Bringing Relationships To Life

We all know the Christmas Story. Joseph takes Mary as his wife and she has the baby Jesus. Yes, Joseph still married Mary even though the child she was carrying was not his. He did as the Lord told him. But did he love her? We would like to say he did, but what is the proof of that?

Most people want to be happy with the exclusion of being joyful. God wants us to be full of joy even if we aren't happy. Happy has to do with what is happening. Joy remains if we have godly joy. God sometimes interrupts us to give us those moments of extreme joy. The shepherds on a hillside watching their flocks were certainly surprised by joy. Have you been surprised by joy that exceeded your happiness?

What do you know about angels? Does it come from pop culture or from the Bible? Is there an angel watching over you? What about Gabriel? The fact is God is like what He has done. He is immutable. What He has done in principle is still being done. You may not hear from Gabriel but God is still working on you.

Isaiah is the most quoted book in the New Testament. It was Isaiah who would tell of Jesus' miraculous birth. It was Isaiah who would tell of Jesus' redemption. Jesus would read out of Isaiah in the synagogue and say that the prophecy is fulfilled. Where did Isaiah get these words that he would preach in his day? They started at the source.

The Bible tells us that we should be thankful in all circumstances, but it doesn't tell us to be thankful for all circumstances. What's the difference? A whole lot.

Sure, you go to church and they chide you into singing praise songs. But what if you don't feel like it? What if things are going so wrong that you just can't? Why should you praise God when He hasn't rescued you from your crisis? Good question.

Maybe you have always heard that God has a wonderful plan for your life but none of the people who told you this explained what this wonderful plan was. It all centers around the answers to two questions: Who are you? and What are you here for?

Do you think you know who the Apostle Peter was? Maybe you do. Maybe you don't. Let's take a look.

Who is the source of our faith? It doesn't come from us. It is much more reliable. It comes from the Holy Spirit.

There has never been an archeological find that refutes the stories in the Bible. The greatest claim of those who want to say that archeology doesn't support a biblical story is saying there hasn't been any archeological proof supporting it. That's saying that anything that can't be found must not exist. Our faith is based on historical events. We didn't just make up these stories for children and unsophisticated people.

Our faith is not some contrived superstition we made up. It is based on facts. True science supports faith. Scientism doesn't. Can you tell the difference?

If we have enough faith, we can move mountains. Then, is faith a force of will? Is faith a gift of God? Is faith something that is deep within us? Mountain movers know where faith comes from.

Someday someone will tell you that your friend, your relative or even yourself could be healed from a serious disease if you just had enough faith. Is that true?

Times can get tough. God still loves you.

Superstitious praying comes about when we think we have the power to make miraculous things happen regardless of God's will. Prayer is neither formulas nor rituals. God will never be our servant. We should pray in a powerful way that doesn't depend upon our power. Would you like to see what that is like?

Preachers are told not to preach about money. Too often, they are just trying to raise more money when they preach about it. The only other time they preach about money is when they want to assure people that they are going to get more of it. They preach a plan of receiving more money. Much of the time, it is a superstitious message.

Many people are depending upon what they have done to get them into heaven. They depend upon praying the prayer of salvation. That sounds like a superstitious incantation that causes a miracle. Salvation is knowing Jesus and He knowing you. It depends on what He has done for you. Don't believe me? Maybe you should listen to this message.

Many people walk down to the front of their churches, kneel and say, "Here are my problems, God, fix them." They think this is godly wisdom. It isn't.

When was the plan of salvation determined? Was it between the time of Adam and Moses? Was it between the time of Adam and Abraham? Let's take a look.

Having to live a perfectly sinless life on my own is a terrible way to live. No matter how much effort I put in it, I fail. The good news is that I have Someone who seeks to strengthen me.