The Only Solution for Sin

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Reflections The solution for sin is not to muster up your strength and to try and try to start obeying. You cannot start obeying. That is the problem. Rather, the solution for sin is to start believing – to begin putting our reliance upon the One in whom is the power of the resurrection. Then, as God gives grace and Truth, you may start obeying by faith. There is this idea among Christians that God will somehow give us a THING called power, or give us a stronger will. God gives us Christ. We need a stronger faith in HIM. …

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The Fence :

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There once was a young boy with a very bad temper. The boy’s father wanted to teach him a lesson, so he gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper he must hammer a nail into their wooden fence. On the first day of this lesson, the little boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. He was really mad! Over the course of the next few weeks, the little boy began to control his temper, so the number of nails that were hammered into the fence dramatically decreased. It wasn’t long …

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A CHRISTMAS STORY TO REMEMBER

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It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn’t been enough money to buy me the rifle that I’d wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be …

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Messiah’s First Appearance Was Prophecied

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Messiah’s First Appearance Was Prophecied Zechariah 9:9 9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt the foal of an ass (ASV 1901).  This text is one of the most Messianic and significant passages in the entire Bible. Both Jewish and Christian Bible students commonly apply it this way. Judaism sees in it a basis for a royal single messianic appearance, whereas the New Testament and Christianity see a prophecy of the triumphal entry of Jesus …

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Question: “What is the conviction of sin?”

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Answer: The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin (John 16:8). To help us understand what the conviction of sin is, we can look at what it is not. First, it is not simply a guilty conscience or even shame over sin. Such feelings are naturally experienced by almost everyone. But this is not true conviction of sin. Second, conviction of sin is not a sense of trepidation or a foreboding of divine punishment. These feelings, too, are commonly experienced in the hearts and minds of sinners. But, again, true conviction of sin is …

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“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9

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Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice privileges. 1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an …

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“I remember thee.” Jeremiah 2:2

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Let us note that Christ delights to think upon his Church, and to look upon her beauty. As the bird returneth often to its nest, and as the wayfarer hastens to his home, so doth the mind continually pursue the object of its choice. We cannot look too often upon that face which we love; we desire always to have our precious things in our sight. It is even so with our Lord Jesus. From all eternity “His delights were with the sons of men;” his thoughts rolled onward to the time when his elect should be born into the …

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Recognizing God’s Open Doors

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Suffering in our life can be an opportunity for unbelievers to witness God at work in us. Acts 16:16-34 16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: 17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name …

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GOD’S PERFECT TIMING

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“But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons” (Galatians 4:4,5 KJV). As today’s Scripture indicates, the birth of Jesus Christ was no accident—God planned its exact moment from eternity past. When God placed the first man, Adam, on earth, He purposed that man would “subdue [control] it,” to “have dominion” over it and everything on it (Genesis 1:28). Nevertheless, Adam sinned by joining Satan in his rebellion against God. Because …

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A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

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God wants a relationship with you—and paid a high price for it. 1 John 4:7-10 (KJV) 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be …

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Walking in Circles

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Reflections See, I have given into your hand Jericho….and you shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days. And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times. (Josh. 6:2-4) Jericho was the FIRST city taken by Israel upon entering the promised land by faith. As the FIRST – it stands as God’s template. Israel took this city without a shot being fired. It was all God. They were simply along for …

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Names of Jesus: The Redeemer

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A Bible Study by Jack Kelley Jesus had to be God to forgive our sins, but He had to be human to redeem us. “…our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:13b-14) The Messianic title Kinsman Redeemer originated from the Law specifying that only a close kinsman could redeem a person or his property (Lev. 25). Only with God as His father and Mary as His mother (Luke 1:31-32) could …

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“Before the Holy Spirit fixes the heart of a sinner upon Christ He first quickens him into newness of life (Ephesians 2:1-6)

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There must be life before there can be sight, believing, or good works performed. One who is physically dead is incapable of doing anything; so he who is spiritually dead is incapable of any spiritual exercises. First the giving of life unto dead Lazarus, then the removing of the grave-clothes which bound him hand and foot. God must regenerate before there can be a “new creature in Christ Jesus.” The washing of a child follows birth.” ~ Arthur Pink, “Practical Christianity”