Releasing the captives – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/24/releasing-the-captives
Under the cover of darkness and utilizing stealth technologies, a couple of Black Hawk helicopters approach a political prisoner compound. Deploying with rapid descent a team of highly specialized soldiers drop into the compound neutralizing opposing forces. The prisoners suddenly realize they are being rescued. The thought of release flooding their minds quickly evolves into experiencing good news.
Character can be destiny, by Lee Parish – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/23/character-is-destiny
“Character is destiny.” This quote, attributed to the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, has been on my mind these last months. Seemingly a response to those who claim that fate controls one’s life regardless of one’s life-choices, “character is destiny” places the path and end of one’s life into one’s own hands.
Wang and I — Helping one another – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/22/helping
Wang, a Chinese woman from Nanning, was surprised when a bus seat was offered her, with smiles from everyone around her. Someone finally showed her the note taped to her back: “Please take care of this pregnant lady.”
Both Lord and Christ – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/21/both-lord-and-christ
Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead so that his followers and others might believe he is the son of God. But they hadn’t seen anything, yet. Not too many days after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead the Jews finally had the Lord killed as they wanted.
Who cares? by Mike Brooks – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/20/who-cares
It was just another story in the local newspaper. A schoolgirl accused her principal of sexual abuse. Shortly afterward she was set on fire and after struggling for life for a few days lost that battle too. There was a brief outrage in the community which soon settled down so that the incident became just one more of many. The principal of course denied any involvement with the girl or her death.
Jesus is the way – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/18/jesus-the-way
As we look at the conversation Jesus had with his disciples in the upper room, we can understand some of the frustration they were having. Jesus had been their teacher for a few years. They had travelled around as his pupils, learning from him. But they could feel that something was about to happen. He had washed their feet. He had talked about bread and wine representing his body and blood. And he kept talking about going away.
I wish more people were dull – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/18/dull
By Johnny O. Trail — As I drove to my office on Wednesday, I was listening to XM Satellite Radio. I seem to continually scroll through stations until I find the song I want to hear. Oftentimes I land on country music stations and listen to a great variety of artists. On this day, the disc jockey was talking about an artist who is now deceased.
When hating yourself is in your best interest – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/15/self-hatred
Jesus uses the word “hate” for emphasis. We’re told it means “love less,” and indeed so, though we mustn’t diminish the force or impact of the word. It’s a strong word ...
#Jesus #Bible #commitment
Whose son is he? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/14/whose-son
The Pharisees asked Jesus questions sometimes trying to catch him in one of their traps. They attempted this in Matthew chapter 22 with a question about taxes. The Herodians were with them for their purposes.
#Bible #Jesus #Son-of-God
The bread of life – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/12/bread-of-life
That really confused them – how could Jesus give them his flesh to eat? That simply did not make any sense to them. What Jesus said next they absolutely did not comprehend.
The cart before the horse – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/11/cart-before-horse
We elevate the mundane and minimize the profound. We extend the temporary and cut off the eternal. We sacrifice character to the god of reputation.
Kingdom now – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/10/kingdom-now
Jesus lived at a unique juncture in history. It was a time when God related to his chosen people based upon the old covenant, yet Jesus was about to inaugurate a new covenant relationship from God available to all people.
Which are we? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/06/which-are-we
I overheard a conversation in Asia. One asked about how a certain work was going to be done. The reply was, “That is not our headache. It is the contractor’s responsibility; let him take care of it.” On one level, that is not an unreasonable response. We might have better stated it, “It is not really our business, let him do the job his way.” But in the context of the conversation the attitude of the responder was basically, “I don’t care – let them handle their own problems without my help.
Greater than Solomon – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/04/greater-than-solomon
By my count, Jesus mentioned Solomon twice in the gospels. In one instance, he pitted the iconic glory of Solomon – a king who expanded Israel’s wealth and territory like no king before or since – against a flower.
When the glory of God returned – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/02/glory-god-returned
God’s glory would remain in his house through many difficult days. But a time came when no repentance was forthcoming, and a cleansing needed to occur. The last resort, a carrying away of the people into captivity, had already begun. Soon the house would be toppled by foreign invaders.
Three questions to ask yourself for a serious spiritual self-analysis – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/04/01/three-questions
Here are three questions to aid all of us in being obedient to the Lord, for that is exactly the objective self-analysis should have.
Do you love me ? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/03/31/do-you-love-me-2
Have you ever made a promise to someone and didn’t keep it? Remember how you felt the next time you saw that person?
Trust in God or what we have? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/03/29/trust-in-god-or-what-we-have
Most people that I know want the best out of life and to have the best life possible. The man Jesus was talking with wanted this. From what we can see he was living a good life. He was a Jew, one of God’s chosen people, and he was faithfully, wholeheartedly, following God’s commands. But he was missing something. “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” he asked Jesus.
Yet not with a whole heart – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/03/26/not-whole-heart
Why do you serve God? Perhaps you serve God because that is what your parents did. Perhaps you serve God because that is what your spouse desires. Perhaps you serve God for the sake of your children. Perhaps your reasons are less noble.