Rhonda Ballance

SCROOGES AND CHRISTIANS

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“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV). To the old identity, we say, “Bah, Humbug!” To the new, we say, “God has blessed us, everyone in Christ.” Other than Jesus Christ’s conception and birth as found in the Holy Bible, there is one other classic story associated with Christmastime. British author Charles Dickens’ 1843 book, A Christmas Carol, focuses on the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge (the novella has some Christian influence). From the onset, Scrooge is a wealthy, miserable, mean, …

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Joseph The Dreamer

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Joseph’s Place in the Family – The Dreamer Genesis 37: 2-4 2These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives: and Joseph brought the evil report of them unto their father. 3Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. 4And his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren; …

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How is salvation a gift from God?

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When the Bible speaks of salvation as a gift from God, it emphasizes the fact that salvation is something given freely by Him rather than something we earn. Ephesians 2:8-9 contrasts salvation as a gift from God with human efforts when it teaches, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Other places in Scripture mention salvation as a gift as well. Romans 5:15 shares, “But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence …

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Netanyahu scores diplomatic home run in Iran’s backyard

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12/15/2016 Israel’s prime minister has completed a landmark visit to two of the world’s wealthiest Muslim nations. You wouldn’t know it from the front pages of newspapers in Israel, but its prime minister has completed a landmark visit to two of the world’s wealthiest Muslim nations. Largely eclipsed in the Israeli media by sexual harassment scandals, the Knesset dress code and the impending evacuation of Amona, Binyamin Netanyahu’s state visit this week to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan nonetheless represents a diplomatic coup against Iran. It also underlines Israel’s ability in recent years to punch holes in the former taboo in the …

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Will Netanyahu’s visits to Muslim countries bring Israel’s secret ties out of the closet?

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Azerbaijan, located in the Caucasus region, and Kazakhstan, in Central Asia, are Muslim republics. Friendly relations with both of them, and especially the strategic alliance with Azerbaijan, should not be taken for granted.  The short but productive visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan had two purposes. One was to improve the bilateral relations between Israel and the two nations. This is a goal that was achieved by emphasizing the strong military, oil and general trade ties and reaching understandings to enhance them in the future in the fields of agriculture, hi-tech and medicine. Azerbaijan has been …

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AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST By Fred Trokie

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Psalm 103:12 tells us: As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. SO JUST HOW FAR IS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST? Envision a globe of the world if you would, and place your index finger on the North Pole. Now move your finger vertically downward. Which direction are you going in? Your moving your finger in a southward direction. Now if you keep going south eventually you meet up with the South Pole, and if you keep going in the same direction, you’ll soon notice that you are …

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Amona Rejects Deal With Government, Forcing Bibi’s Hand

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Orit ben Tzvi December 15, 2016 Whether or not the government raises Amona is yet to be seen, but one thing is clear, the village’s residents understand that their mission is not personal but one that is national. The residents of Amona rejected the deal forged between Bibi Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett last week in which the Regulation Law will be passed on the back of Amona’s destruction.  The government wants the country to believe that they offered the residents of Amona an amazing deal where they would be moved 100 meters and stay on the hillside. Yet, that is not …

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Russia: Loss of Iranian nuclear deal would be ‘unforgivable’

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12/15/2016 Russian ministry also says it was disappointed by plans by the US to extend its Iran Sanctions Act by 10 years.  MOSCOW – It would be unforgivable if a deal over Iran’s nuclear program was lost, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported. The ministry also said it was disappointed by plans by the United States to extend its Iran Sanctions Act by 10 years. Meanwhile on Thursday, the White House said the bill extending US sanctions against Iran for 10 years will become law without President Barack Obama’s signature, but will not affect implementation …

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“The bow shall be seen in the cloud.” Genesis 9:14

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The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, is typical of our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord’s witness to the people. When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner’s conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin, and mourneth and lamenteth before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and betokening peace. To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet …

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I AM (From Eternity Past)

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by Shawn Brasseaux God is too transcendent for our puny minds to understand. What He has revealed about Himself in His Word is still beyond our comprehension. We are not expected to fully understand God and His ways of doing things and why He does them in the manner in which He does. However, we are expected to believe what He tells us, no matter how bizarre or impossible it may seem to us. In this Bible study, we will examine the Bible to answer the questions—Who is Jesus anyway, and when did He come about? Where did Jesus come …

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“Grace”

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2 Corinthians 12:9 – And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   My heart is so proud. My mind is so unfocused. I see the things You do through me as great things I have done. And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me And hold me as my father and mold me as my maker. I ask you: “How many times will you pick me …

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The Crossroads

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Reflections God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son – so that we might live and not perish. (see John 3:16) Everything that God does is motivated by love – unto His eternal purposes in Christ. Indeed, Paul said, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31) There is nothing negative about God. He desires that all men be saved and come into the knowledge of the Truth. (I Tim. 2:4) In short, God is a redemptive God. That is His nature. He is the God of ALL GRACE. This is the …

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Christmas Story: For the Man Who Hated Christmas

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By Nancy W. Gavin It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else. Knowing he felt …

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