What are your thoughts on this week’s QOTW? – http://www.gotquestions.org/questweek.html – “What signs indicate that the end times are approaching?”
Friday, January 7, 2011
CCM Daily Devotions | Good News, Bad News – A Two-Sided Coin
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| Good News, Bad News – A Two-Sided Coin Based on “How Jesus' Birth Changed Everything, Part 5” by Pastor Mark Balmer; 1/1-2/11, Message #MB445; Daily Devotional #4 -
Preparing the Soil (Introduction): Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Before leaving this earth to go back to His heavenly Father, Jesus gave this command to His disciples – to be His hands, His feet, and His mouth to the world.
Planting and Watering the Seed (Growth): It is important for Christ followers to remember that this mission is like a two-sided coin. There is the “good news,” and there is the “bad news.” Each of these is critical to the salvation message. People need to understand the bad news before they can understand their need for the good news. They need to know:
§ Everyone has sinned. (Romans 3:23) § The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23) § Hell is a real place. (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 10:28) § There are no second chances once we die. (Luke 16:26) The other side of the coin is the Good News: § God’s salvation is available to all through His Son, Jesus. (John 3:16) § Jesus died on the cross and took the wrath of God for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21) § Jesus’ death on the cross frees us from the penalty of sin. (Romans 6:23) § Every Christ follower has eternal life. (John 3:36)
Harvesting the Crop (Action/Response): Jesus has asked His followers to be His ambassadors in presenting both sides of this coin to others. In its totality, the year 2011 will have 365 days, which is 8760 hours or 525,600 minutes. A few days, several hours and many minutes of this New Year have already passed. This serves to remind us of the need to take advantage of the opportunities God puts before us to take this two-sided coin and share it with those in need. Ask God to open your eyes, your mind, and your heart to the opportunities He gives you to be His hands, feet, and mouth to the world around you.
Cultivating (Additional Reading): 2 Peter 3:9 klw Calvary Chapel of Melbourne; 2955 Minton Road; W. Melbourne, FL 32904; 321-952-9673 All Bible references are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise noted. |
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A.W.Tozer: Jan7
January: Personal Life
Some things may be neglected with but little loss to the spiritual
life, but to neglect communion with God is to hurt ourselves where we
cannot afford it. The Root of the Righteous, page 9
January 7 Personal Life: The Call of God Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. --Hebrews 12:11 "Your calling," said Meister Eckhart to the clergy of his day, "cannot make you holy; but you can make it holy. No matter how humble that calling may be, a holy man can make it a holy calling. A call to the ministry is not a call to be holy, as if the fact of his being a minister would sanctify a man; rather, the ministry is a calling for a holy man who has been made holy some other way than by the work he does. The true order is: God makes a man holy by blood and fire and sharp discipline. Then he calls the man to some special work, and the man being holy makes that work holy in turn.... Every person should see to it that he is fully cleansed from all sin, entirely surrendered to the whole will of God and filled with the Holy Spirit. Then he will not be known as what he does, but as what he is. He will be a man of God first and anything else second. We Travel an Appointed Way, 59-60. "You've called me to be holy, Lord, not famous; to be holy, not successful. Keep me focused today on being the person You want me to be, no matter how significant or insignificant the work You ask me to do. Amen."
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Question: "What signs indicate that the end times are approaching?" Answer: Matthew 24:5-8 gives us some important clues so we can discern the approach of the end times, “For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” An increase in false messiahs, an increase in warfare, and increases in famines, plagues, and natural disasters—these are signs of the end times. In this passage, though, we are given a warning: we are not to be deceived, because these events are only the beginning of birth pains; the end is still to come. Some interpreters point to every earthquake, every political upheaval, and every attack on Israel as a sure sign that the end times are rapidly approaching. While the events may signal the approach of the last days, they are not necessarily indicators that the end times have arrived. The apostle Paul warned that the last days would bring a marked increase in false teaching. “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). The last days are described as “perilous times” because of the increasingly evil character of man and people who actively “resist the truth” (2 Timothy 3:1-9; see also 2 Thessalonians 2:3). Other possible signs would include a rebuilding of a Jewish temple in Jerusalem, increased hostility towards Israel, and advances toward a one-world government. The most prominent sign of the end times, however, is the nation of Israel. In 1948, Israel was recognized as a sovereign state, essentially for the first time since A.D. 70. God promised Abraham that his posterity would have Canaan as “an everlasting possession” (Genesis 17:8), and Ezekiel prophesied a physical and spiritual resuscitation of Israel (Ezekiel chapter 37). Having Israel as a nation in its own land is important in light of end times prophecy because of Israel’s prominence in eschatology (Daniel 10:14; 11:41; Revelation 11:8). With these signs in mind, we can be wise and discerning in regard to the expectation of the end times. We should not, however, interpret any of these singular events as a clear indication of the soon arrival of the end times. God has given us enough information that we can be prepared, and that is what we are called to be.
Comment by Debbie I believe via Scripture that Israel is the time clock. There are current events that are fulfilling the Book of Ezekiel. Turkey joining the Islamic union and rejecting her former Christian status was a huge sign. Palestine announcing they will declare independence early this summer is another sign which could easily set up the Gog-Magog invasion. There are signs in nature as well. Look at some of the signs in the Book of Revelation. The blood moon (total lunar eclipses) are a sign. Research when they fall in the coming years. The Jewish Feast Days are another sign in past that seem to reveal events. The signs are visible to those who read and believe God’s Word. I am still waiting for the physical temple in Jerusalem to be rebuilt. I know that everything from the stones, priestly garments to the red heifer are ready and waiting, but have not been instituted. Until He comes, I must keep doing what He requires of believers, but I know in my heart it is soon…. Comment by alvin I was just wondering today if dna had shed any light on the 10 lost tribes of Israel. so i googled. (and giggled) amid the misinformation it appears that the tribes may indeed be spread among every nation of earth, and revelation does state that 12,000 will preach the gospel from each tribe in those days. Are we now at the edge of knowing who the 10 tribes are? Comment by Michael James Stone Signs of the Times are not the “Global Events” necessarily that Jesus spoke of, because Who he spoke to, (besides you and me today) had no concept of the “global events” that we so often add to his words. He spoke to common people dealing in an environment they could recognize all around them. Without Television, WOULD WE see a Sign in every event? The Signs of the Times were meant to be local to Israel, but also understandable as easily as the weather. You see a cloud you don’t take an umbrella, but if you see a really dark sky full of clouds, then you pretty much plan on rain. THAT is how Jesus described the signs of his soon returning. So if you are adding up a list than involves what is occurring IN ISRAEL as if you were standing THERE looking out, then maybe you get a better perspective and point of view. BUT if you go by the BUZZ WORDS; SOUND BITES; PROPHECY SPINS; and general”hyper” mentality people take in looking at Prophecy and the Signs of the Times of His Coming, then Everyday you have to Find and Create an even bigger “fix” because the Lord may not use your exaggeration in His Explanation as He recorded it in Matthew. Do I Believe we are in the Last Generation? Yes. Does that mean the 2011, 2012 fanatics or the Psalm 38 War Criers? No. What it means is I carefully sit down, pray, examine what is true, and see if the pieces I am given fit, or do I have to be told they fit? I can listen to a weather man tell me on a sunny day it’s going to rain, but you won’t find me carrying an umbrella with no cloud in the sky. 2 Comments »
MARANATHA
It also now appears that tubal of the meschek and tubal prophecies may be tbilisi in the land of georgia where a major oil pipeline is going in or already placed
weather
internet set to become the greatest monopoply of all time
identity theft leading toward a call for a personal mark, on the forehead for the brave and on the hand for those who do not want to be readily indentified
itching ears of many causing the health and wealth of false prophets in all lands.
thats a start
oh, i do not think Jesus will return on May 21 as one little cult claims, but would not be surprised at all if He came before that instead of after.
Without the INTERNET would we keep making predictions every election year, millenium or pay attention to the LATEST GREATEST ABSOLUTE BEST SELLER Christian Bookstores have for us?
-Michael
DailyHope Jan7
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GregLaurie: Jan7
Friday, January 7, 2011
Faithful Andrew
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ).—John 1:41
Andrew could be the patron saint, if you will, of relatively unknown but faithful followers of Jesus. Andrew was the first of the disciples to be called. In fact, he was called even before his brother Peter. It was Andrew who brought Peter to Jesus. Andrew obviously knew Peter. He knew that Peter was a force of nature, the kind of a guy who, when he walked into a room, would light it up. He would dominate the conversation. He was a natural leader, the guy that others looked to.
Andrew, on the other hand, flew under the radar. Andrew was more soft spoken, more quiet. He even may have been tempted to think, You know, I am tired of always living in Peter's shadow. I don't want to introduce him to Jesus. He will get all of the attention, and I will be overlooked. But the first thing Andrew did was bring his brother Peter to Jesus.
In fact, that is always what Andrew was doing. There is also a story in the Gospels about when some men from Greece wanted to talk to Jesus. They went to Philip, and then Philip took them over to Andrew, who was the go-to guy to get to Christ. And it was Andrew who brought them to Jesus. That was Andrew: always bringing others to the Lord.
There is no end to what can be accomplished if we are willing to get the job done and not worry about the accolades of others, but simply work for the glory of God. Andrew is the model for all Christians who labor quietly where God has called them. We don't know their names as well as we may know the names of others, but they are known and greatly loved by God.Posted via email from ..................The Last Call Digest
BibleProphecyBlog: Rapture 2011?
Camping with Rapture Loons in 2011
By Don Koenig
The Prophetic Years 
Harold Camping owns a large Christian radio network called “Family Stations, Inc.” (Family Radio). It has more than 150 outlets in the United States and it is broadcast worldwide via shortwave, it has a network of AM and FM radio stations, a cable television station, and the Internet. His organization also utilizes numerous low-power television signals. All that gives him a very large platform for his heretical teachings to reach the simple and the gullible. Believe it or not many thousands of people around the world are actually believing his heretical nonsense. Here is some information on the teachings of Harold Camping.Camping claims he has scrutinized the Bible for almost 70 years and says he has developed a mathematical system to interpret prophecies hidden within the Good Book. One night a few years ago, Camping, a civil engineer by trade, crunched the numbers and was stunned at what he’d found: The world will end May 21, 2011.Here is how Harold Camping figured out the date of the Rapture: The number 5, Camping concluded, equals “atonement.” Ten is “completeness.” Seventeen means “heaven.” Camping patiently explained how he reached his conclusion for May 21, 2011.“Christ hung on the cross April 1, 33 A.D.,” he began. “Now go to April 1 of 2011 A.D., and that’s 1,978 years.”Camping then multiplied 1,978 by 365.2422 days – the number of days in each solar year, not to be confused with a calendar year.Next, Camping noted that April 1 to May 21 encompasses 51 days. Add 51 to the sum of previous multiplication total, and it equals 722,500.Camping realized that (5 x 10 x 17) x (5 x 10 x 17) = 722,500.Or put into words: (Atonement x Completeness x Heaven), squared.”
All this can be found in this article. Unfortunately the person that wrote that article actually called Harold Camping a Bible scholar which gives true Bible scholars a bad name. I would hardly think that someone that thinks that the whole Old Testament is a parable is a scholar. A flake is a title much more suiting for Harold Camping.Camping’s teachings are unique and believable to the simple because like you see above they really are very detailed fabrications. It should be obvious that Harold Camping’s 5 x 10 x 17 formula is just something that works for him because it fits a date in the future. If it did not fit he would not have used it, or he would have just come up with other names and numbers. All that look for hidden codes in the Bible do similar manipulation. The computer now makes endless combinations possible so it becomes inevitable that some combination will fulfill something similar to what you are looking for.Why did Camping look for the words “atonement, completeness, and Heaven that he say means 5, 10 and 17? Only because using those words and numbers comes up with a date in the future that he wanted to see. There are many other words that also could have added up to a date in the future using his scheme.All claiming hidden messages in the Bible do pretty much the same thing. What they find is so manipulated to fit what they are looking for that any seeming fit becomes statistically meaningless. It is little more than chance and if better than chance, so what? Some things always have to be better than chance. Some people win a lottery and chance says they won’t. Some people get killed by lightening and chance says they won’t. I have had people email me other dates that they came up with through similar “word” “number” schemes. They are meaningless to anyone trained in the science of statistics.We also have to disregard the more simple formulas where teachers just read into what scripture actually says to set a date for the Rapture. Some of these just add 70 years to 1948 and they also come up with 2011. They are just as wrong as Camping but for other reasons and those following their conjecture are also likely to disappointed.
Related Links
Why Date-Setting the Rapture is Wrong - Pre-Trib Research Center (Thomas Ice) Will May 21, 2011 Be the End of the World - Daily Christian News Is Harold Camping and Family Radio a cult? - GotQuestions.org Harold Camping, Christian radio host, sets May 21, 2011, as Judgment Day - Slate Magazine 
Dangerous Airwaves: Harold Camping Refuted and Christ's Church Defended - James R. White (Book)
GraceThruFaith: Rapture in May?
Q. I just want to start by saying thank you for for all of the work you do in providing the wealth of information and insight you have to everyone. I was just wondering what your thoughts were on all of the current hoohaw going on over the christian groups proclaiming May 21st 2011 as the confirmed rapture / judgment day. It’s been on the news and received countless amount of coverage / debate on the blogosphere. A. I’ve looked at the rationale behind the May 21st date and can’t find any Biblical basis for it. The person who put it forth has a unique method of interpretation that to my way of thinking defies logic. People who support this will have to do in spite of what the Bible says, not because of it. As you may know I believe the rapture is a number specific event, not a date specific one. Since no one on Earth knows either the current number in the Church or the full number spoken of by Paul in Romans 11:25, no one on Earth can know in advance the actual date of the rapture’s occurrence. But I hasten to add that the Bible does admonish us to read the signs and know the general time of our departure. Being children of the light we should not be taken by surprise when it happens (1 Thes. 5:4-9).
Rapture In May?
GraceThruFaith: Psalm 83
Recently, some leading Prophecy Sites and Authors have begun to post a "pet theory" they have about Psalm 83. That is fine. The problem is they present it as fact. It is not. There are enough Biblical Prophecy People trained in examining the facts to be able to say "It is PURE speculation."
What I mean by that is the "intent" is pure but the facts aren't there. It is what is called a "presuppositional analysis" of the Scripture. That means you can't find the conclusion they say unless you first SAY it is there; then go out of your way to prove it. If the people would say "It could be" or I think, then more likely there would be a number of people agreeing. But what you see today is because of the nature of Christianity to agree with "popular" people first, we tend to forget, even the wisest among us make mistakes.
Psalm 83 should be read by you with the Holy Spirit leading you and no one telling you what is there.
-Michael James Stone
Grace thru Faith:
What About Psalm 83?
Q. I agree with your position on Psalm 83 & Ezekiel 38-39. Your explanation makes sense scripturally. Israel is not at peace and is not a land of unwalled villages. Yet some other so called prophecy experts continue to make it a point to discredit the Psalm 83 information. This is difficult for me to understand. Why is it so hard for some to accept that maybe God is revealing new understanding through some of his other children for the edification of the whole body of Christ?
A. Not everyone agrees that Psalm 83 will actually occur. While it hasn’t happened in the past, opponents of the view say it doesn’t have to happen in the future. They say God could have answered Asaph’s prayer pre-emptively. They’ve also found ways (that don’t impress me) around Israel being a peaceful, unsuspecting people at the time of Ezekiel’s attack as Ezekiel 38:11 requires. We’ll have to wait and see who’s right, and our wait will likely be a short one.
GraceThruFaith: Birds, Bees, Fish
Q. I live in Louisiana and recently the news reported that hundreds of birds in a small Arkansas town just fell dead out of the sky. At a time they should have been on their perches, they were flying and just fell dead. It has also happened in two separate towns here in Louisiana and it has happened in other countries. In your opinion does it have anything to do with end time events and is there any proof in the bible at all regarding this? Just too much strange stuff going on here recently. A. There are also reports of large numbers of fish mysteriously dying in various places, and before these we learned that a big percentage of the bee population has simply disappeared. As far as I’m aware there is no direct prophetic significance to these events. They could easily have environmental causes due to our disregard for the poisoning of our air and water, but they’re not mentioned among the “birth pangs” the Lord said would precede the End of the Age (Matt. 24:4-8). The Birds, The Bees And The Fish
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