By Mike Peek

  My thoughts about John’s gospel come from spending a great deal of time in this gospel.  In addition to my daily reading of Scripture, I recite at least one chapter out of John’s gospel every day. I have read, memorized, recited, meditated on and studied John’s gospel daily for over a decade. I have come to the conclusion that the gospel according to John is biblical allegory. I am not saying that Jesus did not do the things written about him in this book. Nor am I saying that Jesus did not say the things that this book says that he said.  Seven Miracles, I Believe 1.            Jesus turned water into wine. [1] 2.            Jesus healed a nobleman’s son from dying, who was a great distance away. [2] 3.            Jesus healed a man who had a sickness for thirty eight years that had made him lame. When Jesus commanded the...

For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let’s celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ~1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Christmas has been a Christian feast from the mid-fourth century to the present day. It’s significance in the lives of Christ followers have wained and surged throughout church history. Many have sought to do away with Christmas, while others have embraced it. The December 25 th  date that had previously been a pagan festival date was adopted by christians. Christmas was not the first feast celebrated by early Christians. The feast of Epiphany celebrated the coming of the Magi to see Christ. The feast of Epiphany was celebrated long before Christmas but has little notice in the church today. There are a number of feasts in the church calendar today: Lent, Easter, Thanksgiving, Advent and Christmas to name a few. Why have certain feasts gained in popularity ...

Photo Credit: Patrick Schneider, Unsplash Dear Neighbor, What an incredible story! The Word, who was with God in the beginning, and was God, became flesh and dwelt among the people that he created. (Jn. 1:1, 1:14)  Have you really thought about this? Has it impacted you the way that it should? What kind of effect does the incarnation have on your day to day life? The Story, Luke 2:1-20 Mary was to betrothed to Joseph but was with child, conceived of the Holy Spirit. Joseph had to go to Bethlehem to register for the government ordered census because he was a descendent of David. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to her first born son; cared for him and laid him in an animal feeding trough, for there was no room for them in the inn. There were some shepherds watching over their flock at night, when an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them; they were frightened, as are all persons in biblical stories when they meet an angel. They angel said to them: Luke 2:10-13  Do not ...

Dear Neighbor, This morning the Lord gave me the privilege of speaking about his word in the church. I talked about something that is very near and dear to my heart. The already not yet aspects of the kingdom of God. As Christians we look back to the first advent of Christ in remembrance of him and we look ahead in anticipation of his second coming, when all will be made right.  God is presently at work making all things new through the work of the Spirit. God has declared that he will create a new heaven and new earth, but unlike the first creation where he made the earth first and later made man, in his new creation, God is making the people first. When “It is finished,” God will make the new heaven and the new earth; then, and only then will God rest. Jesus is the first man to be raised in the new creation. All will be raised on the last day; those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord, will be raised to eternal life in the new heaven and new earth which is yet to come, but those who...