The Need for Mercy

So the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat." (John 5:10)

I had a recent conversation with someone who I had shared a great sermon with about the need to love our brothers and how this carried the promise that we would not fall. But rather than hearing the great message of truth, he instead picked up and focused on a stray comment about a woman pastor on that church's staff. He said that it was a violation of the scriptural teachings of Paul.

Now, honestly, women pastors make me uncomfortable too and for the same reason. But it got me to thinking: are any churches 100% accurate in their doctrine and practices? Do we not all have many areas in which me need to improve?

Women ARE in Ministry

    I just recently saw a question that asked about a woman’s role in ministry: what is her ministry as a wife and mother and does it change when her husband is in full time ministry? I will attempt to answer those questions from the Scriptures.

Jesus Goes Out of His Way

After Jesus left there, he went to the region of Tyre. (Mark 7:24a)

Then Jesus went out again from the region of Tyre and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Decapolis. (Mark 7:31)

Between these two verses is recorded only one event: the healing of the daughter of a Gentile woman. Jesus made a deliberate trip away from the Jewish settlements into a region of mostly Gentiles so that he could encounter a Gentile woman in need. In this simple story we see the Gospel played out.

The Name of God

Moses said to God, "If I go to the Israelites and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' — what should I say to them?" (Exodus 3:13 NET)

It is commonly taught that this passage is where God revealed His name to men, but that is born from a misunderstanding of what Moses was asking. It was not that Moses did not know God's name. He wanted to understand what it was that God was going to do.

Losing the Invitation

Then he said to his slaves, 'The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.' And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' But he had nothing to say. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!' For many are called, but few are chosen." (Mat 22:8-14)

A Bible Reading Lifestyle

It is absolutely vital to read the Bible for ourselves, to know what it actually says rather than what someone tells us that it says. The reality is that most Christians today in America have not read the entire Bible. Not only is it important to read the whole of scripture; I believe it is important to continue to read through the Bible year after year. It was for this purpose that I created my own Bible reading plan.