Our Creator has designed us so that we are always under the influence of faith. The poison that has affected all of humanity in a way that twists our use of faith includes having the knowledge that there is good and evil (Genesis 3:22-24). The knowledge from the tree of death did not include knowing good from evil, just the surprise that they exist. What we believe of consequences or […]
Author Archive: Douglas Thomas
Feeding Myself and Others
Now the end of all things is near; therefore, be clear-headed and disciplined for prayer. Above all, keep your love for one another at full strength, since love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Based on the gift they have received, everyone should use it to serve others, as good managers of the varied grace of God. If anyone speaks, his speech should be […]
Leaven of Pharisees
Jesus warned His disciples to beware of teachings from Pharisees that He called “leaven,” (Matthew 16:5-12). Leaven is yeast, or some similar agent of fermentation, like malt. It creates gas. In Matthew 13:52, He told them that someone who had knowledge of Scripture and gained knowledge of the Kingdom was like a landowner (prestigious and wealthy) who could bring things of value that were both old and new from his […]
Helping Orphans
From one end of Scripture to the other, Yahweh instructs His people to take care of the widows, the fatherless, and strangers. A situation when you may be able to help an orphan is when a person becomes a new believer. If you know someone who gets saved, and you don’t see that someone is taking them into relationships that amount to family connections, help them find someone who will […]
The Tares are not in the Church
He presented another parable to them: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while people were sleeping, his enemy came, sowed weeds among the wheat, and left. When the plants sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared. The landowner’s slaves came to him and said, ‘Master, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where did […]
Money or Power
I have been directly involved in the process of creating budgets for both ministries of congregations and for entire congregations. The process helps leaders plan for doing work in the future by, as Jesus advised, being sure that if they want to build a tower that they have sufficient resources to finish it. How much more important it is to examine how much power we have to do work, though! […]
Peace Through the Blood
He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation; because by Him everything was created, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been […]
Do Your Part
Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:11-16 that it is when each part of the body is doing its part that the body grows and builds itself up in love. I have seen many people become annoyed at having to serve the rest of the body and unbelievers with the work that their gifts produce. Examples are a teacher, because of the drive in her/his heart to learn, and the ease with […]
Don’t be Surprised
Moving on from there, He entered their synagogue. There He saw a man who had a paralyzed hand. And in order to accuse Him they asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” But He said to them, “What man among you, if he had a sheep that fell into a pit on the Sabbath, wouldn’t take hold of it and lift it out? A man is worth […]
You Will Do
At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure. All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the […]