Year: 2015

God’s Perfect Reflection

Dr. Mike Life in Christ ,
Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? John 14:9 ESV

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Do you want to know what God is like? Than study into the life of Jesus Christ. In theological terms it is called Christology. In faith terms, it is the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior (2 Peter 3:18).

In several places found in Scripture, Jesus mentioned that Father God and He are one. That if you know Jesus Christ, you will also know the Father. Either Jesus is making the claim from a position of fact or He is lying, or He is a crazy man. It is the same accusation people made about Him during his ministry. Our position is that Jesus Christ is the perfect human reflection of Father God.

So how would God act if He was you in your situation today?

When you study the life of Jesus Christ, you quickly learn how he communicated, encouraged, and taught the people around him. Like a great Rabbi, he modeled the life he wanted his disciples to practice. Unlike the religious leaders of his day, He walked the talk.

The Jewish leaders were great at sounding knowledgeable, dissociating themselves from the common people of the day, and desiring to serve others for their personal gain. Not Jesus.
He eagerly pursued His Father’s Will. He and His Father where united in spirit. How Jesus responded to the people’s needs was a reflection of how Father God would respond. Everything was done with His Father’s purpose in mind. He went where His Father was working.

He gave credit to His Father for the accomplishments and miracles. He called no one good but God. He knew the evil intent that was in man’s heart. But He also knew the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to lead, comfort, and counsel others for the sake of the Kingdom and others.

So if you want to know more about God, pickup that Bible and start reading the four gospel accounts of the Jesus’ story. But this time read it from the perspective that Father God was living life in and through Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ is the perfect reflection of our heavenly Father.

Again you may be pleasantly surprised to discover what and who Father God is truly like.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage your Friends…Share Today’s Message!

Savior

Dr. Mike Life in Christ
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” Philippians 3:20 ESV

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As we gear up for another political season to elect the next president of these United States, we are reminded as God’s children that we hold dual citizenship – citizens of God’s Kingdom and citizens of the United States. As citizens of the United States we have the privilege to add our vote for the candidate we strongly believe may best serve this country at this time. However, as citizens of God’s family Kingdom, we already have acknowledged our King and gladly serve him faithfully for His glory and for the sake of others.

Yet for many people who do not have an abiding relationship with King Jesus, they still seek a hero or savior to give them the life they desire. Whether the candidate is a democrat, republican, or an independent doesn’t really matter. What typically matters is electing a person who will give them what they believe is in their best interest. In other words, they seek someone to save them. A savior.

There a many people who claim they can save you. But can they?

Then there are people who state they don’t need a savior. That they have everything under control. That a savior is for those unfortunate weak people. It always amazes me when a person who has everything that they ever wanted suddenly finds themselves without. How they suddenly react in crisis mode realizing for the first time that they need help beyond themselves.

The other day a person I know made a statement that would shock some people. She is one of those persons who has lived a life doing all the things one must do to be healthy. She eats wholesome, natural foods. She exercises. She prays and practices daily devotionals. She has crossed her “T’s” and marked her “X’s” on every life test that came her way. If you had to grade her performance, she would receive an “A+.” Yet her health is failing her. Her list of ailments are enough for a dozen people to manage. It is not that she hasn’t done everything one must do to maintain her health, it is simply she inherited dysfunctional DNA from her generational tree. Her statement? “I do everything one possible can to maintain good health. Yet suffer. Others abuse themselves and live a long, prosperous life. It’s not fair.”

No, Life is not fair. Which is a reason we need a Savior. Life dumps unexpected crap on each one of us. Which is a reason we need a Savior. This life stops at the grave. Which is a reason we need a Savior. Without a Savior, we are all dead. We may be walking, talking, and breathing. But real, enjoyable life escapes us now and the afterlife becomes a crap shoot.

Saviors come in many different packages. The one I choose to hang my hat with is Jesus Christ. He alone has proven to me over and over again that He is my Savior and the Savior of the entire world. How about you?

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage your Friends…Share Today’s Message!

Evil

Dr. Mike Kingdom Paradigms ,

With the recent terrorist attacks in Paris, France, I did a short, old-fashion review from the Bible on the word evil. Rather than write something in my own words, today’s blog is simply a review of these Scriptures.

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“The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.” Proverbs 8:13 ESV

“Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.” Proverbs 28:5 ESV

“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy.” Proverbs 12:20 ESV

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20 ESV

“Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways.” Isaiah 59:7 ESV

“Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. Amos 5:15 ESV

“When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.” Jonah 3:10 ESV

“…do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.” Zechariah 8:17 ESV

“You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” Matthew 12:34-35 ESV

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” Matthew 15:19

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” Romans 12:21 ESV

“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Romans 12:9 ESV

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. 2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

“Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 ESV

“But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV

“The Lord will rescue me (Paul) from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever.” Amen. 2 Timothy 4:18 ESV

“Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” 3 John 1:11 ESV

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Executive Director & Founder
Marketplace Bible Institute
& Resource Center, Inc
Author of e-Books:
 *  Great Business Emulates a Good God
 *  Be Radical…Follow Christ!
 *  Simply The Messenger
 *  Unequally Married

Encourage your Friends…Share Today’s Message!