The Language of Angels

Paul teaches at length on the subject of speaking in unknown tongues. He makes it clear that if a person can speak in the tongues of men or angels, but doesn’t love, that person is nothing but noise (1 Corinthians 13:1).

To this day, the teaching of unknown tongues and tongues of angels is brought up often among Christians. The meaning of this has been debated for centuries, and especially since the rise of the charismatic movement of the church.

Unknown toungues are easily understood to be foreign languages or languages foreign to the teachers and readers of God’s Word.

The important question, at least for me, is: What is the language of angels?

For the answer, go to http://www.flocksdiner.com/.

Blessings,
Johnny

Too Godly for God

There are many Christian denominations that place restrictions on what God has provided. Additional restrictions are seen as more godly, and some forms of asceticism are generally respected as honorable to God.

I have heard preachers teach that we should not only devote ten percent of our assets to the work of God; we should devote one hundred percent. Maybe those preachers missed reading Jesus’ warning to those who did just that in Matthew 15:3-9. Jesus clearly taught that a person can attempt to honor God by his or her excessive self-denial, and actually be practicing disobediene to God.

For the Jews of Jesus’ day, “Total abstinence was not considered a virtue” (Abraham Cohen, Everyman's Talmud, 232).

Read the rest at http://www.flocksdiner.com/.

Blessings,
Johnny

Sharing Without Fear

Over the last few years, I have learned a great deal about the blogging world.

Whenever I post an article, I am always aware that there will be those who agree with my research and reflection, and there will be those who disagree at many levels, to include the down-right ticked-off-at-me.

Fortunately, I learn from my agreeable brothers and sisters and those who want to tar and feather me. In fact, when folks don't agree, I am challenged and privileged to dig deeper or even change my perspective based on new information shared by others.

Please feel free to post a thread on the Coffee Talk Forum at www.flocksdiner.com, even if others may call you a heretic. We can't learn and grow if we are afraid to share our deepest beliefs and philosophies.

Many blessings,
Johnny

Living With Arrows

Isn’t it true that life can be very cruel? Not all of us experience the same form or measure of cruelty as others, but all of us know the feeling of being hurt. As believers, we are instructed to forgive and love others as we would have them love us.

What if that was actually easy? What if we could all detach ourselves from the pain of the past? What if every painful experience was like a bruise; it showed up, hurt for a while, and finally went away without a trace of its existence ever to be seen again?

The ancient sages taught that hurting others could be likened to a sword or an arrow.

Come by www.flocksdiner.com to read the rest. I've saved you a seat.

Blessings,
Johnny

Dear Flock's Diner Family,

I am so grateful for you and for all that you do to encourage and support this ministry. I pray that you are all doing fantastic as you seek out God’s will for your lives.

It is hard for me to believe that almost 7000 of you stop by the site to read and listen. We have become a very large internet campus family as Flock’s Diner continues to cross the web-sea.

Hopefully you are blessing God by what you are learning and sharing.

The next step is to get feedback from you. Flock’s Diner now has a Coffee Talk Forum where you are encouraged to share your own thoughts, fears, doubts, and celebrations in order that others may be able to grow from your words. With an average of 900 individual people every seven days, and almost 7000 individual people in the last four months stopping by, I know that we can all share something that will help others to grow.

Thank you for your willingness to minister to me and others at Flock’s Diner.

I eagerly await your comments on the blogs and your discussion topics and comments at the Coffee Talk Forum at www.flocksdiner.com.

Be a blessing,
Johnny

The Meek Shall Inherit "Eretz"

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." (Matthew 5:5, NIV)
My doctor asked me, "Who are the meek?" My guess is that when someone asks this, they want to know who is going to get the planet and all of its stuff.

Let's dig.

There are a couple of interesting points that are often overlooked or unknown by Christian readers and teachers of this verse. The Replacement theologian will quickly dismiss the fact that Jesus is speaking to Jews, while the empathetic pastor will quickly share that all of those who allow themselves to be abused without retaliating will be greatly rewarded in the afterlife to make up for their lack in this life.

Matthew Henry teaches in his commentary that "they shall inherit the land of Canaan, a type of heaven." Hurray for Mr. Henry. However, Mr. Henry is only partly right, at least according to David Stern the writer of the Jewish New Testament Commentary.

As Stern points out, Jesus is quoting Psalm 37:11 to remind them of God's promise...

To read the rest, I have saved you a seat at www.flocksdiner.com.

Blessings,
Johnny