It’s not a matter of if, but when. All true Christians will endure suffering for the sake of Christ Jesus, but the overwhelming love of God and His grace turns suffering into joy.
Author Archives: Dr. Victoria Isaac
Why Does God Allow Suffering?
Why does God allow suffering? It’s a question asked by many. A careful, biblically sound answer is crucial for faith in the face of suffering. Senior Pastor Dr. Stephen Isaac presents in-depth, biblical teaching on the concept and reality of human suffering.
The Christian’s Call to Holiness, cont.
“We have not chosen the wrong path – we have followed the more difficult one. We were chosen for it. It is no longer enough just to be on the right path – circumstances now dictate that we follow the path that leads to righteousness. It is difficult, it is costly, but it is the path. But remember, we were chosen for it. So chosen ones, with the Day of the Lord at hand, use all righteous means possible – be willing to pay any price necessary – to follow the revealed and Holy One – the Kyrios Iesous Christos.”
Core Four – The Call of God’s People to Be Holy
Highly relevant – a Christian’s morality must be defined by the Word of God, and derived from the character of God (Who God Is) as revealed in Scripture, and then ultimately as a way of life for those who find their meaning, purpose, and the way to love in the life and person of Jesus Christ. This is the biblical roadmap to what Peter is asserting to his listeners.
Fall Kickoff at Church in Peoria AZ
Join us on Sunday, August 25th at 10:30 AM! Fall Kickoff at the Reunion Church is an annual event at our non-denominational Christian church in Peoria AZ. We celebrate our students, student athletes, teachers, coaches, and families. Special guest speakers are invited to deliver words of challenge and encouragement to students, followed by a prayer of blessing over each student, teacher, coach, and student athlete as they embark on the new school year.
The Call To Holiness – Petros; Πέτρος, Week 6
Dr. Stephen Isaac continues teaching from the epistles of the Apostle Peter, focusing on the challenge to God’s people to be holy. In chapter 1:15, Peter asserts the second of four essentials: be holy in all your thoughts, in your words, and in your behavior and actions. He justifies his assertions of this command “to be holy” on the basis of his readers’ relationship with God – both as His children (1:17) and as believers (1:21). Peter is consistent with what he has been taught and in his understanding of the OT writings (1:10–12), as he directly quotes to his readers from the OT in the Book of Leviticus, regarding the instruction God previously had given His chosen people. He presses the point that the new birth given by God the Father (1:3) directly indicates a decisively altered way of life. This way of life is characterized by the new knowledge of God in and through Yeshua – Christ Jesus. Peter constructs a very concise (3-point premise) for God’s New Covenant expectations for this new and living way:
Be holy as the obedient children of God that you now are (1:14a)
Do not being conformed to your previous ignorant desires (1:14b);
Be holy in all your behavior not just some of it (1:15)
The Foreknowledge Of God – Petros; Πέτρος, Week 5
Many biblical worldview theologians advise that the sovereign foreknowledge of God destroys the biblical principles of human freedom (free will) and personal responsibility. So, they wrongly respond to their critics that God does not know future events either with certainty or to their completion.
Think about that for a moment – does that not sound like a God with limitations?
Unfortunately, in present-day, the theological arguments regarding the foreknowledge of God continue to deconstruct and digress only to become even more unreliable and sketchy. For example, some modern theologians and influencers have conceived of God as growing and developing along with nature and man (kind of like a Discovery Channel). That argument leads only one place – “man ascends to be more like God, and God descends to become more like man.” This ideology of man does not match the Word of God.
John 8:23-29
“Jesus said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins.” 25 So they said to Him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. 26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but He who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from Him.” 27 They did not understand that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said to them, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” ESV
The Foreknowledge of God – Petros; Πέτρος, Week 4
Dr. Stephen Isaac, Senior Pastor of the Reunion Church, continues the teaching on the foreknowledge of God. In this teaching, he continues emphasizing the importance of understanding God’s Word in context. The teaching also delves into the concept of God’s foreknowledge as depicted in the Bible, addressing theological and historical interpretations. The teaching further highlights the significance of seeking knowledge and wisdom in the understanding of Scripture, emphasizing the responsibility of individuals, especially those teaching the Word of God, to diligently study and comprehend the truth.
The Foreknowledge of God – Petros; Πέτρος, Week 3
Core Four – The Foreknowledge of God and the Plan of Redemption
Foreknowledge – Foreknowledge is understood variously as God’s eternal loving regard and saving purpose, or merely as His passive awareness of the future choices of free individuals. With reference to God and men it carries the simple significance of perceiving in advance.
Redemption – Redemption relates to deliverance from a circumstance or condition. Most often, this involves paying a price to “buy back” the person or thing that is being ransomed. In the New Testament, redemption is almost exclusively related to Jesus’ death on the cross. God redeems humanity at the cost of Jesus’ life, which is given freely, in order that humans might be delivered from spiritual slavery and death. Jesus told His disciples that His purpose for coming was to give His life as a ransom for the redemption of men.
What is Serving God
Scriptures about serving God reveal to us who we are supposed to be. Being must always precede doing. To become a son and a daughter of God – to be known as a man or woman of God, will never be solely about what we do, it will always be about who we are. That is the key to serving God and one another. You and I can never do enough to repay God for all He has done for us, and we will never be able to do enough to make others like, love, or to be happy with us. But make no mistake, we can absolutely become who He has called us to be in Christ Jesus.
Petros; Πέτρος, Week Two
Christ is not an accessory or merely the “add-ons” to our identity, as if one were choosing options for a new car. He transforms and has the power to take over one’s broken, wounded, and flawed identity so that everything else becomes supplemental or an accessory, which is precisely what “Jesus is Lord” means. There is an evident heavy dose of Christology (Christ-centeredness) in which both of the epistles support the point that “the life of Jesus and the life of the believer are inseparable. In Peter’s narrowed way of thinking, believing, and living, Jesus is everything not merely something.”