Mission Faithwalk

          Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’                 " ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.           “The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’             “ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’ ” (Matthew 13:24-30)         It happens every year. I till the garden, plant my crops and start thinking about the tomatoes and other he

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home—these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (Jude 1:3-6)             I'm going to take a brief break in the discussion of prophecy. Closer to Easter, I'll touch on it some more. A few items have come to my attention that make this passage a good one to consider. The

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” (Genesis 14:18-20)     The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ...The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalm 110:1 & 4)                Jesus asked, “What do you think about the Christ ? Whose son is he?”           “The son of David,” [the Pharisees]replied.                 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” (Matthew 22:42-45)                   This Melchize

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. (Daniel 9:24-26)                     and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”      

          “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.’” (Micah 5:2)               “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. (Hosea 11:1)             and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.” (Matthew 2:23)             You know the story. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Shortly after the visit by the Magi, Joseph took his family to Egypt. When they returned to Israel, they went to live in Nazareth. Those events were all mentioned in the prophecies that are the text today. Let's fill in a few historical details. David lived from 1040-970 BC. Solomon died in 931 BC. Micah and Hosea were prophets during the Eighth Century, BC. They lived and prophesied 150 to 200 years after those kings but at least 700 years

            A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.... In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1 & 10)             “The days are coming,” declares the LORD , “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land." (Jeremiah 23:5)             Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.             Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)               Fast forward 500 years from yesterday to today. Having already elimina

            I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis   12:3)             Then God said, “Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him (Genesis 17:19)             The LORD said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger. (Genesis 25:23)             There above it stood the LORD , and he said: “I am the LORD , the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. our descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. (Genesis

                 So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)       There are people who point to certain mythological figures: Mithras, Dionysus (Bacchus), Attis, Osiris, Horus, Tammuz, Adonis, Persephone and Orpheus as parallels to Jesus based on these commonalities:  *   death and resurrection around our Easter; *   virgin birth around 25 December; *   association with the seasons and the vegetation cycle (fertility gods); *    called "son of God" and/or a god in human form, who performed miracles *    ritual celebration of their death; *    the offer of salvation to a small community of initiates. [1]           These similarities lea

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.   Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)   All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (I Timothy 3:16-17)             Every so often, someone proclaims "Judge not!" It's a part of a verse that is quite popular among some portions of our population, even if they aren't Christians. Today's passage is the full text of that p

          He will be succeeded by a contemptible person who has not been given the honor of royalty. He will invade the kingdom when its people feel secure, and he will seize it through intrigue.   Then an overwhelming army will be swept away before him; both it and a prince of the covenant will be destroyed. After coming to an agreement with him, he will act deceitfully, and with only a few people he will rise to power. When the richest provinces feel secure, he will invade them and will achieve what neither his fathers nor his forefathers did. He will distribute plunder, loot and wealth among his followers. He will plot the overthrow of fortresses—but only for a time. With a large army he will stir up his strength and courage against the king of the South. The king of the South will wage war with a large and very powerful army, but he will not be able to stand because of the plots devised against him. Those who eat from the king’s provisions will try to destroy him; his army will

      Then he will turn his attention to the coastlands and will take many of them, but a commander will put an end to his insolence and will turn his insolence back upon him. After this, he will turn back toward the fortresses of his own country but will stumble and fall, to be seen no more.           His successor will send out a tax collector to maintain the royal splendor. In a few years, however, he will be destroyed, yet not in anger or in battle.   (Daniel 11:18-20)             After Antiochus III defeated Scopas, at Panium and Sidon, Antiochus III got involved in a war against Pergamum and the island of Rhodes. The situation was complicated because the Rhodians appealed to the Romans for help and Hannibal (previously exiled) joined Antiochus as a military advisor.   In 196 BC, Antiochus crossed the Hellespont and the Aegean and conquered a good chunk of Thrace. The "coastlands" (usually "islands") included all areas contiguous to the seacoast.     

                Then the king of the North will invade the realm of the king of the South but will retreat to his own country. His sons will prepare for war and assemble a great army, which will sweep on like an irresistible flood and carry the battle as far as his fortress.            Then the king of the South will march out in a rage and fight against the king of the North, who will raise a large army, but it will be defeated. When the army is carried off, the king of the South will be filled with pride and will slaughter many thousands, yet he will not remain triumphant.            For the king of the North will muster another army, larger than the first; and after several years, he will advance with a huge army fully equipped. In those times many will rise against the king of the South. The violent men among your own people will rebel in fulfillment of the vision, but without success. Then the king of the North will come and build up siege ramps and will capture a fortified ci

        “The king of the South will become strong, but one of his commanders will become even stronger than he and will rule his own kingdom with great power.   After some years, they will become allies. The daughter of the king of the South will go to the king of the North to make an alliance, but she will not retain her power, and he and his power will not last. In those days she will be handed over, together with her royal escort and her father and the one who supported her. One from her family line will arise to take her place. He will attack the forces of the king of the North and enter his fortress; he will fight against them and be victorious. He will also seize their gods, their metal images and their valuable articles of silver and gold and carry them off to Egypt. For some years he will leave the king of the North alone.   (Daniel 11:5-8)               The King of the South was a Macedonian (Greek) named Ptolemy I. He made some conquests outside of his area, but for t

  “Now then, I tell you the truth: Three more kings will appear in Persia, and then a fourth, who will be far richer than all the others. When he has gained power by his wealth, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king will appear, who will rule with great power and do as he pleases. After he has appeared, his empire will be broken up and parceled out toward the four winds of heaven. It will not go to his descendants, nor will it have the power he exercised, because his empire will be uprooted and given to others (Daniel 11:2-4)           Yesterday, I finished listening to Daniel. I decided I need to do a little research dealing with the last few chapters. I know some of it deals with end times, but some is also historical and it just seems to me that I should get a handle on it. First, let me begin with the information that the text of Daniel, including its style and the language used sets its date as about 600-500 BC. There are some who claim i

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. (I Timothy 2:3-6)            Why can't all roads lead to God? Why can't Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity all be true? They all have some version of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." They all have such similarities. At least, that's what some lovely, "spiritual" people have told me. But do they?           They all provide some means by which one achieves heaven (though they don't agree as to what that means.) Hinduism and Buddhism believe that those who are imperfect are recycled into another life, whether as a bug or a man depending on your karma. At least in Buddhism, once you reach perfection, you are absorbed into God, exterminating yo

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. (I Timothy 2:1)             For the past eight years, were you praying for Mr. Obama? Were you thankful for him? Was your prayer that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness? Have you started praying regularly for Mr. Trump? Are you thankful for him? Is your prayer that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness?           I'm not so good at intercession. Two years ago after I came to Florida, I began to pray a blessing on each residence in the park. It expanded to include government officials, including Mr. Obama, and from there to family, church family, neighbors and friends and enemies. When I go back north, I can't seem to build the same habit, so I can't claim to be consistent about it. I keep it s