Murph
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Post by Murph on Sept 30, 2023 6:12:13 GMT -6
The Marks of Faith: The Marks of Trust
"How is it that you have no faith?" Mark 4:40
In 1874, Horatio Palmer asked Mary Ann Baker to compose songs to accompany his Sunday school lessons. One dealt with the story of Jesus sleeping in the storm on Galilee. Mary had recently gone through her own storm, the loss of her only brother, who had died a thousand miles from home while seeking a warmer climate for his tuberculosis. For two weeks the telegraph wires carried back and forth messages between the dying brother and his loving sister, until finally news came of his death.
With this grief, Mary Ann studied Mark 4 and wrote, “Master, the tempest is raging! The billows are tossing high! The sky is o’ershadowed with blackness, no shelter or help is nigh; carest Thou not that we perish? How canst Thou lie asleep, when each moment so madly is threat’ning a grave in the angry deep.”
The chorus answers, “The winds and the waves shall obey Thy will. Peace, be still.”
We all encounter storms, but Jesus isn’t unaware or unconcerned. He whispers to us, “Peace, be still.” We can trust Him!
"Whether the wrath of a storm-tossed sea, or struggles or evil, whatever it be, no water can swallow the ship where lies the Master of ocean and earth and skies." Mary Ann Baker
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 1, 2023 6:18:36 GMT -6
"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption..." 1 Corinthians 1:30
God is the one who chose us from the foundation of the world. He chose us as the foolish things of the world so that, in Christ, His wisdom would be declared. Christ has become our divine wisdom, which is our righteousness, holiness, and our redemption. Though we might be of little value in the world's eyes, we are of the vastest worth in God's eyes-for it was Christ Himself who gave His life to redeem us.
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 2, 2023 6:00:58 GMT -6
True or False
"But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." 2 Timothy 3:13
In the early 1800s, speculation boiled over as to the exact day and year when Christ would return, and among the speculators was William Miller of New York. He announced that according to his careful calculations Christ would return to earth on October 22, 1844. When that morning dawned, a sense of foreboding fell over New England. People gathered on mountaintops and in churches. Normal activities ceased as everyone awaited the sudden rending of the skies and the end of the world.
When the day passed uneventfully, many Christians grew disillusioned. The unsaved became cynical, and the following years saw a decline in conversions. The event became known as “The Great Disappointment.”
It was forgotten that Christ warned against setting dates for His return (Matthew 24:36). The Bible is filled with rich, true, accurate prophecies, but we must be discerning as we study—and especially as we listen to the theories and teachings of others. There are many false and mistaken Bible teachers in the world today. Ask God for a wise heart and be like the saints in Berea who studied the Scriptures daily “to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).
"The chief means for attaining wisdom…are the holy Scriptures, and prayer." John Newton
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 3, 2023 6:00:42 GMT -6
Perhaps Today!
"Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God." 2 Peter 3:12
One thought has occupied the minds of some of history’s greatest Christians: the soon return of Christ.
A little book called the Didache is among the earliest documents in Church history. There we read, “Let not your lamps be quenched, nor your loins unloosed; but be ready, for you know not the hour in which our Lord will come.”
Cyril wrote in the fourth century: “But let us wait and look for the Lord’s coming upon the clouds from heaven. Then shall angelic trumpets sound.” Skipping to the sixteenth century, we read this by John Calvin: “We must hunger after Christ until the dawning of that great day when our Lord will fully manifest the glory of His kingdom.” In the eighteenth century, John Wesley said: “The Spirit in the heart of the true believer says with earnest desire, ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’” And in the twentieth century, evangelist Billy Graham said: “Many times when I go to bed at night I think to myself that before I awaken Christ may come.”
Are you expecting Christ to come today? Perhaps this hour? “Be ready,” Jesus said, “for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44). Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
"We are not just looking for something to happen, we are looking for Someone to come!" Vance Havner
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 4, 2023 6:17:57 GMT -6
Our Glorious Hope
"Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior...who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body." Philippians 3:20-21
Scottish Presbyterian Robert Baillie learned in 1684 that he would be hanged for his faith, then drawn and quartered. Referring to Philippians 3:20-21, Baillie replied: “They may hack and hew my body as they please, but I know assuredly nothing will be lost, but that all these my members shall be wonderfully gathered and made like Christ’s glorious body.”
At the resurrection, the bodies of Christians will be raised and reconstituted to resemble the risen body of our Lord. When Jesus rose on Easter, He took on a body which was the prototype of the ones we’ll have throughout eternity.
Some things about His glorified body were similar to the one He had before He died. He resembled Himself; He could eat and drink; He could be touched. Yet He could pass through walls, and He appeared in various places without traveling by recognized means. His transformed body no longer aged, nor was it subject to sickness and death.
If you’re battling aches and pains now or if you’re afflicted with illness or disease, take comfort. One day you’ll have a body like His!
"Christianity is the religion of the open tomb." Roy L. Smith
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 5, 2023 6:04:30 GMT -6
Maybe Today
"He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all." Revelation 22:20-21
These final verses in the Bible contain three great “lasts” of Scripture.
First, the last promise. Jesus said, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Those are the final “red letters” in Scripture, our Lord’s last words. Notice the adverb—“quickly.” He could have said gloriously, triumphantly, or surely. But He chose the word “quickly”; therefore, we’re to watch for Him expectantly. His coming will be so sudden that we’ll have no time to prepare for it, so we should live as though it were today.
Second, we have the last prayer of the Bible: “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” How long since you’ve consciously prayed for the sudden return of Christ?
Then we have the final pronouncement of Scripture: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” Until He comes, we need His grace every day and hour. His abundant grace. His sustaining grace. His all-sufficient grace. It is there, available in all its endless reserves for you today. Draw from His strengthening grace, pray for His return, and live your life today in the light of His final promise to us.
"Precisely because we cannot predict the moment, we must be ready at all moments." C. S. Lewis
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 6, 2023 6:02:58 GMT -6
God’s Clock
"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise…but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
Why is it taking so long for Christ to return? In Paul’s writings, we get the impression he expected the Lord to return in his own lifetime. Every subsequent generation of Christians has expected Christ to come back during their day. We ourselves are expecting Him at any moment.
But God keeps time by His own clock, and He keeps to His own schedule. A day is like a thousand years to Him and a thousand years like a day. The Bible warns us against skeptical impatience. God is not slow in keeping His promise. He is patient with us, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.
Perhaps Jesus is delaying His coming to give your loved ones a few extra days to be saved. Perhaps He’s extending another hour for you to get your own heart right with Him. That is the one great decision in life that should not be delayed.
Don’t be discouraged if Jesus tarries His coming. Use it to share the Good News and beseech people to be reconciled to God while they still can and while there’s still time.
"The delays of God are not meant to discourage our faith but to develop it." Amy Carmichael
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 7, 2023 6:20:49 GMT -6
Let Your Light Shine
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16
Science tells us that darkness is not a thing. Instead, darkness is the absence of something else: light. If you want to lighten a dark room, you don’t collect the darkness and remove it, you remove the darkness by bringing light into the room.
Even though biblical writers knew nothing of the science of light, they used words referring to darkness and light more than 330 times. Sometimes the reference was to actual darkness (Genesis 1:2), but more often the terms referred metaphorically to spiritual darkness and spiritual light (Ephesians 5:8-11). The Gospel of John refers to the incarnation of Jesus as the arrival of light in a dark world (John 1:3-9), and Jesus referred to Himself as the “light of the world” (John 8:12). He also said that His followers would be the “light of the world” in His absence (Matthew 5:14). We are to let our light shine by our “good works”—that is, by our life (Matthew 5:16).
If there is a dark place in your world, shine God’s light in it by letting Christ reveal Himself through your words and works.
"Lamps do not talk, but they do shine. Charles Spurgeon
Dr. David Jeremaih
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 8, 2023 6:26:39 GMT -6
"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you." John 14:18
Despite times of sorrow and loneliness, the Lord will ever be our Father. We who believe shall never be forsaken and shall never lack His provision. Praise the Lord for His lovingkindness. Praise the Lord for His unbounded mercy upon your soul. Praise forever the Lord who has delivered you from death into His everlasting and princely family. Praise the Lord and rejoice O you peoples of the Almighty God!
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Post by Murph on Oct 9, 2023 6:30:25 GMT -6
Don’t Suffer Alone
"Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near." Isaiah 55:6
We sometimes discover that a friend had a need that he or she didn’t make known or went through a time of trouble without asking for help. And we say, “Why didn’t you say something? Why didn’t you call me? You know I would have been there.” And the answer is often, “I didn’t want to bother you. This was my problem, and I needed to solve it myself.”
Such a scenario is going to play out on earth during the coming Tribulation. There will be multitudes of people who find themselves in a fix: They will have failed to believe in Jesus Christ before the Rapture, and they will find themselves enduring the pain of the Tribulation on earth. But hopefully they will not fail to call out to God for salvation. We know that many will call upon Him, based on the multitudes “of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues” the apostle John saw in heaven—those who had “come out of the great tribulation” (Revelation 7:9, 14). Even if they lose their life because of persecution on earth, their eternal life is secure. God always delivers those He saves.
Don’t endure alone. Call out to God in your hour of need, and experience God’s comfort.
"Calvary is God’s great proof that suffering in the will of God always leads to glory." Warren Wiersbe
Dr. DAvid Jeremaih
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Post by Murph on Oct 10, 2023 6:19:42 GMT -6
Escaping the Fire
"Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world." Revelation 3:10 Years ago when an offshore oil platform in the North Sea caught fire, flames swept over the rig, and workers thought they were doomed. Just in the nick of time, however, a fleet of Scottish helicopters appeared, and all 130 workers were rescued.
We usually thank God for the blessings He gives, but we should also praise Him for the escapes He provides. Take, for example, the period of the Tribulation. If, as we believe, the Church of the Lord Jesus will be raptured prior to the time of God’s wrath, why should we study Revelation 6–18, which describe Tribulation events? Because they show us how thankful we should be for what we’re missing!
Today thank the Lord for His oversight, His protection, and even for the blessings of unanswered prayer. As Christians, we should be thankful for what God has given us by His grace and also for what He withholds by His mercy.
"God’s mercy and grace give me hope—for myself and for our world." Billy Graham
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 11, 2023 7:06:39 GMT -6
Your Finest Hour
"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10
In the 1995 film that dramatized the story of the near disaster during the Apollo 13 mission, a member of NASA’s Houston team said to Gene Kranz, mission commander, “This could be the worst disaster NASA’s ever faced.” Kranz replied, “With all due respect, sir, I believe this is going to be our finest hour.” And it was.
We tend to think of victories as life’s finest hours, but the opposite is often true. Trials and tribulations call forth faith, perseverance, prayer, and creativity in ways that victory never will. Thankfully, the Church will not be on earth during the seven years of the Tribulation to come. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be increased persecution and a need for perseverance leading up to that hour. In any kind of tribulation we experience, the Christian can have his finest hour by God’s grace. The apostle Paul took pleasure in persecutions for Christ’s sake, knowing that when he was weakest was when God’s grace was strongest.
If you are experiencing trouble, ask God for the grace to make it your finest hour.
"The weakness of man sets the stage for the display of God’s strength." Janet Wise
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 12, 2023 6:25:46 GMT -6
Witnesses You Can Trust
"These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth." Revelation 11:4
Recommended Reading: Revelation 11:1-6
Beginning with the classic TV series featuring fictional defense attorney Perry Mason, there has been no shortage of courtroom-based dramas. People who have never set foot in a courtroom are thoroughly versed in the procedures and principles of a trial—including the role of the character witness.
A character witness is someone called to establish the believability of a defendant. But often the opposing attorney will call a witness to discredit the reputation of the character witness, hoping to make his testimony unreliable, unbelievable, or irrelevant. If the character witness cannot be trusted, neither can his testimony. God will call two witnesses “to the stand” during the Tribulation to testify for Him—and their character will be beyond reproach. Moses and Elijah will return to the prophetic stage and bear witness to God’s message of judgment on the earth. They are as life-giving as an olive tree and light-giving as a lampstand.
The Bible is filled with witnesses to the words and works of God—witnesses who have never been proved wrong, witnesses you can trust.
"Scripture is not only human witness to God, it is also divine self-testimony." J. I. Packer
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 13, 2023 6:31:22 GMT -6
Millennium Force
"He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years." Revelation 20:2
When we entered the new millennium 23 years ago, millennium became a popular word. The United Nations came up with its Millennium Development Goals. Chicago boasts its Millennium Park. Numerous businesses have included this word in their titles, such as Millennium Records, Millennium Bank, and Millennium Media.
But the real Millennium is coming—a thousand years of world peace when Satan will be bound, Jesus Christ will reign, and righteousness will rule. The Bible teaches that after the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will physically return to this planet. He will defeat His enemies and set up His Kingdom on earth. And He will reign on the earth for a thousand years. During this time all the promises of the Old Testament concerning the Kingdom will be fulfilled with the redeemed Jews living in their homeland in peace and prosperity.
Too often we overlook the first verses of Revelation 20. But we should long for that day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God!
"The Millennium will be the time when there will be the full manifestation of the glory, the power and the will of God over this earth." J. Vernon McGee
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 14, 2023 6:33:04 GMT -6
A Light of Hope
"Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me." Micah 7:8
In the third century B.C., a gigantic lighthouse was constructed near Alexandria, Egypt. More than three hundred feet tall, it was a wonder of the ancient world until earthquakes destroyed it. The lighthouse guided ships to Alexandria using a giant reflective mirror by day and fire by night. Throughout history, lighthouses have served the same purpose—to provide guidance, even hope, to captains and sailors, especially in the dark of night.
Five centuries before the Alexandria lighthouse was built, a prophet in Israel referred to God as “a light” during a dark time in the nation’s history. Israel was an apostate nation; the armies of Assyria had conquered much of the northern kingdom and part of the southern kingdom of Judah. Micah wrote not only warnings about God’s judgment but also words of hope to those who would listen: “When I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me.”
Regardless of how dark the night or how cloudy the day, Jesus—the Light of the World—can be a light to you if your eyes are open to Him.
"God sometimes puts us in the dark to show us he is the light." John Blanchard
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 15, 2023 6:10:49 GMT -6
"And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." Hosea 2:23
When once dead to all the things of life and love and godliness, the Lord, in His unfathomable mercy, wrested us from our bed of dust and ash and breathed His spirit of new life into us! We were not His people. We were not His children. We were, in spite of His holy righteousness, the very enemies of His hand. How gracious is He to have awakened His foemen to risen life as His own servants! We are His people! We are His children! Rejoice, O believer! Rejoice in your Lord of mercy and kindness.
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Post by Murph on Oct 16, 2023 6:29:44 GMT -6
Prelude to Heaven
"And I saw thrones.... And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." Revelation 20:4
No, the “William Tell Overture” (the theme music for the 1950s TV show, The Lone Ranger) was not written by a musician named William Tell. It is the overture, or prelude, to Guillaume Tell (William Tell), an opera in four acts by Gioacchino Rossini, first performed in Paris in 1829.
An overture, or prelude, is an introduction. It precedes that which it introduces, and while important, it is less important than that which it precedes. In that way, the thousand-year Millennium is a prelude to heaven. The Millennium is very important for a number of reasons. It allows God’s promises to Israel to be fulfilled on earth; it rewards those who have been faithful during the Tribulation. It allows justice, peace, and righteousness to fill the earth. It allows Christ to reign on the throne of David, and it prepares for the final judgment of Satan. But the Millennium is not heaven. It is only a foretaste of the glories that will last forever in the eternal state.
If the blessings of the Millennium seem exciting, remember—it’s only a thousand-year prelude to the eternal blessing to come.
"We must live and work in the world. Yet we do so as people who know that they are on their way home, and anticipate the joy of return and arrival." Alister McGrath
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Murph
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Post by Murph on Oct 17, 2023 6:22:21 GMT -6
Wrong Predictions
"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:18
There have been quite a few wrong predictions in history. In 1901 Wilbur Wright said that man would not fly for fifty years. Henry Ford’s banker was told by a lawyer, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty—a fad.” The manager of the Grand Ole Opry fired Elvis Presley and said, “You ain’t goin’ nowhere, son.” And a Los Angeles surgeon said, “For the majority of people, the use of tobacco has a beneficial effect.”
Just as the Wright brothers, Henry Ford, Elvis, and the medical community were not afraid to go forward with their visions based upon a skeptic’s opinion, Christians should never be afraid of what critics are saying regarding biblical prophecy. We know that the Bible is infallible and does not contain a single incorrect prophecy; listening to critics should only increase our faith that God will bring His prophecies to pass.
As more and more people try to put down and pick apart what the Bible says will happen in the future, we need to strengthen our faith in the inerrancy of Scripture and believe wholeheartedly that it is true to the letter.
"You have to take Bible prophecy literally, just like everything else in the Bible." Tim LaHaye
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 18, 2023 6:08:18 GMT -6
Understanding Revelation
"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near." Revelation 1:3
There’s an old story about a preacher who showed up early for a speaking engagement. Looking around, he noticed a moneybox on the wall. He made a five-dollar contribution to it, thinking it was for the poor. After the service, his host walked him to the door and took the money from the box. “This is where our people contribute to the visiting preacher,” said the man, “and you’ve done better than most. Look, here’s a five-dollar bill.” Later the man told the story to his family. “Dad,” observed his son, “if you had put more into it, you would have gotten more out of it!”
The book of Revelation is like that. The more we put into studying it, the more we’ll get out of it. At first glance, Revelation seems like a complicated book. Many feel they can’t understand it. But its broad outlines are relatively simple, and with repeated study it becomes a blessing. Revelation is meant to be understood, and it offers rich blessings to those who take the time to mine its truths.
"It is true of all parts of the Bible that they study it best who come feeling that they are on holy ground." R. H. Boll
Dr. David Jeremiah
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Post by Murph on Oct 19, 2023 6:12:07 GMT -6
The Hands That Carved Christ
"But I will see you again and your heart will rejoice." John 16:22
German sculptor Heinrich Dannecker had a reputation early in his career for sculpting beautiful Greek goddesses. But as he got older, he felt he needed to pour all of his strength, talent, and time into a masterpiece; so he set out to sculpt a representation of Christ. It took three tries before he was satisfied with his carving, and it turned out to be so beautiful that when people laid eyes upon it, they could do nothing but love and adore. Hearing of Dannecker’s expertise, Napoleon desired to commission a carving of Venus for the Louvre, to which Dannecker replied, “Sir, the hands that carved Christ can never again carve a heathen goddess.”
For centuries, artists such as Dannecker have been creating beautiful portrayals of Christ that have both inspired and comforted people. But are we really capable of imagining what the risen Savior will look like? Even the most glorious of sculptures and paintings can only depict His human image; they cannot come close to showing the beauty, majesty, love, and perfection we will see on that glorious day when our Lord and Savior returns.
"Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone but in every leaf in springtime." Martin Luther
Dr. David Jeremiah
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