Maranatha Teachings

"Do not come near," God told Moses as the shepherd stepped toward the burning bush. When YWHW descended in fiery majesty on Mt. Sinai, none was allowed to touch the mountain on pain of death (Ex. 19:12).  Jesus rent the veil. As new covenant saints, we have a better hope, a hope that pulls us into the holy of holies to be near to God in this life and ever after.

Jesus is our high priest on the basis of His indestructible life. Where His life takes hold, death must let go. Join us in this episode was we learn about the ability, power, force, strength, vigor, freedom of action, right to act, energy, and authority of the indestructible life of our forever priest, our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit reserved the first use of the word "priest" to describe the king of Salem, Melchizedek. In three verses, he exemplified the primary functions of a priest of blessing declaring salvation. In this episode, we see how Aaron's priesthood spoke of Jesus' work on earth and the ways Melchizedek foreshadowed Christ's work as High Priest in heaven.

In this lively episode, we take a peek ahead at faith's sojourn (did you know that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob camped together?), have a Bible treasure hunt to determine the ages of the patriarchs (did you know Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born?), and discover what it means for Levi to be "in Abraham."

Did you know that Israel was to use their tithe to feast with God and each other? Two thirds of all New Testament uses of the word "tithe" occur in Hebrews 7. In this episode, we take a clear-eyed view of God's intention in the tithe and examine the greater principle of sowing and reaping. If you have struggled with being free in your giving or been bound under the law of the tithe, this message i...

"Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?" The Jews in Jesus' day asked Him this question because they thought His promise of eternal life incredulous (John 8:53). The writer of Hebrews reveals just how much greater than Abraham Christ is. Join us in this episode as we examine the promises given to Abraham and the impact of the blessing.

In this episode, we learn about the historical Melchizedek, his blessing of Abraham, and the prophetic significance of his appearance.

In day-to-day conversation, the word "hope" is frequently used as a synonym for "wish" as in "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow" or "I hope I get off early from work." In this episode, we look at the biblical significance of hope and its ability to anchor us in God's presence.

In this episode we examine covenants, oath taking, and what it means for us that God confirmed His immutable counsel to bless us by an oath with Himself. 

Welcome to Episode 9! In this episode, we learn of the power of patience and Abraham's ultimate example of faith. In mid-March of 2020, President Trump called for a two week shutdown to slow the spread of Covid-19. Governors, including the governor of Virginia, followed suite and implemented other policies that sought limitations to public gatherings. Consequently, Maranatha Church did live broadc...

In this episode, we learn how Jesus is uniquely qualified to sit on the throne of grace and offer mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

In this episode, we gain a greater understanding of the sharp sword going out of our Lord's mouth, how He cuts through to the heart of the matter better than a honed, two-edged sword. Along the way, we learn of the differences between soul and spirit, thought and intent. 

Work to rest, what does this mean? In this episode, we take off from where we ended in Episode 5, the Red Sea and River Jordan crossings. We journey forward to a greater understanding of faith, the creative power of God in us when cease from our own works, and our ultimate rest when God has done His work.

In this episode, we break into the fourth chapter of Hebrews. What is the difference between faith and unbelief? The children of Israel crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, but an entire generation died in the wilderness before they crossed the River Jordan. Join us as we examine what these lessons mean for us today.

The second warning in Hebrews is to not come short of the promised rest. But what is the rest of God promised to the saint? Join us in this episode as we examine the promise of dwelling with God.

We need daily encouragement because our enemy thirsts for our blood every day! (Ps. 56:1-2) TODAY is the day we have to walk with the Lord. Join us as we examine the impact of our present decisions and our need to hold each other up every day.

In this episode, we examine the intentionality of faithfulness and unbelief and how we can turn from evil imaginations to the living God and be healed.

Welcome to Season 2! In this episode, we begin to wade into the second warning in the book of Hebrews: Do not come short of the promised rest. We look into the prophetic significance of the incident at Massah and what it teaches us about the presence of God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

In this episode, we look into the comparison of Jesus with Moses. In Moses' faithfulness as a servant, we gain unexpected insights into God's opinion of racism as well as the prophetic implications of the signs the Lord gave him in their encounter at the burning bush. Moses was a type of Christ. As I wrote in my book Love Everlasting: A Practical Theology of Time , "Moses will walk through the sea...

"Apostle" sounds like a wholly New Testament idea to our Christian ears. But is it? Our heavenly Father populated redemption's history with types of the Messiah to come. The role of apostle is throughout the Old Testament. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the truths of Jesus' apostolic mission and its transforming realities in our relationship to God.

To consider Jesus—to perceive him clearly, understand him full, and examine him closely—is the life's walk of the disciple of Christ. Hebrews 3:1 is packed with powerful insights about our relationship with the Apostle and High Priest of our confession. Join us in this episode as we unfold the dimensions of His imparted holiness to us and our holy calling.

The Son of God took hold of humanity to save it. He bypassed fallen angles and condescended in infinite mercy to die for mankind's sins to provide them with God's righteousness. In this episode, we examine several key terms used in the Greek text used in these verses and learn that Jesus runs to the cry of those being tempted to bring them aid.

Jesus delivered us from fear to boldness, from death to life, from slavery to freedom. He destroyed the devil through the cross and brings to us resurrection life. In this encouraging episode, learn of the blessing it is to be free in Christ.

In this episode we begin to delve into the importance and wonder of blood, our blood and His blood. Our redemption hinges on the Blood. Join us as we look into God's biotech of redemption and the Son's eternal commitment to be our Savior.

In this episode we learn about the Sanctifier's attitude toward the sanctified. Christ is not ashamed to call us His kin! Join us as we examine how we became holy ground.