This is an amazing prophecy not only that Jerusalem, which was then in ruins, would become a burden to the whole world, but that ALL of Israel’s neighbors would be united against her. They have fought one another in the past. Yet today, for the first time in history, “all [...]
This unusual name for a well means “well of the living one who sees me.” The chapter deals with Hagar when she fled from Sarai’s presence (v.6). The “angel of the LORD,” like a shepherd, found Hagar by a well in the wilderness (v.7). This is the first explicit reference [...]
“So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first” (Matthew 20:8). [...]
We summarily reject any “theology” that replaces God’s everlasting covenant concerning the land of Israel with the “church.” God has NOT cast away His people and we, the Gentile believer are grafted in by faith to Israel’s hope – Yeshua of Israel. [...]
Now, if God has a controversy with His own people, what of other nations? God will seek reconciliation with His own backslidden people, but the God-despising nations of the world face utter destruction. “A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the LORD hath a controversy [...]
Because Christ is God, this “gospel of Jesus Christ” (Mark 1:1) is surely the one true “gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). This is the gospel which we have been commissioned by Christ to preach “to every creature” (Mark 16:15), so we need no other. [...]
All were thieves, deserving punishment. One was a betrayer, ending his life in suicide; one was a beneficiary, though only for a time; one was a berater, destined for hell; but one was a believer, receiving salvation and eternal life. Jesus, who received the penalty for thievery, can save even [...]
This observation by Job contains a significant scientific insight, refuting the frequent charge by skeptics that the Bible says that the earth is flat, with four corners. The Bible teaches no such thing—quite the opposite, in fact. Columbus did not sail west to prove that the earth was round; he [...]
May God deliver each of us from tragic ignorance of our need before Him. We should pray with the psalmist, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way [...]
The last five psalms in the wonderful Book of Psalms (Psalms 146–150) comprise what might be considered a great “Hallelujah Chorus” to this “Hallel” book—the “book of Israel’s praises,” as the Book of Psalms was called by the Israelites. [...]
Over the years, many have argued that this verse was prophetically fulfilled in King Ahaz and has nothing to do with a coming Deliverer, namely Jesus Christ. For this very reason – it is profoundly important to keep a watchful eye on context [...]
But Jesus “is the mediator of the new testament . . . for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament” (Hebrews 9:15), and with His blood, we have “our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience . . . to serve the living God” (Hebrews 10:22; 9:14). [...]
At times we tend to think of John the Baptist as a wild man, one who would have been either an offense or a laughingstock to those he was trying to reach, but in reality quite the opposite was true. He was greatly respected and believed; some even wondered if [...]
Christians are saved by the grace of God, not by works of righteousness. Therefore, in a sense, they are free to do whatever they please. “All things are lawful unto me.” The Christian, however, is under a higher law, the law of love and of seeking to please and honor [...]
Should we not carefully consider giving thanks to God for those things generally hid from our eyes; the crippled and maimed war veteran, the faith of a dying loved one, the crushed by hopeful wife of a fallen police officer, the physically extended doctor and nurse, the parent wasting away [...]
Number of comments: 1 There is an old familiar cliché to the effect that we should “hate the sin, but love the sinner.” This may sound a bit trite because of over-use, but it is nevertheless both Biblical and practical. It is easy and tempting to be critical and condemnatory toward someone who has [...]
Even very religious people, people who believe in God as Creator, may blind themselves when confronted with the truth that the Creator must also become their Savior. “But their minds were blinded: . . . even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart” (II [...]
The fig tree was an object lesson on barrenness, typifying the Jewish nation’s condition in spite of their privileged heritage. This type of hypocritical fruitlessness receives condemnation (vv.20,21), exhibits a lack of faith (vv.22,23), and hinders our prayers (vv.24–26). [...]
Evidently it would be better for those teachers, seminarians, and others who espouse errors such as humanism, evolution, and other false concepts, that a millstone were hanged about their necks, and that they were drowned in the depth of the sea than to lead astray those “little ones” in their [...]
Therefore, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31,32). Otherwise, we not only hurt both ourselves [...]
We are “made nigh” and made “one.” The enemy has been “abolished,” with the “middle wall of partition” that was between us broken down (Ephesians 2:13–15), making us “one body,” with common “access by one Spirit unto the Father” (Ephesians 2:16–18). [...]
Christians have a propensity toward religiosity. God addresses this folly with his command to, "take care of the fatherless and widowed" in our midst. When coupled with the fact that the fatherless and widowed are in every facet of our culture already, the church is hard pressed to explain its [...]
Whatever all of these promises may ultimately involve, they assure us of permanent status as the chosen, holy ones of God (Romans 8:29–39), “that in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7). [...]
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Ye see how large a letter I have [...]
The date 2012 is most commonly a reference to the "end" of the Mayan Long Count Calendar. This date has been picked up by a number of individuals. Others attest that ancient Romans believed 2012 would be a historic year. The Ancient Chinese I Ching predicted the apocalypse in 2012. [...]
As the plane rolled into another stomach-churning maneuver, the passenger was probably wishing that he was somewhere else.
Then, just like that, he was. [...]
Indeed, those promises involve “all things that pertain to life and godliness.” We see the results of the power of God in our lives when our characters reflect “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11). [...]
“. . . may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened . . .” (Ephesians 1:17,18).
The “spirit of wisdom” is applied to a wide variety of circumstances. It certainly includes leadership (Deuteronomy 34:9).
“. . . wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).
The High Priest of Israel wore the inscription “Holiness to the LORD” to illustrate to all who obeyed God that they were “accepted before the LORD” (Exodus 28:36–38). Joshua, as a type of all believers, was [...]
“There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4–6).
In Part I & II we listed seven usages of the word “temple” from the Bible. Our focus now is on what is called “The Third Temple” or the “Messianic Temple” – the one which the [...]
In Part I of our discussion about the Temple we examined what the Bible teaches about the word “temple” and we mentioned five usages of it. Now we come to two more usages that we hope will be a blessing [...]
The interest in the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple has accelerated in recent days. A video on “YouTube” shows the building of a special training center for priests who will be ready to serve in this Temple. The Jewish Sanhedrin has been reestablished and [...]
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (I John 2:1).
If the question is asked: “Does a Christian not sin?” then the answer is, no. “If we say [...]
“But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory [...]
“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21).
For approximately three years the disciples had followed Jesus in His travels, had listened to His teaching, and participated in His ministry. They had forsaken “all, [...]
“Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; And labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the [...]
“For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil” (I Peter 3:12).
There are many wonderful promises of answered prayer in the Bible, some of which seem both unlimited [...]
"And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth" (Genesis 1:28).
Israel is the major topic of Bible prophecy, mentioned more than 2,900 times, nearly twice as many times as her Messiah. Without Israel there would be no Messiah and no salvation for anyone, Jew or Gentile. The first mention of His coming is in God’s rebuke of the guilty parties [...]
“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them….And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.” Amos 9:14-15
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
This verse, together with the parallel passage in Colossians 3:21, is probably the key New Testament instruction specifically dealing with the training of children. "Nurture" [...]
"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).
This verse, together with the parallel passage in Colossians 3:21, is probably the key New Testament instruction specifically dealing with the training of children. "Nurture" [...]
"This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart" ([...]
"Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness" (II Peter 3:17).
Esther 4:16 says, “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will go to the King, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
“Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression” (Psalm 19:12,13).
David, the author of this majestic psalm of praise to God for [...]
“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).
The search for identity and meaning can drive one to great successes or tragic failures. For the Christian, however, the question is answered throughout Ephesians.
“And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it” (Job 1:7).
The Jesus Seminar is a perfect example of deluded individuals, empowered [...]
“But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment . . .” (Matthew 5:22).
There are a number of Scriptures which, taken alone, would indicate that a Christian should never get angry about anything. For example, note Ephesians 4:31: “Let [...]
The Bible says, “My people perish for lack of knowledge!” In America and other countries, our nations are literally being transformed into totalitarian states where we are losing our religious and personal freedoms. Pastors who teach the Bible and Bible believing Christians are going to be increasingly persecuted, imprisoned [...]
The Wide Area Search for Planets (WASP) project has discovered a planet that orbits backward, against the rotational direction of its star. Methodological naturalists think collisions or near-collisions are the causes of unusual cosmic phenomena like this. But this reverse-orbit observation adds to a [...]
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work [...]
“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (II Timothy 4:18).
As Paul sits in the Roman prison writing to Timothy, he puts down some painful thoughts about persecution by his [...]
“Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the later times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils” (I Timothy 4:1).
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." (2 Timothy 3:1)
These sobering words introduce the last message of the apostle Paul just before his martyrdom. Instead of the world being converted to Christ and getting better and better as the gospel goes out around the [...]
"As I . . . beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you." (Acts 17:23)
The people of Athens were known to be quite religious, worshipping a host of nature gods. They even had [...]
Even in the heart of the Bible Belt, Texas isn’t immune to the proliferation of atheistic propaganda, whether in its public schools or now in atheist summer camps.
Camp Quest – with the tagline “It’s beyond belief!” – bills itself as “the first residential summer [...]
Today, on some occasions, we loosely speak of people as apostles. Usually it is limited to pioneer missionaries, for example, William Carey has been called the apostle to India. The only reason this term is used is that someone was sent to pioneer a new area with [...]
Over the past decade or so, scientific research has revealed surprisingly young-looking features in fossils and other artifacts dated in the millions of years.
The discoveries include blood vessels in T. rex1 and hadrosaur fossil femurs,2 mummified dinosaur stomach contents,3 mummified dinosaur skin,4 live [...]
Why do young people walk away from the church after years of faithful attendance and involvement? The main reason may be that the curriculum used in most Sunday schools is simply telling Bible stories and not teaching how to defend the truths of Scripture.
My father, Kenneth J. Bateman – was the light and navigation engineer for NASA working under contract with the Lear Siegler Instrument Division; and was a major design/contributor for ALL space shots from "Redstone to Challenger."
“For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Hebrews 10:36).
As Christians, we have certain heavenly possessions, and this knowledge helps us put our earthly possessions and welfare in proper perspective. Evidently, some to whom this was written [...]
“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called” (I Timothy 6:20).
Note that there are contained here both positive and negative charges. Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith, is instructed to keep certain things and avoid [...]
Kenny Copeland, since the late 1970’s; is living proof that if you scream a lie loud and long enough – it will become the truth to those deafened by it’s constant emphatic repetition. Nor has Copeland shied away from his belief that his spiritual teacher; Papa Kenneth Hagin, was and [...]
Benny’s on stage antics are matched only by the heresy he peddles as "personal revelation from God." Don’t take my word for it, you decide for yourself. Benny Hinn stands or falls on his own words. According to Benny, Adam could fly like a bird, Eve gave birth out of [...]
“And, behold, there talked with Him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30,31).
This is a mysterious passage. Peter, James, and John watched in awe as Christ was “transfigured” before them as Christ [...]
"A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." (Daniel 7:10)
This great vision of the coming Day of Judgment is apparently the same as [...]
Consider the following: the evangelical church is a primary referral service for counseling psychologists and psychiatrists. Many large churches have licensed psychotherapists on staff. Mission agencies are requiring their missionary candidates to be evaluated and approved by [...]
“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not continue to sin, but the one born of God guards himself, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and all the world lies in evil. And we know that the [...]
“So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David” (I Kings 2:10).
About 1000 B.C., King David, second ruler over the unified nation of Israel, died in his capital city of Jerusalem. After about 70 years of life, including 40 years of ruling (seven years [...]
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire." (Daniel 7:9)
“Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, [...]
Every believer has some awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Indeed, if there is no such awareness, then there is absolutely no relationship with God (Romans 8:9). Just what, then, is [...]
A recent poll revealed that many Americans believe public school students should be taught all sides of Darwin’s theory of evolution, its weaknesses as well as its strengths.1 Evolutionists, in the face of this data, reason [...]
Few would disagree that Willow Creek Community Church has been one of the most influential churches in America over the last thirty years. The church and pastor have impacted every evangelical church in the country. A year ago Willow Creek’s Pastor Bill Hybels admitted that the “seeker-sensitive” approach he had helped spread [...]
For many years, creation researchers have been studying the biblical record and the world around us to understand the history that God’s Word records. While some of their theories have been discarded as new data came to light, other predictions have been powerfully confirmed. Here [...]
“What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God” (Romans 3:1,2).
Although God loves all the world (John 3:16), it became necessary for Him to choose one nation through which He [...]
The remains of a dinosaur found in the Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota are so well preserved that some scientists are just “gobsmacked.”
The mummified remains belong to a hadrosaur nicknamed “Dakota” and were the subject of a recent study that appeared in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.1 [...]
“In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of [...]
“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth' [...]
“And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul” (Psalm 106:15).
Christians who complain about their circumstances would do well to ponder this sobering verse and its background. God had greatly blessed His people, Israel, delivering them supernaturally from slavery in Egypt, protecting them against their enemies–even miraculously [...]
"And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more." (1 Thessalonians 4:10)
It is not enough merely to be saved; the babe in Christ should grow into Christian maturity. "As newborn babes, desire [...]
Most diamonds are formed at depths of 150 or so miles. Deep diamonds, however, formed at depths of over 400 miles. The discovery of a new cache of deep diamonds near Eurelia, Southern Australia, has caused some researchers to speculate that they formed much more [...]
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