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There is a very dangerous doctrine that has become wildly popular today. You have no doubt been exposed to it at one time or another. Perhaps you have even bought into it, I did myself at one time.
It was placed in the notes of the Scofield Reference Bible, and various Bible commentaries. It was popularized by best-selling books such as The Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey and the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye. It is loudly trumpeted by numerous televangelists such as Jack Van Impe , and John Hagee.
I am talking about a false view of end time prophecy, or eschatology. A counter-reformation doctrine called futurism which was developed by the Jesuit Francisco Ribera (1590)....
Even the genealogies are inspired by God and profitable (2 Tim. 3:16). Matthew traces Jesus' genealogy through Joseph back to Solomon. However, there was a curse placed on one of Solomon's sons named Jechonias (Jer. 22:24-30), which Jesus avoided by being born of a virgin.
Luke mentions Jesus as being the supposed son of Joseph who was the son of Heli. It was actually Mary who was the daughter of Heli. This was done in other Old Testament instances (Num. 27:1-11; 36:12 with Ruth 4:6). Mary's genealogy was also from David but through Nathan, a half brother of Solomon. Thus the lineage was preserved but the curse bypassed.
These genealogies show the infinite wisdom of God in fulfilling His promises despite...
The Christian life is not like an insurance policy that only pays off when we die and go to heaven. Every believer has now received the grace of God and the fullness of God. We are now complete in Him (Col. 2:9-10).
When we receive Jesus as our Lord, we are instantly changed in our spirits (2 Cor. 5:17). Many Christians aren't aware of the change that takes place in their spirit. They continue to live within their physical and emotional realms and are oblivious to the new, born-again part of them that has received the fullness of God.
You can't see or feel your spirit. You just have to believe what the Word of God tells you because God's Word is spirit and life (Jn. 6:63). Your spiritual salvation is complete. Nothing can be added to it. In your spirit, you are right now as you will be...
Jesus was not just a man sent from God, He was God.
This is the most important statement of the New Testament. On this truth hangs all other truths.
If Jesus was only a man, then regardless of how good He was, His life could only provide a substitute for one other man. But since He was God, His life was worth more than every human life since creation. Indeed it was worth more than the sum total of the universe that He created.
Any compromise on this point will negate the work of Christ in our lives. Jesus was God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16)! Yet this Almighty God came to dwell in a human body. He humbled Himself and took the form of a servant (Phil. 2:7).
Christ's humanity truly made Him one of us. He suffered the same temptations and...
The Lord confirmed the preaching of His Word with miracles. If Jesus and the first century Christians needed the Word confirmed with the miraculous (Heb. 2:4), then we do too. There is no scripture that says these miraculous signs have passed away.
Some people have interpreted "that which is perfect" in 1 Corinthians 13:10, as being the complete Bible. This has led them to believe that the gifts of the Spirit have ceased. Although God's Word is perfect (Ps. 19:7), it is not the "perfect thing" that is referred to here. 1 Corinthians 13:8 does say that tongues shall cease, but it will not happen until "that which is perfect is come."
In 1 Corinthians 13:12, Paul says, "when that which is perfect is come, we shall see face to face."...
I ASKED ONE TIME IF YOU GIVE GOD THE THANKS HE DESERVES. I NOW REALIZE WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT. HE DESERVES SO MUCH MORE THAN WE COULD EVER EXPRESS. HOWEVER, WE SHOULD DO THE BEST WE CAN. DID YOU KNOW THAT PRAISING HIM IS GIVING THANKS TO HIM? THAT IS WHAT IT SAYS IN HEBREWS 13:15 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name."
This either speaks literally of supernatural protection if we pick up a snake, or symbolically of protection in our fight against the devil. Since the other four signs in this list are literal, it is most probable that this means physically taking up snakes.
The apostle Paul experienced this supernatural protection from a viper when he was shipwrecked on the island of Melita (Acts 28:3-5). However, this is the only recorded example of this type of protection in the New Testament.
There is no record of the disciples picking up snakes just to prove they were believers. That would be tempting God (Lk. 4:9-12). This, as well as drinking any deadly thing, is a promise that if we pick up snakes accidentally or are...