John The Baptist and America

By Robert Driskell

The first chapter of the Gospel of Luke introduces us to John the Baptist. John appeared publicly on the religious scene of the day about six months before Jesus began preaching. The Bible says that John was to:

go on BEFORE THE LORD TO PREPARE HIS WAYS; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins… (Luke 1:76-77 NASB)

John was to prepare the hearts of the people for the arrival of Jesus. The Jews were waiting on the promised Savior to come and free them from the oppressive rule of the Roman government. Their idea of salvation was political. (more…)

Christians: His chosen people

By Fergus Davar

Hi people, I am back but this time I will be talking about something that may not go down very well. So keep a glass of water by your side.. lol. Well today to I will be talking about what was preached to me by another pastor. The stuff makes sense and is what the real world is about.

Let’s dwell on John 3:16.

16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

Now it is said that God loves the whole world & the rest means what it says but does this mean that the whole world is saved, that is the whole world goes to heaven. Well my first answer was that anyone from anywhere in the world, who puts their trust in Christ are those who are saved but I was off the mark. The verse says that God loved the world and so the question is, will the whole world be saved? There were some who brought in the notion of free will, that is if WE CHOOSE to accept Christ then we are saved. Man .were they of the mark!!! If a person has the ability to choose Christ and be saved, then read Rev 7:10, it shows that Salvation comes from God and not from man’s ability to choose. (more…)

Roy, His Name Was Roy

By Debra Burgess

Turning away from the stage I felt the need to look behind me. Across the park I could see two men standing together in the pouring rain. One man was dressed in a dark coat and hat. He had his hand on a younger man’s shoulder in such a way I knew he was praying for him. This same young guy passed by a few minutes earlier but he didn’t notice us as we stood under our umbrella. He seemed under the influence of something more than the music. (more…)

The Hardest People to Love

By Jim Barringer

Do you love your neighbor?

When Jesus was asked about the most important commandment in the whole Bible, he said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself.” The first part, if I may be a bit glib, is easy. All you have to do is think for a while about how badly you messed up your life, and how miraculously God saved you, and you really can’t help but love him. You can love him by yourself in the desert, like the ancient saints used to. Loving people while living in a world surrounded by them, on the other hand, is much harder. (more…)

And they came to Elim.

By Jasti Victor

The Sun was at its scorching peak, beating relentlessly on the soft shimmering desert sand. Centuries of Sun and wind worked persistently turning the once fertile land to endlessly shifting stretching sand, forever changing landscapes.

Not a single insect or a creeping creature dared to risk come out of the shadows to peep out on the burning sand.

Silence so deafening that a cracking rock somewhere deep in the desert due to the intense heat, sends an echo through the length and breath, to and fro till it dies suddenly as it had started.

It’s only the soft crawling sound through the boulders on the treacherous terrain, scampering the snug scorpions and the snakes around, as a sturdy young man tries to seek water and rest, which broke the silence. The young man was crawling, as his feet were blistered and bleeding, the sandals having worn out long time back. (more…)

Today Is The Day For Change

By Jeff Todd

Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” – Luke 19: 9, 10

I find it amazing how when a person surrenders their life to the Lord, not only does this create a change in that person, but it begins affecting others around them. It’s like people are drawn to it and they become convicted that they need this change in their life as well. (more…)

THE SINNER SAVED BY GRACE

By ISAAC LIKUJI

THE SINNER SAVED BY GRACE

(Article by ISAAC K. LIKUJI Thursday, August 6 2009)

The story of sin began way back… in heaven. Long before the foundations of the earth were laid, GOD made a discovery_ knowledge of good and evil. But since GOD cannot sin against HIMself, the evil in concept was not the evil in practice. Before too long, a culprit was manifested_ Lucifer; he fell into the evil in practice by sinning against his GOD. Some moments later sin, a living thing, began to multiply itself among the angels. And so when man came on the scene a little later in this evolution, he had to prove himself wiser than satan or he would fall wallowing in sin. Unfortunately, he failed. (more…)

The Difference Between Praise and Worship

By Jim Barringer

When the weather is nice, when the sky is so blue that even a color-blind guy like me can see how beautiful it is, I like to go walking on the campus at Southwestern Seminary. During today’s walk, for whatever reason, I was pondering my personal philosophy of worship, the answer I might give to a church when they ask what I believe about it. In the process of that meditation, I realized that even though they’re frequently used to mean the same thing, praise and worship are actually two very different ideas. The most basic difference is that worship is based in who God is, while praise is based in what he does. (more…)

How to Gain Victory Over the Flesh

By Rick King

How to Gain Victory Over the Flesh
By: Rick L. King
March 31, 2009

Do you know any professing Christian that does not deal with their flesh? I don’t personally know of any. Did you know that God has provided a way to overcome? Though it is a process, it is possible. This article will set you free from the bondage of the flesh. (more…)

Prayer of the Lord’s Witness

By Tonda Canterbury

“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with {an attitude of} thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak. Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, {as though} seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person (Col 4:2-6, NASB).” (more…)

The Tolerance of Evil

By William Mellen

Reading the all-too-often tragic headlines of any newspaper today makes one wonder whether or not God really has any control over the things of this life.  Well, God can control all things and is, in fact, in control of all things.  So then, why does God tolerate the presence of evil?  And why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?  As James Gray points out, questions such as these are “often asked with the hope of finding some flaws in God’s character whereby He may be blamed, and man in some sense justified.  But it is always a failure.”[1]  For, God is blameless and holy, we are sinful and imperfect. (more…)

One True God

By Richard Burroughs

Is. 45:20-25 There is one and only one God! Those who pray to other gods are praying to a dead stick that cannot answer. Many in our day say that it does not matter what religion you are that all religions and paths lead to the same place. That is a flat out lie from the devil. But in a sense I guess they are right, all so called religions, apart from salvation through Jesus, do lead to the same place, but it is not heaven. There is only one God and there is only salvation through one man and that is Jesus! Acts 4:12 (more…)

Acts 20:32

Acts 20:32
By Don Costello

Acts 20:32

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

1. “And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace”

a. commend [3908 * paratithemi] [Zodhiates: "to place with someone for one's own sake"]

b. The phrase “word of his grace” is used Acts 14. (more…)

Can You Dig It?

By Phillip Ross

Paul previously made the case that God’s wisdom is not like human wisdom, that the best wisdom, intelligence and scholarship that man has to offer is foolishness compared to God’s wisdom, the wisdom of Scripture. Paul made the case for the necessity of regeneration and/or conversion from the mindset of the world to the mindset of Christ. To become a Christian is to undergo a complete change of heart and of mind. (more…)

Lord, Help Me

By Derek Dill

A prayer based on Psalm 6, for all those who are hurting. In the generation that we live, crying out to God is a necessity. May these words inspire you to talk to your heavenly Father. He is always ready and willing to hear and help you. Give God your problems, there is no need to carry the burdens of life when the Lord can do it for you. (more…)