Christianity is a Community Project

The lesson of Peter’s self-confidence brings in many warnings. Yet, it also gives the comfort of God’s sovereignty. I was reading through John Piper’s devotional and found another topic to write about for this Holy Week. This time, it’s about God strengthening Christians through other Christians. The text is taken from Luke 22:31-32 which Jesus gave Peter a warning. The warning was that Satan demanded Peter. God gave Satan permission to sift Peter like wheat. Jesus was praying for Peter. The assurance was that “When you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

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The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Another parable to mention this Holy Week would be the wedding feast. It would be very important to talk about what Jesus did before He fulfilled God’s will of dying by crucifixion. The wedding feast is found in Matthew 22:1-14. The story would talk about a certain king who set a feast for his son. The king represents God the Father. Servants were sent forth to invite others into the feast. In Revelation, we have the wedding supper of the Lamb to which believers make up the true Bride. The king has slaughtered oxen and fat calves, all getting ready for a huge banquet.

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The Parable of Two Sons

In continuing the Holy Week Bible study, another worthy subject to check before Maundy Thursday is the parable of two sons. Jesus was being examined by the skeptics. Jesus was getting proven to be the sinless and eternal Son of God. Rereading The Gospel According to Jesus by Dr. John F. MacArthur, another chapter is call about “The Call to Repentance”. MacArthur gives a lecture on Matthew 21:28-31 to illustrate a profession of faith without repentance.

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Understanding Why Jesus Cursed the Fig Tree

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After Palm Sunday, it’s very easy to overlook the first three days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) when the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God, was also examined up to Thursday. Jesus entered Jerusalem which would prove that He was indeed sent by God the Father. The name Jesus is the Greek for Joshua, meaning Yahweh or Jehovah saves. The account is taken from Matthew 21:18-22 and Mark 11:12-14. In Mark 12, we see what may be more to writing in a topical manner. We have Matthew talking about the temple’s cleansing before the fig tree. Later, we have Mark talking about the fig tree first before the cleansing of the temple.

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The Significance of Jesus’ Entry on a Donkey

Today is Palm Sunday and it’s time for another Palm Sunday reflection. Palm Sunday can display the fickleness of people. On Sunday, they shouted, “Hosanna in the Highest!” A few days later, a lot of people were screaming, “Crucify Him!” I would like to focus on the symbol of the donkey. The people were already expecting an earthly savior from the corrupt Roman empire. The triumphal entry can be read in Matthew 21:1–11, Mark 11:1–11, Luke 19:28–44, and John 12:12–19. As Palm Sunday begins, it’s time for another Holy Week reflection.

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The Christian Liberty to Enjoy Jewish Meals

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Acts 10 would tell us that God had already abolished the Old Testament dietary law. Peter himself was shocked at the new command when he saw a vision of unclean animals. It should be common knowledge, by now, that the Jews abstained from several foods. It’s pretty much common knowledge that pork meat was abstained by the Jews. For a full list, read Leviticus 11 for the whole entry. I read through a commentary that there were health reasons for avoiding food like pork. It was very unideal to eat pork in a desert environment. Apparently, during the time of the Acts of the Apostles, I could assume that people found safer ways to prepare pork unlike in the time of the Old Testament.

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Is One’s Best Defense for KJV-Onlyism, Chick Publications?

It’s very easy to be fooled by conspiracy theories, right? I remembered the time I first read the NIV and then got into the KJV-Only movement. I remembered watching Pastor Danny Bornales of Anabaptist preaching on his no-longer continued TV program, Sword of Christ. I don’t deny that the program has won over people, me included. However, Bornales has shown signs of being like Steven Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church. If I’m not wrong, Bornales tried to defy a direct order last 2020 by holding a worship service when it’s not medically advisable. The guy was also the reason why I got into the KJV Only movement. Bornales would compare translations and pointing out the differences in the translation. At that time, I had no idea certain verses in later translations weren’t in older manuscripts or are in doubt. Later, I soon got into Chick Publications which also helped feed my KJV Only movement. I was once told to stop reading the Alberto comics. I still did anyway and felt that, based on how the comics unfolded, anything negative said against the late Alberto R. Rivera, was just Jesuit propaganda. In reality, Rivera was nothing more than a fraud and the comic book series is never advisable in witnessing to Catholics at all!

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