All posts tagged: Bible

12 Powerful words or phrases that command heaven’s attention

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Part 2 The next six words or phrases I find powerful and commanding are from the very lips of Jesus. On each one of these occasions, something extraordinary happens after his declaration. Here are six of them: 7. It is finished… When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit… And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. John 19:30; Mark 15:38 8. Lazarus come out… Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone… he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out…” The man who had died came out… John 11:40-44 9. I am He… Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?”They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. When Jesus said …

A Biblical Perspective on Gamling

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Part 1 Gambling, both legal and illegal, is a phenomenon gaining unprecedented acceptance. Because it is so widespread, Christians must look at this activity to determine the ethical and moral implications. Gambling Defined Advocates of gambling often try to place this activity in the same category as other ventures which involve risk. They describe farming, business, insurance, and even investments as gambling because the outcome is unpredictable and losses can occur. In this way they hope to transfer the respectability of legitimate ventures to gambling. L. M. Starkey, Jr., has made the following helpful observation: Life does have its normal risks which one must accept with faith and courage. These normal risks are in no sense equivalent to the risks in a game of chance. Gambling devises artificial risks in the hope of excessive gain far beyond what the investment of time, money, or skill would justify. In gambling the chance is unrelated to any creative effort called for by the farmer or the stockbroker in the responsible investment of his mental, monetary, and physical funds. 1. To distinguish …

The Bible is a book of Alignment

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The Bible is a book of alignment – you either align or you malign. Titus 2:3-5 speak out the things that make for solid doctrine…so that no one will malign the Word of God Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone to malign God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives. The idea behind this phrase – Things which are proper for sound doctrine – has to do with right living, not just right thinking. The Living Bible translates this “Speak up for the right living that goes along with true Christianity.” The New …

Ulterior Motives

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Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about and the motives of my heart; See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life. Psalm 139:23 – 24 – The Message Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why you do the things you do as a believer? Have you ever questioned your motives and checked your heart to see just why you do the things you do in the name of God? What would you say if one were to ask you the following” Why do you go to church? Why do you read you bible? Why do you give financially to your church? Why do you volunteer? Why do you pray? Is it possible to completely miss the right reasons for the questions above? Look with me at a few passages that I think suggest that it is possible: Mathew 6:1-4 – Practicing your righteousness before others in order to be seen …

What must I do To Inherit Eternal Life?

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Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. This video reminds me of how simple yet deep and profound the gospel message is. Preaching here, Billy Graham, a true and humble man of God, delivers a powerful gospel message. Have you given your life to Jesus yet? Today is your day don’t let it slip away. <;a

Hudson Taylor Part 2 (The matter of giving and receiving)

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I am not a pastor who encourages his congregation to give because of what they can get out of it. That does not mean they shouldn’t give. Having said that, the matter of giving is almost never just the matter of giving. According to Paul in Philippians 4:15, “Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only” – it is the matter of giving and receiving. You never ever hardly give and don’t receive – even though receiving is not the motivation here – there is always a receiving. And God determines that which is received. Here is a story in the life of Hudson Taylor that explains this: This is an excerpt from the biography of the life of Hudson Taylor In November, 1851, Hudson moved his lodging to a noisy suburb of Darinside, a neighborhood on the edge of town. Here he began a rigorous …

Selah: Pause and think about it!

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I love to hear the word “advantage” in a tennis match. At this time the server has the advantage to win the match after deuce. I get excited, especially if the one I am rooting for has the advantage. Advantage means everything is in your favor. It means you have the edge over the other player. It means you have the power now to win a set or win the match. Psalm 84 give me that same feeling. The psalm is a description of the advantages we have with the Lord being there with us. The psalm divides very simply into three parts and marked off by the little word Selah. Selah means to pause and think of what has just been said. Let me simply share these verses and have you pause and think about what you just read: How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout …

The Most Influential Evangelist You’ve Never Heard Of

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The Most Influential Evangelist You’ve Never Heard Of by BARBARA BRADLEY HAGERTY Listen to the Story All Things Considered [9 min 8 sec] transcript EnlargeHarry Cabluck/AP Republican activist David Barton speaks before testifying before the Texas State Board of Education in 2009. August 8, 2012 David Barton says Americans have been misled about their history. And he aims to change that. Cue The Tape: How David Barton Sees The World “It’s what I would call historical reclamation,” Barton explains, in his soft but rapid-fire voice. “We’re just trying to get history back to where it’s accurate. If you’re going to use history, get it right.” Barton has collected 100,000 documents from before 1812 — original or certified copies of letters, sermons, newspaper articles and official documents of the Founding Fathers. He says they prove that the Founding Fathers were deeply religious men who built America on Christian ideas — something you never learn in school. For example, you’ve been taught the Constitution is a secular document. Not so, says Barton: The Constitution is laced with …

Slain in the Spirit – part 1

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The phrases “slain in the Spirit,” “falling under the power,” or “resting in the Spirit” are not found in the Bible. They are used, however, to describe the experience of falling to the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit. Although being slain in the Spirit seems to be a distinguishing characteristic of some recent revivals and evangelistic ministries, there are recorded accounts of people falling under the power of God or being slain in the Spirit in 18th and 19th century revivals. Some of the earlier recorded prostration experiences were related to sinners falling under conviction for their sins. More frequently in the modern Pentecostal/Charismatic revival, believers who are slain in the Spirit experience an extended, intense time of inner work of the Spirit tailored to the specific nature or needs of the individual. Some expositors have noted that in all biblical instances of the powerful presence of God causing one to fall prostrate, the position was always face down, while in contemporary instances, the worshipper falls backward. When the number of worshippers …