JONNO: Jonno-BLOG

PERCEPTION AND PERSPECTIVE - MERCYOn more than one occasion non-believers (pre-Christians) have given a  indictment over all Believers with the accusation of imperfection.  The normal reaction is become combative and take offense. After all, we are here to be defenders of righteousness. While in our humanity we experience the grace of Christ which enables us, the anointing of the Holy Spirit which empowers us, and the love of God which is our sole motivation. Yet, Christians have a predisposition from birth to sin (missing the mark).  The writer of Proverbs shared, "The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked" (24:16 NET).  Yes, the righteous and just ones will fall and stumble, sometimes horribly in public. I believe the writer meant that we fall seven times daily. We must remember, there was and is only One in all of human history who lived a sinless life, even though tempted daily.While we enjoy the [...]

Marriage is the covenant union between God, one man, and one woman. Marriage reflects the relationship God, Jesus, and the Church shares.  Marriage also reflects the relationship within the Trinity. 

NUMBER TWELVE December 12, 2012 While it is easy to get caught up in the hype of the day, I want to bring up a few things that are not by any stretch of the imagination a coincidence. The number 12 holds biblical significance indeed. Here are a few facts from the BibleStudy.org: The number twelve is found 187 times total in the Bible, 22 of which are in the book of Revelation. The significance of the number 12 is that it represents divine authority and appointment, as well as governmental foundation and perfection, and shows completeness. 12 is also used as a signature of Israel. Truth is symbolized by 144, or 12 x 12. There are 12 divisions of heaven called the Mazzaroth, which God uses for signs and seasons. The testimony of the stars is numerically in harmony with the Bible: "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalms 19:1). There were 12 sons of Jacob, whose families formed the 12 tribes of Israel with 12 princes; there were [...]

The words of one of my favorite college professors, Dr. Sam Earp, rang continually through my mind, "You need to read the Bible because it'll help you out now, and keep the heat off of you later."  Upon graduating from William Jessup University with a BS in Christian Leadership, I decided my first project would be to read through the Bible. On June 1, 2012 my wife and I, and approximately 500 others on Facebook began our journey reading through the Bible in 90 Days. The goal of reading through the entire Bible, all sixty-six books, seemed daunting.
I felt God was wanting to speak through His Word directly to individuals. I was offered the Bible in 90 Days curriculum to follow, which included study questions. I sensed God wanting to do something different than a formal study. He didn't want people looking for prescribed answers to formatted questions. No, He simply wanted to speak to His people. 
In preparation I contacted Zondervan Publishing, who graciously opened a website [...]

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32 Dare to extend yourself beyond the norm, and put on the robe of compassion. The word literally means with deep suffering and patience. It is with compassion we can be kind and forgive others. Where sympathy sees a need and feels what another feels, compassion steps in to touch the pain, tears, disease, and brings relief through grace. ~Jonnoism