God's Will in our Life

I am continually struggling with the question of knowing whether or not what I do is in God's will for me. How can I tell if what I want is what God desires; and how can I know if what I am seeking is supported by God for me or is in opposition to His desires for me?

Ray Pritchard of
Keep Believing Ministries
address this issue in this blog entry from earlier today entitled

Ray Pritchard » 25 Affirmations About God’s Will » June 5, 2009
He posted this entry as a follow-up to his appearance earlier in the day on American Family Radio's "Christian Life
Today" which airs live from 2 pm to
3 pm Eastern.


He introduces the entry as follows:

During the Friday edition of “Christian Life Today” on American Family Radio, we talked
about what it means to know and do God’s will. It’s been my experience that most
Christians are sincere and truly want to do God’s will if only they could figure
out what it is. And most people realize there is no easy answer to the question,
“What does God want me to do?”
Sometimes we get tripped up because we want something God never promised. We want
a detailed plan that tells us what to do in every situation. And of answering every
question we might have, God says, “Trust me one step at a time.” Listed in no particular
order, here are 25 affirmations that may help you sort things out.Today"


What comforted me, once reviewing the list, is that I have been practicing a number of these steps as a part of my Walk. Now, I have a more formalized check list to return to thanks to the radio show spawning the publishing of the list.

Thanks Pastor Ray, and I look forward to your hosting the show once again the week of June 15.

The audio link I have bookmarked for AFR Talk is this:



http://mediaserver3.afa.net:8000/talk.mp3


This link will record nicely in Replay Av for listening at a more convenient time.

Interesting Shows from David Jeremiah and James MacDonald

Today, David Jeremiah concluded the 6 days of teaching on the "70 weeks" of chapter 9 of Daniel, a subseries of the larger Daniel book study which consists of 62 or so programs presenting 31 messages.



What's interesting about today's program is that he outlines why the carrying away to Babylon occurred, how the Jews learned from it upon their return to the Promised Land (they never again worshipped false idols), and how the Jews remain His Chosen People which will be manifested in its full glory in Christ's Millennial reign.


You can listen to Turning Point archives at this link
Turning Point (Dr. David Jeremiah) - Broadcast Archives
or today's show at this url:

http://ht.salemweb.net/oneplace/rm/tp/tp20090408.rm



Thursday and Friday will feature Easter shows as might be expected with a return to the Daniel study on Monday.


Speaking of Holy week shows, James Macdonald of
Walk in the Word


has had several good ones this week. On Tuesday's show, we discover, after reading Luke 23, v26

As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the
country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.


who this "Simon" is.
Well, who is this apparently unwitting carrier of the cross? Well, let's add, says MacDonald, some additional info from Mark 15, v.21:




A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing
by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.

For most of us, this doesn't seem to add a lot -- or does it?

Well, turn to Romans 16, v.13, where Paul writes:

Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
----------

So, suggests MacDonald, perhaps Simon embraced the Lord at the Cross, thanks to this chance meeting
and this lead to blessings down the road received by Paul. Nothing in the Bible gets mentioned by mistake; and everything is there for a reason; we just don't always understand or recognize it..

Returning to Luke 23:28 and following, we are given Jesus' last message to the crowds in 77 English words prophesizing the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in 70 A.d.

Today's show is another thought provoker in getting us to think as to how we might have reacted if we had been part of the scene on that fateful Crucifixion Day.

,

To subscribe to the Walk In the Word podcast, enter this url into your podcatcher:

http://www.walkintheword.com/podcast.xml

"Turning Point" with David Jeremiah Archives have Returned

Good News. The "Turning Point" archives are back. Find them here

Turning Point (Dr. David Jeremiah) - Broadcast Archives

That's the same place as before. For some reason, they were down for several days. Now, they are back, up and running, and updated.

And speaking of "Turning Point," Friday, April 3, and today's Monday, April 6, shows make for interesting listening. Dr Jeremiah explains Daniel's 70-week prophecy and how 69 of those 70 weeks have been completed. He includes a somewhat calculation complex explanation as to the date accuracy of the whole thing.


Related to today's program, in this morning's devotional email, Jeremiah explains the test prophets faced.

"Many people claim to speak for God today without applying the definitive test given
in Scripture concerning prophecy: accuracy. "When a prophet speaks in the name of
the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the
Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid
of him" (Deuteronomy 18:22).
That was the test God gave Moses for those who would presume to speak in God's name.
What they said must come to pass. That was the same test God applied to Himself when
He spoke through His chosen prophets. For instance, when Zechariah spoke for the
Lord, saying that Israel's king would one day appear riding on "a colt, the foal
of a donkey" (9:9), that is precisely what happened: Jesus rode into
Jerusalem."
on the colt of a donkey (Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). It was God's way of validating
When you need assurance that God is true to His Word, read the prophetic portions

You can receive the daily emails by going to this link

http--www.davidjeremiah.org-
and filling in your email address in the appropriate edit box.

"God's Friday, The Day God Died for our Salvation"

"God's Friday, The First Good Friday" is a constant phrase in this Sunday's "Lutheran Hour" sermon preached by Ken Klaus.
Go to
Lutheran Hour Ministries - The Lutheran Hour
and look for links to read the sermon transcript, here it on line as well as to subscribe to the weekly podcast or have sermon texts emailed to you weekly.




As every Christian school child knows "Christ paid for my sins by dying on the Cross on Good Friday." Four of the statements in the Apostles' Creed refer to the events surrounding the Crucifixion.

I have been seeking something that might tie all this together, particularly to direct the new Christian to, insofar as what does being saved all mean and how was this achieved.

Thanks to Ray Pritchard and
Keep Believing.com
ministries and his weekly podcast, we have Salvation boiled down to 27 and a half minutes of succcinct information much like the mantra "give us 20 minutes and we'll give you the world" slogans offered by all news radio stations such as WBBM Chicago, WINS New York or KNX Los Angeles.
The sermon,
The Day God Died,
uses Hebrews 9 and 10 as its primary scriptural focus rather than one of the 4 gospels.

For those preferring to read the text, it can be found here
The Day God Died Crucified, Died

It is one of those documents that would make for a great inclusion in church new believer packets.

Psalm 59 and 1 Samuel 19

One of the advantages of reading the Bible via an approach such as the one used in
Bruce’s Chronological Bible Project
is that you quickly see how things fit together.

Today, for example, the readings are 1 Samuel 18 and 19 plus Psalm 59.
The Psalm actually is inserted into the reading plan after verse 18 of 1 Sam 19.

Why, you ask?
Well, the intricacies of the situation facing David are complex as outlined in this commentary selection
1 Samuel 19 - David Flees from Saul?


He understands that they are after him, not due to anything that he has done, but rather out of Saul's jealousy. He is confident in God's ability to protect and defend him from harm and deal with his adversaries
He expresses his reliance on God in this matter..

In these Trying Times, God Remains in Charge -- a Message from James MacDonald and "Walk in the Word"

`We are now in the midst of the last of 6 messages comprising the "Always True" series on "Walk In the Word" with James MacDonald. This particular message is especially pertinent in these trying times of financial stress, unemployment, , and all the uncertainties that seem to plague the United States and much of the rest of the world.
, Our trust, of course, should be first and foremost in God not our IRA, job, or politicians. We tend to forget this when things go well; perhaps that's why God hits us on the head, so to speak, to remind us that he, and not us, are ultimately in charge.


For some reassurrance that ultimately God will take care of us (if we let him), give a listen to these 3 shows running through tomorrow.



Podcast subscription address:
http://www.walkintheword.com/podcast.xml
The latest 5 shows are available in this way.


The Wednesday April 1 through Friday April 3 shows contain this sermon originally preached at Harvest Chapel.

Turning Point Broadcast Archives Apparently No Longer Available

Just checked; and to my frustration, the Turning Point broadcast archives appear to be missing as of this morning. Yesterday, I noticed that the show archives did not include the April 1 broadcast so perhaps the David Jeremiah organization has ended its affiliation with OnePlace.com. Hopefully, they will reappear somewhere soon and that podcasts will be included. "Turning Point" is one of the best ministry broadcasts out there; sadly, they are among the hardest to find in an ondemand form on the web.

Purpose of Prayer, Daniel 9, "Turning Point" with David Jeremiah

David jeremiah is about two thirds through his "handwriting On the Wall" series on Turning Point which focuses on the Book of Daniel.
The broadcasts of Monday March 30 and Tuesday the 31st focus on an interesting part of Daniel, namely the first part of Chapter 9 where Daniel prays. By examining these verses, Jeremiah points out, we can learn on how to pray and what the real purpose of prayer is -- it is the glory of God and asking him on how we may play a part in it.
The prayer may be found in Daniel 9, verses 4 through 19.

To hear the broadcasts, go to this page
Turning Point (Dr. David Jeremiah) - Broadcast Archives

and look for the broadcasts labeled "God's People and Prayer."

I particularly am moved towards verse 9
BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup Daniel 9
which reads

The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against
him.

It is interesting in how Daniel approaches the subject of why God should hear his request to return the Isrealites back to Jerusalem beginning at verse 17:



"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O
cLord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary.
18
Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that
bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because
of your great mercy.

Verses from the NIV.


Some have suggested that Daniel's prayer was unnecessary as God had already preordained the Jews returning to Isreal. Rev. Adrian Dieleman, Pastor, Trinity United Reformed Church, Visalia, Ca
preached this
Sermon on Daniel 919which further expands on the purpose of prayer. This too makes for good reading.

Seeking Salvation From an Earthly King: It didn't work then so why should it Now?

The Israelites had it all: a perfect ruler in God himself and, if they chose to submit and obey his commandments, he guaranteed to protect them and make them prosperous. . Yet, they did not appreciate what they had but sought a better life, much as we do, from an earthly ruler demanding from judge Samuel (1 sam 8) an earthly king.
Before granting their wish, however, God had this warning (and does it not sound much like what we are facing today in seeking salvation from government by asking it to fulfill our needs):

Here is NIv's presentation of 1 Samuel, Chapter 8, verses 10-20:

BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup I sam 8;

10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a
king. 11
He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your
sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front
of his chariots.
12
Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and
others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons
of war and equipment for his chariots.
13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14
He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them
to his attendants.
15
He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials
and attendants.
16
Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use.
17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
18
When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen,
and the LORD will not answer you in that day."
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king
over us. 20
Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out
before us and fight our battles."


Does the above sound somewhat abstract? Well, let me hit you between the eyes, so to speak, with The Message Bible presentation of verses 1018 from I Samuel 8


BibleGateway.com - Passage Lookup I sam 8;

So Samuel told them, delivered God's warning to the people who were asking him to give them a king. He said, "This
is the way the kind of king you're talking about operates. He'll take your sons and
make soldiers of them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and
squadrons. He'll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and
others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury.
He'll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He'll conscript
your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends.
He'll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize
workers and best animals he'll take for his own use. He'll lay a tax on your flocks
and you'll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation
because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don't expect
God to answer."






And today our trust in the things of man, rather than that of God, costs us even more -- and yet we ask more and more from government and other man-made entities believing that somehow they can make things better. Can they make things better other than on the surface? Well, we know the answer to that, but we still ask and demand.

Obviously, we haven't learned from history. We, slowly but surely, have to learn the same lessons the Israelites discovered as we move on in our daily readings.

Sunday School Audio Presentations from Thomas Constable

Today's reading in

http://bdmsmith.wordpress.com/
is 1 Samuel, chapters 1 and 2. Samuel, as we soon will discover, is a transition book in the Old Testament as the Jews reject God as their King in asking for an earthly ruler much as other nations.

In
Dr Constable's Introduction to his notes,
we are directed to a page of

MP3 Audio Bible Study Lessons
which Constable delivered to a Sunday school class


he teaches. Included are lessons on


1 Samuel

and


2 Samuel.


I just listened to the first presentation in the 1 Samuel Sunday School series and see why his seminary students consider him to be a topnotch instructor.


It is also gracious of him, along with Chuck Smith, to make so much high quality material available free for the download.

Dr Constable's Bible Study Notes

I was having a difficult time in relating Judges 17-21 (Friday's Bible reading) to the whole scheme of things.

So I first turned to
Pastor Chuck's Library

and found a Chuck Smith sermon on those 5 chapters from Judges .
I supplemented this with
Dr. Constable's Bible Study Notes and Commentary.

this latter resource, introduced to us by an assistant pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria who studied under Constable, come from DR Thomas L. Constable of the Dallas Theological Seminary. Written over a 25-year period, they provide commentary on all 66 books of the Bible, and contain
about 7,000 pages of material.
"Dr. Constable's Notes, also known as expository notes to Dr. Constable's seminary students, are intended
to help you to better understand the Bible.
This online version of Dr. Constable's Notes is available for anyone with Internet
access. The latest editions of all 66 books, accessed below on links to the Notes'
.pdf files, can be used for reading, studying, writing papers, quoting, teaching
a class or Bible study, etc."
For those seeking to do further research, these offer plenty of bibliographic references to boot. I am guessing that many a minister has used these in putting together a Sunday sermon.
.

Weekly Bible Readings Updated

Bruce Smith has now updated
Bruce’s Chronological Bible Project
for the week of March 22 through 28.
My guess as where to begin the week was on target. Today, Wednesday, we switch to Ruth chapters 1 to 4 before returning to Judges 13 on Thursday.

Readings for the Week and a Bible Overview Series from FBC Huntsville

No reading plan yet posted in
Bruce’s Chronological Bible Project
for this week.

Therefore, what I have decided to do is use an old rule thumb I heard 25 or so years back. To read the Bible in a year, read 3 chapters a day, 5 on Sunday -- 23 chapters in a week.
So far, this week I have done 9 chapters beginning with Judges 4 and going through Judges 12.

A reminder note that
Pastor Chuck's Library
offers several hundred full pulpit presentations discussing the Bible beginning at Genesis and running through Revelation.


Looking for something a bit shorter!
Another source of sermons covering the Bible books from the beginning to the end comes from

First Baptist Church Huntsville, Alabama in their
Foundations
Bible 101

series from late 2005 and early 2006.
In 21 sermons, beginning with "The Creation and the Flood" through the Book of Revelation, the listener is given an overview of the Bible.
"

Calvinism: One of Ten Ideas Changing the World Right NowIn its recent piece

In its recent piece
What's Next - 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now - TIME
Time, the Weekly News Magazine,
lists Calvinism as number 3.

This link
3. The New Calvinism - 10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now - TIME

will take you to the page of specific interest.

The mention is likely spurred by Rick Warren's inclusion at President Obama's inauguration. Note also that July 10th will mark John Calvin's 500th birthday which should shed yet more spotlighting of Calvinism specificly and Christianity in general.

KWVE Streams Many Calvary Chapel Ministries

This entry
K-Wave, SoCal
from
http--allthingchristianhere.blogspot.com-

reminds us of a source of programming from various Calvary Chapel ministries.

Click this link
K-WAVE 107.9 FM
for the station's lineup.

I have this link

KWVE mp3 Listen Link

bookmarked for the audio stream.

Christ Among other Gods on "Running To Win" with Irwin W. Lutzer

Watch Oprah or some other contemporary tv talk fest and, sooner or later, some guest or host will remark that all roads lead to God or that all religious belief systems are equal. The host gushes in approval, and the audience claps its support at this seeming enlightened approach to things. Only one problem, of course, is that we, as Christians, knows that all the other roads lead to nowhere despite man's desires to the contrary regardless what any of us wish to believe in our pluralistic society.

Into this background steps in Irwin Lutzer, longtime pastor of Moody Church in Chicago, with his latest

Running to Win - Long Version

series "Christ among other gods" showing us that Christ is supreme.

The series consists of 8 messages broadcast over 16 shows with the first broadcast airing on Friday, March 13 running through Friday, April 3.
\The show airs on hundreds of radio stations including the Moody family of owned and affiliated stations most of which stream their programming via the internet.


To subscribe to Running To Win via podcast, enter this url into your favorite podcatcher program:

http://podcast.oneplace.com/Running_To_Win_Long_Version/3047370.xml


The last 7 broadcasts can be obtained through the feed.


A more extensive archive can be found at this link:

Running to Win - Long Version (Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer) - Broadcast Archives

The series is based on Lutzer's 1994 book of the same title published by Moody Press, Chicago.

How Do I Know I'm Saved?

An issue I wrestle with on an ongoing basis is
How Can I Really Know I'm Saved.

Why, You might ask? Well, I don't wish to be mistaken given the consequences if I was wrong.

Thus , when I come across a sermon by such a title, as I did in the
Sermons OnLine Library


of
OcalaFirst Church of the Nazarene
in Florida, I pay attention.

Preached on Sunday March 8 by Senior Pastor Barry Dunlap, the sermon uses Hebrews 10 beginning at Verse 19 as its text.

There are 4 key points extensively elaborated on in the presentation which serves as a guideline to knowing that one is saved:

(1) I have a bold confidence to enter into God's presence.
Note the term confidence, not arrogance.
My confidence is in the Blood of Jesus Christ.

(2) I have boldness to confess Christ.
I confess that he is my risen Saviour and Lord.

(3) I genuinely Love God's people and
The love for God's people transcends everything else.

(4) I am homesick for a place I have never ben to namely heaven.

Signs of Christ's Return as in the Days of Noah

In this blog entry,

Thoughts From Pastor Lloyd Pulley Signs of Christ's Return - As in the Days of Noah

this New Jersey pastor references a Chuck Smith article on the above topic.

This will not provide any new insights to the well-read Bible student, but does serve for a nice intro and summary for those that have never considered this to be the case.
While every generation seems to believe that it may be in the "last days," (and, of course, to this point have been proven to be in error), it is hard to dismiss the suggestion given current world conditions and our responses to them.

Isaiah Now the Focus of Chuck Smith's "The Word For Today"

Chuck Smith's
The Word For Today
this week moved into the book of Isaiah. The first date of Isaiah is Monday, March 16 with an introduction into the Old Testament's longest book of prophecy.
To subscribe to the daily podcasts, either click on the podcast button on the site's main page, or enter the following into your podcatcher:


http://podcast.twft.com/daily/

The latest 25 shows can be retrieved via the podcast feed.

Science and Science Fiction, A Threat to Christianity?

James Herrick, a Communications professor at Hope College, Holland, MI, is the author of
Scientific Mythologies: How Science and Science Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs
He was a guest earlier today on AFR's "Family Issues Today" program during the program's first hour.
To listen to Sherry Black and Ray Pritchard interview Herrick, click on
Todays Radio for Life - American Family Radio
and look for the broadcast date 03/18/09.

Frankly, this is something that never had occurred to me but could quite obviously very easily undermine one's beliefs without even being conscious of it.

Perhaps it is a good thing that science fiction has seldom attracted my interest.


The book is published by Intervarsity Press (2008) and is available through numerous sources including Amazon.com and Booksamillion. Club price at the latter is $15.63 while Amazon shows it for a penny more, $15.64.

James MacDonald Personal Update

Here's the latest from the

Straight Up » Blog Archive » A Personal Update
from James MacDonaldd.

Glad he's back home in suburban Chicago and things will be returning to normal at Harvest Chapel.

In the "Always True" series of "Walk In the Word," Promise 2 "God is in Control" appears to have been concluded with today's broadcast. The highlighted verse is Proverbs 3:5-6 which reads:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. [
(niv).

Podcast subscription address:

http://www.walkintheword.com/podcast.xml

The latest 5 shows are available in this way.


I have been pleasantly surprised by the series as I had not expected it to be as interesting as it has been -- especially when compared to the series concluded last week on David.

You can, of course, reach the ministry's website at

www.walkintheword.com.

The Case for the PreTrib Rapture, Turning Point with David Jeremiah

The focus of Monday (March 16) and Tuesday (March 17) "Turning Point" with David Jeremiah is the case for the pretribulation Rapture of the Church prior to the rise of the AntiChrist.
A major lynchpin of the argument is based on Revelations 3:10 which states:



Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the
hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on
the earth.



Interestingly, chapters 4 through 19 of Revelations no longer mentions the Church strongly enhancing this argument. Jeremiah also notes that God, in the Bible, has taken His people out of harms way -- Lot and Rahab (mentioned in this week's Bible reading in Joshua) are noted as examples.

The broadcasts can be found here.

Turning Point (Dr. David Jeremiah) - Broadcast Archives

One of the arguments against pretrib is the belief that it is a relatively modern concept only dating back to 1830 or so.
The following blog article, from Dr Thomas Ice, attempts to disspell this belief.

A Brief History Of The

Rapture ~ Bible Prophecy Today

When The Stock Market Falls -- A Reminder and Wake Up Call

When browsing at the latest offerings from Sermonaudio.com
http://www.sermonaudio.com,
one of the titles,
When The Stock Market Falls!
grabbed my attention. Preached by Dr Ralph Sexton, Jr. of Trinity Baptist Church, Asheville, NC, at the Bristol Tent meeting, it reminds us of a theme prevalent in much of the Old Testament: God is a jealous God who demands homage and respect. When we fail to acknowledge this, he takes great pain in reminding us of this.

This is very much a fire and brimstone sermon.

Paste this link into Real Player, Windows Media Player,
or Winamp to listen directly:

http://mp3.sa-media.com/filearea/121108125901/121108125901.mp3

Bible Readings for the Week and a Supplementary Commentary Resource

This week's reading that are a part of
Bruce’s Chronological Bible Project
weekly reading plan are now posted.

We will be finishing up Joshua and ending the week by beginning in Judges.

For those seeking supplementary material to augment the reading, I stumbled upon an excellent resource last week in
Pastor Chuck's Library



which are the full unedited pulpit presentations prior to their being edited down into the 25 minute daily broadcasts of "The Word for Today".

Three sermons are available for Joshua, as an example.

Dr. Ben Johnston -- Finding Purpose through Mystery

Chuck Smith on "The Word for Today" has extensively preached on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes over the last couple of months. These two Old Testament books, penned by Solomon at the behest of God, are as relevant today as they were to the people of Israel at that
time.

Ben Johnston in last Sunday's sermon at
Grace Presbyterian Church of Peoria, IL
entitled
Finding Purpose Through Mystery
explored the notion of living a balanced life -- something at times I find difficult to do.
Two of his favorite verses, Proverbs 3:5-6, ties in nicely with this:

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. [

Pritchard Podcast Series Looks at The End Time

Ray Pritchard of
Keep Believing Ministries

has preached thousands of sermons in his 3 decades plus of ministry. He now makes available a weekly podcast allowing all of us to enjoy and benefit from his unique preaching style.

His 2 latest examine one of the hottest pulpit topics at the moment.

Countdown To Armageddon
Many people wonder if we are living in the Last Days. In this message from Matthew
24, Ray Pritchard discusses six signs of the Second Coming of Christ.


Showdown in Jerusalem: The Rise and Fall of the Antichrist
Someday soon the world will witness the rise of a charismatic leader the Bible calls
the Antichrist. Millions will be deceived into following him. He will be suddenly
destroyed when Jesus Christ returns to the earth.
Should We Be Worried?

You will find links to both on Keep Believing's front page

You can also subscribe to the Keep Believing podcasts using iTunes by following the instructions at this link.

Subscribe to the KBM iTunes podcast Feed

Election Q&A with John MacArthur

Following my listening to the 3 "Grace to You" shows on election mentioned in an earlier post, I did some exploring of
the
Grace To You
website.
In doing so, I stumbled upon
John MacArthur's Questions and Answers - Subject Area E
which includes some q&a on this topic
Here are some of the issues addressed.
.

\
What does the Bible teach about election?

Why didn't God choose everybody to be saved?
I wanted your opinion on a specific doctrine that you hear both teachings. You hear
the free-will doctrine verses the election doctrine as far as salvation is concerned.
And, I wanted your thoughts on that.
The Bible speaks of vessels of mercy and vessels of destruction, which God specifically
made for His purpose (Romans 9:21-23). Does that mean people like Judas were made
by God for destruction?
In the passage 2 Peter 3, “God is not willing that any should perish, but all should
come to repentance.” The problem that I have is that Ephesians 1:4 talks about the
fact that we are chosen before the foundation of the world; Matthew 7:12-14 also
talks about the fact that many will enter that place and a few ones will be with
Jesus. The question is that was brought to me was, “What kind of a God is a God that
chooses people before the foundation of the world, and at the same time wishes that
no should perish and only brings a few with Him?” It is confusing.
There are some who teach that God loves only His elect and hates the non-elect. Please
comment.
If God chooses some people and not others, then, how does that not eliminate human
responsibility? Also, Why does God pass over some and not elect them?



In Total, there are 11 questions and answers on this topic.

Ray Pritchard -- Radio EveryDay Next Week (March 16-20)

Dr Ray Pritchard of Keep Believing Ministries
http://www.keepbelieving.com
will be co-hosting American Family Radio's (AFR) "Today's Issues" every day next week (monday March 16 through Friday March 20). The show airs from 11 AM to 1 pm Eastern (10 to noon Central).

More details at this link on Pastor Ray's blog

Ray Pritchard » Radio Every Day Next Week » March 13, 2009

A quick way to listen online is to click



afr streams

and then selecting

AFR - Talk

AntiChrist Profiled on "Turning Point" by David Jeremiah

I'm not looking for the AntiChrist; I'm looking for the Christ.

--David Jeremiah


Having said this, the curiosity and fascination over the AntiChrist that is to dominate the Earth just prior to the final return of Christ to commence his earthly kingdom is great among many people.
beginning with the broadcast of Tuesday, March 10, David Jeremiah (Turning Point) examines the rise of the AntiChrist, who he is, and what he will be all about.
The culmination, of course, is his being thrown into the Lake of Fire, along with Satan, as the reign of Christ begins on Earth.

Part of his "handwriting on the Wall" series analyzing the Book of Daniel, Jeremiah explores this topic in great detail.
While there appears to be no podcasts subscription available, there are audio archives that can be listened to here:

Turning Point (Dr. David Jeremiah) - Broadcast Archives
"

Turning Point" over the last couple of years has become a "must listen" for me. The show airs on literally hundreds of stations, and, if you go to

DavidJeremiah

and fill in a zip code in the appropriate edit box, you will immediately see a listing of stations and air times for that area. Real handy when traveling and a pc isn't available.

John MacArthur (Grace To You) discusses Predestination

There is something that has always bothered me concerning the concept of predestination. Perhaps it is the notion that this doesn't give me control which, of course, flies in the face of what we like to believe and is the mantra of modern society. Of course, anyone who even cassually observes the financial markets knows this to be the case.
And, living in the U.S., we like to believe in the concept of choice

Of course, even the occasional Bible reader or church goer knows that God selected the Israelites as his chosen people. So why then should predestination .
be all that surprising when it comes to being chosen to be saved?

John MacArthur in his Wednesday broadcast of
Grace To You

began tackling this issue.
Click on
Radio Broadcast
to here this as well as other Grace to You broadcasts. The 2nd part runs today.

Also, you can subscribe to the daily podcast at
Subscribe to the podcast by adding this url to your podcatching program:

http://podcast.oneplace.com/gt/3020495.xml

Shadow Mountain Services Archives Link

Shadow Mountain Service Archives
have been updated at Shadow Mountain to include last weekend's third in the series sermon on Job. Note that this is a 13 part series so bookmark the page accordingly for future reference.

New Series from James MacDonald and Chuck Smith Begin Today

Two new radio series begin today.

Walk in the Word with Dr. James MacDonald Igniting Passion in the People of God through the Proclamation of Truth

http://www.walkintheword.com/
presents the opening part of "Always True: 5 Great and Precious Promises of God."
The first of these,
"God Is Always with me" begins today with part 1.

The easiest way to listen is via the ministry podcast. Add this link to your podcatcher

http://www.walkintheword.com/podcast.xml

and the broadcasts will be on your pc early each weekday morning.


Of course, hundreds of radio stations carry "Walk in the Word," and many of these stream via the internet.


Secondly,
Chuck Smith of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa
The Word For Today
moves on to "The Song of Solomon" in his ongoing review of the books of the Bible.
Click on the podcast link to subscribe with iTunes, or paste the following into your podcatcher:

http://podcast.twft.com/daily/


You can grab today's (March 11) broadcast here
The Word for Today chuck smith

Romans 8:28 -- Everything For a Reason

Romans 8:28 (niv) reads as follows:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.


The NLT puts it this way:



And we know that God causes everything to work together
for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

The Amplified Bible places the text in the context that I have come to understand it:

We are assured and know that
God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into
a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His]
design and purpose.

The problem for us is to understand how all the seeming random events of our lives might play into that plan for our lives and those impacted by them. I have come to believe that what occurs and what we do -- and how they play out -- is for a reason which, all too often, we either are unable to discern or fail to follow through on.

God, give me the insight I need to understand and act upon what you wish me to do in my life to further your kingdom first and foremost.

Scriptural quotes taken from
BibleGateway.com A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50 languages

China Finds Religion!!

Here's a scary thought. Could Christians, in the political arena, be more welcomed in China than in 21st century America?
Take a look at this entry from Ray Pritchard
Ray Pritchard » China’s Communists Get Religion » March 9, 2009
along with its supplementary material for a wake up call.
Perhaps it is our political system's lack of acknowledging the supremacy of God in our world that is at the root of the issues facing our crumbling economy and seeming failing infrastructure!

Bible Readings: March 8 through 14

Here are the
Bruce's Chronological Bible
Reading Project
readings for the week of March 8. As can be seen, I
Have some catching up to do as these have just been posted. Sunday and Monday require reading Deuteronomy 15 through 22.

By Week's end, we will be in Joshua.

Turn to "The Ancient of Days" in These Troubled Times

From today's "Turning Point" daily email devotional:



One phrase, used three times in Daniel 7, best captures the prominence of God--His
place in the spiritual "pecking order." In a vision, Daniel saw God take His place
on the throne of heaven, calling Him "the Ancient of Days" (Daniel 7:9, 13, 22).
That phrase is used nowhere else in Scripture, and appropriately so. "Ancient of
Days" refers to God's eternal nature--and calls up ideas of wisdom, trust, leadership,
dependability, and consistency. And picturing "the Ancient of Days" on His throne
suggests authority, power, and control.
When the world (your world) seems to careen out of control, turn to the Ancient of
Days to find the wisdom, strength, and authority you seek.
All the world's thrones are occupied by rulers under God's authority.
John Blanchard

Reading the above: No wonder today's seeming godless politicians and financial magnates cannot get a handle on things and get it right. Without following God's mandates, they are both clueless and without hope of fixing today's economic ailments.

Mark Cummins, pastor of the newly established Church of Hope in Ocala (fL) had this to say in a recent entry in his
InCourageU Blog


entitled


Listen past the blah, blah, blah


America's new administration is promising us to dig us out
of the financial hole the previous administration dug....really?
Listen past the blah, blah, blah to what they are saying..."dig us out of a hole"?
Really?
Dig us out of a hole?
Just as much as you do not "dig yourself out of a hole
" you do not spend your way out of debt! If you want to experience true economic
reform - if you want to comeback financially - STOP spending money you don't have!
From your house to the White House -
STOP IT! You can't spend your way towards fiscal health - you must:
1. Make a budget
2. Pay off your credit cards
3. Create a "oh-no" fund (rainy day stash)
4. Save for what you need and want....and buy it when you have the cash!


Amen, Mark Cummins, John Blanchard, and David Jeremiah.

A Visitor's Impressions of Shadow Mountain Community Church

Found this impression from a recent visitor to Dr Jeremiah's Church. Very impressive to say the least.
Mike's Site Dr. Jeremiah..

David Jeremiah Preaches on the Book of Job, Chapter 3, this evening and Sunday Morning

One of the treats of the internet is being able to listen or watch church services from literally all over the globe and from many well known speakers. One of these is David Jeremiah whose "Turning Point" show is listened to by perhaps millions daily. Jeremiah is, of course, pastor of
Shadow Mountain Community Church in suburban San Diego with the church website being

http://www.shadowmountain.org

Jeremiah, this weekend, preaches the 3rd in a series of 13 sermons on the book of Job, the earliest written book in the Bible.

Quoting Jeremiah from his weekly email:

"As we continue our study this weekend, we come to the third
chapter of the book of Job, which contains the most detailed
picture of depression found in all of the Bible. Job chapter
three records one of the Bible's longest uninterrupted speeches,
and it is the wail and cry of a man who has hit bottom. Job is
not in a recession! He is in depression!
There are many ideas floating around the evangelical church
about the nature of depression. Some actually teach and preach
that any kind of depression is the result of sin. (Actually, I
read in USA Today this morning that some types of depression are
caused by second-hand smoke!) Is it possible for a godly man or a
godly woman to experience depression and still be in God's favor?
Job Chapter three, once and for all, answers that question.
Our weekend services begin on Saturday night with "Live at
Five," and continue on Sunday morning at 9 and 10:45."


Those times are Pacific which is 3 hours earlier than Eastern. So, you can watch this evening's Saturday service from the church's website beginning at 8 pm.

The direct audio link for the services, which can be plugged into a program such as Replay AV for automatic recording for listening at your later convenience, is

http://shadowmountain.org/LiveServices.asp?mid=88&id=7195

Services run anywhere from an hour 20 minutes to an hour 40 minutes.


Archives of past services can also be found on the website.

One Year Bible Reading Plan

Welcome to the first post at The Christ Spot where I hope to share and learn of new resources to expand our collective walks with Jesus Christ.

To begin this sharing, I this year, for the first time, am attempting to read through the Bible in a year using the guideline presented in Bruce's Chronological Bible Project blog


Bruce’s Chronological Bible Project

For today, Saturday, March 7, suggested readings are
Deuteronomy 12-14

which can be easily found at BibleGateway.com


BibleGateway.com A searchable online Bible in over 100 versions and 50
languages.

What I especially appreciate about Bible Gateway is that it allows one to read the scriptures in any of a number of versions and translations making for comparisons especially fast and easy.

So enjoy and I hope this may prove of value.