The Cross wasn’t always the predominant sign of Christianity. For centuries the cross was a pagan symbol of pain and torture. Rome used the cross to strike fear into the hearts of the world and discourage any troublemakers or rabble-rousers, (like Jesus). The cross did not start becoming a positive, publically accepted, symbol of Christianity […]
Author Archives: richiehalversen
Yesterday we celebrated the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. King was a proponent of new kind of protest, peaceful protest. The Civil Rights was a movement of nonviolent direct action working to expose and eradicate systemic segregation and racism across the southern United States. “Nonviolent resistance,” king wrote, is “a courageous […]
In the 3rd and 4th chapter of John Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman seem to be polar opposites on the surface but they are actually the same on the inside. Both of them are too worried about what people think. Nicodemus had a good reputation. The Samaritan woman had a bad reputation. Both of them […]
“Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’” (Jn 8:10). This is one of the most riveting scenes in the Bible. It perfectly encapsulates God’s mercy and justice. This woman has been set up, preyed upon. She is but collateral damage for the religious leaders real target. […]
Speaking of the coming of Messiah, Isaiah 52:15 says, “so shall he sprinkle many nations” it is an allusion to Leviticus 4:6 when God told the priest, interceding for all the people, to “dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle part of the blood seven times before the LORD in front of the veil […]
Since the beginning God has been looking for some laborers to work His garden (Matt. 20:1). Not primarily a garden of plants of flowers but of people and promise. God placed the Man in the garden to work it, (Gen. 2:15). The word play between the name, Adam, and the Hebrew word for ground adama […]
“If you search for good, you will find it; but if you search for evil, it will find you!” Proverbs 11:27 We always find what we’re looking for. If we’re looking for someone to offend us, we’ll find it. If we’re looking for someone to fail us, we won’t have to wait long. If we’re […]
Words are doubled in scripture to stress importance. When Jesus said “truly, truly” before a statement, He was stressing it. He was saying, “pay close attention this is important” When Pilate appeals to the bloodthirsty mob to release Jesus, Luke records “they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” “The double cry reflected intensity,” (1). Jesus emphasized […]
At Cana the water became wine. At the Last Supper the wine became blood. At Calvary the blood became redemption. At the tomb the redemption became re-creation. At the second coming the re-creation will become restoration.
The triumphal entry was in anticipation of what Jesus could do. Heal the sick, feed the hungry, raise the dead, kick Rome’s butt. Often our walk with Christ begins in anticipation of what Jesus can do: bless the finances, salvage the marriage, heal the son or daughter, kick the cancer’s butt. The problem is sometimes […]
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