Pastor Shaun Marksbury

“ The Ministry of the Holy Spirit, Part 2” ( John 1 6:12–15) Series:               “John: Life in Christ’s Name”           Text:                 John 16:12–15 By:                    Shaun Marksbury                         Date:                September 15, 2024 Venue:              Living Water Baptist Church             Occasion:             AM Service   ...

As celestial phenomena unfold, many individuals rightly turn to Scripture, seeking insights into their significance.  Eclipses, comets, supernovas, and meteor showers spark fascination and questions as to whether these events carry divine messages.  However, discerning between natural occurrences and supernatural signs requires careful consideration among Christians, particularly in the context of hermeneutics (the science of interpreting the Bible) and eschatological (end-times) beliefs. The Balance of Natural Order and Divine Intervention I am a supernaturalist, meaning that I believe God made this world and can intervene in events in miraculous ways to accomplish His purposes.   God made the cosmos, and on the fourth day of creation, the Lord made the sun, moon, and stars, establishing these luminaries to be “for signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).   The word “signs” carries a special fascination for us, but we also see that God had...

And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 11  The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12  And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13  And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. What a contrast between His people and the demonstrable faith of the Gentiles!  Jesus embarks to Jewish territory on the western shore of Galilee.  After spending time with Gentiles, it should’ve been a homecoming.  Unfortunately, the Pharisees meet Him with ill-intent.  These hypocrites already know about Him, but they tempt Him by asking Him for more.  What is wrong with their request? First, they seek more signs then God has chosen to give them.  Perhaps they’re asking for a sign like Elijah produced on Mt. C...