Webster’s dictionary definition of the word Sacrifice
“a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost the sacrifices made by parents”
The interesting part of this definition is the the word surrender. We know that Jesus sacrificed his very soul for everyone whether they wanted it or knew it, yet he give and sacrificed his own soul anyway. Yes, he really did it without anybody really knowing what he was doing for them. So are we to sacrifice our souls for Jesus? Well, yes in a sense, on a cross like him? No, we are to surrender our souls in the sense that we surrender our wills, as did the apostles.
The following is another new article from my website.
It is amazing how many people who call themselves “Christian” don’t actually know what the word means. A “Christian” is a follower of Christ, but like most people, I did not know what the word “Christ” meant for many years. Like some, I assumed that it was part of his name. Others know that it is a title, but don’t know exactly what it means. The fact is, however, that the word Christ comes from the Greek word christos, which means “anointed one.” It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word, mashiyach from which we get our English word, Messiah. The titles Messiah and Christ mean exactly the same thing: an anointed one.
The promise of land was made to Abraham, and confirmed to Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob’s sons. The land that was promised was a central feature in the identity of Israel as a nation, all throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. The unfolding of God’s plan primarily involved His people and their inheritance of the land. But are the events recorded in the Old Testament the complete fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant?
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Key to understanding the Bible, is to begin to see that God had a plan for mankind from the beginning. Our all-knowing God, Yahweh, knew before it happened, that man would sin, and man would ultimately need a way to be cleansed from his sins so that he could be found pure, blameless and holy, to be able to dwell in the presence of our holy, righteous God.
God’s plan, all along, was to create a people who would love, praise and glorify Him, of our own free will. His desire is to dwell with mankind, on the fabulous earth that He created.
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In my last post, Steve Taylor put forth the challenge to examine what Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God in order to unlock a deeper understanding of the Bible. This article, by Anthony Buzzard, presents a foundational look at that crucial subject.
One of the most remarkable phenomena in the history of human thought is the way in which the obvious can be hidden from both scholar and layman. The history of Christian thought demonstrates a signal example. Jesus Himself constantly taught that His Gospel Message would be hidden from the masses, whose minds were blinded by the counter-interests which would preoccupy them and prevent complete devotion to Him (Matt. 13:11-17).
Written by Pastor Steve Taylor (Originally posted on the website of Lakeshore Bible Church.)
“I can’t understand the Bible!” is a common complaint voiced by many who open its pages. Yes, it is hard to understand IF you don’t have the key that unlocks its mysteries. You are about to have in your hand the crucial but much-neglected key that Jesus offers to unlock the mysteries of the Bible:
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I often tease my husband by calling him, “Farmer Tony.” He grew up farming with his dad, and loved it. He no longer farms, but let’s just say he takes gardening to a new level. His soil preparation is intense and when he is finally ready, he plants the seed. Almost always, the seed comes up and brings forth a produce that our family can enjoy. Other times, a certain seed will be old or conditions will be too wet and rainy, so that the seed fails to even break forth from the soil.
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Growing up, my daddy liked to crank the stereo up in our house on Sunday mornings, and usually blaring from the two speakers in our living room, was country music. Not the country music of today, but the ‘real country’ when country wasn’t cool. This song, “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden” was one I remember hearing as a child, and I thought of it recently, when I was thinking of what God promises us as Christians. Does God promise us a rose garden, where everything in life will be perfect, and go smoothly at all times? Yes and no. Yes, God promises us this perfect life, actually a life without end, in the ‘age to come’ when Jesus puts all his enemies under his feet, the earth is restored and sin and death are no more. Then, God will come down to the earth to dwell with mankind, and it will be very similar to the Garden of Eden, a rose garden, if you will, of when life will be perfect and holy and good. But, not until then.
The ideas about the Kingdom of God expressed on this and other related sites are not new or radical, nor are they the result of any individual’s solitary study or contemplation. They are not the result of anyone claiming to have “special anointing” from the Lord to understand the Scriptures. These ideas are widely recognized by many Biblical scholars, and have often been written about by ministers from varying backgrounds. As an example, the following is from a book entitled The Theocratic Kingdom, written in 1884 by a minister in Springfield, Ohio, named George Peters.
The following is the second part of an article by Anthony Buzzard. It first appeared in Journal from the Radical Reformation, Vol. 2, No. 4. The first part can be seen here, and the entire article can be viewed on his web site.
Hebrews
The Book of Hebrews expounds the drama of Abraham’s faith in the great promises of God making a future resurrection the only solution to the mystery of Abraham’s failure as yet ever to own the land.
“By faith Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance…” (Heb. 8:11).
