Menu

Jesus

Jesus is Our Sabbath

Chapel of SS Mary & Katherine - interior looking east

Jesus is our Sabbath, our Day of Rest.  He is the fulfillment of the Law. For he said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” Matthew 5:17 (ESV)  Therefore it says: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:30–31 (NIV)   Our righteousness and holiness are to be found in Jesus alone; and in his labors that fulfilled the law we can find our rest.  That is why it says of Jesus, “For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”  Hebrews 4:8–11 (ESV) In other words, if you want a true Sabbath rest, … Read more

Submission, Authority and Power

Baptism Stained glass window detail, Mountfield church

Authority and power come through submission to higher authorities, whether spiritual or natural.
Jesus submitted to John at Baptism. Why did he need to do so to “fulfill all righteousness”?
How are we to honor one another? What do biblical humility and submission look like?

The Color of the Church: God’s answer to CRT, Racism, DEI, & Woke Ideology

grayscale photo of people raising their hands

The Color of the Church: God’s answer to CRT, Racism, DEI, & Woke Ideology. The People of God come in all colors but make up one family. Watch the joy as we worship together!

God’s Sovereign Call

Paul on the Road to Damascus

Paul was called, Paul was chosen by the will of God. He was chosen against his will. He did not seek, ask, or desire. He was chosen by the Grace of God.
In fact, he was radically opposed to God and hated God. He fought God with all his might!

Occult Oppression and Bondage: How to Be Set Free

Prayer for delieverance from the occult

Involvement in the occult gives Satan a legal right to oppress and harass people and put them in bondage. This is a prayer for deliverance from occult bondage

What is Truth?

cutouts of letters

Understanding Western Culture’s world view, how it forms a stronghold and why it is difficult to talk to others about faith matters, when all the culture’s assumptions are materialistic.

Praise Him! (Anyhow)

Herod murders babies in Jerusalem, Pharoah orders the murder of all the male Hebrew children in Egypt. When God is about to send deliverers, Satan motivates worldly powers to destroy that generation. We are living in a time such as this when the shedding of innocent blood is considered a good thing, and corrupt rulers and perverted courts oppress the people. How should we respond? Praise God (Anyhow).

Being Made Righteous by God

Jesus died to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Through confession of sin and rebirth by the Holy Spirit, we are given the gift of unmerited favor and given the righteousness of God so that all our sins are washed away and in God’s eyes, it is as though we have never committed any sin. Jesus took the blame as if he had committed our sins and not us.

The Whole Gospel of Jesus Christ

joy from healing

For too long, we have preached a half gospel: the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of your soul, which has only to do with the spiritual. That is true enough, but Jesus also died to heal us of all our diseases and infirmities. His death on the cross was the atonement for our sins and broke the power of Satan over our souls and bodies

Being a Friend to God

Friendship is a covenant term

 Being a Friend to God

Gary has been preaching on Friendship.    The word friend in the OT and NT is a word that means a covenant relationship. 

2 Ch 20:7 Did you not, our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel, and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?
Jas 2:23  Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.
Isaiah 41:8 But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 

What is a covenant relationship?    

Marriage is a good example:  you join bank accounts. Your debts become both your debts, your assets also theirs. You live together, you protect each other, and hopefully you would die for each other. 

Covenant relationships mean that you share whatever you have if the other person has need of it. If you are good in publicity, but they are good in finance, your promote their business while they finance yours. You would never let your covenant partner starve while you have food. You would die before you let anyone harm them. 

Read more