So, in order to placate our inability to please both flesh and spirit, we often give in to compromise. We pry the secateurs out of the Head Gardener's hands, and attempt to prune and shape the weeds of our sin, in order to limit its' damage.
Audio is up for last Sundays’ message – Journey with Paul.
That’s the way Paul did it – by pulling together all those Old Testament pictures of patriarchs, exposing the silver thread that runs through them, and showing how they all point to Christ.
The unsuspecting convert to the prosperity gospel has nothing to show for their 'audacious act of faith', but an empty bank account, ill-health, and a bitter spirit against God.
Verses 1-3 "The Cause of Conflict"Verses 4-5 "The Consequence of Conflict"Verses 6-10 "The Cure for Conflict"
Favouritism abuses our Faith to the Core v1,4Favouritism abuses our Fellowship in the Church v2-7 Favouritism abuses our Father and His Commandments v8-12
All the charade needs volunteers, and truck loads of them. And to keep them coming back week after week, you need to guilt-trip them into thinking that if they don't return, they won't flourish as a believer. Lies. Cheap shots. And it's all law, no grace.
I know these excuses, because hello, I use them all the time. But the Great Commission of the church is to 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all nations.' That was a commandment from Jesus, not a 'suggestion'. The Gospel needs to be preached because there is no other way for men to be saved.
When the story of Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection is told, it's not just an isolated one-off incident. Every facet of Jesus' life on earth was a fulfillment of one or more prophecies. And by the time He ascended, no fewer than 353 were fulfilled.
The miry clay pit is a place of hopelessness. It’s a dead end, literally. You are left to rot, with no access to food, water, and maybe even light.