Edification in Christ

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Reflections   And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. (Eph. 4:11-12) To EDIFY in Christ is to BUILD UP in Christ. This speaks of ministry that serves as spiritual food for the forming of Christ in us. It is folly to think that this can somehow happen only on a group level. It cannot even begin to bring greater life on a corporate level unless it is first happening on an …

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“Martha was cumbered about much serving.”—Luke 10:40.

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HER fault was not that she served: the condition of a servant well becomes every Christian. “I serve,” should be the motto of all the princes of the royal family of heaven. Nor was it her fault that she had “much serving.” We cannot do too much. Let us do all that we possibly can; let head, and heart, and hands, be engaged in the Master’s service. It was no fault of hers that she was busy preparing a feast for the Master. Happy Martha, to have an opportunity of entertaining so blessed a guest; and happy, too, to have …

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“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler.”—Psalm 91:3.

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GOD delivers His people from the snare of the fowler in two senses. From, and out of. First, He delivers them from the snare—does not let them enter it; and secondly, if they should be caught therein, He delivers them out of it. The first promise is the most precious to some; the second is the best to others. “He shall deliver thee from the snare.” How? Trouble is often the means whereby God delivers us. God knows that our backsliding will soon end in our destruction, and He in mercy sends the rod. We say, “Lord, why is this?” …

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The Only Foundation

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Reflections From the Psalms If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? (Ps. 11:3) The foundation of Christianity, indeed, of our lives, is the Person of Jesus Christ. But not merely facts or doctrines about Him. As essential as those are, the foundation is the Living Christ who dwells IN US. Christ in us, the hope of glory, (Col. 1:27) is the essence of Christianity – indeed, Jesus Christ is supposed to BE our very life. (Col. 3:4) When Peter confessed to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” it was a watershed moment …

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We Will Rise!

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They say we are down, that we no longer matter. They tell us we are outdated, proclaiming ideas that went out with the past. The world turns its’ face from us, and society mocks us with every chance. They laugh at us, telling us that people no longer need us. They dig our grave, announcing our death. But we will rise!   They laugh as they watch us bicker, seeing our numbers fall. They listen to the sounds of those who claim to speak for us, those who seek to glorify their own name. The world places them on a …

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Reasons for a Gap between the Rapture and the Great Tribulation

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Scripture teaches that the Rapture is imminent – it could happen at any time.1 Many Bible teachers, however, assume that the Rapture will immediately precede the Great Tribulation (the final seven years of this age). But there are several reasons why a gap of time between the Rapture and the final seven year period is likely. Here are some: 1) After the Rapture there will be global chaos. If only 1000 people disappeared from a city there would be accidents and great turmoil. It would be the story of the century. But at the Rapture, millions of believers will be …

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From Here to Eternity

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Pete Garcia The Christian world is currently divided into two groups. There are those who suffer under the boot of physical persecution, and those who do not. Those currently experiencing persecution include Christians from the Middle and Far East, Africa, various Latin American countries, and those who live in western nations, but predominantly non-Christian communities. Then there are those countries who tolerate Christianity in varying forms, and in these communities, the persecution has not so much been physical, but ideological. It is a battle in the marketplace of ideas. Whereas Christians in persecution-prone areas are persecuted for nothing more than …

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“I have exalted one chosen out of the people.”—Psalm 89:19.

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WHY was Christ chosen out of the people? Speak, my heart, for heart-thoughts are best. Was it not that He might be able to be our brother, in the blest tie of kindred blood? Oh, what relationship there is between Christ and the believer! The believer can say, “I have a Brother in heaven; I may be poor, but I have a Brother who is rich, and is a King, and will He suffer me to want while He is on His throne? Oh, no! He loves me; He is my Brother.” Believer, wear this blessed thought, like a necklace …

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The End Times

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Reflections From the Psalms Help, Lord; for the godly man ceases; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbor: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak. (Ps. 12:1-2) In these last days, we are seeing the infiltration of the spirit of the enemy as never before. Among those who are not in Christ there is increasing violence, hatred, and lying. There is little restraint of evil. Indeed, more and more we are seeing the celebration of it. We might expect such things of the world. But …

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US Embassy Planners Arrive, Scouting Sites in Jerusalem

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The designated US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, owns an apartment in Talbieh but will also officially work from Jerusalem. By: Hana Levi Julian Published: January 22nd, 2017 Three “wise men” arrived Sunday in Jerusalem to begin scouting the “lay of the land” for possible locations in which to build a new U.S. Embassy. But according to a report posted by Israel’s Hebrew-language Channel 10 television news site, Trump administration officials at the White House were quick to dampen enthusiasm in Israel, pointing out that construction of a new embassy building can take approximately five years, at this point the …

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It Has Been Finished

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When the Lord Jesus Christ had borne all of the sin of all mankind on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished.” The original Greek for these three English words is one word, ‘tetelestai’, and is in a form which means, ‘it has been completely finished and will continue to be forever.’ And so, each day, by His grace, I stand, against all fear, feelings, unwanted thoughts, world events, condemnation, personal trouble, failure, etc., in this absolute fact that Jesus Christ has finished for all time and eternity everything necessary for my complete deliverance from this body of sin. …

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The Way of Escape

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Reflections From the Psalms In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? (Ps. 11:1) When we find ourselves in a situation that makes us unhappy, or one in which we are suffering, it is only natural to want to FLEE the situation. And there can be times when it is the will of God to remove oneself from a destructive situation. But there is one thing we cannot escape, no matter where we might flee: Ourselves. For, “The Lord trieth the righteous.” (Ps. 11:5) We may also be …

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The Great I AM

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By David A. DePra Nine times in the gospel of John Jesus says, “I am…….” These statements are familiar to most believers. He said: I am the Way. I am the Truth. I am the Life. I am the Resurrection. I am the True Vine. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Door. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Light. There are also numerous other, “I am….,” statements in scripture, such as, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” etc. Each of these statements point out a particular dimension of the nature and character of Jesus …

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