Rhonda Ballance

Like many others, the impotent man had been waiting for a wonder to be wrought, and a sign to be given. Wearily did he watch the pool, but no angel came, or came not for him; yet, thinking it to be his only chance, he waited still, and knew not that there was One near him whose word could heal him in a moment. Many are in the same plight: they are waiting for some singular emotion, remarkable impression, or celestial vision; they wait in vain and watch for nought. Even supposing that, in a few cases, remarkable signs are …

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Introduction The Holy Family With Angels Rembrandt Cir 1645 There are three main reasons Jesus Christ, the son of God and the second person of the Trinity, had to come onto the earth as a human being: Cleanse the sin from the Heavenly Tabernacle of God. Cleanse the sin from the earth. Fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant with the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom. Reason One The Cherubim have the most prominent role of all the created heavenly beings because: They are the closest to God in His heavenly throne room. They surround God in all His glory. They play a …

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Excerpted from: The Work of Christ: Past, Present and Future, A.C. Gaebelein (1913). And now let us consider His work on the cross and what has been accomplished by it. But who is able to speak worthily of this theme of all themes? Who can fathom the solemn yet blessed fact, the death of the Son of God on the cross? What tongue or pen can describe the sad, yet glorious truth, that the Just One died for the unjust, that Christ died for the ungodly! He who knew no sin was made sin for us! And what human mind …

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Exodus 14:23-15:22   23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He took off[a] their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.” 26 Then …

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Reflections You are…in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you…. and if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwells in you. (Rom. 8:9-11). In God’s Word, different terms are often used to refer to the same Truth. Such is the case in this passage. Paul is here …

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  Do you want a house for your soul? Do you ask, “What is the purchase?” It is something less than proud human nature will like to give. It is without money and without price. Ah! you would like to pay a respectable rent! You would love to do something to win Christ? Then you cannot have the house, for it is “without price.” Will you take my Master’s house on a lease for all eternity, with nothing to pay for it, nothing but the ground-rent of loving and serving him forever? Will you take Jesus and “dwell in him?” …

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Answer: The idea that power is inherent in prayer is a very popular one. According to the Bible, the power of prayer is, quite simply, the power of God, who hears and answers prayer. Consider the following: 1) The Lord God Almighty can do all things; there is nothing impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). 2) The Lord God Almighty invites His people to pray to Him. Prayer to God should be made persistently (Luke 18:1), with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), in faith (James 1:5), within the will of God (Matthew 6:10), for the glory of God (John 14:13-14), and from a …

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Jack Kinsella     One of the most hotly debated points of doctrine (apart from the timing of the Rapture) among Christians of different denominations is the question of eternal security. Specifically, can a believer who was saved fall away and lose his salvation? Is there an unforgiveable sin for which a believer can be condemned? Those who would argue yes are just as sincere in their doctrinal view as those who take the other side, and both sides have Scripture to support their view. I thought it might be good to take a look at the Scriptures used by …

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The Yellow Pages Note: “The Wailing Wall, Jerusalem” is a painting by Carl Friedrich Werner (1808-1894). The painting was done in 1863. Werner was a German watercolor painter. Notice that at the time of this painting, there was no division at the wall between men and woman, as there is today. One of my spiritual mentors when I was in my 20s was a great man of God named Carl Ketcherside (1908-1989). I heard him in a question and answer session one time when he was asked, “What do you think is the greatest evidence that the Bible came from …

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Dr. Andy Woods Sugar Land Bible Church Lordship Salvation is the idea that an unbeliever must commit all areas of his life to Christ as a condition for being saved. Another way of articulating Lordship Salvation is, “if Jesus is not Lord of all then He is not Lord at all.” Lordship Salvation began to significantly enter the American evangelical community in the 1980’s through the ministries of various prominent theologians and pastors. The movement began with the well-intentioned concern to address too much carnality in the Christian world. However, the proposed solution to this legitimate concern was to increase …

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Reflections You are from beneath; I am from above: you are of this world; I am not of this world. (John 8:23) Jesus told Nicodemus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit….You must be born again.” (John 3:6) All who are born in Adam are born of the flesh. In Adam, flesh is all we can ever be – and all that is built into the flesh is all we can ever possess. In fact, all that we are in Adam was permanently ruined through the sin of …

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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 …

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  What a sweet title: “My people!” What a cheering revelation: “Their God!” How much of meaning is couched in those two words, “My people!” Here is speciality. The whole world is God’s; the heaven, even the heaven of heavens is the Lord’s, and he reigneth among the children of men; but of those whom he hath chosen, whom he hath purchased to himself, he saith what he saith not of others–“My people.” In this word there is the idea of proprietorship. In a special manner the “Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” All …

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