Bonour!

My vote: “You must be born again” (John 3:7). This is impossible for man!

Looking forward to seeing (and hearing) the 5 sayings/sermons from PCF. May the Lord continue to bless you, church.

Posted by Chris Tachick Jul 28, 04:24 PM

Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. (Matthew 7:6)

Not only has it always baffled me, but I can’t figure out how it fits into its context.

Posted by David Fenton Jul 29, 12:13 AM

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

I understand that being a disciple of Christ requires total submission to Him above all … but “hate” your family?? Seems a little extreme … especially in light of “love your neighbor”.

It’s hard in that if I were there, I would have raised my hand and said, “Excuse me. Rabbi? You don’t really mean “hate” do you?”

Exasperated, He probably would have replied something like, “Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:21)

Posted by Rod Jul 31, 10:05 PM

Mark 13:32 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” Why hasn’t the Father told Jesus the predetermined time for Him to return to earth?
Isn’t Jesus omniscient? If so, then how can there be one thing which he does not know? I understand that He was fully man and subject to the limitations of man (including knowledge) while on earth, giving up unlimited use of his divine attributes. For example, Jesus asked people,“What is your name?”
But now that he’s in heaven with His Father, wouldn’t he now know everything, including the time of his return? If he DID know, surely Jesus wouldn’t “spill the beans”! However, he wouldn’t be able to say,”…a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”
Maybe Jesus has never asked his Father to reveal the day/hour to him because he’s in a perpetual state of readiness anyway, like we are to be. Still, I don’t understand his lack of knowledge in this one area: the time for his return.

Posted by Wendy Cummings Aug 1, 04:39 PM

The Lord said to him [Moses], “Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” Exodus 4:11. This perplexes me.

Posted by Wendy Aug 1, 04:45 PM

“If your hand causes you to sin cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched…”

“If your foot causes you to sin cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame rather than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched…”

If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.” Mark 9:43-47

These are strong words from Jesus and lets us know the seriousness of sin. But, if we are saved our sins are forgiven and cannot cause us to be cast into hell. So then, are these verses for the unbelievers? If so, won’t they be cast into hell just for their unbelief regardless of their sin?

Posted by Marsha Walker Aug 1, 06:24 PM

These are great, folks! I hope we get some more…

Posted by Stephen Witmer Aug 2, 09:36 AM

Matt 18. How can the master require the debt of the unmerciful servant a second time….after it had already been forgiven?

Matt 5 “If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” If it’s wrong to unjustly hit someone, why would Jesus (apparently) encourage us to set somebody up to sin?

Matt 21 The Withered Fig Tree. Why would the Creator become angry with a fig tree or a cloud or a tiger lily? And what should we make of him becoming angry over a seemingly small matter?

Posted by Bob Chute Aug 2, 07:50 PM

Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
(Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.)
Born again! Old Testament?

Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. This a promise! How does this work out in our lives?

Posted by Ralph Aug 3, 07:33 AM

But I tell you; love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44a)

For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matthew 5:14)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body what you will wear. (Matthew 6:25a)
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.(Matthew 6:34)

I only got through part of the, ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and found 3 radical ideas that I and I believe many others find very hard to live out even today! If you ‘really’ think about it, how hard is it to pray for those who are persecuting you. Sure, in other parts of the world Christians are actually being tortured and killed for their faith yet this statement from Jesus does not change. It’s hard for us here in the USA to think of persecution in that way, but there are ways we are persecuted when we choose to share or live by our faith, that will bring us to a cross roads of either anger and resentment or forgiveness – How hard is this??? I have found that when I am able to forgive (with God’s precious grace), that it also gives me the ability to pray for that person -Only in HIM!!!

How many of us can say that we don’t worry about ‘nothin’? My guess is not one of us! Yet, Jesus tells us not to – Now how am I to do that? He tells us to bring ‘everything’ to Him with prayer, petition and with thanksgiving and His peace will guard our hearts and minds. So is this easy? Is this radical? especially in this world?

Posted by Darlene Aug 3, 11:28 AM

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father , but by me. John 14:6

There is no other way.

Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34-39

One must decide what to do with Jesus.There is no fence strattling.

This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:19-20

Loaded

Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. Luke 22:42

Wholly God and wholly man and giving up His will.

I am he that liveth,and was dead;and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation:1-18

The resurrection and the rightful judge.

Posted by Peggy Jastrzab Aug 3, 07:34 PM

1. Matt 26:11 “The poor will always be with you.” Jesus said this after challenged why the poor could not have been helped with the cost of perfume poored on His head. This passage does not show compassion to the poor. It sounds self serving.

2. Matt 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’….Then I will tell them ‘I never knew you…’”
I do not get any sense of “eternal security” from a passage like this. I also do not know how to reconcile this with “It is only by grace you are saved.” This sounds like works are involved also.

3. Not Jesus, but in His Word..Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” How is the death of a child, starvation anywhere, genocide, divorce among Christians, or family estrangement reconciled with this verse?

Posted by John Lethbridge Aug 3, 10:01 PM

“Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.” Luke 12:33

I don’t know if I’ve ever actually done this, i.e., sell something and give the proceeds to the poor. But even if Jesus does not intend for us to read this literally, but rather is using an example to teach a principle, that does not let us off the hook. In fact, I think it makes it even harder, because now we have to figure out when to say we have what we should have, and beyond this we will give to the needy.

Posted by Ed Marino Aug 4, 02:29 PM

Having already mentioned 3 previously hard sayings, this will be….

#4. Luke 11:9
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

As I read this verse, I see no conditions, no caveats upon this promise. Yet my experience is quite different. I am not talking about asking to pick a winning lottery ticket, or sinful things. I am talking about asking for what would seem to be in God’s will: healing of marriage or child, or salvation of someone. How can this be?

Posted by John Lethbridge Aug 8, 09:15 PM

@Bob, I just read an article on Jesus’ curse of the fig tree even though “it was not the season for figs” (Mark 11:13). Andree Seu in World magazine said that in Israel the fig tree produces “tiny edible proto-fruit in March before the real fig season arrives.” Jesus was probably looking for these early taqsh fruit, about the size of almonds. “If leaves appear but no taqsh, it is a sign that there will be no figs.” Jesus had just been walking through the temple in Jerusalem the day before (Mark 11:11). Maybe Jesus was not pleased, seeing how the worship of God had become “decadent affair, a gilded formality,” —nothing but leaves, no fruit. Maybe in cursing the fig tree, Jesus was teaching his disciples what happens to a church like that. Didn’t he say in Rev. 2:5 that he will take back His lampstand unless the church gets back to its first love? (World, Aug 14, 2010, pg.87)

Posted by Wendy Cummings Aug 17, 02:32 PM

Hi Stephen — I’m really enjoying this particular sermon series! I had a few questions related to yesterday’s sermon. Incidentally, this topic (getting whatever you pray for if only you have enough faith) came up in our small group, and I used the very same excerpt from Huck Finn in our discussion.

1. You cited CS Lewis, among others, that faith was a gift from God, and not something that we could produce on our own as a force of will. Why then does Jesus often chide his followers for their lack of faith, and wonder if any faith will be found when he returns? (Matt 14:31, Mark 4:40, Luke 18:8 as examples). Are you saying there are two types or levels of faith — one sufficient for salvation that we’re responsible for (though Paul argues that this faith is still a gift from God, which would seem to contradict Jesus in the passages cited) and one ‘jumbo’ faith that can move mountains?

2. You’ve alluded several times to the passage where many of Jesus’ followers left him after hearing his hard sayings. How do we reconcile Paul’s instruction not to be stumbling blocks with Jesus’ own actions?

Posted by Dale Gamble Aug 23, 08:44 AM