02-17-13 CREATION 2.0

Scripture                              Genesis 1:26;  2 Corinthians 5:17

THE CREATION

Genesis 1:1-5, 26

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning — the first day.  26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

On day four of creation God set the light sources in the sky.  Do you have a clue as to how vast God’s creation is?  Do you have a clue as to everything God was doing on the 4^th day alone?  We can’t begin to know what is in space beyond what we have equipment to identify.  4^th day creation is beyond comprehension. The more we discover the more we realize how much more there is beyond what we ever thought.  EXAMPLE from Louie Giglio – imagine the 4^th day of creation as God is speaking the stars and planets into place.

VIDEO  cut and paste in browser: http://youtu.be/KHBGwJqssH8

 

THE NEW CREATION

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

This section of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians mentions two things that are necessary in order to truly live a Christian life, both of which are the consequences of Christ's dying for us; They are: Regeneration and Reconciliation.

I. Regeneration means FROM NOW ON we do not look at things from the same point of view anymore.  We used to look at things through our eyes – eyes with a fleshly worldly perspective, now we look at things from a divine, God perspective.  We don’t look at anyone the way we used too.  Before we looked at people as in our way or by what they could do for me. Now we see them as a way to glorify God and what we can do for them.  That is radical thinking – God thinking. The love of Christ is in our hearts, and the world is under our feet."   Even though we once regarded Jesus form a worldly perspective, we no longer do.  That is why 1 Cor 2:11-16 (The Message) asks; Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God — except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.  The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit — God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit.

 

Therefore, being generated again means you were generated or created once and you are now regenerated or recreated – made a new creation.  This must be evident in all who profess the Christian faith, that they be new creatures; not only that they have a new name, but that they have a new heart and new nature. And so great is the change the grace of God makes in the soul, that, as it follows, old things are passed away—old thoughts, old principles, and old practices, are passed away; and all these things must become new. Note, Regenerating grace creates a new world in the soul; all things are new. The renewed person acts from new principles, by new rules, with new ends, and in new company.

 

II. Reconciliation, which is here spoken of under a double notion:—

1.       As an unquestionable privilege, v. 18,19. Reconciliation supposes a fight or break of friendship; and sin has made a break, it has broken the friendship between God and man. The heart of the sinner is filled with antagonism against God, and God is offended by the sinner. Yet, there may be a reconciliation; the offended Creator is willing to be reconciled. He has appointed the Mediator of reconciliation: Jesus Christ.  He does not take advantage of his position or hold us hostage because of our sin, but is willing to

enter into a new treaty, and into a new covenant of grace, and, freely to forgive us all our sins, and justify freely by his grace all those who do believe.

 

2.   Notice that at the very moment of our reconciliation with God, the moment we are made a new creation he makes us ministers of reconciliation.  Once we have been reconciled to God, we are to let others know that they too can be reconciled to God.  This is so strong that we are called AMBASSADORS of reconciliation.  AMBASSADOR: an official envoy; especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government 2

an authorized representative.  When you become a new creation by being reconciled to God through the shed blood and death of Jesus Christ, you become an authorized official of the King of Heaven to let others know how to be reconciled to God.  God makes his appeal to the world THROUGH US!!!

          God took Jesus, who had never sinned, who had never experienced sin, who had never known sin to be sin for us – so that we, the sinners, the ones who had sinned could become the righteousness of God.

          As Christ, who knew no sin of his own, was made sin for us, so we, who have no righteousness of our own, are made the righteousness of God in him.

 

Day 1 of Creation – “God said, Let there be LIGHT!”

Day 1 of the New Creation – God said through his word in 1 John 1:5-7  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.  If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  Ephesians 5:8-9  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.  1 Peter 2:9-10  But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

02-10-13 BIBLE ADDICT part 3 NO SHAME

Scripture:  Romans 1:14-17

The Bible Is About True Human Experiences

One element that makes the Bible so believable is its determination to show the good and bad side of key biblical figures. No other book of its kind presents people who are heroes as fearful when they are facing battle, as having doubts about God, or as making huge moral mistakes.

David, a man after God’s own heart – Slept with Bathsheba and had her soldier husband,Uriah killed to cover it up.

Peter watched Jesus perform miracles, and walked on water was intimidated by a young girl's questioning about his association with Jesus while his trial was happening.

The Old Testament Supports the New Testament (Prophecies fulfilled)

The Old Testament contains more than 125 predictions about the Messiah. By fulfilling these prophecies, Jesus proved that He was indeed the Messiah. He also proved that the Bible was the result of a supernatural revelation.

 

Mathematicians have calculated the odds of Jesus fulfilling only 8 of the Messianic prophecies as 1 out of 10¹⁷ (a 1 followed by 17 zeros). This is equivalent to covering the entire state of Texas with silver dollars 2 feet deep, marking one of them, mixing them all up and having a blind-folded person select the marked one at random the first time.

Fulfilled prophecy is powerful evidence that the Bible is divine rather than human in origin.

Objection: Jesus manipulated events to fulfill prophecy. Answer: (a) Many prophecies were out of his control (ancestry, place of birth, time of death). (b) His miracles confirmed Jesus to be the Messiah. (c) In order to manipulate all the people (including his enemies) and even his disciples to make it appear that he was the Messiah, Jesus would have needed supernatural powers. If he had such powers, he must have been the Messiah he claimed to be.

Here are a few examples that show the prophetic bond between the OT and NT.

 

1. The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2     "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."

Matthew 2:4-5     When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born.  "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:…

2. The Messiah would be born of a virgin

Isaiah 7:14     Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

Luke 1:34-36     "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

3. The Messiah would be a descendant of David

Jeremiah 23:5   “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

Luke 1:31-33     You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

4. The Messiah would be betrayed by a friend

Psalm 41:9     Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted up his heel against me.

John 13:18     I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.   John 13:26-27 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him.

5. Lots would be cast for His clothes

Psalm 22:18     They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

Matthew 27:35     When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

6.  The Messiah would be pierced.

Zechariah 12:10-11     "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced.

John 19:33-34     But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.  Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear,      John 19:36-37      These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced." 

 

KEY TEXT

Famous Unwritten Letter to Paul

          This is a letter that could have been written to the Apostle Paul had he applied for missionary service under some of today’s modern missionary boards:

          Rev. Saul (Apostle) Paul / Independent Missionary  /  Corinth. Greece

          Dear Mr. Paul:

We recently received an application from you for service under our Board. It is our policy to be as frank and open-minded as possible with all of our applicants. We have made an exhaustive survey of your case. To be plain, we are surprised that you have been able to “pass” as a bonafide missionary. We are told that you are afflicted with a severe vision problem. This is certain to be an insufferable handicap to an effective ministry. We require 20-20 vision.

          Do you think it seemly for a missionary to do part-time secular work? We heard that you are making tents on the side. In a letter to the Church at Philippi you admitted that they were the only church supporting you. We wonder why?

          Is it true that you have a jail record? Certain brethren report that you did two years’ time at Caesarea, and were imprisoned at Rome.

          You made so much trouble for the businessmen at Ephesus that they refer to you as “the man who turned the world upside down. Sensationalism has no place in missions! We also deplore the lurid over-the-wall episode at Damascus. We are appalled at your obvious lack of conciliatory behavior. Diplomatic men are not stoned and dragged out of the city gate, or assaulted by furious mobs. Have you ever suspected that gentler words might gain you more friends? I enclose a copy of Dalius Carnagus’ book, “How to Win Jews and Influence Greeks.”

          In one of your letters you refer to yourself as Paul the Aged. Our new mission policies do not anticipate a surplus of elderly recipients. We understand, too that you are given to fantasies and dreams. At Troas, you saw, “A man of Macedonia” and at another time you were “caught up into the third heaven” and even claimed that “the Lord stood by” you. We reckon that more realistic and practical minds are needed in the task of world evangelism.

          You have written many letters to churches where you have formerly been pastor. In one of these letters, you accused a church member of living with his father’s wife, and you caused the whole church to feel badly and the poor fellow was expelled.

          Your ministry has been far too flightly to be successful. First Asia Minor, then Macedonia, then Greece, then Italy, and now you are talking about a wild-goose chase to Spain. Concentration is more important than dissipation of one’s powers. You cannot win the whole world by yourself! You are just one little Paul. In a recent sermon you said, “God forbid that I should glory in anything save the Cross of Christ.” It seems to us that you also ought to glory in our heritage, the denominational programs and the unified budget.

          Your sermons are much too long for the time. At one place you talked until after midnight and a young man was so sleepy that he fell out of the window and broke his neck. Nobody is saved after the first 20 minutes. “Stand up, speak up, and shut up,” is our advice.

          Dr. Luke reports that you are a thin little man, bald, frequently sick, and always so agitated over your churches that you sleep very poorly. He reports that you parade around the house, praying half the night. A healthy mind in a robust body is our ideal for all applicants. A good night’s sleep will give you zest and zip so that you wake up full of zing!

          You wrote recently to Timothy that you had “fought a good fight.” Fighting is hardly a recommendation for a missionary. No fighting is a good fight. Jesus came not to bring a sword, but peace. You boast that “I fought with wild beasts of Ephesus.” What on earth do you mean?

          It hurts me to tell you this, brother Paul, but in all of the 25 years of my experience, I have never met a man so opposite to the requirements of our Foreign Missions board. If we accepted you, we would break every rule of modern missionary practice.

Most Sincerely yours,   J. Flavius Fluffyhead, Sec.  Foreign Missions Board

 

PAUL – SET APART

There is one thing that sets Paul apart from the majority of us – that is his attitude. His attitude about his own conversion – it was real. His attitude about God – he feels indebted to God for all he has done for him.  His attitude about other people.  Even though he was highly educated and sophisticated, he didn’t care if people were Jews or Greeks, slave or free, smart or stupid – he saw each person as a person who deserved hearing the gospel, His attitude about faith – the essential quality to experience God through Jesus Christ.  Listen to his attitude come through this text:

          Romans 1:14-17

I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

 

          Unlike temperament, personality, even character, the one thing we all have that we can change in an instant for good or evil is our attitude.  Our attitude determines our vision which determines our actions.  Attitude is not measured by saying the glass is half full or half empty, it is determined by whether you are pouring or drinking, whether you are giving or taking.  Are you a person who cares about what God is doing – then know that he is not doing it just for you – His purposes are much higher than one person.  God wants to grow his Kingdom and your attitude is the first thing that will determine your participation in that kingdom, including its rewards.  Just beyond attitude is faith – attitude is not enough but is a start.  Your attitude must be accompanied by faith to believe Phil 1:6 that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

ADDITIONAL OLD TESTAMENT MESSIANIC PROPHECIES FULFILLED

Messianic Prophecies

Topic	Old Testament	New Testament
Messiah to be the seed of the Woman	Genesis 3:15	Luke 2:5-7 Galatians 4:4
Messiah to be the seed of Abraham	Genesis 12:2-3, 18:18	Matthew 1:1-2 Luke 3:34 Acts 3:25 Galatians 3:16
Messiah to be of the tribe of Judah	Genesis 49:10	Matthew 1:1-2
Messiah to be of the seed of David	2 Samuel 7:16 Psalm 132:11 Jeremiah 23:5, 33:15	Matthew 1:6, 22:42-45 Luke 1:31-33 Acts 2:29-30 Romans 1:3
Messiah to be born of a virgin	Isaiah 7:14	Matthew 1:18-25 Luke 1:26-38
Messiah to be born in Bethlehem	Micah 5:2	Matthew 2:1-6 Luke 2:4-6
Tribute paid to Messiah by great kings	Psalm 72:10-11	Matthew 2:1-11
Messiah to be heralded by a messenger	Isaiah 40:3 Malachi 3:1	Matthew 3:1-3
Messiah to be the Son of God	Psalm 2:2,7	Matthew 3:17 Luke 1:32-33
Messiah to be anointed by the Holy Spirit	Isaiah 11:2	Matthew 3:16-17
Galilee to be the first area of Messiah's ministry	Isaiah 9:1-7	Matthew 4:12-16
Messiah to be meek and mild	Isaiah 40:11, 42:2-3, 53:7	Matthew 12:18-20, 26:62-68
Messiah to minister to the Gentiles	Isaiah 42:1, 49:6-8	Matthew 12:21 Luke 2:28-32
Messiah will perform miracles	Isaiah 35:5-6	Matthew 9:35, 11:3-6 John 9:6-7
Messiah to be a prophet like Moses	Deuteronomy 18:15-19	Matthew 21:11, 24:1-35 John 1:45, 6:14 Acts 3:20-23
Messiah to enter the temple with authority	Malachi 3:1-2	Matthew 21:12
Messiah will enter Jerusalem on a donkey	Zechariah 9:9-10	Matthew 21:1-11
Messiah to be betrayed by a friend	Psalm 41:9	John 13:18-21
Messiah to be forsaken by his disciples	Zechariah 13:7	Matthew 26:31, 56
Messiah will be smitten	Isaiah 50:6	Matthew 26:67, 27:26,30
Messiah to experience crucifixion (long before crucifixion was invented)	Psalm 22:15-17	Matthew 27:34-50 John 19:28-30
Messiah will be pierced	Zechariah 12:10	John 19:34-37
Details of Messiah's suffering and death and resulting salvation (hundreds of years before Christ!)	Psalm 69:21 Isaiah 53:2-12,	Matthew 26-27 Mark 15-16 Luke 22-23 John 18-19
Casting of lots for His garments	Psalm 22:18	John 19:23-24
Messiah to be raised from the dead	Psalm 16:10	Acts 2:25-31, 13:32-37, 17:2-3
Messiah's resurrection	Job 19:25 Psalm 16:10	Acts 2:30-31, 13:32-35, 17:2-3 1 Corinthians 15:20-22
Messiah to ascend to heaven	Psalm 68:18	Luke 24:51 Acts 1:9 Ephesians 4:8-13
Messiah to be at the right hand of God	Psalm 110:1	Matthew 26:64 Mark 14:62 Romans 8:34 Hebrews 1:3
Messiah, the stone which the builders rejected, to become the head cornerstone	Psalm 118:22-23 Isaiah 8:14-15, 28:16	Matthew 21:42-43 Acts 4:11 Romans 9:32-33 Ephesians 2:20 1 Peter 2:6-8

 

02-03-13 BIBLE ADDICT part 2 BUILDING A DEFENSE

SCRIPTURE:                               2 Timothy 4:1-5

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, (stop and breathe in his presence) who will judge the living and the dead, (He is the judge – not us) and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, (He has appeared as well His kingdom has come) I give you this charge: (This means there is something you are required to do – HERE IT IS) 2 Preach the Word; (Stop – last week I suggested that our bible text really referred to all of us as preachers.  This is different – It is from a spiritual father to his son in the faith. Paul to Timothy.  That is the context – teaching moment about context. Paul is about to die – he wants to ensure the gospel does not die with him so he is passing the mantle to Timothy. This text is used in nearly all preachers’ ordination services and we love it.  However – now that we have the context, we have to ask – how does this apply to my life and my growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Oh, are you a disciple, a learner, a follower of Jesus, then you are not exempt from the desires God has given to us in His word – things like what follows my fellow preachers…) be prepared in season and out of season;(we will come back to that phrase) correct, rebuke and encourage (convict, convince, / admonish; rebuke. / to call near, i.e. invite, invoke) — with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, (1) keep your head in all situations, (2) endure hardship, (3) do the work of an evangelist, (4) discharge all the duties of your ministry.

3 more ways to defend the bible

The Bible Had No Editors

It is often claimed that the Bible was edited by men who decided what books should be included. The Roman Catholic Church is often cited as be the authority that decided what books would become part of the Bible.

The truth is that there was no lengthy period when the contents of the Bible were in limbo. The church accepted the New Testament books almost as soon as they were written. Once a Gospel or letter was produced by someone like Paul, it was copied and widely distributed among believers. Because no single Church had an exclusive hold any one book, there would be no opportunity for someone to edit Paul's writings.

Col 4:16   After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

1 Thess 5:27    I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

 

The books that didn't make it into the canon of Scripture, such as the Gospel of Judas and the Gospel of Thomas, were not included because they were written long after both of those men died. The book credited to Judas was written by the Gnostic sect around 130-170 AD.  These  and  other  Gnostic  gospels  conflicted  with  the  known teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament, and often contained numerous historical and geographical errors.

The only editing the Bible had came in AD 367 when Athanasius formally listed the 27 New Testament books in the order we see today. Athanasius didn't bring in any new books. The whole church had recognized and used the same list of books since the first century after Christ.

 

Not Lost in Translation

Some people have the idea that the New Testament has been transcribed "so many times" that it has become corrupted through various stages of translation. It's like the game of "telephone" in which players pass along a common phrase until the words reach the ears of the player at the end of the line. The resulting phrase is often quite different from the original phrase.

The translation of the Bible cannot be compared to that game. If the translations were being made from other translations, critics would have an argument. But modern translations are actually made directly from original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic source texts based on thousands of ancient manuscripts.

The scribes who copied Hebrew manuscripts were keenly aware of the fact that they were handling a sacred and precious revelation. They were trained to exercise the greatest care.

 

Historical Witnesses

There has long been debate concerning the life of Jesus. Some people claim that Jesus never existed. One reason for their argument is the fact that Jesus never wrote anything himself. There may not be a book of Jesus, but Matthew, Mark, Luke and John certainly offer detailed records about Him, His life and His activities.

We don't have archives of old newspapers to turn to, but several ancient historical records corroborate the Bible's account of Jesus. Because the first century was a time when the vast majority of these witnesses were indifferent to Christianity, there would be no reason for them or later Christians to fabricate their statements.

Flavius Josephus (AD 38-100+) The great historian of the first century 18.3.1      (read this from the works of Josephesus)

 

Lucian of Samosata (c. AD 120 - after 180) was born at Samosata in Commagene and calls himself a Syrian. In Lucian's book, The Passing Peregrinus, he wrote about a traveler named Proteus who met some followers of Jesus in the early Church. "At which time he learned the wonderful doctrine of the Christians, by conversing with their priests and scribes near Palestine... they spoke of him as a god, and took him for a lawgiver, and honored him with the title of master... They still worship

that great man who was crucified in Palestine, because he introduced into the world this new religion... Moreover their first lawgiver has taught them, that they are all brethren, when once they turned, and renounced the gods of the Greeks, and worship that master of theirs who was crucified, and engage to live according to his laws."

 Tacitus (c. 56 c. 117) wrote on the subject of Christ and Christianity in 116 AD. He wrote about several events that match the New Testament writings. He states that "Christ" was put to death by "the procurator Pontius Pilate" in Judea in the reign of Tiberius, and this is where the mischief originated.

"But not all the relief that could come from man, not all the bounties that the prince could bestow, nor all the atonements which could be presented to the gods, availed to relieve Nero from the infamy of being believed to have ordered the conflagration, the fire of Rome. Hence to suppress the rumor, he falsely charged with the guilt, and punished Christians, who were hated for their enormities. Christus, the founder of the name, was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in the reign of Tiberius: but the pernicious superstition, repressed for a time broke out again, not only through Judea, where the mischief originated, but through the city of Rome also, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their centre and become popular."

Pliny the Younger (c. 62 - c.113 AD) the provincial governor of Pontus and Bithynia, wrote to Emperor Trajan in 112 AD concerning how to deal with Christians, who refused to worship the emperor, and instead worshiped "Christus." The Emperor replied that it would be the right thing in executing them, but advised him not to seek out Christians for prosecution. Pliny mentioned Christ by name three times as the center of Christianity and described Christian practices, including the worship of Christ, "as to a god."

Even the Jewish Talmud, certainly not biased toward Jesus, concurs about the major events of His life. From the Talmud, "we learn that Jesus was conceived out of wedlock, gathered disciples, made blasphemous claims about himself, and worked miracles, but these miracles are attributed to sorcery and not to God."

 

IN SEASON: Occurring at a fitting or advantageous time OUT OF SEASON: at an inconvenient time.   /  Seasons remind us that we are in a marathon not a sprint. You are just beginning new bible habits for a lifetime not just a yearAs a church we are in a marathon not a sprint. We stand on shoulders form the past and are the shoulders for those in the future.  [Sabrina’s story about the man who attended here 44 years ago.]

Like Paul we will no longer be here – how will you run?  How will you finish?

2 Tim 4:6-8    For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.