Pastor Marc Bertrand

  Why are there so many false doctrines? - If There Is One Truth, Why Are There So Many Doctrines? The church has always experienced the problem of differing doctrines and the controversies they tend to bring. This is nothing new. However, the truth always emerges victorious, and the essentials of the Christian faith remain. Searching for a church to call home can be a daunting task. If you look at their various statements of belief you will sometimes find very divergent points of view. Yet, Scripture says there is one truth, so how should we view the varieties of doctrine out there? The Way, the Truth, and the Life. I can understand very well how someone might be confused or even discouraged when looking for a church. The Catholics claim they’re the only way, the Orthodox often claim the same so does the SDA , and yet neither agrees completely with the other. Then you have the multitudes of churches that have popped up in Protestantism, many of which do not agree with each other o...

  What to Do When You Feel Disconnected From God - How Can We Reconnect with God? We need only to turn our hearts once again toward heaven, where the Father awaits our return. He’s watching and waiting for us. He is there and waiting with open, loving arms. We need only to come back home. Relationships are difficult. Challenging. They take effort. To maintain the “good” in any relationship takes a bit of work. Our relationship with the Lord is no different, except the effort part is one-sided — it is all on us. He is always there — waiting for us to come to him. So, what happens when we slip or fall away? What is it that drives us apart, and whenever it is we are ready to reconnect, what does that look like? How do we correct our track? Can it be corrected? More importantly, will God accept us back? Salvation Vs. Sanctification. Let me stress here, what we are talking about is our sanctification — how we live our lives every day. Our salvation is based entirely on the finished work...

  Which comes first, salvation or sanctification?- What role does sanctification play in salvation? How important is this question? This is not an abstract question about theology; it is a down-to-earth issue for both evangelism and ministry. It is at the heart of one of the great plagues of evangelicalism—the unconverted church member. This question is at the root of the “Lordship Salvation” controversy as well as the so-called “Carnal Christian” conundrum, two intensely practical pastoral issues. Moreover, this matter relates directly to Christian parents who long for the conversion of their children. To phrase the question another way, can a person go to Heaven who doesn’t live like a dedicated Christian? If not, and we say that Christian living is necessary for salvation, aren’t we contradicting the Bible’s teaching on salvation by grace and not by works? What is sanctification? “Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace (2 Thess. 2:13), whereby we are renewed in the whole...

  What did Jesus mean by "I will give you rest" - Will God Really Give Rest to the Weary? God knows these feelings can be overwhelming and cause a sense of panic inside us. Emotions such as anxiety, panic, fear, and stress can cause us to become weary over time. God wants to give you His peace and give you rest. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” From this passage of Scripture, Jesus is telling us if we come to Him, He will give us rest. Since Jesus is God (John 1:1) and He does not lie (Hebrews 6:18), then God does really give rest to the weary. Who Are the Wearied Souls?. When we think of rest, we think of relaxing, sitting down for a bit, or taking a quick nap. When Jesus promises to give us rest, He is talking about spiritual rest. Bible Study Tools describes the rest Jesus gives us as “peace of conscience, ease of mind, the tranquility of soul, through an application of pardoning grace, a view of free...

  Our Sabbath Rest in Jesus - How Is Jesus Our Sabbath Rest? Jesus came down to earth as a human to bear the cross for our sins and died. He then rose again so that we may have eternal life. God sent His Son so that we may rest in knowing that we can have eternal rest with Him. He said to them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry — how he entered the house of God, and they ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for him or for those with him to eat, but only for the priests? Or haven’t you read in the Law that on Sabbath days the priests in the temple violate the Sabbath and are innocent? But I tell you that something greater than the temple is here! If you had known what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:3-8). How to Sabbath Rest. When you think about “rest,” you may automatically refer to a holiday, vacation, or other various...