The Gospel Of Repentance

  In John 10:14-18 Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own and my own know Me. Just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So, there will be one flock, one Shepherd. For this reason, the Father loves Me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes if from Me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” Jesus declared in several passages that He would be killed by His enemies (Matthew 16:22; 17:23; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). So, which is true? Jesus laying down His life or was He killed? The answer is both. Jesus was killed because he laid down His life. It was according to the Father’s will – to lay down His life and take it up again. Generally speaking, people that are killed a...

  Perhaps the greatest dynamic in the world and heaven is the interplay between the sovereignty of God and the free will of man. The prophet Isaiah tells us this, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things not yet done, saying ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’, calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.”’ These two verses tell us that God is in complete control of everything that ever happens in this world from beginning to end. Now on the surface that seems like a complete contradiction at best, and a flat out lie at worst. Why? Well look around you! Mankind is getting worse and worse every day! It is not a lie because God said He is in control. The problem is man is out of control due to his evil. It appears God is nowhere to be found in the melodrama here on earth. He does not appear to care, at all. You se...

  What I discovered that is wonderful about Christ is that he knows the mind of the Father. Jesus told the disciples to not be afraid little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32). The verse prior to that Jesus commands that we are to seek the Father’s kingdom and we will have everything we need. It should be a great comfort to us all that God desires for us to be in his kingdom. The greatest gift of the kingdom is salvation, the reality that our sins are forgiven, and we have peace and communion with the Father God and Jesus Christ and the dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. We are saved because God through Christ willed it to happen. Nothing God has determined to do will ever be thwarted. So, if God decides to bestow good will upon someone it will happen. In this case God decided to grant the kingdom to those who seek it. The reality that Jesus entered the world two thousand years ago to save sinners is a clear demonstration of God...

    There have been centuries of debate regarding these two schools of thought, and there will be debates for years to come. I want to analyze both again and provide  arguments for each one.                                                                                                                                    I want to start with the unli...

  James 3:2 says in many things we all stumble. If any stumble not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body. Galatians 6:1-3 says if anyone is overtaken in sin you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness considering yourself lest you also be tempted.   Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Because of this reality, we who are mature need to extend grace to those who are in sin. This is not the time to criticize our brother and sister in Christ, but to love them. We need to strike a delicate balance here. It is essential the offender acknowledge their sin so they can repent before the Lord and be restored. At the same time, we must offer grace to the one in sin so that they are not overcome with grief. It is very easy to point the finger and criticize our brother and sister who is not behaving as a child of G...

Until a day ago I had no idea with the (X) meant. Some perhaps many believed the (X) was a way of crossing Christ out of the word Christmas. That is what I believed. Others may have assumed the (X) was inserted as a way to signify the unknown as it is used in mathematics. I discovered neither are true. The Greek word for Christ is the English transliterated word Christos . It is derived from Hebrew word מָ שִׁיחַ   Mašíaḥ where we get the transliterated English word Messiah. Both Messiah and Christ means anointed or in Jesus’ case The Anointed One. The spelling of the word Christ in Greek is χριστού . The (X) in the Greek alphabet is the letter Chi ( pronounced kie ). The (X) in X-mas serves a shorthand abbreviation for the Greek name Christ. If you ever see this Christogram called a Chi Rho , it is the integration of the first two Greek letters of Christ’s name – (X) for Chi and the (P) for Rho: So, we can be rest assured the (X) in X-Mas does not show disdain or is no way e...

Jesus was born during the time of the Roman Empire. The Romans celebrated a festival called  Saturnalia.  This pagan festival was held during the winter solstice (December 21 st  in America). It was on December 17-24 th . It was a time of feasting and giving of gifts to children and the poor. It was also a celebration of Saturn, the sun god of sowing (planting), and fire. Saturn was worshipped in the winter so that he would return and warm the earth which would cause the crops to grow. The planet Saturn was named after this god. Out of all the planets, Saturn with its rings and bright red color represents the god of fire.    The Romans celebrated another festival on December 25th called  natalis   solis   invicti ,  the birth of the unconquered sun , was decreed by the emperor Aurelian in AD 274 as a Winter Solstice celebration, and sometime (later)…was Christianized as a date to celebrate the birth of the Son of Light.” It has been  sai...