Genesis, Creation http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (By Rev. Ken Brown) At a wedding reception not long ago, I was seated next to a man I had not previously met. We exchanged the usual small talk. I learned that he was a retired eighth-grade science teacher. The conversation was pleasant enough until he learned that I am a Bible-believing Christian. Then he launched into an all-out assault. 'How can you possibly believe Genesis?' He went on and on about evolution, endeavoring to make a mockery of Gods Word. It takes hundreds of thousands of years for the light from such and such a star to reach the earth. How could God have created the universe only about six thousand years ago? He referred to the Bible as a practical joke.
Trust in the Lord | The Brown Bible http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) We as believers are always to trust absolutely in our wonderful heavenly Father. Any 'Bible-believing' Christian would acknowledge this in a heartbeat. In practice, however, who or what we REALLY trust in can be so subtle that even the most sincere among us might at times be outside of where we want to be.
Truth versus Tradition http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) It isn't that all traditions are wrong; but they should never be held up as equal to or above the authority of the Scriptures. Let's hold only to those traditions that do not contradict God's written Word, and not try to spiritualize traditions that are innocent as long as we do not make a doctrine of them, falsely ascribing spiritual associations with them.
What is the Point of Parables in the Gospels? http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) The parables of the Gospels are interesting from a number of perspectives. Many people have lauded the brilliance of the parables in so clearly and convincingly communicating Jesus' message in a way easily related to by the masses. I have no doubt that Jesus used parables at times to communicate clearly, though the only recorded time he was ever asked about his purpose for using parables, his response was quite different.
Romans on Righteousness (Part Three) http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) If you have accepted Jesus Christ as lord and believed God raised him from the dead, you are righteous and you have peace with God. This is a big deal. So many believers do not understand their relationship with their heavenly Father. They think they are likely on the outs with Him due to some whatever and need to do SOMETHING (though they are usually not sure exactly what) to make peace with God. There is NOTHING any of us can do to make peace with God. For one thing, we already are at peace with Him. For another, none of our works could ever be good enough anyway. It is not what we do to be at peace with God; it is what Jesus Christ did that brings peace.
How Big Is Your God? http://brownbible.com/other-topics/how-big-is... (by Jane Harvester) Are you limiting Gods might by mere circumstances? I invite you to open your mind enough to let the Creator of the Universe help you out of your troubles.
One of my favorite records of deliverance is in the book of Daniel. He was a Godly man who was recognized for his wisdom and placed as one of the main heads of the kingdom he was in. He so distinguished himself that the king sought to put him in charge of the whole of the kingdom. However, his coworkers were not happy at this idea and tried to find fault in him to make charges against him, but were unsuccessful. The plot thickens...
Romans on Righteousness (Part Two) | The Brown Bible http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin? I should say so!! Now THAT would be quite the deal to get in on would it not? Who is it that gets to have this amazing grace?
In Part One, we investigated the first three chapters of Romans and saw the introduction of the truth that righteousness comes by faith (pistis, belief: in this case, the correct belief regarding Jesus Christ) not by the Old Testament law. Chapter four gives Abraham as the precedent for righteousness coming by faith without the law.
Romans on Righteousness (Part Two) | The Brown Bible http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin? I should say so!! Now THAT would be quite the deal to get in on would it not? Who is it that gets to have this amazing grace?
In Part One, we investigated the first three chapters of Romans and saw the introduction of the truth that righteousness comes by faith (pistis, belief: in this case, the correct belief regarding Jesus Christ) not by the Old Testament law. Chapter four gives Abraham as the precedent for righteousness coming by faith without the law.
Romans on Righteousness (Part One) | The Brown Bible http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) Righteousness basically means rightness. The earliest English versions of the Bible used the word, rightwiseness. When Romans speaks of ones righteousness, or rightness, it refers to ones rightness before God. It is the condition of being before God as one ought to be. This is not a side note when it comes to right believing. What constitutes being right before God, and why, is as fundamental as it gets.
Mohammed and the Mountain | The Brown Bible http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (by Ken Brown) My father was on a construction project endeavoring to position a very large piece of equipment close to where it would be most efficiently used. Significant effort was to no avail. Finally, my father told his co-worker they were just going to have to leave the equipment where it was and walk back and forth to it from their project to use it. He then said, If the mountain won t come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must come to the mountain. His co-worker was immediately offended and scolded back, Don t quote the Bible to me! ...I ll bet there are other lines you have heard incorrectly attributed to the Bible. I d love to hear your stories. Your comments on this will be interesting and informative. Or maybe you have questions. Does such and such come from the Bible? We would love to hear from you too.
The Unity of the Spirit http://brownbible.com/rev-ken-brown-articles/... (By Ken Brown) What brings people together? Family relationships can be a cause even when there are no shared experiences. Two brothers raised separately might still feel an affinity toward one another for no other reason than that they are brothers. Common ideologies bring people together as do common goals. Neighborhoods form in which residents share a common cultural background. Seniors congregate at the senior center and bond together. Their age, and the challenges that go with it, giving them common ground. Shared experiences tend to bring people together, especially when those experiences are dramatic and/or unusual. There are many other things that bring people together, but there is one element that is the bottom line for each of these things: something shared.In God’s Word, we believers are directed to keep, or guard, the unity of the spirit. The key to maintaining the unity of the spirit is not to endeavor to become more like one another. It is to continually recognize that our differences are relatively insignificant compared to what we share.
