Topic > Christian Beliefs
God With Us
His presence in the room was obvious. Everyone else was dressed rather formally. He had on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and a weathered baseball cap. I couldn’t help but notice him as I addressed students that day in a seminary chapel in Bucharest, Romania. I have no idea why he didn’t conform to the norms of seminary attire, but I do remember his name.
Three Different Parables With One Lesson: Be Prepared
The return of Jesus Christ should not only keep us watching but find us working. Matthew 24:45-51; Matthew 25:1-13; Matthew 25:14-30
To help listeners understand that believing in the return of Jesus Christ has consequences for the way we live.
Do you think much about the future? What do you think about?
Does it matter very much in the way you live today?
Does the way you think about the future now differ very much from how you thought about the future in the past?
As a Christian who takes the Bible seriously, what do you know for sure about the future?
What difference should that make?
In Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus tells us three parables.
One is about two servants in charge of a household.
Another is about ten young women who could not stay awake before a wedding.
And another is about some slaves who were given a great deal of money to invest.
Being Ready For Christ's Return And Using The Opportunities He Gives
Our true commitment is seen in how we respond to the opportunities that are given to us. “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them” (Matthew 25:14-30).
The Great Miracle
Leonard Ravenhill (1907–1994), a British evangelist, once said, “The greatest miracle God can do today is take an unholy man out of an unholy world, make that man holy, then put him back into that unholy world and keep him holy in it.” This seems to be what God did to Isaiah when He called him to speak to His people.
Around the time of the death of Uzziah, one of Judah’s more successful kings, Isaiah had a vision of God. The prophet saw Him as the true King of the universe, sitting on a lofty throne. In the vision, Isaiah saw seraphim worshiping God with a hymn that praised His holiness, majesty, and glory.
Miracle Or Magic?
Did Jesus really walk on water or simply use some nearby sandbars? Did He actually multiply bread and fish to feed 5,000 or just hypnotize the crowd into thinking He did? Was it miracle or magic?
When Christian illusionist Brock Gill explored those questions for a BBC television program, he set aside his personal beliefs to examine the biblical miracles with an open mind. Producer Jean-Claude Bragard said, “Even if an atheist had been chosen as host, the conclusions wouldn’t have changed.” In every case, Gill concluded that Jesus could not have tricked people into believing they had witnessed a miracle.
Master The Skill Of Biblical Interpretation
Years ago in the New York Times, there was an advertisement for Mortimer Adler’s “How to Read a Book.” It pictured a teenager reading his first love letter. The blurb was, “How to read a love letter.”
The copy said this:
“This young man has just received his first love letter. He may have read it three or four times, but he is just beginning. To read it as accurately as he would like, would require several dictionaries and a good deal of close work with a few experts of etymology and philology.
“However, he will do all right without them.
“He will ponder over the exact shade of meaning in every word, every comma. She has headed the letter Dear John. What, he asks himself, is the exact significance of those words? Did she refrain from saying Dearest because she was bashful? Would My dear have sounded too formal?
Taking Refuge
In the medieval world, farmers would care for their crops until an enemy appeared on the horizon. Then they would flee with their families to their fortified city for protection from the marauders.
The city of Carcassonne has been a refuge for generations. Built in the 5th century bc, this stone fortress has provided protection for Romans, Gauls, Visigoths, Franks, and French. Its sprawling size and majestic watchtowers and battlements gave confidence to those hiding inside its protective walls.
Biblical encouragement concerning our daily struggle with sin
Satan has had centuries to perfect his crafty strategies, and has the resources to implement his devious plans. What chance do we possibly have against such an insurmountable enemy? If you’ve put your faith in Jesus, you have resources too! Resources that can help you win the battle.
Michael’s Baptism
Michael wanted to be baptized. At first his father had reservations about this because Michael is autistic. Autism is a developmental disability that affects a person’s social interaction and communication skills.
There was no question that 35-year-old Michael had trusted Jesus for salvation, and the church leadership enthusiastically approved his baptism. But he would have to stand in front of the entire congregation.
The Son Is Given
One of my favorite portions of Handel’s Messiah is the joyous movement “For unto us a Child is born,” from the first part of the oratorio. I especially love how the chorus rises to the phrase, “Unto us a Son is given.” Those words, of course, are taken from Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” Handel’s majestic music soars with adoration for the Son who came to us in human flesh that first Christmas.
Why a self-assured pride in our own abilities is a clever trap designed by our Enemy!
Our culture considers it an admirable quality to think, “I can do this by myself!” That it’s the sign of healthy self-esteem. A study on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
An eye-opening discussion you don’t want to miss
There are many kinds of temptations. Some are obvious appeals to sin. But other enticements may seem perfectly logical and reasonable in the moment! Let's discuss how the Enemy tempts us to “throw our pearls before swine.”
Let’s explore a section of the Sermon on the Mount talking about pearls and pigs
Occasionally, we may come up against a Scripture passage that is difficult to interpret. When that happens we say there are some practical steps we can follow to help us see the meaning clearly.
Lasting Rewards
Ukrainian gymnast Larisa Latynina held the record of 18 Olympic medals. She won them in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Olympics. The 48-year-old record was surpassed when Michael Phelps swam for his 19th gold in the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay in the 2012 London Games. “[Latynina] kind of got lost in history,” the publisher of the International Gymnast magazine said. When the Soviet Union broke up, “we had forgotten about her.”
United Goal
The spotted owl has been disappearing in the US. Originally it was believed that old growth logging was its greatest threat. But research shows that one of the owl’s relatives may be the problem. For the past 15 years, the barred owl has been rapidly migrating westward. Barred owls, which used to live exclusively east of the Mississippi, compete for the same food as spotted owls but are more aggressive and adaptable.
