Pastor Marc Bertrand

  There is no excuse for not knowing God. Romans 1 introduces Paul and his purpose in writing this letter to the Christians in Rome. As servant and apostle of Jesus, Paul's mission in life is to preach the gospel of Jesus to all people groups, both Jews and Gentiles. He hopes to do so in Rome soon. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. It is God's power for the salvation of all people by faith in Christ. We need to be saved because God is angry with us. Because of our sin, humanity has rejected Him as creator and provider. We worship created things, instead. In order to build the case that all humanity has fallen short of the glory of God and needs to receive God’s grace through belief in Jesus, Paul asserts that God’s unseen qualities are clearly seen in creation: “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20,...

  Which Scriptures Explain When Jesus Christ Was Born? Are there clear descriptions of the timing of Christ's birth? Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth,the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is a central figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin , many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus . Other Protestant views on Mary vary, with some holding her to have lesser status. The synoptic Gospels name Mary as the mother of Jesus. The gospels of Matthew and Luke describe Mary as a virgin who was chosen by God to conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit. After giving birth to Jesus in Bethlehem, she raised him in the city of Nazareth in Galilee, and was in Jerusalem at his crucifixion and with the apostles after his ascension. Although her later life is not accounted in the Bible— In the Bible, the st...

  39 lashes? 39 lashes meaning In 2 Corinthians 11:24, the apostle Paul mentions receiving thirty-nine lashes from the Jews on five different occasions. These lashes were a form of punishment administered in Jewish synagogues, likely for blasphemy. The religious leaders objected to Paul’s gospel, which emphasized that Christ was the Son of God and that Gentiles could be saved without following the Mosaic law. Interestingly, the number 39 holds significance beyond this biblical context. During Jesus’ crucifixion, He endured 39 lashes, representing both the pain and suffering He endured for our salvation and His unwavering strength in the face of adversity. The Romans, on the other hand, believed that 40 lashes were the maximum required to cause death, making 39 the default number for such punishment . So, these 39 lashes symbolize both suffering and resilience, echoing throughout history as a powerful reminder. Just before His crucifixion, Jesus was scourged by the Romans (John 19:1...

  Prophetic dreams. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, his first son through his favored wife, Rachel. Joseph’s story is found in Genesis 37—50. After the announcement of his birth, we see Joseph next as a seventeen-year-old returning from shepherding the flock with his half-brothers to give Jacob a bad report of them. We are also told that Jacob "loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him" (Genesis 37:3). Joseph’s brothers knew their father loved Joseph more than them, which caused them to hate him (Genesis 37:4). To make matters worse, Joseph began relating his dreams to the family—prophetic visions showing Joseph one day ruling over his family (Genesis 37:5–11). The animosity toward Joseph peaked when his brothers plotted to kill him in the wilderness. Reuben, the eldest, objected to outright murder and suggested they throw Joseph into a cistern, as he planned to come back and rescue t...