Afleveringen
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Police wasted no time. The aviation team was called in. Using thermal imaging cameras they scoured the thick vegetation of the forested area below. Deputies on the ground rushed in. The pilot indicated to the officers below that they were now within 80 feet. Body cam footage showed the deputy drawing closer and closer with his arms fully stretched before him. What comes next in this story made headlines and may surprise you. It's the kind of news that makes what John says here in the Gospel leap right off the page.
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You and I are hard-wired to cover our eyes and turn away whenever we see something that terrifies us. So, why would God command Moses to erect a bronze snake on a pole as their means of rescue from the venomous snakes that were killing them? Why would He command the Israelites to look at the very thing that frightened them the most? And why would God direct our attention to the terrifying death of our Savior on the cross? God lovingly pull the hands with which we would cover our eyes to witness His love, mercy and rescue.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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It’s the classic scene from movies that has Moms and Dads nodding their head. Everyone’s excited to get in the car and hit the road on vacation. But now the trip is beginning to seem too long. Then the kids begin to murmur and moan in back seat. Then the quarreling and fighting gets underway. Finally, it reaches a crescendo when exasperated parents thunder out that familiar phrase which declares that they’ve now crossed the line: “Don’t make me turn this car around!” Israel discovered what happened when it reached point during their travel to the promised land. What God did next may surprise you. But did you notice the one thing that Jesus didn't do?
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In recent years there's been a crackdown on fake degrees and fraudulent credentials. And the religious leaders may have felt that they were doing the same thing after Jesus cleared the temple of money changes and dove dealers. They demanded that He show them a miracle as proof of His authority. But, as shocked as we might be by their insistence that Jesus show them His "credentials," do you ever find yourself making that same demand today?
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It seems foolish to today’s world to think that God's Word declared each week, the message of our Savior's crucifixion, can waken faith, bring sinners to repentance, and bring comfort and assurance in place of despair. But that’s exactly what Paul tells us that God does through the 'foolishness' of this message.
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Are you trying to make yourself a good person, and make yourself right with God, by keeping the Commandments? You'll never be able to dig yourself out from under your guilt. However, the Commandments do serve a very important purpose – they point to our need for a Savior. And that's exactly what God has given to us in His Son. He lifts us out of the pit.
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When Peter heard Jesus tell them about His upcoming suffering and death on the cross, he replied “Never, Lord! ... This shall never happen to you!” But, then, as Jesus went on to tell them about the cross they would soon take up, you could almost imagine them taking a gulp and thinking, “Never, Lord … may this never happen to us.” But both crosses – our Savior’s, and the one He tells us to take up daily, bring far greater blessings than could be imagined.
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“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” Those are the opening words that Charles Dickens used in his famous historical novel, “The Tale of Two Cities.” Chances are good you may have read it grudgingly for an English class back in high school. Despite it's ranking among the best-selling novels of all time you may not have felt like ever hearing those words ever again. Regrettably, that’s how many Christians feel when they hear about Christ’s crucifixion. Peter didn’t want to hear about it. But there’s a reason why Jesus wanted him to hear these words and why He wants you and me to hear them too.
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Throughout this Lenten season we hear the news that "Christ died for us." Now, you may be thinking, “That’s not news. That’s what Lent is all about.” But listen carefully to the circumstances under which this took place. What is can easily be overlooked is what Paul means when he says that this took place "at just the right time."
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Here in James, the apostle distinguished what it means to be tested and what it means to be tempted. So, what’s the difference? On the surface, it just sounds like two different ways of saying the same thing. But they’re quite different.
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Mark provides us with something very handy to keep in mind as we hear about our Savior's tempation and as we face our own temptations every day. He gives us a bird's eye view of how this important event was sandwiched between two others. And it provides us with a handy template we can use when we're facing temptation.
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We live by faith! That’s the kind of phrase that gets us Christians nodding our heads in agreement and perhaps even shouting out, “Amen”! But what does it really mean? It means that we trust God’s promises. We trust what He has said to us in His Word. But let’s be honest, there are times when that’s easier said than done. So what do you do when something seems terribly wrong and out of place? You go back to God’s Word. That’s what Abraham did in this very difficult text from the Old Testament. Back up a moment and take closer look at what actually took place.
Episode Art by Jan van't Hoff. Copyright www.GospelImages.com and licensed to FreeBibleImages.org Used by permission.
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“Listen to your heart.” That’s great advice if its coming from a cardiologist, but it’s actually terrible advice when it comes to our spiritual life. The familiar maxim, “Listen to your heart,” means to look inside yourself for comfort and truth. As nice as that sound, that’s the last place to look if you want to find either.
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So, what are you adding for Lent? What, wait a minute. The usual question that we often hear at this time of the year is, “What are you giving up for Lent?” However, I’ve always liked to think more about what I’m adding for Lent. Here's what and here's why.
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“What are you doing here?” Have you ever run into some you know, but in a place you didn’t expect to see them? When Peter, James and John saw Jesus transfigured in glory on the mountain it was the kind of place and setting that you would expect to see Jesus, “the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” It was amazing! But, as amazing as it was, it wasn’t Jesus’ purpose to amaze the disciples. It was to get them ready for what was to come. They would soon Jesus, the Son of the Living God, in a place where they would never have imagined. In fact, it would be the very last place they would want to see Him.
Episode Image by Carl Bloch, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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“Don’t do it unless you absolutely have to.” That was the advice I received when I first considered becoming a pastor many, many years ago. And it may surprise you to know that it came from pastor! Now, if that made you sit up and shake your head, then consider how it compares to what the Paul says here in his first letter to the Corinthians. He said, Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" Was Paul filled with fear of some kind of punishment? Not at all. Actually, both statements come from hearts filled with joy! And they’re actually good reminders for all of us, for everyone who shares the Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ.
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When you and I are engulfed in troubles it may feel like we’re on on our own. It seems as if God is completely unaware of what’s going on in our life. It feels as if we, and and our struggles, are completely hidden from God. So, it may surprise you to know that others, including those in Scripture, have felt this way. When God’s people were languishing in exile they cried, “My way is hidden from the LORD; my cause is disregarded by my God.” But is it really hidden? Listen to the remarkable answer that God gave to this earnest cry.
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Gassed. Have you ever heard of this term? It means to be “drained of energy, spent, exhausted.” Sometimes you hear the term used when a runner is said to be so depleted of energy that there’s “nothing left in the tank.” That’s the kind of exhaustion that Isaiah describes so well in this text. What follows are words of tremendous encouragement that God gave to Isaiah to share with the people as they struggled during their exile in Babylon and for us today. However, if we’re not careful, we may sometimes find ourselves watering them down into something far less impressive. These words are much more than simply a pep talk.
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Some have said that it was His commanding presence, the look of His face or the even the tone of his voice. Mark tells us that when Jesus went into the Temple and began to teach, the people were amazed at what they heard. But if you notice, Mark doesn’t mention anything here about our Savior’s voice. Instead, he tells us that the crowd at Capernaum were amazed by His teaching. This was more than a simply a subject to be taught, a newspaper story to debate or a philosophy to be learned. God Himself was announcing your salvation.
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“There will never be another …” You could use those words to describe all sort of different sports stars over the generations. In fact, may sound a little like what we hear about Moses in Deuteronomy. But Moses Himself explained that God would send a prophet after him who would be even better. In fact, he would even give new meaning to the words, "There will never be another."
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