Spiritual Ponderings

When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions , having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them , having triumphed over them through Him. (Colossians 2:13-15) Mighty warrior. What sorts of ideas come to mind whenever we hear this term? What comes to our mind will be a strong indicator of, or will at least provide some important clues as to what our real opinions are about what kind of God is in charge, or at least who we want to be in charge. A warrior is normally considered a person who not only has gone through extensive training and discipline to learn all sorts of military and maybe martial arts skills, but is usually a person who also i...

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." (John 2:13-17) This cleansing occurred at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. But carefully note what He said during this event in contrast to the next similar cleansing of the temple just before He died. And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those...