Pastor Marc Bertrand

  Who Was Jesus Calling a ‘Brood of Vipers’? - Is one of them you? Jesus called these Pharisees a "brood of vipers" because of the wickedness in their hearts because the heart is what matters to Jesus. Every word and action will overflow from there. A pure heart in Christ will make pure actions. "Brood of vipers!" It's a famous, rather insulting, line used by both John the Baptist and Jesus in the gospels and repeated throughout church history in countless sermons. But what exactly does it mean? Who was Jesus speaking to, and why would he call them that? Can we also become a "brood of vipers" today, and if so, how do we know? In this post, we will answer these questions and look at the deeper meaning behind this famous insult of the gospels. Who Was Jesus Talking To? In Matthew 12:34, Jesus proclaims, "Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." Wow, that was intense. ...

  Do you hate to forgive - Can you forgive someone if you hate them? Forgiveness and forgetting is the golden rule to remove hatred and move forward in life. When you cling to the feeling of hatred, you will push your life towards negativity. Take care of yourself, your mental health. Forgiveness is the best revenge…so forgive them; it is beneficial for you and others as well. It isolates us from others and cuts us off from the best possibilities in ourselves. Furthermore, refusing to forgive can keep our bodies in an ongoing state of stress and alert. This contributes to depression, anxiety, physical symptoms, and overall dissatisfaction with life. Is it rude to not forgive someone? Don't say you forgive someone when you don't. It won't make you feel better, and it won't make your life easier. On the contrary, it is not about making your life easier when someone asks you to forgive. The purpose behind the question of forgiving is to make the person asking the question ...

  Matt 12:34b meaning. Mattityahu 12:34 (OJB) You banim of nechashim (sons of snakes), how are you able to speak tovot (good things), for out of the abundance of the lev (heart) the mouth speaks. Matthew 12 features confrontations between the Pharisees and Jesus over several issues. Among these are working on the Sabbath, healing on the Sabbath, and the source of His power to cast out demons. Jesus counters each argument and rebukes the Pharisees sharply for their obstinate unbelief. He even notes that those who maliciously ascribe His miracles to demons are unforgivable. He warns them, and the rest of their current generation, about the judgment to come. Jesus calls the Pharisees a brood of vipers and rejects their demand for another miracle. All they'll be promised is the sign of Jonah. The Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days. Jesus also states that all who do His Father's will are His family. Christ is thoroughly and righteously condemning the group o...

  Many so called christian's are self proclaimed liars. - The Most Dangerous of Them All? Christians who live so that they are never contaminated are useless, and they are liars, because we are all contaminated more seriously than we can imagine if we have ever seen a human soul as it was meant to be. When first a more serious, idealistic Christian, I didn’t think this was even a possibility. Surely those who follow the Humble God, who died an ignominious death at the hands of slanderers would, if liars, just follow someone else or themselves. After all, the gold for selling yourself and damaging those who threaten you is a bigger pile on the world market. Since that first, idealistic time, and as I began to be aware of and to leave my own lies behind, I have had experience of Christian liars. These are people who present an image containing many good things: piety, manners, a well-phrased turn of speech, admiration from peers and those they claim to serve, a focus on virtue, ad na...

  Did Jesus Eat Pork? The biblical dietary laws are mostly ignored today. But were there reasons for God calling certain animals unclean? Did Jesus eat pork and shellfish? Eat This, Not That! is a multimedia company that educates people on making wise eating choices. Though the Bible isn’t a book about diet, there is an entire chapter in the Old Testament that could be labeled the Bible’s version of “Eat This, Not That.” Leviticus 11 devotes 47 verses to help us make a distinction “between the animal that may be eaten [eat this] and the animal that may not be eaten [not that]” (Leviticus 11:47). Additional guidance is also given in Deuteronomy 14. The Bible labels these “clean” and “unclean” meats. Here’s an overview of what Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 teach us: 1-Clean mammals have a divided hoof and chew their cud. This means animals like cattle, goats and deer were created to be eaten, but mammals like pigs and rodents were not. 2-Clean fish have fins and scales. This means ...

  The meaning of mount Carmel The name, dating back to biblical times, is derived from the Hebrew kerem El (“vineyard” or “orchard”) and attests to the mountain's fertility even in ancient times. Sanctified since early times, Mt. Carmel is mentioned as a “holy mountain” in Egyptian records of the 16th century BC. Why is it called Mount Carmel? Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range of modest height in northern Israel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its name is derived from the Hebrew "Kerem El" which means "vineyards of God." In ancient times it was covered by vineyards and rich grazing land. What is Mount Carmel? Mount Carmel towers over 15 miles of Israel's Mediterranean Coastline between Hadera and Haifa. Mount Carmel has always been a symbol of beauty, and whilst it is not especially high, with a peak of just 550m above sea level, the change in scenery from the flat Coastal Plain makes it a striking landform. What is the significance of Mount Carmel...

  Why did God say abstain from blood? - And Unclean meat. When a Christian abstains from blood, they are in effect expressing faith that only the shed blood of Jesus Christ can truly redeem them and save their life. Blood must not be eaten . Why is blood sacred in the Bible? Blood is an atonement and it is sacred to God. The life of the flesh is in the blood. It was the sacrifice of one life for another, with the shedding of blood, that made the atonement. God wanted them to appreciate it then, so that they would appreciate His Son when He came to earth. Can we eat blood in New Testament? “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us (the apostles and elders) to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality." What does blood symbolize in life? Blood globally represents life itself, as the element of divine life that functions within t...