Tag: God’s providence
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Tobit-Burning Fish Liver Before Sex Keeps Demons Away
Tobit 8:1-3 Sarah’s parents bring Tobias to the bridal chambers where the two are expected to consecrate their marriage. There is still on outstanding issue, though. Sarah is haunted by the demon, Asmodeus. So, Tobias follows Raphael’s instructions by burning the fish liver with the other incense. The foul smell drives the demon away only…
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Didache- Reformed Doctrine 1,400 Years Before Luther or Calvin
Didache 3-4 In chapter 2, the author(s), either the apostles or the apostolic fathers, gives a practical list of first things. These first things were actions or restrictions that summarize the Law. We saw that they were a proper representation of the Law as we compared them to the Biblical account. They are meant to…
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Tobit- Will I Go To Hell If I Take My Own Life?
Tobit 3:7-15 The scene of Tobit shifts to another location, Ecbatana in Media rather than Nineveh, and the voice shifts from first to third person. Sarah, like Tobit, is depicted as being righteous. Even though she is righteous, Sarah endures the burdens of an unrighteous person. She, like Tobit, pleads with God on the basis…
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Tobit- Dharma (not karma) in the Bible?
Tobit 2:9-14 v. 9-10 As this fictional character, Tobit, explains his life, he describes washing himself and sleeping in his courtyard, outdoors. Droppings from sparrows fall into his eyes and, as a result, he is blinded for four years. Other Israelites, who were also in exile, had sympathy toward him. This is reminiscent of the…
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The Myth of the Super-Christian
Perhaps we have all seen it happen or we have experienced it ourselves. Some person is “super-Christian,” does all the right stuff, doesn’t cuss, doesn’t drink, doesn’t hang out with the wrong crowd, knows all of the Sunday School answers to all of the super spiritual questions, knows the content of the Bible, probably does…
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Doing Our Best Work In Our Golden Years
In the previous passage, Samuel prophesied, foretelling what the procedure of the king would be. Before this, Samuel’s ministry, which lasted until he was old (8:1), was routine. Samuel would travel the same circuit judging Israel (7:15-17). He had appointed his sons as judges because of his old age (8:1-2). Now, in his old age,…
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There Is Only One Reason Christians Don’t Worry, and Only One Reason They Do
In the previous section of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5), we saw that Jesus addressed six popular teachings that were contrary to the actual message of the Old Testament after committing verbally to remaining faithful to the Old Testament Scriptures. The major way in which the Old Testament was misused, according to Jesus’…
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The Worthless Person
Above all else, I think I fear worthlessness. I want my life to mean something in the grand scheme. I believe that worry is a sin and that we don’t accomplish anything by worrying, but if I am to be honest, I do sometimes worry that I might waste so much of my life away…
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Is It Okay To Make Vows To God?
Submit your questions using the contact page, on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. This question came up as we have been walking through Scripture together on Sunday mornings. We spent three Sundays preaching verse-by-verse through 1 Samuel 1. This is the story of God’s miraculous work in and through Hannah. While the main idea in the…
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Does God Really Answer Prayer? How? Why?
How many of you have ever experienced answered prayer? I have on several occasions. In my early teenage years, I had asthma and I remember my lower back constantly aching. Someone prayed for my asthma and back problems and I woke up the next day able to breathe and not aching and I haven’t had…