The imperfect Jesus – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/17/imperfect-jesus
The title, “The imperfect Jesus,” reminds us to use Bible words with Bible meanings. Hebrews 5.9 states that Jesus was perfected by obedience. Here are verses 8-10:
Be faithful even if it means death – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/14/faithful-death
Most who are Christians, at least in the Western World, have never suffered persecution as the Christians did in the first century. Although we may be aware that this is always a possibility in a changing and volatile world, in our minds any persecution that might come would be from someone we don’t know, from someone who does not even acknowledge God.
Shattered dreams … yet joy lives? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/12/shattered-dreams-yet-joy-lives
As young people we might have envisioned how our lives would unfold. We looked forward to achieving a college education followed by a successful career. Or maybe as adults we anticipated how the potential we saw within our children or grandchildren would blossom in marvelous ways as they reached adulthood. Still yet, there might have been the expectation for just a normal healthy life filled with a long marriage and children.
Learning to do more – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/09/learning-to-do-more
There is a quote from Jesus in his “Sermon on the Mount” that challenges me. It is within Matthew 5:46 and is, “what do you do more than others?”
Difficult decisions – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/08/difficult-decisions
https://i0.wp.com/forthright.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/hitchiker-hospitality.jpg?fit=1200%2C657 We are all aware of the importance of hospitality in the Christian life. There are many commands to practice love towards Christian brothers and sisters (Hebrews 13:1), neighbors (Luke 10:27), and even our enemies (Matthew 5:44).
God works good out of bad – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/07/god-works-good-out-of-bad
Perhaps it is ironic that one of the first persecutors was Paul himself, known as Saul of Tarsus. The persecutor became a proclaimer of what he had persecuted, and was then persecuted himself! The Jews wanted Paul dead. They had stoned him once and made plans to eliminate him several times. Perhaps they hated Paul intensely because, in their minds, he had switched sides and because they could not answer his arguments about Jesus from their own scriptures.
Evolution’s random mutations and natural selection – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/05/evolutions-random-mutations-natural-selection
Stem cells can serve as a metaphor illustrating a powerful idea regarding Darwin’s proposed mechanisms for evolution. Research reveals that random mutations and natural selection do transform species, however, at a surprising cost.
Jesus came within God’s timeline – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/02/jesus-came-gods-timeline
A young man seemed surprised to learn recently that Jesus came to earth to die. He asked if God worked from a timeline, if he accomplished everything within a timeframe that he had set. Yes, God had an eternal purpose and plan and he fulfilled it “when the appropriate time had come” Galatians 4.4.
Our duty to get up and take action – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/01/duty-get-up-take-action
Implications of Christ’s priesthood – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/28/implications-of-christs-priesthood
Due to the great work of Christ as our High Priest, we can be confident in at least five areas:
How to succeed by being weak – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/27/succeed-weak
Christians are sometimes ashamed of their weaknesses, because the world will not — cannot — admit them. So we hide them, to our detriment. They are not to be flaunted, nor given rein, but they are to be confessed and delivered up to Christ, so that his power may work in them and through them.
Ain’t nothing but a hound dog, Tina Berglund – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/26/aint-nothing-but-a-hound-dog
Imperfect standards – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/23/imperfect-standards
Standards ebb and flow from person to person. What one likes, what one feels, what one prefers, is rejected by another.
Delving deeper into faith – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/22/delving-deeper-into-faith
What is faith? This probably sounds like a silly question – but only if we have given it no thought because we assume we fully understand it. Consider one small sampling of the evidence.
The Operation of Christ’s priesthood, Lee Parish – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/21/the-operation-of-christs-priesthood
What is it that he does for us as High Priest? The Bible presents at least three ways that Christ ministers to us as our priest.
Being a Christian – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/17/being-a-christian
With the conversion of Cornelius the dynamic of first century evangelism changed. No longer was the good news of Jesus directed only to Jews, but Gentiles were also taught. The result was that “a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:19 NET).
Filler material – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/12/filler-material
The classic method for creating a garden planter is to use three elements; a “thriller” (something eye-catching), a “spiller” (something to trail gracefully out of the container, and a “filler” (taking up space among the other two types of plants, and filling the gaps.) That filler plant fills up space while the other two elements get all the attention, even though they may be a smaller part of the composite arrangement.
Indeed, who is an Israelite? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/05/02/indeed-israelite
The word “indeed” implies a different understanding of the word Israelite than the one commonly held. What was the common understanding of the word Israelite in the days of Jesus?
Please don’t squeeze the bonbons! – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/29/bonbons
At the check-out at the bread store, I saw this little sign above a basket of goodies: “Please don’t squeeze the bonbons.” I asked the cashier what that was about.
Go, labor on! – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/27/go-labor-on
Work just isn’t what it used to be. At least that is often the case in the U.S. and other developed nations. We are used to machines and tools which make difficult tasks much simpler. Dirt is moved by tractor or back-hoe and dump trucks. Few jobs which require more than a few wheelbarrows full are done with shovels or man-power.
#work #effort #dedication