At times people wonder if they truly have free will, whether they make their own decisions or if they are just robots making decisions that fate or a higher power has predetermined. In John’s Gospel we see an incident that gives us a glimpse into how both free-will and a predetermined plan work together. TheContinue reading “Free-Will or Fate”
Tag Archives: Jesus
Jesus’ Power and Protection Revealed
John 18 records an amazing account of Jesus’ revealing his power to those who had come to arrest him. When Judas and the crowd came into the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus went to meet them, asking them who they were looking for. In response he declared to them that he was the one they wereContinue reading “Jesus’ Power and Protection Revealed”
What is Eternal Life?
Because of the name “eternal life” it is natural to assume that it means simply living forever. The common understanding is that it is life not on earth, but in some beautiful place where we will see all our loved ones who have died before us. We might even imagine that we become angels someday,Continue reading “What is Eternal Life?”
Father’s Protection
The world we live in struggles with and against evil. In fact, we encounter it every day of our life. At times, we recognize the battle, and at other times, we are oblivious to its presence because we are not sensitive enough to it or have become desensitized to it. Since we face evil consistently,Continue reading “Father’s Protection”
Believe Jesus’ Warning
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus instructed his disciples to watch and pray that they might not fall into temptation, because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). Earlier that evening, Jesus had warned Peter that Peter would deny him. However, Peter refused to heed Jesus’ warning. When Jesus told PeterContinue reading “Believe Jesus’ Warning”
Childlike Forgiveness
The topic of forgiveness reveals another example of Jesus’ teaching—that unless we become like children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Children respond to hurt very differently than others who are older. When a small child gets hurt while playing with other children, he or she goes to a person in authority: mommy,Continue reading “Childlike Forgiveness”
Pray Boldly
In the Old Testament, men like Abraham and Moses boldly made assertions to God. In the case of Moses, Scripture informs us that God changed his mind due to his bold prayer, even though God had commanded Moses not to pray for Israel. Moses disobeyed God’s command and prayed that God would not destroy IsraelContinue reading “Pray Boldly”
Applying What Jesus Taught
The great challenge of following Jesus, is applying what he taught, but Paul’s statement in Ephesians 5:15-17 to know God’s will indicates that we are to understand what Jesus wants without it being explicitly stated. Jesus seemed to expect this from his disciples and marveled when they didn’t grasp it. After the disciples told JesusContinue reading “Applying What Jesus Taught”
True Peace
In 1938 Neville Chamberlin returned to London declaring that there was peace in their time, because he had worked out an agreement with Adolf Hitler. It wasn’t a lasting peace, because in the fall of 1939 Great Britain and France were at war with Nazi Germany. Chamberlin’s definition of peace is what we experience andContinue reading “True Peace”
A Troubled Spirit
Did you realize that Jesus felt troubled and agitated, but he instructed his followers not to? Isn’t that a curious contrast? Jesus felt troubled outside of Lazarus’ tomb in John 11:33; later he experienced a troubled spirit on Palm Sunday the Sunday before his death (John 12:27). With his disciples, Jesus felt troubled in hisContinue reading “A Troubled Spirit”
David Freitag 