Teaching The Truth

"What can we do, any of us, when real calamities come? Will wealth or anything else keep away the tears? What will prevent the sorrows, deal with the sins, or enable us to be of good cheer in the face of death and disease, and to say, 'You cannot touch me!' Ah! there is but one thing that will do that for us. 'The name of the Lord is a strong tower.' " (Alexander MacLaren) Do you believe that today? Is this an operative belief in your life? Where do you run when trouble comes?

"The king is revealed in the time of the flood. Smaller personalities appear kingly when the waters are smooth; they disappear at the flood...I will yield the crown of my obedience to the One Who proves to be king at the flood." (Biblical Illustrator) Why do we need a King? What is the cry of mankind in this hour? Has God provided a King in answer to man's cry? Has the world received God's King? Has the Church received God's King? What about you?

"Our business...is to watch our heart-fires. When the temperature of our love lowers, there is cause for terror. It is instructive to mark the many and insidious influences by which the gush and swell of affection are modified." (Biblical Illustrator) There are two things that will cause a decline of love in your heart for JESUS. They are Absorptions and Influences - allowing many things to absorb your time and wrong things to influence you. Never forget - declension begins in the heart. Therefore, keep it "white-hot" for JESUS!

It is a poetical thought that God is dormant or "asleep" when He doesn't respond readily to the needs of His people - when He seemingly appears to be unconcerned with their troubles. It is then that they have to awaken Him to activity with their cries. Both Asaph and Isaiah prayed the most powerful prayers to "awaken" God's power on the behalf of His people. But, in relation to the Church of today, is it God Who is "asleep" here? What do you suppose is His response to these prayers concerning the Church of today? Isaiah 52:1 gives His response. It is not God Who sleeps. The one to "awake" is "Zion" - His church!

"Notice the forms under which the Lord represents Himself as round about His people: all indicative of two things, destruction to the adversary, safety to the friend. The LORD is round His people as a hedge; and as mountains; and as a guard of fire, such as men use to protect from wild beasts." (Biblical Illustrator) The Lord is offering protection for you and your family through the "hedge"...the "mountains"...the "wall" called "Salvation"...and through the "wall of fire." But just like healing and other blessings, you must appropriate this protection by faith through prayer. It's time like never before to - PRAY! This message will show you how important it is that you do!

God has a message for His Church today. That message is found in Joshua 1:9 which says - "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong, and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." While preparing this message, God confirmed to me - three different times from three different sources - that this particular verse of Scripture was to be the main text in this podcast. By doing so, wouldn't you agree that He is indeed wanting to get a message across to His people at this time? Listen to hear what that very important message is. Joshua, Gideon, Peter, and John needed it. So do you!

"As God has sat as King in the past, whether at the great Deluge or at any other flood or floods, so will He ever 'sit as King' in the future." (Pulpit Commentary) At such a time when rulers of nations are becoming more evil, wicked, and tyrranical, the Holy Spirit is directing the Church to focus on JESUS as "King." When you get a fresh revelation of this, it will affect your prayer life...the way you look at life and the events happening around you...and the way you praise and worship God. It is a much-needed revelation for our time!

"The Gospel then is no licentious doctrine; it is according to godliness, and teaches and promotes it; it is an holy faith, yea, a most holy faith; wherefore it is a vile slander to charge it with leading to looseness of life and conversation." (John Gill) There is much teaching on the Grace of God today. Most understand Grace as that which brings salvation to the undeserving. However, after salvation, Grace now takes on a new "face" (position) in reference to the saint of God. Now, it becomes a "No-Nonsense Disciplinarian." Are you aware of that?

"In today's postmodern world, the truth of God's wrath has become ridiculed as an outdated caricature of deity, or worse, denied altogether as a medieval myth. Even many Christians today seem to apologize for divine vengeance as if it is a blemish in God's character, or some irrelevant doctrine of Christianity. But the truth is, the Bible clearly presents the wrath of God as a necessary attribute of His holiness. Any true knowledge of God must be grounded in a clear understanding of His sin-hating wrath. To withhold teaching on God's fury toward sin, is, in reality, idolatry - it is worshipping a god of one's own making. The holiness of God requires that He be full of righteous anger and fiery vengeance against sin." (Holman Old Testament Commentary) "Divine wrath has become taboo in modern society, and Christians, by and large have accepted the taboo and conditioned themselves never to raise the matter." (J.I. Packer) Have you accepted the taboo?

"Am I as a follower of Christ willing to allow the Lord to direct my life, shape my ethics, and control my conduct, even if it puts me at odds with the culture in which I live? The Christian who lives a godly life is going to face the fear of rejection and intimidation in a culture that embraces a philosophy that says - 'There are no moral absolutes and all truth is subjective!' In such a culture, God's Word charges us - 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.'"(Larry Thompson) The Apostle Peter gives you the biblical solution to fear. Instead of being afraid, he admonishes you to "sanctify the Lord God in your hearts." It is imperative that you know what that means!