RETURN TO THE FIRST PLACE AND CALL ON THE LORD After God rescued Abram from Pharaoh, having gone down to Egypt because of the famine, he returned to the old altar he had built near Bethel and Ai. There he once again called on the name of the Lord. Abram had a habit of
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM? The apostle Matthew recorded that Jesus’ ministry in Galilee was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, saying that the people of Galilee who “sat in darkness have seen a great light” (Matt. 10:16 quoting Isa. 9:1-2). He also reported that Jesus went all about Galilee preaching “the gospel of
THE GIFT OF SUSTAINING SLEEP Anyone who has experienced a sleepless night filled with worry and fear knows what a gift it is to be able to lay down and sleep. David understood this. For he had spent many a sleepless night as a young man hiding from Saul. Now, as an old man, when
BY FAITH EVE NAMED HER SON THE APPOINTED ONE Eve must have received a word from the Lord concerning her third son. For she named him “Seth,” which means “appointed.” By faith she named him as the appointed “seed” that replaced her righteous son Abel, whom her firstborn Cain had killed. How filled with grief
GOD’S PROVISION TO HELP US MARK OUR TIME ON EARTH Nearly every measurement of time was set in motion by God from the beginning. Our clocks and calendars are only manmade tools to mark the “signs and seasons” which God ordained from the start. The 24-hour day and the 365-day year are set by the
JESUS SEALS HIS REVELATION WITH A FINAL “I AM” STATEMENT Just as Jesus introduced Himself to John at the beginning of the book of Revelation with an “I AM” statement (See Rev. 1:8), so He brings the book to a close with a final one. What is an “I AM” statement? It is a testimony
ARE YOU BOUND FOR THAT CITY? John saw the “holy city,” the “New Jerusalem,” coming down from heaven. This is the very place that Christ went to prepare, saying, “In my Father’s house are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
WILL YOU SHARE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION? John saw a day when all those who share in the “first resurrection” would serve as priests of God and reign with Christ for a thousand years, a millennium. What is this “first resurrection” and who are those who share in it? The first resurrection began with
HAVE YOU LOOKED ON HIM WHOM YOU HAVE PIERCED? The prophet Zechariah wrote around 520 BC. This was 500 years before Christ and 2500 years before the present age. His little book is filled with Messianic prophecies. Here, we see a Messianic reference to “an only son,” a “firstborn” who the people of Israel would
THE THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER Zechariah’s prophecy concerning the thirty pieces of silver was written around 500 years before Christ. In the prophecy, the Lord called Zechariah to shepherd the suffering flock of Judah and Israel, and he obeyed. He cared for the flock and removed the evil and worthless shepherds who had formerly been