» faith http://blog.activeword.org Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:01:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Hearing or Listening? Sand or Rock? http://blog.activeword.org/hearing-or-listening-sand-or-rock/ http://blog.activeword.org/hearing-or-listening-sand-or-rock/#comments Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:34:24 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=1143 Two Christians: one decides to do armed robbery and the other tries to talk him out of it while being held up at gunpoint. What’s the difference between the two?
Click here to see the video of the armed robbery.

]]> http://blog.activeword.org/hearing-or-listening-sand-or-rock/feed/ 1 Truthful Faith http://blog.activeword.org/truthful-faith/ http://blog.activeword.org/truthful-faith/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:07:49 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=1136 There are many reasons why people turn to a faith in Jesus Christ. Are all those decisions really sincere and produce a changed life?

]]> http://blog.activeword.org/truthful-faith/feed/ 2 Israel Day 8 http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-8/ http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-8/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 20:43:28 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=1067 Day 8 included the Southern Steps, the Christian Quarter, Via Dolorosa, St. Anne’s Church & Pool of Bethesda

Teaching at the Southern Steps IMG_4988 Morning teaching on the steps. Worship Teaching on the Steps with the Jerusalem skyline in the background Teaching that its not a place that we worship, but Jesus himself! Leading the group in prayer before we start the day exploring the old city. At the very spot where doves were sold for an offering, a pure white dove watches over our service. Pastor Greg Laurie makes a surprise appearance. He begins a tour with his church this week also. The Via Dolorosa is the 14 stops along the way that Jesus took as he carried the cross. Olive wood nativity scenes next to menorahs of every size. The door and inscription at the 6th station of the cross. The inscription at the 6th station of the Via Dolorosa. Holy sights coexist directly next to grafitti filled alleys. Pilgrims re-enact the route that Jesus took as he carried the cross. In the Muslim Quarter you feel like you are on a movie set, but its real. A Muslim woman sells her crop. An ancient arch intersects one of the churches erected to commemerate one of the stations of the cross. The Pool of Bethsaida where Jesus healed. Like it says on the sign, this spot is the traditional birthplace of the mother of Jesus. ]]> http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-8/feed/ 0 Israel Day 7 http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-7/ http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-7/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 20:19:46 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=1047 Day 7 included Masada (where Herod had a personal palace), En Gedi (think David & Saul-1 Sam. 23:29), Dead Sea and Golgotha.

Herod's personal palace on Masada Herod's palace on Masada Teaching at En Gedi Teaching at En Gedi, where David cut off a piece of Sauls robe in a cave. The Dead Sea is in the background. At En Gedi above the Dead Sea Worship at En Gedi Worship at En Gedi The wilderness at En Gedi. The traditional spot of the the cave that David cut a piece of Sauls robe in a cave. The cave at Qumran where several of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Enjoying a Dead Sea float The possible hill that Jesus was crucified on The possible tomb used by Jesus, adjacent to Golgotha Inside the tomb where Jesus may have laid. ]]> http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-7/feed/ 0 Israel Day 6 http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-6/ http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-6/#comments Mon, 10 May 2010 15:37:55 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=1026 Day 6 included the Mount of Olives, Dominus Flevit, Palm Sunday Road, Garden of Gethsemane, & Yad Vashem

The view of the Dome of the Rock from the Mount of Olives. A beggar makes his way up the hill on the Palm Sunday road on the Mount of Olives. Teaching in the Garden of Gathsemene. Teaching in the Garden of Gathsemene. IMG_3878 These red poppy's in the Garden of Gathsemene represent the "sweat like great drops of blood" that Jesus left there on the night of his arrest. These steps were most likley used to take Jesus inside the house of Ciaphas to be judged and keep in the prison overnight. A Rabbi teaches a bible study at the tomb of David. The Western Wall or Wailing Wall. A Rabbi outside the entrance to the wall. Skylar Pearcy makes his first visit to the wall to leave a prayer on a tiny piece of paper, and pray with his Dad. IMG_4084 Inside the "men only" section of the Western Wall. Orthodox Jews meet to read the Torah. ]]> http://blog.activeword.org/israel-day-6/feed/ 2 Need Some Revival? http://blog.activeword.org/need-some-revival/ http://blog.activeword.org/need-some-revival/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 20:21:19 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=907 Ever felt stale in your Christian walk? Maybe you’re feeling stale right now. Here’s something that can help…

]]> http://blog.activeword.org/need-some-revival/feed/ 13 Freedom of Worship? http://blog.activeword.org/freedom-of-worship/ http://blog.activeword.org/freedom-of-worship/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:58:07 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=875 The US Air Force has given neo-pagans an official place of worship at its base in Colorado. Is this cause for concern?

]]> http://blog.activeword.org/freedom-of-worship/feed/ 2 The Unforgivable Sin http://blog.activeword.org/the-unforgivable-sin/ http://blog.activeword.org/the-unforgivable-sin/#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:17:24 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=843 Today’s blog is an answer to a question I received from a subscriber. It’s actually a question a get once or twice a year: How do you blaspheme the Holy Spirit?

They’re worried that they may have committed the “unforgivable sin”. Now, there is an unforgivable sin. It’s mentioned several times in the Gospels:

Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. -Matthew 12:32

Everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. -Luke 12:10

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin. -Mark 3:29

The way this “blaspheme the Holy Spirit” is phrased has led some people to believe that if they say this sentence they are eternally damned. What’s more, some atheists have picked up on this and created a real wacky website encouraging unbelievers to take “The Blasphemy Challenge” and say, “I deny the Holy Spirit” on video.

So, if someone says this is the code now broken? Is the person really eternally damned? Please, don’t think in such absurd terms. It just plays into that unbelieving foolishness. The reality is when you resist the Holy Spirit, continue to resist and give no place for God in your life, guess what, you have blasphemed the Holy Spirit and you will be eternally damned. It’s the same thing as you saying, “I do not believe. I do not want to believe. And I will never believe.” Well, keep that attitude and it becomes unforgivable. Why? Because you resisted the Holy Spirit of God. In resisting you blasphemed and in continuing to blaspheme it becomes the unforgivable sin.

So, you might wonder if you’ve ever done that. Well, if you have just undo it! If you think at some point in time you blasphemed the Holy Spirit understand this: For you to be worried about blaspheming the Holy Spirit tells me that the Holy Spirit is in you! And He’s causing you to be worried in such a way that you want to clear the confusion and erase the past by saying, “Holy Spirit, I yield to you today. And I pray, Lord God, you forgive me of all my past sins and anything I may have done before knowing You”. That’s all you need to do. God removes your sins and casts them as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t remember them anymore.

Now if you can’t do that then maybe you are resisting the Holy Spirit. But if you can then open your heart to Christ, say “Yes” to Him and you don’t have to worry about this whole blaspheme of the Holy Spirit thing. Choose to continue to walk with God, keep following after Him and you are eternally secure in the fact that your profession of faith has moved God’s heart and with that holy touch you are His forever. Amen?

]]> http://blog.activeword.org/the-unforgivable-sin/feed/ 9 What Kids Pray http://blog.activeword.org/what-kids-pray/ http://blog.activeword.org/what-kids-pray/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:28:25 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=791 How do you prepare your kids for the harsh realities of this world?

]]> http://blog.activeword.org/what-kids-pray/feed/ 3 A Hardened Heart http://blog.activeword.org/a-hardened-heart/ http://blog.activeword.org/a-hardened-heart/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:46:20 +0000 Pastor Bob http://blog.activeword.org/?p=783 Is it God’s desire for all people to be saved; to surrender their lives and not reject Him?

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