A cosmic battle has been raging between Satan and God from the beginning of time and will continue to the end of time. He has opposed the kingdom purposes of God since the first sin in the cosmos committed by Satan himself (Ezek. 28:12–17; cf. 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 3:8). Since his temptation of Adam and Eve to sin against God in the garden (Gen. 3:1–6), Satan, along with his demon hordes, has conducted a guerilla warfare campaign to deceive and enslave men and women in his kingdom of darkness. Mankind’s only hope is therefore in God’s redeeming grace, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in […]
Culture
The Kingdom of God is the primary theme of Scripture—the center of gravity around which all other themes providentially orbit in bringing glory to the “King of kings, and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16). This is what makes it so important and exciting! There are essentially three aspects to the Kingdom of God: a Universal Kingdom, a Mediatorial Kingdom, and a Spiritual Kingdom. A general understanding of God’s kingdom program will help explain much of the moral free fall in America and the mounting hostility toward all who oppose it. But more importantly, it will animate the hearts of the redeemed with a renewed passion to see our Savior and King face-to-face. 1. The Universal Kingdom of God First, God’s […]
Pursuing Christlikeness in Times of Mounting Hostility and Apathy by David A. Harrell As never before in American history, Christians are witnessing biblical values being replaced by laws that impose a godless, immoral, oppressive social agenda on their country. The overall disdain political and religious liberal activists have toward conservative values in general and authentic Christianity in particular has produced an ideological civil war that is raging out of control. But many people sense there’s something more sinister going on, something beyond the realm of ideological divides, something evil, perhaps even eschatological—and that’s the position of this book. Here you will learn the interplay between two corresponding evils that have been secretly gaining strength in America for many years: human […]
Great wickedness . . . only evil . . . no one who understands . . . worthless . . . open graves . . . deceit . . . poison . . . cursing and bitterness . . . swift to shed blood . . . ruin and misery . . . no fear of God . . . subjected to frustration . . . bondage to decay . . . groaning . . . struggle . . . this dark world . . . evil. (Genesis 6:5; Romans 3:10-18; Ephesians 6:12) Perhaps you are so familiar with these verses that it is difficult to see their unflinching realism. But each of these passages is honest about what you […]
There is a popular definition of insanity that is attributed to Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and others. It goes like this: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Every January 1st, most of the world celebrates insanity. Times Square is filled with people who watch a crystal ball descend as midnight approaches. Millions more watch on television. When the ball ends its journey a massive celebration erupts. People are excited about the promise of a new year. They hope the disappointments of the previous year will be replaced by better times in the new year. They believe that their new resolutions will work better than last year’s. But the jubilant celebrations too often […]
Christmas is a time of joy and thanksgiving, but not for everyone. Amid the colored lights and wrapped presents there are hearts that are as empty as the open gift boxes under the tree on Christmas morning. Christmas brings good memories but also the hard ones of broken dreams and relationships. When we are struggling, it is tempting to ask where is the joy in life? David asked these same questions long ago. He wanted to know why God had abandoned him. He wanted to know why his prayers were not answered. He cried out to ask why God does not answer his pleas. So he writes these words in Psalm 22: My God, my God, why have you […]
Giving gifts to yourself is a dangerous activity. No, I am not talking about the present under the tree that is labeled from you to you. I am talking about the gifts you give to others that are really meant for you. Let me explain. For example, giving a gift to someone for the pleasure of seeing how much you are appreciated. You are feeling under-appreciated by your daughter. You find a gift you think will please her and tip the scales back in your favor. This is where things get murky. You spent money on something you really couldn’t afford so that she would think you are wonderful. But she doesn’t think the gift is all that great! So […]
Each year questions arise about participation in Halloween. Is it really the Devil’s holiday? Well, it is in the sense that every day where he rules in the hearts of unbelievers is his day. But it is also true that Christ has triumphed on the cross and brought defeat to the dark enemy of our souls. So it is important to look a little deeper if we are going to find a satisfying answer. At its best Halloween is time for creativity, joy, friendship, and fun. At its worst, it is about death, fear, darkness, and the celebration of evil. Again, for the Christian, this is like every other day. Each day we are to choose between life and death, […]
This is a short story of two young men with two radically different views of the same treasure. One thought he could not live without the treasure and one who knew could not live with it. This is the choice is still relevant: should you live for what you can see or for what you can’t see? Moses, as a young man, was offered all the treasures of ancient Egypt. They were the best his world had to offer. Power, possessions, prestige — they were all his. All he had to do was be passive and enjoy the providential circumstances that were literally dropped in his lap. But he said no to all of that. Instead, he believed disgrace for […]
Solomon warned about the destruction of an unguarded, wandering heart in Proverbs 4:20-27. Verse 23 gets most of the attention in this passage: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. However it is important not to miss the warning that follows to keep your feet and eyes, that is, your heart and your body, from wandering away from what is right: Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Solomon is retelling the hard lessons he learned from his father, […]