Tune and Prepare!

{from the original sermon: Tree, Tables, Temple, and Tenants} by Adam Bream, Everyday Church, London Have you ever watched events unfolding and thought, What is going on here? Maybe it was your favourite team. Maybe it was a film. Either way, you were left thinking, What are you doing? Well, we’ve reached a moment like that in our journey through Mark’s Gospel. If you’re just joining us, Mark is the Gospel written by John Mark, drawing on Peter’s eyewitness testimony to tell of the life of Jesus. It is the earliest written and shortest of the four Gospel accounts. I’m going to take us into the middle of chapter 11. they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it. And many spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming  kingdom of  our fathe...

from "the lectionary" blog pre The following excerpt is intended to assist those who wish to better understand the restored status of the New Testament and the new status of believers, which is radically distinct from the Law and Jewish traditions. Apostolic terminology is under constant attack due to the biases found in postmodern culture and politically motivated theological trends. Surprisingly many people believe that Christian identity is somehow a "reformed" form of Judaism. But that is not the case: Living in Christ means having a sense of identity and belonging; it is a spiritually extraordinary, “astonishingly new” state & ID — not some kind of religion or philosophy. This ongoing distortion can only be countered in a concrete way, through linguistic and cultural instruction, by contrasting it with the original status given from heaven—which the apostles themselves achieved through hard work, much suffering, and persecution...

Part II Misinterpretation of the two judgments Two Events — One Misreading — Two Thousand Years of Confusion These chapters examine why two distinct divine judgments have so often been collapsed into one — with grave doctrinal consequences — and how the original Greek word bema , carved in stone on an Athenian hillside, unlocks Paul's precise and deliberate meaning. I The Core Confusion: Two Distinct Events Collapsed Into One The mixing of the Bema Seat (for believers) and the Great White Throne / Sheep & Goats judgment (for all nations / unbelievers) is not a minor hermeneutical slip. It has profound doctrinal consequences . When these two events are blended together, the result is almost always a corruption of the gospel itself. What Gets Lost The finished work of Christ is subtly undermined — salvation begins to feel conditional on performance. Assurance of salvation i...

Part I Jesus' Judgment Seats Judgement - for Whom? — A Study in Three Passages These three passages form a powerful trio on the theme of divine judgment. Together they affirm that every person — believer or unbeliever — will one day stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and give account of their life. They call us to live wisely, humbly, and compassionately in the light of eternity. 2 Cor 5:10 The Bema Seat of Christ "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." — 2 Corinthians 5:10 What is the "Judgment Seat"? In the Greek, the word for "judgment seat" is “Bema” — a raised platform in the Greco-Roman world where a judge or official would sit to discuss decisions and form opinions on municipal and civil matters, or even re...

{meditation with analysis - partial text} I'd like to emphasize this note as my favorite, a key approach among the others. Moses said: “Now if I have indeed found favor in Your sight, please teach me Your ways, and I will know You and find favor* in Your sight. Now consider that this nation is Your people.” Then He replied: “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest**.”   *grace; **or 'victory' Q This is the text. What do you think about it? Claude.ai This is a beautiful, distilled moment from Exodus 33:13-14. What strikes me about this scene is the simplicity and intimacy of it. By titling it "Moses and I Am" and presenting just this exchange, you've isolated something profound: Moses asking to truly know God, and God's response being not a teaching or a set of rules, but presence and rest . The structure is almost like a poem - Moses's request is earnest and somewhat complex (teach me, let me know yo...

Jonny Kabiswa Kyazze Holistic development necessitates a comprehensive approach that addresses the multifaceted needs of communities, families and individuals. To achieve this, it is imperative that organisations, agencies, and institutions move away from competition and embrace partnerships and collaboration as a foundational principle. “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend” (Proverbs 27:17). The Current Landscape In my experience working at national, country, and international levels, I have observed a persistent issue: competition between organisations, agencies, and institutions. This rivalry manifests in various forms, from duplicating efforts in the same community to a lack of communication and resource sharing. Such an approach not only hampers holistic development but also leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for positive impact. The Pitfalls of Competition Organisations often operate in silos, each ind...

Prayer, Fasting, lent and other devoted events before Gd Almighty Below, I would like to briefly and concisely highlight a practice that has become widespread in recent times, one that is clearly distinguishable from the biblical teachings on prayer and fasting. We can see various religious special days, pilgrimage, festivals and special events around us and I think this little study will surprise you. The 3rd century saw many changes in the then "Catholic" Church, which was in her new power in the Earthly domain. And new power means : carnal, political power-circles. In this way the "church" & the leaders significantly rethought (or over thought?) then "adjusted" and eventually replaced the original apostolic practice, which was based on Christ's teachings. The more religious pious people earned acceptance and benefit in the pagan Roman world the more spectacular and pompous ceremony took place around the church. Jesus Christ is...

As the majority of modern Christians struggle with a kind of Judaized-Christian worldview, every Bible teacher has a constant duty to maintain an apostolic view of justification by faith and righteousness. On this page we learn from the epistle of Galatians. Here we read an important exposition of how the new state of being redeemed in Christ and justified by faith is distinct from the Jewish view of the law. Background: Paul writes to the churches he established in the southern part of Galatia during his first missionary journey (Acts 13:1–14:28). Unlike Paul’s other greetings here you can not find thanksgiving for or reference to the Galatians’ faith, or love. Earlier, in the chapter 2 he explains, warns that "Justified” life means “counted righteous” or “declared righteous” by God. He points out that by human nature this is not possible: If people obeyed all of God’s perfect moral standards, they could be justified by their own merits. But Paul says that thi...

F   or two millennia a battle has raged for the soul of the church. And still the conflict rages. It is the contest between: The life of God, as he moves unpredictably and powerfully saving and transforming lives and creating Spirit-filled communities, and... The desire of man, to own, control and contain the work of God through traditions, programs and human authority structures. From from Duncan Kellard's book: "Grassroots Christianity" Grassroots...

Apostolic Instructions + Booklets, ebooks + The Book of the Blog   Apostolic Instructions on Prayer, and the technical meaning of "Christ". First of all, then, I urge 1 that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone 2 , for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life 3 in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For 5 there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity, Christ Jesus, Himself human, who gave Himself — a ransom for all 6 , a testimony at the proper time. ... I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument... 7 1Tim 2:1-6,8 (Holman C.S.B.) Notes 1 "I emphatically tell you.." It's not a command but a strong suggestion with apostolic authority. 2 "for...

A   nd where there agape exists, there is a loving invitation and calling. We have a calling to the nations, and NOT an increase in numbers in a club. Club members meet for fellowship - but not to save other people's lives. There is a difference between filia and agape .

 Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it . And then he feels that perhaps there isn't. A. Milne: Winnie the Pooh · The Woozle [Milne] · Recommended article  A.  · Recommended article  B.  ☆

This article is a reference to the book Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) by English author A. A. Milne (1882–1956), in which the characters Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet follow their own tracks in the snow, believing them to be the tracks of the imaginary “Woozle”. The phenomenon whereby frequent citation of earlier publications leads to a mistaken public belief in something for which there is no evidence, giving rise to an urban myth. Prior to the introduction of the specific term "Woozle effect", the underlying research phenomenon (and connection to the Woozle) dates back over 60 years. According to Donald G. Dutton , a "Woozle effect", or a "Woozle", occurs when frequent citation of previous publications that lack evidence misleads individuals, groups and the public into thinking or believing there is evidence, and non-facts become urban myths and factoids. The creation of woozles is often linked to the changing of language from qualified ("it may...