Exodus 5:2 (CSB) — 2 But Pharaoh responded, “Who is the LORD that I should obey him by letting Israel go? I don’t know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” Pharaoh asks the question that is at the heart of all idolatry: "who is the LORD that I should obey him?" …
The Church’s First Opposition in Jerusalem: Acts 4:1-37
Introduction Acts 3:26 (CSB) — 26 God raised up his servant and sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways. >>>PRAY<<< In chapter 3 we walked us through the beginning of the second movement of Luke’s account of the Acts of the Apostles: Peter and John …
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Vision for Christian Life: Romans 12:1-21; 14:1-23
INTRODUCTION: Vision for Christian Life Opening Prayer: Ephesians 3:16–19 (CSB) — 16 I pray that he may grant [us], according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in [our] inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts through faith. I pray that [we], being rooted …
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We Testify: 1st John 1:2
VERSE 2: WE TESTIFY that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— This may feel redundant, but John uses the literary device of repetition emphasize his cornerstone points: here, John is rendering apostolic declaration …
The Biblical Test of a Prophet and Prophecy
This post is a plea from the depths of my heart to my beloved charismatic brothers and sisters. Please hear me out and carefully consider my words. I believe there are two tests that apply to New Testament prophets and prophecy: Deuteronomy 18:21-22, "And you may say in your heart, 'How can we know the …
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Exposition of 1st Corinthians 1:1-9
Paul's epistles to the Corinthians are an incredibly timely message for the Church in the U.S. Corinth was an epicenter of trade, wealth, political power, culture, and idolatrous religion; the ancient world made the term "corinthianize" synonymous with "practice evil". Amidst all this wickedness and spiritual oppression, the Holy Spirit inspires Paul to pen a …