Love, yes love, can be a window into heaven, but love can also be a door into hell. I have been through times when I felt guilty of not loving God and Christ enough, not praying enough, not reading the Bible enough, and not being more active in Church. And, I, myself, have been guilty … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #70 →

Love is a popular subject in the world and we use it mostly for our convenience. We love to hear that God and Christ love us, but how do we love God and Christ without their physical presence? In that sense, love takes on a completely different role. In addition of comforting and encouraging, love … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #69 →

The Zebedees were not the only ones with preconceived ideas what it meant to partner with the Spirit of Christ and with God. It was and it is still difficult to hack into a fixed mind, that has a set perception, based on an antiquated idea that through a man like Moses and David, God … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #68 →

It was not Mark’s style to overlook Jesus’ interest in Samaria because Samaria became a major mission outreach field for the Kingdom of God, after Pentecost and the first major persecution. Philip, one of the seven deacons, ended up in Samaria, and many Samaritans became followers of Jesus, including an Ethiopian official (Acts 8). Samaria, … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #67 →

To become a reality in the world, the Kingdom of God requires many people, who will partner with the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew from the start, that the one Jew, that He had chosen to sow the Gospel, would end up betraying Him, and that Judas’ people would coerce Pilate to crucify Him. Regarding the … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #66 →

Mark gave the followers of Christ a realistic view of Jesus' life and task. Jesus' life was in danger of being shut down from the very beginning. It was not just the loose tongue of the leper that hindered Jesus’ mission, but the Pharisees and Herodians were set on destroying Jesus (Mark 3:6). A larger … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #65 →

The Commandment to cease all labor on the Sabbath was not a commandment to heal, to starve, or even to fast. I lived among people to whom the Sabbath (Sunday) was very important; and therefore, no work, or any kind of pleasure was allowed. I was twelve when I joined some friends at pond for … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #64 →

The Hebrew Fathers had developed a comfort zone guarded by a merit system, known as “The tradition of the fathers.” The tradition of the fathers replaced the Law of Moses. And therefore, they made the Law of Moses fit into their merit system. Fasting was part of the merit gaining approval of God. The comfort … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #63 →

In the prayer for his disciples Jesus said this: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). Unfortunately, on earth, the rulers and the powerful become the will of God. In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, the Roman Caesar and his representatives acted in … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #62 →

In Samuel’s day, the leaders of Israel asked for a king to be like the other nations (I Samuel 8:5). The Herods were the first and the last to fit the Jews into the world. But, the Jews believed that God would fit the world into their tiny shoes (Zechariah 8:20-23). The hope that someday … Continue reading Partners with the Holy Spirit: Part #60 →