Blogs
THE DICTIONARY DEFINES "JUSTIFIED" AS "To demonstrate or prove to be just, right, or valid...To declare free of blame; absolve...To free (a human) of the guilt and penalty attached to grievous sin." I GUESS YOU COULD BE JUSTIFIED IN MANY WAYS BUT HOW DOES THE BIBLE SAY YOU ARE JUSTIFIED?
Jesus asked this woman for a drink of water, but it wasn't water He was interested in. He wanted to give this woman eternal life.
God is the greatest giver there ever was. He lives to give. When He asks something of us we can be assured that it is only so He can multiply it and give it back to us.
God is not interested in the water we can give Him. We don't have anything to offer God that He doesn't already have. God wants us. And by asking us to give of our time and money or desires, He is really asking us to give ourselves.
Many a person has walked away from God sad, like the rich young ruler because all they could think about was what they would have to...
WHY IS THERE SO MUCH MISERY IN THIS WORLD WHEN THE BIBLE TALKS SO MUCH ABOUT LOVE. JUST LOOK AT A FEW VERSES HERE:
This is an interesting passage of scripture. On the surface, it might look like Jesus was running from a fight. Now that John the Baptist was out of the way (he had been imprisoned), it was inevitable that the Pharisees would attack Jesus.
One thing we can be sure of is that there was no fear on our Lord's part. On other occasions He demonstrated that no one could do anything to Him if He didn't allow it (Lk. 4:29-30; Jn. 7:30, 44-46; 8:20, 59; 10:39).
Therefore we can assume that Jesus left because He knew it was God's will. On another occasion when His half brothers dared Him to go to Jerusalem and confront the Pharisees, He told them that it wasn't time for Him to go yet (Jn. 7:1-6). A lesser man...
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD NON-BELIEVERS SAY THAT THE BIBLE IS SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND? DO YOU KNOW WHY THEY SAY THIS AND IS IT TRUE? YES, IT IS TRUE FOR THEM BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS IT IS NOT GIVEN UNTO THEM TO UNDERSTAND. THIS IS WHY JESUS TAUGHT SO MANY TIMES BY PARABLES. HIS DISCIPLES ASK HIM WHY HE DID THIS AND SEE WHAT HE TELLS THEM IN MATTHEW 13:10-13 "And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."
John spent 30 years preparing for a six month ministry, followed by one and a half years in prison before he was beheaded. Many people would not consider his life very successful, yet Jesus said John was the greatest man who was ever born (Mt. 11:11).
John's greatness didn't lie in his own success, but in the success of another. John stirred up the hearts of an entire nation in expectancy of their Messiah. The ministry of Jesus owed much of its success to the work of John. John had prepared a people to meet their God (Mal. 3:1).
In our celebrity conscious society, few people want to be the backup singer or the announcer who introduces the main speaker. We have adopted a mentality that unless we are in the limelight we have failed. That's not the way the Lord looks at things.
...
DO YOU BELIEVE WE ARE IN THE END TIMES? IT SURE LOOKS LIKE IT TO ME BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH WORSE IT CAN GET BEFORE JESUS COMES BACK. I AM READY, ARE YOU?
John the Baptist had spent 30 years in preparation for his ministry. He didn't enjoy the normal benefits of childhood or adolescence. He lived out in the deserts separated unto God instead (Lk. 1:80).
For approximately six months, he enjoyed success in his ministry like no other man ever had. He started preaching in the wilderness--not the centers of commerce. Still the multitudes flocked to him. He became the most influential man in Israel and even shot the hearts of Roman rulers. Everything was going John's way.
Then he baptized Jesus and proclaimed Him as the long-awaited Messiah (Mt. 3:13-17; Jn. 1:29). From that time on, the multitudes who once followed John began to follow Jesus in ever increasing numbers (Jn. 3:26). His own disciples left him to follow Jesus (Jn. 1:36-37). This would have destroyed...
Most people focus on the part of this verse that promises us we won't perish. Although it's certainly a wonderful promise, it is not the focus of this verse. The primary purpose of Jesus' coming to this earth was not forgiveness of sins, but to give us eternal life.
Sin separated us from God so Jesus dealt with sin. However, His payment for sin was just a step toward His ultiimate purpose of reconciling man to God. If someone believes that Jesus died for their sins but doesn't go on to enter into the close fellowship with God that Jesus made available, then they are missing eternal life.
Eternal life is not a length of life, but rather a quality of life. Eternal life is intimacy with the Father and Jesus (Jn....