The Challenge of Resistance
Throughout history, the Gospel has faced resistance from those who cling to their own beliefs and traditions. This resistance can manifest in various forms, from outright persecution to subtle forms of opposition.
The problem has always been to encourage the bride of Christ in the face of obnoxious hostility rebelling against the Gospel.
Let's not be surprised to learn that this is by no means a modern day problem.
Ordinary people, who knew they were deeply loved by Abba and chose to walk boldly in His grace and authority. As miracles unfolded before our eyes, we marveled at the extraordinary works of our Lord Jesus Christ, exceedingly and abundantly more than what we asked or imagined. Our Gospel was the only thing that we knew - the finished work of our Jesus. We proclaimed nothing outside of His mercy, grace, patience, goodness, kindness, truth, and unwavering love.
Our Purpose
The Mirror
Isn't it remarkable how children often mirror their parents? A son might resemble his father, and a father may desire his son to think and act like him. Similarly, a mother often hopes her daughter will follow in her footsteps. When you observe them together, their similarities are striking.
In Genesis 1:26, God declares, "Let Us make man in Our image and likeness." This declaration implies that God intended for humanity to reflect His nature, to behave like Him, to think like Him, and to rule like Him.
The divine declaration, "I Am that I Am," is followed by the creative act of making man in His likeness. This suggests that God desires humans to embody His very essence.
Dug out
I will be the first to admit that sometimes I am clueless when it comes to prayer and the words I need to pray (and declare, mostly). But, there is a way out when we do not know what to pray and what to say.
1 Corinthians 14:2 reads, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries." This verse is part of a larger discussion about spiritual gifts bestowed on the ekklēsia (see this post), particularly focusing on the gift of tongues. In this post, we'll delve into the meaning of this verse from a grace perspective, exploring the relevant Greek words and their implications for our understanding of this gift.
Most, if not all, of these feasts are of man-made pagan or occult origins, dedicated to elusive imaginative heathen gods. Should these feasts be celebrated at all?
If I were permitted to have a favorite book in the Bible, it would most definitely be the book of Romans. And if a favorite chapter were permissible, mine would undoubtedly be Romans chapter 8.
But if you were to ask me about my favorite verse, I'd be hard-pressed to choose just one! Every verse in this chapter is a masterpiece, painting a breathtaking portrait of God's grace and love.
However,
It appears that AI supersedes the cognitive thinking and contemplation of many hundreds of thousands of men and women in this world in its logic reasoning (and awareness, if AI can be attributed to have such a characteristic) of the goodness of God.
This begs the question: How stupid does mankind have to be in order to deny such a fundamental truth?
Without editing, here is the AI post that was created in less than a few seconds.
Imagine Perfection.
Imagine having more than you could ever need, living in a world without danger. Picture a life filled with beauty, tranquility, peace, love, health, and boundless contentment. Imagine a perfect love relationship with someone who couldn't love you more. Imagine the cool of a summer evening, simply being. This is paradise, this is Eden!
Would I stay in such a place? Would I give it up?
There is an apprehensive, fear-instilling and condemning message that most church-goers get to hear on a weekly basis - "Obey or die!" And they pay for it!Yes, sadly the institutional church assumes the role of our local-law-enforcement-and-kangaroo-court-agency. And it derives its right to do so from a long history of traditions and like things that it do. [Mark 7:13]
In the opening chapter of their book Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices, Frank Viola and George Barna ponder the question about doing church by the Book. They ask a very valid question that the institutional church subscribes to, but is rather unwilling to comment on: “We do everything by the Word of God! The New Testament is our guide for faith and practice! We live … and we die … by this Book!”
And so, we have been told and also not to question what we are told.
