Shepherd's Lighthouse Church

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.”  Jer 31:3

Through the ages there have been a small number of special individuals who believed that they had discovered the methods or techniques by which man may realize his full spiritual or human potential.

Some have produced large enough communities of faith to be classified as world religions. 

At present the major ones are Islam, Judaism, Hind...

It is said that he who lives in the past denies himself a future ……

Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.   And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."  John 8:31-32

“And the truth shall make you free!”  -  What truth was Jesus talking about?

Psalm 119:142, speaking of God, declares, “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.”

God’s Law – His Ten Commandm...

There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches.   Prov 13:7 

The dictionary defines a paradox as:

par·a·dox. 1. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true. (against opinion)

The Word of God is not lacking for these marvellous conundrums (puzzles).

Some of the more familiar ones are:

Matthew 19:30 "But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

Matthew 23:12 "And whoever exalts himself will be ...

Open your Bibles to Luke 12:15-21

And He said to them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.  Then He spoke a parable to them, saying:

"The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?'  So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build  greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And...

Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; Genesis 1:14 

And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. Daniel 2:21

The history of the world is a record of human events from Adam up to the present.

To the secular mind history is only the story of a humanity striv...

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling … Phil 2:12

This passage of scripture has been a source of confusion and debate among theologians for a very long time.

Why?

Because at the heart of the matter are two basic and important questions:-

1. Is salvation given by God or won by human effort? 

2. Can salvation be lost? 

The first question is answered definitively ...

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, My soul shall be joyful in my God;

For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.  Isaiah 61:10

In Gen 2:7 we learn that man was formed from dust (yatsar: fashioned) by a “creator” for His own pleasure. 

And Proverbs 16:4 tells us that God made all things for Himself.

Eph 2:10 says that we ...

Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Man is in a battle for his soul and without Jesus the battle would be lost.

The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."   Psalm 14:1

Simulation theory .....

There are those who insist that the only sense in the universe is what man gives it.

The inevitable o...

Matthew 5:13  "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and  trampled underfoot by men.

Behavior follows belief.

Throughout the Bible, God has described Himself in terms of virtues that all people are drawn to – Almighty, Merciful, Patient, Faithful, Truthful, Good, Trustworthy. 

Together, these attributes add up to Holiness.

And because He is a Holy God, He is a “blessing...

Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"  And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn [pentheo] as long as the bridegroom is with them?  But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse.  Nor do they put new wine int...