Along the Way w/ Bro. Ryan

"The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!'  For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you...For as the lightning that flashes out of one part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven, so also the Son of Man will be in His day....as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man...Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot...I tell you, in that night there will be two people in one bed: one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.  Two men will be in the field: the one will be take and the other left."   - Luke 17 This life is so busy.  Its so easy to get caught up in the daily 'hustle and bustle' of living life.  We have appointments, jobs, meetings, events, families, friends, etc.  There's so much calling for a piece of our time and energy that at the end of a normal day, it seems...

Sanctification is a fancy-pants Bible word that means the process of making one holy.  Far too often, even though it's really been just a handful of times for me personally, I've heard fellow believers who claim that preaching sanctification and teaching that believers should be striving for holiness and living Godly lives is legalistic and not biblical.  The claim is that God is love, we are now under His mercy and grace (which all are true) and that since our sins are completely forgiven in Christ it doesn't really matter how we live or if we go to war with our old sinful desires because grace and mercy will abound and overcome in the End. Is this attitude biblical? The Apostle Paul gave the Ephesians some practical evidence in Eph. 4:25-32 to show if sanctification was taking place in their lives. Paul, led by the Spirit, writes things like, "put away lying" (v.25), "be angry and do not sin" (v.26), "let him who steals steal no longer...

"Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?'  But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.  Philip answered Him, 'Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little."   - John 6:6-7 This is the well-known gospel account of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (could have been around 20,000 total, counting women and children).  The story goes that the disciples find a boy with a lunch containing 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, hardly enough to feed that many thousands of people.  The miracle worked by Christ that day was the fourth "sign" displayed by Christ (of the "7 Signs" recorded in John's Gospel) proving His Deity (that Jesus was God; not just a good teacher or rabbi).  It's interesting to note that of all the signs recorded in the 4 Gospel accounts, Matthew, Mark, Luke...

"You've heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.'  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.  And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."   ( Matthew 5:27-30 ) To some, Jesus' teaching here can be puzzling.  Is Jesus seriously advocating self-mutilation?  What's the teaching here?  What's the underlying principle?  Simply put, the principle Jesus is teaching here is one that's far too often neglected or ignored by Christians - our sin and the snares to fall into those sins need to be taken with the utmost seriousness...

If you're a believer, chances are you've asked this question in some form or fashion multiple times during your life: "God, why do the 'bad people' seem to get away with stuff and prosper in life while the 'good people' get trampled on and can never seem to get ahead?"  The Israelites asked the same question of God, as is recorded in Malachi 3:13-15 : " You have spoken arrogantly against Me,” says the Lord . “Yet you ask, ‘What have we said against You?’ “You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What do we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly evildoers prosper, and even when they put God to the test, they get away with it.’” Notice God's opening remark about these questions: "You have spoken arrogantly against Me."   Despite the seemingly unfair circumstances, circumstances we all witness in life, the Israelites, their ...