In John 12:42-43 John revealed a curious aspect of men. After encountering Jesus, many of the religious leaders believed in Jesus, but refused to admit it because they were afraid of what others would do and losing their standing in society. For these men, fear was the driving force in the decision making. Fear canContinue reading “The Deceptive Power of Fear”
Tag Archives: Christianity
Who is God; Who are we?
Jesus’ revelation of God as his Father was radical in his day as well as ours, in fact it was one of the reasons he was persecuted. Furthermore, Jesus revealed his followers as children of God, therefore heirs and co-heirs with Jesus. As children of God, we now share in the family business of Father’sContinue reading “Who is God; Who are we?”
Implications of Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer
Because of Jesus’ teaching on prayer, the believer does not come to Father as a beggar hoping to convince him to do what is right or good. Rather, the believer comes as a beloved child whom God the Father loves and delights in providing for. Jesus is not in any way describing a formal relationship,Continue reading “Implications of Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer”
Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer
Over my years as a pastor, it was not uncommon to hear people asking how to pray. Their question resembled the command/request that one of the twelve disciples posed to Jesus in Luke 11:1. “Teach us to pray like John taught his disciples.” Jesus responded with what we now call the Lord’s Prayer. This prayerContinue reading “Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer”
Controversial Jesus
When Jesus lived he consistently created controversy, not because he intended to, but because what he said challenged the mainstream beliefs of the day. He was the Jewish Messiah, whom Christians call Christ, but he didn’t fit the Messiah theology of that day. While he did the works of God, like in John 9 whenContinue reading “Controversial Jesus”
Jesus’ Love
In John 13 Jesus gave a “new command’ to his disciples. He told them that they were to love one another as he had loved them. Jesus’ statement indicated that this new command was different from all the other commands and instructions that they had received before including those they had received from him. ThatContinue reading “Jesus’ Love”
Seeking Truth
How important is it for us to search out truth? Appearances can be deceiving. As important as it is to listen to teachers, this does not mean that we should abdicate our responsibility to seek out truth for ourselves. In John 7, the people came to some false conclusions based on circumstances, appearances and priorContinue reading “Seeking Truth”
How to respond to blessing
In the parable of the talents, Jesus taught his disciples how to respond to blessings in our life. The first two servants responded by using their blessings (talents) for good, but the third man hid his because he was afraid of the Master. In fear, he actually accused his Master of stealing from others (seeContinue reading “How to respond to blessing”
Thankfulness
I recently heard a speaker explain that, according to studies, the most underdeveloped attribute in humans is gratitude. Because we have not developed gratitude in our lives, we fail to discern all that is good in our life. If we fail to focus on the good, then we give in to the tendency to focusContinue reading “Thankfulness”
Jesus’ Nearness
A few years ago, a missionary speaker came to the church I was pastoring. His young son of three, who had recently broken his leg, was with him as he spoke. After holding his son for a while, the speaker put him down on the platform next to him as he shared about their ministry.Continue reading “Jesus’ Nearness”
David Freitag 