ECCE

            Years ago, a comedian named Flip Wilson used to make jokes about a certain kind of church. He called it "The Church of What's Happening Now." He would poke fun at the things that were not right in the church. It was funny because it was based upon true and recognizable weaknesses. What kind of church are we supposed to be? What kind of church do we choose to be - a supernatural church standing upon an immovable rock, or a church that swings in whatever direction the world is going?      Jesus described a church based upon the revelation of Him as the Messiah/Christ, the Son of God, which Peter received from heaven at the time. Jesus said to him: "And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church ( ekklesia - called out assembly); and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Mt. 16:18).       This is the first mention of "church" in the New Testament, which is th...

      The hype over the Super Bowl has come to a fever pitch.  The tickets to the Super Bowl are said to start at $6,ooo and go up to $10,000, and are expected to become even more expensive as the event draws near.  This Super Bowl is taking place in Las Vegas, or "Sin City", perhaps being a good reminder that the Church needs to repent even more than the heathens! (see 2 Chron. 7:14 ). The quarterbacks of both teams are Christians and say so publicly. As the event draws near, one pastor made the suggestion that believers use Super Bowl parties and get-togethers, not just to watch a sporting event, but as an opportunity to share the Gospel, calling them "Matthew Parties" instead. In considering "Matthew Parties", we should begin by looking in the Book of Matthew.      In the Book of Matthew Jesus told a parable about the kingdom of heaven being like ten virgins, five wise and five foolish, who had lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. In t...