For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord… 2 Corinthians 4:5 Last week I wrote about the foundational declaration of the Old Testament- The LORD is our God, the LORD is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). In the ancient world where there were so many angry and vindictive gods, the concept of One God who lovingly shepherded his people was truly revolutionary. The Jewish people were a unique and shining light in a very dark culture. By the time…
Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear O Israel: The LORD [is] our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. The Shema (the passage/prayer found above) was the defining confession of the Jewish people. It was the core belief that set Judaism apart from all other religious philosophies of its day. It reminded the descendents of Abraham that of all the peoples of the world they were God’s precious and…
Mark 16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” ~ How many believers were there in 100 AD? Answer: About 25,000 How many believers were there in 310 AD? Answer: 20,000,000 In other words, in a little over 200 years, Christianity grew from being a small religious sect in a backwater area of Palestine into the most significant force in the Roman Empire. In fact, Christians were so numerous that…
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see…. Hebrews 11:1 MANASSAS, VA, Friday, August 26 Today I prepared for a hurricane. It seemed kind of foolish. The sky was blue and there was a gentle breeze rustling the leaves. The sun was shining. It was a gorgeous evening. However, I didn’t dawdle. I mowed the lawn, cleaned out the rain gutters and stowed all of the children’s outside toys safely…
Luke 14:25 & 33 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said… [If] any of you does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922) was an intrepid explorer of the early 20th century. He made multiple trips to the South Pole and fired the imagination of the world with tales of harrowing expeditions, shipwreck and dramatic rescues in Antarctica. A 2002 documentary entitled Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance…