ReDiscovering God

In Matthew 23 Jesus exposes these church leaders for who they really are by using some very harsh words, calling them hypocrites, blind guides, whitewashed tombs, snakes, and sons of vipers. However, it is essential that we understand the tone of Jesus voice. As he concludes he reveals his heart. He is like a mother hen wanting to save her chicks from the coming destruction. He is calling out to the church leaders to change their ways so a great destruction can be avoided. But not they took no heed to His warning and history tells us that within 40 years Rome came and destroyed the city and the temple and many, many people.This pdf can be found at www.rediscovderinggod.ca#Ian Hartley#Warren Kay#Sascha Steenbergen#ReDiscovering God

In this 22nd Chapter of Matthew the Pharisees try to corner Jesus regarding taxes, the Resurrection and then the Commandments. It was a challenge for Jesus to always be on the lookout for the traps they would set for Him. Jesus was quick with His responses that left them with nothing to say. Yet He wants us to follow his example of loving as he loved is more important than being quick witted. The pdf for this episode is at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In this episode of ReDiscovering God Matthew includes the story Jesus told of the Wedding Banquet. Jesus is clear that everyone is invited to the wedding banquet and in the end only those who didn't really want to be there were not there. It seems evident that the man who was there without the wedding garment was perhaps feeling as he looked around at the people who were in attendance were nor his kind of people and so insisted on not wearing the wedding garment that was provided. Check out the pdf document at www.rediscoveringgod.ca#Ian Hartley#Warren Kay#Sascha Steenbergen#Rediscoveringgod

In the second half of Matthew 21 the authority of Jesus is challenged by the religious people who fled from the temple when Jesus arrived and sent everyone out that had made it a market rather than house of prayer. Jesus then tells the story of the two sons who the father asked to work in the vineyard. Jesus is illustrating the first shall be last and the last first yet again. The tax collectors and prostitutes who were the last in the religious people's minds were actually going to be the first into the kingdom of Heaven. The religious leaders were the last in Jesus eyes. The chapter concludes with the story of the parable the Evil Farmers with which Jesus draws them in to actually condemning themselves without realizing it util it was too late. The pdf can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

Jesus now enters Jerusalem riding on a donkey. The contrast is significant of the Roman Kings that ride in on a war horse and now the Messiah - King of the Jews comes riding on a donkey, his feet no doubt almost dragging in the dust. Everyone flocks out to see and welcome Him into the city. They expect him to set up an earthly kingdom and conquer the Romans. But he instead goes to the temple and drives out the animals and their sellers that had turned it from a place of prayer into a market. Those who question the nonviolence of Jesus point to this story and the fig tree as examples of his violence. However it is his authority not his violence that caused the people to flee. We also address the diagnosis of the fig tree which reveals his disappointment in the nation of Israel that were found to be barren of the fruit that God wanted it to bare. The pdf is at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

The Parable of the Vineyard workers is an amazing example of the lavish unfairness of God. In this parable Jesus includes the Gentiles which was unthinkable for the Jews. This story takes on increased importance when we remember it is following what Jesus taught in chapter 19 regarding Peter's question, "What will we get, we have left everything?" This story is about rewards rather than the Gift of Eternal life. Jesus again predicts his death. But they still don't get it as James and John's mother comes with her request. Jesus then heals two men who are blind and they follow him. The pdf is a www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In an attempt to trap Jesus the Pharisees ask Him a question about divorce. Jesus responds and tells them that divorce was never part of God's plan but only allowed because of the hardness of their hearts. God seems to specialize in concessions because there are many times He works with us where were are instead of insisting we conform to the high goal He has for us. We note that the situation for divorce back then was much different than it is today. Jesus blesses the children and confronts a rich man with the hard reality that it is not easy for the rich to enter the kingdom. The pdf is located at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

The story of the Unforgiving Debtor has been misunderstood by many forever. Floyd joins us and expands our understanding of this passage that Jesus told and at the same time the teaching Jesus made regarding forgiveness. Don' t miss this amazing discovery as we Rediscover this Awesome God!

We begin this chapter with a discussion as to who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus brings in a child and tells them they must become as little children. Then the importance of a person that has wondered away is illustrated by the story of the lost sheep who Jesus searches for while the flock is left in the open fields. He is making the point that He will risk the safety of the flock to search for the lost. Then the process for building community and dealing with disputes that could disrupt that community are presented. The chapter concludes with a parable that emphasizes the importance of forgiveness. The pdf for this episode can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In chapter 17 Jesus follows his declaration of six days earlier when he told them of his impending death, with this trip up the mountain to meet with God. Three disciples are accompanying him as he is suddenly transformed with God's presence. The disciples see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah and Peter exclaims his willingness to build three shelters for them. In doing so he reveals his idea they are on par with each other as to importance. Then the voice of God is heard declaring that Jesus is His son and they should listen to him. Implied in that statement is the realization that Jesus is to be held with greater importance than Moses, who brought the law and Elijah, one of the prophets. Join us as we continue on this journey of listening to Jesus. The pdf is at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

Jesus predicts that He would die and be raised again but the disciples just could not understand such a concept. They knew the Messiah would live forever. The Bible told them so. As a result they were not prepared for what Jesus was telling them would happen. No one expected Jesus to die and once He die no one expected He would be raised again. Peter even protested the idea and Jesus called him an agent of Satan. This was the ultimate temptation for Jesus - that He would not need to die to reveal the full extent of God's love for us and enable us to believe that we are included in His Kingdom. The pdf for this episode is at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In Chapter 16 Jesus intentionally takes the disciples to Caesarea Philippi where he asks then the important question: Who do you say that I am? Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit declares that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus declares that He will give the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. We take a close look at what that actually means. The pdf for this episode is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

Jesus addresses bad traditions that the Jews were very careful about following and then proceeds to give a case study in how to show mercy at the expense of tradition by travelling between 30 and 50 miles to the region of Tyre and Sidon where he is met by a woman with a request to heal her daughter who is possessed by a demon. Jesus leads her along to demonstrate to the disciples their thinking. The woman sees through the game and persists to plead her case and finally Jesus heals her daughter and sends her on her way. Again Matthew includes the statement (one of ten such statements) where Jesus heals all who came to him. Then he includes the feeding of 4000 who were no doubt gentiles. Again breaking from tradition to give mercy to people in need. The pdf for this episode is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In response to Jesus' teachings, the people of Nazareth question where He gets His power to do miracles and because they know His family and where He is from they refuse to believe in Him. Then John is beheaded and Jesus retreats to find some time alone, only to be followed by a crowd of people. He heals their sick and eventually at the end of the day He feeds some 15 to 20 thousand people. They are ready to make Him king but He sends them home and spends some time alone. The disciples are in a boat on the sea of Galilee and a storm threatens their lives so Jesus comes walking on the water to save them. Peter in his exuberance calls for Jesus to have him come to meet Him on the water. Peter begins but seeing the waves begins to sink and drown. Jesus hears his cry for help and grabs him and they safely climb into the boat. The wind stops and they exclaim "You really are the Son of God!" The pdf for this episode is located at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In Chapter 13 Matthew includes 7 parables of the Kingdom to give us insights into what Jesus' kingdom is like, how it is spread and the tremendous value of the kingdom. It is so great we would sell everything we have to obtain it. We discover the importance of staying curious about new ideas that we hear that at first may seem heretical but upon further understanding and reflection may be good seed that the Spirit is sowing in our heart. Beware of the enemy that would steal away what God is planting in your life. The pdf can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

Jesus is asked for a sign and He refers to the life of Jonah as a sign of his authority. As we unpack this idea we realize how fitting the life of Jonah is for the life of Jesus. Jonah takes responsibility for the sailors and offers his life for their salvation. But the fish that had swallowed him can't keep him in and throws him up on land after three days. Likewise Jesus takes responsibility for mankind and offers his life for their salvation and he is offered up to the Romans who kill him. But the tomb can't keep him and symbolically vomits him out after three days and His life continues. The pdf for this podcast is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

Matthew describes Jesus as being above the regulations about the Sabbath as he defends his disciples against the criticisms of the Pharisees. Then Jesus heals on the Sabbath revealing the heart of the pharisees who had placed the care of animals over that of people. After Jesus healed and cast a demon out of a man the people exclaim he must be the messiah. Jesus had just performed one of the four miracles that were signs of the coming Messiah. To which the Pharisees commit the sin against the Holy Spirit by attributing the work of God to the work of Satan. See the pdf document at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In Matthew 11 John sends some disciples to Jesus bringing a message from prison. Are you the One or should we keep looking for someone else? No doubt John is questioning why Jesus has not delivered him from the grasp of the Romans. Jesus declares that John is the greatest of the Prophets and assures him that the Gospel is being preached to the poor and sited many miracles that would assure John that he is the One. The pdf for this episode can found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In this episode on Matthew 10 Jesus responds the statement at the end of chapter 9 praying for God to send to more labourers into the field by sending out the 12 disciples to do what he had been doing. Teaching and healing. We talked a close look at the instructions Jesus gave the disciples. In the middle of this chapter is a verse that is possible the most misunderstood verse in the Bible. We shed light on the passage so that you need no longer be led to be afraid of God as the one who can destroy your body and soul in hell. What a relief to discover that is not referring to God. The pdf of for this episode is at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In this episode we conclude the last five of the ten miracles that Matthew incudes to indicate that Jesus is the New Moses. Moses came with ten plagues and now Jesus is the New Moses with ten miracles that validate his ministry as the Messiah who delivers his people from the grasp of the enemy. As we conclude the episode we review the many times Matthew includes the statement that Jesus on multiple occasions healed everyone that was brought him. What a powerful indication that God had come to rescue his people, all people from the enemy. The pdf document is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

As Moses gains credibility by the ten plagues, Jesus is now validated as the Messiah with ten miracles that Matthew includes immediately following the Sermon on the Mount. He seems to be refuting the communally held belief that to be eligible for the Kingdom you needed to the a Jew, a Man, kept ceremonially clean and would be healthy and wealthy. Jesus now intentionally includes people in the kingdom by performing these miracles to indicate they were also part of the kingdom. The pdf of this podcast is found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

We conclude the Sermon on the Mount in this podcast and look at the Solid Foundation upon which to build our lives. That Solid Rock is Jesus and what he has just taught in the previous chapters of Matthew 5 to 7. We conclude with a look Peter's declaration about Jesus and the risk of rejecting the Rock - the chief cornerstone. Jesus was God sent to this world to teach us about God and what he is like. We would do well to pay close attention to this major teaching Jesus gave. He said it best. To ignore it is like building your house on the sand. The pdf for this Rediscovering God podcast is found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

Today's episode is on being a true disciple. We delve into what it means to actually have a relationship with someone and ultimately with God. Ian shares four facets of a relationship that make it very practical and easy to know it you actually have a relationship or not. Jesus states it is essential to do more than just good things but to be in relationship with him. The pdf document is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In this episode of ReDiscovering God we talk about four more of Jesus's Wisdom sayings in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7. We begin with Prayer and shed light on a verse that is often misapplied with the idea that if we pray and keep asking, seeking and knocking God will answer. When that doesn't happen people often get discouraged and give up on prayer and God. The Golden Rule is the teaching of Jesus that sums up the intent of the law and the prophets. There would be no violence if this teaching was practiced by everyone. This is what it means to be in His Kingdom. We reveal what Jesus meant when he said that the gate is narrow that leads to life. In conclusion we discuss the result of teachings that bring good or negative fruit in the life of those who practise them.

We now move to Chapter 7 in Matthew and the eight wisdom sayings of Jesus. The first being the warning not to judge. This can mean to evaluate or to condemn. The context determines which translation should be applied. For this one it would be not ti condemn. The second wisdom saying applies to not throwing our pearls to pigs. It is important to understand who you are talking to and be sure the teaching is not wasted. Jesus is the pearl of great price and we hope to share him with people when they can appreciate who he is. The pdf is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

Today we talk about the passages in the New Testament that teach about prayer and fasting and discovered the idea of fasting was not included in the older manuscripts but was no doubt included by a scribe later. Money and possessions are the next subject Jesus addresses and then concluded with a teaching not to worry. His teachings were very practical and designed to help us live a more fulfilling life. This concludes the 6th chapter of Matthew. The final chapter includes eight more wisdom sayings of Jesus. The pdf for this episode can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

As we continue in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talks about generosity and then prayer. It is very fascinating that in his prayer to the Father he prays for the Father and what is no doubt heavy on the Father's heart. The second half of the prayer when the pronoun "you" is added it becomes a prayer of gratitude for what God is doing for us. This is a very inspiring perspective of prayer. check out the pdf on the website at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In this episode we look at the central teaching of Jesus and that God's love is unconditional. Which means it is for absolutely everyone, the good and the bad. He calls us to truly be His children and mirror the same practice of loving everyone - even our enemies. This teaching was revolutionary then and is still today. May God give us the ability to understand and imagine how He sees us so this can be evident in our lives as well. The pdf document is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

We continue in our series of the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus now begins his 11 teachings that supersede that of Moses. This is more than amplifying the teaching of Moses because of the strategically placed "but" in each teaching. As we study them I think you will agree that Jesus teaching does in fact supersede these teachings of Moses. Particularly the fifth one where Jesus says not to resist an evil person. This verse has a fascinating history of influential people that have applied it with amazing results. The document for this episode is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In this episode of the Rediscovering God series we continue in the Sermon on the Mount and discuss what it means for us to be salt and light. Then we discover how Adventism has misunderstood and misapplied Jesus statement about fulfilling the law and learn what Jesus was doing was referring to the prophecies of the Old Testament and how the had fulfilled them which would give his following teaching credibility. It in fact is not a statement about the importance of the ten commandment law as is usually the interpretation of this statement by Jesus. The pdf document is found on our website www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In this episode of Rediscovering God we complete the remaining beatitudes in Matthew 5. Blessed are the Merciful, Pure in Heart, the Peacemakers and the Persecuted. In each one we describe what it is not referring to, then what it means and then how we find it in Jesus life. We conclude with a look at how God is each of these beatitudes. As Christians we are assured that as we grow in relationship with Jesus we will also become these attributes rather than something we are to strive for. Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven where these attitudes prevail. The pdf of this episode can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

As we continue on this series on the Sermon On The Mount we discuss what it means to Mourn, be Meek and to Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness. We discover that God is a God of comfort who wants us to acknowledge our full experience and allow Him to comfort us in our journey. He also has a place for those who are meek and realized it is not our role to defend and push ourselves forward to get ahead. He also blesses those whose souls thirst for Him. They will be filled. The pdf document can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In this episode we begin a several part series on the sermon on the mount found in Matthew 5 to 7. This is one of five major teachings of Jesus and stands as the most important description of the attitudes of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is helping the disciples and the crowd listening in to understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is an something that begins in each of our hearts here and now and does not need to wait until the overthrow of the Romans or his return. We begin with an introduction and the first of the beatitudes. The pdf of this material can be found at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In the second half of Matthew 4 Jesus calls his disciples and then begins his ministry of teaching, announcing the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven, and healing all who came to Him. His popularity grew as people flocked to hear Him speak and heal their loved ones that they had brought from far and wide. No matter what their ailment he healed them all. This was an amazing phenomena. Nothing had ever happened like it before or after and it gave his message credibility with the common people.

In this Rediscovering God episode we look closely at the temptation of Jesus and discover how these were actually addressing some of the fundamental challenges that Jesus faced as he began his ministry. When Jesus begins his ministry he moves from Nazareth to Capernaum and establishes his base at this city on the Sea of Galilee. The pdf document for this episode is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

In this episode we discover three baptisms, John's baptism, Jesus baptism and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John's baptism was very revolutionary because it bypassed the temple and the control the church leaders had over the people to be forgiven. Now they could just go to John, confess their sins and be baptized. No wonder they didn't stand up for John and request his release from prison. Jesus is affirmed by the Father his baptism and receives the gift we all desire. Of ownership, affection and affirmation. The pdf document is available at www.rediscoveringgod.ca

We continue in Matthew and discuss how the King was threatened by the arrival of a new king in the form of a baby. The Wise Men from the east could very well have been descendants of Abraham who sent several of his sons to the east away from Isaac. Now their descendants arrive looking for the King of the Jews and causing quite a stir with their questions. An angel warns Joseph and they escape to Egypt and wait for a few years before returning to settle in Nazareth.

As we begin this new series on the Book of Matthew, we start with some interesting information on the genealogies in Matthew as compared to the one in Luke. It is fascinating to discover the people that are included in the genealogy of Jesus. Especially, when you realize that Jesus could have chosen any family line he wanted and he chooses Mary and Joseph and the colourful people included in their past. Check it out. The Pdf is available on our website. www.rediscovderinggod.ca

In this episode we discover the importance of making a distinction between our identity and our condition. This is life transforming because we tend to look at our condition and form ideas about ourselves - often feeling bad and less than we should. But when we are reminded that our identity is based on what God says about us and who we really are in his sight - our understanding of who we really are takes a whole different perspective and we have so much to rejoice about and celebrate. We are children of the King and joint heirs with Jesus!

There are many Bible verses that say salvation is gift. Then there are other places the Bible talks about a reward based on our behaviour. So which is it? Is salvation a reward or a gift. Join us on this journey as we bring clarity to the confusion. The pdf is on our website www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

As we complete this series we cover the last four aspects that Jesus brought a newness to our understanding of God that is quite radical. God is placed in a much better light as Jesus reveals an understanding of the devil that was not existent in the old testament times. We also share an amazing statement from Ellen White that gives support for the position we took in a previous episode on Abraham attempting to sacrifice Isaac. Check out the pdf document at www.rediscoveringgod.ca.

It is often our idea that Jesus came to reinforce what we already knew about God. However, in this episode we take a careful look at several aspects of God that come from Jesus. For example, Jesus refers to God as Father and even calls Him, Dadda or Abba. He says that if you have seen me you have seen the Father. There is no difference between the two. We continue to unpack these and a total of five areas that Jesus makes a significant contribution to our understanding of God. This is the first of a two part series.

The third in this series of Faith,Hope and Love takes a close look at love and what Authentic love actually is. After defining what this love is we look at how God has lived out that kind of love. He knows the worst about us but thinks the best about us. We then unpack the amazing love that God continues to have for each of us. The pdf for this episode is found on the website. www.rediscoveringgod.ca

There are many things we can do without in life but hope is not one of them. It is essential to have hope for life to be meaningful. In fact many who give up on life do so because they have lost hope. We take a careful look at hope in this episode and differentiate between hope, wishing, false hope and fantasy. God's unfailing love is the source of hope and is a gift from Jesus. Hope comes from hearing the gospel and can be inspired in each other as we notice and comment on the good we see in each other. There is a story in the pdf document that we did not tell in the podcast. Go to the website and download it to enjoy. www.rediscoveringgod.ca

There is a lot of confusion around what faith is and how to define it. In this ReDiscovering God episode we take a serious look at what faith is and what it is not. We uncover the reality that faith is a gift of the Spirit, that is has no merit, its relationship with Works, and that it is grasping God's reality as opposed to our reality. The PDF is found on the website: www.rediscoveringgod.ca

In this final episode on Genesis 22 and the account of Abraham and his attempt to Sacrifice Isaac, Ian, Sascha and Warren provide a alternative way of understanding this troublesome story and suggest that Abraham thought it was God's voice but was deceived by his own devious nature. Join us as we consider the evidence for such a position.

We consider the 5th of the ways to understand this unusual story. We wrestle with the statements in Jeremiah that make it very clear that it never crossed God's mind to command someone to sacrifice their child. So how can we resolve the dissonance that this verse creates? If God was not asking Abraham to do this, how is it that he proceeds to take Isaac and some servants on several days journey to the mountain where he believed he was to sacrifice his son?

As we wrestle with the moral issues of this story we consider four of the five options for understanding this story that places God in a very challenging light if it is understood simply as it is written. There are many passages where God is clear he would not even think of encouraging someone to sacrifice their child. Join us as we continue to prayerfully understand this story.

We take a close look at the difference between tempting and testing in this episode. We discover that while at times God may test he never tempts us to do wrong. That comes from within our selves. This is important to understand as we look closely at what Abraham believed he was asked by God to do. Join us in part one of this careful and prayerful look at this challenging story where Abraham attempts to sacrifice Isaac the son of promise.

In this second part to Genesis 21 Abraham is confronted by Abimelech, who has been generous to allow Abraham and his tribe to live on his land, and asks him for a covenant that he will not turn on the Philistine people and overpower them. We suspect that Abraham's tribe and flocks have become rather large and could become a substantial threat to the people who live in the land.

Finally the promise of 25 years ago is fulfilled and Isaac is born to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham is 100 years old and Sarah is 90. There is no doubt this is a miracle child come to fulfill the promise of God. But there is trouble in the camp. Sarah is aware that Hagar's son, Ishmael has been mistreating her child, the child of promise, and she will have none of it. She demands that Abraham send him and his mother out of the camp to ensure that he will not share the inheritance with her son. Abraham must now send them out into the wilderness. His heart is breaking as the next morning he sends them out on their own to fend for themselves. God promises Abraham and later Hagar that Ishmael will be the father of a nation. He ends up having 12 sons to match the 12 sons of Isaac.