Mount of Olives Church

Okay, once again full disclosure – our Lord gives me teaching moments, which I like to call “aha moments.” Christ has taught me to look up the entire verse, not just a portion. And today’s verse has never spoken so clearly to me. This came from “Hope for Each Day”, a devotional book by Billy Graham. The scripture used was only the last half of the entire verse from Isaiah 38:17 : "You have cast all my sins behind your back." But let’s read the entire Bible verse which is so powerful: “Indeed it was for my own peace that I had great bitterness; but You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption. For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.” For myself, I have found it's important (no matter who the author of our devotion is) we look up the entire scripture. God will speak the truth into your heart the way He needs it to be spoken, not the way an author interpreted the scripture; even a scholar like Billy Graham. We need to interpret the Word of God ea...

A New England high school teacher taught a course entitled “The Bible as Literature.” Only seniors in the top 10 percent of the class could take this course. A pre-test was given to evaluate the students’ biblical knowledge. One student defined the Epistles as "wives of the Apostles". A pastor was so humored by this answer that he shared it during his next sermon. One of the church members approached him afterwards and asked, "If the Epistles weren’t the wives of the Apostles, whose wives, were they?" 2 Timothy 2:15 ESV Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. What does it mean to “rightly handle the word of truth”? It means to have a strong understanding of the Word of God; the Bible. It means to know that the Epistles were the letters St. Paul and others wrote to the churches – to know what is right and what is wrong. It means to know the basics; such as the fact you cannot...

Martin Luther made this statement about the Bible, “Mighty potentates have raged against this book, and sought to destroy and uproot it – Alexander the Great and princes of Egypt and Babylon, the monarchs of Persia, of Greece and of Rome, the Emperors Julius and Augustus – but have prevailed nothing. They are gone while the book remains, and it will remain forever and ever, perfect and entire as it was declared at first. Who has thus helped it – who has protected it against such mighty forces? No one, surely, but God Himself, who is master of all things.” If this book, the Bible, is so enduring and powerful, it might be important for me to actually read it. During this Advent season, why not open your Bible and begin to study? If this is new for you, begin in some basics. Don’t start with Genesis and try to read all of the way through. Rather start with the Gospel of John, and read small portions each day. When you have accomplished this, then start with Matthew, followed by Mark and L...

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control.   2 Timothy 1:7 RSV   Sometimes people think being a Christian means you are to be a “wimp”. They think they should be passive or docile.  While it is true we should strive to be humble, it doesn’t mean we should be flaccid. Rather, this passage is telling us we are not to have a “spirit of timidity”, but rather a spirit of holy boldness. We can have this spirit of boldness because of who God is, and who we are in relation to Him. Because of Jesus, you are a child of God. the Bible says your name is written in the “Lambs book of Life”, therefore, we do not have to hide in the shadows and be in constant fear.  We can pray boldly. We can believe boldly and we can serve boldly because of who we are and Whose we are. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, help us to remember that because You are our Heavenly Father, we do not have to live in...