Blogs
I KNOW EASTER WAS A COUPLE OF MONTHS BACK BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT THIS MORNING AND WONDER WHY WE DON'T CELEBRATE JESUS EVERY DAY AS OUR RISEN LORD. WE ALWAYS ENJOY THIS DAY BUT WHEN IT IS OVER, WE TEND TO FORGET WHAT WE JUST HAD. WE NEED TO REMEMBER WHAT EASTER MEANS TO US ALL YEAR LONG. WE ARE THE ONLY RELIGION THAT CAN SAY THAT OUR GOD IS ALIVE. AND, THE GOOD THINGS IS THAT HE IS NOT WAY OFF IN THE SWEET BY AND BY BUT HE LIVES INSIDE US. WHEN WE PRAY, WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK UP TO HEAVEN, WE JUST HAVE TO LOOK DOWN TOWARD OUR HEARTS WHERE HE LIVES.
Some people have mistakenly interpreted this passage to say that Peter was the foundation on which Christ would build His Church. However, that would violate many scriptures that refer to Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."
Ephesians 2:20 does mention the apostles as being part of the foundation stones of Christ's church, but it doesn't single Peter out above any of the other apostles, This same scripture once again mentions Jesus as the "chief cornerstone."
There are two different Greek words used for "Peter" and "rock" respectively in verse 18. The word used for "Peter" means "rock" but signifies a piece of rock like a pebble. In contrast, the word translated as "rock" signifies a massive rock which...
It was unusual for Jesus to inquire about the results of His ministry as He did in verse 23. It was even more unusual that Jesus laid hands on this man a second time. This is the only example in the New Testament where Jesus had to minister to any need more than once to affect a total healing.
Many people request things from God and then look at their circumstances to see if God answered their prayer. That is walking by sight and not by faith. If they can't "see" God's answer, then they pray again asking for the same thing. This is not the way Jesus taught us to pray and receive. We can be certain that Jesus didn't lay hands on this man a second time because He...
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW THAT THE LORD HAS THOUGHT OF PEACE TOWARD US? THAT IS WHAT JEREMIAH 29:11 SAYS "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." JUST TO THINK THAT THE LORD WHO CREATED THIS WHOLE UNIVERSE, THINKS ABOUT US. WHEN READING THIS, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THIS WAS HUNDREDS OF YEARS BEFORE JESUS, OUR LORD, WAS EVEN BORN. I WOULD ASSUME THAT THE "EXPECTED END" WOULD BE OUR SALVATION AND OUR BEING ABLE TO LIVE WITH HIM THROUGHOUT ETERNITY. THAT IS AN "expected end" I AM ENJOYING NOW. YOU ASK HOW I CAN SAY I AM ENJOYING THE "EXPECTED END" NOW? THE DICTIONARY SAYS THAT ETERNITY MEANS "infinite time; duration without beginning or end." WE ARE LIVING IN ETERNITY NOW.
Just a few days before this instance, hardened hearts caused Jesus' disciples to be amazed when they saw Jesus walk on the water to them. Here, Jesus' statements reveal some of the characteristics of someone with a hardened heart.
First, a hard heart keeps us from perceiving spiritual truths. This is why everyone in a church service hears exactly the same message yet, some will receive while others won't. It's not the Word that is the variable, but rather the condition of the hearts. A hard heart stops spiritual perception.
Second, a hardened heart stops us from understanding spiritual truth. When a person doesn't understand God's Word, Satan finds no resistance when he...
...
The Sadducees were a Jewish sect (Acts 5:17), of both a political and religious nature, that was best known for its opposition to the more popular party (the Pharisees), because of differences in various doctrinal and political questions. Sadducees rejected the oral tradition of the Pharisees who made a "mountain" of burdensome legislation and accepted only the written law. We are told they believed there is "no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit" (Acts 23:8). From Josephus, we learn that the Sadducees believed that the soul perishes with the body (Antiq. XVIII. 1.4) and, therefore, can receive neither penalties nor rewards in an afterlife (War II. 8.14).
The most significant mention of the Sadducees in the Gospels concerns their...
The Greek word used here for "sighed deeply" means an intense grieving, inaudible prayer, or groan. This is intercession of the Holy Spirit, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Some Spirit-filled Christians believe this means groanings that cannot be uttered in normal speech and that this refers to speaking in tongues. However, this actually refers to a type of intercession different than speaking in tongues.
In John 11:33 and 38, Jesus groaned in the Spirit twice, and in those cases there were no words uttered. It was exactly as the Scripture states, a groaning in the Spirit. Everyone who has the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit has or will have this happen to them. Paul was...