Posts by Norman

TEXT: ‘So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT). Today’s Teaching has studied the words: Faith, Precious and Submission. The last word in this series is “Suffering”. There are plenty of references to this subject in the Bible, not just those mentioned by Peter. Rather than try to cram everything into one teaching, we will look at this subject in two parts. Firstly, the suffering of Christ and secondly, the suffering of the Christian. 1. The Suffering of Christ A. This was prophesied by the Old Testament prophets – ‘This salvation was something the prophets did not fully understand. Though they wrote about it, they had many questions as to what it all could mean. They wondered what the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about, for he told them to write down the events which, since then, have happened to Christ: his suffering, and his great glory afterwards. And they wondered when and to whom all this would happen’ (1 Peter 1:10-11 TLB). One well-known prophetic Bible passage about the suffering of...

TEXT: ‘So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:17-18 NLT). The epistles Peter wrote don’t take long to read, but they are packed with truth and well worth meditating upon. Today’s Teaching highlights four words that will help us to avoid error and experience the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The first key word we studied was Faith, the second is “Precious”. It may be surprising that Peter, a rugged fisherman, used the word “Precious”, but it accurately described his relationship with Jesus. Peter was known for being impetuous, outspoken and even proud of what he had given up to follow Christ, but he never forgot he had been a sinful man, who continued to make mistakes, even denying he ever knew Jesus. Yet he was able to hold on to the promise of Jesus, ‘I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen your brothers’ (Luke 22:32 NLT). In the life of Peter, like the...

TEXT: ‘And you, O Bethlehem in the land of Judah, are not least among the ruling citiesof Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel’ (Matthew 2:6 NLT). It’s a shame when Christians let the least thing upset and trouble them, forgetting who they are and what they have in Christ. Jesus said worrying will not add anything to our lives but will more likely have the opposite effect. ‘Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?’ (Luke 12:25-26 NLT). Our text is about a fulfilled prophecy made hundreds of years earlier, that Bethlehem, although insignificant compared to other larger cities, would be important because out of it would come the Messiah. That which was called the least, became greater. There are several significant scriptures that contain the word “least” and these form the basis for Today’s Teaching. 1. Don’t let the enemy put you down – ‘How then will you repel one captain of the least of my master’s servants, and put your trust in Egypt for chariots and horsemen?’ (Isaiah 36:9). The enemy did not realise this insult...