Category All Articles

That’s what temptation is: struggle against the urges and desires that are by nature wicked, or by circumstance detrimental. And that’s why so many people fail; because they won’t struggle. When temptation comes – and it will always come – the voice of “I want” is allowed to drown out the objections, and the urge to satisfy every tugging desire over-rules any sense of what is right, best, or helpful.

Follow

9       For My name’s sake will I defer mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

10      Behold,I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

11      For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it: for how should My name be polluted? and I will not give My glory unto another.

12      Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, My called; “I am He. I, the first, I also the last

13      Mine hand laid the foundation of the earth; My right hand has spanned the heavens. I call to them, they stand up together.

14      All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The LORD (YHWH) hath loved him: He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and Hi...

What was the cup which Christ came to drink?

Some say Christ’s cup was separation from God the Father, but Psalm 22 says the Father did not turn His face away from His Son on the cross, but withheld His hand until His afflicted Son spoke the word – “It is finished”.

Some say it was the cup of God’s wrath poured upon Christ for men’s sins, but when James and John asked to have the right and left-hand positions in Christ’s kingdom, answering that they were indeed prepared and able to drink of the same cup that Christ drank, Jesus affirmed that they would indeed drink of the cup that He drank. But no man bore the wrath of God for the sins of men other than Christ. No disciple bears God’s wrath for his own sin, much less for the sins of the world...

Even with the hurting Jesus spoke of sin, because without sin, the message of the gospel is meaningless. If we had no sin, we would not be enemies of God, we would not be under His judgment, we would not need reconciliation with God, nor salvation from His justice. 

Most people are not murderers, rapists, bank robbers, and child abusers. Most people’s sins are of the ‘milder’ sort: lying, gluttony, jealously, gossip, laziness, cowardice. We don’t see ourselves as ‘bad’ people because we don’t see our sins as ‘bad sins’. Consequently, most people expect God to freely allow them access to His glory on the basis of their being ‘good’ people, and do not see a need for Christ to save them...

Luke 24:36 – 48 (45)

“And as they spoke this, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, ‘Peace to you.’

But being dismayed and becoming afraid, they supposed they were seeing a spirit.

And he said to them, ‘Why are you troubled and why do thoughts come into your hearts? Behold My hands and My feet, that I am Myself. Handle Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see I have.’

And saying this, He showed them His hands and His feet.

Because they still yet disbelieved for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, ‘Have you any food here?’

And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of honey from the comb, and taking it, He ate it in their sight.

And He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still together with ...

Sometimes people have trouble understanding that we are justified before God by faith, and not by how good we are. Some people are offended at the thought that God would justify everyone only on the basis of faith, and not on the basis of an inventory of their good works; they feel that ‘good people’ should be acceptable to God, and He should open wide the doors to His presence to all those who are ‘good’. These latter often raise the argument of the injustice of ‘horrible people’ who will get into heaven because they have faith, and therefore God is ‘unfair’. Most of this misunderstanding is rooted in the failure to understand  the key words “faith” and “justice”. 

The word ‘justice’ refers to receiving what is deserved by our actions...

John 3:3         Jesus … said unto [Nicodemus], “Truly, truly I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Jn 3:16           For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.

Jn 3:18-21      “He that believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

And this is the condemnation: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed...

Many atheists condemn God for the penalty of death for sin; they consider eternal punishment unjust. They and many others say that God is unjust to consign to hell eternally those who are unfaithful to Him. Their lack of understanding of death and hell result in wrongful accusations against God. 

God Himself is the Source of Life.[i] Separation from Him is death. Just as an offense in our human relationships creates a rift, so also sin, including unfaithfulness, separates us from God. Therefore, sin brings death upon us.[ii] 

This is beautifully illustrated by the account of the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve first resided. In the garden grew two trees, referred to only as ‘the Tree of Life”, and “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”...

Rom3:23    All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Rom 6:23   For the wages of sin is death …

Is 53:          But He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement [ punishment] of our peace was upon Him .

2 Cor 5:21   For [God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him.

Rom 3:22   … even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ to all and upon all who believe…

Titus 3:5     Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to His mercy He has saved us by the washing of rebirth and the renewing by the Holy Spirit.

Rom 8:1    There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…

John 1:12  …but as many ...

Jesus foretold wars and rumours of wars to a nation beleaguered for centuries by foreign occupation: Matthew 24:6

He told of famines, ‘pestilences’, and great earthquakes to a nation that had experienced obliteration, drought, a land razed by enemies, diseases like leprosy, and was no stranger to earthquakes: Mat 24:7; Zechariah 14:5

He told of fearful wonders and signs ‘in the heavens’ to men who knew the heavens were the exclusive jurisdiction of Almighty God: Joel 2:30

He even warned that many people would come claiming to be Christ, many claiming to speak for God, and many false teachers calling themselves spiritual leaders: Mat 24:5, 11, 24

He warned of increasing wickedness among men, and hatred, and division: Mat 12, 1 Tim 4:1, 2 Tim 3:1-9

And He told them that men would dismiss...