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The Parables of Jesus: The Seed That Grows Itself

The Parables of Mark: The Seed That Grows Itself

June 14, 2018

Jesus continued to speak to the people in parables. He compared the truth to the light of a lamp, explaining that the measure we use to judge others will be used for us. We often take for granted the concept of electricity. The simple flip of a switch or verbal command to Google will illuminate our homes and other buildings. During the first century, people filled lamps with oil to light up the house. When a lamp was put under a bed or under a bowl, it ceased to function in its intended manner. When the goal is to provide light to the world around you, blocking or concealing that light opposes the true function of the lamp’s intended purpose.

To The Seven Churches – Thyatira – Revelation 2:18-29

June 13, 2018

The Church in Pergamum was in a bad neighborhood, but in a spiritual sense. The area of Pergamum was surprisingly a well off area housing temples to Caesar as the Lord. Pergamum remained dedicated to the worship of the Roman Empire as the primary incarnation of divinity that mankind would see. Furthermore, the people of Pergamum lived their life in celebration of the influence of Rome and chasing after their personal wants and desires, following a hedonistic bent. This presented the church in Pergamum with unique challenges and opportunities to represent Christ in the world but also to withstand the influence of the outside world.

The Fruit of the Peace: Anxiety Choked Out By Peace

June 11, 2018

Anyone who knows me understands that I tend to be anxious and worry about a great deal of things. I worry about how other people are doing. I worry about my future. I worry about whether or not I will be able to make it (without clearly defining what “making it” actually means). For the Spirit filled Christian, peace is expressed through any situation and any time. Yet, anxiety seems to always poke its head into any situation in an effort to choke out the peace of God. The world almost seems to glorify anxiety and romanticize the idea that everyone should reasonably and expectantly be anxious about their current events and situations. Anxiety, however, is not a fruit of the Spirit. It stands contrary to the fruit of peace that lives within the heart of all who have been filled by the Holy Spirit. Where anxiety tries to choke out peace, by the strength of God, peace chokes out all anxiety.

The Parables of Mark: The Lamp

June 7, 2018

The nature of truth is not something that should be concealed. The truths of God are designed to be displayed brightly and outwardly. Jesus spoke in parables so that the people would be able to understand the complex intricacies of an infinite and eternal God. Yet, some still were unable to understand the message of Jesus Christ. Thus, you see Jesus frequently referring to “those who have ears to hear, let them hear.”

To The Seven Churches – Pergamum – Revelation 2:12-17

June 6, 2018

The Church in Pergamum was in a bad neighborhood, but in a spiritual sense. The area of Pergamum was surprisingly a well off area housing temples to Caesar as the Lord. Pergamum remained dedicated to the worship of the Roman Empire as the primary incarnation of divinity that mankind would see. Furthermore, the people of Pergamum lived their life in celebration of the influence of Rome and chasing after their personal wants and desires, following a hedonistic bent. This presented the church in Pergamum with unique challenges and opportunities to represent Christ in the world but also to withstand the influence of the outside world.

The Fruit of Peace: The Wellspring of Right Standing

The Fruit of the Peace: The Wellspring of Right Standing

June 4, 2018

For the Spirit-filled Christian, peace is not a far off abstract but comes from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Peace is tied to our eternal state rather than where we are during a particular moment of time. For the Christian, the Spirit of God indwelling inside of believers is a source of peace in the midst of a chaotic and anxious world.

The Parables of Mark: The Sower

May 31, 2018

For a largely agrarian society, a message of sowing and reaping seed would be immediately understood. As Jesus taught the people while he stood on the lake, he spoke to them the profound mysteries of an eternal and brilliant Kingdom. Yet he did so with the language that the people would understand. The mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven were being revealed to mankind and the word of God was spreading far and wide. This message became the focal point for what Jesus was intending to communicate.

To The Seven Churches – Smyrna – Revelation 2:8-11

May 30, 2018

The Church is Smyrna was no stranger to suffering. The church was in the midsts of profound religious persecution for those who sought to follow Jesus Christ. Christians would not following the synagogues who denied the divinity of Jesus Christ and even approved of the martyrdom of some of the earliest church fathers (Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna being the first recorded martyr outside of the bible). Nor would the Christians engage in the type of worship of Caesar that would have been mandatory for Roman worship. Beyond that, there was the profound misunderstanding of Christian doctrines. As they talked about the body and blood of Jesus Christ, people assumed they were cannibals. This is just one of the misunderstandings.

The Fruit of Joy: Our Right Standing with a Caring Father

The Fruit of the Joy: Our Right Standing with a Caring Father

May 28, 2018

Joy has nothing to do with our situation and everything to do with our standing with God. When our standing with God is absent, happiness is a cheap, counterfeit alternative to joy. We tend to think that our faith is faltering when things are not happy. Yet, biblically, the cause for our supposed “suffering” could be the refiner’s fire. It is not necessarily an indication that we are outside of the will of God but rather that God continually pursues us and draws us closer to Himself.

The Parables of Mark: The Strongman

May 24, 2018

From all accounts of scripture, Jesus had just cast out demons from a man with multiple ailments. The man had been blind and unable to speak and had been healed by Jesus miraculously. After all, Jesus is a God who came to heal people and bring them to restoration. Most people would view this as a good thing for a man to have physical ailments be brought to restoration. Others, for whatever reason, viewed this as a threat to themselves and what they were doing.