Faith Blog

More thoughts on the topic of God does not change. Here is a familiar passage. Or is it? Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. I took it from Deuteronomy 6:5. The teacher of the law had challenged Jesus to name the most important of the Law’s commands. I think in our hearts we feel Jesus was giving us a great new teaching. What he is actually doing is showing us God’s unchanging heart. Over 1000 years after Moses spoke these words, Jesus emphasizes their …

Love the lost is certainly a command from God, God says to love enemies and shows us some things. Among his disciples, he had zealots who were all about hate and tax collectors who were all about power and money. He welcomed prostitutes and praised non Jews. The only people he condemned were the religious leaders. In the post modern world, a lot of people need love. How hard would life have to be before anyone would face be trans …

God, our creator and sustainer has way more emotions than we have. What Makes God Smile? Let’s look at some of God’s feelings starting here: 18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 At that time Jesus, full of joy …

From my earliest childhood, I have been interested in the world, and for my 8th birthday, I wanted just one thing, a globe. I memorized that globe. Later, I moved to China. I was enthralled to see that God’s hear agreed with mine. God loves the nations. Why, because he made each one. These famous quotes drives us on. Matthew 28:18-20 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go …

When Jesus rose from the dead three days after bearing our sins on the Cross, he, without announcement, had somehow changed. He had not become less and come as a ghost, but he came as something more. Suddenly, Jesus can appear and disappear from rooms even though they touched him, and he ate to show clearly that he was in body. When he appeared and disappeared on the road to Emmaus, the followers of Jesus did not recognize him. He …

As Christians, we are all children under our all knowing God. All are sinners, living under God’s mercy.  God gave us the Bible, so we could know him. We can, from the Bible, know what makes God smile and what makes God frown.  God died for us for a handful of reasons. One reason is that we could kive before hin as sons and daughters rather than living in fear of not being accepted. We follow God’s commands in the …

Funny title. What I mean by did Jesus change God is we have a sense that the God of the Old Testament is tough and the God of the New Testament is soft. I think we need to look closer and think more. This is a big topic, but let me take it on. In Levitucus 10, We have the following. The Death of Nadab and Abihu 10 Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they …

While living and outreaching in China, my wife and I noticed that Christians are often worse than non Christians.  This seems to deny that God is empowering us for works of service. I then realized a hard truth in first generation Christianity here in China. People coming to faith were not people from the best of society. They were from bad families and troubled lives. Both my wife and I are first generation Christians by the way. Sinful as we …

In the era of the New Testament laying down palms represented triumph and victory. Victors riding a horse were warriors who triumphed in battle. Victors who entered by peace rode a donkey as sign of their peaceful arrival. Ah, what about Palm Sunday?  See what Zechariah wrote 500 years before Jesus birth Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a …

I live as an alien in China and have for 30 years. So, I have some thoughts on foreigners and how God calls us to see and treat them. The Bible has some specific words on this. It appears God’s message is care for the alien.   See here: And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. and here: 28 At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and …