“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons…” This is exactly what Jesus does in Matthew chapter nine and in the other gospel accounts of Mark, Luke, and John. But some cults and false teachers use the miracle accounts of Jesus to justify their beliefs, and then they add to scripture with their own authoritative books or doctrines. Christian Science, or…
Jesus healed many people instantaneously in his earthly ministry. Here are some broader principles on faith & healing in the Bible: This song by Shane & Shane helps me process the suffering that I and others experience now: 1. Evil, pain, suffering, sickness & death are real, and part of life in a fallen world. These things are physical and also a…
But often instead of speaking the truth in love, we unintentionally corner our kids with “no-win” statements, or questions that are impossible to answer. For example, who hasn’t asked their child in a moment of frustration and exasperation, “HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO… [insert favorite pet peeve here]!”
I enjoy reading Rabbi Mark Gellman’s The God Squad column in the weekly paper. On the topic of, “Loving An Enemy…”, Rabbi Mark says that it is beyond his comprehension: “If you do not hate someone who has savaged your loved ones, who would you hate? Moreover, Jesus’ teaching is not just a command to forgive an enemy who has come to…
Jesus gives incredible promises and a message of new life and eternal hope to his followers, however one thing we often forget is that we are also called to suffer for Jesus, if we are truly his people. “Your enemies will be right in your own household! If you love your mother or father more than you love me, you are not…
“let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.” Hebrew 10:22 HCSB One of the things Christians often struggle with is the concept of assurance, specifically the assurance of salvation. Jesus spoke warnings against those who did works in his name but did…
We live in a culture of entitlement, or essentially insisting that we deserve this or that. We go to grocery stores and enter as “preferred customers”, “VIP members”, or something similar that builds our egos. What does all this do to our psyche? Well, it certainly doesn’t cultivate gratitude, or a sense of dependence on those around us for the things we…
Thoughts on Charity, from C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity: “The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If…
Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.“ If the devil were in our churches, homes, society, or culture, he would be pretty obvious, wouldn’t he? Would he be this obvious? Satan is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning (John 8:44). Yet the “Satan” bumper sticker…
James chapter 1 reads, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4 ESV) Probably none of us will say that we enjoy trials, but God uses them…