battle. Knights wore heavy plated armor, samurais wore bamboo armor, and modern soldiers wear Kevlar vests and other types of protection. But why would soldiers need to wear armor in the first place? Because they’re in some type of battle or war, and need protection.
The Bible tells us that as believers, we also need to wear spiritual armor. The armor of God. Why would God want His followers to put on armor? Who are God’s people fighting? Let’s talk about the answers to these questions.
Continue reading “Have You Put on the Full Armor of God?”
When many people, religious or not, think about Satan, they often think of something like this: a red demon with horns and a pitchfork, trying to obviously tempt others to sin, to live and take in all the worldly pleasures and wealth, disregarding the consequences.
Continue reading “The Great Deception: How and Where Satan Works”
Heretic! Demon possessed! Liar!
A roar of countless voices hurls insults at Jesus. Hands grasping stones, prepared to throw. You’d maybe expect this kind of treatment for a cold-blooded criminal. But not for Jesus, the Son of God. Nevertheless, this is the kind of treatment he received when he went out to do the work of God. Most of us know that Jesus was not well-received during the time he was alive. But do you know who was to blame for Jesus’ treatment?
Continue reading “Why Are the Pharisees the Bad Guys in the New Testament?”