Day: March 5, 2017
Special Report: The ‘Defeated’ Christian
Jack Kinsella You’ve all seen him. The defeated Christian. The guy who tries and tries, but after being saved for thirty years, he still hasn’t quit smoking. Instead, he hides his cigarettes before coming to church and won’t get too close when shaking your hand for fear you’ll smell the smoke on him. Or the Christian who you know is saved, but he just can’t quite give up the bottle. Or the Christian who got saved, but doesn’t go to church, because he just doesn’t think he fits in with the rest of the crowd? Or won’t go because he …
By Grace Through Faith
Reflections For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them. (Eph. 2:8-10) The relationship between grace, faith, and our works, is given in this passage. In short, we are saved BY grace, THROUGH faith, UNTO good works. If we alter this relationship we are in danger of creating a false gospel; a false Christianity. It is a fact …
“Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.” Psalm 35:3
What does this sweet prayer teach me? It shall be my evening’s petition; but first let it yield me an instructive meditation. The text informs me first of all that David had his doubts; for why should he pray, “Say unto my soul, I am thy salvation,” if he were not sometimes exercised with doubts and fears? Let me, then, be of good cheer, for I am not the only saint who has to complain of weakness of faith. If David doubted, I need not conclude that I am no Christian because I have doubts. The text reminds me that …
God Is Sovereign Over Delays
Waiting frustrates us because we are not in control. But our God uses delays to teach us patience Proverbs 16:9 “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” No one likes to wait, but have you ever wondered why? Perhaps it’s because delays show us that we are not in control. Someone or something else is calling the shots. Although we may be able to identify the immediate cause—like a traffic light or the long checkout line—ultimately the One who controls all our delays is the Lord. Since He is sovereign over everything in heaven and …
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF JESUS
“Jesus shed His blood for you”—it’s not just a powerful statement; it’s a message woven throughout God’s Word 1 Peter 1:17-21 17 And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the …
32 Campaign of Armageddon Pt I
In message 32 of the book of Zechariah we enter the fourteenth chapter which describes in graphic detail the return of the Lord Jesus and the establishment of His Kingdom on the earth. In this chapter He triumphantly takes back the world from the enemy Satan and established His Messianic Kingdom. The term day of the Lord in Hebrew is yom-ba’ leyahweh or “a day is coming-the Lord’s.” “The Day of The Lord” refers to the tribulation (Revelation 6:1-19:16) wherein God takes His vengeance on the earth. This period of time for our earth will see the rise of Antichrist, the establishment of his world headquarters in Babylon and a persecution of the nation Israel that will eliminate 2/3 rds. of them. It includes His return at the end of the tribulation wherein He displays His power to end Satan’s and wicked men’s seizing of the earth. It also includes the time period immediately following that where He sets up His earthly 1,000 year Messianic Kingdom. The last clause of verse one shows a desperate situation for Jerusalem when it is completely plundered by the victorious Antichrist’s allied armies as they invade the state of Israel. The soldiers plunder Jerusalem including raping the women and taking fifty percent of the population as prisoners of war. This is the high point or the worst of the worst of the Tribulation, which the prophet Jeremiah referred to as “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” Jacob’s name of course was changed to Israel so it actually means the worst corrective/punishment time for the Jews since they were chosen by God to bring His oracles and the Messiah.
