Year: 2017

And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Rom. 8:10) This is another way of describing the separation in each believer between the new creature in Christ and all that remains outside of that new creation — and remains carnal. When we are saved, we are planted into His death – and we find that our body of sin is dead because of His death for our sin. We are also planted into His resurrection, and this joining of our spirit with Christ makes us alive with …

Read more

Reflections But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (2 Cor 4:7) This is another picture of, “Christ in us, the hope of glory.” (Col. 1:27) But it is a picture that stresses the distinction between ourselves and Christ. He is the Treasure and we are the earthen vessel. We will never be the Treasure. Indeed, even while Christ is in us, and we are one with Him in spirit, He remains distinct. He carries all of the value. We are privileged to receive and experience …

Read more

By Joe Southerland The Greek word, nikao only appears 24 times in the Bible. Of those few uses, the apostle John selected the emphatic and powerful word nikao twenty one times to weave a biblical golden thread linking the centrality of Christ with the dramatic struggles during the most pivotal end times events. Nikao means to literally or figuratively conquer, prevail, get the victory or overcome. In the KJV Bible, the most common translation of the word is “overcome.” The Greek verb nikao, from the root noun nike (victory) appears only once in the New Testament, but we shall include …

Read more

That no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord. (1 Cor. 1:29-31) Passages like this one are intended by God to show us that Christianity is not a matter of us being made to look like Jesus. Rather, it is a matter of us being crucified so that the Christ who is in us might be seen. God does not make us, or give …

Read more

“And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink” (Acts 9:8,9 KJV). A blind man… who can see! Saul of Tarsus, filled with religious pride and hatred, eager to persecute Messianic Jews, was heading toward Damascus. A bright light from heaven suddenly shown about him; he said many years later in Acts 22:11, “I could not see for the glory of that light.” That light was “above the …

Read more

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (I Pet. 5:11) Jesus Christ, through His Redemption, has won every victory that there is to win, including victory over the ultimate enemy, death. Thus, Jesus Christ has been given all dominion – over all things. This reveals to us the Truth about any possible victory that we could experience in the Christian life: In order to OVERCOME the enemy, we must COME UNDER Jesus Christ as Lord. In short, we have to surrender to the winning side. When we, “humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God,” we …

Read more

Reflections From the Psalms Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’ sake. (Ps. 6:2-4) When we are brought to the end of our rope, and come to a complete despair over ourselves, it is not because God has forsaken us. Rather, it is because God is showing us the Truth: There is no hope in ourselves. Indeed, left to ourselves, we would indeed have …

Read more

Reflections I beseech you, brethren, because of the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom. 12:1) There is no other place God will bring us if we want to walk in the Truth and come into the fullness of Jesus Christ except what is described in Romans 12:1. However, you will note that the tone is not morbid or depressing. Rather, it is positive — Paul’s appeal is, “because of the mercies of God,” and not because of some threat of punishment if we …

Read more

In this passage of Scripture God Tells the Jews through the prophet Ezekiel that He has had enough of their sins. He goes on to tell them that doom is coming upon Jerusalem and all the land of Israel. Seeing how God only tolerates sin in a nation for so long before He brings judgment, we must ask: Can America’s judgment be coming soon? Ezekiel Told To Alert The Idolaters to What is Coming Massacre of the Innocents by Peter Paul Rubens 1610 Ezekiel 6:11 11Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Smite with thy hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, …

Read more

When God is Silent One of the most difficult seasons in the life of a Christian is when God seems SILENT. And the fact is, those seasons when God seems silent are usually when we think we need Him to speak the most. God is usually silent to us when we are in a trial. Indeed, I have found that the silence of God, and my inability to understand Him can, in itself, become a greater trial than any circumstances. Actually, what I am describing is THE TRIAL OF FAITH. A trial of faith, when everything is said and done, …

Read more

I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them as dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness…but the righteousness which is of God by faith. (Phil. 3:8-9) Paul is not here describing a doctrinal shift in his life. Neither is he describing a religious hoop through which he jumped to please God. He is describing what happened to him when he encountered Jesus Christ. He saw the TRUTH about his own righteousness – and thus, he counted it as dung. He found that Christ was the only true …

Read more

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum Ariel Ministries Two passages make the point that the Messiah is also, in some way, the Son of God. 1. PSALM 2 The first of these is Psalm 2, which deals primarily with the Kingship of the Messiah, but which also brings out the Messiah’s Sonship with God. The twelve verses of the Psalm read as follows: Why do the nations [Gentiles] rage, And the peoples meditate a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against Jehovah, and against his anointed [Messiah], saying, Let us break their bonds asunder, …

Read more

Why study Bible prophecy? Well, I could start this article off by saying that around 27% percent of your Bible is prophetic. Or I could start off by saying that almost every book in the Bible contains prophecy. Or I could start by saying that out of the 300 or so prophecies concerning Christ’s first coming, they all were fulfilled literally and perfectly. But you already know all this since many of you read the OL simply because you are passionate about God and His prophetic word. Studying the prophetic word is to study the deeper things of God. If …

Read more

Reflections For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Titus 2:11-13) If we have seen the Truth of grace, and embraced it through Christ, as the basis of our life, what will be carried in that Truth? What will the grace of God teach or reveal to us? Not that we are free to sin because grace abounds. …

Read more