The BIG Picture (Study)

What is the greatest miracle that one can give to another? Is it the opportunity to heal their bodies? Is it the ability to bring them wealth? Is it the capacity to change their circumstances? While the above sounds noble and life-changing, they focus on the physical needs and ultimately are only temporary remedies . It will help the recipient for that moment, but no matter how much health, wealth or good circumstances come their way, it will only get them trusting in the provision instead of the Provider . There is something greater than physical blessing and more precious than temporary increase. It’s the gift of hope. Hope brings escape from desperation! Hope awakens faith. Hope energizes the spirit and lifts one above impossibility.  Hope is a miracle of the heart. It's connecting one to the Provider .  The greatest miracle that one can give to another is not temporal. It’s of the heart!

The Bible still has SECRETS! With regards to the gospel of our salvation, there is absolutely no doubts about the clarity of the message that we all need to hear and respond to. But, there are other parts of the bible that we will never  fully  understand . There will always be several interpretations, by several different persons, on certain passages of scripture. Which passages you might ask? That's easy to answer. Passages that deal with trans-dispensational events, and passages that deal with future events. Since these parts of scripture deal with happenings in the past or the future, there will never be perfect consensus on these, so we don't know exactly how things developed, or will play out. Anyone is welcome to dispute this  (heeding the advice in 2 Tim.2:23 ) , but for me, it is a fact that settles it. Seal the book, shut up the vision Daniel 8:26 And the vision of the evening and the morning which was t

Gospel Transition vs. Gospel Dispensation Handling Gospel Transition Paul and John the Baptist taught two distinct gospels, both given by God: the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God. John the Baptist taught the good news of a coming Messiah to establish the long-promised kingdom to Israel. Anyone with sin could not enter the kingdom. He water baptized for the remission of sins and the promised priesthood, ( Mark 1:3-4 ). Paul's gospel taught Christ's blood payment for our sins and righteousness without the law.     Jesus, during his earthly ministry, taught the same message as John ( Mark 1:14-15 ). Yet, he added belief in himself as the Messiah. Anyone who did not believe Jesus was the Son of God was unacceptable with God ( John 6:40 ). The disciples of John may not have identified the Messiah. Followers of Jesus were required to.  Transition to Peter's Message  When Jesus died, his followers scatte

The dispensation of grace has less to do with it starting at a specific moment in time, and more to do with the proclamation of a new salvation message from God. It's not so much linked to the event of Pentecost in Acts 2 , or the conversion of Paul in Acts 9 , or him turning to the Gentiles in Acts 28 , and more to do with receiving a message of God's abundant grace without the need of works and endurance. I'm not declining any reasoning that the message of grace started being proclaimed somewhere in the transitional book of ACTS, but I also hold true the point that grace started in each person individually when they hear, and received the good news that God declares them justified through the absolute and completed cross work of His Son, Jesus Christ. So, for me, grace started with a change in gospel. Consider this, —before the message of grace went out, that is, before the news that God is not saving by a covenant of works, but rather through th

Paul's Credibility (Part 6) Paul made some incredible claims in his writings. He claims to be the "mater builder", "the Apostle to the Gentiles" and encourages his converts that they should "imitate and follow him". In this short series we will investigate these claims and determine how Paul could say such bold things. This study will bring validity and confirmation to the credibility of Paul and to the scriptures he was inspired to write to the Body of Christ. This is Part 6 . To gain the full context of this article, start in Part 1 here . Interesting similarities between Abraham and Paul With all the evidence and scriptures I have shared in the last 5-parts of this study, I'd like to end it with an interesting

OBS: ACTS, Searching for Grace  (Part 2) ACTS is a book of transition, but it's not just a change in program, but a significant change in the 'Good News', and how men would now come into right standing with God. Acts 9:22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is [the] very Christ [the Messiah] . 23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: Saul's integration into the Jewish Believers The highlighted scripture above (Acts 9:23) is a reference to the 3-years that Paul spend in Arabia, (Gal.1:17) . Luke (in this passage) does not give the reason for Saul going to Arabia and also does not have many details of what Saul actually experienced out there. It is Paul himself (in his epistles) that provides a few more det

OBS: ACTS, Searching for Grace  (Part 1) ACTS is a book of transition, but it's not just a change in program, but a significant change in the 'Good News', and how men would now come into right standing with God. Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. And when he [Saul] had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the discipl