This is a new study series, which begins with Jesus establishing the New Covenant and finishing (we hope) with the Church recognizing and listing the texts of both the Old- and New-Testament Scriptures in 397 AD. Jesus Establishes What Is to Take Place in His Church The New Covenant Ready to go to the cross, […]
The Comfort in our Grief
July 2, 2017 by
This is our pastor’s article for the July-August edition of our congregational newsletter. The Apostle Paul directs us not to be unaware about those who left this life trusting in God. Why? “So you will not grieve like others, as those without hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). So we are reminded, once more, of this […]
Luke 1:39-45: Mary Visits Elizabeth
July 2, 2017 by
The life-changing announcement from the angel Gabriel stuns Mary, as she staggers in shock. Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you. Don’t be afraid, Mary, for God honors you. Listen, you will conceive and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. For he will be mighty and will be called the […]
Luke 15:1-10: Lost and Found
June 25, 2017 by
A lost lamb and coin come to us in story form. So, we lean forward to attend to our Savior’s words. Little do we grasp how we are the ones getting lost. For we think He is teaching us what to do. Don’t we take in these parables as lessons in loveliness? For if we […]
Malachi 3:6-10
June 18, 2017 by
A tale from India records the chronicle of a frightened mouse. So terrified is he of cats, he is too afraid to venture out. So, a wizard agrees to convert the tiny creature into a cat. Now graceful and stealthy, with his fears removed, he is courageous—until he finds a wild dog chasing after him. […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 7: Judith, Pt. 2
June 18, 2017 by
Recap Last week, we learned Judith “put sandals on her feet, and put on her anklets, bracelets, rings, earrings, and all her other ornaments, and made herself very beautiful, to entice the eyes of all men who might see her.” So, Judith and a servant make their way to the Assyrian camp. Judith Goes […]
Isaiah 6:1-7: Holy, Holy, Holy
June 11, 2017 by
To gaze on the glory of God in all His grandeur! In our wildest imaginings, this vision hypnotizes our senses and seizes our hearts. Such foolishness! For in our fallen state, we will be devastated. Every fiber of our being will convulse in terror, with our tongues left stammering. The glimpse will burn us in […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 6: Judith, Pt. 1
June 11, 2017 by
Introduction Judith is work of religious fiction without the pretense of recounting actual history. The story opens with a fictionalized Nebuchadnezzar making war on an invented King of the Medes, Arphaxad. The first hearers of Judith would catch this, clueing them in to understand Judith for its religious value. The real Nebuchadnezzar was king of […]
John 14:23-31: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word
June 4, 2017 by
The word “Pentecost” means 50. A festival of the Old Covenant, at first, a celebration which took place every year. Now we understand why so many pilgrims gathered in Jerusalem on the day the potent Wind from eternity graced the people of God. For the Israelites, Pentecost thanked the Creator for the first harvest of […]
The Apocrypha, Lesson 5: The Greek Portions of Daniel, Pt. 3
June 4, 2017 by
Earlier, we learned about the Prayer of Azariah, the Hymn of the Three Young Men, and Susanna. Today, we study Bel and the Serpent. Who or What is “Bel”? The Babylonian god, “Bel” is a variant of the word, “Baal,” which means “Lord” and is another name for the Babylonian god, Marduk. Non-biblical sources […]
