Another reason for a peace/freewill/thanksgiving/votive offering may have been a prosperous harvest or the birth of a healthy child. We can imagine a worshiper vowing to the Lord that, if He blessed him with a healthy child, he would make a special sacrifice or offering. The votive offer...
On the other hand, sometimes we can perfectly follow all of our routines, and our programs can seem to be going swimmingly, but we’re unaware that we’re missing something vital. The Pharisees were famous for this. All through the Bible, God reminds His people not to serve Him only wi...
This victim of perdition, this child of hell, has completed his course; even now he has laid his plans for my destruction and his own. He has so perished in order that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Even if the full telic force of ἵνα is preserved here, he does not free the...
This is one of those statements some people use to judge and condemn Jews. That is not a rational conclusion. Prejudice of any sort is emotional. It is wrong to hate anyone whom God created. Do you remember that later that same day Jesus prayed and said: “Father, forgive them, for ...
Clickhttp://www.tgifmasterminds.comevery Friday for a new post from the Master’s servant manager…ME! Have you ever thought of God as your permanent care taker or care giver? Well, I have. In preparation for this week’s blog, I decided to rumble through an old file folder. It was...
Why do we continually find fault in others when we are discontent, blaming other people, organizations, or groups when we aren’t getting what we want? Do we even know what we want? “I shouldn’t have to pay this much for cable television, it’s ridiculous – who’s profiting from ...
Another related question is, “If Jesus could pray for one thing for you, what would it be?” How we answer this question probably says a lot about who we are and what we value. In the gospel this Sunday, we have at least one answer to this question. In the gospel Jesus does pray...
Before we go one step further, let’s see what Isaiah 9:6 adds to this. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peac...
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more ...
Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. Let’s consider the event that turns us from mortal to immortal, from death to life. ...