Pastor Marc Bertrand

  What does it mean to be a true Christian?. A true Christian is nothing other than a real, authentic, actual Christian. The reason some people, including myself, will say or write "true Christian" or "true believer" is because there are people who pretend to be Christians but are not (Judas, for example; Matthew 26:25). There are also people who appear to be Christians and may believe themselves to be Christians but are deceived (Matthew 7:22–23). Many people have mistaken notions or ideas about what it means to be a Christian. The bottom line is that not all who profess to have faith in Christ possess faith in Christ. This is a surprising statement to many, and it should be a sober reminder to us who profess ourselves to be Christians to make our calling and election certain (2 Peter 1:10). So, what distinguishes a true Christian from a pretender? What separates sincere followers of Christ from hypocritical imposters? A true Christian is a person who has been born...

  Washing of the feet? What is the meaning of the washing of the feet? disciples' spiritual cleansing for a continued relationship with Jesus. As such, the foot. washing functions as an extension of the disciples' baptism in that it signifies continual. cleansing from the sin acquired (after baptism) through life in a sinful world. In Bible times, the dusty and dirty conditions of the region and the wearing of sandals necessitated foot-washing. Although the disciples most likely would have been happy to wash Jesus’ feet, they could not conceive of washing each other’s feet. This was because in the society of the time, foot-washing was reserved for the lowliest of menial servants. Peers did not wash one another’s feet, except very rarely and as a mark of great love. Luke points out (22:24) that the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them, an attitude that precludes a willingness to stoop to wash feet. When Jesus moved to wash their feet ( John 13:1-16), they...

  Loving God heart ,soul , Mind. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’ (Mark 12:28-30). “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. What does it mean to love God with your whole soul? So, loving God with our whole soul is to love Him with everything we are, is to find our inner self inclined to Him, seeking Him, having Him at the center of our affections. 5. Love God with All Our Mind God’s people must also love Him with their whole minds. The biblical meaning of “mind” is the intellect. What does the Bible say about the heart and mind? Several scriptures indicate that the heart and mind are separate but complementary components in our love of God. King David advised Solomon to serve God with a loyal heart and a willing mind (1 Chronicle...

  Guilt of sin Definition Sin, as a transgression of God’s law, places humanity in a state of guilt, a liability to God’s judgment. The guilt of Adam, as humanity’s federal (covenantal) head, is credited to his posterity, and only the obedience of Christ, as the last Adam, can remove this guilt. How did God remove the guilt of sin? Under the old covenant, God provided a provisional means of removing the guilt of sin through the sacrificial system, but the ultimate removal of guilt was accomplished in the new covenant by the obedience of Christ. Believers can have assurance even in this life that no condemnation exists for those who are united to Christ. What does the Bible say about guilt? Guilt is the result of having violated a specific rule or law. When we cross a moral, ethical, or legal line, we are guilty. This is true even if we did not know a line was crossed. Guilt is primarily a state or condition, not a feeling. According to the Bible, we are all guilty before God (Roman...

  When someone asks me if a “Christian can be possessed”, it reveals a lack of understanding on this particular subject. In order to understand the answer to this question, we must first understand the definition of the word “possessed” and the biblical application of it. The word “possessed” used in the Bible was actually the word demonized. And when used in its original language simply means “to be under the influence of an evil spirit”. Today, we have a much different variation of this word (we can probably thank Hollywood for that) which implies “to be totally and completely controlled and overtaken by an evil spirit”. These definitions reveal an intense contrast between them. Both are varying degrees of demonization (under the influence of an evil spirit at any degree). Demonization manifests in varying degrees. The word “demonized” means the devil has a stronghold over an individual in any particular area. The devil’s hold on a person can have varying degrees. For instance, w...

  Killing the Messengers in the book. Proverbs 16:14 ESV . A king's wrath is a messenger of death, and a wise man will appease it. If by character assassination, ignoring the truth, condemning as factional, or in some other way, the message of faithful men is silenced. However, it never changes the truth of the gospel. In ancient Oriental kingdoms, messengers who brought a monarch bad news sometimes suffered the penalty of death .Even so, eventually the message continues on in future candidates , Such events are not unknown in biblical accounts. Upon hearing that Saul and Jonathan were dead, David slew the messenger who brought the news. Of course, the extenuating circumstance on this occasion was that the messenger was an Amalekite who lied, claiming to have slain Saul at Saul’s request. It infuriated David that a pagan had dared to deal so with King Saul, saying, “How were you not afraid to stretch forth your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (2 Sam. 1:14). The messenger paid...