November 3, 2009

Keywords in the Prophecy of the Coming Kingdom

Matterhorn mountain

Isaiah prophesied of a kingdom that was to come “in the last days” – the age that was ushered in following the coming of Christ into the world (cf. Hebrews 1:2). There are several keywords in this prophecy that we must understand if we are to appreciate what the passage teaches.

“Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all nations will stream to it.

“And many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.’ For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

“And He will judge between the nations, and will render decisions for many peoples; and they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war” (Isaiah 2:2-4).

Let us briefly consider each of these key terms:
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October 26, 2009

Halloween

[This article was written by Bryan Matthew Dockens.]

Halloween originated as “All Hallows’ Eve,” the night prior to “All Hallows’ Day,” that is “All Saints’ Day” on which Catholics honor their pantheon of so-called “saints.” Neither Halloween nor All Saints Day has any basis in scripture. Each is the invention of the Catholic Church, amounting to the traditions of men, rather than the commandments of God (Matthew 15:1-9).

The Pope designated the first of November All Saints’ Day to co-opt the existing Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sow-en”). Meaning “Summer’s End,” Samhain was a harvest festival, but more than that, it was also a festival of the dead. As summer turned to winter, the holiday represented a time of transition when spirits from beyond the grave could pass through. Deceased ancestors were honored while harmful spirits were warded off by frightening disguises.
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October 22, 2009

Contrasting the Righteous and the Wicked: A Brief Examination of Psalm 1

Psalms

In the first psalm, we read of a sharp contrast between the righteous and the wicked. As we strive to be righteous and avoid wickedness, let us briefly consider the words of the psalmist.
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October 20, 2009

The Fourfold Foundation of the Gospel

Cross

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also” (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).

As Paul wrote to the brethren in Corinth, he reminded them of the fundamental truths in the gospel upon which everything else was built. In the verses above, the apostle mentioned four facts that are “of first importance” to God’s saving message.
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October 14, 2009

More Righteous than the Religious

Jesus and the Pharisees

The title of this article may sound a little odd. But let me begin by stating that this article is not about how organized religion is wrong – it is not. The point of the article is not to say that religious people are not righteous – many of them are, and they should be. So what is the purpose of this article?

The title is based on one of Jesus’ statements from the Sermon on the Mount:

“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

The scribes and Pharisees were regarded as the religious leaders of that day. Jesus’ point was that in order to follow Him, we must live up to a higher standard than what is commonly accepted – even commended to us – among the religious world. Doing just enough to blend in with those who are religious is not enough to be part of His kingdom.
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October 8, 2009

Noah Found Favor in the Eyes of the Lord

Rainbow

In Genesis 3, we read about sin being introduced into the world. Just three chapters later, the sins of man had progressed and compounded to such a point that “the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). It is because of this great wickedness that God decided to destroy mankind (Genesis 6:6-7).

In the next chapter, God sent a flood which destroyed nearly all of mankind (Genesis 7:23). But Noah and his household were spared. “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8). We read a few things about Noah before, during, and after the events of the flood that show how he was different from the others who perished and why he found favor with God and was saved.
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October 4, 2009

Everything Pertaining to Life and Godliness

Hand on Bible

Peter wrote that God has “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). We can be assured by knowing that there is nothing that we need that God has not provided or will not provide for us. In order to make it to heaven, we simply need to take advantage of what God has given. Peter mentioned three things we need to receive our reward.
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