The Greater Miracle

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(I’ll be posting the full version of this later.) Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” – Luke 5:20 (WEB) There were two miracles when the paralytic was lowered through the roof into the room where Jesus was teaching. One was obvious: the man was healed of his paralysis. He took up his bed in full view of everyone and went home. The second was not obvious. Nobody in the crowd noticed it. But it was a far greater miracle. The man’s sins were forgiven. Here are four reasons why forgiveness of sins is a greater miracle than any physical healing: Forgiveness is eternal. If you get healed physically, it’s a great thing. But … Continue reading →

Idolizing God

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During the years Israel was in Egypt, they all but forgot Yahweh. I’m sure they heard stories of how God appeared to their forefathers in the distant past, and how He made promises to bless and multiply them. But 400 years of silence had turned all that into legends. When God appeared in a burning bush, Moses had to ask His name so he could tell his people which diety was going to deliver them. Then God revealed Himself to His people by delivering them from their oppressors through great and mighty works. There were the plagues, the death of the first-born, the parting of the sea, the water from the rock, the manna and the quail. By the time … Continue reading →

Derailing God’s Purpose?

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…you will conceive and give birth to a son. You must never cut his hair, because the boy will be a Nazirite to God from birth, and he will begin to save Israel from the power of the Philistines. – Judges 13:5 (HCSB) Then his brothers and his father’s family came down, carried him back, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of his father Manoah. So he judged Israel 20 years. – Judges 16:31 (HCSB) Sandwiched between these two verses is the story of the life of Samson. It began with a promise that God would use him to start to deliver the Israelites from their enemies, and it ended with the destruction of the rulers … Continue reading →

When Repentance Happens

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It really bothers me when I see no results after putting a lot of time and effort into something. As an electronics technician, I have to troubleshoot various electronic equipment problems. I enjoy doing this so long as I make some kind of headway. But if I spend weeks working on an especially stubborn problem with little or no progress, I get frustrated as I run out of ideas and energy. Sometimes I forget that success, in any area of life, belongs to the Lord. One of the things many pastors desire to see for their communities and congregations is people coming to repentance. Ceasing from sin, and humble submission toward God are great things to see, and very beneficial … Continue reading →

Something To Think About

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So when they had eaten their breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these?” … – John 21:15-19 Three questions. Three answers. This encounter between Jesus and Peter is usually paired with Peter’s three-fold denial of Jesus. It is seen as Jesus’ restoration of Peter to His service. I have no problem with the idea, but it creates a significant question for me. At the trial, the servant girl accused Peter of being with Jesus, and Peter crumbled, denying that he knew Him. Now at breakfast, Jesus asked Peter a much deeper question: “Do you love me more than these?” What if the servant girl came to Peter with a different … Continue reading →

Visions of Our Future

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(First, a little insanity. Bear with me on this one…) Atheism is a very optimistic belief system. After all, look how far we’ve evolved! As our intelligence and power increase, we are better able to control ourselves and our environment. Many well-known atheists and agnostics have given us exciting glimpses of where mankind is heading. The Star Trek series revealed Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the eradication of poverty and war open to us after man abandons the concept of God. Friedrich Nietzsche saw mankind eventually evolving into a race of supermen, again without God. Yes, atheists are very optimistic! The Bible, on the other hand, is a very depressing book. Its pages are full of negative and offensive words like … Continue reading →

Church Impossible: Pride-induced Blindness

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When Robert Irvine of Restaurant Impossible first shows up at a restaurant in trouble, he talks with the owners. After the introductions, he asks them how they came to own the restaurant, what business was like at the beginning, and what it’s like now. Obviously, the current state of business is dire, otherwise Robert wouldn’t be there. But, for the most part, the owners don’t know the cause, and any blame tends to be placed on external factors, such as increased competition, the economy, etc. Robert then observes a ‘service’. He sees the restaurant in action: how the waitresses serve the customers, how quickly the food arrives, and what the customers think of the food. He also samples from the … Continue reading →

Church Impossible

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I’m not big on reality TV, but I’ve been watching Restaurant Impossible lately on the Food Network (and occasionally Kitchen Nightmares on BCC and Fox). For those unfamiliar with these programs, here’s a short description. Each Restaurant Impossible episode features a failing restaurant on the verge of going out of business. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine comes to the restaurant, samples the food, observes how it operates, interviews the customers, inspects the kitchen, food storage, management, workers, etc. Then he gives his brutally honest assessment of the problems to the owners and workers. From there it’s a matter of quickly correcting the problems, with the owners and employee’s cooperation, so the restaurant has a new start. As I watch various episodes, … Continue reading →