Tag: Bible Study

Bible Verses about the Antichrist

#1) The Antichrist will come in his own name and be accepted –

John 5:43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.

In this verse Jesus told the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day, that although they rejected him, someone else would come in his OWN name and be accepted.

The Antichrist will not only arrive on the scene having already achieved worldwide fame, thus coming in his own name, but he will be widely beloved throughout Israel.

And in a dual fulfillment of this verse, many Christian religious leaders will also accept the Antichrist as being chosen by God and even tout him as savior.

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#2) The Antichrist has the mouth of a lion –

Revelation 13:2 Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority.

This verse is reinforced by Daniel 7:4, The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it, and the meaning is that the Antichrist will roar like a lion, letting everyone know that HE is the king of the beasts. The mouth of the Antichrist is one of his definitive qualities, and just like a lion, it is used to assert his dominance and defend his territory.

In an ironic twist to this prophecy being fulfilled, 1 Peter 5:8 describes Satan as a lion walking about seeking someone to devour.

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#3) The Antichrist is arrogant, and magnifies himself above others –

Daniel 8:25 “Through his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his [m]rule;
And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be broken without human [n]means.

This verse is reinforced by Daniel 11:36, “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done,

and both of these verses talk about the Antichrist as being extremely arrogant; someone who is filled with excessive pride about himself, and utter contempt for others.

His arrogance will be on full display whenever he speaks. He will denigrate others in order to elevate himself, and he will view himself as superior to those around him.

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#4) The Antichrist is extremely boastful –

Daniel 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.

Revelation 13:5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to [c]continue for forty-two months. 

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#5) The Antichrist will throw truth to the ground –

Daniel 8:12 Because of transgression, an army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered.

The meaning of Daniel 8:12 isn’t just that the Antichrist will be a liar, but that truth itself holds no value to him. He casts it to the ground as if it was worthless or irrelevant.

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#6) The Antichrist will deny the Father and the Son –

1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.

By asking who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ, this verse is not only telling us that the Antichrist will deny the Father and the Son, but that he will do so not out of ignorance, but because he rejects the truth. He is a liar. He will KNOW that Jesus is our savior, but will deny him anyway.

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#7) The Antichrist will be a vile person –

Daniel 11:21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

Contrary to the popular belief that the Antichrist will be well-liked and charismatic, the bible says he is actually to be a vile person. Vile is defined as lacking class or decency. He’s simply repulsive – a sordid, crass, vulgar and despicable person.

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#8) The Antichrist will honor the god of forces –

Daniel 11:38 But in their place he shall honor a god of fortresses; and a god which his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant things. 

Revelation 9:11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is [c]Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name [d]Apollyon.

This verse is telling us that the Antichrist, in his estate, shall honor the god of forces with gold, silver, precious stones and pleasant things. God of forces is translated as god of fortresses in versions other than the King James. So who is this god of forces? It’s a name we all know well.

During the 5th century BC, Apollo became known as the sun god, the symbol of which was often used in ancient battles to represent the god of forces. Apollo is also a derivative of the name Apollyon, who we see referenced in Revelation 9:11.

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#9) The Antichrist is connected to gold –

Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

This famous verse about the number 666 is actually pointing us to another figure in the bible, and that figure is King Solomon. The reason it does so is because when Solomon was older he became a type of antichrist as his heart turned away from the Lord and toward pagan gods.

King Solomon was obsessed with gold, having hundreds of shields made out of hammered gold, all of his drinking vessels made out of gold, and to directly connect the number 666 in Revelation to Solomon, we read that he received 666 talents of gold in one year.

All of the pagan gods that Solomon worshiped in his later years are themselves variations of and subservient to the one pagan god that nearly every culture in history has placed above the others: the sun god. And over and over again the sun god is symbolized by one specific thing: gold.

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#10) The Antichrist is called the Little Horn –

Daniel 7:8 I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking [c]pompous words.

One of the more descriptive names given to the Antichrist is the “Little Horn”, which we read about in the book of Daniel. This is a reference to a shofar, which is literally a little horn, being made from the horn of a small animal, usually a ram. The shofar was an early version of our modern trumpet.

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#11) The Antichrist has a covenant with many –

Daniel 9:27 Then he shall confirm a [k]covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the [l]desolate.”

One of the more well-known prophecies involving the Antichrist is that he will put together a 7 year agreement between Israel and her neighbors, referred to as the covenant with many (perhaps even worldwide – peace treaty). Halfway through those 7 years the Antichrist will break the agreement, and enter the 3rd temple.

Incidentally, some teach that Daniel 9:27 is a reference to Jesus, but that is impossible because its covenant lasts for only one week, whereas the New Covenant is everlasting. So the fact that the covenant with many lasts only one week is telling us that it’s the false covenant from the Antichrist.

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#12) The Antichrist will disguise himself as an angel of light –

2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

For those who believe the Antichrist will be Islamic or an atheist or clearly anti-Christian, the bible says to expect just the opposite. As one of Satan’s ministers, he will in fact be transformed into or disguised as an angel of light.

Thus, rather than being clearly anti-Christian – the bible is teaching us that we should expect the final Antichrist to come on the scene as a strong supporter of Christianity and of Israel. He will masquerade himself as a force for good, and as a defender of Christian values.

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#13) The Antichrist will love money as it’s the root of all kinds of evil –

1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

It’s noteworthy that the Bible doesn’t make such a proclamation about any other sin as being at the root of all kinds of evil. Not murder, not lying, not stealing, not lust, nor anything else. It’s specifically the love of MONEY that’s referred to as the root of all kinds of evil.

This love of money can best be defined as greed – an overwhelming desire to possess more than what we need, especially with respect to material wealth. This greed for money is the root cause of so much sin, and there’s a specific reason why.

You see, the love of money, and all that money brings, is at its heart, a desire for the things of this world. And because of that, the love of money is describing the predominant character trait of the Antichrist. He is all about loving money and possessing the things of this world.

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#14) The Antichrist is revealed by the falling away –

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

A remarkable and yet often overlooked meaning behind this verse is that the “falling away” – or those that leave the faith – will be tied in with the revealing of the man of sin. In other words, these two events are related, as those who fall away from the faith will fall TOWARDS the man of sin.

Thus, it is the falling away that reveals the Antichrist, as we simply need to look at those who have fallen away from the faith and see WHO they are gravitating towards. It’s not simply a falling away for the sake of leaving the faith, but a falling away FROM Jesus Christ and TOWARDS the Antichrist.

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#15) The Antichrist has the ultimate ego to call himself God –

2 Thessalonians 2:4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits [c]as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

In this remarkable verse, we are told that the Antichrist will be so full of himself, will magnify himself in his heart to such a degree, and will possess such an out of control ego, that he will actually proclaim himself to be God.

Perhaps this proclamation will come in the form of announcing that he is the savior of the world, since after all, the Antichrist is not only anti-Jesus Christ, but he also looks to replace Jesus Christ.

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 #16) The Antichrist is named the Man of Sin –

2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of [b]sin is revealed, the son of perdition,

In this verse we find the Antichrist referred to as the Man of Sin, or to put it another way, sin incarnate. The sins that the Bible refer to over and over again are those are related to vanity, to dishonesty, to lust, to greed, to envy, and to wrath.

The Antichrist will not only live an extremely sinful life by the Bible’s standard, but he will actually brag about his lust, his greed, his desire for vengeance.

The Antichrist will not only be an extraordinarily sinful man, he will even take pride in his sinning. He will seemingly view his character flaws as badges of honor, as if each sin of the Bible were on his personal bucket list waiting to be checked off.

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#17) The Antichrist is named the Lawless One –

2 Thessalonians 2:8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 

In this verse the Antichrist is described as not being constrained by ANY law, whether the laws of man or the laws of God. It’s not that he’s simply a lawbreaker – but that he considers himself to be above the law, or a law unto himself.

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#18) The Antichrist does as he pleases –

Daniel 11:36 “Then the king shall do according to his own will: he shall exalt and magnify himself above every god, shall speak blasphemies against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the wrath has been accomplished; for what has been determined shall be done. 

In this verse the Antichrist is described as doing whatever he wishes, and it expands upon him being the Lawless One. He will not feel restrained by law.

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#19) The Antichrist works deceitfully –

Daniel 11:23 And after the league is made with him he shall act deceitfully, for he shall come up and become strong with a small number of people.

This verse is reinforced by Daniel 8:25, and these two verses together tell us that the Antichrist’s modus operandi – or habits of working – are filled with deceit. Deceptiveness is simply part and parcel of how he operates.

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#20) The Antichrist understands dark sentences –

Daniel 8:23 “And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
Having fierce [k]features,
Who understands sinister schemes.

This verse gives us one key insight into the intelligence of the Antichrist: he understands “dark sentences.” Other translations render this verse as “understanding sinister schemes”, and it’s a window into the innate intelligence of the Antichrist.

He is a master of intrigue. Intrigue is defined as machination, which is a scheming or crafty action intended to accomplish some usually evil end.

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#21) The Antichrist attains the kingdom by flatteries –

Daniel 11: 21 And in his place shall arise a vile person, to whom they will not give the honor of royalty; but he shall come in peaceably, and seize the kingdom by intrigue.

Some translations render this verse as intrigue, reinforcing Daniel 8:23’s reference to “dark sentences”, but the context of this verse goes in a bit of a different direction.

Looking at Strong’s Concordance, we see that the word used for “flatteries” in Daniel 11:21 more closely means smoothness, slipperiness, or fine promises, which tells us that the Antichrist will attain the kingdom because of his scheming with a small group of people, as Daniel 11:23 references.

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#22) The bible speaks of nationalism –

Matthew 24:7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, 

One of the more famous bible verses about the end times speaks of nation rising against nation and kingdom and kingdom. Nation versus nation is the inevitable result of nationalism, which has swept the world in recent years.

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#23) The Antichrist will amaze the world –

Revelation 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 

This verse tells us that that the Antichrist will be such a unique person, that the entire world will be amazed by him. They will wonder after him, asking who is like he is?

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#24) The Antichrist will succeed in all that he does –

Daniel 8:24 His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy [l]fearfully,
And shall prosper and thrive;
He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.

This verse gives us background on John 5:43, which says that the Antichrist will come in his own name. In short, it tells us that the Antichrist will arrive on the scene having already been a worldwide success.

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#25) The Antichrist has a stout look –

Daniel 7:20 and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke [i]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

This verse gives us an intriguing description of the physical appearance of the Antichrist, saying that he looks more stout than his fellows. Stout is defined as haughty, full of oneself, and even heavyset.

Haughty, of course, is an absolutely perfect description for the Antichrist – as it describes someone who is scornfully and condescendingly proud, and also arrogant and overbearing. He is full of himself to an extreme, as Daniel 8:25 also stated.

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#26) The Antichrist sows discord –

Proverbs 6:14 Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.

Proverbs 6:12-15 A worthless person, a wicked man,
Walks with a perverse mouth;
13He winks with his eyes,
He [g]shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
14Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.
15Therefore his calamity shall come suddenly;
Suddenly he shall be broken without remedy.

Commonly referred to as “The Wicked Man”, Bible scholars generally consider the descriptions in these verses as a reference to the Antichrist.

Verse 14 tells us that one notable trait of the Antichrist is that he will sow discord. The inference being that he is intentionally dividing one person or one group against another for his own benefit. He isn’t simply divisive, but he purposely sows divisiveness to reap the rewards.

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#27) The Antichrist is a unique, unstoppable force that can’t be fought against –

Revelation 13:4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

This verse tells us not only of how incredibly singular the Antichrist is, “who is like unto the beast”, but it also tells us that he is a literal force of nature: no one is able to fight against him.

The Bottom Line

There’s a reason that the bible has given us this many descriptions of the Antichrist, and that reason is so that we are NOT deluded by him, and we don’t end up following him down the road to perdition.

If we simply pay attention to what the bible says, we may learn that there might be someone on the world scene right now who matches those descriptions.

Discover the Book Academy

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Discover the Book Academy is a free resource to study books of the Bible, helping us to understand God’s Word more clearly through courses and lessons. This study is presented by John Barnett, a gifted teacher and minister. His historical studies background surpasses most others who teach. We have found this resource to be invaluable as we share the love of God with all of you.

sharing the love of God  is also about . . .

Prophecy, because God gave us the message of what is about to happen so that we can spread that message before it’s too late.

And dear brothers and sisters, it’s out of love that we ask you to wake up and study. For more information, please go to our sister site

http://prophecyunfolding.org

When Iran attacked the nation of Israel last night, prophecy bolted forward and there will only be one escalation after another just as the Bible says.

Look through the lens of prophecy as you watch world news.

In Jesus’ name and love, we pray that those who have eyes to see and ears to hear will open hearts to Him who loves us and gave Himself on the cross so that we may live.

5 everyday things that bring me happiness

Daily writing prompt
What are 5 everyday things that bring you happiness?
View all responses
  • Waking up to find my hand in my husband’s hand
  • Starting our day with prayer, reconnecting after a good night’s rest, thanking God for His amazing presence in our lives
  • Hearing the words “I love you” spoken sweetly to me over and over again
  • Hearing encouragement and affirmation of how wonderful my husband thinks I am
  • Winding down our day with prayer to our Lord who has guided us through safely and tenderly.
  • Once more, holding hands, reciting our feelings of eternal love for each other
  • Oh my, that was 6, but each day brings into focus the growth of our relationship to each other and to the sweetness of our closeness with our Lord Jesus

OBEDIENCE – God doesn’t force us to obey him

Genesis 2:16 But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden—

17 except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” (New Living Translation)
God gave Adam responsibility for the garden and told him not to eat from the Tree of Conscience. Rather than physically preventing him from eating, God gave Adam a choice, even though Adam may choose wrongly. God still gives us choices today, and we, too, often choose wrongly. These wrong choices may cause us pain and irritation, but they can help us learn and grow and make better choices in the future.

Living with the consequences of our choices is one of the best ways to become more responsible.

Why would God place a tree in the garden and then forbid Adam to eat from it?

God wanted Adam to obey, but He gave him the freedom to choose. Without choice, Adam would have been a prisoner forced to obey.

The two trees presented an exercise in choice, with rewards for choosing to obey or consequences for choosing to disobey.

(Unless otherwise stated, parts of this series of studies on Obedience have been taken from The Living Life Application Bible by Tyndale)

OBEDIENCE – The way to true freedom

Genesis 3:

 5 God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.

Adam and Eve got what they wanted:An intimate knowledge of both good and evil.

But they got it in a distorted and painful way. satan had twisted their thinking by telling them they could know the difference between good and evil by doing evil.

We sometimes have the illusion that “freedom” is doing what we want. God says true freedom comes from Obedience and knowing what NOT to do.

The restrictions He gives us are for our own good, showing us how to avoid evil.

We have the freedom to walk in front of a speeding car, but we don’t need to be hit to realize that it would be a foolish thing to do.

Don’t listen to satan’s temptations to experience evil in order to learn more about life.

satan used a sincere motive to tempt Eve–“you will be like God, knowing both good and evil”

To become more like God is the highest goal of humanity.

It is what we are supposed to do.

But satan misled Eve on the right way to accomplish this goal.

He told her that you become more like God by defying God’s authority, by taking God’s place and deciding for yourself what is best for your life.

You become your own god.

But scripture clearly states that to become like God is not to be God Himself.

Rather, it is to reflect His characteristics and recognize His authority over your life.

Like Eve, we often have a worthy goal but try to achieve it in the wrong way.

It’s like paying off an election judge to be voted into office. Serving the people is no longer the highest goal.

The ultimate goal of self-exaltation is rebellion against God.

As soon as we begin to leave God out of our plans, we are placing ourselves above Him, which is exactly what satan wants us to do.

What can be said about a person who sows discord (Proverbs 6:14)?

ANSWER:

Today’s social media and internet chat platforms have become tantalizing playgrounds for those who enjoy stirring up arguments. But the Bible has nothing good to say about a person who sows discord: “A worthless person, a wicked man, goes about with crooked speech, winks with his eyes, signals with his feet, points with his finger, with perverted heart devises evil, continually sowing discord; therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly; in a moment he will be broken beyond healing” (Proverbs 6:12–15, ESV).

In Proverbs 6:14, “discord” is translated from the Hebrew (madan), meaning “strife, bitter conflict, heated and often violent dissension.” “Sowing” discord implies spreading conflict or scattering it widely. The passage reveals that an individual who sows discord is corrupted by sin and afflicted with a perverted heart. Solomon repeated the sentiment in Proverbs 16:28: “A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends.” In Proverbs 6:16–19, he listed seven things the Lord hates, and “one who sows discord among brothers” (ESV) was one of them.

Solomon pointed to a dangerous heart problem as the root issue for someone who sows discord. Jesus said the same: “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. These are the things that defile a person” (Matthew 15:18–20, CSB). According to Proverbs 10:12, hatred, as opposed to love, dwells in the heart of those who stir up conflict. Hateful people delight in breaking up friendships and spoiling peace and harmony between brothers and sisters.

The Bible is clear that sin provokes quarrels and disagreement: “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division” (Galatians 5:19–20, NLT; cf. James 4:1). The apostle Paul counseled believers to stay away from “people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught” (Romans 16:17, NLT).

“Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin,” stated Solomon (Proverbs 17:19, NLT). Believers cannot walk in the light of God’s love and continue spewing hatred and sowing discord: “If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness” (1 John 2:9–11, NLT).

Paul warned believers against involving themselves in arguments and fights, even about spiritual matters: “These things are useless and a waste of time. If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them. For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them” (Titus 3:9–11, NLT).

“Any fool can get himself into a quarrel,” stated the wise old teacher, but “honor belongs to the person who ends a dispute” (Proverbs 20:3, CSB). Solomon compared people who sow discord to troublemakers who go around lighting fires: “As charcoal for embers and wood for fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife” (Proverbs 26:21, CSB). Fires leave death and destruction in their wake. Proverbs 6:15 explains that the consequence of such foolish and evil behavior is sudden “calamity,” which literally refers to “a crushing weight.” A person who continually and actively sows discord is pursuing a life of sin, and such a life is destined for destruction (Romans 6:23; James 1:15).

Jesus said, “God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NLT). But wicked mischief-makers who sow discord can expect to experience devastating distress and severe suffering. If they stubbornly refuse to listen to God’s warning and accept correction, they will be broken and ruined beyond all hope of healing (Proverbs 29:1). The Scriptures issue no light word of caution on this matter. Having a heart perverted by evil is a matter of life and death. The aftermath of such wickedness cannot be reversed.

Gotquestions

In the lion’s den

The angel that came to Daniel in the pit did not kill the lions he simply closed their mouths and stood with him in the midst of terrible danger.Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego were not saved from the fire they stood in the midst of it with their savior. Moses and the Israelites did not have the Red Sea removed from in front of them it was simply parted for them to walk through. Silver is refined in the refiner’s fire and it’s only finished once the Refiner’s reflection can be seen in the silver. Grapes are crushed under foot to produce the sweetest wine, and olives are pressed in order to extract the purest oil.What makes you think that we are any different? We will walk through this tribulation, many will fall away because they stand on sand not the Cornerstone, Yeshua and scriptural truth, The WORD.

Larissa C. Clark

Is once saved, always saved biblical?

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once saved always saved
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ANSWER

Once a person is saved are they always saved? Yes, when people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship with God that guarantees their salvation as eternally secure. To be clear, salvation is more than saying a prayer or “making a decision” for Christ; salvation is a sovereign act of God whereby an unregenerate sinner is washed, renewed, and born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). When salvation occurs, God gives the forgiven sinner a new heart and puts a new spirit within him (Ezekiel 36:26). The Spirit will cause the saved person to walk in obedience to God’s Word (Ezekiel 36:26–27; James 2:26). Numerous passages of Scripture declare the fact that, as an act of God, salvation is secure:

(a) Romans 8:30 declares, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” This verse tells us that from the moment God chooses us, it is as if we are glorified in His presence in heaven. There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed—he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven.

(b) Paul asks two crucial questions in Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? No one will, because Christ is our advocate. Who will condemn us? No one will, because Christ, the One who died for us, is the one who condemns. We have both the advocate and judge as our Savior.

(c) Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be un-regenerated. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away.

(d) The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be “un-indwelt” and detached from the Body of Christ.

(e) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will “have eternal life.” If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never “eternal” at all. Hence, if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error.

(f) In a conclusive argument, Scripture says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved, we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure!

Despite the clouds

Written by Blake Rackley)

(Forgive typos…Today has been long. Well, this year has been long.) So much is weighing heavy on the hearts of others. This week I listened to those who grieve the loss of identity, the loss of love, the loss of faith, and the loss of purpose. So many questions that have so few answers or at least answers that satisfy and calm their fears. They feel aimless and stuck. Maybe you feel similar. Maybe it is your job, the future, a relationship. You simply feel stuck by not knowing what decision is the “right” decision so you make no decision at all. Maybe you are nursing scars no one see. Maybe you are bleeding from wounds that do not bleed crimson and bandages do not help. The running theme of many who are experiencing this level of pain is that they do not want to burden another person with their “stuff”. Sadly, they suffer in silence and feel totally alone. Think for a moment. Have you ever seen a lone goose? A solitary, Canadian, turd dropping, Christmas goose flying all by their lonesome? My guess is that you haven’t. If you do, that is one lost goose. They are most always in a flock. They take turns with the burden of leading. They encourage by those obnoxious honks. They rest often. They have a destination, but it is often arrived at in the company of others. They will fly despite the clouds and gloom around them. They will fly at times in the rain, but they seek shelter together. They do not feel the need to do anything singularly. Why then do we believe we have to do anything by ourselves? We are called to bear one another’s burdens. So, I’m calling my brothers and sisters in Christ to help those around them. Sit with them. Eat with them. Shelter with them. Listen to their story. Encourage them with hope. But more than anything, fly with them through their clouds of depression, anxiety, abuse, loss, hopelessness, and failure. We all are more likely to fly on, fly farther, and fly with purpose when we have others behind us despite the dark clouds hanging over us. Quit saying, “If you need me, I’m always here.” They will almost never call you. If we want the world to know we love Jesus, we must intentionally bear the burdens of others by vulnerability and loving one another.

Don’t Find Fault

by Bryan Lowe

“You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.”

Romans 2:1, NLT

One of the spiritual diseases endemic to the Christian believer is “fault finding”. For some reason, (and I’m still trying to figure out why), is we have a strong inclination to pass a judgement on people (those whom Christ died for!)  We don’t throw stones (far be it from me)– however, we certainly do and will point fingers. And perhaps we feel that its our religious duty, or maybe even our ministry (!).

Almost always, there a sense of certain and attainable righteousness. or our generated holiness involved. This should not be dismissed or overlooked. Because I believe I am right, and have religious grounds, I put all of the “evil sinners” on trial, and then I pronounce my verdict. (And they certainly deserve whatever I decide.)

Much of the same type of thinking was used in Romans 2.  Paul castigates those who were judging others. He goes on a scathing and sizzling rebuke directly at those who were destroying others by their overly-righteous attitude.

” And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?.”

Romans 2:3-4

Without a doubt this whole subject is highly complex and nuanced. Hundreds of verses should be worked through. But this blog is not that place. However, I will advance this– I read this written by the Desert Fathers.

“Correct and judge justly those who are subject to you, but judge no one else. For truly it is written: ‘Is not those inside the church whom are you to judge? God judges those who are outside’.

Macarius of Alexandria, 296-393 AD

A Simple Poem of a Quiet Wisdom

Pray, don’t find fault with the man who limps
Or stumbles along the road
Unless you have worn the shoes that hurt
Or struggled beneath his load
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
Though hidden away from view
Or the burden he bears, placed on your back,
Might cause you to stumble, too.
Don’t sneer at the man who’s down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall, or felt the same
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
That were his, if dealt to you
In the self same way at the self same time,
Might cause you to stagger, too.
Don’t be too harsh with the man who sins
Or pelt him with words or stones,
Unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,
That you have no sins of your own.
For you know perhaps, if the tempters voice
Should whisper as soft to you
As it did to him when he went astray,
‘Twould cause you to falter, too.

Faith

So much going on right now all over the world. It would be easy to be tempted to lose our faith. But that’s not going to be an option, is it?

I found this message on a facebook site and I was having one of those moments, primarily because I’m trying to spread the love of God around a lot of places today, and my computer is acting up…even while trying to post this. So I’m going to put a Ha Ha to Satan, and keep going.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted

I have always loved this passage in Psalm 34. Read the whole chapter (which I have copied from biblegateway.com and included it after the following message from The Life Application Study Bible).  Let it bathe over you with comfort.

~~~~~

God pays attention to those who call on Him.  Whether God offers escape from trouble or help in times of trouble, we can be certain that He always hears and acts on behalf of those who love Him.

God promises great blessings to His people, but many of these blessings require active participation.  He will deliver us from:

  • fear (34:4),
  • save us out of our troubles (34:6),
  • guard and deliver us (34:7),
  • show us goodness (34:8),
  • supply our needs (34:9),
  • listen when we talk to Him (34:15)
  • and redeem us (34:22),

but we must do our part.

We can appropriate His blessings when:

  • we seek Him (34:4, 10),
  • cry out to Him (34:6, 17),
  • trust Him (34:8),
  • fear Him (34:7,9),
  • refrain from lying (34:13),
  • turn from evil,
  • do good and seek peace (34:14),
  • are humble (34:18,
  • and serve Him (34:22).

34:8  “Taste and see” does not mean “Check out God’s credentials.”  Instead it is a warm invitation. “Try this; I know you’ll like it.”  When we take that first step of obedience in following God, we will discover that Je is good and kind.  When we begin the Christian life, our knowledge of God is partial and incomplete.  As we trust Him daily, we experience how good He is.

34:9   You say you belong to the Lord, but do you fear Him?  To fear the Lord means to show deep respect and honor to Him.  We demonstrate true reverence by our humble attitude and genuine worship.  Reverence was shown by Abraham (Genesis 17:2-4), Moses (Exodus 3:5, 6), and the Israelites (Exodus 19:16-24) showed this kind of fear of the Lord.

34:9, 10  At first we may question David’s statement, because we seem to lack many good things.  This is not a blanket promise that all Christians will have everything they want.  Instead, this is David’s praise for God’s goodness–all those who call upon God in their need will be answered, sometimes in unexpected ways.

Remember, God knows what we need, and our deepest needs are spiritual.  Even though many Christians face unbearable poverty and hardship, they still have enough spiritual nourishment to live for God.  David was saying that to have God is to have all you really need.  God is enough.
If you feel you don’t have everything you need, ask:

  • Is this really a need?
  • Is this really good for me?
  • Is this the best time for me to have what I desire?

Even if you answer yes to all three questions, God may allow you to go without to help you grow more dependent on Him.  He may want you to learn that you need Him more than having to achieve your immediate desires.

34:11-14  The Bible often connects the fear of the Lord (love and reverence for Him) with obedience.  “Fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13); “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching” (John 14:23).

David said that a person who fears the Lord

  • doesn’t lie,
  • turns from evil,
  • does good,
  • and promotes peace.

Reverence is much more than sitting quietly in church.  It includes obeying God in the way we speak and the way we treat others.

34:14  Some may think that peace should come with no effort.  But David explained that we are to seek and pursue peace.  Paul echoed this thought in Romans 12:18.  A person who wants peace cannot be argumentative and contentious.  Because peaceful relationships come from our efforts at peacemaking, work hard at living in peace with others each day.

34:18, 19  We often wish we could escape troubles–

  • the pain of grief,
  • loss,
  • sorrow,
  • and failure;

or even the small daily frustrations that constantly wear us down.

God promises to be “close to the brokenhearted,” to be our source of

  • power,
  • courage,
  • and wisdom,

helping us through our problems.

Sometimes He chooses to deliver us from those problems.  When trouble strikes, don’t get frustrated with God.  Instead, admit that you need God’s help and thank Him for being by your side.

34:20  This is a prophecy about Christ when He was crucified.  Although it was the Roman custom to break the legs of the victim to speed death, not one of Jesus’ bones was broken (John 19:32-37).  In addition to the prophetic meaning, David was pleading for God’s protection in times of crisis.

 

Psalm 34

1 I will extol the Lord at all times;
His praise will always be on my lips.
2 My soul will boast in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt His name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and He answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to Him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
He saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him,
and He delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.
9 Fear the Lord, you His saints,
for those who fear Him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and His ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20  He protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord redeems His servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him.

 

 

To read this passage in the King James Version, please click on this link:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034&version=KJV

Thou SHALT love . . .

. . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. . . .

Thou shalt love thy neighbor . . .
–Matthew 22:37–39

Here is the answer to the world’s problems today—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” “Thou shalt love thy fellowman.” That teaching is not out-of-date; it is absolutely relevant today. It is the only way in which the problems of the world today can be solved, whether the problems are those of individuals or of nations. If we love God with all our heart, we will have a capacity to love our neighbors. True love will find an outlet in service—not merely in singing hymns, attending church, or even in praying—but in trying our utmost to prove our love, by obeying the will of our heavenly Father.

Prayer for the day

True love demands everything I have. Take all the hidden things in my life that keep me from loving You and my neighbor as I should. Let me obey Your will unequivocally, dear Lord.

THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17b

Scripture is God’s Word to us. Get to know it. It is the source of truth, assurance and comfort. Learn its lessons. Let God use it to speak to your heart. Look to it to cut through the enemy’s lies and spiritual deception, and to reveal the truth. Use it to persuade others about God’s love and forgiveness.

When God’s Spirit impresses us with a verse or a passage of Scripture to use in our battle against the enemy in a particular conflict, we are able to defeat our enemy. The Bible calls this taking the sword of the Spirit.

Jesus defeated Satan the three times he was tempted in the wilderness by using the sword of the Spirit. (see Matthew 4).

Ruth’s world changed when she chanced to find a Bible. She was fifteen when she was rummaging through her Muslim family’s library. She found it hidden behind the other books. She says, “I quickly read a few pages and the message immediately touched my heart, even though I understood practically nothing of it. Secretly I began to read the Bible regularly in my room. I knew that I had to do more with this. I wanted to get to know Jesus better.”

She adds, “I don’t remember how it happened, but my family realized that I was showing too much interest in Christianity. My whole family was against me, especially my mother.”

“You’re a Muslim,” she said. “Why are you throwing your life away? Why aren’t you like other girls? You’ll soon be going to university and then you’re going to marry a respected Muslim!”

Ruth’s voice falters and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. “I suffered a lot,” she continues. “But still I kept reading the Bible in secret. The Lord Jesus keeps drawing me closer to Him.”

RESPONSE: Today I take the sword of the Spirit so I can expose the tempting words of Satan.

PRAYER: Lord may the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in my hands today and in the hands of those reading it for the first time.

Standing Strong Through The Storm (SSTS)
A daily devotional message by SSTS author Paul Estabrooks

© 2011 Open Doors International. Used by permission

We are called to obey “The Great Commission”

Matthew 28:19-20

New International Version (NIV)

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

Amplified Bible (AMP)

19Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them

[a]into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

    20Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you,

and behold, I am with you [b]all the days ([c]perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion),

to the [very] close and consummation of the age.

[d]Amen (so let it be).

What is “The Great Commission (commandment, instruction)?
It is the instruction and last words Jesus spoke before He ascended to heaven. He commanded that we are to go into “all the world” and:
  • Make disciples
  • Baptize those who become disciples, and
  • teach them to obey everything Jesus has commanded

These words are called “The Great Commission” (commandment, instruction) and were given not only to the 11 disciples who were with Him at the time, but to all believers from then on.

At first glance, this instruction would seem to be straight-forward and easy to follow. But let’s go a little further and analyze these verses so that we have the tools and understanding that we need.

When Jesus instructed His disciples to go and make other disciples of all the nations, He included  “Gentiles” as well as Jews.

Notice Jesus instructs them to baptize other disciples into the name (singular tense) of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can see clearly that the concept of the “trinity” comes directly from Jesus Himself.  However, the word trinity well describes the three-in-one nature of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. In researching the word trinity, no results were found in the following version(s) of the Bible: Amplified Bible, New International Version, American Standard Version, King James Version or New American Standard Bible. This one verse emphasizes both the unity and plurality of God (Greek singular).  Many passages show that the work of one involves the work of one or both of the other two Persons. There is no hierarchy of persons here. We must be careful that we do not lose either the unity or the diversity in the nature of God. (Part of this exegesis was derived from The New International Version and The New Living Version of the Bible.)

Why is baptism important?

Baptism unites a believer with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection as a symbol of death to sin and resurrection to new life. Baptism shows submission to Christ and a willingness to live God’s way.

How is Jesus present with us?

  • He was present physically from His birth until He ascended into heaven.
  • He is present spiritually with us through the Holy Spirit.

Practical Applications and Understanding our Task

regarding “The Great Commission”

  1. The Great Commission is not an option, but a command given to us by Jesus, so we should obey.
  2. If we don’t obey, then we have failed, or omitted to follow His instruction.
  3. We don’t have to be preachers, or evangelists to teach.
  4. We all have gifts given to us by God that can be used by Him to enable us to fulfill these commandments.

We can:

  • smile,
  • love,
  • give words of encouragement,
  • or do a service for someone in need like giving them a ride, cleaning their house, mowing their lawn, etc.

The most important part of “The Great Commission” comes from loving God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind and our neighbors as ourselves.

For further study, go to http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028:19-20&version=AMP#en-AMP-24215

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 28:19 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
  2. Matthew 28:20 John Wycliffe, The Wycliffe Bible.
  3. Matthew 28:20 Webster’s New International Dictionary offers this phrase as a definition of “always.”

I hope you have enjoyed this Bible Study.  Hopefully, it will be only the first of others that I do. Writing doesn’t come easy to me, but I felt led to write anyway.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions. We’ll work through any answers together.

Blessings,

Sharon

God is Always the Same

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,

who does not change like shifting shadows. 

James 1:17”

God will always be the same! 

No one else will. 

Lovers call you today and scorn you tomorrow. 

Companies follow pay raises with pink slips. 

Friends applaud you when you drive a classic and dismiss you when you drive a dud. 

Not God. 

God is always the same. 

James 1:17 says, “With God, there is no variation or shadow due to change.” 

Catch God in a bad mood? 

Won’t happen. 

Can your fear exhaust his grace?  A sardine will swallow the Atlantic first. 

Do you think he’s given up on you?  Wrong! 

Did he not make a promise to you? 

What he says he will do, he does. 

What he promises, he makes come true. 

God is not a human being, and he will not lie.

God is never sullen or sour,

sulking

or stressed. 

His strength,

truth,

ways,

and love never change. 

He is the same yesterday and today and forever!

~ Max Lucado

The Babylonian Empire 606-536 BC

Located in The Tigris-Euphrates Valley, Babylon has been referred to as “the cradle of the human race” for a good reason – the Garden of Eden was located somewhere in it.

The Old Babylonian Kingdom was at its peak at about the time of God’s calling of Abraham, who was from Ur of the Chaldees.

However, after many centuries of conflict, the old Babylon Empire eventually became subject to the Assyrians, from about 885 to 607 B.C. It was during that period that the Assyrians conquered and took into captivity the northern kingdom of Israel, from which the “Lost Ten Tribes” never returned.

Babylon was divided into Accad to the north, and Summer (“Shinar” of the Old Testament) to the south. Along with Ur and the city of Babylon itself, other major cities were Uruk, or Erech (Genesis 10:10), Larsa, or Ellasar (Genesis 14:1), Sepharvaim (2 Kings 17:24), Eridu, and Calneh (Genesis 10:10).

The New Babylonian Empire, which existed from 606 to 536 B.C., fully conquered the southern kingdom of Judah in 586 B.C. It was then that the Babylonians under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar completely devastated the city of Jerusalem, looted and burned the original Temple of God, built by Solomon and carried the people of Judah, including the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel, off into captivity.

In 536 B.C., after 70 years of supremacy, the Babylonian empire, the “head of gold” in Daniel’s Statue, came to an end when it fell to the Persians. A future Babylon is referred to in the Book of Revelation and has many prophetic applications that have yet to be completed (Revelation 18:1-24).

The Babylonian Empire

 

The Babylonian Empire was a civilization of Babylonians in Lower Mesopotamia (central and southern Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. The Persian Empire later grew near the Babylonians region.

Babylonia emerged when Hammurabi (1696 – 1654 BC) created an empire out of the territories of the former kingdoms of Sumer and Akkad.

The Amorites being a Semitic people, Babylonia adopted the written Semitic Akkadian language for official use, and retained the Sumerian language for religious use, which by that time was no longer a spoken language. The Akkadian and Sumerian cultures played a major role in later Babylonians culture, and the region would remain an important cultural center, even under outside rule.

The earliest mention of Babylonians in the city of Babylon can be found in a tablet from the reign of Sargon of Akkad, dating back to the 20th century BC. Following the collapse of the last Sumerian “Ur-III” dynasty at the hands of the Elamites (2002 BC traditional, 1940 BC), the Amorites gained control over most of Mesopotamia, where they formed a series of small kingdoms.

During the first centuries of what is called the “Amorite period”, the most powerful city states were Isin and Larsa, although Shamshi-Adad I came close to uniting the more northern regions around Assur and Mari. One of these Amorite dynasties was established in the city-state of Babylon, which would ultimately take over the others and form the first Babylonian empire, during what is also called the Old Babylonian Period.

Related articles

Why we’re less likely to try great things for God

By Jon Walker

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

God pours his power into your life, giving you his strength to do what he’s called to do.

Faith is acting in confidence that God’s power is active in and through your life; faith is trusting God’s power will be your strength to do everything through him.

He’s not asking you to live life under your own power or through your own strength. That would limit what you can do while God’s power and strength are unlimited.

When you say, “There’s something I’d really like to do for God, but I don’t think that I can do it,” God may reply, “Great! I’m glad you’ve figured it out. You can’t do it by yourself, but with my power working through you, you can do anything I ask you to do.”

If you stay at “I can’t” and never move power to “God can,” then you’re less likely to even try great things for God. It’s like having a car with the most powerful engine ever built, but saying, “I don’t think it can get me past the first intersection.” So you leave it in your garage, never taking it onto the road.

God’s power is available to you: “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT).

How do you explain God to an atheist?

We are needing guidance on this subject. We have a friend who is an atheist. We’ve explained what we know from the Bible, and from our own personal experience with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because he has done much research and study on the subject of God, creation, the Bible, etc., he doesn’t feel God is real.

The oddity is that he is one of the most loving people we know. That seems to conflict with our thoughts, since we know that God is love, and all love comes from him.

Rather than go into all of the research we’ve done, we’re reaching out to you to give us insight and guidance. Any website addresses, Bible passages, or resources that you feel would be helpful would be greatly appreciated. Your prayers are needed as well as your personal support.

He is 87 years old, has been a professor in college, and is an avid reader.

Thanks so much.

THE FUTURE OF BABYLON | World Monuments Fund

THE FUTURE OF BABYLON | World Monuments Fund.

Another interesting website regarding the rebuilding of Babylon. Important information in relation to Prophecy.

Also read the following by Joel C. Rosenberg.

IRAQ REBUILDING ITS MILITARY, EVEN AS THEY REBUILD BABYLON: Prophetic significance?

Posted: April 13, 2012 in Uncategorized

Bible prophecy indicates that in the End Times, the nation we know today as the Republic of Iraq — known variously in Scripture as Babel, Babylon, Babylonia, Mesopotamia and Shinar — will emerge as the global center of wealth, power and terrible evil. Eventually Iraq will pose a direct and existential threat to the State of Israel, particularly during the Tribulation.

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein and his regime in 2003, Iraq has not been a regional threat, much less a danger to Israel. Some have assumed, therefore, that Iraq would no longer play a major role in Middle Eastern or global affairs in the future. But such a conclusion would be a mistake. As I wrote about in my first non-fiction book, Epicenter, those who read, understand and believe Bible prophecy have been watching for Iraq to: 1) begin rebuilding its offensive military capability; 2) begin rebuilding its economy; 3) continue rebuilding the ancient city of Babylon into a major center of commerce and tourism.

Interestingly, all three developments are currently underway.

IRAQ IS REBUILDING ITS MILITARY

Now that the Iraqi government has forced the American military out of their country, they have embarked on a dramatic arms build-up, including the purchase of American weapons systems that could be used for offensive purposes in the future. Examples:

  • The Iraqis are buying 140 state-of-the-art American M1A1 combat tanks. “The Government of Iraq has purchased 140 tanks from the United States, all of which have arrived in Iraq,” reports an Iraqi business website. “131 of those tanks are already in the possession of the Iraqi Army. The nine remaining tanks are in Iraq, but in U.S. possession.”
  • The Iraqis are buying 36 advanced American F-16 fighter jets. “Israel is monitoring Iraq’s rearmament program, particularly Bahgdad’s acquisition of 36 Lockheed Martin F-16s, with some disquiet amid intelligence reports Iran is consolidating its influence in Iraq following the U.S. military withdrawal,” reports UPI. “Baghdad ordered the F-16 Block 52 multi-role Fighting Falcon jets — enough to equip the Iraqi air force’s first two fighter squadrons — in two 18-plane batches in 2011 at an estimated total cost of $7 billion.”
  • In 2010, the Iraqis embarked on a $13 billion weapons spending spree. “Iraq is preparing to buy as much as $13 billion in American arms and military equipment, a huge order of tanks, ships and hardware that U.S. officials say shows Iraqi-U.S. military ties will be tight for years to come,” reported USA Today. “‘It helps to build their capabilities, first and foremost; and second, it builds our strategic relationship for the future,’ said Army Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, the ranking U.S. officer responsible for training and advising Iraq forces.”

IRAQ IS REBUILDING ITS ECONOMY

Now that the war of liberation is over and most of Iraq has been pacified and stabilized from the terrorist insurgency, Iraq’s economy is not only growing but is poised for hyper-growth. Analysts expect Iraq’s GDP to grow by more than 9% annually for the next few years, and expect Iraq’s oil production to nearly triple by 2017.

  • “Iraq’s gross domestic product is expected to grow by an average rate of at least 9.4 percent annually between 2012 and 2016 as the oil-producing country benefits from larger windfalls in oil revenues, a senior central bank official said [in February],” reports Reuters. ”Iraq, which has the fourth-biggest oil reserves in the world, is currently producing around 2.9 million barrels per day (bpd). Iraq’s oil minister said last year he expected production to reach between 8-8.5 million bpd by 2017.”
  • Some analysts within the Iraqi Planning Ministry believe Iraq could reach a 47% growth rate by 2017, once the oil starts flowing fast and furious.
  • More and more major international companies are signing deals to do business in Iraq — see this intriguing list published by Reuters, published in December 2011.
  • In 2011, ExxonMobil — the world’s largest oil company — signed a major deal to help develop the oil industry in Iraq’s northern region of Kurdistan. Despite the fact being mired in some political controversy, the deal is likely to be fully ratified in the not-too-distant future.
  • Also in 2011, Royal Dutch Shell signed a $17 billion deal to help Iraq develop its enormous lucrative oil industry in its southern regions.
  • In 2010, the Iraqi government ratified four other major oil deals.

IRAQ IS REBUILDING THE CITY OF BABYLON

Largely overlooked by Westerners is the fact that the government of Iraq is moving forward with plans to protect the archaeological remains of the ancient City of Babylon, in preparation for building a modern city of Babylon. As I wrote in 2009, the project — originally started by the late Saddam Hussein — is aimed eventually at attracting scores of “cultural tourists” from all over the world to see the glories of Mesopotamia’s most famous city. What’s more, the Obama Administration has actually helped contribute U.S. taxpayer dollars to “The Future of Babylon Project” through the State Department’s budget. Read more at the World Monuments Fund website for the rebuilding Babylong project.

In 2011, I noted that the New York Times had published an intriguing article on Iraqi efforts to preserve, protect, restore and then rebuild the ancient city of Babylon and make it a draw for tourists, with U.S. taxpayer assistance. The Times reports that a modern Babylon museum will open later this month. Times’ reporter Steven Lee Myers also posted a fascinating four minute video walking through some of the rebuilt ruins of Babylon, and explaining Iraqi efforts to protect and restore numerous Biblical sites.

“The Babylon project is Iraq’s biggest and most ambitious by far, a reflection of the ancient city’s fame and its resonance in Iraq’s modern political and cultural heritage,” the Times reported, noting that “in November, the State Department announced a new $2 million grant to begin work to preserve the site’s most impressive surviving ruins. They include the foundation of the Ishtar Gate, built in the sixth century B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, and adorned with brick reliefs of the Babylonian gods Marduk and Adad.”

“The American reconstruction team has refurbished a modern museum on the site, as well as a model of the Ishtar Gate that for decades served as a visitors’ entrance. Inside the museum is one of the site’s most valuable relics: a glazed brick relief of a lion, one of 120 that once lined the processional way into the city. The museum, with three galleries, is scheduled to open this month, receiving its first visitors since 2003. And with new security installed, talks are under way to return ancient Babylonian artifacts from the National Museum in Baghdad. The fate of Babylon is already being disputed by Iraqi leaders, with antiquities officials clashing with local authorities over when to open it to visitors and how to exploit the site for tourism that, for the most part, remains a goal more than a reality. Even now they are clashing over whether the admission fee should go to the antiquities board or the provincial government.”

(Photo by New York Times: Iraqi women walking through the city of Babylon that is currently being rebuilt.)

I Know My Redeemer Lives

 

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God. I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Job 19:25-27 NLT

I know that my Redeemer lives; what joy the blest assurance gives! He lives, He lives, who once was dead; He lives, my everlasting Head!

He lives, all glory to His name; He lives, my Savior, still the same; what joy the blest assurance gives: I know that my Redeemer lives!

I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Samuel Medley (1738-1799)

One of those verses

Every once in a while, a verse jumps out of the Old Testament and takes on a new meaning. Job lost his fortune, family, and much of his health. In a stunning display of faith, he expresses his only remaining hope: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25). The words find an uncanny fulfillment in Jesus.

Jesus gave His life to redeem us, to buy us back from our slavery to sin. His death was the price of our freedom. But that’s not the bottom line, thank God. As the sun rises on Easter morning, we can say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives.” He lives! Death could not hold Him. He lives, to finish salvation’s work in me.

Hymn writer Samuel Medley often repeated words and phrases in his songs. Here, what’s repeated is the most important concept: “He lives…He lives…He lives.”

Our “Resurrection Week” readings are adapted from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown, Tyndale House Publishers (1995). Today’s is taken from the entry for April 2.

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

The Cross

“And They Crucified Him” – Mark 15:24

So often the sacrifice that Christ made for us is presented in a sanitized, bloodless manner. It’s easier to take, less traumatizing. But the reality of the suffering he bore for you and I was profound. He gave everything so that you could be saved. Let’s not forget what he endured for us on that first Good Friday!

This description of a crucifixion is graphic. Reader discretion is advised.

The cross is placed on the ground and the exhausted man is quickly thrown backwards with his shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square wrought-iron nail through the wrist deep into the wood. Quickly he moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull the arms too tightly, but to allow some flex and movement. The cross is then lifted into place. The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each, leaving the knees flexed. The victim is now crucified.

As he slowly sags down with more weight on the nails in the wrists, excruciating fiery pain shoots along the fingers and up the arms to explode in the brain — the nails in the wrists are putting pressure on the median nerves. As he pushes himself upward to avoid this stretching torment, he places the full weight on the nail through his feet. Again he feels the searing agony of the nail tearing through the nerves between the bones of his feet.

As the arms fatigue, cramps sweep through his muscles, knotting them deep relentless, and throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability to push himself upward to breathe. Air can be drawn into the lungs but not exhaled. He fights to raise himself in order to get even one small breath.

Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in the lungs and in the blood stream, and the cramps partially subsided. Spasmodically, he is able to push himself upward to exhale and bring in life-giving oxygen.

Hours of limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-renting cramps, intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from his lacerated back as he moves up and down against rough timber. Then another agony begins: a deep, crushing pain deep in the chest as the pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

It is now almost over. The loss of tissue fluids has reached a critical level. The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into the tissues. The tortured lungs are making frantic effort to gasp in small gulps of air. He can feel the chill of death creeping through his tissues.

Finally, he allows his body to die.

All this the Bible records with the simple words, “and they crucified Him” — Mark 15:24

Jesus’ Burial

~ by Max Lucado

When Pilate learned that Jesus was dead, he asked the soldiers if they were certain. They were. Had they seen the Nazarene twitch, had they heard even one moan, they would have broken his legs to speed his end. But there was no need. The thrust of a spear removed all doubt. The Romans knew their job. And their job was finished. They pried loose the nails, lowered his body, and gave it to Joseph and Nicodemus.

Joseph of Arimathea. Nicodemus the Pharisee. They sat in seats of power and bore positions of influence. Men of means and men of clout. But they would’ve traded it all for one breath out of the body of Jesus. He had answered the prayer of their hearts, the prayer for the Messiah. As much as the soldiers wanted him dead, even more these men wanted him alive.

As they sponged the blood from his beard, don’t you know they listened for his breath? As they wrapped the cloth around his hands, don’t you know they hoped for a pulse? Don’t you know they searched for life?

But they didn’t find it.

So they do with him what they were expected to do with a dead man. They wrap his body in clean linen and place it in a tomb. Joseph’s tomb. Roman guards are stationed to guard the corpse. And a Roman seal is set on the rock of the tomb. For three days, no one gets close to the grave.

But then, Sunday arrives. And with Sunday comes light—a light within the tomb. A bright light? A soft light? Flashing? Hovering? We don’t know. But there was a light. For he is the light. And with the light came life. Just as the darkness was banished, now the decay is reversed. Heaven blows and Jesus breathes. His chest expands. Waxy lips open. Wooden fingers lift. Heart valves swish and hinged joints bend.

From When Christ ComesAnd, as we envision the moment, we stand in awe.

We stand in awe not just because of what we see, but because of what we know… We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us” (Rom. 6:5–9 MSG).

From From When Christ Comes: The Beginning of the Very Best
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Spiritual maturity means following the truth

By Jon Walker

He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” John 9:11 (NIV)

A sign of our spiritual maturity is when we follow truth wherever it leads; we face the truth no matter how much it hurts; we stand on truth no matter how much it costs.

We’re called to come out of the darkness into the obedience to the truth, who is Jesus Christ, our Lord: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).

When the now-seeing man saw the truth, his whole perspective changed.

We see truth with Jesus-eyes. The blind man now had eyes that could see, and he saw with Jesus-eyes. Yet, when his neighbors realized the man was no longer blind, they couldn’t believe their eyes; they were blind to the ways of Jesus: “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV).

We testify oneness-with-God. As the now-seeing man walked back from Siloam, those who’d ridiculed him saw a man transformed. His abandonment to God transformed him into a new man; Jesus re-created him from a man born blind to a man who could see to eternity.

What’s your problem?

If your father were Bill Gates and your computer crashed,

where would you turn? 

If Stradivari were your dad and your violin string snapped,

to whom would you go?

If your father is God and you have a problem on your hands,

what do you do?

Is your problem too large? 

Ephesians 3:29 says, “God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” 

Is your need too great? 

2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.”

Is your enemy too strong? 

Philippians 3:21 says, “God is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

God is able to do what you cannot. 

When you have a problem—

make this your first thought—

“How can I get this problem to Jesus!”

It’s a day changer. 

Choose to make every day a great day!

~ Max Lucado

Boulders on the beach by Hagai Nativ – Israel

“Behold I am laying a stone for a foundation in Zion; a sturdy stone, a precious cornerstone, a secure foundation.”

ISAIAH (28:16)

הִנְנִי יִסַּד בְּצִיּוֹן אָבֶן אֶבֶן בֹּחַן פִּנַּת יִקְרַת מוּסָד מוּסָּד הַמַּאֲמִין לֹא יָחִישׁ

ישעיהו כ’’ח:ט’ז

Hebrew Lesson

hee-ne-NEE yee-SAD be-tzee-OHN eh-VEN eh-VEN boh-KHAN pee-NOT yeek-RAT moo-SOHD moo-SOHD ha-ma-ah-MEEN loh ya-KHEESH

From United with Hebrew, “The word for ‘stone’ in HEBREW is אבן/EH-VEN. It is a very interesting word, as it is made up of the word אב/av, meaning ‘father’ and בן/ben, meaning ‘son.’ Perhaps this is because the bond between a father and son is as solid as a boulder and as precious as a fine stone.” Are you United with Hebrew?

About Today’s Photograph

Photograph of boulders on the beach by Hagai Nativ. On the peak of Mount Moriah in the Old City of Jerusalem lies the foundation stone, אבן שתיה / eh-VEN she-tee-AH. According to “Legends of Jerusalem” by Zev Vilnay, “The sages of Israel commented: ‘And it was called the Foundation Stone, because the world was founded on it. For Isaiah the prophet said: ‘Thus said the Lord, Behold I am laying a stone for a foundation in Zion.’”

God’s Daily Promise – #11

 

Jeremiah 29:11  

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says Yahweh,
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.
  (World English Bible)
Promise #11: My plan for your future is filled with hope.

When you think of your own future, how do you feel? Are you excited to think of what is ahead or does the thought of the future cause you to be anxious? With an uncertain economy, wars and rumors of wars, etc., it is easy to feel anxious and uncertain about what lies ahead. Yet in today’s promise, God says that your future is filled with hope.

My favorite Bible translation of this verse comes from the NIV Bible… For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV) I find it very reassuring to know that God has a plan for my future that is filled with hope. I don’t have to dread what’s coming because my heavenly Dad already has a plan for me. And of course we know that the ultimate hope is living in the light of God’s love forever!

May the reality of today’s promise fill you with peace. May you know that while the future may be uncertain to you, it is not to God. He has a father’s heart toward you and has determined to fill your future with hope. Does this mean that there will be no bumps in the road? Certainly not. But we do know that all things will ultimately work together for our good as Paul declared in Romans 8:28… We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. (WEB)

God’s Daily Promise – #10

Ezekiel 36:26-27 

26 I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my ordinances, and do them.
(World English Bible)
 
Promise #10: I have given you a new heart and put My own Spirit in you.  
This passage of Scripture is pointing to the day when people would no longer have to live a life separate from God. They wouldn’t have to try and figure out what the Lord desired from a distance because God promised to give them a new heart and put His own Spirit within them.

Of course this promise was fulfilled when Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, came into the world and made a way for each one of us to receive the free gift of salvation. Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we no longer have to live with a cold heart of stone because He has given us a new heart. Because of the New Covenant, we no longer are separated from God because He has given us the most precious gift He could give…the gift of Himself.

God has given each one of us a new heart and He has put His own Spirit within us as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. There is no greater gift that He could give. May we be aware of the abiding presence of God that lives in us today and have a heart of thanksgiving to God for giving us the precious gift of a new heart and His own Spirit!

Photo by Barry Adams

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

More than Forgiveness

“This is my commitment to my people: removal of their sins.” 

Romans 11:27,

The Message

God does more than forgive our mistakes;

he removes them!

We simply have to take them to him.

He not only wants the mistakes we’ve made.

He wants the ones we are making.

Are you making some? . . .

If so, don’t pretend nothing is wrong . . .

Go first to God.

The first step after a stumble must be in the direction of the cross.

~ Max Lucado

God’s Daily Promise – #9

Galatians 3:29 

If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed
and heirs according to promise.
(World English Bible)

Promise #9: Since you are in Christ, I have made you an heir of all My promises.
 
Every one of the promises that God made to Abraham now belongs to you and I because we belong to Jesus Christ and are now heirs according to the promise. Just think of that for a moment. You are an heir of God and a joint heir with Jesus (Romans 8:17). Every promise that God made to Abraham is part of your own spiritual inheritance!

When God said to Abraham that He would be the father of many nations, and a blessing to many (Genesis 12), you were part of that promise.  The New Living Translation says Galatians 3:29 this way… And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you. NLT

May our God and Father give each one of us a revelation today about what it means to be an heir in His amazing kingdom. An heir of God and a co-heir with our elder brother, Jesus Christ. There is no higher call, there is no greater destiny, than to be part of the eternal family of the living God. Be encouraged by the words found in Galatians 4:7 – So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.(WEB)

Photo by Jeff Epp

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

God’s Daily Promise – #8

Galatians 4:6

And because you are children,
God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
“Abba, Father!”
 (World English Bible)

Promise #8: I sent the Spirit of My Son into your heart so you could call Me Father.

The greatest gift that the Father could give us was the Spirit of His Son, the Spirit of Sonship. Each one of us who is born again, carries within our being the very life and nature of Jesus Christ Himself. Galatians 4:7 goes on to say… So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (WEB)

The Spirit of the Son that lives within us continually calls out ‘Abba Father!’. Abba is an Aramaic word for father that little children would call out to their dads in New Testament times. It would be like us saying ‘papa’ or ‘daddy’ in the English language. Because we carry within our very being the Spirit of the Son, our spirit man continually cries out ‘Papa’ to God, whether we are aware of this cry in our heart or not.

I believe it delights our heavenly Father when we cry out ‘Abba!’ to Him, for that is the very reason why God has given us the Spirit of His Son… so that He could be a Father to us. So may a cry resonate deep in our heart today as we join with the Spirit of the Son that lives within us that calls out ‘Abba Father!’.
Photo by Jeff Epp

Click here to read Barry Adams’ new daily devotional at Fatherheart.tv

Judah will exist forever

Judah will exist forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
JOEL (4:20)
וִיהוּדָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וִירוּשָׁלִַם לְדוֹר וָדוֹר
יואל ד:כ

ve-ye-hoo-DAH le-oh-LOHM tay-SHEV vee-roo-sha-la-YEEM le-DOR va-DOR

Today’s Bible Lesson: Guest Post
by Sondra Baras, Director of CFOIC
Judah was Jacob’s fourth son and when the land was divided amongst the Tribes of Israel, Judah received the vast area of land south of Jerusalem extending from the Dead Sea in the east to the Mediterranean in the west. For centuries, this area was known as the Region of Judah, or Judea. Today, many people seek to sever the Jewish people from Judea, the Biblical Heartland of the Jewish People.  But God promised through His prophet Joel, that Judah would exist forever.  “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).

About Today’s Photograph
Photograph of a father and son walking through the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City by Vladi Alon. Today’s verse and much of Jewish literature connect Jerusalem with eternity.  “While pondering the creation of the world, the sages asked: ‘From where did He create it? And the answer is ‘From Zion.’ And when the Holy One, blessed is He, shall renew the world, He shall renew it out of Zion.” From “Legends of Jerusalem” by Zev Vilnay.

Jesus is our center!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Phil Ware

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus is our center! He is the hub around which we turn. Rather than trying to add on to the truth of Jesus, we must learn to accept it and trust it in child-like faith. But that child-like faith must be nourished and grown. As Jesus remains our central focus and our hearts remain thankful to God for his grace, we will that our faith is strengthened and that Jesus is more real than ever.

Prayer…

Holy and Righteous God, please give me eyes to see evil and avoid it. Please give me wisdom to know deceptive and false teaching when it is placed before me. Empower me to live a thankful life of holiness so that I can live in Jesus to your honor and glory. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

God’s Daily Promise – #7

John 3:16 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
(World English Bible)

Promise #7: I have given you eternal life because you have believed in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 is one of the most quoted, most loved Bible verses in the New Testament. This Scripture has been used by evangelists over the years to invite many people to come to Christ. The foundation of this much loved verse is and always will be, the love of the Father. For God (the Father) so loved the world…

It was the great love of our heavenly Father that caused Him to give up His most treasured possession, the life of His Son, so that we too could share in Jesus’ eternal life. What a glorious promise! We were loved so much by God, that He gave up all that He loved in order to gain our love!

May we never take the wonder of John 3:16 for granted, but may we continue to revel in the amazing love our God and Father has for us every day in our lives. Thank you Father for loving us so much, that you sent your only begotten Son to the world in order to purchase our redemption! ~ Barry Adams

Middle East Burning

 

A riveting and timely survey of things to come!

 

Widespread revolutions in multiple Arab nations. New powers rising to challenge entrenched despots and ruling bodies. Bitter new conflicts further enflaming the many already in place. And a pall of uncertainty over how it will all play out.
Indeed the Middle East is burning.

How can we make sense of it all?

At first glance the many hotspots may seem without a pattern, without rhyme or reason. But Bible prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock takes a look at Scripture and helps paint a clear picture of what’s taking place, giving insight on current events in Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria, and more.

=================================================================================

(Sharon’s note:)  To read an excerpt from this book, click on the link below. I think you will find it very interesting, as we relate it to our study of prophecy.

http://harvesthousepublishers.com/media/epr/excerpts/9780736939966_exc.pdf

 

Related articles

God’s Daily Promise #5

Ephesians 1:4-5 

4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without blemish before him in love; 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,
(World English Bible)

Promise #5: I chose you to be adopted into My family before creation.
It pleased the Father to choose us before the foundation of the world. In love, He saw the day when we would say yes to the free gift of His Son’s life for our life and become born into His amazing family. Before He even spoke the world into existence, He saw us!

And our adoption is not like any human adoption, for God has given us His own Spirit as a deposit to guarantee our inheritance. We are not servants in His house, but actual sons and daughters, joint heirs with our elder brother Jesus, seated in Christ in heavenly places.

What an amazing promise! Every other promise and precept rests on God’s eternal plan to make us part of His family. As Ephesians 1:4 says, we are holy and without blame before Him in love all because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. What Jesus did on our behalf has secured our place forever as God’s kids!

1 John 3:1 – Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. (WEB)

 

The Gift

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

As a child, I loved to receive gifts. In such a simple time of life, a gift meant I was loved. I didn’t worry about the significance or hidden message in a gift. I wasn’t concerned about the “strings attached” to the gift. It was just a gift — a free expression of love I didn’t deserve, given to me by someone who truly cared for me. Isn’t it great to get to be God’s child and receive his gift and know we can receive it as a child?!

Prayer…

Thank you, generous Father, for the gift of grace, the gift of faith, the gift of salvation, and most of all, the gift of Jesus. I know I can never repay these gifts, but I look forward to saying “Thank you!” through my lifestyle now and I look forward to continuing to say “Thank you!” through all eternity. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

~ Phil Ware

You are in Christ Jesus

. . . you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God —

that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Phil Ware

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Jesus is our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Let’s unpack those church words.

Righteousness — the ability to stand before God and be declared free from guilt.

Holiness — the character and nature that reflect the glory and sanctity of heaven.

Redemption — the gift of freedom bought at great expense.

Christians aren’t perfect? Hmmm!

We know this is true. But, because of Jesus’ loving sacrifice, we also know that in God’s eyes we’re righteous, holy, and redeemed.

That, dear friend of Jesus, is what we call amazing grace!

Prayer…

How can I thank you, wise and merciful Father, for the gift of Jesus? Your love in formulating the plan to send him, your sacrifice in having him become mortal, your agony when your own creations murdered him are too wonderful for understanding. But in my heart I do know that you did these things because of your loving grace and I want to thank you and praise you forever. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Look over your shoulder

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus,

the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 

Hebrews 12:1-2

In Matthew 14:28, Peter took Jesus at his word: 

“Lord, if it’s you, command me to come to you on the water. 

Jesus said, Come  And when Peter had come down out of the boat,

he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”

Storms prompt us to take unprecedented journeys. 

For a few historic steps and heart-stilling moments,

Peter did the impossible. 

He defied gravity and nature;

he walked on the water to Jesus!

But when Peter saw the wind,

he was afraid;

and beginning to sink he cried out,

“Lord, save me!”

Peter shifted his attention away from Jesus and toward the squall—

and when he did, he sank like a brick in a pond.

Whether or not storms come,

we cannot choose. 

But where we stare during a storm—

that we can!

~ Max Lucado

God’s Daily Promise #2

Psalm 103:8 

Yahweh is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
(World English Bible)

Promise #2: I am full of mercy and grace and I overflow with love. 

We live only a few miles from Niagara Falls. I am always overwhelmed by the sheer power and volume of the water that cascades over the brink of this natural wonder every second. When I think of the unending stream of God’s love that He shows to us every day, I think of this natural wonder.

As we continue our daily journey of reflecting in some of the promises of God in 2012, may we always be reminded of how He sees us. The Lord is full of mercy and grace and He overflows with love towards us. Everything that He does is motivated by His eternal, unending kindness. May the Holy Spirit give us a deeper revelation of the character and nature of God this new year and may He dismantle any misconceptions of our heavenly Dad that cause us to see Him as distant and angry.

Our God and Father is good. He is full of mercy and grace and just like Niagara Falls, He continually showers His love upon us. And His love will never ever end. May the revelation of the love of God continue to rush like a mighty river into your heart today.

Photo by Barry Adams

Is Netanyahu’s Patience with Iran Running Out?

Posted: January 24, 2012 in Uncategorized
by Joel C. Rosenberg

Does Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu think the West is taking decisive action to stop Iran from getting the Bomb, or does he think the West is fiddling while Tel Aviv runs the rising risk of burning? That’s the Big Question as tensions continue to mount in the epicenter this week. Iran is making new threats to close the Strait of Hormuz to oil shipments, just days after test-firing missiles over the Strait. The U.S., Britain and France are sending additional naval forces  into the Gulf. The European Union is taking new steps to impose an oil embargo on Iran. The U.S. is taking steps to sanction Iran’s third largest bank, though dragging its feet on actually sanctioning Iran’s Central Bank. Adding to the regional tensions, Russia is lashing out at the EU and selling $550 million worth of arms to one of Iran’s key regional allies. Will such Western moves be enough to stop Iran from building an arsenal of nuclear weapons? Personally, I’m not convinced. Such moves would have been good a few years ago. Now they strike me as too little too late, especially after the Obama White House disastrous decision recently to cancel joint military exercises with Israel for fear of being “too provocative” towards Iran. But it doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what Netanyahu thinks. If he decides the West isn’t doing enough and Iran is going to get the Bomb, then he is going to hit Iran hard, soon, and without warning.

In that context, it’s worth noting a speech Netanyahu gave Tuesday warning his nation that the world has not internalized the lessons of the Holocaust. ”Speaking at the Knesset just days before  International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27), Netanyahu reasoned that the Jewish people must not put their fate in the hands of the  international community,” reported the Jerusalem Post. “Posing a rhetorical question, Netanyahu asked, ‘How does the world react to the calls for genocide against the Jews today? Seventy years after the shoa [Holocaust], Iran is calling for us to be wiped off the map, Hezbollah is calling for our extinction, as are many in Hamas….The Jerusalem Mufti [Sheikh Muhammad Hussein] called on Sunday for Jews to be killed wherever they are…echoing his predecessor Haj Amin Al Husseini, who actively helped Hitler and Eichman,’ he said. ‘I do not hear the international community condemning this. I hear them  condemning buildings in the West Bank. But I don’t hear them condemning  this incitement,’ said Netanyahu.”

Could Netanyahu be signaling that his patience — and that of the Israeli government and military – is running out?

Worth noting: “Two Iranian lawmakers on Monday stepped up threats their country would close the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s crude flows, in retaliation for oil sanctions on Tehran,” reports Haaretz. “The warnings came as EU nations agreed in Brussels on an oil embargo against Iran as part of sanctions over the country’s controversial nuclear program. The measure includes an immediate embargo on new contracts for Iranian crude and petroleum products while existing ones will be allowed to run until July. Iran has repeatedly warned it would choke off the strait if sanctions affect its oil sales, and two lawmakers ratcheted up the rhetoric on Monday….For its part, the United States has enacted, but not yet put into force, sanctions targeting Iran’s central bank and, by extension, the country’s ability to be paid for its oil. Some 80 percent of Iran’s oil revenue comes from exports and any measures or sanctions taken that affect its ability to export oil could hit hard at its economy. With about 4 million barrels per day, Iran is the second largest producer in OPEC.”

Obeying God brings great joy

How Much Do You Trust Your Heavenly Father?

If you love me, obey my commandments. 

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you.…

Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love them.

And because they love me, my Father will love them,

and I will love them.

And I will reveal myself to each one of them.

Matthew 21:28-32 NLT

An expression of trust

Parents set up rules for their children: Clean up your room, don’t go anywhere with a stranger; be home by 11 p.m. The purpose, of course, is for the children’s benefit and protection; loving parents are not trying to make their children miserable by given them rules to follow. And parents hope that their children will understand rules as expressions of love and concern; they hope their children’s obedience will be motivated more by love than by fear of punishment. Our obedience to Christ should likewise be an expression of our trust in his care for us.

adapted from TouchPoint Bible with devotional commentary by Ron Beers and Gilbert Beers, Tyndale House Publishers (1996), p 934

It is better to go to Troas with God, than anywhere else without Him.
G CAMPBELL MORGAN

You have not really learned a commandment until you have obeyed it.… Nothing clarifies doctrine like doing. Each new thing learned becomes a millstone if we don’t make it a milestone.
VANCE HAVNER

The Lord of all creation has ordained that he would do his work through us. Our seeing the Spirit’s guidance and obeying what he wants us to do and say is the way he works to bless the world.
LLOYD OGILVIE

Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House

Studying Biblical Prophecy

The study of prophecy is not to Scare us,

but to Prepare us.

Studying Biblical Prophecy has been a passion of mine since I was a teenager. My first exposure to the subject was from a book entitled “The Bible and Tomorrow’s News”.

Studying prophecy can bring confusion and fear to a lot of people. I think that is because it is hard to understand.

We are attempting to wade into the study of prophecy a little at a time on our blog. We think it will be interesting for our readers to understand the basics as you follow each day’s news and how they are related.

The study can also be a source of encouragement and inspiration.  As we understand the relationship of knowledge of the scriptures and motivate our call to share the gospel, it will strengthen all of us.

I have included direct links below to the categories on our blog that will help us as we study.

We encourage comments and discussion of this wealth of knowledge that God has given us in His word.

Blessings,

Sharon & Erick

 

Related Articles:

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/studying-prophecy/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/maps-biblical/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/current-events-in-light-of-bible-prophecy/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/headlines-to-track/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/historial-maps/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/israel-interesting-information/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/maps/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/maps-in-light-of-biblical-prophecy/

https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/category/world-information/

 

 

The Works of Flavius Josephus

English: Engraving of Flavius Josephus from book
Image via Wikipedia

The Works
of
Flavius Josephus

Translated by
William Whiston



 

Antiquities of the Jews

Book 1

From The Creation To The Death Of Isaac (3,833 Years)

Book 2

From The Death Of Isaac To The Exodus Out Of Egypt (220 Years)

Book 3

From The Exodus Out Of Egypt, To The Rejection Of That Generation (2 Years)

Book 4

From The Rejection Of That Generation To The Death Of Moses (38 Years)

Book 5

From The Death Of Moses To The Death Of Eli (476 Years)

Book 6

From The Death Of Eli To The Death Of Saul (32 Years)

Book 7

From The Death Of Saul To The Death Of David (40 Years)

Book 8

From The Death Of David To The Death Of Ahab (163 Years)

Book 9

From The Death Of Ahab To The Captivity Of The Ten Tribes (157 Years)

Book 10

From The Captivity Of The Ten Tribes To The First Year Of Cyrus (182 Years)

Book 11

From The First Of Cyrus To The Death Of Alexander The Great (253 Years)

Book 12

From The Death Of Alexander The Great To The Death Of Judas Maccabeus (170 Years)

Book 13

From The Death Of Judas Maccabeus To The Death Of Queen Alexandra (82 Years)

Book 14

From The Death Of Queen Alexandra To The Death Of Antigonus (32 Years)

Book 15

From The Death Of Antigonus To The Finishing Of The Temple By Herod (18 Years)

Book 16

From The Finishing Of The Temple By Herod To The Death Of Alexander And Aristobulus (12 Years)

Book 17

From The Death Of Alexander And Aristobulus To The Banishment Of Archelaus (14 Years)

Book 18

From The Banishment Of Archelus To The Departure From Babylon (32 Years)

Book 19

From The Departure Out Of Babylon To Fadus, The Roman Procurator (3.5 Years)

Book 20

From Fadus The Procurator To Florus (22 Years)

War of the Jews

Book 1

From The Taking Of Jerusalem By Antiochus Epiphanes, To The Death Of Herod The Great (167 Years)

Book 2

From The Death Of Herod Till Vespasian Was Sent To Subdue The Jews By Nero (69 Years)

Book 3

From Vespasian’s Coming To Subdue The Jews To The Taking Of Gamala (1 Year)

Book 4

From The Siege Of Gamala To The Coming Of Titus To Besiege Jerusalem (1 Year)

Book 5

From The Coming Of Titus To Besiege Jerusalem, To The Great Extremity To Which The Jews Were Reduced (6 Months)

Book 6

From The Great Extremity To Which The Jews Were Reduced To The Taking Of Jerusalem By Titus (1 Month)

Book 7

From The Taking Of Jerusalem By Titus To The Sedition At Cyrene (3 Years)

 

Flavius Josephus Against Apion

Book 2

 

Josephus’s Discourse to the Greeks concerning Hades

Chapter 1

 

http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/flavius-josephus/

 

Timeline of End Times by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins

Three Signs of the End

By Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

Jesus’ disciples asked Him a classic question 2000 years ago: “What shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”

That remains one of the most prominent questions to this day. The fact is that the signs of the times are all around us. Many are asking, “How long can it be until the end of history, the end of life as we know it?”

In our book Are We Living in the End Times? we list many of the signs of the times apparent in our generation. We believe that while no one knows the day or the hour when Christ will return, we have more reason to believe He could come in our lifetime than any generation before us.

Many leading politicians look to the potential of a world government as the panacea that would bring global peace. That is why the United Nations was formed, yet even with its 60-year incapability to bring about peace, it remains the dream of many world planners.

World government is only one leg of the prophesied three-legged stool of end times globalism. The other two are a one-world economy and a one-world religion. The worldwide interchange of goods and services today, along with the current economic chaos, seems a clear signal that the prophecies of Revelation 13 and 18 may be coming true.

The one-world religion is beginning to form but will really come together right after the Rapture when Christ calls His church to heaven to be with Him in His Father’s house (John 14:1-3). Even today Christianity is one main impediment to the forming of a global religion, which will (according to Revelation 17) be destroyed at the end of the Tribulation period.

God in His mercy may wait one more day, which in His economy of time is a thousand of our years. But we are instructed to watch and wait for Christ’s imminent return, as if it could be today. Because it could!

We believe every Christian and church should share the Gospel faithfully with as many as possible. Our driving passion is that we don’t want anyone to be left behind.

———————

The Ultimate Sign of the End of Time

By Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

Of the thirty or more signs of the end of time as we know it, which will culminate with the return of Christ to set up His 1,000-year reign on earth, none is more specific and convincing than the re-gathering of over one third of the world’s Jews into the Land of Israel during the last century and the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948.

The very idea is a miracle itself. Never before in the history of the world has a nation been dispersed from its homeland for so many years without sinking beneath the sands of time. Many great nations, like the Hittites, were so lost after their dispersion that many scoffed at the Bible for even mentioning their existence. Yet archeologists finally dug up irrefutable evidence that they did indeed live and were a great people, just as the Bible said.

The lone exception to that rule of losing ethnic identity after such a dispersion is Israel. More than 1,700 years after being expelled from their homeland, the Jews were plentiful enough to send six million back to Israel, the land God deeded to them “forever.” Just as the Hebrew prophets had predicted, they would be drawn from all over the world “in the last days.”

Ezekiel 36-39 clearly calls the people “the whole House of Israel.” The prophet (inspired by God Himself, who alone can predict history) even provided the names of the enemies of Israel in the End Times – the very neighbors of Israel today who continually plot her destruction.

We can justifiably call the last sixty years of the nation of Israel a direct miracle that cries out for the recognition of God and the supernatural inspiration of the Bible. Wouldn’t the world’s skeptics have had a field day ridiculing the Bible had the Jews never returned to the land? But the skeptics are silent now. The Hebrew prophets predicted the ultimate possession of the land by the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The prophecy also avers that the Son of David will someday rule the world from His throne in Jerusalem, in the land of Israel. His name will be Jesus Christ, “and He shall be called KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16).

Better to accept Him by faith now and bend your knee to Him than wait until you are forced to (Philippians 2:9-11). For then it will be too late.

———————

Verse of the Day – November 30

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with
thanksgiving.
    — Psalm 69:30
       http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Psalm+69:30

THOUGHT:
   When was the last time you sang praises to God outside a church
or devotional service? Why not open up the Psalms and find several
verses that reflect your own praise and thanks to God and give them
a tune — your own tune! God doesn’t care if your spiritual gift is
music or not; he’s just listening for your heart to be full of joy
as you share your praise and thanksgiving with him.

PRAYER:
   O gracious Father, giver of every good and perfect gift, forgive
me for relegating my thanksgiving and praise to special days and
special places. I praise you for creating your human children with
the capacity to celebrate goodness, to rejoice in your creation,
and to have the capacity for praise and thanksgiving. Thank you for
making our world so full of reasons to offer thanks to you, our
Abba Father and Creator. As you continually fill me with your
Spirit, may my heart overflow with songs of praise and words of
thanksgiving. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111130

Daily Promise – November 30 – God keeps His promises–All of them.

1 Kings 8:56 KJV

Blessed be the LORD, that hath given rest unto his people Israel,
according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise,
which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.

 

Promise #334: Every word of every promise that I have made will come to pass. 
God is not a man that He should lie. Every promise that He has made will come to pass because He is faithful to do all that He has said that He will do. In a world of broken promises and disappointing authority figures, it is easy to become cynical and untrusting. Our negative life experiences with people can cause us to mistrust God in the same way.

In today’s promise, we are reminded that God keeps His promises. All of them. We may not understand His ways at times, but He is always true to His Word. Trust is a huge part of the foundation of our faith. If we struggle to trust Him, we will struggle to believe what He says is true.

My prayer today is that God will restore childlike trust to each of our hearts in increasing measure so that we will have every confidence that every promise that our Papa makes will come to pass!

Photo by Steve Taylor

AuthorBarry Adams

Verse of the Day – We so easily forget to give thanks when things are going well

VERSE:
But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the
ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he
swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
— Deuteronomy 8:18
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Deuteronomy+8:18

THOUGHT:
As we enter the month often associated in the USA with giving
thanks, this reminder from Moses is an important one! We so easily
forget to give thanks when things are going well. It’s easy for us
to whine and ask God to help us when we are in trouble, but we
often feel like we “deserve” the good things that happen to us. God
reminds us that what we have is simply a confirmation of his grace
and his faithfulness to do what he has said. We need to remind
ourselves, and each other, that the blessings we have come from his
hand and not because we deserved them more than someone else.

PRAYER:
Generous Father, forgive me for my forgetfulness. Deep down I
know I don’t deserve all the good things you have poured into my
life, yet I sometimes find myself thinking that I’ve earned them.
Use your Spirit to forge in me a heart like Jesus’ heart, who did
deserve everything good and yet gave it all up to come to earth and
give me the greatest gift imaginable — the gift of your salvation!
Thank you so much for this gift of grace and the many other
undeserved gifts that you have lavished on me. In Jesus’ name I
thank you. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111104

Daily Promise – October 21 – He will meet all our needs

2 Corinthians 9:8 KJV

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye,
always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

Promise #294: I will meet all your needs so you can overflow with good works.

It is by grace that you are saved, it is God’s gift to us so that we won’t be able to boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8) It is this same grace that abounds to us and meets all of our needs so that we will overflow in every good work. The NIV Bible says 2 Corinthians 9:8 this way… And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. NIV

This Bible verse really speaks of the principle of abundance. God wants us to overflow with His grace at all times and in every situation. I believe the key to this principle of abundance is found in Matthew 10:8. This is where Jesus is sending out His disciples to proclaim the good news of the gospel. His charge is simply this…  ‘freely you have received, freely give‘.

One of the things that I am learning in my walk with God is that I need to be in a place of receiving first before I can have anything to give to others. I am convinced that it is out of the overflow of His love and grace in my own life that others are touched.

So my simple encouragement today is for you to learn to receive all the grace that God wants to give you today. As you receive the abundant, never ending supply that flows from heaven, it will overflow in your life so that you will have all that you need to do every good work that He has planned for you.
Photo by Martin Smith

Give all your worries to Him

Give all your worries to him, because he cares about you. 

1 Peter 5:7

Maybe you don’t want to trouble God with your hurts. 

After all, he’s got famines and pestilence and wars;

he won’t care about my little struggles, you think. 

Why don’t you let him decide that? 

He cared enough about a wedding to provide the wine. 

He cared enough about Peter’s tax payment to give him a coin. 

He cared enough about the woman at the well to give her answers.

~ Max Lucado

Daily Promise – October 19 – we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings

Psalm 91:4 KJV

He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.


Promise #292: I will cover you with My feathers and protect you with My wings.

Psalm 91 is one of my favorite psalms that speaks of Almighty God’s protection and covering. I love the imagery of this verse in particular. Just imagine for a minute the imagery that the psalmist is portraying in this verse… The Most High God covers us with His feathers and protects us with His wings.

When I think of the imagery of this promise, I imagine God as a majestic eagle and we are His little chickadees who live in the shelter and safety of His magnificient wings. Nothing can harm us there. We are completely safe and secure. Another picture that comes to my mind when I think of this verse is that of a little child who seeks refuge under their dad’s raincoat in the midst of a storm, hanging tightly onto his leg, completely sheltered from the storm.

Both pictures bring me a sense of peace and safety and security knowing that God is my refuge and my safe place. This promise does not only paint a nice picture for us, but it declares a spiritual reality that you and I can live in all the days of our lives. The truth is that we are safe and secure in under the protection of our heavenly Dad’s wings… no matter how scary it is outside of His care! May the reality of this promise become more and more real to each and every one of us!

Daily Promise – October 17 – You only need to be at peace and watch what happens

Exodus 14:14 KJV

The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.


Promise #290: If you remain still, I will do your fighting for you.

In today’s promise, we have an amazing assurance that the God who spoke the entire universe into existence will fight for us if we will only remain still. The NIV Bible says this verse this way…The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” NIV

I believe there is something in the heart of God that fights on our behalf when we do not try and fight for ourself. Waiting on the Lord is not passive, it is active. When we wait on God to fight for us, we are putting ourselves in a very vulnerable position and by doing so we are demonstrating in a very practical way that we know that our heavenly Dad is the source of our help.

Does this mean that we never wage warfare on a spiritual level? After all, the Bible says that we are to ‘resist the devil and he will flee’, ‘take on the full armor of God’, etc. I believe what Exodus 14:14 is talking about is fighting in our own strength. There is a huge difference from fighting our battles in our own best efforts and fighting battles in the power of the Lord’s might.

When we learn that the battle really is the Lord’s, we can rest in His ability to save us and draw from His strength and not our own. Whatever battle you are facing today, be comforted in knowing that you have a  Father (God) and a big brother (Jesus) fighting on your behalf. You only need to be at peace and watch what happens.
Photo by Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 11 – The longing in your Father’s heart is that you would call Him ‘Father’

Jeremiah 3:19 KJV

But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said,
Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me.


Promise #284: I am happy to treat you as My child, and I hope you will call Me Father.

In the Old Testament, God is revealed by many names. There are actually over 300 different names that refer to God with the name ‘Father’ being one of them. I believe that this passage of Scripture truly reveals God’s amazing heart to be a Father to Israel.

The NIV Bible says it this way…
“I myself said, ” ‘How gladly would I treat you like sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of any nation.’ I thought you would call me ‘Father’ and not turn away from following me. NIV

When I read this passage of Scripture, I feel the longing that God has to be a father to us. How happy He is to treat us like sons and how He hopes that we would call Him ‘Father’. Though God is revealed by many names in the Old Testament, Jesus primarily revealed God as Father in the New Testament.

Through Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, we now have the opportunity to call Him our Father now! In John 20:17, after just coming out of the tomb, I believe that Jesus summarizes all the New Testament revelation into one statement … Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ “ NIV

The longing in your Father’s heart is that you would call Him ‘Father’. May today be the day when this revelation of His fathering nature goes deeper into your heart than ever before.   ~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 10 – Because of Jesus, you are free from all condemnation

Romans 8:1 KJV

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.


Promise #283: Because of Jesus, you are free from all condemnation.

This is a wonderful promise that we can all take to heart. There is therefore now NO condemnation! Many of us struggle with feelings of shame and condemnation every day. This Scripture tells us that because of what Jesus did, we do not have to live under condemnation any longer.

However, when you read the KJV Bible translation of Romans 8:1, it seems like there is a bit of a disclaimer to the statement ‘There is therefore now no condemnation…” The disclaimer is …for those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For me, when I was a younger Christian and read this verse, I felt that if I somehow was walking after the flesh, then I would be subject to condemnation.

I truly believe that the heart of this verse is better translated in the ESV translation of the Bible which says in

Romans 8:1-2…
1There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. ESV

Notice that after the promise of no condemnation there is a period. The disclaimer (for those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit) is not there. I truly believe that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ there is therefore now NO condemnation…period! The law of the Spirit of life has set us free from the law of sin and death. Hallelujah!
Photo by Barry Adams

Verse of the Day – Under His Wings We will find Refuge

VERSE:
He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you
will find refuge …
— Psalm 91:4
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Psalm+91:4

THOUGHT:
Life is filled with many uncertainties. You never know when
something unexpected is going to happen. You have no idea when the
next disaster will strike. In a world filled with hate and
terrorism, none of us has a clue when the next horrible atrocity
will take place. So what do we do when we can’t be sure of our
circumstances? We take shelter under the wing of the One who is
above all circumstances! We take assurance in our Father who has
promised to bring us to himself no matter what may happen today …
in our world … and to our bodies. Our lives are hidden with our
Father because we’ve been joined to Christ. He is our Refuge! His
wings are our shelter!

PRAYER:
Father, what words can I offer that are sufficient to thank and
praise you for your deliverance that is greater than death? You are
the Alpha and the Omega. You are the God who was and is and is to
come. You are my Abba Father, who has adopted me and made me your
own. I place my trust, my hope, and future in you and I will not be
afraid. I find my refuge under your wings! All praise to you in the
name of Jesus. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111009

Daily Promise – October 9 – The Pathway to real Freedom

1 John 1:9 KJV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Promise #282: If you confess your sins, I will be faithful to forgive and cleanse you.

God is faithful. God is just in all that He does. God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. All that He requires is that we trust in His goodness and risk exposing our heart by confessing our shortcomings to Him. When we confess our sins, we are vulnerable and honest before our God and Father.

When we confess our sins to God, we openly declare that we are relying on His mercy to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and that we can’t do it ourselves. It takes faith and trust to live a transparent life before God, but that is the pathway to real freedom. When we keep things in the dark, those things have power over us and will keep us enslaved in one form or another. When we bring things into the light that lurk in the shadows of our heart, we experience new found freedom over those things.

The amazing thing is that God is not surprised by what we confess, for He knows us better than we knows ourselves. He does not judge us when we open our hearts to Him, but rather the opposite happens.

In Psalm 103:14-15 the NIV Bibles says…
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.

When we are vulnerable and honest before God, compassion rises up in His heart towards us because He understands our frailities. Confession of our sins is for our benefit not God’s. He has already dealt with the issue of sin that once separated us through the shed blood of Jesus… once and for all!

He wants us to be completely free! Free from a guilty conscience and free from condemnation and the accusations from the enemy! So if there is anything that is keeping you from experiencing the intimacy of being with your Papa God, be assured in knowing that if we confess our sins to Him, He will be faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness! ~ Barry Adams

Daily Promise – October 8 – He exchanged His life for our life

John 1:16 KJV

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

Promise #281: I have blessed you in Christ with one outpouring of grace after another.

I love the Amplified version of this Bible verse…
For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift. AMP

In Jesus, God the Father has blessed us with grace upon grace, heaped favor upon favor on us and blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heaven (Ephesians 1:3). Words cannot express the wonderful, bountiful outpouring of love and blessings that God has given us through the free gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that we would be able to tangibly grasp the unshakeable inheritance that is ours in Jesus Christ today. He exchanged His life for our life and made the way for us to be partakers of His divine nature and beneficiaries of all His blessings. Thank you God for your amazing grace and every good and perfect gift that comes from your hand (James 1:17)!

Verse of the Day – Sometimes the greatest of all wonders wrap their tiny fingers around our own and capture our hearts

VERSE:
Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you —
majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?
— Exodus 15:11
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Exodus+15:11

THOUGHT:
With whom do you compare the incomparable? How do you grasp the
infinite with a finite mind? When the quintessence of majesty is
the God you contemplate, how can you ever speak of majesty about
anything else? God exhausts our superlatives. God’s glory bewilders
our imaginations. God’s greatness exceeds our wildest dreams. He is
beyond what we can know or believe. Yet the Wonder of all his
wonders is simply this: he limited himself to a baby, swaddled by
loving parents in strips of cloth, and placed in a feed trough
because there was no room for them in the inn. Sometimes the
greatest of all wonders are not the ones that require our biggest
and best words. Sometimes the greatest of all wonders wrap their
tiny fingers around our own and capture our hearts.

PRAYER:
I do not know how to understand your incredible love for us, yes
even for me. How could you enter our world in baby Jesus? Like the
Magi, I bow and worship you, Lord Jesus, and our Father who sent
you. Who is like you, O God? Nobody is even close. Yet for some
reason known only to your grace, you have brought us close. I
praise you for your majesty and I praise you for your manger. To
your glory, precious Jesus, and in your name, I offer this praise.
Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20111007

Daily Promise – October 7 – We are God’s Offspring

Acts 17:28 KJV

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also
of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Promise #280: Your life comes from Me because you are My offspring.

Today’s promise comes from a passage in the Bible where the Apostle Paul is debating with some Greek philosophers on Mars Hill about the existence of the one and only true God. In the midst of his conversation, Paul tells that God is so involved in their lives that they actually live and move and have their being in Him.In Colossians 1:15-17 it says this about Jesus…
 15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. NIV

Every neutron and electron, every strand of DNA, is held together by the very life of the living God. In Ephesians 4:4-6, it says that there is one God and Father of us all who is over all and in all and through all. No matter if all of mankind acknowledges this truth or not, it does not change the unshakeable fact that our God is the very fabric in which the universe is held together. There is no denying it.

I have always found it interesting that when Paul was speaking to the Greeks, he quoted one of their own poets that said that ‘we are all God’s offspring’. The truth is that God created every person who ever lived. He is the very author of life. Whether we realize it or not, we are all God’s offspring through creation and it is His eternal plan that every person on the planet would become His children through redemption by the free gift of Jesus Christ!

Related articles

Verse of the Day – Can you trust what you don’t see?

VERSE:
Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you
do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an
inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of
your faith, the salvation of your souls.
— 1 Peter 1:8-9
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Peter+1:8-9

THOUGHT:
Can you trust what you don’t see? Of course! What kind of
question is that? Our lives depend on what we cannot see — things
like gravity and the air we breathe, just to name two. Faith in
Jesus is as natural as faith in each of those things. The problem
is that our hearts are skeptical. We find it hard to believe that
anyone divine would love us so much. Our experience says, “If it
seems too good to be true, it is.” That skepticism is just the
twisted form of the response God longs to see from us:
“inexpressible and glorious joy.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve
tasted both. I prefer joy over skepticism!

PRAYER:
What joy fills my heart, Father, when I anticipate what it will
be like to be in your presence — to have you wipe each tear from
my eyes and to have you introduce me again to those I love and to
those I’ve only known by reputation. Please never let me outlive
that sense of anticipation and never let that hope dim in my heart,
no matter what else may happen in my life here. In Jesus’ name I
pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110930

‘Honey, I love you in an abstract way’

By Jon Walker

This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other. (John 13:35 MSG)

True love is never in the abstract. ‘We’ll never carry out our mission of being witnesses to Christ from behind pulpits or within Bible studies. We’re commissioned to “go therefore” and fill the earth with the presence of Christ so others may “observe” what He commanded us — to love one another as He loves us (Matthew 28:19-20 NASB; John 13:34).

We are to take our unseen and eternal fellowship, our oneness with Him and each other, into the seen and temporal lives of others.

To “observe” something, it must be seen. As others observe us, watch us “being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, intent on one purpose; not merely looking out for our own personal interests, but also for each other’s interests (Philippians 2:3-4),” they will naturally wonder where such uncommon attitudes come from.

And we have opportunity to say, “This is the attitude that ‘is in Christ Jesus who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond servant, being made in the likeness of men’” (Philippians 2:5-7).

In a fallen and self-oriented world, both that attitude and practice are particularly uncommon and profoundly noticeable. The witness of the reality of Christ and His love through our authentic and loving relationships is a living testimony that the world must deal with. Jesus’ personal and sacrificial love creates a safe place, a refuge, an opportunity to “be” that every person needs.

This devotional is based on my book, Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s ‘The Cost of Discipleship’.

We now have free small group study guides posted for each chapter from Costly Grace. The study guides are available at http://www.gracecreates.com/free-stuff/.

‘Honey, I love you in an abstract way’ is a post from: GraceCreates Jon Walker is the author of Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ and Growing with Purpose. He has served on staff at Saddleback Church and Purpose Driven Ministries and is currently the managing editor of Rick Warren’s Daily Devotionals and the Ministry Toolbox. Contact him at questions@gracecreates.com. This article is copyrighted 2011 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

Verse of the Day – Glory in His Holy Name

VERSE:
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the
LORD rejoice.
— 1 Chronicles 16:10
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Chronicles+16:10

THOUGHT:
What is your glory? Do you glory in your accomplishments, your
wealth, your status, your looks, your piety, your humility …? In
the old hymn “Beneath the Cross of Jesus,” we confess, “My glory,
all the Cross.” That’s what Christians mean when we “glory in God’s
holy name.” Our full understanding of God’s holy name has been
greatly expanded by Jesus. He taught us to not only reverence the
name of God, but also to call him Father. Any other cause of joy,
any other basis for boasting, is a passing illusion. For those
whose hearts seek the LORD, glory is found in reverencing the holy
name of the Father who gave up his precious Son so we could be his
children. He loves us that much. Incredible!

PRAYER:
You have blessed me in so many ways, Father. How can I ever
begin to thank you properly? I confess that I sometimes seek
notoriety and glory for myself even though I know it is fleeting
and often it is only the false flattery of those who want something
from me. But deep in my heart, dear God, I know that my true glory
is found in the adoption covenant you signed with your grace. Thank
you! Words cannot capture my appreciation, but please know that I
look forward to being eternally grateful for all that you have
done. May the glory be yours in heaven and throughout the earth,
both now and forevermore. In the name of Jesus I praise you. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110929

Verse of the Day – Christ died for sins ONCE for ALL

VERSE:
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the
unrighteous, to bring you to God.
— 1 Peter 3:18
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Peter+3:18

THOUGHT:
It sounds so simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? Kinda like
the newspaper headline about someone dying we don’t know. Just
cold, hard facts! But we know differently. Underneath this
statement of grace lies the broken heart of God, the sacrifice of
heaven, the brutality of supposedly religious men, and the
searching love of our God who would not abandon us to the cruel
“Deathmaster.” For those who knew animal sacrifice, with its high
personal cost and animal sacrifices, this verse is more than a
headline: it is a “graceline.” Once for all — no more sacrifices
needed. Bring you to God — no more distance, no intermediaries
between God and us. Jesus is heaven’s open door and God’s open
heart saying, “Come home; we’ve been waiting for you.”

PRAYER:
What words, O gracious Father, can I use to express my
appreciation for your sacrifice and grace? I have none sufficient
to say what I feel. But even in this realization, I know the gift
of your Spirit ensures that you hear my words and my heart. Every
good and lasting thing I have comes from your grace. Please receive
my undying love and my heartfelt praise for all you are, for all
you have done, and for all that you will be. In Jesus’ precious
name I pray. Amen.

http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110928

Daily Promise – September 28 – We are more than conquerors through Him

Romans 16:20 KJV

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Promise #271: I will soon crush the evil one under your feet.

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught us to ask our Father to ‘deliver us from evil’. Jesus wouldn’t have told us to pray this way unless He was certain that His Father would answer our prayer to be saved from evil.

We know that in this world, we will have trouble in life because we live in a fallen world. Hurting people hurt other people and the cause and effect of a fallen humanity causes many evil things to happen. However, that does not mean that we are in subjection to the prince of the power of air. In James 4:7, the Bible says, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

In Romans 8:37, Paul says that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. As Paul continues to write the book of Romans, he goes on to say in today’s promise found in Romans 16:20, that the God of peace will soon crush the evil one beneath our feet. No matter what circumstances you are facing today, be encouraged that our God and Father will soon give us an eternal victory and crush the evil one beneath our feet! …So rest in this amazing promise and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Photo by Barry Adams