CCW Podcast

This Sunday, we continue our messages about the joy of Christmas. We began last week with the Fear Nots of Christmas. This Sunday we will be looking at Mary’s Christmas.

Mary teaches us even though she is young, unmarried and pregnant. She begins to lift her voice in praise to the Lord. In doing so, she reveals a heart that is in love with the Lord, and also a mind that is saturated with the Old Testament scriptures. Mary teaches us that we can praise the Lord in spite of our circumstances. Mary’s great song of praise has come to be know as the Magnificat. This is the Latin translation of the first few words which Mary speaks after the angel's announcement that she is going to have the Christ Child. It literally means, “My soul celebrates the Lord.” This doxology is a hymn of praise unto the Lord. It reminds us today that the birth of Jesus is about far more than gifts, trees, Santa Claus, Rudolph, Frosty, and my personal favorite, the Grinch. The Christmas season is about our relationship with the Lord and about learning to celebrate His glory and His goodness. This Sunday we will examine this great anthem of praise as we join Mary in her celebration of Christmas.

This Sunday, we'll begin a series of messages about the joy of Christmas. We begin with the Fear Nots of Christmas.

This Sunday, we will return to the book of Revelation. As we look at the ninth chapter, it is understandable why no one likes to talk about hell in biblical terms. Many churches like to redefine hell as a state of mind or an expression to describe a terrible situation, but the Bible presents hell as a literal place, designed to punish those who live in rebellion against God. Since it's such a terrible place, people want to avoid it, even to erase it from their theology. Why should they run the risk of offending people when there are so many pleasant topics to discuss?

The reason we need to learn about hell is because it's in the Bible, it's a real place, and we're obligated to preach God's whole message. Simply denying something is true won't change the fact of its reality. It's far better for us to hear the warnings and be prepared to avoid it. This Sunday, I'll be preaching about "When Hell Comes to Earth". We'll see a description of hell. Don't miss the truth, even when it's not pretty!

The Great Tribulation was referred to in the Old Testament as the "time of trouble," Jeremiah 30:7. Two things will happen to Israel during the Tribulation: 1) Israel will be disciplined for her rejection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and 2) Jews will be prepared to receive their Messiah "whom they pierced," Zechariah 12:10. In Revelation 7, we have the evidence of a great revival which will come to the earth and be centered around the nation Israel. It's easy to think that the Tribulation period is going to be nothing but darkness and horror on earth. But like so many other dark days on planet earth, with God, there is always light. In fact, God releases 144,000 points of light to roam the earth and preach the good news. This Sunday we will see this great revival.