THE TRUE STORY OF PAIN AND HOPE BEHIND “I HEARD THE BELLS ON CHRISTMAS DAY”

by

In March of 1863, 18-year-old Charles Appleton Longfellow walked out of his family’s house on Brattle Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and—unbeknownst to his family—boarded a train bound for Washington, D.C., traveling over 400 miles across the eastern seaboard in order to join President Lincoln’s Union army to fight in the Civil War. Charles (b. June 9, 1844) was the oldest of six children born to Fannie Elizabeth Appleton and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the celebrated literary critic and poet. Charles had five younger siblings: a brother (aged 17) and three sisters (ages 13, 10, 8—another one had died as an infant). Less …

Read more

The Simple Gospel

by

By David A. DePra What is the gospel? — what is the true good news of God? The good news is wrapped up in a PERSON – a Person, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The good news is that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to do for human beings what human beings could not do for themselves. And what was that? God sent Christ to deliver us all from sin through His death on the Cross, and He sent Christ to usher in a new creation through His resurrection.  He sent Christ to die and be raised so …

Read more

DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IN JESUS?

by

Have you ever really believed in Jesus Christ? I was talking to my five-year old son. He replied quickly, “Of course, dad.” “But have you ever really been saved? How do you really know you are saved?” He replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,.” He ripped off the words as fast as his little mouth could phrase them. It was a verse he had memorized, and he had heard it explained so many times. Perhaps you would have answered just as he did. “Of course I am saved. Of course I believe in Jesus …

Read more

How to Deal With Unforgiveness

by

Matthew 18:21-22 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. God’s Word clearly teaches that we’re to forgive those who hurt us. So let’s identify practical ways to confront the matter of unforgiveness head-on. You may want to keep this list in your Bible or some other handy place for easy review. Take it seriously. Unforgiveness is an issue that shouldn’t be dismissed. Assume full responsibility. …

Read more

One Mediator

by

For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Tim 2:5) A, “mediator,” is a proxy; one who connects two parties. Jesus Christ is the sole Mediator between the believer and God. If Christ is in us, then by His very presence in us, we are joined to both Him and the Father. Now, notice what this means: It means that there must NEVER be introduced anyone or anything into our relationship with God who acts as ANOTHER mediator. There are no mediators in addition to Christ – there is no one …

Read more

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING

by

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans5:8-11 KJV). The fourth verse of the classic Christmas carol highlights today’s Scripture. “Come, …

Read more

THE POWER WITHIN

by

Acts 1:8 (KJV) 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. God’s Spirit works in every believer. He doesn’t limit Himself to pastors and missionaries. If you’ve received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, then residing within you is the same great power that raised Christ from the dead. (See Rom. 8:11.) The Holy Spirit creates godly character in all who follow the Lord. The fruit of the …

Read more

The Heresy of The New Evangelicalism (AKA The Emerging Church)

by

DECEPTION Pastor, “Power, Prestige, and Wealth are all Yours if you just Tell Them  What They Want to Hear”      This is perhaps the most insidious of all the heretical deceptions to come upon biblical Christianity.  It is characterized by catering to the desires of the people. Instead of being inculcated with God’s Word and having our personal world view and behavior be patterned after God’s Word, the New Evangelicalism gives the people what they want.  One NT passage clearly predicts this reversal of worship of God to worshipping man. Romans 1:25 Who changed the truth of God into …

Read more

Consequences of Unforgiveness

by

It may feel natural to pull away from hurtful people, but Scripture tells us to pardon them    Hebrews 12:14-15 14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;   Scripture stresses the importance of pardoning those who have offended us. While it may feel natural to pull away from hurtful people, refusing to forgive has consequences far worse than the pain of being wronged. Unforgiveness … …

Read more

Jerusalem ✡ Biblical History – Most frequently mentioned City in Scripture ✡ ✡ By Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum.

by

a. First mentioned in relationship to Melchizedek – Genesis 14:18-20 b. Leader of the Anti-Gibeonite League – Joshua 10:1-5 c. King was killed by Joshua- Joshua 10:23; 12:10 d. Border between Judah and Benjamin – Joshua 15:8 e. Smitten and burned by Judah – Judges 1:8 f. Given to the Tribe of Benjamin -Joshua 18:28; I Chronicles 8:23, 3 g. Retained by the Jebusites – Joshua 15:63;Judges 1:21 h. The Levite and his concubine refused to stay here because it was Jebusite – Judges 19:10-13 i. Goliath’s head brought to Jerusalem – I Samuel 17:54 j. Made the capital of …

Read more