And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”Christ’s conversation with the apostles must have been awesome! It may have even led to all-night

1. Food is everywhere.C. S. Lewis sets the scene in “Mere Christianity”: The theater lights dim, the band begins to play softly and sensuously as a man enters from stage left carrying a silver tray which is covered by a white cloth. He walks to the middle of the stage and begins dancing lewdly before setting the tray with the white cloth on a table

Read aloud and discuss your understanding of the following from God's Word. Jn 3:33 Those who receive Christ know that God is true.Jn 4:23 Those who are true worshippers, worship the Father in spirit and truth.Ps 85:10 Truth and loving-kindness are united together.Eph 5:9 A fruit of God's Spirit is truth.Ps 15:2 Those who walk with integrity speak

Nevertheless, Simon's name lives on in infamy. Because of his on-the-spot repentance, not to mention the fact that he'd probably only been a believer for at most a couple of weeks, it seems unreasonable to vilify Simon. In Simon, we have a man who was one day hailed as the incarnate God, but the next repented at the words of a couple of fishermen.

God Visits UsAs the Christmas story unfolds, we see more and more of God's plan to come and rescue lost humanity. This Christmas, we need to see ourselves as God saw us.We are born spiritually blind, and we grow up sitting lost, helpless, and hopeless in the darkness of sin. As sinners who have sinned even once in God's sight, we are guilty of brea

The New Testament continually tells people to "repent" and "believe." Because personal sin is not highlighted much in the early part of these presentations, repentance for the forgiveness of sins is virtually absent at the end.Regarding faith, I agree that we need to call people to submission under Jesus' lordship (thus the verse in Romans 10 that

Premillennialism is contrasted with the postmillennial teaching that Christ will return after reigning spiritually through the church from His throne in heaven for a long period of time during the current age. Premillennialism is also contrasted with the amillennial view that also advocates a present, but pessimistic, spiritual reign of Christ. Bib

Let me give you my four reasons for wanting to pass the Bible on to the next generation. First, the Bible has greater longevity than any other book ever written. Parts of the Bible date back to the 13th century BC. That means that for 3400 years or for what equates into 136 generations, the Bible has been passed on through the years. Name any other

The ensuing genealogy is broken up somewhat artificially into three fourteens, the central fourteen covering the years in which the Davidic dynasty reigned in Jerusalem. Even the number fourteen is a code for the name "David." All the OT promises that look forward to the coming Davidic king spring from 2 Samuel 7, anchored in David's life about 100

1. Luke 18:13-14 - You must call upon God for salvation.Luke 18:13-14  “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and

1. Rules, Regulations, and Restrictions of Passover (Exodus 12)“That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast” (Exodus 12:8). God revealed His omnipotent and loving character through the uninteresting details of the first Passover. He promised to protect His people, and in this

1. Unconverted people leave because the gospel is being preached.If there are many unconverted members in local churches (I believe there are), they will not want to hear a new pastor come in and replace the typical feel good, better yourself message from the pulpit with the true gospel of Jesus Christ that is the only source to bring true spiritua

Open your heart to God. In prayer, honestly pour out your deepest thoughts and feelings to God and listen for His responses in your soul. Look to the Psalms and the Lord’ s Prayer as models on which to base some of your own prayers so you can connect to God in deeper ways.Overcome evil within and around you. Fight the evil in this fallen worl

He clearly foresaw that he must die, for he speaks of his flesh resting, and of his soul in the abode of separate spirits. Death was full before his face, or he would not have mentioned corruption. But such was his devout reliance upon his God, that he sang over the tomb, and rejoiced in vision of the sepulcher. He knew that the visit of his soul t

The Greek rendering for the words built and builder in our key scripture is the same. The definition for these words is quite interesting: to furnish, equip, prepare, make ready; of one who makes ready for a person or thing; of builders, to construct, erect, with the included idea of adorning and equipping with all things necessary. Commentaries fu

We have all known this. We have had a feeling that the gospel is something narrow and cramped that puts fetters upon us and robs us of some marvelous life that the people who have not been brought up like us have always enjoyed. Is that not the thought? That somehow God and this Christian way of life are against us and are opposed to our best inter

Luke 9:58: "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."As he and his disciples traveled through Judea and Samaria, they were dependent on the hospitality of others (Matt. 10:11ff; Luke 10:5ff). (So too with the apostles: cf. Acts 10:6, 18, 32, 48; 16:15, 34; 17:7; 18:2f, etc.)Love for ChristOn

What does it mean to be of a "carnal mind," or sinful nature?Some individuals are said to be "so heavenly-minded, they are of no earthly good." Repeatedly through the history of the Christian church there have been those who so desire to be spiritual and separated from sin that they develop heretical practices and doctrines. Just the opposite is to

The Authority to NameSo do not be afraid, Joseph, to take Mary as your wife. She will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). It was the privilege of Jewish parents to name their children. The very first enterprise given to humanity in the garden was the scientific task of ta