Pastor Marc Bertrand

  Book of Light. What does light signify in the Bible?. In the Bible, light has always been a symbol of holiness, goodness, knowledge, wisdom, grace, hope, and God's revelation. By contrast, darkness has been associated with evil, sin, and despair. What does light mean spiritually?. Light is one of the most universal and fundamental symbols. It is the spiritual and the divine, it is illumination and intelligence. Light is the source of goodness and the ultimate reality, and it accompanies transcendence into the Nirvana of Buddhist doctrine. Why is light important to Christians?. Christ teaches us in scripture that faith keeps the darkness at bay. Just as Christ's light will not leave us, neither does the darkness. The good news is that Christ's light gives us life, and in turn we can share Christ's light with others when their light grows dim or darkness overwhelms someone close to us. What the Bible says about God's Word as Light. Psalm 119:105 God's Word is a ...

Eternal Scripture. "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." What is eternal life scripture?. In John 10:27–28 Jesus states that: "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish." This refers to the personal, heart to heart relationship the Christian is expected to have with Jesus. Scriptures on Eternal Life 1 John 5:11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall n...

The Prophecy. Prophecies Fulfilled by the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ Why are the Bible prophecies of Jesus Christ's death so important? The Old Testament contains well over 100 distinct prophecies about Jesus (a conservative estimate). Many of these Messianic prophecies deal with His death. It is a powerful evidence of the accuracy of the Bible and its divine inspiration. Even though these prop hecies were written by several different men over many years, they were divinely fulfilled! Here are a handful of the Messianic prophecies and fulfillments. More comprehensive lists are also available. Bible Prophecy: Isaiah 53:3 says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Fulfillment: John 1:10-11 says, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own d...

Jesus on Trial. In Luke 22:67, Jesus is asked: "If thou art the Christ, tell us. But he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe". ... Thereafter, in Pilate's Court, the Jewish elders ask Pontius Pilate to judge and condemn Jesus, accusing him of claiming to be the King of the Jews. "What trials did Jesus face before His crucifixion?" The night of Jesus’ arrest, He was brought before Annas, Caiaphas, and an assembly of religious leaders called the Sanhedrin (John 18:19-24; Matthew 26:57). After this He was taken before Pilate, the Roman Governor (John 18:28), sent off to Herod (Luke 23:7), and returned to Pilate (Luke 23:11-12), who finally sentenced Him to death. There were six parts to Jesus’ trial: three stages in a religious court and three stages before a Roman court. Jesus was tried before Annas, the former high priest; Caiaphas, the current high priest; and the Sanhedrin. He was charged in these “ecclesiastical” trials with blasphemy, claiming t...

Christ, Master Teacher. What were Jesus teaching methods?. Jesus used two teaching methods—storytelling and a teachable moment—to illustrate and summarize this truth into three words: The Good Samaritan. These three words bring to memory an example of what it takes to be a good neighbor and shows an example of love. How did Jesus teach his disciples to pray?. One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." He said to them, "When you pray, say: "`Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. The Master Teacher. “And they said to one another, ‘Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?’ ” (Luke 24:32) - Luke 24:13-15 Nearly all of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances provoked strong reactions in those who encountered Him. His followers seem to have focus...

The Advocate. What does it mean to have an advocate? a person who speaks or writes in support or defense of a person, cause, etc. (usually followed by of): an advocate of peace. a person who pleads for or in behalf of another; intercessor. a person who pleads the cause of another in a court of law.What does it mean that Jesus is interceding for us? Intercession of Christ is the Christian belief i n the continued intercession of Jesus and his advocacy on behalf of humanity, even after he left the earth. "What does it mean that Jesus is our Advocate?" An advocate is a person who comes to our aid or pleads our case to a judge. Advocates offer support, strength, and counsel and intercede for us when necessary. The Bible says that Jesus is an Advocate for those who’ve put their trust in Him: “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). In other v...

Repentance and Forgiveness. What Does The Bible Say About Forgiveness?. At some point in everyone's life - we need forgiveness. Luckily, God gave us a way through his son, Jesus, to get the forgiveness we need. He sent His son to pay the price for all of our sins so that we could live a life of freedom and joy. Looking To Forgive?. Many times we look for people to change or apologize before we forgive them. Even when we need to forgive ourselves, it seems easiest to wait until we've grown and moved past what we've done. However, Jesus shows us another way. With our years of sin and pain, He chose to forgive us anyway. He didn't wait for us to change or grow, He loved us where we were at and paid the price for all of our sin, past and future. Jesus didn't just die for just a portion of humanity, but all for all of humanity. That includes the good person and the broken and hurtful person. He loves you where you are at right now and wants to have a relationship with yo...