Tune and Prepare!

(Matt 5:1-16) by Andreas Köstenberger In his monumental Gospel, Matthew introduces Jesus as the descendant of Abraham and David, narrating his miraculous virgin conception and birth and recounting his flight to Egypt and return to Nazareth. At the inception of Jesus’ public ministry, John the Baptist cries out, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (3:1). Later, when hearing of John’s arrest, Jesus begins to proclaim an identical message (4:17). Yet while John is only the forerunner, Jesus is the Messiah. At this, Jesus gathers a large following and travels far and wide “proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people” (4:23). After this preamble, Matthew opens the first of five major teaching sections of Jesus in his Gospel. The number five is reminiscent of the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses. Similarly, the reference to Jesus ascending a mountain brings to mind Moses’ ascent of Mount Sinai when recei...

"Catholicism" in the Protestantism pre When we talk about the "Catholic person" we should see the original definition which refers to a diverse spirituality, not some religious tradition and trend contrary to Protestantism but the attitude of a person, based on his culture, family and community. Definition of the Catholic Catholicism is a rich and diverse reality... The word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective, katholikos , meaning "universal," and from the adverbial phrase, kath' holou, meaning "on the whole." The term was first used by St. Ignatius of Antioch (d.c. 107) in his Letter to the Smyrneans.. Ever since the Reformation, the word has commonly been used in opposition to Protestant, but its real opposite is sectarian, which pertains to a part of the Church that has separated itself off from the worldwide Church.. {Catholicism. ©1994 by HarperCollins Publishers.} From the non-religious, Bible centered sta...

The day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday offers powerful spiritual lessons for believers. When disaster strikes and our hopes are dashed, we must be patient and wait for God because He can bring good out of evil in his own good timing. Andreas Köstenberger

By Brant Hansen Why isn’t righteous anger ever listed among the things that a Spirit-filled life will bring us? If it’s righteous, why is it not akin to the “fruit of the Spirit,” like love, joy, peace, and gentleness? Why is anger in Scripture so consistently lumped in the other lists with things like, say, slander and malice, with no exclusions for the “righteous” variety? (See, for example, Colossians 3:8). We aren’t to just pretend anger away or feel guilty for the initial emotion of anger. But we are to deal with it, with the goal of eradicating it within us. This, of course, is not easy to do, but it’s not complex to understand, either. Few ever present the radical implications of what it means to die to ourselves and what it means to practice a lifestyle of forgiveness. “Stepping out of anger,” Dallas Willard says, “means you are surrendering your will to God. It means you have accepted that you don’t have to have your way.”[1] When I’ve read commentaries on Ephe...

(When the Heaven touches the Earth) 24-7 worship & priestly service Brief outline / Short notices Having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:18 - ESV A Short Outline According to the Church History Melchizedek - Abraham - Moses - Samuel - David - Salamon - Daniel - Yeshua - Apostles -... {St. Patrick - Bobbio - Iona - Taize - HTB - IHOP - JHOP...} Notices below 3 key moments Abraham's Example Melchizedek's blessing Mount Sinai Moses' lessons Samuel the catalyst Reactions to Samuel's service King David's example Salomon's Temple - Banner over the nations Israel's declination and captivity The fulfilled plan on the Earth The apostles were taught about the Tent The Better High Priest The Royal Priesthood and its tasks Because of your servant, ...