How do we tie a war to Israel and the end times? Is the current war related to the end times, and is the antichrist figure about to appear? This article is written with the 2023 war in Gaza uppermost in our minds. The newspaper headlines about war in the Middle East will come and go, but the details in the Word of God will remain faithful to show us the truth.
Let’s turn to Zechariah 12-14, which talks about war with Israel from a unique perspective.
Continue reading. My pain and loss echoes His own pain over our broken love relationship, for my sin separated me from God. I confess to hurting Him.
. I confess that it was my fault and my sin alone that understandably drove Him from me.
. I acknowledge that I still love Him more than my sin.
. I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I feel terrible over how I could chose momentary sin over a life with Him.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal”
1 Cor. 13:1
If I don’t love the person when I speak to them, such as when using a gift of tongues, prophecy, or teaching, it doesn’t profit me or my hearers. Though I learn various languages, if I don’t really care about the person who’s listening, then it’s all noise and thunder that can’t steer people to Jesus.
Love uses words, but sometimes its actions speaks louder than words. Being patient and kind, seeking the good of another, not embarrassing people, being merciful (1 Cor. 13:4)–these actions are profitable because God is love. God moves through us when we love others. These actions and attitudes point people to the reality of God in your own life. It shows how the Spirit has changed you to be like the person who loves you.
Continue reading“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it” (Mark 8:35).
Jesus has a cool way with words. In this verse, He is looking at “life,” “save,” and “lose” from two different perspectives. In the first part, your life represents the “me first” period before you became a child of God. We want to preserve, or save, everything about this life that we are comfortable with. We love to put ourselves first. When we agree with the world when it tells us that wealth, fame, and indulgence make life enjoyable, then we’ll tend to “save” this life. But if we do, Jesus warns us, we will lose what we cherish, with nothing to gain from it. No rewards accrue in the life to come for this pursuit of self.
Continue readingGod’s names throughout the Scriptures reveal His character and what He stands for. The more we hallow, or respect, His name, the more we will be delivered and be like Him. And how does that happen?
It happens when the sinner discovers that God is a “Savior.” When the estranged find in Him a “Father” to the fatherless. When the anxious learn of the “Prince of Peace.” Then the name is profoundly respected, the person of God is revered, and the heart of the believer is changed by the encounter.
Continue readingWe who are involved in the work of the Lord can fall into the terrible sin of pride. This was not a problem limited to the Pharisees. It is not a religious problem but a human being problem, because hypocrisy appears everywhere people do, not just in religious institutions.
The prideful try to make themselves a cut above, often by elevating themselves above others. The Pharisees prayed in public to gain the admiration of men (Matt. 23:5). They wore larger sleeves (phylacteries) to stand out among their peers. The proud are motivated to promote themselves, to gain recognition, in all that they do.
Continue readingAn increasing number of stores are rejecting cash for digital-only payments. Obviously, this applies to online stores and businesses. The use of credit cards and the rise of Apple Pay and Google Pay in stores and restaurants is slowly working toward the cashless society prophesied in the Bible.
Continue readingThen Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
The Word of God contains words inspired by God and it is His vehicle to help us understand His Son, and His ways, and our place in His plans for the everlasting kingdom. Let’s dissect the above passage carefully for their meaning.
Note who the speaker is. It is “Jesus” the Christ, the Son of God made flesh, and who makes covenants with His people, of law then of grace. He is the express image of God, so to see His life is to know the person of the living God. He is the King of kings, and to Him all humanity will bend the knew as Lord and Ruler of all. He is the Creator, the one who made the worlds, who said, “Let there be light,” and light shined at His word.
Continue readingMany words have been inked about the Son of God becoming a human being in the Christmas story. However, I seldom read of one aspect of the story, one important reason that’s left unmentioned, of why Jesus had to be born a human male.
Yes, He came to die for our sins, be buried, and rise from the dead, saving us from the wrath to come and giving us hope. Yes, He came to fulfill prophecy. He came to set up His kingdom. To reveal what God is really like and be our example to follow. The break the power of sin and the devil. To offer salvation by grace through faith for all. All of these blessed reasons are true and not to be taken lightly.
Continue readingSome of the most enduring hymns contain a treasure-trove of scripture framing the whole. So it is with There’s a Song in the Air. It was written by Josiah G. Holland in the 1800s.
There’s a song in the air! There’s a star in the sky!
There’s a mother’s deep prayer and a Baby’s low cry!
A star, a song, a prayer, and a cry. The star was a promise from above that this Baby would be the Savior. The angels’ song points to God’s purpose of peace with mankind through this Savior, as foreshadowed by the deep prayer and answering cry.
Continue reading
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