Passion 4 Him

The calm seas and clear skies belied the approaching danger on that fateful night in April, 1912, when the great ship known as the Titanic went down in the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Warning after warning had been received about the danger of icebergs and ice pack. Yet, in spite of the multiple warnings, the ship was flung nearly full speed ahead at 22 knots per hour. At 11:40 pm the ship struck an iceberg, tearing a fatal gash about 300 feet long in the hull. Only 706 people out of the 2,223 on board were able to get safely into the lifeboats provided. At 2:20 am the mighty Titanic went down, along with her remaining passengers and crew. If only the warnings would have been heeded! If only there would have been more preparation for such a catastrophe! It all came down to the pride of man which was reflected in the self- assurance of the designers, the owners, and the captain who believed her to be unsinkable. No consideration was given to the invisible possibilities. As...

I saw a headline the other day that read, “Zoo Keeper Mauled by White Tigers.” The story reminded me of how many times in life we take things for granted. I imagine this zoo keeper, accustomed to entering the tigers’ domain, had gradually become careless in their presence. Likewise, we as Christians can also become careless about God’s holiness and the need to reverence Him in our lives. We have examples in Scripture that teach us this very lesson. “Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and offered profane fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. So fire went out from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.” (Leviticus 10:1-2) This vivid account reminds us that we serve a holy God who is to be approached with reverential fear. Bringing God down to our level and assuming we can take His commands lightly can have terrifying consequences. Quoting from Deuteronomy, the writer of Hebrews tells us ...

John MacArthur In many respects, the contemporary church in America looks more like a large corporation than like anything described in the New Testament. Even church leaders sometimes bear a closer resemblance to CEOs and corporate executives than to humble, tender shepherds. Sadly, the good news — that a sinner can find forgiveness for sins before a holy God by placing his trust in and committing his whole life to Jesus Christ — is often eclipsed by “success”-oriented programs and an interest in the bottom line. As a result, many churches have become nothing more than entertainment centers, employing tactics that effectively draw people into the church, but are incapable of truly ministering to them once they come. God never intended the church to be like that. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it." Notice the Lord's one condition to that great promise: " I will build My church...

In the final analysis, a man must accept that the Bible is the Word of God by faith, for “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). At the same time, Bible faith is not a blind leap into the dark. It is confidence in a believable Record that God has given, for “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The writers of the Bible explain to us that they were not delivering cunningly devised fables but an inspired record based on “many infallible proofs” (Acts 1:3; 2 Peter 1:16). Following are some of the objective, time-proven reasons why we can have complete confidence in the Bible: 1. CHRIST’S RESURRECTION PROVES THAT THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD. His resurrection was witnessed by hundreds of people (1 Cor. 15:5-7). Were they all lying? At times, the resurrected Christ was seen by many people at one time. They...

  There is much to talk about in life with people. The common discussion usually starts with something neutral like the weather, family, or your job. Almost anyone can discuss these things with one another. But one of the things that matters most to me seems so hard to bring up with people, and it shouldn't be. That something is Jesus Christ! Why would it be so hard to talk to people about the most important thing that we should be talking about?    The craziest thing, is that the people you should be able to talk to about Jesus (church goers), you cannot without an uncomfortable look or moment of awkwardness. I've wondered why that may be the case with so many people, including professed Christians and church members. I have a few thoughts on that, that I want to share.   First, why is it so important to have a conversation about Jesus Christ? Well, he is God and God created us to fellowship with him. Jesus is God's Son who came to this earth to become man, to re...

It irritates me when I see Christ being taken out of Christmas. That is not limited to only non-Christians--even Christians have adjusted to the commercialism of the holiday season. Obviously, not all of it is bad--in fact the holiday season provides the opportunity for families to reunite and also provides a pleasant break from our routines. I personally look forward to these days as an opportunity to visit with friends who are much too busy at other times in the year to just stop and relax. But we have become terribly imbalanced. We give a myriad of useless gifts at Christmas because it's expected of us and we feel guilty if we don't. The commercialized world now makes a $100.00 toy seem perfectly normal. It's easy to observe the stress that our imbalanced society places on family members. Christian parents who cannot provide the latest indulgences to their children are often depressed and distraught. Obviously, no one purposely makes them feel unworthy o...

For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day . We should even be thankful in the midst of problems. The Apostle Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" ( 2 Corinthians 7:4 ). He knew that God was working all things together for his good, even though he was going through trials ( Romans 8:28 ). Problems will come your way. God will see to it personally that you grow as a Christian. He will allow the storms, to send your roots deep into the soil of His Word. We pray more in the midst of problems, but it's been well said that you will see more from your knees, than you will on your tip toes. A man once watched a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon. In an effort to help it, he took a razor blade, and carefully slit the edge of the cocoon. The butterfly escaped from its problem ... and immediately died.  It is God's way to have the butterfly struggle. It is the struggle that causes its tiny heart to beat fast, and send ...

At least watch first 3 minutes! If you have time, watch the whole thing. Interesting take on college! Whether you agree or disagree, it would make for some interesting discussion!

There are hypocrites in all walks of life. Probably the greatest counterfeits of all are those who claim to be Christians, go through the rituals, but have never met Christ on the cross or experienced His Power exhibited in the empty tomb. They know not the cleansing Power of the precious Blood of the Saviour. A STRANGE RELATIONSHIP The wedding is now history. How can one forget the rice thrown, the cake smeared on the face of the bride and groom, and the ooh’s and aah’s from the congregation as the couple embraced at the front of the church. Their traditional vows were heard by all present as they promised to love one another until parted by death. They were declared not only before their parents and friends, but also in Divine presence. It’s all over now. With Betty’s new outfit and Bill’s new car, they drive away from the church, “Bill, I want you to take me home.” “Home, Betty? We are leaving on our honeymoon. After the trip we will go to our new home.” “Oh, no, you do not under...

The devil is a liar! Everything he says to us is a lie! “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, ~because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). His first actual communication with mortal man indicated his pattern of activity. “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1). The inference is that God is being a bit unreasonable. Here is the suggestion that God might be expecting too much from her. Eve, you might be in a position where God is sort of taking advantage of you. He places doubt in her mind as to the authenticity of God’s plain statement of command. Notice how he dwells on the prohibition. This is a common presentation of Satan in his lying,...