Biblical Teachings

The story of the Virgin Birth, sinless life and blameless death of Jesus Christ, an itinerant Jewish preacher from the Judean village of Nazareth is often and rightly called “the Greatest Story Ever Told.” What makes it great is its theme. A Child born to a young Jewish virgin and (as was supposed) a Jewish laborer of low estate Whose birth is announced by angels. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) The Child is the Son of God, come to bear the sins of the …

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Communicating Old Testament Prophecy December 31, 2016 dr_woodhead The New Testament frequently realizes fulfillments of Old Testament prophetic passages in various manners. Some have stated that there are in excess of six hundred allusions and quotations in the New Testament from the Old Testament. Others have alluded to the book of Revelation as having that many all by itself. Prophecy is obviously a significant component of the New Testament. Therefore, it is important for a correct reading of the New Testament to understand this issue so you can accurately assimilate the message that God is communicating. Without an appropriate understanding of …

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  “The love of God which the gospel publishes, and the sufferings of Christ for sinners, ought to melt the hardest heart and cause every hearer fervently to cry, “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.” This message of glad tidings proclaims peace. It tells of deliverance from condemnation, and promises eternal life to all who receive it. Yet the fact remains that the great majority of those who hear it are scarcely affected and obtain no lasting advantage to their souls; and that perplexes many Christians. But the total depravity of man fully explains that lamentable state. In …

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  “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…” (Philippians 2:9,10a KJV).   Let us praise the 2015 Person of the Year—our Lord Jesus Christ! Society’s most stressful time of year, the Christmas Season, is winding down. The year 2016 is nearly over, and a new year, 2017, will dawn soon. At this time every year, various groups and publications feature their particular choice for “Person of the Year.” Whether a chief of state, a philanthropist, a religious leader, a distinguished …

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Reflections There was a man who had fought in WWII and had, by his own admission, committed a number of terrible atrocities. He had killed women and children, etc. He was haunted by what he had done. But at a Bible study, when the subject of salvation came up, he said, “I could never be saved. My sins are too great.” There was a mixed reaction from the people who were there. Some told him that his sins were not as great as he thought. Others rightly told him that it didn’t matter how great his sins were, that Jesus …

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Gracethrufaith Question of the Day: Q. Thanks for such a wonderful opportunity to ask Bible-based questions. I so appreciate it! I have a friend who says salvation is based on “steps.” When I questioned her further, she said that means accepting Christ as her Savior, getting baptized, and being obedient. This is obviously against the Scriptures which clearly teaches trusting Christ as your Savior is the only way to Salvation. How can I best present this to her besides the usual John 3:16 or Ephesians 2:8,9 because she seems to know all the basic Scriptures, studies God’s Word daily, yet …

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Paul knew his time was short and made the most of his remaining days on earth. Luke 12:15-21 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and …

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Psalm 124 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say; 2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us: 4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul: 5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul. 6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth. 7 Our soul is escaped as a bird …

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The Drudge Report headline read, “OBAMA BACKSTABS ISRAEL.” The New York Post titled their editorial on the subject, “Obama’s appalling UN betrayal.” It happened on the Friday afternoon before a Sunday Christmas. The United States allowed passage of a UN Security Council resolution that condemned Israel’s settlements and, in effect, proclaimed that every bit of land beyond the 1967 borders already belongs to the Palestinians. That includes East Jerusalem with the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall. The original resolution had been sponsored by Egypt and scheduled for a vote on Thursday the 22nd. But a phone call from President-elect …

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The New Testament frequently realizes fulfillments of Old Testament prophetic passages in various manners. Some have stated that there are in excess of six hundred allusions and quotations in the New Testament from the Old Testament. Others have alluded to the book of Revelation as having that many all by itself. Prophecy is obviously a significant component of the New Testament. Therefore, it is important for a correct reading of the New Testament to understand this issue so you can accurately assimilate the message that God is communicating. Without an appropriate understanding of the proper reading of God’s Word, it …

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2 Timothy 4:6-8 6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. Our culture desperately tries to postpone death. Vitamins, exercise, and diet are ways we attempt to live as long as possible. Not that these …

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Look at David’s Lord and Master; see his beginning. He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Would you see the end? He sits at his Father’s right hand, expecting until his enemies be made his footstool. “As he is, so are we also in this world.” You must bear the cross, or you shall never wear the crown; you must wade through the mire, or you shall never walk the golden pavement. Cheer up, then, poor Christian. “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.” See that creeping worm, …

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Obedience is about discovering more of God, not avoiding negative consequences Isaiah 50:4-10 (KJV) 4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5 The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. …

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