faith

The Plight of Hagar

Hagar is an often overlooked individual in the Bible. Known as Sarah’s handmaid who had a son in an affair between her and Abraham that was actually initiated by Sarah, Hagar is often portrayed in sermons as a rebellious servant who tried to usurp Sarah’s position upon becoming pregnant.

However, Hagar’s story is way more profound than that, and if you place yourself in her shoes, you see she was a mighty woman of faith. From her obedience to Sarah, her recognition of God’s love and providence, and the faith she demonstrated when she obeyed God and returned to Sarah, she presents herself as a Spiritual giant.

From Hagar’s story, we learn that God sees us and looks after us, that He blesses us, and that He calls us to reconciliation. Take a listen to the above posted podcast, and let us know how this message impacts you.

The Incomparable Christ (Luke 4:31-37)

In his book, The Incomparable Christ, J. Oswald Sanders explored the life, character and divinity of Jesus Christ in a way that left the reader in awe after every chapter. It’s definitely a book that should be on every Christian’s reading list.

In the same way, Luke captures the essence of Christ by recording His acts, teachings, and the teachings about Him. In Luke 4:31-37, several amazing attributes of Christ are on full display as He heals a demon possessed man in the synagogue in Capernaum. The three most prominent are the power (authority) of Christ, the vision of Christ, and the compassion of Christ.

The power of Christ is on full display as the demon has to obey the Lord’s command to come out of the man. Christ is so powerful that even His spiritual opponents must obey Him. He has power over all creation, yet He uses that power on behalf of His people.

The vision of Christ is such that He not only sees us at face value, but He sees our hearts, our inner-most emotional workings, our trauma and sin nature, and He sees what we could be if healed. That brings up the third attribute on display, His compassion.

The compassion of Christ is such that, not only does He see our hurts and scars, but He heals them. Physical, Spiritual and emotional healing are available to any who will believe.

Christ really is incomparable. For more, check out Pastor Leland Acker’s message on The Incomparable Christ.