Blog Posts containing "Pentecost XI"

In the story of Lazarus and the rich man, Lazarus mad it to Heaven and the rich man didn't. Why was Lazarus saved? What good did he do to deserve heaven? There is no evidence he was a believer. He may not have done anything evil, but he probably did not do much that was good. He did suffer much. Some Churches might say he did not have a snowball’s chance in Hell of making it to Heaven. Then why did Jesus have him make it?  Read more

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 8:3 - For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son. Never mistake legalism for grace. One wants you to make a living, the other helps you make a life! Think Legalism: “Those who Love me” is loving God to be delivered. Feel Grace: “Those who Love me” are those who feel the Love of God.  Read more

Jesus didn’t have the right to heal this woman just because it was the right thing to do. It was not. It broke the law. The rabbi had the right and duty to quote the Law, remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work. Why don’t you come back on a non Sabbath day and do your healing? Why pick on this sacred day to break the Fourth Commandment? Jesus had the right to heal on the Sabbath because He was because He was God. He had the authority to break this Commandment and any others He wished to break. As a matter of fact, He did not break any laws; He changed all of the Commandments and all the Laws and the Prophets.  Read more

Fourteenth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 6:14 - For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace. The legalists are the cause of all of life's problems and they think they are the answer to all of life's problems! Think Legalism: One rejoices about what happens. Feel Grace: One rejoices about feeling the power that makes it happen.  Read more

The question of biblical authority is ultimately a question of Christology. What we believe about Jesus will ultimately determine what we believe about the Bible. There are two ways of discerning what we believe about Jesus in Scripture. We can come in with our minds made up about the Bible being the Word of God, or we can believe Jesus is the Word of God. If we believe the Bible is the Word of God than Jesus must fit into our concept of who the Bible says He is. If we believe Jesus is the Word of God then the Bible must fit into what He says it is.  Read more

Thirteenth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 4:16 - Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace. Legalism is nothing at all, but you can break your neck in it! Think Legalism: Sees the outward results of destruction. Feel Grace: Feels the inward cause of destruction that comes when out of God’s Presence.  Read more

In today’s Scripture, Jesus tells us not to “be afraid for God has given us His Kingdom”, which is His Presence within us. We are told to sell all our possessions. Literally, we think of selling the material things we possess. Let us get beyond the literal thinking of material things to the things we possess spiritually. They are much more significant.  Read more

Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 4:13 It was not through the law but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 99% of legalists give the rest a bad name! Think Legalism: Not to raise up is physical. Feel Grace: Not to raise up is spiritual.  Read more

Today’s lesson is an excellent illustration of Jesus' way of grace. The teaching is to know the difference being in or out of His Presence can make. Here are two brothers who are out of the Presence. They have become angry, greedy and bitter. Why did Jesus not give fair judgment to the two brothers? The answer was to either change the inheritance or not change it. Regardless of which was chosen, one would be happy and the other would remain a bitter, angry victim the rest of their life. So why did he answer the way he did?  Read more

Eleventh Sunday After Pentecost: Romans 4:13 It was not through the law but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 99% of legalists give the rest a bad name! Think Legalism: Not to raise up is physical. Feel Grace: Not to raise up is spiritual.  Read more