Passion 4 Him

In Defense of the Faith   Question: A famous adage says, “Seeing is believing.” Yet the Bible says, “We walk by faith, not by sight” ( 2 Corinthians:5:7 ). These two ideas seem to be in direct conflict with each other. Which one is right?   Response:  The first saying, although partially true, can be very misleading; the second is totally true. While it helps to “see” something with one’s own eyes or to witness an occurrence, one doesn’t always “see” accurately. Thus, “seeing” is not always a sufficient reason for believing. Nor is “seeing” essential for believing, because we obviously believe in much that we have never seen. No one has ever seen gravity, though we have observed what we believe to be its effects. Nor has any scientist seen energy, but we now believe it to be the stuff out of which the entire universe is made. Moreover, appearances can be deceptive....A mirage can make it seem that the burning sand of a dry desert is water. A stage magician...

At Roosevelt, Oklahoma, in a big tent revival some years ago a young woman came to me deeply distressed and in tears wanting to know what she must do to be saved. I showed her that Christ had died for sinners, that her debt was all paid, that now she must confess herself a guilty sinner and look to the blood of Jesus Christ to cover all of her sins. I told her that now she had simply to receive Jesus and trust Him to have forgiveness of her sins and peace in her heart. But she began to say, "But Father told me ---." At first I thought she referred to her father, then learned that she meant the Catholic priest. He may have been ever so kind and sincere a man, as Catholic priests often are, and I mean no reflection on him when I tell the truth in this typical case. This girl had started out to be a good Catholic. She learned her prayers, and prepared for confirmation. She told me that the day she was to have been confirmed all confirmations were postponed by an o...

[ read in Lamplighter ( pdf )] The Bible says we cannot know the time of the Lord's return ( Matthew 25:13 ). But the Scriptures make it equally clear that we can know the season of the Lord's return ( 1 Thessalonians 5:2-6 ): "You yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night... But you brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober." This passage asserts that Jesus is coming like "a thief in the night." But then it proceeds to make it clear that this will be true only for the pagan world and not for believers. His return should be no surprise to those who know Him and His Word, for they have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to give them understanding of the nature of the times. Furthermore, the Scriptures give us signs to...

   You may have heard people say: "Sure I believe in God,"or "I believe Jesus came and died on the cross." But the question I pose is: Sure you believe in God or certain facts about Him, but do you "KNOW" Him?   There is a big difference in knowing facts about God and actually knowing Him personally. People can have intellectual assent to certain facts about God, but do they possess the experimental knowledge that only comes from a relationship with Him?   A scripture that comes to mind is James 2:19- " You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!" Consider that even the demons believe and give proof to believe that there is one God. Demons who have far more knowledge than we do. But that does not give them saving knowledge or mean that they have a relationship with Jesus.    People who say they have faith in God but have never experienced being born-again, are in a bad position.  It's not enough in...

It is a sad and shocking fact that many religious people are in Hell. Remember that there are many religions besides the true religion of Jesus Christ. Religion is no guarantee of salvation. The Pharisees were religious but they crucified Christ. They were wicked in their hearts though outwardly they appeared to men to be righteous. Remember that Cain was religious. He offered sacrifices, but God was not pleased with them. He prayed, but God did not hear favorably. So Christian Science, so-called, is a religion - a religion without confession of sin, a religion without blood atonement, a religion without the new birth. So Spiritualism is a religion a false religion, putting people at the mercy, often, of evil spirits. Many Catholics are very religious and very devout, but know nothing about peace in heart and the new birth. Some Catholics surely, we believe, have trusted in Christ alone for salvation, but how many there are who bow before idols and depend upon the church...

    In their new book, Falsified: The Danger of False Conversion , authors Vincent and Lori Williams seek to use Scripture to identify what they define as an "epidemic" of false conversions currently sweeping evangelical churches in the U.S. The couple speak from personal experience, as they too were once false converts.  The Williams define a "false conversion" as one in which the converted feels that they are saved, but in reality are not because they are not living by the correct teachings of Scripture. The couple confess in their book that they were at one time "false converts led into a false sense of security by seeker-sensitive churches preaching a watered-down Gospel." Read Entire Article Here :  http://global.christianpost.com/news/falsified-authors-tackle-epidemic-of-false-conversions-in-us-churches-71523/

by "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils ? and in thy name done many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me, ye that work iniquity." - Matt. 7:21-23. Multitudes of people who expect to go to Heaven will go to a Hell of torment. Thousands of "good" people, "moral" people, church members, even church workers - yes, and, alas, even prophets, priests and preachers - will find themselves lost when they expected to be saved, condemned when they expected approval, cast out of Heaven when they expected to be received into eternal bliss. That is the explicit meaning of the words of our Lord quoted above. Newspaper columns sometimes carry stories of "Life's Most Embar...