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The Sin That Cannot Be Forgiven

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What Did Jesus Really Mean? Few passages in the Bible have caused as much fear and confusion as Jesus' words about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, in Mark 5 . Many sincere Christians have wondered if they committed this sin years ago without realizing it. Some remember saying something foolish before they were saved. Others think back to a time when they doubted God or questioned the Bible. Still others have heard preachers speak about the "unpardonable sin" in such frightening ways that they have spent years wondering if there is any hope left for them. Yet when we carefully read what Jesus actually said, and especially why He said it, we discover that many of these fears come from misunderstanding the passage rather than from understanding it. Whenever we come to a difficult passage in Scripture, we should remember that the Bible interprets itself. First , we look at the definition of the words being used. Second , we examine the context by reading the verses bef...

Fire That Was Not Asked For

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  In Leviticus 10:1 , the story begins with something that feels sudden and almost confusing.  It says, “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. ” These two men were not strangers to God’s work.  They were priests.  That means they grew up around worship, sacrifices, and the instructions God had given through Moses.  They were trained.  They were familiar.  They were close to the system.  And that is part of what makes this story so serious.  It is not about people who did not know better.  It is about people who did know the instructions, but still chose to do something different. The phrase “ strange fire ” is the Hebrew אֵשׁ זָרָה (’ēsh zārāh).  The word זָר (zar) is very important here.  It means something foreign, something that does not belong, something that is outside ...

Who Is Teaching Your Children

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  And Exactly What Are They Teaching Them? There is something that slips into homes without making a sound. It does not announce itself. It does not look dangerous at first. It simply settles in through everyday living until it becomes a pattern nobody questions. It is the habit of assuming. Parents begin to assume their children are being taught what they need to know simply because life is moving forward. The child is getting older, going to school, attending activities, sitting under some form of instruction, and so it feels like everything important must be covered somewhere along the way. But assumption is not teaching. Assumption is not training. Assumption is not formation. It is simply the idea that something is happening without making sure it actually is. There is an old saying people repeat, usually with a bit of humor, but it carries a warning that is far more serious than the way it sounds. Never assume, because when you assume, you make an “ass” out of “u” and “me....

When Heaven Goes Quiet

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Silence in the life of faith is one of those things that feels like a blank page, but in Scripture it rarely behaves like a blank page at all.  It behaves more like soil that has been turned over.  On the surface, nothing is visible yet.  No growth, no movement, no answer you can point to.  But underneath, something is being rearranged, softened, and prepared for what could not grow before.  The Bible keeps showing that God is not only present in the loud moments of revelation, but also deeply active in the quiet stretches where people are left waiting without explanation. One of the clearest stories of this is Elijah.  In 1 Kings 18 , he stands on Mount Carmel in a dramatic confrontation with the prophets of Baal.  Fire falls from heaven, the people shout that the LORD is God, and it looks like everything is about to shift nationally and spiritually.  But almost immediately after that high moment, everything collapses emotionally for Elijah....

Choosing God's Way - Resisting Sexual Temptation

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  A Young Person's Guide to Resisting Sexual Temptation and Walking in Purity   Every generation has faced sexual pressure in one form or another.  The settings change, the language changes, and the tools around it change, but the struggle itself is not new.  What is different today is how constant and immediate the pressure has become, especially through technology and the way messages now reach young people almost instantly and repeatedly. Everywhere they turn, they are surrounded by messages that tell them sex before marriage is normal, harmless, and even necessary.  Television shows promote it. Movies celebrate it.  Music glorifies it.   Social media constantly pushes images and ideas that encourage young people to follow their feelings rather than follow God.   Because these messages are repeated so often, many teenagers begin to think that God's standards are outdated or impossible to follow.  Yet the truth is that God's Word...