One of the main causes of confusion in the book of Revelation is that it builds up to the Day of the Lord several times. In this article, we will work through these narrative jumps to highlight the clear chronological sequence of events at the end of the age.
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.
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!
For decades, since the reign of King Solomon, the people of Israel had been slowly replacing worship of the One True God with pagan worship and sacrificing to false gods. They sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord. Finally, the Lord had declared disaster on the people. He was now returning their evil on their own heads.
We are placed on this earth to bring glory to God, and our highest calling is to honor Him in all areas of life. But here's the thing: we cannot glorify God if we are also trying to glorify ourselves. Humility is an essential factor in our ability to fulfill His purposes in our lives and to stay in sync with the things that matter to Him.
There are two conflicting belief systems in this world, God's ways and man's ways. The way of the Spirit and the way of the flesh. God's Word promises that those who sow godliness will reap bountiful blessings. However, it also says that the ungodly will reap consequences for their sins. Those who bear good fruit are those who do the will of God, and they will reap eternal life. And those who do not bear good fruit, those who reject and rebel against the ways of God, are headed for eternal death.
The biblical year is a pattern for the whole of human history. You have the period leading up to the springtime arrival of Jesus, then a summer of "working in the fields" to spread the Gospel, followed by His return in the fall to conclude the harvest and begin the Feast of Tabernacles — God dwelling with us. Today, we're going to look at an even earlier and more fundamental pattern of human history, which God established at the very beginning.