Did you know that the popular Christmas carol "Joy to the World" was written about the second coming of Jesus Christ? Though we sing it along with songs about the birth of our Savior, its lyrics describe an event yet future. Let's take a deeper look and see how the prophetic lyrics align with Scripture.
A strategic Christian follows God's righteous path in the land of the living. The Bible tells us that the path of life is not an easy one, as we know all too well in today's culture, but God promises "to smooth the path for the righteous" (Isaiah 26:7). Those who stay the course will be blessed!
Only God has the wisdom to balance His standard of righteousness with His desire to save. If that balance ever looks off from our point of view, we can rest assured that the error is in our human perspective. God's ways are perfect, and trusting them will always be in our best interest.
As long as we reside in this world, there will always be lawless ones among us. We are called to be good seed "who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance" (Luke 8:15) until the coming of our Lord and Savior. What kind of fruit are you bearing for the kingdom?
How do we begin to understand God's prophetic timetable for the last days? The Bible tells us that in Christ "are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." If we want to know the mysteries of God's plan, the answers can be found in communing with the Word of God — Christ Jesus.
By strengthening our faith muscles now, we'll stand ready to discern the truth as the days get darker. Now more than ever we must be living in close fellowship with the Lord and taking in His Word daily.
It can be easy to assume that each day will be just like the previous day, until a tragic life-changing event takes place, and then the reality of how fragile this life is really hits home. It is strategic for Christians to keep in mind that this life is temporary, and it should stir the soul to make each day count.
Taken from twenty years of experience, here is a list of five keys for effectively teaching the Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.
A substantial portion of Scripture is prophetic text, disclosing God’s predetermined plan of redemption in the first and second comings of the Messiah. It is our job to study His Word and share this prophetic plan with the world around us, because too many have never heard such good news!