From Groaning to Glory (2)

Paul told the disciples at Rome they were headed for glory through the resurrection of their bodies. But that’s not all he had to say on the subject. There was something else that was headed for the same glory—creation! Let’s look at his words in Romans 8:18-25. Creation and humanity have the same origin andContinue reading “From Groaning to Glory (2)”

Living in the Light

We recently had new flooring put down in our house. It wasn’t a choice but a necessity. Our washing machine expired and as a parting gift left us with a couple of inches of water throughout much of the house, ruining the flooring. We decided to go with a lighter colored flooring. (Okay, Janice pickedContinue reading “Living in the Light”

An Empty Tomb and a Risen Lord

When we dip ourselves in the waters of the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, we get a look at a church that was living out the resurrection. Here are some of the things we see: Hope isn’t hope without the resurrection! In our culture, where truth floats up from the bottom, people’s “hope”Continue reading “An Empty Tomb and a Risen Lord”

Seven Miles From Jerusalem

Two disciples are headed to Emmaus (a village about seven miles from Jerusalem) where presumably they have been attending the Passover Feast. But that’s not what is on their hearts and minds. They are thinking about Jesus and how He had been turned over to the Romans for crucifixion by the Jewish leaders. As ifContinue reading “Seven Miles From Jerusalem”

Funeral For A Friend

Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. (Genesis 25:7-8) I conducted a funeral this morning. It was for a member of our church who passed away last week. He was 95Continue reading “Funeral For A Friend”

A Roman Cross And A Jewish Carpenter (2)

If you take this political/religious template and lay it over the New Testament, it opens another dimension of understanding. Jesus’ birth becomes a political event. He was born to overthrow Rome. Not in the civil sense of occupying an earthly throne, but in the sense that He was to be everything Rome was pretending to be.Continue reading “A Roman Cross And A Jewish Carpenter (2)”

What Bible Study Should Be

The Sadducees were sold on first five books of Scripture and found no resurrection there.  What they did find was the levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). In Matthew 22:23-33 their argument to Jesus pits potential circumstances created through application of this law with the resurrection (as they understood it). Their conclusion was that the resurrection was not possible—GodContinue reading “What Bible Study Should Be”

Letting God Be God

Coming up with a comprehensive picture of the Sadducees isn’t easy. We have no writings from them. Aside from Scripture, our information about who they were and what they believed comes from outside sources (primarily Josephus and the Mishnah). And there’s a sparseness in these that makes almost everything they say more conjecture than conclusion.Continue reading “Letting God Be God”

The World That Once Was . . . And Be Again (2) (Field Of Dreams)

If we dipped ourselves in the waters of the fourth chapter of the book of Acts, we’d get a look at a church that was functioning as Resurrection Central. We’d see: Some people were disturbed by the resurrection of Jesus (v. 2).  The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection while others that did thought it was something that would happen onlyContinue reading “The World That Once Was . . . And Be Again (2) (Field Of Dreams)”