Praying Through the Bible #38 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Job 21:15: "What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?"

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 37 messages in this series.

This is message #38 titled "Is There Profit in Prayer?"

Today, as we return to the book of Job, we come across a question that I am sure many people have asked. Job asks this question in the midst of a discussion about the seeming prosperity of those who do not serve God. These wicked people ask, 'Who is God that we should serve him? Why should we pray to him? Is there even any profit in prayer?'

If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that at times, some of us have wondered the same thing: Why should I keep praying? What good is there in spending this time in prayer? The devil will sometimes come to us as we pray, and remind us of all of the things we could be doing instead of praying. And, if our prayers are not getting answered as fast as we want them to be answered, we are tempted to throw up our hands and say, 'What's the use?'

So, taking this question from the book of Job, I want to give you tonight three reasons why prayer is profitable. …

  Harvard professor and historian Jill Lepore says that ‘a whole history of life can be written by studying the games of life.’ Following this idea, she wrote a book titled, “The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death.” In the book, she tells the story of a man named Milton Bradley who [...]…

Harvard professor and historian Jill Lepore says that 'a whole history of life can be written by studying the games of life.' Following this idea, she wrote a book titled, "The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death." In the book, she tells the story of a man named Milton Bradley who created a game in the 1860s called "The Checkered Game of Life." The game board had checkered squares on it which named life experiences that people could go through. There were good experiences such as perseverance, wealth, marriage, and happiness. And there were bad experiences such as crime, disgrace, suicide, and prison. The goal of the game was to get to the furthest square marked as "Happy Old Age."

Even though Milton Bradley said he came up with his game from scratch, there were actually multiple forms of this game which had already been made. The first game of this type was called "The Human Game of Life" which was published in 1790. The goal of this game was to reach death and then immortality. The goal of another game called "the Mansion of Bliss", which was published in 1800, was to get to salvation in much the same way. "The Mansion of Happiness", which was published in 1843, used a heavenly mansion as the goal of the game of life.

More modern versions of this game changed the goal of life to be something entirely different. Hasbro's edition of the game made becoming as rich as possible the goal of the game of life. And in the 2007 version of the game, called "Twists & Turns", the purpose is to experience as much of life as you possibly can. There really is no end or final destination in this particular version of the game. It is all about seeking thrills.

So, which game is right about the game of life? Are the earliest versions of the game correct, with salvation, immortality, and heavenly mansions as the goal of the game of life? Is Milton Bradley correct, with "happy old age" being the goal of the game of life? Or are the most recent versions of the game correct, with riches and experiencing the thrills that life has to offer being the goal of the game of life?

+ Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing "Lifesong"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #119

TEXT: Proverbs 6:6-11 / Hebrews 9:27

This week, those of us here in North Texas experienced a major storm: rain, thunder and golf-ball sized hail. Just a few miles from where I live, a tornado touched down. Six people were killed, over 100 were injured, and hundreds of homes were destroyed. I know that sometimes we seem to think that such tragedies will never happen to us. These kinds of events always seems to happen somewhere else, but God often reminds us that we are not special. It is only by His grace and mercy that we are still alive.

We all know that long before disaster strikes, we ought to be prepared. If you live in an area prone to tornadoes, then you ought to have a tornado shelter, and a plan for getting into it quickly. If you live in an area prone to flooding, then you may want your house to be built on stilts. If you live in an earthquake prone area, then you ought to know what to do when an earthquake strikes.

The Bible uses the example of the ant to show us how we must be prepared for future situations in life. The ant is a tiny but remarkable creature known for its foresight and industriousness. One commentary writes that "The agricultural ant, which resembles the ant of Palestine, not only stores up food, but even prepares the soil, kills the weeds, and finally reaps the harvest." What is even more remarkable is that thousands of these tiny workers perform together in perfect harmony without a leader. The Bible uses the ant to help us to understand that we, too, need to be prepared for the situations that we will face in life. Proverbs specifically calls the sluggard, or lazy person who likes to sleep late, to get up and get to work or else he won't have food to eat or a place to stay. The lesson we learn from the ant is that preparation is crucial in life. And there are some very important things that we would be wise to prepare for, and I want to talk about those things very briefly today.

1. We must prepare for death because death is coming. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27, "It is appointed unto men once to die." As we here in North Texas were reminded this week, and as people around the world are reminded every day, death is an ever present reality. People drive away from their houses every morning not knowing that that is going to be the last time they ever see that house. Parents drop their children off at school everyday, not knowing that that is going to be the last time they see their child alive. People go to sleep every night not knowing that that is going to be the last time they ever open their eyes on this world. Right now, people are out living their lives and they have no idea that they are going to be surprised by death.

2. We must prepare because judgment is coming. Hebrews 9:27 goes on to say, "It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment." Yes, each of us will face judgment from God. The Bible tells us that there will be two judgments -- one for believers in Jesus Christ, and one for those who do not believe in Jesus Christ.

3. We must prepare because eternity is coming. Just as the ant prepares for the long, cold winter by storing up food, we must prepare for eternity. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 25:46, "These [the wicked] shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Eternity is the everlasting state that our souls enter after death. John Tillotson said, "He who provides for this life, but takes no care for eternity, is wise for a moment, but a fool forever." We must prepare for eternity.

+ Plus, listen to Paul S. Morton as he sings "Nothing But the Blood" and Shirley Caesar singing "Yes, Lord, Yes".…

He is best known for his hit rap songs "U Can't Touch This" and "2 Legit 2 Quit". He is the first artist to gain diamond status for an album and has sold 50 million records throughout his lifetime. He is remembered for a rapid rise to fame, flashy dance moves, choreography, and his trademark parachute pants. His superstar status and entertaining showmanship made him a household name and hip-hop icon in the 1980s and 1990s. He was also a TV producer, television show co-host, and is the head of his own music management firm. A self-described "super-geek", he is currently either investing in or consulting for eight technology companies. He was one of the first celebrities to embrace social media and spends 10-12 hours daily working on his technology projects.

He grew up in a Pentecostal church, however, he admits that he strayed from the faith during the years of his success. Even during this period of backsliding though, he promised to dedicate one song to God on each of his albums, and one of his most popular singles was the song "Pray." However, it took a bankruptcy, a fall from favor in the music industry, and what he calls a bout of "official backsliding" to turn him back to the church, Jesus Christ, and a commitment to preach. He has since been ordained in the Church of God in Christ, preferring smaller pulpits "where they don't expect to see someone famous."

He says, "I am honored that Jesus has taken a wretch like me and said I got some work for you to do." Today, he devotes his time to prison and youth ministries. His name is Stanley Kirk Burrell, but he is better known as M.C. Hammer, and he now says that "M.C." stands for "Man of Christ."…

Praying Through the Bible #37 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Job 16:15-22

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 36 messages in this series.

This is message #37 titled "When It Seems as Though All is Lost, You Can Always Look to God"

On last week, we looked at the topic of prayer from a passage in the book of Job, particularly from the words of Bildad, one of Job's friends who had come to comfort him in his time of despair. As you might recall, the Bible tells us that Job was "the greatest of the men of the east." He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large household, consisting of seven sons, three daughters, and multiple servants. He was also "blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil." However, because the devil wanted to cause Job to turn his back on God, God allowed the devil to test Job by causing all of Job's material possessions to be taken from him or destroyed. His ten children also lost their lives, and Job was struck with a severe disease. God had allowed the devil to take everything away from Job except his own life.

After this calamity, three of Job's friends came by to mourn with him and counsel him regarding what he should do. And these three friends are infamous for not being very comforting at all. In fact, in the first verse of chapter 16 which contains our passage for today, Job tells his friends, "miserable comforters are ye all."

Now, as I mentioned last week, I am aware that there is some debate in the theological community over whether or not we should preach doctrine from the book of Job. But, as long as these words line up with Scripture and teaching found elsewhere in the Bible, I believe it is alright. And that is what we will do again today.

In this passage, Job is speaking in response to one of his friends, Eliphaz. Eliphaz was the friend who took it upon himself to defend God's justness in allowing such a disaster to fall on Job, and he believed that Job's suffering was a result of Job sinning. In this passage, as Job is struggling to understand the difficulties that have befallen him and is defending himself against the accusations of Eliphaz, he shows us where we should look to in our own times of trouble and distress, when it seems as though all is lost. Let's go through this passage, and see how we can identify with Job, and learn from his experience.…

TEXT: Revelation 2:18-29

Today, we come to the fourth sermon in our series on the messages that Christ gave the church for the end times. This letter was written to the church at Thyatira. Thyatira was founded as a military outpost by one of the generals of Alexander the Great. The city had no natural fortifications. It was a rather small city compared to others in Asia Minor; so small in fact that one scholar remarked that "the longest letter to the churches is addressed to the least significant city."

Because of its location along trade routes, Thyatira became a prosperous commercial center. Archaeological inscriptions reveal that there were numerous trade guilds; these were organized unions of weavers, tanners, cobblers, bronze and pottery workers. Thyatira's most well-known Christian convert was Lydia who is mentioned in Acts 16, a merchant who exported clothing colored with Thyatira's unique purple dye.

Despite its seemingly insignificant location, the church at Thyatira had several good things going for it as we see from Jesus' first words to this church.

1. First, notice Christ's commendation of this church. As he does in the other letters, Jesus Christ opens this letters by commending the church for what they are doing well. He says, "I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first."

2. Notice Christ's correction of this church. Jesus Christ says that the church at Thyatira, "sufferest (or allowed) that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols."

3. Notice Christ's confrontation of this church. In verses 21 and 22 of our passage, Jesus Christ says, "I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds."…

  This past week, America witnessed the wonderful deliverance of three women who had been kidnapped and imprisoned in the home of their captor in Ohio for ten years. These women were re-united with their families and friends who had prayed and hoped — and even some who had given up hope — that they [...]…

TEXT: Ephesians 6:1-3

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #118

Let's turn our attention to the good mothers that we want to celebrate today. Mothers are powerful tools in God's hands when it comes to the shaping of the lives of children. Billy Sunday said, "There is more power in a mother's hand than in a king's scepter." Now, when we all think of mothers and celebrating Mother's Day, we often have one image in our minds. However, there are three types of mothers that I want to talk about today, and we will see how God uses each of these "mothers" in a special and unique way for the glory of God and for the benefit of children.

1. First of all, we thank God for naturally loving and affectionate mothers. When we think of this type of mother, we think of the Proverbs 31 woman. A woman who makes sure that the home is a comfortable, loving place -- a place where her children and her husband look forward to coming back to after a long day at school or at work.

2. Secondly, we thank God for "mothers" who do not have to be mothers, but choose to be mothers. Oftentimes, there are women in our lives who become a mother figure to us and offer the wisdom and advice that they have gained from years of living even when they do not have to.

3. Thirdly, we thank God for fathers who have had to take on the role of a mother. Now, in the black community, we hear a lot about mothers who have to carry the load of the father and the mother because the husband has died, or he is in jail, or he has left the family, or he was never with the family to begin with. But, we hardly hear of the many fathers who have had to carry the role of both the mother and the father.

For those of you who are about to begin your journey of motherhood, or you are in the early stages of motherhood, allow me to leave you with these words from English minister and professor Charles Kingsley: "Let a woman never be persuaded to forget that her calling is not the lower and more earthly one of self-assertion, but the higher and more divine calling of self-sacrifice." Yes, there will be sacrifices that you will have to make and difficulties that you will have to overcome, but the Bible promises that you will have your reward as well: "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. And a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."

+ Plus, listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing "High and Lifted Up" and Nicole C. Mullen singing "My Redeemer Lives"…

TEXT: Ephesians 6:1-3

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #118

The Bible commands us to honor our fathers and our mothers. And, today, on this Mother's Day, we are going to honor those whom God has placed in our lives as mothers. Some of the greatest leaders this world has ever known attributed their success to the prayers and loving care of their mothers.

Abraham Lincoln said, "I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life."

Charles Spurgeon said, "I cannot tell you how much I owe to the solemn word of my good mother."

George Washington said, "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

Today, we want to honor and thank God for those good mothers in our lives, but before we get to that, I want to talk briefly about bad mothers. Part of the problem in many churches today is that pastors feel as though it alright for them to rebuke fathers and husbands from the pulpit, and it is okay to get on the children and teenagers from the pulpit, but nobody wants to rebuke the wives and mothers from the pulpit. Everybody is afraid of stepping on the women's toes. The church has bought in to the world's lie that, "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." But the truth of the matter is that there are some bad wives and mothers in this world and yes even in the church, and it is an issue that needs to be dealt with.

1. We have some bad mothers who simply have not been trained in what it means to be a good mother.

2. We have some bad mothers who are so busy seeking their destiny in life that they ignore their children until it is too late to do anything about it.

3. We have some bad mothers who tear down their family's no matter what the father does or what the children hope for the family to be.

4. We have some bad mothers who are the controlling type.

5. We have some bad single mothers who will put the interests of their boyfriend over the interests of their children.

God deliver us from bad mothers! God deliver us from mothers who tear down their families! God deliver us from mothers who neglect and ruin their children's lives!

+ Plus, listen to the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir singing "High and Lifted Up" and Nicole C. Mullen singing "My Redeemer Lives"…

This past week, America witnessed the wonderful deliverance of three women who had been kidnapped and imprisoned in the home of their captor in Ohio for ten years. These women were re-united with their families and friends who had prayed and hoped -- and even some who had given up hope -- that they were still alive somewhere and that they would one day return home.

Those families and that entire community are relieved that an evil situation that lurked right underneath their noses for so long is finally gone. And the kidnappers who perpetrated this evil will finally face justice. "Justice" is an act of reparation where someone is fairly punished for what he has done wrong.

Throughout our lives, each of us has faced acts of justice because of our wrongdoings: a parent chastising us for disobedience, a teacher sending us to detention for not being cooperative in the classroom, and as we got older, law enforcement having to give us a ticket for driving faster than what the law says we are supposed to drive on the highway. This administration of justice is what keeps our society running in a harmonious manner.

There is one other very important matter where justice must be administered as well. And that is in the area of our personal relationship with God. The Bible tells us that God is a just God. Deuteronomy 32:4 says, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Because of our sins, we each must face justice from God.

From the beginning of the Bible to the end, the penalty (or judgment) for sin is physical death and eternal punishment in a place of fire and torment called Hell. God warned the first man, Adam, of the consequences of breaking his laws. He said, "for in the day that thou eatest [the forbidden fruit] thou shalt surely die." During the thousands of years that followed, God repeatedly made the consequences of sin and disobedience clear. In Romans 1:32, he said, "they which commit such [sins] are worthy of death." Death is the judgment for sin. It is the way justice is administered.

Because God is perfect and holy, his justice must be served, and sinners have to pay the consequences for their sins. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." And Ezekiel 18:20 says, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."

However, because God loves us, he did not want to leave us in our sinfulness, waiting our entire lives to be punished by death and then to go to suffer in Hell. So, he decided to do something about it.

+ Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "Mighty to Save"…

She is a singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She rose to fame in the early 2000s as a member of the R&B girl group Destiny's Child with Beyonce and Kelly Rowland. Her work in the music industry has earned her a Grammy Award as well as nominations for a Stellar Award and an NAACP Theatre Award. Along with chart-topping music with Destiny's Child, she released her debut solo album "Heart to Yours" which topped Gospel charts in 2002. In 2004, she released her second Gospel album "Do You Know", and in 2008, she released her first solo pop album, "Unexpected." Along with her music, she has found success as an actress. Her acting roles include: Aida, The Colour Purple, and What My Husband Doesn't Know, among others.

Raised in a "loving, stable" household in Illinois, she made her musical debut at the age of seven, performing a rendition of the hymn "Blessed Assurance" at the St. Paul Church of God in Christ, of which she is still a member.

In an interview, she said of her faith in Jesus Christ, "[For some people it's easy to get caught up in the fame], but to me, it’s easier not to because of my background and my foundation of where I grew up. I don’t forget the teachings that I’ve had, and I keep my Bible with me. I read my Bible every day, and I’m constantly in prayer. And I listen to gospel music, so that’s what’s keeping me focused and grounded." She went on to say, "[Despite some criticism that I have received for doing both secular and Gospel music,] I believe that I am doing my part to be a witness for Jesus Christ. Some people will do gospel when their career fails, but I chose to do it at the height of the popularity of Destiny's Child. And I didn't want to do it because it was a fad. I wanted to do it because it's in me. It's in my heart. God places people in different parts (areas) for different reasons. We know Jesus is coming back soon and I am doing my part to make sure that people know about him as well." Her name is Michelle Williams.…

Praying Through the Bible #36 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Job 8:1-7

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 35 messages in this series.

This is message #36 titled "If You Can Pray, You Have Hope"

Many of you are familiar with the story of Job in the Old Testament. Job lived in Edom, an area to the south and east of the Dead Sea. The Bible tells us that Job was "the greatest of the men of the east." He had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large household, consisting of seven sons, three daughters, and multiple servants. He was also "blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil."

Because the devil wanted to cause Job to turn his back on God, God allowed the devil to test Job by causing all of Job's material possessions to be taken from him or destroyed. His ten children also lost their lives, and Job was struck with a severe disease. His wife was ready to thrown in the towel. She told Job to "curse God and die." God had allowed the devil to take everything away from Job except his own life.

After this calamity, three of Job's friends came by to mourn with him and counsel him regarding what he should do. These three friends are infamous for not being very comforting to Job at all. E-li-phaz defended God's justness in allowing such a disaster to fall on Job and said this suffering must have been a result of Job sinning. Bil-dad believed that Job's children must have sinned and said that sinners could only expect judgment from God. Zo-phar was the harshest of Job's friends. He said that Job deserved even more suffering than he was getting and that he needed to repent.

Now, I am aware that there is some debate in theological circles over whether or not we should use the words of Job's "miserable friends" to preach from as doctrine. But, as long as these words line up with Scripture and teaching found elsewhere in the Bible, I believe it is alright. And that is what we will do tonight.

While Job's three friends are wrong to have assumed that Job had sinned, much of what they said is correct, theologically speaking. However, it was advice given in the wrong spirit and in the wrong context. But we can read of Job's experience and the counsel of his friends and "eat the chicken and leave the bones" as they say.

Today, as we continue this series on prayer, we are going to focus on some of Bildad's words from verses 5, 6, and 7 of Job chapter 8. Bildad tells Job that, if his heart is right, and if he prays to God, God will hear him and will restore his blessings on him and make him prosperous again. Now, I doubt if any of us have suffered like Job suffered. The sufferings that Job experienced in one day, most of us will not even see in a lifetime. However, there probably have been times when we have felt like Job -- like all was lost, like there was no hope, as though we were at the end of our rope. It is at times like these that we can take Bildad's advice and remember the power of prayer -- because as long as we can pray, we can have hope no matter what situation we are in.…

  This past week Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae released the new music video for his song “Confessions of a Millionaire.” The powerful and insightful song talks about the tragedy of people who spend their time and money going after houses, riches, yachts, private jets, prestige, and power — all the things that money can buy. [...]…

TEXT: Revelation 2:12-17

Today, we are continuing our series on the messages that Christ gave the church for the end times. We have already looked at his message to the church at Ephesus and his message to the church at Smyrna. Now, we are going to look at Christ's message to the church at Per-ga-mos.

Pergamos was another major city in the Roman province of Asia, or what we call today Asia Minor. When it came to splendor, Smith's Bible Dictionary says that Pergamos ranked first among all the cities in Asia. The city was well-noted for its massive library that held over two hundred thousand books. It was also a major center of religious worship in the Roman empire. The city had temples dedicated to four Roman gods as well as a temple to the Roman Caesar.

What really set Pergamos apart was its temple to a deity known as As-cle-pi-os. As-cle-pi-os was the Roman god of healing and knowledge. At this temple, there was also a medical school. And because of the fame of this temple, sick people from all over the Roman empire flocked to Pergamos. William Barclay writes that "Sufferers were allowed to spend the night in the darkness of the temple. In the temple there were tame snakes. In the night the sufferer might be touched by one of these tame and harmless snakes as it glided over the ground on which he lay. The touch of the snake was held to be the touch of the god himself, and the touch was held to bring health and healing."

In the midst of this city, we find the church of Pergamos. Christ commends this church because it has held fast to the faith in the midst of the paganism that is surrounding it. He particularly calls out one saint named Antipas who was martyred. We do not know much about Antipas besides what this verse tells us. Antipas' name means "against all". He was a faithful martyr who stood against all of the evil in his city to the very end, and Christ commends him, and the church for not denying the faith during that time of persecution.

However, Christ has a problem with this church. In the middle of a city where people are coming from all over the world to seek healing from a false deity, the church itself is sick. The church is infected. Satan was unable to get the Christians at Pergamos to deny the faith through persecution, so he has infected the church with two dangerous viruses. Let's look at these viruses.

1. The first virus is the virus of idolatry. Jesus writes to this church, "I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols..."

2. The second virus is the virus of immorality. Jesus tells this church that he has a "few things against them" because they tolerate those who "hold the doctrine of Balaam" which taught Israel "to commit fornication." Christ also says, "So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate."

3. Let's look at what Jesus Christ tells this church to do. In verse 16, Jesus says, "Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth." Christ calls on the members of the church of Pergamos to stop tolerating this group of false teachers and their dangerous doctrine.…

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #117

Today, we come to the final message in our series on the paradoxes of the committed Christian life. As you know, I began this series after we all heard the sad news of Rick Warren's son committing suicide. We are all surprised and saddened by this occurrence, and many of us began to wonder how could such a thing happen in the life of a believer?

Well, as we have learned over these past three weeks, the life of the believer is not a bed of roses. There are difficulties, problems, and even tragedies, that come in the life of those who are the true followers of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote about some of these things which we are calling "paradoxes" in the fourth and sixth chapters of Second Corinthians. By way of remembrance, a paradox is "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true."

These difficulties sometimes threaten to knock us down and overwhelm us. But we have to remember that through each of these difficulties, God is with us. He never leaves us nor forsakes us. This past week, Rick Warren posted this message on his Twitter page: "Oysters tenaciously attach to a ROCK larger than themselves. Then no punishing wave or violent storm can sweep them away." During the difficult times that will certainly come during our Christian walk, we must cling tenaciously to the rock of ages, Jesus Christ, never giving up, never despairing, knowing that He will carry us through the seemingly unfair and uncalled for trials of the Christian life.

Today, we are going to look at the final three paradoxes of the committed Christian life:

1. We will face many things that cause us sorrow, but we can always rejoice. In verse 10 of chapter 6, Paul uses the phrase, "as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing." You might be saying, 'I thought the Christian life was supposed to be all joyful. What does Paul mean when he says we will face sorrow?' Well, while we are alive on this earth, we will face situations and circumstances that will cause grief, pain, or sorrow in our hearts. We should not be surprised at this.

2. Many of us will face physical poverty, but we are actually rich in Christ. Paul says that as a believer, he is "as poor, yet making many rich." Once again, we see a divide between the spiritual and the physical. Now, in God's eyes, there is nothing wrong with wealth. There is nothing wrong with having a lot of money and material possessions. Especially if you are going to be using it for God's glory. The Bible tells us in Luke 8 that there were women who supported the ministry of Jesus Christ financially. So, there is nothing wrong with being wealthy. But, often, God will call us to live a life that is lacking in material possessions and financial wealth.

3. We must realize that we do not really own anything in this world, yet, through Christ, we possess all things. Paul writes that he serves Christ "as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." We may have to serve God without the benefit of some of the material possessions that we desire. We may have to do without. We may have to go through this life unable to claim much as our own. But, in a sense, this verse reminds us that everything in this world -- all material things -- will eventually fade away. Nothing here lasts forever anyway.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Through It All" and Shirley Caesar singing "Good God"…

He is a former Major League Baseball player who played from 1990 to 2005. He spent most of his career as a second baseman, before moving to various positions later in his life. He has played for the New York Mets, the Cleveland Indians, the Boston Red Sox, and Washington Nationals among others. He was selected to the All-Stars three times in 1992, 1993, and 1995 and won the Silver Slugger Award two times in 1993 and 1994.

From the time he started playing, he had rapid success in baseball. He said in a CBN interview, “My career was going way up, and that was the moment that I really forgot about God -- the God who gave me the opportunity to play in the big leagues. I used to be a super star. Everything was so good for me that I wanted to keep living that life.” All of his wanting for more got him just that - more drinking, more partying, more women. Little did he know, however that getting more also would cost him his family. He said, “I almost lost my family. I didn’t know the damage I was doing to myself. When you walk without God, you can be hurt at anytime.”

After several heart-to-heart conversations with a close friend, he finally understood that there was no place else to turn and rededicated his life to Jesus Christ. He said, “We’re human. We go through those moments in life that we forget about God. We think that we are Superman, that we can do things without Him. We have to realize that we cannot do anything without Him. He’s the best feeling that you can have in life. When you put everything in God’s hands, there is nothing that you can not do. He gives you the life, He gives you everything. Thank God I still have my family with me."

Now that he is retired, he seeks to help other baseball players get on the right path with God. He said, "[The guys playing now] are the ones that need to know the words of God. Right now what I’m trying to do is to talk to the guys more about God. You know, that’s the second chance God gave me. We are here for a reason: to spread the words of God." His name is Carlos Baerga.…

This past week Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae released the new music video for his song "Confessions of a Millionaire." The powerful and insightful song talks about the tragedy of people who spend their time and money going after houses, riches, yachts, private jets, prestige, and power -- all the things that money can buy.

Sadly, today, many people -- not just millionaires -- focus on going after things that money can buy, And what is even more sad is that people actually look for fulfillment and meaning in these things. The truth, though, is that life is about far more than success and gaining material things. And people who focus on these things their whole lives are often sorely disappointed. They were actually searching for happiness, joy, love, internal peace and assurance for the future -- all things that money can't buy.

These things last forever and keep our hearts at rest during times of turmoil and conflict. Money cannnot buy such things. Only a person can give them to us. And that person is Jesus Christ.

+ Plus, listen to Lecrae singing "Confessions"…

Praying Through the Bible #35 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Nehemiah 11:17

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 34 messages in this series.

This is message #35 titled "Thanksgiving in Prayer"

Over these past two weeks, we have looked at a man named Nehemiah, and we have seen how he was used by God to lead the children of Israel in the major project of rebuilding the city of Jerusalem after the exile. Last week, we saw how he faced opposition, and we saw how he overcame it through prayer. We also learned that the three ingredients for a successful prayer life are: consistent prayer, persistent prayer, and shared prayer.

Today, as we come to Nehemiah once again, we find that the walls of Jerusalem have been finished and the city has been rebuilt. Nehemiah has led the exiles who returned to the Holy Land in re-establishing the law as well as in celebrating the feasts that God had commanded them to celebrate. The people of Israel who had returned and been re-established in the land had a lot to be thankful for: not only had their homes and cities been rebuilt, but they had been saved from their enemies who tried to sabotage their work. And we find, in the middle of this chapter, which is listing the names of those who settled in the newly rebuilt Jerusalem, the name of the man who led the people in giving thanks to God.

His name was Mattaniah, and the Bible says he was the "principal" or the leader who began the time of thanksgiving and praise in prayer to God. The Bible says that God "inhabits" or dwells in the praises of his people. Why is it important for us spend time thanking God through prayer? Allow me to share with you three reasons.

1. Thanksgiving is a part of public worship. Mattaniah was one of the Levites, and the Bible states that he was "the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer." The word "principal" means "head" or "chief". His job was to lead the people of Israel in a time of public worship and thanksgiving to God.

2. Thanksgiving is a response to God's mercy in our lives. One of the reasons why Mattaniah led the people in thanking God is because of God's mercy toward the children of Israel. In Nehemiah 9:31, Nehemiah prays, "Nevertheless for thy great mercies' sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou art a gracious and merciful God." God had shown great mercy in allowing the Israelites to survive the captivity and return to the land of Israel. Despite their sins, God restored them to the land as he had promised.

3. Thanksgiving is a response to answered prayer. Mattaniah was able to lead the children of Israel in giving thanks to God because God had answered their prayers. As you will recall from our message on last week, Nehemiah had led the people in "making their prayer unto our God" while they were building the wall and being threatened by their enemies. Now that the walls were built, and they had been delivered from their enemies, the appropriate response was to give thanks to God in prayer.…

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11 / 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #116

As I shared with you in my last message, I am not a follower nor am I a fan of Rick Warren. To this point, I have not been inclined to be a part of his fellowship or vast network. But I believe that's what makes this sermon series so much more effective. I am not a friend of Rick Warren trying to defend him and his tragic family situation. I am an outsider looking in. I do know, however, that when you set out to do anything for God, you put a big X mark on your back for the devil to attack you. Being in the position I am in, I am aware of some of the negative things that have been said about Rick Warren. (1) Yes, I have heard that he has become arrogant because of the popularity of his book and has acted like he is the Baptist Pope by rebuking brethren from afar and acting as though what he says is ex cathedra. (2) Yes, I have heard that he is trying to bring Christianity and Islam together. (3) Yes, I have heard from others that his presentation of salvation is not complete. I have chosen not to believe these three negative things about this brother, and I would encourage others not to believe it as well.

But here are some positive things I have observed about Rick Warren's life. I do know that you cannot accomplish what he has accomplished without God working through you. I do know that God has used him to see thousands, maybe even millions saved. I do know that he is extremely gifted in the area of administration, envisioning things, setting plans, and getting them done. What I also know is that he is gifted at starting and building churches for the glory of God. What I do know is that he has taught many how to pray to God and study God's Word. What I do know is he is still concerned about lost souls being saved. When you do stuff like that, you are asking for trouble from the devil.

I have noticed that whenever I have started a prayer campaign, a soulwinning campaign, or a fasting campaign, I've seen serious spiritual warfare in my own family. The devil will try to distract me from doing what God has called me to do. On several occasions throughout my 25 years of being married and having a family of nine, I've had to tell my typical teenager or two to ‘get thee behind me Satan’. I've even had to tell my wife to get thee behind me Satan; and like Job told his wife, "thou speakest as one of the foolish women.” I know it is not popular among my polite brothers and sisters to say anything negative especially about your spouse in public. But the truth is the truth. And negative things happen in your family as well.

Last week, we continued our discussion of this important part of the Christian life. We have looked at six paradoxes that are given in the fourth and sixth chapters of Second Corinthians. By way of remembrance, a paradox is "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true." I hope that our studies in the word of God have helped you to gain a better understanding of what the committed Christian life is really like. …

  A lot of what happens in life is complicated and confusing. Life itself is complicated. For many people, their childhood is a blur. Navigating college and young adulthood is a challenge. Relationships are fraught with obstacles and difficulties. During these different periods of our lives, we often yearn for simple answers to the big [...]…

He is a point guard who finished his college basketball career with the Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team in 2013. Recently, he helped lead his team to the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball championship. He was the 2012 and 2013 Big East Tournament MVP as well as a 2013 Academic All-American.

Growing up in a rough, crime-ridden area of Seattle, his father was mostly absent from his life, struggling with drugs, alcohol addiction, and being in and out of jail. His mother worked three jobs to support his family, and his siblings also had brushes with the law. However, at a young age, he decided to take a different route. At 13, he taught himself to drive so he could find his father. He found him in a drug den with a gun, contemplating suicide and was able to successfully talk him out of doing so. He soon found a love for sports, and though he was told he was too light at first, managed to play both football and basketball.

Danny Cage, youth pastor at Mount Calvary Christian Center in Seattle said of him, "He had so many people pulling at him at such a young age. He wanted to be focused spiritually through that. It separated him from the pack. He would study scriptures, and fast, and would ask to be held accountable."

When his team won the NCAA championship, he told reporters, "First off, I got to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for blessing us for this opportunity. I thank God, and without my teammates, without my parents, my girlfriend, my sisters, my brothers, none of this would be possible. I’m just thankful to God. Today, his father and siblings all have learned about Jesus through his life. He said in an interview, "God lifts us up so we can lift Him up. He’s definitely using me in basketball to give Him glory and to use me to show other kids that God is with you and God has a plan for you no matter whether it’s basketball, football or being a doctor." His name is Peyton Siva.…

A lot of what happens in life is complicated and confusing. Life itself is complicated. For many people, their childhood is a blur. Navigating college and young adulthood is a challenge. Relationships are fraught with obstacles and difficulties. During these different periods of our lives, we often yearn for simple answers to the big questions that we face. We look for clear-cut solutions to the problems that we deal with. And we want straightforward advice on complicated life issues.

Life is like a narrow trail filled with twists, turns, hairpin bends, and deceptive forks in the road. We wish for clear road signs that will guide us throughout this life. But, as complicated as the rest of life is, there is one part of life that is, perhaps, surprisingly simple: that is the area of most importance -- the matter of the destiny of your eternal soul.

People often ask questions such as: What happens when I die? Where do I go when I leave this earth? Will I go to Heaven or Hell? Thankfully, all we have to do is turn to God's Word for clear answers to these questions.

The Bible states clearly that all people are sinners. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, "For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good, and sinneth not." Romans 3:23 reads: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Because of our sins, we are automatically shut out of the family of God, and we are on our way to a place of punishment called Hell after we die. However, God wanted to provide a way for us to be reunited with Him, to become a part of His family. He wanted to save us from our sins and from the punishment of sin. That is why he put in motion a plan of salvation to give every human an opportunity to turn away from their old lifestyle and to gain a new life in Him. And salvation is not complicated. …

Praying Through the Bible #34 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Nehemiah 4:7-9

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 33 messages in this series.

This is message #34 titled "How to Have a Successful Prayer Life"

In 1952, a doctoral student at Princeton University asked, "What is there left in the world for original dissertation research?" The visiting lecturer, Albert Einstein, said: "Find out about prayer. Somebody must find out about prayer." Well, people have been "finding out about prayer" for hundreds of years -- not through research papers, but by the experience of praying and having prayers answered. Have you ever wondered why some people's prayers seem to be answered and others' are not? Have you ever wanted to know the way to be successful in your prayer life? The Bible actually answers these questions for us, and we will see these reasons in the life of Nehemiah from the passage we just read.

As you know, we began talking about Nehemiah last week. We saw how he was deeply concerned about the lack of progress that was being made by the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem from Persia. So, he decided to do something about it. He went to the king, and asked for permission to travel to the land of Israel to lead the people in building up the city. The king was supportive of him, and gave him permission to do as he wished. Now, Nehemiah is in the city. He has rallied the people together, and they are rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

As with any great work that anyone sets out to do for the glory of God, there will be opposition. Nehemiah's opposition comes in the form of San-bal-lat, a Samaritan and an official in the Persian Empire; Tobiah, an Ammonite who may have been the governor of Ammon; along with the Arabians and the Ammonites who plotted to attack Jerusalem to prevent the Jews from building the wall of the city.

From these few verses, let's see how Nehemiah dealt with this opposition through prayer and came out on top.

1. Nehemiah was consistent in prayer. He says in verse 9 of our passage that despite the threat of attack, "nevertheless we made our prayer unto God." Even in that hostile environment, Nehemiah and his people continued to pray. They did not let the threat of war get them off of their duty. Too often, when we face opposition, conflict, or some negativity, we allow that situation to cause us to get off of our game -- we stop praying and stop doing what we have been doing, and try to deal with the situation on our own and in our own power. But Nehemiah didn't change his plan once he faced opposition, he went right on praying and building. Why was he able to do this?

2. Nehemiah was persistent in prayer. Verse 9 tells us that Nehemiah and his people were building and praying "day and night." Persistent prayer is praying about the same thing until you get an answer. As long as Nehemiah was being threatened by those who wished to hinder the building of Jerusalem, he kept on praying for the safety of his workers and for God to deliver them from their enemies.

3. Nehemiah shared the burden of prayer. Notice Nehemiah's words: he said "WE made OUR prayer to God." Nehemiah did not try to do all of the praying himself. He got others on his team to pray with him. Just as the building of the walls was a community effort, the praying was a community effort. God blesses group prayer in a very special way. Jesus said in Matthew 18:18-20: Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye sh…

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11 / 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #115

On last week, we began looking at the Christian life from a perspective that many Christians fail to see it from: and that is, if you are committed to Christ, you will have troubles, problems, and difficulties in this life. Especially in light of the sad event that happened in Rick Warren's family two weeks ago, it is important for all believers to understand that the devil is out to get anybody who is sincerely serving God.

I know from my own experience, from the word of God, and from observing the experiences of others, that the devil will attack the families of those who are serving Christ faithfully and attempting to do big things for God. I believe that this is exactly what happened in Rick Warren's family. In fact, just a week before his son committed suicide, in Christianity Today, Rick Warren had announced a plan to reach the world's 3,400 unengaged people groups with the Gospel.

I was taken aback, and I am sure Rick Warren was, by the negativity and finger-pointing that some in the world and even in the church engaged in. Being a father myself, I know that Rick Warren did everything he could to help his son, but there were still some who tried to accuse him of pushing his son to commit suicide, even after how much good Rick Warren has done and how many people he has helped in the church and in the world.

Now, I come from a very strict, conservative, Baptist background, and I have some preacher friends from that background who I talk to from time to time. One pastor who I talked with about this matter said that this occurrence showed that what Pastor Warren and other Christians of like mind are doing "just isn't working." However, I quickly reminded him that believers who come from our strict, conservative Baptist backgrounds have family problems as well, such as divorce and children going astray. The pastor I was talking to was divorced himself and also had a child who had gone astray, and as soon as I mentioned this to him, he had to quiet down. Isn't it amazing how quickly we can sit back in judgment when something happens to others and say that ought not to happen, and yet we have similar issues in our own home. That is attributed to our sinful human nature.

I think it is crucial for Christians to understand that the Christian life is full of paradoxes. According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, a paradox is "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true." The Oxford Dictionary states that a paradox is "a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true." Second Corinthians chapters 4 and 6 give us thirteen paradoxes that are apparent in the Christian life. This sermon series is built on these paradoxes which are as follows.

1. Second Corinthians 4:8 says, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed" 2. Verse 8 also says, "We are perplexed, but not in despair" 3. Verse 9 says, We are "persecuted, but not forsaken" 4. We are "cast down, but not destroyed"

Chapter 6 gives more of these interesting paradoxes 5. Verse 8 says, "By honour and dishonour" 6. "By evil report and good report" 7. "As deceivers, and yet true" 8. Verse 9 says, "As unknown, and yet well known" 9. "As dying, and, behold, we live" 10. "As chastened, and not killed" 11. Verse 10 says, "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing" 12. "As poor, yet making many rich" 13. "As having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

+ Plus, listen to the Caravans as they sing "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone" and Tasha Cobbs singing "Grace"

24

  This past week was certainly among the most turbulent weeks America and the world has ever experienced. It began on Monday, at the Boston Marathon, when a joyous event was turned into a scene of terror. Three people who had gathered with many others to cheer on the runners as they crossed the finish [...]…

TEXT: Revelation 2:8-11

On last week, we looked at Jesus's message to the church at Ephesus. And, we saw the importance of remembering the beginning of our walk with Christ, and then getting back to our first love, and the basics of Christian doctrine. Today, we come to the letter that Christ wrote to the church at Smyrna. This ancient seaport sat about forty miles north of the city of Ephesus. Smyrna was famous for its beauty and size. Although Smyrna was very much a Roman city, it was also home to a humble body of believers who were committed to Jesus Christ. In fact, these believers were so committed to Christ, that the church at Smyrna was the only church out of the seven that Christ did not have a word of rebuke for.

Smyrna, however, was also a major center for emperor worship and it had a small but strong anti-Christian Jewish population. Life for the believers in Smyrna was anything but easy. Many of them were unemployed, unwelcome and under extreme persecution. But in the midst of their difficulties and discouragement, they received this letter -- a word of comfort and encouragement -- from Jesus Christ himself.

Of course, being fully aware of the difficulties that these Christians faced, Jesus Christ expresses His immeasurable love by sending this letter to strengthen the church at Smyrna. Allow me to share with you three important issues that Christ addresses in his letter to the church at Smyrna, as well as to all of us.

1. First of all, notice how Christ comforts this church. Jesus comforts the Christians in Smyrna by saying, "I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan." Jesus is basically saying, "I feel your pain. I know what you are going through." And there is nothing like having someone who really knows what you are going through when you are facing extreme difficulty.

2. Notice the command Christ gives this church. Jesus did not have to reprimand this church, rather he gave them a positive command: "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer..." Don't be afraid. This is one of the most repeated phrases in the Bible. Jesus Christ Himself uttered it twenty times in the New Testament.

3. Notice the reward that Christ promises this church. He says, "be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."…

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11 / 2 Corinthians 6:1-10

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #115

On last week, we began looking at the Christian life from a perspective that many Christians fail to see it from: and that is, if you are committed to Christ, you will have troubles, problems, and difficulties in this life. Especially in light of the sad event that happened in Rick Warren's family two weeks ago, it is important for all believers to understand that the devil is out to get anybody who is sincerely serving God.

I know from my own experience, from the word of God, and from observing the experiences of others, that the devil will attack the families of those who are serving Christ faithfully and attempting to do big things for God. I believe that this is exactly what happened in Rick Warren's family. In fact, just a week before his son committed suicide, in Christianity Today, Rick Warren had announced a plan to reach the world's 3,400 unengaged people groups with the Gospel.

I was taken aback, and I am sure Rick Warren was, by the negativity and finger-pointing that some in the world and even in the church engaged in. Being a father myself, I know that Rick Warren did everything he could to help his son, but there were still some who tried to accuse him of pushing his son to commit suicide, even after how much good Rick Warren has done and how many people he has helped in the church and in the world.

Now, I come from a very strict, conservative, Baptist background, and I have some preacher friends from that background who I talk to from time to time. One pastor who I talked with about this matter said that this occurrence showed that what Pastor Warren and other Christians of like mind are doing "just isn't working." However, I quickly reminded that him that believers who come from our strict, conservative Baptist backgrounds have family problems as well, such as divorce and children going astray. The pastor I was talking to was divorced himself and also had gone astray, and as soon as I mentioned this to him, he had to quiet down. Isn't it amazing how quickly we can sit back in judgment when something happens to others and say that ought not to happen, and yet we have similar issues in our own home. That is a tribute to our sinful human nature.

I think it is crucial for Christians to understand that the Christian life is full of paradoxes. According to Merriam Webster's Dictionary, a paradox is "a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true." The Oxford Dictionary states that a paradox is "a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true." Second Corinthians chapters 4 and 6 give us thirteen paradoxes that are apparent in the Christian life. This sermon series is built on these paradoxes which are as follows.

1. Second Corinthians 4:8 says, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed"
2. Verse 8 also says, "We are perplexed, but not in despair"
3. Verse 9 says, We are "persecuted, but not forsaken"
4. We are "cast down, but not destroyed"

Chapter 6 gives more of these interesting paradoxes
5. Verse 8 says, "By honour and dishonour"
6. "By evil report and good report"
7. "As deceivers, and yet true"
8. Verse 9 says, "As unknown, and yet well known"
9. "As dying, and, behold, we live"
10. "As chastened, and not killed"
11. Verse 10 says, "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing"
12. "As poor, yet making many rich"
13. "As having nothing, and yet possessing all things."

+ Plus, listen to the Caravans as they sing "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone" and Tasha Cobbs singing "Grace"…

He was an American football player and television sportscaster who worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN. In addition to football, he also announced major golf and tennis events. In total, he announced 16 Super Bowls on network television (more than any other announcer), 26 Masters Tournaments, and 21 US Opens. He also contributed to 10 Super Bowl broadcasts on CBS Radio as a pregame host or analyst. After retiring as a football player, he joined CBS as a commentator and worked with Tom Brookshier and John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox. Though he retired in 2002, he continued to announce games on occasion.

He was named the National Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 1977, and inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1994. That year, he also received the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the American Sportscasters Association Hall of Fame in 1999. He was honored by the NFL with an award named after him which is presented during Super Bowl weekend at the NFL headquarters "to a deserving recipient who through their career has demonstrated the character, integrity and leadership both on and off the field that his name represents."

Early on in his career, much of his life was characterized by alcoholism and the abandonment of his family. In 1992, his friends and family staged an intervention on his behalf, encouraging him to get professional help for his alcohol problems. He was angry at the idea but reluctantly agreed to enter rehab. While in rehab, he made the decision that changed his life.

He said, "I realized there was a Savior, there was a God." He made the decision to accept Christ as his Saviour and said, "once I began to realize His involvement in my life, it was easy [to overcome alcoholism]. I never had a craving since then. My thirst for alcohol was being replaced by a thirst for knowledge about faith and God. I began reading the Bible regularly at the treatment center, and it became a part of my daily routine. The more I read, the more I felt a void in my life that needed to be filled."

He was later baptized at the First Baptist Church in Euless, Texas. He described emerging from the water as though he was surfacing in a new world. He said, "For the first time in my life, I knew what people meant about being 'born again'. I had already accepted that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who died for our sins. Now, I felt I was truly part of his family. I felt ecstatic, invigorated, happier, and freer. I felt as though my soul had been washed clean." His name is Pat Summerall.…

This past week was certainly among the most turbulent weeks America and the world has ever experienced. It began on Monday, at the Boston Marathon, when a joyous event was turned into a scene of terror. Three people who had gathered with many others to cheer on the runners as they crossed the finish line were killed by two bombs that exploded on the sidewalk. One of those killed was a restaurant manager, another was a young Chinese college student, and the third was an eight-year-old boy who was there to cheer on his father. 183 other people were injured, many of whom had to have legs amputated because of the blast.

This past week, poisoned letters were also sent to President Obama and a U.S. Senator from Mississippi. Thankfully, these letters were intercepted before they reached their destinations.

On Tuesday, a massive earthquake struck the Iran-Pakistan border. The quake was so powerful that it was felt across the Middle East and Asia from Dubai to India. 34 people died from this earthquake.

On Wednesday evening of this past week, a fire broke out at a fertilizer company in a small town in central Texas. Volunteer firefighters rushed to the scene. While they were fighting the fire, a huge explosion occurred. It was so powerful that it registered as a small earthquake. 14 people, including the firefighters, have since been confirmed dead, many people have not been accounted for, and dozens more are without homes or material belongings.

Finally, on Saturday, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck a region in southwestern China. At the latest report, over 200 people are dead from this quake and over 6,700 people have been injured.

Many people recognized that so much tragedy in such a short period of time seems unusual. Two CNN reporters even referred to the Boston Marathon bombing, the West, Texas explosion, and the poisoned letters sent to President Obama and a U.S. senator as being similar to biblical plagues that seemed to be hitting the country all at the same time.

The terrible loss of life that struck the world this past week is both astounding and heart breaking. All of the people who died from events that were beyond their control have one thing in common. None of them thought they were likely going to die that day. They were living their lives just like you and I are doing today. They just wanted to go to work, go to school, go to the store, and spend time with their family and friends. They wanted to enjoy a fun sporting event with other residents of their city. They wanted to spend a peaceful evening at home eating dinner or watching TV. Yet, all of them were here one moment and gone the next. In the space of a bomb blast, an earthquake, or an explosion, they each passed from life into eternity. Such events should cause us to soberly remember that our lives are just as fragile. We are not special. We are no better than those people who died this past week. Hebrews 9:27 says that "it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." We, too, can be here one moment and gone the next. We can pass from life to eternity in a moment of time by some unexpected, tragic event that is totally beyond our control. Such events remind us that we need to be ready for what comes after death -- our eternal destination.…

Praying Through the Bible #33 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Nehemiah 1:1-11

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 32 messages in this series.

This is message #33 titled "The Marks of the Genuinely Concerned"

I hope that you pray for others regularly, and I hope that you pray for the needs of other believers regularly, because as followers of Christ, we ought to be concerned for one another. The evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill said, "The true man of God is heartsick, grieved at the worldliness of the Church, grieved at the blindness of the Church, grieved at the corruption in the Church, grieved at the toleration of sin in the Church, grieved at the prayerlessness in the Church..." In other words, a true man of God, a true woman of God, has a level of concern for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Bible tells us about a man who was genuinely concerned about his people -- the Jews. Some 400 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the nation of Israel and the Jewish people were in a state of disarray. Both Israel and Judah had been conquered. Many of the inhabitants of those countries were carried off to Assyria and Babylon. Jerusalem was in ruins, and Solomon's glorious temple was destroyed. Without divine intervention, Jerusalem would have ended up like many other ancient cities -- completely forgotten except to history.

When the Jews arrived in Babylon, they began to make homes for themselves there. Some say that two to three million Jews had been deported, and when, after 70 years, the time and opportunity came for them to return to their homeland, only 50,000 initially decided to return. Our passage for today, the first chapter of the book of Nehemiah, begins almost 100 years after the first captives returned to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra. In that time, very little had been done to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. Everything still looked very bleak.

Allow me to share with you three marks of the genuinely concerned which are demonstrated by the actions of Nehemiah.

1. Nehemiah showed genuine concern by asking about the matter. Nehemiah writes, 'when Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.' Nehemiah shows his concern by asking about the condition of the Jews who had been left behind in Israel, and about the condition of the city of Jerusalem. He wants to know what is going on and how everyone is doing. Sometimes, to show that you are concerned about someone, all you have to do is ask them how they are doing.

2. Nehemiah showed genuine concern by praying about the matter. Nehemiah's brother shares with him the sad state of affairs in Israel. He says that those who were left in Israel "are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and gates are burned with fire." Upon hearing this news, Nehemiah says, "I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven." Nehemiah's genuine concern for his people causes his heart to break upon hearing the sad state of affairs of his people who are in the land of Israel.

3. Nehemiah showed genuine concern by determining to do something about the matter. The last verse of Nehemiah chapter 1 gives us a glimpse of what Nehemiah had in mind to do following his prayer. Nehemiah asks God to "prosper thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man (the king). For I was the king's cupbearer."…

  Over the years, people have gained freedom through war, violence, protests, and as Winston Churchill said, “blood, toil, sweat, and tears.” The recent wars in several Middle Eastern countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the uprising in Egypt which often turned violent, and the current war raging in Syria proves that people love freedom [...]…

TEXT: Revelation 2:1-7

The Bible warns us that in the end times, many believers will "depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." There will be a period of apostasy, wherein false teachers will begin to peddle dangerous teachings disguised a Christian doctrine. Some of these false teachers will become pastors and will lead many unsuspecting sheep away from the flock. The church will be tempted to leave behind basic truths for glamorous teachings. However, since the Bible warns us about this, it would be wise for us to take heed to such warnings, and to be on guard for such things beginning to happen.

At the beginning of the book of Revelation, Christ gives a series of seven letters to churches in seven cities in the Roman province of Asia. We are not told why these seven churches are chosen, as there were many other cities in the region that had churches. But most scholars agree that these seven were chosen to represent the church as a whole down through history. Donald Poole writes that "our Lord, by these seven churches, signifies all the churches of Christ to the end of the world; and by what he saith to them, designs to show what shall be the state of churches in all ages, and what their duty is." In other words, all of the major problems that are found in churches today are addressed in the letters to these seven churches.

Today, we are looking at the letter to the church of Ephesus. Jesus Christ congratulates this church for their hard work, their patience, and their hatred for evil. However, there are three things this church is commanded to do to stay on the right track.

1. Christ commands the Ephesians to remember how things used to be. Verse 5 reads, "Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen." Jesus wants the Ephesian believers to look back to when they first came to Jesus Christ and remember the love, the passion, and the zeal that filled their hearts then.

2. Christ commands the Ephesians to get back to their first love. He says in His letter, "I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love." The greatest commandments in the Bible are to love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. The church at Ephesus had stopped loving God supremely. And it is likely that they had stopped loving each other as well.

3. Christ commands the Ephesians to get back to their first works. He says, "Remember therefore...and do the first works." What are the first works? The first works are the basics that every Christian ought to be involved in -- things such as Bible reading, prayer, witnessing, and attending church regularly. …

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #114

They've got their ticket to Heaven, and the train ride there should be easy and care-free. When people think of Jesus Christ and a life of following Him, they often think of peace, joy, happiness, love, and blessings. All of that is included in the "salvation package", if you will, however, if you believe that that is all the Christian life entails, then you are sorely deceived.

Unfortunately, many preachers propagate this one-sided myth from the pulpit. They say that if you don't have money, then something must be wrong with your faith. They say that if you are not healthy all of the time, then God must not be blessing you. They say that if you get into some kind of trouble, then you may not be a Christian. If you are not happy or if something negative happens to you, then you need to make sure that you are saved.

The truth is that the committed Christian life is a paradox. A paradox is a statement that seems to be absurd or self-contradictory, yet, when it is examined, that statement actually turns out to be true. And the committed Christian life is full of paradoxes. Notice, I said the "committed" Christian life. There are many people who claim to live Christian lives, yet they are not completely committed to Jesus Christ. They have one foot on the straight and narrow path, and one foot on the broad and crooked road. But a committed Christian will find that his life is indeed one of paradoxes.

Even though Christ gives us victory, grace, and strength, a Christian will struggle with temptations, trials and tribulations. We will suffer affliction of many kinds. We will sometimes fail, but God will never forsake us. We may get down, but not out. As someone once said, "the Christian life is not a bed of roses, but of thorns and tears." Today, I want to share with you three paradoxes of the committed Christian life.

1. There is much trouble in the committed Christian life, but we do not have to be in distress. Paul writes in our passage that "We are troubled on every side." The Greek word for "trouble" means to "press hard" against something. In ancient Israel, when the grapes and olives were ripe, the way the Jews would get juice from the grapes or oil from the olives is, they would dump all of the grapes or olives into a huge, circular, bowl-like structure made of stone, and then the people would jump on the grapes or olives, crushing them, and allowing the juice to flow out into containers. That is the idea given here. In the Christian life, it will seem as though we are being hard pressed on all sides -- stomped on and crushed by the world and the devil.

2. The Bible informs us that we will experience persecution as Christians, but we will not be forsaken. Our passage states that we are "persecuted, but not forsaken." Second Timothy 3:12 says, "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Troubles are one thing, but persecution is another. Everyone experiences trouble in their lives. But persecution is a different ball-game. Persecution is mistreatment because of something you are or something you believe in.

3. Some people will say bad things about you, and some people will say good things about you. Jesus predicted that people will speak "evil against" those who follow him. This is another paradox of the Christian life -- there are those who know our true character as followers of Christ, and there are those who will try to slander our character publicly. You will be honored by some people, and dishonored by others. This is something that we all must anticipate and get used to.

+ Plus, listen to Aretha Franklin as she singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" and the David Crowder Band singing "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"…

She was the longest-serving prime minister of Great Britain, and the nation's first woman prime minister. She also served as the secretary of state for education and science for five years. Before entering politics, she was a research chemist and a lawyer.

During her tenure as prime minister, she introduced a series of political and economic initiatives to reverse high unemployment and Great Britain's struggles in the wake of the Winter of Discontent and an ongoing recession. She also helped reform the education system, the National Health Service, and the local government tax system. Along with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, and Pope John Paul II, she helped bring down Soviet communism. Her tough approach to government, particularly in dealing with her opposition, earned her the nick name, "the Iron Lady."

She was also a devout Christian and a member of the Methodist church. Her belief in Biblical principles was evident in many of the political positions she took throughout her career. She believed that the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament and the command to love our neighbors as ourselves in the New Testament are the principles upon which economic and social life should be based. She said, "We must not profess the Christian faith and go to Church simply because we want social reforms and benefits or a better standard of behaviour; but because we accept the sanctity of life, the responsibility that comes with freedom and the supreme sacrifice of Christ expressed so well in the hymn: 'When I survey the wondrous Cross, On which the Prince of glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.'"

In a speech to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1988, she said, "The truths of the Judaic-Christian tradition are infinitely precious, not only, as I believe, because they are true, but also because they provide the moral impulse which alone can lead to that peace for which we all long... I leave you with that earnest hope that we may all come nearer to that other country whose 'ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.'" Her name is Margaret Thatcher.…

Over the years, people have gained freedom through war, violence, protests, and as Winston Churchill said, "blood, toil, sweat, and tears." The recent wars in several Middle Eastern countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the uprising in Egypt which often turned violent, and the current war raging in Syria proves that people love freedom so much that they will fight for it if they have to. They will fight not only with words, but with actions -- and are often willing to sacrifice their lives for the cause of freedom.

Many ordinary men and women have gone down in history as great freedom fighters. George Washington led the Continental Army to victory against Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War. Abraham Lincoln led the country to victory during the Civil War, saved the union from collapse, and ended slavery in America, which freed millions of men and women who were in bondage. Mahatma Gandhi led India in the non-cooperation movement.

Nelson Mandela stood against racism and apartheid in South Africa and helped lead his country to a place where all men and women are treated equally. Winston Churchill was one of the great leaders of Great Britain during World War II against Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. Harriet Tubman led the Underground Railroad that helped free many black slaves. Martin Luther King Jr., led the Civil Rights Movement and helped blacks gain their basic rights as free people in America.

Down through history, many others who saw the importance of freedom, and used their God-given skills and talents to not only free themselves but to set others free as well.

It is wonderful to have religious, political, and physical freedom and to enjoy the benefits that come with that, but there is another type of freedom that we all need as well. And that is a spiritual freedom -- a freedom for our souls. This freedom was paid for by Jesus Christ with His own blood over two thousand years ago on the cross of Calvary. He willingly gave His life for all of mankind so that we all can experience true freedom from the oppression of sin and the oppressor named Satan. Jesus fought the battle for this freedom for us. We do not have to do anything for this freedom except BELIEVE in Jesus Christ. We do not have to fight for this freedom or sacrifice our own blood. Jesus Christ offers the freedom He purchased for us right now today.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "I Am Free"…

Praying Through the Bible #32 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Chronicles 33:10-13

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 31 messages in this series.

This is message #32 titled "The Tragedy of Having to Learn the Hard Way"

In our passage for today, we are introduced to King Manasseh of the kingdom of Judah. He was the son of King Hezekiah. As you might recall, I have preached four messages in this series on prayer based on events in the life of King Hezekiah, who was a praying man. He was also a righteous and godly king. Unfortunately, his son, Manasseh, was not. In fact, we will see that the very thing that God prevented because of the prayers of Manasseh's father, he allowed because of the rebelliousness and disobedience of Manasseh. Manasseh and Hezekiah were very different men. And we will see today the difference in how God dealt with each of these men.

1. First, let's look at King Manasseh as the man who would not listen. Verse 10 of our passage states that, "the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken." Why was God trying to get the attention of King Manasseh and his people? Well, Manasseh was not obeying the Lord his God. If we look at verses 3 through 9 of this passage, we will see that Manasseh had rebuilt the high places, the places of idolatry, that his father had torn down. Instead of continuing in his father's footsteps and keeping the nation of Judah on the straight and narrow path, Manasseh deliberately turns the nation back to idolatry.

2. Now, let's look at Manasseh as the man who had to be punished. Notice verse 11: "Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon."

Because Manasseh willingly rebelled against God, God allowed the Assyrians to conquer Jerusalem and take Manasseh captive. The Bible uses the term, "they took him among the thorns" -- this means that the Assyrians, following their custom with foreign kings, ran a hook or ring through Manasseh's lips or mouth before they took him to the Assyrian king. They treated captive kings just like they treated cattle. God punished Manasseh and the people of Judah for rebelling against Him by allowing the Assyrians to conquer them.

3. Now, let's look at Manasseh as the man who learned his lesson. Verse 12 of our passage reads, "And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers..." Notice the phrase, "when he was in affliction." Unfortunately, some of us are like Manasseh. We have to be afflicted, we have to be punished, we have to go through hard times before we turn to the Lord.…

  Since the beginning of history, man has been in a constant state of war and strife. Men have formed alliances and signed peace treaties in an effort to bring about peace on earth. But, as one conflict is resolved, several more are raging in different places around the world. The history of mankind has [...]…

Since the beginning of history, man has been in a constant state of war and strife. Men have formed alliances and signed peace treaties in an effort to bring about peace on earth. But, as one conflict is resolved, several more are raging in different places around the world. The history of mankind has been one of continuous hate, enmity, and hostility.

Even today, with organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union, our world is still without peace. On the night when Jesus Christ was born, a choir of angels appeared to shepherds who were taking care of their sheep outside of Bethlehem. The Bible tells us in Luke 2:14 that they sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." What did the angels mean when they said that peace had come to earth? Well, the peace they were talking about was not political peace. They did not mean that all wars would cease at that moment. In fact, the shepherds whom they gave these words to were citizens of a country that was under the occupational military force of a Roman government.

What the angels meant was that with Jesus Christ coming to earth to die on the cross for our sins, peace between man and God could be made. Charles Spurgeon said, "When the newborn King made his appearance, the swaddling band with which he was wrapped up was the white flag of peace. That manger was the place where the treaty was signed, whereby warfare should be stopped between man's conscience and his God. It was then, that day, the trumpet blew -- 'Sheathe the sword, oh man, sheathe the sword, oh conscience, for God is now at peace with man, and man at peace with God.'"

You see, after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, man and God were not on good terms with each other. In fact, the Bible says in Romans 5:10 that we were once "enemies of God." We were separated from Him because of our sin. When Jesus Christ came, He provided the way by which we can make peace with God in our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits. Yes, even though world peace has not become a reality yet, we can have peace in our lives because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross.

Jesus Christ is called the "prince of peace." He told his disciples in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Would you like to have peace in your heart today? Would you like to make peace with God? If so, let me show you how.

+ Plus, listen to Laura Story singing "Perfect Peace"…

He is an American musician, producer, song writer, vocalist and the founder of the electronic musical project "Owl City". While suffering from insomnia and working loading Coca-Cola trucks in his hometown of Owatonna, Minnesota, he began to compose music and record songs which he uploaded to MySpace from his parent's basement. When his first label album, Ocean Eyes, went online, the iTunes music store chose "Fireflies" as its single of the week. "Fireflies" had 650,000 downloads that first week, and it wasn't long before it was the No. 1 song in the U.S. It has been played almost 30 million times at his MySpace page alone. Suddenly, everybody knew who Owl City was, and album sales skyrocketed.

When asked about the source of his creativity, he said, "Faith and imagination. Faith is the reason I do what I do, imagination is the fuel that keeps the creativity flowing. The Lord Jesus Christ is my reason for creating and I have nothing but thanks and gratitude toward him for being allowed to do what I do, and ultimately, seize my wildest dreams as if they were just there waiting for me."

He gave his life to Christ in middle school after hearing a testimony at church and says, "From then on, I've just wanted to serve Christ in every way I know how, music being the only thing I've ever considered myself any 'good' at. I guess my whole message or goal of this whole operation is to bring glory to Jesus Christ by all that I do and say."

He wrote in his personal testimony, "Music is something that I can’t imagine living without, and though it means more to me than the world itself, there is something that weighs significantly heavier on the scale of all things valuable and important in my life, that being my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am left breathless, completely and utterly bereft of speech at how the Lord has chosen to use music in my life and what I do as Owl City to plant seeds, spread light like fire in an age where darkness feels more oppressive than ever, and ultimately, to glorify Him. I am endlessly honored and humbled that He should use me — a completely average, ordinary shy boy from the middle of nowhere, to do great things in order to further His kingdom.

"One thing I've never wanted to be shy about is the reason behind why I do what I do, why I create art, why I dream and imagine. That reason is my faith in a God more powerful and omnipotent and full of love for us than words can even begin to describe." His name is Adam Young.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #113

TEXT: Psalm 23

Our passage today is a very familiar one. You have heard it quoted many times by others, and perhaps, you have read it or quoted it at times yourself. It is a psalm of comfort and rest written by a man who knew what comfort and rest meant. However, he did not have comfort and rest all of the time in his own life. This psalm is a beautiful portrait of the Good Shepherd who cares for us in every way. He supplies all of our needs. Allow me to share with you three ways that our needs are supplied by the Good Shepherd.

1. The Good Shepherd provides for all of our physical needs. David says that because the Lord is caring for Him, he "shall not want." In ancient times, shepherding was a major occupation in Israel. Before he became king, David himself was a shepherd as he took care of his father's flocks. Being a shepherd meant spending long hours in the sun in the field with the sheep. It also meant oftentimes spending long nights in the field with the sheep. A shepherd had to provide for every need that the sheep had. He had to lead them to safe places to graze. He had to protect them from enemies who lurked, wolves and lions who waited in the shadows to catch an unsuspecting lamb by surprise.

2. The Good Shepherd provides for our spiritual needs. David says, "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." In Hebrew, the phrase 'restore my soul' means to bring to repentance or conversion. In other words, God returns David's soul and conscious, which had grown black with sin, to a state of purity and light.

3. The Good Shepherd provides for our eternal needs. Listen to David's words: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me." For the Jewish people during ancient times, death was indeed a dark and unwelcome idea. Yet, David says that as he goes down in to the valley of the shadow of death to face eternity, he will not fear. Why? Because the Lord, his shepherd, is with him.

+ Plus, listen to Salvador singing "As the Deer" and Jennifer Holliday singing "It is Well With My Soul"…

  The Easter holiday marks a wonderful time of year. It reminds us of the arrival of spring as the cold earth awakes from its wintry slumber. But it also reminds us of something far more important — the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead was a once-in-history event [...]…

The Easter holiday marks a wonderful time of year. It reminds us of the arrival of spring as the cold earth awakes from its wintry slumber. But it also reminds us of something far more important -- the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus' resurrection from the dead was a once-in-history event that had never happened before and has never happened since. When the angels rolled back the stone in front of Jesus' tomb, and declared, "He is not here. He is risen as he said," Hell groaned in agony, heaven shook with rejoicing, and the earth trembled in awe. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the singular event in history that stands above all others in scope or importance.

What are the aftereffects of that first Easter day?

+ Plus, listen to Hillsong singing "Stronger"…

He was born in Bethlehem in a manger in a stable surrounded by animals. Herod sought to kill Him before He was even born, but God had another plan. He grew into a young boy and "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

By 12 years old, he was teaching the religious scholars about the kingdom of God. By age 30, He was working miracles across the then known world. He turned water into wine, commanded the sea to sit still and the wind to be quiet, walked on the water, fed five thousand people with a boy's small lunch, healed ten lepers, cast out demons, made the blind see, the lame walk, and the dumb speak. He raised Lazarus from the dead, healed an official's daughter, and caused the disciples to catch a boatload of fish after catching none all night. He did many other things as well but as John records in his Gospel, "if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."

Not only did He work miracles, but He is the Son of the living God, the only begotten Son of the Father, the Son of the Highest, and the Son of the Blessed. He is the Mighty God, the Everlasting God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of the whole earth, God manifest in the flesh, the True God, and My Lord and my God. He is the Great I Am, the Strong and Mighty Jehovah, the Lord of Glory, the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Almighty, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Creator of all things, the Everlasting Father, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, the First and the Last. He is life eternal, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Rock of my Salvation, the Light of the world, the Chosen of God, the Redeemer, the Bright and Morning Star, the Day-spring from on High, the Hope of His people, and the Hope of the world.

Henry Ward Beecher said, "He painted no pictures. Yet some of the greatest paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci received their inspiration from Him. He wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world's greatest poets were inspired by Him. He composed no music; but Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection in the symphonies and oratorios they composed in His praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been influenced by this humble carpenter of Nazareth!

He was crucified on a cross between two thieves; mocked and ridiculed as He hung on the cross. One Friday over 2000 years ago, He stretched out His arms and died for the sins of the whole world. He didn't stop there, however, He was buried, and on Sunday morning, with all power, strength, and victory over sin and death, He got up out of the grave and now sits on the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. His name is Jesus Christ.…

TEXT: Mark 16:1-9

On this Resurrection Sunday, we come to the final person in our Unsung Heroes of Easter series -- Mary Magdalene, the first person to see Jesus Christ after he rose from the dead. She is one of the more popular figures in the Gospel narratives and is mentioned in all four Gospels. She is the woman out of whom Christ cast seven devils. Some have identified Mary Magdalene as the prostitute or "sinful woman" who washed Jesus' feet. However, the Bible does not explicitly state that. We do know that Mary Magdalene was a woman of some means because the Bible says that she attended to Christ and helped provide for the needs of his ministry. Luke 8:2-3 states, "And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, ministered unto him of their substance."

To many scholars and theologians down through the years, it has been significant that Jesus Christ chose to appear to a woman, and especially to Mary Magdalene, after his resurrection. Let's look at some possible reasons why.

1. The first reason why Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene before anyone else could be because Mary Magdalene represented a direct triumph over the devil and his plan. Mark 16:9 states, "Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene..." Of course, we can be content to know that Christ simply appeared to Mary Magdalene first because he chose to do so. But I believe it is safe for us to say that Christ appeared to a woman first as a symbolic expression that the curse of sin that had been brought on humanity by the actions of a woman had been completely removed.

2. The second reason why Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first could be because Jesus wanted to show that he died and rose from the dead FOR SINNERS. Verse 9 of our passage notes that Mary Magdalene is the one "out of whom Christ had cast seven devils." Most of the passages which refer to Mary Magdalene never leave out this detail. And, I believe this detail gives us another reason why Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first after his resurrection -- Jesus wanted to make it clear that he came to rescue SINNERS.

3. The third reason why Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first could be because Jesus always comes to those who are searching for him. John 20, verse 1 says, "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark..." Remember that Joseph and Nicodemus had to bury Jesus hastily on Friday evening because the Sabbath was about to begin. Even though they wrapped Jesus' body in linen and embalmed it with expensive spices, Mary and Mary Magdalene still wanted to anoint the body themselves. In their minds, it was probably the least they could do for the Saviour who had done so much for them.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #112

TEXT: John 20:19-23

Every now and then, we hear about someone being called a hero because of something great that they do. A firefighter who charges into a burning building to rescue a child, soldiers who risk their lives for their country in battle, a doctor who pulls off a risky medical procedure -- all of these are hailed as heroes. But, there are many heroes who go unnoticed and who are not applauded by the world. These unsung heroes simply do what is in their power, and then fade into history.

Over the past few days leading up to this Resurrection Sunday, we have been looking at the unsung heroes of Easter -- those characters who are critical to the Easter story, but who are often overlooked. We have looked at Pilate's wife, Simon of Cyrene, Mary the mother of Jesus, John the disciple who loved Jesus to the end, the Roman Centurion, Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Mary Magdalene. Each of these unsung heroes played an important role in the Easter story, but each of them would tell you that the real hero of Holy Week is the one who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday -- Jesus Christ, the ultimate hero.

The Scottish theologian Sinclair Ferguson said, "Imagine, for a moment, the reaction of Hell to the death of Christ. Jesus was bound with the bands of death. What celebration and joy! God was defeated! Vengeance was the Devil's. But they reckoned without the wisdom of God. For Christ could not be held down by the bands of death. In fact, through death He was paralyzing the one who had the power of death, and He was setting His people free. What seemed to be defeat was actually victory. The Resurrection morning was Hell's gloomiest day. Satan saw the wisdom of God and tasted defeat."

Jesus Christ is the greatest hero of all time because He died for the sins of the world and rose from the dead by the power of God on the third day. But He didn't stop there. He immediately gave his disciples and us peace, power, and purpose. He gave us something that we all crave and that is purpose in life and peace and power to accomplish it.

1. First of all, Jesus Christ gave us peace. The Bible tells us that on that first resurrection Sunday, two thousand years ago, the first words that Jesus Christ said to his disciples were, "Peace be unto you." And then, as if he wanted to make sure that they understood, the Bible says that Jesus "shewed unto them his hands and his side... Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you..."

2. Jesus Christ gave us power. In verse 22, the Bible reads: "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." This was Jesus Christ giving power to his disciples. Acts 1:8 specifically calls, "the Holy Ghost" the "power" that these disciples received. The work of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gives is that he makes us capable to do what we are simply not able to do on our own. He gives us power.

3. Jesus Christ gave us purpose. Finally, Jesus Christ tells his disciples, "...as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you." In other words, Jesus says, just as God sent me into the world with the purpose of saving it. I am sending you into the world with the purpose of telling everyone about me so that I can save them.. Jesus says that we are his representatives, his ambassadors, called to take his peace and power to those who are still oppressed by Satan.

+ Plus, listen to Nicole C. Mullen singing "Redeemer" and Jeremy Camp singing "This Man"…

TEXT: John 19:38-42

Today, we are going to talk about another "secret believer" who became an unsung hero of Easter. His name is Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, and like Joseph of Arimathea, he was also a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish religious council. We mostly remember Nicodemus as the one who "came to Jesus by night." The Jewish Talmud identifies Nicodemus as Nicodemus ben Gurion, one of the three richest men in Jerusalem at that time. It is said that the combined wealth of these three men could have kept Jerusalem running for 21 years.

After Jesus' death, Nicodemus joined Joseph of Arimathea in taking Jesus' body down from the cross. He provided expensive spices to be used in the burial of the Lord. Church tradition indicates that Nicodemus was martyred for the faith in the first century.

It does not appear that Nicodemus had an instantaneous conversion. Rather he went through a process of carefully considering Jesus' words and actions, and eventually came to a conclusion about who Jesus was. Nicodemus enters the Gospel narrative three times, and each of his appearances tell us something about how he came to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Saviour of the world.

1. The first time we see Nicodemus, we see that he is curious about Jesus. John 3:1-2 tells us, "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night..." Nicodemus had heard about Jesus, and he realized that there was something special about him. The multitudes were flocking to hear Him. He was working great miracles. The commoners couldn't stop singing His praises. Nicodemus was intrigued by this person named Jesus. He was curious about who He was.

2. The next time we see Nicodemus, we see that he is concerned about Jesus. In John chapter 7, the Pharisees are plotting to have Jesus arrested. They send men to capture Jesus, but the men come back empty-handed. When asked why they have not brought Jesus with them, the men respond, "Never man spake like this man." The religious leaders are concerned that some of their own are beginning to believe on Jesus Christ. They want to put an end to Jesus' teaching because he is drawing all of the attention away from them.

3. The third time we see Nicodemus, we find that he is committed to Jesus. In other words, he has decided to cast his lot with Jesus Christ and His followers. The Bible says, "there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight." …

TEXT: Mark 15:42-47

Today, we come to the sixth person in our unsung heroes of Easter series. This person is Joseph of Arimathea. Arimathea was a city in Judea. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin -- the Jewish religious council which had condemned Jesus to be crucified. He was a wealthy man and he was also a secret believer in Jesus Christ.

We do not know more about Joseph from the Bible, but other sources say that Joseph gained his wealth by trading metal, which was a much needed product in the Roman Empire. Some say that he was an uncle of Mary, and thus a blood relative of Jesus Christ.

After Jesus' ascension, it is believed that Joseph became a missionary, traveled through Europe with other early followers of Christ, and eventually took the Gospel to Britain which was the northern-most fringe of the Roman Empire. In Britain, he is said to have built the first official church building near what is present-day Glastonbury. At that time Christians still met in houses. It is interesting that near the ruins of this church, there is a plant known as the Glastonbury Thorn which buds twice a year only around the Easter and Christmas seasons. This plant originally came from the eastern Mediterranean area.

We don't know how much of this is true or partially-true, but many people in the early church recognized the significant role that Joseph played in the Gospel story. In fact, Joseph's burial of Jesus Christ is recorded in all four of the Gospels. Let's briefly look at what makes Joseph stand out.

1. Joseph was a searching man. The Bible tells us that Joseph was a man who "waited for the kingdom of God." Like many Jews during that time, Joseph had an expectation that the Messiah would come to save his people from their sins. He was on the lookout for such a person to arrive.

2. Joseph was a sincere man. The Bible tells us that he "went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus." The word "crave" implies that Joseph desired strongly or begged for the body of Jesus. He was sincere in his desire to do something for Christ. He was not just putting on or doing something for show. At that time, it was far safer to be on the side of Jesus' enemies than to be on the side of Jesus. For a while, Joseph was secretly loyal, but when the chips were down, he didn't lose faith when it looked like all was lost.

3. Joseph was willing to sacrifice. When Joseph acquired Jesus' body from the cross, the Bible informs us that he "laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock." The fact that Joseph did this indicates the level of respect that Joseph had for Jesus Christ. Most people during that time were buried in stone boxes in the ground. But the wealthy people had great tombs carved out of rock. Such a tomb cost a lot of time and money to make.…

TEXT: Mark 15:37-39

The Roman Centurion who was in charge of carrying out the crucifixion was one of the people in closest proximity to Jesus during his final hours. A centurion was a Roman army officer normally in command of about 60 to 80 soldiers. This centurion may have carried out or witnessed dozens of crucifixions during his career. He was a hardened soldier and not easily affected by a criminal's cries of pain and agony. Yet, we find that this Roman Centurion was so affected by the manner of Jesus' death, that he ended up admitting what Jesus' disciples and His beloved followers believed -- that he was the son of God.

How did this centurion come to this conclusion? It is quite likely that he did not see any of Jesus' miracles. He had not sat among the multitudes who listened to Jesus' teaching. What did he see in those final hours of Jesus' life that caused him to make this admission? I believe the centurion saw three things about Jesus that convinced him that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God.

1. The Centurion saw Jesus' strength. As Jesus was put on trial, he demonstrated tremendous strength in the way he handled the accusations that were made against him. He never answered his accusers. He never tried to defend himself. He showed great strength and restraint by not fighting back. As someone once said, "Pilate has the army, but Jesus has the power. Pilate has the throne, but Jesus has the authority. Pilate asks the questions, but Jesus holds all the answers."

2. The Centurion saw Jesus' serenity. Not only did Jesus show great strength, he showed great peace in his death. Most people meet death struggling to find a way to get out of it. But, Jesus Christ willingly went to the cross. The reason why he was able to demonstrate great peacefulness in his death is because he knew that he was fulfilling God's purpose for his life.

3. The Centurion saw Jesus' sympathy. In his waning moments on the cross, Jesus demonstrated his love and care for others. At a time when most people would have been concerned only about themselves and easing their pain, Jesus showed that he was most concerned about the people around him.…

TEXT: John 19:25-27

In the midst of the Passion story, we often overlook the fact that there was one disciple who stayed close to Jesus throughout the trial and crucifixion. This disciple was the apostle John. He was a man who came from a family of some means, he owned a house in Jerusalem, and he was the younger brother of James. He and his brother were dubbed by Christ the "sons of thunder" due to their hot tempers. John was a fisherman and likely first heard about Jesus from the preaching of John the Baptist who proclaimed Christ to be the "lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." Shortly thereafter, Jesus called John to become a fisher of men, and John left his occupation to follow Christ. He became a member of Christ's inner circle of disciples, along with James and Peter.

John is referred to as the disciple whom Jesus loved. As you read John's Gospel, you will notice that love is one of John's major themes, along with the themes of truth and light. John repeatedly contrasts truth with lies, light with darkness, and love with hate. In the three epistles which bear his name, these themes are reiterated over and over again.

I believe that just as Jesus loved John, John loved Jesus. John was the disciple who sat beside Jesus at the Last Supper. In Jewish culture, the person who sat beside a host at dinner was considered an honored guest. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, John and Peter were the only ones to follow Him to the place where the trial was being held. Because John was acquainted with the high priest, he was let in. Perhaps he was able to observe the trial. He followed Jesus once the Jewish authorities took him to Pilate, and he followed Jesus from the place of his trial to Golgotha. We find him standing with Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene at the foot of the cross.

Why did John stay with Jesus when all of the other disciples had fled? I believe it is simply because throughout his experience following Jesus Christ, John realized that Jesus was truly God's Son, and that as such, God was demonstrating his love for the world through Jesus Christ. Let's look at what this meant in the life of John the apostle.

1. John experienced true love. John was an eyewitness to the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. Jesus expressed his love for his disciples in his prayer for them in John 17. He said, "I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them." Jesus wanted his disciples to experience the same love from God that Jesus Himself felt from God.

2. John was called to demonstrate love. As Jesus hung on the cross, he looked down, and the Bible tells us that he saw John and his mother standing there. Jesus "saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."

3. John encouraged others to live a life of love. Not only did John experience Jesus' love and demonstrate Jesus' love, but he encouraged others to live a life of love after the pattern of Jesus Christ. …

Praying Through the Bible #31 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Chronicles 30:15-20

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 30 messages in this series.

This is message #31 titled "Loving Sinners and Praying for Sinners".

Our passage for today is set in the time of the Divided Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The northern kingdom of Israel had been defeated by the Assyrian army. God allowed the Assyrian army to take over Israel because Israel had turned to worshiping idols and, despite numerous warnings, refused to turn back to God. However, the southern kingdom of Judah was still holding on, and at this time, the southern kingdom had a righteous leader, King Hezekiah. Having seen what happened to the northern kingdom, Hezekiah planned a large Passover celebration at Jerusalem and invited the people who remained in the land of Israel to attend as well. Seeing that the northern kingdom was without a real leader, this was probably Hezekiah's attempt to unite all of the children of Israel as one nation once again.

Hezekiah's decision to invite the idolatrous northern tribes to Jerusalem for the Passover may have been a controversial one. But, God's hand was with Hezekiah, and He guided him in putting together this great event. Today, I want us to notice three things that Hezekiah did that the church today can learn from when we are dealing with the world, or even when we are dealing with other Christians who have fallen into sin and unrepentance.

1. Notice that Hezekiah worked to make sure his own people were right with God. What do you think would have happened if the members of the northern tribes came to the Passover celebration, and they found that the children of Judah were not right with God themselves? Well, the Israelites would have mocked them. They would have said, 'How dare you invite us to celebrate Passover when you're not right with God yourselves.'

2. Notice that Hezekiah lovingly invited those who were not righteous to the feast. The northern kingdom had been hit hard by Assyria. Many of those of royal blood and those of the upper classes had been taken captive. Most of the people who were left behind were poor commoners who were farmers struggling to survive. These people had a religion that was corrupted -- the worship of Jehovah mixed with pagan rituals. Yet, despite such a sad state of affairs, Hezekiah wanted to invite them to the Passover feast in Jerusalem.

3. Notice how Hezekiah prayed for the children of the northern kingdom. Once the Passover celebration was underway, Hezekiah realized that many of the people whom he had invited from the northern kingdom were ritually unclean and thus, according to Mosaic Law, should not be partaking in the Passover meal. The Bible says that "a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written."…

TEXT: John 19:25-27

We often speak of Mary in her role of giving birth to Jesus Christ. Not much attention is paid to Mary's presence at Jesus' crucifixion. However, this detail is so important that all four of the Gospel narratives record Mary's presence at the foot of the cross. As we continue our series on the unsung heroes of Easter, I want us to take a look at Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

But before we get deep into the significance of Mary at the foot of the cross, I want us to be clear that unlike many Catholics, we do not worship or pray to Mary. Mary is just a woman who God saw fit to use to bring His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Pastor and author, Dr. John MacArthur, says as much in his expansive teaching on the heresies of the Catholic church, "Catholic tradition dictates that Mary is part of the monarchy of heaven, soliciting grace and mercy from the Lord on behalf of sinners, and covering sin by distributing from her Treasury of Merit. She became a co-redeemer with Christ in His suffering on the cross, and is now a co-mediator alongside Him in heaven—essentially an alternative avenue of access to God. She replaces the Holy Spirit in bestowing aid and comfort to believers. In effect, she becomes an additional member of the Trinity....Scripture actually has very little to say about Mary. There’s no description of her physical appearance, nothing about her life, her later years after Christ’s death, or her own death and burial. And when she does briefly appear with the disciples and the other believers on the day of Pentecost, she’s not an object of worship or even a leader in the early church—she’s just one among many. There simply are no biblical examples of anyone ever praying to her, honoring her, or venerating her."

Mary was just a young woman from an ordinary family when the calling of God first came on her life. She was told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a child. Of course, this was news that turned her whole life upside down. She had the unenviable task of explaining to her family and to Joseph, whom she was engaged to, that she was pregnant and yet still a virgin. She gave birth in a manger surrounded not by family and friends, but by animals. Shortly after that, she had to escape to Egypt because King Herod wanted her child dead. And when she and Joseph returned to Israel, Mary, like all mothers, had to deal with the difficult process of Jesus Christ growing up, becoming a man and moving out to do his "father's business."

When Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus up to the Temple, a man of God named Simeon told Mary, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

I have often wondered what Simeon meant by saying that a sword would pierce Mary's soul as well. Perhaps he was trying to tell Mary that life after giving birth to the Son of God would not be easy. There would be difficult things she had to go through emotionally and spiritually. Like any mother would, Mary felt pain every time she heard insults, accusations, and slander against God's Son whom she had been used to bring into the world. The lashes of the whip that tore at Jesus' skin, tore at Mary's soul. There were probably countless times when she wanted to rush to Jesus' defense. But, not one time in the Bible do we see Mary in the middle of an outburst. She never made a scene. She didn't try to take matters into her own hand. Whenever we see Mary, we see a calm, strong, peaceful woman. What was Mary's secret? What caused her to be so peaceful in the middle of the storms and upheaval that surrounded her firstborn son?…

TEXT: Mark 15:12-21

Some of the most significant events in our lives happen unexpectedly. We do not plan them. We do not prepare for them. They seemingly happen by chance; however, we know that nothing happens by chance. Today, as we continue our series on the Unsung Heroes of Easter, I want to talk about a man who had a surprise encounter with God. His name is Simon, and the Bible tells us that he was from Cyrene. Cyrene was the capital city of a Roman province in North Africa, an area which we know as Libya today. It had a sizable population of Greek-speaking Jews who had immigrated there about 300 years before Christ was born. Simon was either a member of this Jewish population, or he was a native African who worshipped the God of the Jews. Simon happened to be in Jerusalem for the observance of Passover, as many Jews who lived abroad and many Gentiles who feared God traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate this important holiday.

Now, as we move along, we find that during the time of Passover, as Simon was coming out of the countryside into the city of Jerusalem, a strange procession met him. At the head of this procession was a group of Roman soldiers surrounding a beaten and bloodied man who was struggling to carry a cross up the hillside. Behind them, were spectators, Jewish religious leaders, and women weeping. Simon probably tried to get out of the way, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he joined the crowd lining the street to watch the procession. As it passed before him, the man carrying the cross stumbled and fell. Despite the urging of the soldiers, he was unable to carry the cross any further.

One of the soldiers looks into the crowd of spectators. He sees Simon standing there and grabs him, pulls him into the pathway, and orders him to pick up the cross and carry it up the hillside. Any number of men could have been chosen to carry Jesus' cross. But God saw fit that Simon was standing in that exact place at that exact time for him to be called on to bear the cross of Christ. As he stooped down to lift the heavy wooden beam, Simon found himself face-to-face with God.

People often meet God in the unlikeliest of places and under the unlikeliest of circumstances. As Paul says in the book of Acts, "God is not far from every one of us." And it is a beautiful thing when God decides to reveal Himself to an unsuspecting person. Simon was perhaps on his way to join his family in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, when God interrupted his plans and said, 'I want you to bear the cross of My Holy Son and the Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ.'

1. Notice the Beauty of Cross-bearing. Simon probably did not think that helping a criminal carry a cross was something he would be doing once he got to Jerusalem. As his grip closed on the rough wood, he probably wondered, 'Why me? Look at all these people standing around. Why did they have to pick me?' When God thrusts us into an uncomfortable situation, isn't that how we react? We wonder, 'Why is this happening to me?' But eventually we come to the realization that God is directing us, and we learn to trust his leadership.

2. Notice the Burden of Cross-bearing. While the end result of Simon's encounter with Jesus Christ was a beautiful thing, his journey up to Golgotha was difficult. It was brutal and bloody. Cruel Roman soldiers hurried them along likely cracking whips, jabbing them with spear butts, and cursing along the way. A jeering, judgmental crowd followed them. A few weeping, compassionate women tried to get close to Jesus. The heavy, wooden beam pressed into Simon's back. It was not easy carrying Christ's cross.

3. Notice the Blessing of Cross-bearing. Even though cross-bearing is difficult, there is a certain blessing mixed in with this difficulty. Realizing these blessings will help us bear our cross with confidence.…

TEXT: John 19:25-27

We often speak of Mary in her role of giving birth to Jesus Christ. Not much attention is paid to Mary's presence at Jesus' crucifixion. However, this detail is so important that all four of the Gospel narratives record Mary's presence at the foot of the cross. As we continue our series on the unsung heroes of Easter, I want us to take a look at Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

But before we get deep into the significance of Mary at the foot of the cross, I want us to be clear that unlike many Catholics, we do not worship or pray to Mary. Mary is just a woman who God saw fit to use to bring His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. Pastor and author, Dr. John MacArthur, says as much in his expansive teaching on the heresies of the Catholic church, "Catholic tradition dictates that Mary is part of the monarchy of heaven, soliciting grace and mercy from the Lord on behalf of sinners, and covering sin by distributing from her Treasury of Merit. She became a co-redeemer with Christ in His suffering on the cross, and is now a co-mediator alongside Him in heaven—essentially an alternative avenue of access to God. She replaces the Holy Spirit in bestowing aid and comfort to believers. In effect, she becomes an additional member of the Trinity....Scripture actually has very little to say about Mary. There’s no description of her physical appearance, nothing about her life, her later years after Christ’s death, or her own death and burial. And when she does briefly appear with the disciples and the other believers on the day of Pentecost, she’s not an object of worship or even a leader in the early church—she’s just one among many. There simply are no biblical examples of anyone ever praying to her, honoring her, or venerating her."

Mary was just a young woman from an ordinary family when the calling of God first came on her life. She was told by the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a child. Of course, this was news that turned her whole life upside down. She had the unenviable task of explaining to her family and to Joseph, whom she was engaged to, that she was pregnant and yet still a virgin. She gave birth in a manger surrounded not by family and friends, but by animals. Shortly after that, she had to escape to Egypt because King Herod wanted her child dead. And when she and Joseph returned to Israel, Mary, like all mothers, had to deal with the difficult process of Jesus Christ growing up, becoming a man and moving out to do his "father's business."

When Mary and Joseph took the infant Jesus up to the Temple, a man of God named Simeon told Mary, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

I have often wondered what Simeon meant by saying that a sword would pierce Mary's soul as well. Perhaps he was trying to tell Mary that life after giving birth to the Son of God would not be easy. There would be difficult things she had to go through emotionally and spiritually. Like any mother would, Mary felt pain every time she heard insults, accusations, and slander against God's Son whom she had been used to bring into the world. The lashes of the whip that tore at Jesus' skin, tore at Mary's soul. There were probably countless times when she wanted to rush to Jesus' defense. But, not one time in the Bible do we see Mary in the middle of an outburst. She never made a scene. She didn't try to take matters into her own hand. Whenever we see Mary, we see a calm, strong, peaceful woman. What was Mary's secret? What caused her to be so peaceful in the middle of the storms and upheaval that surrounded her firstborn son?…

  They are the most-attended sporting events in the United States. Tens of thousands of excited, passionate fans gather in the stands and the infield to watch race cars zoom around a racetrack at over 180 miles per hour mere feet, and sometimes mere inches, from one another. The high-energy, heart-racing event is watched by [...]…

They are the most-attended sporting events in the United States. Tens of thousands of excited, passionate fans gather in the stands and the infield to watch race cars zoom around a racetrack at over 180 miles per hour mere feet, and sometimes mere inches, from one another. The high-energy, heart-racing event is watched by millions more on television. Almost nothing else on earth can compare to the breathtaking spectacle. Yes, a NASCAR race is the ultimate thrill ride.

But with such a thrill ride, comes the threat of danger. One month ago, a terrible crash at a race the day before the Daytona 500 underscored the risk that fans and drivers take when they go out to the racetrack. One of the women who suffered broken bones from the crash described it as a "scene from a horror movie." Not only have drivers and fans been injured at these events, but the specter of death is always present as well. The careers of some of NASCAR's most promising drivers -- such as Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin Jr., and perhaps the sport's most notable figure, Dale Earnhardt -- have been cut short by deadly crashes on the race track.

The danger of a thrilling NASCAR race also tells us something about life. Many people go through life searching for thrills in many different ways: a whirlwind romance, getting high on drugs, the perfect marriage, an expensive vacation, promiscuous sexual activity, or a concert or sporting event that they eagerly look forward to.

All of these things may sound and be exciting, but they each come with their own risks and, on top of that, they don't last forever. Whirlwind romances often end just as fast as they began. Drug highs never last, frequently turn into addictions, and often damage a person's body beyond repair. All marriages have their share of troubles and difficulties, and many seemingly "perfect" marriages end in divorce. As much as we may like them to, vacations don't last forever, and one always has to return to an often mundane everyday life. Illicit sexual activity leads to broken hearts, broken relationships, and sometimes sexually transmitted diseases. And a concert or sporting event, no matter how exciting while it is going on, always comes to an end.

After going through such experiences, we are often left wondering if there is anything in life that can permanently satisfy and fulfill our heart's desires and our deepest longings. I'm here to tell you that there is. But such satisfaction and fulfillment is not found in events or in things. It is found in a person whose name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ said, "I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

+ Plus, listen to Tobymac singing "Made to Love"…

He is the founder and president of the largest arts and crafts store chain in the United States, which has over 500 stores and 21 thousand employees. He is a member of the Forbes 400 and is worth $4.5 billion dollars, making him #79 on the list of the richest people in America.

Even though each of his five siblings grew up to became preachers or preachers' wives, he fell in love with the idea of selling things after graduating from high school. While he was working as a manager at a five-and-dime store, he borrowed $600 to buy the equipment he needed to start his own business, and in 1972, he opened his first store. Even though his fast growing company was initially a success, it experienced a "brush with death" in 1985. He described the issue as a problem with his leadership style. He said, "It was a pride problem, and I had to get rid of it. It's sort of like God said to me, because I was arrogant, 'I'm going to let you have it by yourself.'" He found the solution to the company's problems by getting under his desk and praying for help.

Attributing the company's present success to God, he says, "If you have anything or if I have anything, it's because it's been given to us by our Creator. So I have learned to say, 'Look, this is yours, God. It's all yours. I'm going to give it to you.'" Today, he gives half of the company's profits toward operations that share Christ with others. Through foundations he supports, he has already distributed nearly 1.4 billion copies of Gospel literature in more than 100 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia. He also sponsors the YouVersion Bible app which is available in 144 languages and has been downloaded more than 85 million times. He says, "I don't know how to get anywhere else unless you start with that one thing: that the Bible is God's word."

Regarding his strong commitment to sharing Christ, he says, "My company is worth billions of dollars. So what? Is that the end of life, making more money and building something? For me, I want to know that I have affected people for eternity. I believe I am [doing that]. I believe once someone knows Christ as their personal savior, I've affected eternity." His name is David Green and he is the founder and president of Hobby Lobby.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #104

TEXT: Matthew 27:11-20

On this Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week, I am beginning an eight-part series titled "The Unsung Heroes of Easter." Because of the fast-moving, epic events of Holy Week, we often miss the small, seemingly insignificant, characters of the Easter story. Only a verse or two is dedicated to their actions in the Biblical record, and we do not know that much more about them from extra-Biblical records. But, as in all vast, sweeping historical events, it is the little-known individuals who carry out deeds of kindness, love, and bravery. They may only get a footnote in history, but their actions echo down to us today.

In this series, we are going to look at eight people whose lives were touched by Christ's journey to the cross. We are going to start out by taking a look at Pilate's wife. Neither the Bible nor history tells us much about Pilate's wife. Church tradition indicates that her name was Claudia Procula, and that she later became a follower of Christ. The Greek Orthodox Church regards her as a saint. Other than that, her page in history is blank. But, we do have this one verse in Matthew where we find that her story intersected with the story of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 27:19 says, "When he (that is, Pilate) was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

Scientists tell us that our minds generate dreams based on events from day-to-day life. Our dreams are also affected by what we eat and drink before we go to sleep. While most dreams of this nature are meaningless, the Bible tells us that God sometimes sends people dreams that they should pay attention to. Pilate's wife, whom we will refer to as Claudia for the purposes of this message, experiences one of these kinds of dreams -- a dream so terrible and dreadful that it caused anxiety or mental torment or anguish. It was a nightmare from Heaven.

It is interesting that Matthew's Gospel begins and ends with dreams. What is of particular interest is the dreams that were sent to Gentiles: at the beginning of this gospel, God saves the Wise Men from Herod's wrath by sending them a dream with a warning to escape, and at the end of this gospel, God sends a dream to Pilate's wife which prompts her to send a warning to Pilate in an attempt to save Jesus.

We do not know the contents of Claudia's dream. Spurgeon and other theologians have speculated that Claudia may have dreamed of one of three things. Perhaps she saw Jesus Christ suffering on the cross. Surely, the blood streaming down his body, his anguished cries, and the crown of thorn crushed cruelly atop his head would have vexed this woman's heart. Surely it would have moved her to send a message to Pilate to have nothing to do with this Just Man.

Perhaps she saw Christ seated in all his glory at the Great White Throne Judgment and she and her husband standing there before him -- the same one whom Pilate had judged was about to judge him and decree his eternal fate. Certainly that would have moved her greatly.

Or perhaps, and most terribly of all, she saw her husband being tormented by flames in the dark pit that knows no bottom. Such a terrible dream -- a nightmare from Heaven -- would have moved her to plead with her husband for the innocent Christ to be left alone.

These are just the ideas that some have proposed down through the centuries regarding what Pilate's wife may have dreamed about on that day when Jesus was sentenced to die. But, whatever the contents of the dream, God thought it necessary for one of the gospel writers to include it in his account of the events of Holy Week, and I believe there are three messages that are given to us through this simple, one-verse record.

…

Praying Through the Bible #30 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Chronicles 7:12-15

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 29 messages in this series.

This is message #30 titled "What Would Happen if God's People Stop Playing and Start Praying? (Part 2)"

Last week, we began looking at some familiar verses in 2 Chronicles chapter 7. Most of us have heard these verses time and time again, and we think that we know them well. But, in times of crisis, it is good to look back at lessons from the past, and see how those lessons can help us today. George Santayana said, "Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it." So, we are looking at these words that God gave to Solomon hundreds of years ago, and applying them to our present situation.

We have already seen from these verses that God expects to hear from His people in prayer. He expects us to pray humbly, and not only to pray, but to turn away from our sins as well. Today, let's look at the response that God promises if we do all three of these things.

1. God will hear our prayers. Perhaps you have heard people say, 'It doesn't feel like my prayers are getting past the roof' or 'All my prayers just seem to hit the ceiling.' Perhaps you have said something like this yourself. The person who says this is expressing his or her view that their prayers are not getting through to God.

God has a promise for believers who take the steps that we discussed last week: pray, seek God's face, humble themselves, and repent of their sins. God will begin to hear our prayers once again.

2. God will forgive us of our sins. Yes, the next thing that God promises to do for us is, He will forgive us of our sins. First John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, God will be faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. Forgiveness is a result of going to God in prayer and confessing our sins.

3. God will restore his blessings to us. In verse 14 God says that He will "heal their land". This means that God will remove the curses, and restore the hand of blessing to the nation of Israel. If we look at verse 13, we will remember that these prayers are made on an occasion when God 'has shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if locusts are devouring crops, or if God has caused a pestilence, that is an epidemic disease, to spread throughout the population.' God is saying that if His people pray humbly and confess and repent of their sins, he will remove these curses from the land. He will "heal the land", and restore his blessings upon it.…

  Have you ever wronged someone and failed to go back and make the situation right with them? Perhaps it was a family member, a co-worker, a friend, or a spouse who you offended. Such a situation often leads to resentment, non-communication, and even hatred. You and the other person may find it hard to [...]…

He is a former NASCAR driver and is currently a co-host for NASCAR RaceDay and panel member for NASCAR Smarts. He participated in 885 races during his career. He came in first place eight times and finished in the top ten 184 times. He is active in many charitable causes, such as the Victory Junction Gang Camp for terminally-ill children, which he established to honor his late son, as well as an annual charity motorcycle ride across the country called the Chick-fil-a Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America which raises money to support terminally-ill children.

He accepted Christ as his Saviour after a racing-related accident took the life of his uncle. He said, "When I was 15, my uncle was killed in a pit road accident, and I was right there with him. I realized how close I came to being killed. If I was going to be in this sport, I needed Someone to protect me. You can't do it on your own. I gave my life over to the Lord. Every time I get into a race car, I turn everything over to Him. Unless you build your house on the Rock, Jesus, it's going to fall."

His faith in God helped carry him and his wife through the grief that followed the death of their son who also lost his life on the racetrack. He said, "I must have gotten 20 million help books on how to deal with grief. But the only help book there is is the Bible. Walk to your Bible, open up your Bible and the Lord will lead you to a passage. There's a relevant passage that he will lead you to to deal with what's going on in your life today. And that's everyday -- not just in the hard times... God wouldn't give me more than I can handle. I can handle this, but I can't handle it alone. By saying, 'Lord, you've got to help me,' that burden is lifted off your shoulders. It's still hard, but there's always help there and you always feel like somebody's walking with you... It's just an amazing comfort to know that you can turn everything over to Jesus Christ." His name is Kyle Petty.…

Bible Prophecy Series #2

TEXT: 2 Peter 3:6-10

I mentioned last week that after I got saved, I began looking for the Lord to come every day. I was eagerly anticipating his return, and I still am today. However, the Lord did not come back when I expected him to, and, today, I have children who are growing into young adults. Lord willing, they have many years ahead of them. But I often remind them that not only can death cut their life short, but the Rapture can take place at any moment.

We know from Scripture that the early Christians had this same anticipation of Christ's Second Coming. Over in First Thessalonians, Paul had to comfort some believers who thought that those people who had died before Christ returned would not be able to experience the joy of His Second Coming. And in our passage today, we see that Peter had to affirm for some believers that even though "scoffers" mocked the promise of Christ's return, that Jesus would keep His promise and return to gather believers to himself.

However, in verse 9, he gives us some very important information. He tells us why the Lord tarries. Let's look at the reason he gives, and the implications it has for us today.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #103

TEXT: Psalm 22:1-5

In 1991, few people were thinking of a place called Bangladesh. Most people knew it was somewhere on the other side of the world, and that was it. However, on the night of April 29th, a cyclone hit the Bay of Bengal and suddenly Bangladesh was front page news. Over 130,000 people died in the disaster, and millions more were left homeless. Many people simply vanished beneath the rising water, their bodies swept out to sea. At that time, Bangladesh was already one of the poorest countries in the world. Now amid the death, disease, loss, and starvation, the anguished cry from many survivors was "Why has God forsaken us?"

That question echoes from the many events that cause despair and desperation in our lives. Not only from large-scale disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, but from a single mother who has lost her job and is wondering how she can provide for her children. It echoes from the heart of a parent who has found out that their beloved child has a terminal illness and there is no hope for recovery. This cry echoes from the soul of a young man who once had a bright future but got caught up in drugs, drinking, and violence, and is now sitting, homeless, in an alley somewhere wondering if his life will ever amount to anything?

Perhaps some of you have wondered this same thing at moments of utter despair in your life: "Why has God forsaken me?" But long before we ever asked such a question, we find that it was asked in the pages of Scripture. We would see this question as a human outcry against what we may feel is unfair or unjust. But, today, I want us to look at this question from a spiritual perspective, and that perspective is given to us in Psalm 22.

+ Plus, listen to Candi Staton singing "Love Lifted Me" and Dottie Peoples singing "Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?"…

Have you ever wronged someone and failed to go back and make the situation right with them? Perhaps it was a family member, a co-worker, a friend, or a spouse who you offended. Such a situation often leads to resentment, non-communication, and even hatred. You and the other person may find it hard to speak to each other or to work together. If you don't go back and make it right, it may seem as though a brick wall has risen up between the two of you.

Did you know that such a wall exists between you and the most important, most powerful being in the universe. Yes, from the time we are born, a wall is standing between us and God.

+ Plus, listen to Tobymac singing "Me Without You"…

Praying Through the Bible #29 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Chronicles 7:12-15

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 28 messages in this series.

This is message #29 titled "What Would Happen if God's People Would Stop Playing and Start Praying? (Part 1)"

King Solomon, the son of King David, was the third king of Israel. He was the one who built the magnificent temple in Jerusalem which was dedicated to the worship and service of God. Our passage today tells us of God's second appearance to Solomon which came after the dedication of this Temple. The first time God appeared to Solomon, God told Solomon to ask of him anything and he would give it to him. As you know, Solomon asked for wisdom. Because Solomon asked for wisdom, God said that he would also gave him riches, long life, and a peaceful reign.

Now, after Solomon has finished building the Temple, God appears to him again. This appearance came at a particularly dangerous time in Solomon's life -- it came after a season of great blessing and accomplishment -- a dangerous time because after seasons of blessing and accomplishment, we have a tendency to stop doing what we were doing that brought the blessings and accomplishments. G. Campbell Morgan said, "No height attained, no work done, no blessing received, is in itself sufficient to ensure our continuance in the favor of God. Nothing but continued faithfulness can do that."

Sometimes, we fail to continue being faithful in doing the things that brought the blessing, not only in our personal lives, but also as a church family, as a community, and as a nation. I read an article that gave a report on some research that showed how that the more prosperous a nation was economically, the less religious that nation became. In fact, some of the most religious nations on this earth are also some of the poorest nations. The implication seems to be that when a nation or a people gain success and prosperity, they tend to push God and faith to the sidelines. That is what happened in Solomon's life. That is what eventually happened to the nation of Israel. And that is what is happening to America today.

In response to this action, God often sends punishment on that person or on that nation. God says to Solomon, "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people..." These bad things will begin to happen if a nation turns away from God. But God's punishment does not indicate that he is forsaking and abandoning us. On the contrary, God's punishment reflects his desire for us to learn the lessons that he is trying to teach us so that we can begin receiving his blessings once again. And if we are serious about learning those lessons, God also tells us what we should do in response. He says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways..." This is the role that we have to play in order to turn things around in our lives and in our nation. Let's dig into this passage and see what would happen if God's people would stop playing and start praying.…

  This past week, Hugo Chavez, who served as president of Venezuela for fourteen years, died. In June 2011, it was revealed that he had gone to Cuba for surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Even though he declared himself fully recovered in July 2012, just four months later, he was back in Cuba for [...]…

How to Handle Persecution #23 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Genesis 45:1-8

During our last time together, we saw how God raised up Joseph from the prison to a position of power in Egypt. After Joseph interpreted Pharaoh's dream through the spirit of God, Pharaoh appointed Joseph to take charge over the entire land during the seven years of plenty so that the seven years of famine would not be so devastating. Joseph wisely stored up extra crops during the seven years of plenty so that when the famine hit, he could distribute it to the people of Egypt.

At that time, Egypt was the only major power in that part of the world. So when the famine affected that entire region, all of the people in that region looked to Egypt for assistance. The Bible tells us that the famine also affected Joseph's family back in Canaan. Jacob, his eleven other sons, and their families soon ran out of food, so Jacob sent his sons down to Egypt to buy food from Pharaoh. The Bible relates to us how Joseph tested his brothers to see if they were truly sorry for the wrong that they had done to him those many years ago. We are not going to get in to that part of the story today, however, suffice it to say that they indeed passed the tests. Joseph saw that they truly had changed and were sorry for what they had done. It was at this point that Joseph decided to reveal himself to them, and that is where we pick up on the story today. …

He is a hip hop artist and music producer. He is president of the independent record label Dedicated Music Group. Before becoming a Christian, he was a member of the Oscar winning, platinum-selling rap group Three 6 Mafia, which became famous for their hit song, "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." He received a Grammy award nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album of the year and a 2010 GMA Dove Award nomination for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the year. His first Christian solo album, "The Future" was released in 2005 and debuted at No. 15 on Billboard's Gospel Chart. "Hope Dealer" was released in 2007 and "Thrilla" was released in 2009.

As a member of Three 6 Mafia, which was known for its profane lyrics, he was a rising rap star with money, fame and a gold record -- all before the age of 21. After being on tour for nearly a year, he made a return trip to his hometown of Memphis to surprise his family. Arriving on a Sunday morning, he made a stop at his home church, not knowing that he would leave that service a changed man. He said of that time, "I heard God speak to me during service, and He gave me a vision of what He wanted me to do. Based on that experience, I decided to give my life to God right then and there." After giving his life to Christ, he now leads his own record label and a hip-hop influenced church, City of Refuge in Memphis. He is on a mission to win youth to Christ. He said, "I want youth to see they can have fun and still represent Christ. It does not matter what you did the night before; I am giving this word and I want these people to feel the love of Christ in their lives." His name is Delmar "Mr. Del" Lawrence.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #102

TEXT: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Italian historian and philospher Niccolò Machiavelli said, "Men in general judge more from appearances than from reality. All men have eyes, but few have the gift of penetration."

We live in a society where much emphasis is placed on a person's outward appearance. We make judgments of people based on how they look on the outside, instead of taking the time to learn more about their character and personality -- how they really are on the inside. How many people have gotten into relationships with somebody who looked like they had it all together on the outside, but after a few weeks or months with that person, they found out that that person was not all they appeared to be. Appearances can be deceiving.

Today, I want us to look at a man who looked like he had it altogether. He looked like he was a born leader. He was somebody the people of his nation were willing to follow. However, he failed them because, even though he looked good on the outside, there was something wrong in his heart. He did not have the kind of respect for and relationship with God that he needed to have.

First, we'll take a look at Saul -- the failed king. Then, we'll look at the type of king God wanted for his people. And, finally, we will look at the selection of David as the king of Israel.

+ Plus, listen to Shirley Caesar singing "Yes, Lord, Yes" and the West Angeles COGIC Choir singing "Lord, Prepare Me To Be A Sanctuary"…

This past week, Hugo Chavez, who served as president of Venezuela for fourteen years, died. In June 2011, it was revealed that he had gone to Cuba for surgery to remove a cancerous tumor. Even though he declared himself fully recovered in July 2012, just four months later, he was back in Cuba for more surgery. His condition worsened as the cancer began to affect his lungs, and after two months of treatment in Cuba, he returned to a military hospital in Venezuela where he remained hospitalized and was "fighting for his life." He developed a "severe respiratory infection", and on March 5, 2013, the government announced that he had died from a massive heart attack. His last words were: "I don't want to die. Please don't let me die."

Hugo Chavez's dying words reflect the desire that all of us have to live forever. Death is a painful, unnatural experience. Painful for the people who are left behind to grieve, and unnatural because in God's original plan, death was never meant to be. However, even though we all have to die physically, the Bible tells us that we can live forever through the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world.

Jesus Christ said in John 5:24: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." The Bible also says in John 3:36: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

These verses tell us that the way to have eternal life is through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour. The life that Jesus Christ provides is permanent -- it lasts forever. Because we live in this sinful world, and because the "wages of sin is death," we will still have to die physically. But instead of fearing what lies on the other side of the door of death, we can be confident and die in peace knowing that Jesus Christ is on the other side of that door and is waiting with open arms to receive us into Heaven.

The great evangelist D.L. Moody said that when he died, he would actually be more alive than ever before. And, as he lay on his deathbed, he exclaimed, "Earth recedes and Heaven opens before me!" If you know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, death will only be a transition from Earth to Heaven. Even though you will pass from this earth physically, you will be entering upon a new, eternal, existence in Heaven.

Wouldn't you like to have this wonderful assurance about death? Wouldn't you like to know that you are going to a better place when you die? You can know this today if you accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and here is how you can do that right now:

+ Plus, listen to Bethel Live singing "Forever and a Day"…

Bible Prophecy Series #1

TEXT: Mark 13:32-37

Before Jesus Christ went to the cross to accomplish the work which he was sent to do on this earth, he informed his disciples of "the things which will be hereafter". In other words, He told them what would happen in the end times after he had established his church on earth and gone back to Heaven. He told them of certain signs which would shake the earth and make us aware of his impending return. These events include:

1. Wars and rumors of wars
2. Increased persecution
3. Famines, diseases, and epidemic
4. Earthquakes and natural disasters
5. "False Christs and false prophets" arising
6. Strange signs in the heavens
7. An increase in violence and immorality

We have seen all of these signs in some form or another just over the past few years. This tells us that the return of Christ is imminent. No, we cannot pinpoint the time of his return. And it is foolish for us to try to do so. But we must be ever aware of the fact that that time is soon at hand.

This message today is the first in a series of messages that I will be giving on the end times. Lord willing, over the next several months, we will work our way through a timeline of the events that will occur, starting with the rapture, and ending with the return of Christ to the earth to establish his kingdom, and then the passing away of this heaven and earth and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.

The first thing that will happen in the climatic series of events marking the last days is the rapture of the church. We will be addressing this event in more detail next week. However, while we are waiting eagerly for the rapture, Jesus Christ does not want us to sit on our hands. In fact, he gave us specific instructions about what He wants us to do. He wants us to be about our "Father's business."

In Mark 13:32-37, Jesus Christ tells his disciples what he expects them to be doing while they are waiting for his return. Today, I want to talk with you briefly about this passage, because we ought to be doing the same things as well.…

Praying Through the Bible #28 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 1 Chronicles 21:13-17

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 27 messages in this series.

This is message #28 titled "David's Other Sin."

We oftentimes talk about David's sins of adultery and murder. But, we rarely hear about David's sin of pride as recorded in our passage today. This sin came at a time late in David's reign, when the nation was at rest from all of its enemies, when the country was prosperous and at peace. Oftentimes, when things have been going well for people for some time, they have a tendency to make a mistake which causes them to mess things up. These mistakes happen because they grow lax in their devotion to God, they are not as vigilant in resisting the devil, and they allow a little temptation to slip past the door of their hearts. Just this past week, I had to remind my family that when things are going well, they have to be extra soberminded, and extra prayerful, because those are the times when the devil is waiting in the corner ready to pounce on somebody who has let their guard down.

In our passage today, we find that David let his guard down at a time when things were doing well. And because he did not resist the devil, he messed up in a big way.

1. How did David let his guard down? In the midst of the prosperity and success of the kingdom, the Bible says that "Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel." This is the first time the word "Satan" is used as a proper name in the Bible. The name "Satan" means adversary or one who withstands. Satan was the enemy of Israel and he was trying to get King David to do something that he knew God would be displeased with. He was trying to get David to number the fighting men of Israel. The Hebrew word for "provoke" means to "incite" of to "lure". Satan started to mess with David's mind, telling him how great he was, feeding his pride and his ego, until David decided he wanted to know how many men he had at his command.

2. Notice the punishment that resulted from David's sin. The Bible says that after Joab brought the results of the census back to David, "God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel." The Hebrew word for smite has several meanings ranging from killing someone to a plague that affects crops. But verse 14 of our passage tells us that God sent a pestilence against Israel that caused seventy thousand men of Israel to die. The very thing which had become the source of David's pride was now the source of David's pain and punishment.

3. Notice how David repented. The Bible says that when David saw the destruction of the people of Israel, he said to God, "Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father's house; but not on thy people, that they should be plagued." David admitted his sin and admitted that he deserved his punishment. He asked God to have mercy on the children of Israel. Thankfully, David was a man who kept short accounts with God. He did not let sin pile up in his life. Whenever he was confronted with his own wrongdoing, either by God or by others, he immediately confessed and repented in prayer to God. …

This past week, the world witnessed the resignation of Pope Benedict the 16th. To the surprise and disappointment of many people around the world, the now Pope Emeritus decided that he was no longer strong enough to be the leader of the over 1.2 billion strong Catholic Church. He became the first Pope in over [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #101

TEXT: Ruth 4:1-10

Have you ever been expecting somebody to do something and then found out that they were unable or unwilling to do it? Sometimes it is not a big deal, but at other times it is a cause for great disappointment. The fact is that, in life, people let us down and often fail to do their responsibilities. If we are honest with ourselves, we would admit that each of us have probably let someone down in our own lives, or failed to fulfill a responsibility that we were obligated to fulfill.

In our passage today, from the book of Ruth, we read about a man who could not fulfill a duty that was expected of him in relation to Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite man. However, after her husband died, she returned to the land of Israel along with her mother-in-law, Naomi, because there was a famine in Moab. Once they arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth went to work in the fields of a man named Boaz to provide for herself and her mother-in-law. God blessed Ruth to find favor in the sight of Boaz, and Boaz made sure that Ruth had everything she needed to take care of herself and Naomi.

One day, as Ruth came home with an abundance of food, she told Naomi about the kindness that Boaz had shown to her. Naomi informed Ruth that Boaz was one of their near-kinsmen, or close male relatives, and that as such, he was required under the Mosaic law to fulfill the role of the "kinsman redeemer." A kinsman redeemer was required to do several things on behalf of his brother and his brother's family.

All of these tasks were spelled out in the law which God gave to Moses for the children of Israel. Ruth and Naomi expected Boaz to fulfill his role as the kinsman redeemer which would involve buying the property of Naomi’s family and marrying Ruth. However, first today, I want us to look at another man who should have been the redeemer.

1. Let’s take a look at this ‘redeemer’ who could not redeem. One night, Ruth approached Boaz about fulfilling his role as the kinsman redeemer. Boaz was very interested in doing both of these things, however, Boaz was an upright and honest man who wanted to obey God's law above all. Boaz knew that there was another man who was even more closely related to Ruth and Naomi than he was, and he knew it was right to give that man a chance to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer first.

2. Now, let's look at the requirement that stood in the way of redemption. You might be wondering why Boaz did not just go ahead and marry Ruth and buy the land. Well, the law required that the nearest of kin be given the opportunity to do so first. And, as we have said before, Boaz was not the nearest of kin. Boaz was a righteous man, and so he gave the other man who was more closely related the opportunity to do his duty. Boaz fulfilled the requirements of the law.

3. Now I want us to look more closely at Ruth’s redeemer -- the righteous rescuer. You already know his name is Boaz. When the unnamed redeemer failed to fulfill his responsibility, he had to agree to let Boaz do it. The Bible says that “the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.” The taking off of one’s shoe was an ancient custom in Israel. The man who relinquished his right to redeem his brother’s inheritance gave his shoe to the one who would fulfill the requirements of the redeemer. If a man tried to go back on his promise, the other party could bring out the shoe to remind him of their agreement.

+ Plus, listen to Jessy Dixon singing "I Am Redeemed" and Jonathan Butler singing "Let The Redeemed Say So"…

He is a well-known television producer who currently produces five network television programs: Survivor, Celebrity Apprentice, The Voice, Shark Tank, and The Job. He has worked with Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil, Martha Stewart, and Samuel L. Jackson, among many others. His work in the television industry has earned him four Emmy Awards and four People Choice Awards. Currently, he and his wife are producing "The Bible", a 10 hour History Channel drama based upon stories of the Bible.

As a child, he grew up in a strict Scottish Presbyterian/Catholic home where he always saw a Bible and from a young age, he was aware that the Bible contained certain rules to which strict consequences were applied. As he grew older, he became a Christian and his love and passion for the Bible increased. He said in an interview, "People apply personal meanings to the Bible. Our job is to tell the stories in an emotionally connected way." He further says, his previous view of the Bible as just a rule book, "distorted God's love for all of us, because there's only one perfect character, which is Jesus. Everybody else is flawed to a lesser or a greater degree, especially in the time of kings in the Old Testament. Still, God didn't give up, even when people were making the worst mistakes. And I think that relief has made me feel it's a story of love and less about harsh rules."

He says of "The Bible" project that he is working on: "Even though we came into this as people who love the Bible and people who love the Word and who love the Gospel, we have experienced a deepening of our own faith in the three and a half years that we have been working on [The Bible] together. I don't think you can work on the scripture day after day, after day as deeply and for as many hours as we have been, and not be impacted by it." His name is Mark Burnett.…

This past week, the world witnessed the resignation of Pope Benedict the 16th. To the surprise and disappointment of many people around the world, the now Pope Emeritus decided that he was no longer strong enough to be the leader of the over 1.2 billion strong Catholic Church. He became the first Pope in over 600 years to resign while serving in the papal office.

As the world watched the pomp and ceremony of the resignation of Pope Benedict the 16th, many were left wondering who the next leader of the Church would be and whether or not he would be able to handle the numerous scandals that surround it. Perhaps the Pope was not able to handle so many negative situations that have engulfed the church, and thus saw the reason to step down.

As the Cardinals convene to elect a new leader who is expected to take the church in a new direction soon, we must understand that nothing in this world lasts forever. People do not stay in the same position forever. Situations do not stay the same forever. But there is One Who never steps down. He sits on the throne of Heaven and is the ruler of the billions of people that live on the earth. He will never step down or resign from His position as King of kings and Lord of lords. He never gets tired of forgiving people, helping people, and saving people. He stands at the door of every person's heart and is waiting to be allowed in. His name is Jesus Christ and He can be your leader right now and forever. …

Praying Through the Bible #27 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Kings 20:1-11

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 26 messages in this series.

This is message #27 titled "How to Pray for Healing and Life."

As you might recall, our previous two messages in this series came from the life of King Hezekiah as recorded in the book of Second Kings. And our message today also deals with the events in the life of King Hezekiah. If you are wondering why we are talking about Hezekiah so much, it is simply because Hezekiah evidently was a praying man. He understood the power of prayer to God, and he frequently communicated with God in prayer.

However, no matter how spiritual or in tune with God one may be, that does not cause one to be exempt from troubles and problems in this life. God never promised that this life would be smooth sailing, even if you are a follower of Christ. In fact, Jesus Christ promised his disciples that they would certainly have trouble on this side of heaven. And Philip Melanchthon, the German reformer who worked with Martin Luther said, "Trouble and perplexity drive me to prayer and prayer drives away perplexity and trouble."

So, even though Hezekiah was a righteous king; even though he was a good man and a praying man, we see in this passage that trouble visited his house once again. The first two times trouble came, it was in the form of the Assyrian army threatening to destroy Jerusalem. But this third time, trouble hits Hezekiah much closer to home.

1. Notice Hezekiah's severe sickness. The Bible says that "In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death..." What were "those days" that this passage is referring to. Well, historians say that Hezekiah's sickness came during the time of the Assyrian invasion. This was an especially bad time for Hezekiah to fall ill. He had the responsibility of defending Jerusalem against her enemies, he was trying to encourage his people to trust in the Lord and not lose heart, and now, he had to deal with a severe sickness as well. The Bible does not tell us exactly what this sickness is besides the fact that it involved boils on the skin. This was not just a bad case of the flu; this was a sickness that Hezekiah nearly died from.

2. Notice Hezekiah's private prayer. The Bible tells us that right after he received the message that he would die, Hezekiah "turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord". We see here once again that Hezekiah's reaction in difficult situations was to immediately go to the Lord in prayer. When the Assyrian leaders were threatening to destroy Jerusalem, he went up to the house of the Lord and he called the prophet Isaiah to pray with him. When he received a threatening letter from the King of Assyria, he immediately "spread the matter" before the Lord in prayer. And now, we see that when he is incapacitated and laying on his death bed, he once more goes to the Lord in prayer.

3. Notice the amazing answer that Hezekiah received. Evidently, Isaiah left the room as Hezekiah was praying. And the Bible says that before he could get off the palace grounds, God told him, "Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the Lord." What an amazing answer to prayer! Just a few minutes after Hezekiah began praying and pouring his heart out to God, God sent his answer through the prophet Isaiah -- Hezekiah would live for 15 more years. …

  Rapper and hip-hop artist Jay-Z sings a song titled “Forever Young”. In this song he talks about his desire to be forever young. Then he asks the question, do you really want to live forever and ever? His song, even though it may not be talking about living forever in Heaven, according to the [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #100

TEXT: Joshua 2:1-21

Jericho is one of the oldest inhabited cities of the ancient world. Even though it is located in one of the hottest climates in the region of Palestine, it is a wonderful oasis. It is known as the "city of palm trees." Date palms, banana trees, sycamore trees, and henna trees populate the landscape. It is the type of place you would go to rest after a long, tiring journey.

However, despite all of its beauty, in the 15th century B.C., the city of Jericho was a very wicked place that was deserving of God's judgment. In our passage today, we find that the children of Israel are getting ready to take possession of the Promised Land. And as part of that process, they have to conquer the nations that are already in the land. Their first stop along the way is the city of Jericho, and they are under strict commands from God to destroy it.

1. First of all, notice the sin of Jericho. Joshua 6:17 tells us that the city of Jericho "was accursed by God, even it, and all that are therein." A divine "ban" -- signified by the Hebrew word "herem" -- was placed on the city and all that was in it. In the military terminology of that day, when a "ban" was placed on an enemy city that meant that nothing in the city was to be left alive. Everything was to be completely and utterly destroyed.

2. Secondly, notice the sin of Rahab. Joshua 2:1 says, "Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there." In the midst of this corrupt and sinful society we meet a woman named Rahab. The Bible tells us that Rahab had a house on the wall of Jericho. Many scholars believe that she also ran an inn, and thus, it was natural for the Israelite spies to stop at such a place so they could masquerade as travelers while they were on their spy mission.

Rahab, however, is most known for her occupation as a prostitute. She was also a liar. When the king of Jericho sent his men to demand that she tell them where the spies were, she said that they had come and gone without her knowing who they were, when in fact, she had hidden them on top of her roof. The Bible does not condone or excuse Rahab's behaviour. It simply reports it.

3. Third, notice the salvation of Rahab and her family. After her confession of faith, Rahab tells the spies, "Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token: And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death." Rahab realizes that the end of Jericho is at hand, and as any wise person will do, she tried to find a way to get out while she still could. She not only tries to find a way for herself, but for her entire family. Rahab may have been a sinner, but she was not stupid. She knew that judgment was coming, and did what she could to avoid it.

The spies make a promise to Rahab. They say, "When we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household, home unto thee. And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him."

+ Plus, listen to Bishop Paul S. Morton singing "Walk On By Faith" and New Life Community Choir singing "We Walk By Faith"…

Rapper and hip-hop artist Jay-Z sings a song titled "Forever Young". In this song he talks about his desire to be forever young. Then he asks the question, do you really want to live forever and ever? His song, even though it may not be talking about living forever in Heaven, according to the Bible necessarily, (and yes, the original cut has some unsavory language), but Jay-Z's song touches on a longing that is in the soul of every man. Listen to a few of the lyrics that I can share with you:

Forever young,
I wanna be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever and ever

Forever young
I wanna be forever young
Do you really want to live forever?
Forever and ever

Jay-Z's lyrics testify also to our culture's obsession with youth. Television ads about anti-aging creams and techniques populate the airwaves. People fret over dieting and health issues all in an effort to look and feel younger. This past week, a new project was launched to study how humans can extend their life span. The project is being funded with millions of dollars from the founders of big companies such as Google and Facebook. Make no mistake about it, people have a longing and desire to live forever.

This obsession with youth is a reflection of our desire for immortality, permanence, and living forever. This is a desire that humans have experienced since the beginning of time. You might recall learning about the fabled Fountain of Youth, the waters of which were said to restore the youth of anyone who drank from them. This fountain was spoken of and sought for from the fourth century BC in Ancient Greece to the 16th century in what is today Florida.

The Holy Bible tells us about a place where people's bodies will no longer age and decay, where people will never get sick or diseased, where no one will ever die -- in other words, where everyone will be forever young. The best thing about this place, however, is that everyone who goes there will be in the presence of the loving Creator who is the source of all life, energy, and vitality. This place is called Heaven or Paradise, and right now, I want to share with you how you can get there so you can indeed be forever young.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "I Am Free"…

She is a star television and movie actress who began her career at four years old. She has appeared in numerous commercials, television shows, music videos, and major movies. She was cast in her first film, the 1995 hit "Friday", at age thirteen. At age fifteen, her performance in the critically acclaimed 1997 film "Eve's Bayou", earned her her first NAACP Image Award nomination.

Since then, her film appearances include: Roll Bounce, Waist Deep, Stomp the Yard, Jumping the Broom, and Think Like a Man among many others. She currently stars in the lead role of the new NBC TV drama series "Deception." One of the things that stands out in the show is that in the midst of all that "deception", her character wears a cross around her neck. I believe that she does this to be a witness for Jesus Christ. And may I say with all due respect to her husband and without fear of successful contradiction, she is one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Although she was not raised in the church, she says that she is a Christian and that she will not do roles that she feels might disappoint God. She said in an interview, over the years, "I have learned that I need to really keep my eyes on the prize which is God and not worry so much about what other people think of me. And if I keep my eyes on the prize, people will think what they need to think of me, good or bad."

Regarding the roles she plays, she said, "I think that, for me, it’s about portraying a character creatively and artistically as an actress. I believe that God has gifted me as an actress and intends for me to use that gift, but He also intends for me to use it to glorify him. So, if I’m playing the most perfect, religious girl, then nobody gets anything out of it. It’s like being a Christian and only hanging out in church. When I play a character, I try not to judge her because ultimately it’s about where she ends up and what she learns from the journey, no matter what happens along the journey. Does she become a better person?"

She reads her Bible "every day without fail" and is determined to continue growing in her faith. Married to a Hollywood movie executive who is also a preacher, she said that she is happy to have "a partner who shares the same heart for God that I have, who walks down the same road as I, and who wants the same things in life that I do. I’m also happy that I found someone who understands what I do for a living, and wants to use that as a tool to help glorify God....It’s just a blessing now that people are listening as I try to share the love of God and empower young women." Her name is Meagan Good.…

Praying Through the Bible #26 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Kings 19:8-37

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 25 messages in this series.

This is message #26 titled "Take it to the Lord in Prayer."

In our last message in this series on prayer we were introduced to King Hezekiah of Judah. We learned that King Hezekiah was a good king who ruled his kingdom well. However, one day he received some bad news in the form of an Assyrian army at the gates of Jerusalem. We saw that King Hezekiah immediately went into the house of the Lord and then he asked the prophet Isaiah to pray for the city regarding this matter. God answered the prayers of King Hezekiah and delivered Jerusalem from destruction by causing a distraction for the Assyrians in the form of an Egyptian army that had to be dealt with before the Assyrian king could carry on his assault against Jerusalem.

While Assyria's occupation with the Egyptian army provided a reprieve for the city of Jerusalem, it did not resolve the conflict. As we see in our passage today, the Assyrians turned their attention to the Jewish people once again. Let's look at this passage, and once more, we will see the power of God in response to prayer.

1. First of all, notice the repeated threat. When the King of Assyria heard that the Egyptians were on the march, he did not leave the land of Judah without repeating his threat to the city of Jerusalem. He told his officers to write a letter to King Hezekiah. In the letter he told Hezekiah, "Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, by destroying them utterly: and shalt thou be delivered?"

2. Secondly, notice the reaction of the king. Verse 14 tells us that "Hezekiah received the letter, and read it: and Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord." Hezekiah did exactly what any child of God should do in such a situation. He spread the matter before the Lord. First Peter 5:7 says that we should cast all our care upon Him because He cares for us. One of the greatest mistakes you can make in this life is to try and bear all of your burdens alone when Jesus Christ is there with you and he wants to carry those burdens if you will just let go of them. You have to stop wanting to control everything and place everything in God's hands.

3. Now, notice the result of Hezekiah's prayer. The Bible tells us that "Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard..." Have you ever tried to talk to somebody, and it seemed as though they were not really listening to you. They may have been nodding their head and acting as though they were listening, but they were not really hearing what you were saying. Well, it is such a blessing to know that God does not treat us that way. He listens to everything we have to say to Him. And in this passage, we see where He gives Isaiah a message that starts out by saying, "Hezekiah, I have heard your prayer."…

  In 1977 Steven Spielberg released a science-fiction movie titled “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” The movie was extremely popular and made over $337 million worldwide. It tells the story of Roy Neary, an Indiana electrician, and others who have “close encounters” with objects or beings from outer space. Astronomer J. Allen Hynek popularized [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #99

TEXT: Leviticus 21:1-9

Last week, we looked at the true meaning of the Passover in the book of Exodus. In that message, we found the children of Israel on the cusp of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. Now, in Leviticus 21, the children of Israel are close to the end of their forty year journey to the Promised Land. Much of the older generation -- those who were adults when the children of Israel left Egypt -- had died off, and now, their children -- those who were very young at the time of the Exodus and those who were born in the wilderness -- are on their way to the Promised Land. However, this young generation apparently had not learned the lessons that God had taught their parents. Unfortunately, they did not take heed to the suffering that their parents went through during their many years of wandering in the wilderness.

As we see in this passage, this younger generation made some of the same mistakes that their parents made, and they had to learn the hard lessons for themselves...

1. First of all, notice their sinful action. The Bible says that the "people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread."

2. Now, notice their sudden repentance. Just as they were quick in their sin, the children of Israel were swift in their repentance. Our passage states that "the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people."

3. Now, notice their simple faith. God hears Moses' prayer for the children of Israel and he tells Moses what to do so they can be delivered from the fiery serpents. God says, "Moses, make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."

+ Plus, listen to Shirley Murdock singing "Nothing But The Blood" and Michael W. Smith singing "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"…

He is a NFL football coach and former professional football player. He played college football for the Baylor Bears and was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He was known as "The Heart of the Defense" for the Chicago Bears' Monsters of the Midway in the mid-1980s. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.

He later pursued a career as a coach. He served as linebacker coach for the Baltimore Ravens and then for the San Francisco 49ers where he was promoted to the head coaching position. Today, he is currently the linebacker coach and an assistant to the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.

Despite his tremendous success on the field, he found that he felt "empty" and unfulfilled. He said, "I had everything. And it was right after the Super Bowl that I realized that I was really, really empty. I had done all this stuff. I had made the Pro Bowl. I just signed a great contract. I was the MVP that year. I had just won the Super Bowl. But I was the emptiest and the most frustrated." Although he was raised in a Christian home, the lifestyle of sports superstardom had overshadowed his faith, and he had come to a crossroads.

He said, "I just remember, one day, breaking down. I remember saying, 'Lord, I’m supposed to be Your son, and You don't talk to me or use me. You don't do anything. I don't understand this.' In my spirit, I heard two things. One was 'I want to use you, but there are some things that you gotta clean up first.' The second thing that I had to do was forgive my father." His father had divorced his mother and walked out on the family when he was 12 years old.

Once he chose to do that, he says, "Day by day, God began to take away some of the bad habits that I had. Had it not been for Jesus Christ in my life, I'm sure I'd be divorced. I'm sure that I'd know my kids from a distance.” Now an ordained minister, author and motivational speaker, he says, "There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that I would take in place of my faith. To me, Christ means everything. I know that He's got my back no matter what I do. So that gives me all the freedom in the world to be the man that He's called me to be." His name is Mike Singletary.…

In 1977 Steven Spielberg released a science-fiction movie titled "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." The movie was extremely popular and made over $337 million worldwide. It tells the story of Roy Neary, an Indiana electrician, and others who have "close encounters" with objects or beings from outer space. Astronomer J. Allen Hynek popularized the term "close encounter." A close encounter is the sighting of or contact with such an object or being. In the film, some of the characters were kidnapped by aliens, which caused tremendous grief to their families. Because of their experiences, these characters became convinced that there is more to the universe than we know, and that sometimes, whatever else is out there can be quite dangerous.

This past week, we, too, were also reminded that the universe is a dangerous place. In Russia, many people experienced a "close encounter" with an object from outer space when an unpredicted and unexpected meteorite weighing ten tons and traveling faster than the speed of light crashed through earth's atmosphere creating a sonic boom that damaged some structures and shattered glass windows across a vast area. Over 1,000 people were injured from the event.

Additionally, astronomers also tracked an asteroid which zipped past our planet a mere 17,000 miles away -- that's closer than many satellites which men have put in orbit. Scientists say that the chances of a meteor hitting earth and an asteroid nearly hitting earth on the same day are one in 100 million. Yet, they both happened this past Friday.

These "close encounters" serve to remind us of just how vulnerable we are in the universe. Many scientists believe that a huge meteor that struck near what is today the Gulf of Mexico is the reason why the dinosaurs became extinct. And many others say that it is just a matter of time before such an event happens again -- causing major loss of life and major environmental changes for the earth. In fact, the Bible speaks of stars falling from the sky and striking earth during the end times.

No matter what happens to the earth, we do not have to fear such an event if we know what will happen to us when we die. We do not have to worry if we are depending on the one who owns the earth and the entire universe.

Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." This verse tells us that not only does the earth and everything in it belong to God, but you belong to God as well. God loves you and cares about you. He wants you to go to Heaven to be with him after you die. Because of this great love, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on the cross for your sins. Your sins are the bad, wrong things that you do, and those things are what will cause you to be eternally separated from God in a place called hell after you die. However, John 3:16 tells us that "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." If you trust in Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross, you will not perish in Hell, but you will have everlasting life in Heaven with God.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "In the Hands of God"…

Praying Through the Bible #25 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Kings 19:1-8

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 24 messages in this series.

This is message #25 titled "What to Do When You Receive Bad News."

Hezekiah was the sixteenth king of Judah. He reigned during the time of the divided kingdom, when Israel had her own king and Judah had her own king. Hezekiah was a good king who led the nation in the proper worship of God. He destroyed the idols and pagan altars that previous wicked kings had set up. He renewed the celebration of the Passover. He also presided over the building of the now famous Siloam Tunnel which allowed water from the Pool of Siloam to be carried into the city of Jerusalem which was especially important when the city was under attack. Part of this construction is still visible in the Old City of Jerusalem today. The Bible says that Hezekiah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did...He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses."

Hezekiah was a good king who ruled his kingdom well. However, one day Hezekiah received some bad news.

1. Notice the bad news Hezekiah received. If we flip back to Second Kings 18, we find that the King of Assyria was on a war campaign in the middle east. He had fought against and conquered many other small nations, and now he had turned his attention to Judah. While he was engaged in warfare in the south of Judah, he sent "a great host" under the command of three of his leaders -- "Tartan", the commander in chief; "Rab-sa-ris", the chief eunuch; and "Rab-sha-keh", the chief cupbearer. These leaders and their army laid seige to the city of Jerusalem.

2. Secondly, notice Hezekiah's reaction to the bad news. We have seen already that Hezekiah tore his clothes and covered himself in sackcloth. But the Bible tells us that Hezekiah did two other things. First, he "went into the house of the Lord." The second thing Hezekiah does is he requests the prayers of the prophet Isaiah.

3. Thirdly, notice God's answer to the bad news. After Hezekiah's officials share the problem with Isaiah, Isaiah says, "Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumour, and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land."

…

  Just a few days ago, I was listening to a song from the 1990s titled “The River of Dreams”. It was written and sung by American composer Billy Joel. Billy Joel’s song is a reflection of the heart cry of every human being. Listen to these lyrics: In the middle of the night I [...]…

She was a bright, bubbly, beautiful and loving 15-year-old girl who worked hard in school and pushed her friends to succeed. She had her whole life in front of her and was full of purpose, promise, and potential. She had a smile that lit up every room she walked into. She was the type of child every parent would want, the type of student every teacher would love to have in their classroom, and the type of church member every pastor would desire to have in their pews. She was described as real, genuine, authentic, 'more precious than rubies,' and a 'walking angel.' She was energetic and loved music, the arts, and life. And she had an "inner light" that shined in her relationships with her friends and brightened the lives of so many others.

She was an honor student and a majorette in prep school and her goal was to go to Harvard University to study pharmacology and journalism. In the sixth grade, she made a public service announcement denouncing gang violence. She took part in basketball, volleyball, mentoring programs, and cheerleading. She loved visiting new places, and after traveling to Washington D.C., she had her eyes set on Paris, France. However, just eight days after she marched in the inaugural parade in front of President Obama, she was shot dead while talking with friends at a park in Chicago.

According to her biography printed in the funeral program, she "accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal saviour at Christian Covenant Baptist Church, where Reverend Silas is the pastor. As her family was guided by God's divine providence they joined the Greater Deliverance Temple Church of Christ where Rev. Courtney Maxwell is the pastor, in October 2007. Furthermore, she gave her stewardship to ministry by being a member of the youth and teen ministry. She was involved in Greater Deliverance Temple Teen Praise Dance, worked in the church nursery, and brought her friends to church with her. Her mother said, "I'm not worried about where she's going. I know who has her...I'm not worried about her soul. I know where she is." As one pastor put it, "There is a new name written in glory." Her name is Hadiya Pendleton and she will always be remembered as a "beautiful gift" to those who know and love her.

This is the "Chief of Sinners," Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International. The "inner light" that made Hadiya the happy, loving girl that she was is the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. Hadiya now rests in Heaven in the arms of her Saviour. I do not feel sorry for her; I envy her. If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, if you are not sure that you will go to Heaven when you die, may I encourage you to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour today. …

Just a few days ago, I was listening to a song from the 1990s titled "The River of Dreams". It was written and sung by American composer Billy Joel. Billy Joel's song is a reflection of the heart cry of every human being. Listen to these lyrics:

In the middle of the night
I go walking in my sleep
From the mountains of faith
To the river so deep

I must be lookin' for something
Something sacred I lost
But the river is wide
And it's too hard to cross

I've been searching for something
Taken out of my soul
Something I'd never lose
Something somebody stole

I don't know why I go walking at night
But now I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore
I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life
Until I find what it is I've been looking for

Billy Joel's song expresses a desire that many people have testified to. Many people go through life feeling as though something in their life is missing -- that something that should be there is gone. Like Joel, these people go through life searching for what is missing in their life. Have you ever felt this way -- as though there is something missing in your life? Have you ever felt as though there were a hole in your soul? The French philosopher Blaise Pascal said that "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus."

The thing that Billy Joel said he was missing in his life, and the thing that many people feel as though they are missing in their lives is a relationship with God. Long ago, in the Garden of Eden, this relationship with God was broken because of the sin of Adam and Eve, the first humans. Adam and Eve had the privilege and blessing of a direct, wonderful, peaceful relationship with God. Everything they ever needed or wanted was supplied, and they lived a life of perfect bliss. However, when they were tempted by Satan, they decided to disobey God, and because of their disobedience, their relationship with God was severed.

Because of Adam and Eve's sin, all of us, their descendants, are born into this world with a figurative hole in our hearts. That hole is representative of the relationship that we should have with God. However, because all of us are born sinners, we are born in a state of enmity with God. There is a dividing wall between us and God because God is holy and we are sinful. Thus, we go throughout our lives searching for the unity with God that we so desire.

Billy Joel writes in his song, "I'm tired and I don't want to walk anymore. I hope it doesn't take the rest of my life until I find what it is I've been looking for." My friend, you don't have to keep on searching for what you have lost. You don't have to spend the rest of your life searching for a real relationship with God. You can have one today.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #95

TEXT: Exodus 12:1-13

For hundreds of years, the children of Israel were enslaved in the land of Egypt. They served the Pharaohs as farmers, sheep-herders, and construction workers. Perhaps many of the pyramids and other ancient structures which are still standing in Egypt today were built by Hebrew hands. However, one day, God raised up Moses to command Pharaoh to let the Hebrews go and to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Of course, we know that Pharaoh refused to let the children of Israel go free. However, while Moses was being used by God to speak His words to Pharaoh, Moses was also being used by God to prepare the Hebrews to leave the land of Egypt.

One of the ways in which God told Moses to prepare the Hebrews for the exodus was by implementing the Passover ritual. The passage which we have just read describes God's command to the children of Israel regarding what they should do for the Passover. While the Passover is now a Jewish holiday of remembrance, it is also a holiday that is full of meaning for us today. Morris Joseph, a rabbi from New York in the late 1800s said that the "Passover has a message for the conscience and the heart of all mankind. It commemorates the deliverance of a people from degrading slavery, from most foul and cruel tyranny. And so, it is God's protest against unrighteousness, whether individual or national."

Not only is the Passover a image of the national salvation of a people, it is also an image of the personal salvation which would be provided many years later through the blood of the Lamb of God, Lord Jesus Christ. In this, the beginning of the Passover tradition, we see three significant aspects of being under the blood of the lamb.

1. We see the precious and painful sacrifice. Our passage states, "In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house...And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening."

2. Secondly, in this passage, we see the partaking of the sacrifice. After the lamb was killed, the family was to "eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it...And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning."

3. The third thing we see from this passage is the protection that came from the sacrifice. The Bible states that "they shall take of the blood of the lamb, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it...For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment...And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you."

+ Plus, listen to Cece and Bebe Winans singing "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" and Hillsong singing "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus"…

Praying Through the Bible #24 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Kings 6:8-23

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 23 messages in this series.

This is message #24 titled "Pray and See Like You've Never Seen Before."

Last week, we looked at an example of prayer in the life of the prophet Elijah. Today, we are going to look at an example of prayer in the life of Elijah's protege -- Elisha. According to the Jewish Virtual Library, Elisha was likely in his twenties when he was called to follow Elijah and he likely came from a well-to-do land-owning family. When he accepted God's call into ministry, he dramatically severed his ties with his old life by slaughtering the pair of oxen he was plowing with, cooking the meat, and serving it to his friends and family. For the next four years, we do not know much else about Elisha, but we know that he was under the tutelage of Elijah. Just before Elijah is taken up into heaven, Elisha asks for a double portion of Elijah's spirit to rest on him. This request is granted and Elisha succeeds Elijah in the prophetic office.

In our passage today, we also see that Elisha, like Elijah, was a man of great prayer. Through prayer, Elisha was able to see the spiritual reality of the situations that he faced. He did not just see people and situations with human eyesight. He saw them with spiritual eyesight. And just as God revealed spiritual realities to Elisha hundreds of years ago, he can and will do the same for us if we go to him in prayer and allow Him to open our spiritual eyes. Today, I want to show you three things that God can do for you if your spiritual eyes are open.…

  In the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, “On Stranger Tides”, a young missionary by the name of Philip Swift is taken captive aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge. The Queen Anne’s Revenge was the ship of the legendary and fearsome pirate Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard. Even though he was tortured and [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #94

TEXT: Genesis 22:1-14

Today, we are looking at the well-known story of God's test of Abraham. It is a story that is potent with symbolism and pulsating with significance because it is a reflection of the greatest story ever told -- and that is the story of Jesus Christ's great love and sacrifice for us. As we examine this story today, I hope that you will see how much God loves you, and how much He has given to save your soul.

1. Notice with me the loving father. God tells Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest..." This is the first time that love is mentioned in the Bible. It is interesting to me that in Scripture, the first kind of love mentioned is not romantic love between a man and a woman but the love that a parent has for a child. Abraham loved Isaac. Isaac was his only child, a child of promise, the child of Abraham's old age. But now, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his only son whom he loved very dearly.

2. Now, notice the willing son. Verse 6 tells us that "Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together." Isaac willingly goes with his father even though he does not understand what is going on. As they set out, he did not know that Abraham planned to sacrifice him. Nonetheless, he went willingly.

3. Finally, I want you to notice the provided lamb. Abraham and Isaac are at the top of Mount Moriah. The altar has been set up. The wood has been laid on top of the altar. Isaac has been bound and laid on top of the wood. The knife is ready. Abraham is about to offer up Isaac as a burnt offering to the Lord.

The Bible then tells us that "Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."

+ Plus, listen to the West Angeles Mass Choir sing "We Bring The Sacrifice of Praise" and Keith and Kristyn Getty singing "Behold The Lamb"…

In the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie, "On Stranger Tides", a young missionary by the name of Philip Swift is taken captive aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. The Queen Anne's Revenge was the ship of the legendary and fearsome pirate Edward Teach, more commonly known as Blackbeard. Even though he was tortured and harassed by Blackbeard, Philip maintained his belief that every soul could be saved -- even Blackbeard's.

Once, when Blackbeard is about to kill a sailor on his ship, Philip intervenes and tells him that his problem is that he "dare not walk the path of righteousness, the way of the light." However, Blackbeard turns and says, "No, sir, the truth of it be much simpler than all that. I am a bad man."

Blackbeard's simple admission is not only true for him, but for all of us. We are all bad men and bad women because we do bad things. The bad things that we do are what the Bible calls sin. And the Bible says that "all have sinned." Yet, just as Philip believed, it is also true that every soul can be saved from eternal punishment. No matter how many bad things you have done, you can be saved. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God would "have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." No sin is too great for God to forgive, and no soul is too wicked for God to save.

+ Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing "Glorious Day"…

Praying Through the Bible #23 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 1 Kings 17:17-24

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 22 messages in this series.

This is message #23 titled "Elijah's Earnest Prayer."

In this passage, we find the prophet Elijah during the time when he was staying with the widow of Zarephath. As you might recall, Elijah arrived at Zarephath one day, and he met the widow in the field gathering sticks. The widow told Elijah that she was gathering sticks to make a fire to cook her last little bit of flour and oil for her and her son and after that they were going to die.

But Elijah told her to cook something for him first, and that if she did, the Lord would bless her and she would never run out of flour and oil. So, the widow believed God and fixed a meal for the prophet. God was true to His word, and he miraculously supplied food for the woman and her son from that day on.

The widow and her son were well taken care of. She was blessed by God because she trusted Him and obeyed Him in taking care of the prophet Elijah first. In a time of famine in Israel, she, her son, and the prophet had enough to eat. But those good days were soon overshadowed by a great tragedy. Notice with me...

1. The widow's calamity. Verse 17 of our passage states: "And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him."

2. Notice with me, the prophet's prayer. Verse 19 reads, "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord..."

3. Now, notice with me the Lord's answer. Verse 22 tells us, "And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." There is a lot of power in that simple phrase -- "the Lord heard the voice of Elijah." It is very powerful because the awesome God of the universe who set the earth in motion, the God who flung the stars against the canopy of blackness, the God who keeps the planets orbiting the sun, the God who looks after billions of people each and every day, stopped to listen to Elijah's voice when Elijah prayed. And each and every one of us today can take comfort in the knowledge that God listens to our voices when we pray as well.…

Onward Christian Soldiers #18 | with Daniel Whyte III

The Bible says in 1 John 2:15: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

From the very moment you received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, you have been on the narrow road that leads to Heaven. Along the way, you and I will meet other Christians who are also on the road to Heaven. It is wonderful to be a child of God, but we must realize that the road to Heaven will not be easy. Why? Because we have great enemies.

The Bible tells us about three great enemies of the Christian: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

What do these enemies do? These enemies try to get us to sin and they try to draw us away from God. But God has made a way for us to have victory over them. Today, we will look at how we can be victorious over our enemy, the world.

The Bible uses the word "world" in several different ways. Sometimes it refers to this earth which God created. Sometimes it refers to the people in the world, as in John 3:16, where the Bible says, "For God so loved the world. . ."

However, a third meaning is found in 1 John 2:15 where the Bible says, "Love not the world. . ." What is the meaning of "the world" here? The meaning of the Greek word for world used in this context means: "world affairs; the whole circle of earthly goods, riches, advantages, and pleasures which, although hollow, frail and fleeting, stir our desire, seduce us away from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ." The "world" means the attractive things of the world which Satan uses to draw us away from God.

How can we be victorious over the world?

1. The first way we can be victorious over the world is to love God with all our heart.

2. The second way we can be victorious over the world is to avoid sinful attractions.

3. The third way we can be victorious over the world is to realize that only Christ can truly satisfy our hearts.…

How to Handle Persecution #19 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Genesis 39:1-6

Today, we are continuing our series on How to Handle Persecution. For the next few messages, we are going to be looking at the life of Joseph and the lessons we can learn from his example as he lived among the Egyptians.

Now, by way of providing some background for this series -- Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, and the first son of Jacob's wife Rachel. Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife, so Joseph held a very special place in Jacob's heart. Joseph's brothers did not like Joseph because of their father's favoritism towards him. One day, when Joseph was sent to check on his brothers who were out taking care of the sheep, they devised a plan to kill him. However, Reuben, the oldest of the brothers, convinced his brothers to throw Jospeh into a well. But when Reuben was not around, the other brothers took Joseph and sold him to a band of Ishmaelite traders who were on their way to Egypt. Once they got to Egypt, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph into slavery to Potiphar. Potiphar was the captain of Pharaoh's palace guard.

So, here we have Joseph, betrayed by his own brothers, and sold into slavery in a foreign land. The Encyclopedia of Judaism tells us that Joseph was seventeen years old when this happened. Joseph was in a strange country that had a different language, a different culture, and a pagan religion.

But Joseph's story can be of encouragement and help to us today. None of us are likely under such extreme circumstances as he was -- being taken away from your family and your home, and sold into slavery in a strange land. However, some of us may find ourselves in hostile situations in our lives. For example, you may be the only Christian in your family. Or you may be in a job situation that is not friendly to your beliefs. Or, you may be attending a college where faith is routinely ridiculed and made fun of. Or, you may be a Christian living in a Muslim country where followers of Christ are harassed and thrown in jail. If you are in these or similar situations, then you can learn something from the story of Joseph.

What can you learn from Joseph's story?

1. Understand that the Lord is with you.

2. Abide in peace with those around you.

3. No matter what happens, remain faithful and obedient to God. …

Praying Through the Bible #23 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 1 Kings 17:17-24

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 22 messages in this series.

This is message #23 titled "Elijah's Earnest Prayer."

In this passage, we find the prophet Elijah during the time when he was staying with the widow of Zarephath. As you might recall, Elijah arrived at Zarephath one day, and he met the widow in the field gathering sticks. The widow told Elijah that she was gathering sticks to make a fire to cook her last little bit of flour and oil for her and her son and after that they were going to die.

But Elijah told her to cook something for him first, and that if she did, the Lord would bless her and she would never run out of flour and oil. So, the widow believed God and fixed a meal for the prophet. God was true to His word, and he miraculously supplied food for the woman and her son from that day on.

The widow and her son were well taken care of. She was blessed by God because she trusted Him and obeyed Him in taking care of the prophet Elijah first. In a time of famine in Israel, she, her son, and the prophet had enough to eat. But those good days were soon overshadowed by a great tragedy. Notice with me...

1. The widow's calamity. Verse 17 of our passage states: "And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him."

2. Notice with me, the prophet's prayer. Verse 19 reads, "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord..."

3. Now, notice with me the Lord's answer. Verse 22 tells us, "And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived." There is a lot of power in that simple phrase -- "the Lord heard the voice of Elijah." It is very powerful because the awesome God of the universe who set the earth in motion, the God who flung the stars against the canopy of blackness, the God who keeps the planets orbiting the sun, the God who looks after billions of people each and every day, stopped to listen to Elijah's voice when Elijah prayed. And each and every one of us today can take comfort in the knowledge that God listens to our voices when we pray as well.…

How to Handle Persecution #19 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Genesis 39:1-6

Today, we are continuing our series on How to Handle Persecution. For the next few messages, we are going to be looking at the life of Joseph and the lessons we can learn from his example as he lived among the Egyptians.

Now, by way of providing some background for this series -- Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, and the first son of Jacob's wife Rachel. Rachel was Jacob's favorite wife, so Joseph held a very special place in Jacob's heart. Joseph's brothers did not like Joseph because of their father's favoritism towards him. One day, when Joseph was sent to check on his brothers who were out taking care of the sheep, they devised a plan to kill him. However, Reuben, the oldest of the brothers, convinced his brothers to throw Jospeh into a well. But when Reuben was not around, the other brothers took Joseph and sold him to a band of Ishmaelite traders who were on their way to Egypt. Once they got to Egypt, the Ishmaelites sold Joseph into slavery to Potiphar. Potiphar was the captain of Pharaoh's palace guard.

So, here we have Joseph, betrayed by his own brothers, and sold into slavery in a foreign land. The Encyclopedia of Judaism tells us that Joseph was seventeen years old when this happened. Joseph was in a strange country that had a different language, a different culture, and a pagan religion.

But Joseph's story can be of encouragement and help to us today. None of us are likely under such extreme circumstances as he was -- being taken away from your family and your home, and sold into slavery in a strange land. However, some of us may find ourselves in hostile situations in our lives. For example, you may be the only Christian in your family. Or you may be in a job situation that is not friendly to your beliefs. Or, you may be attending a college where faith is routinely ridiculed and made fun of. Or, you may be a Christian living in a Muslim country where followers of Christ are harassed and thrown in jail. If you are in these or similar situations, then you can learn something from the story of Joseph.

What can you learn from Joseph's story?

1. Understand that the Lord is with you.

2. Abide in peace with those around you.

3. No matter what happens, remain faithful and obedient to God. …

  This past week, the 57th inaugural ceremony was held for the president of the United States. As usual, it was a grand affair with much pomp and ceremony. There was a long parade with representatives from all 50 states. Festivities continued into the night with parties, balls, and concerts around Washington D.C. Many people [...]…

This past week, the 57th inaugural ceremony was held for the president of the United States. As usual, it was a grand affair with much pomp and ceremony. There was a long parade with representatives from all 50 states. Festivities continued into the night with parties, balls, and concerts around Washington D.C. Many people looked forward to the event and it is said that nearly one million people attended the inauguration and 20 million watched it on TV.

Some people got so excited that they became blasphemous in their speech. One man called the president "lord and saviour" and a magazine referred to his second term as "the second coming." Of course, he is not the Lord and Saviour and the second term of a presidency is nothing compared to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

One day, there is coming a grand ceremony for Someone who is not just the leader of a country, but who is the king of the world. In fact, He rules the entire universe. He is called the King of kings and Lord of lords. At this ceremony, the Bible tells us that every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This grand day is described in Revelation 11 when an angel cries out, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."

There will be no term limits on Jesus' rule. When he returns to earth, he will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem and He will rule the nations with a rod of iron for one thousand years. Unlike earthly rulers, who are unable to bring peace and prosperity, when Jesus Christ rules this earth, there will be complete peace and prosperity.

Did you know that you can be a part of this future kingdom? Just as you can gain citizenship in the different countries of the world, you can right now become a citizen of the coming kingdom and a willing subject of the coming King.

Jesus Christ said in John 3:3: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Being born again is how you become a part of the kingdom of God.

So, now, the question is: how can you be born again?

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "The King is Coming"…

He is the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for the University of Nevada Wolf Pack where he was twice named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player of the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl. In the 2011 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers selected him in the second round with the 36th overall pick.

He began his pro career as the 49ers' backup quarterback to starter Alex Smith. In the middle of the 2012 season he filled in for an injured Smith and became the starter as the 49ers advanced to the NFL playoffs for the second straight season. He set an NFL record for most rushing yards by a quarterback in his first playoff game. After beating the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship, he led the 49ers to their first Super Bowl since the 1994 NFL season.

Playing football is a way for him to glorify the Lord. In an interview at Summit Christian Church in Sparks, Nevada, he said, "I don't think most people look at football as a way to glorify the Lord. I think a lot of people think of it as 'oh it's a game, let's go win.' Ultimately, that's your goal, but you also want to glorify the Lord on your way to doing that...My faith is the basis from where my game comes from. I've been very blessed to have the talent to play the game and be successful at it. I think God guides me through every day and helps me take the right steps and has helped me to get to where I'm at. When I step on the field, I always say a prayer, say I'm thankful to be able to wake up that morning and go out there and try to glorify the Lord with what I do on the field. I think if you go out and try to do that, no matter what happens, you can be happy about what you did."

He has also drawn attention for the tattoos on his body. "Against All Odds," is emblazoned across his chest. A version of Psalm 27:3 which reads, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not be afraid", can be read on his left shoulder. Those words are surrounded by: "God Will Guide Me." On his right bicep is the word "Faith" and on his left bicep is "To God be the glory."

Even though he has been criticized for his tattoos, he says, "I got them for me and to show people this is what I believe in. And God has brought me this far. He's laid out a phenomenal path for me and I can do nothing but thank him." His name is Colin Kaepernick. …

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #93

TEXT: Genesis 19:1-26

Last week, from Genesis 18, we saw that the Lord had sent his angels to Sodom and Gomorrah to bring judgment down on those cities because of their sin. We also saw how Abraham interceded with God for the city of Sodom. God agreed that if he could find just ten righteous people in the city, He would not destroy it.

But, unfortunately, as we see from Genesis 19, there were not even ten righteous people in the entire city. So, God had to bring judgment down on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, the angels made sure that they got Lot and his family out of the city before judgment came. In verse 17, they tell Lot, "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." In other words, they said, "Run, and don't look back!"

Perhaps you have heard the story of the atheist criminal who was on his way to be executed for his crime. Following behind him was a minister who was reading from the Scriptures about the wrath of God and the terrible judgment that awaited those who did not receive Jesus Christ. And, this criminal, who did not believe in God, turned around and said with fear on his face and a tremble in his voice, "Sir, if I believed in hell like you Christians say you do, I would crawl all over London, England, warning every person of that place."

Today, we will see from Genesis 19 that the wrath and judgment of God is a very serious thing. And we should take heed to the command to run from it. Let's begin by looking at why Lot had to run and not look back.

1. Lot had to run away from sinful people and sinful situations.

2. Lot had to run from certain judgment.

3. Lot had to run to a place of safety.

+ Plus, listen to CeCe Winans singing "I Surrender All" and the Sensational Nightingales singing "My Life is in God's Hand"…

Praying Through the Bible #22 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 1 Kings 13:1-6

Have you ever tried to ignore God? Have you ever tried to shut His voice out of your life? Have you ever been doing something that you wanted to do, that you knew was wrong, and you just didn't want to continue hearing God telling you to stop? If you have ever tried to do that, then you have probably found out already that that is a very futile endeavour. C.S. Lewis said, "We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade God."

In our passage today, we have a man named King Jeroboam who tried to ignore God. After the death of King Solomon, ten tribes rebelled against the House of David and set up Jeroboam as their king. Jeroboam ruled the northern kingdom of Israel for 22 years. The Bible tells us that Jeroboam turned away from God very soon after he became king. He built two places of worship, one in the northern part of the kingdom and another in the southern part of the kingdom. He set up two golden calves and two altars in these places and ordered the Israelites to worship at these places and stop going to Jerusalem.

If we turn a couple chapters back, we will find that before Jeroboam was crowned king, God sent the prophet Ahijah to him and gave him this message: "If thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, then I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house..."

However, just two chapters later we find that Jeroboam has decided that he is not going to listen to God. And we find him in one of his places of worship getting ready to burn incense to a golden calf. So, since Jeroboam is not listening to God, God has to take some steps to get his attention.

1. Notice the prophet. Verse one of our passage states: "And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord..." The first thing God does to try to get Jeroboam's attention is he sends a man of God to him.

2. Notice the paralysis. Jeroboam stretched forth his hand and commanded that the prophet be arrested, but verse 4 tells us that "his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar..." This condition of a hand (or other body part) "drying up" is that which we call "paralysis" today.

o 3. Notice the plea. Look at verse 6 of our passage: "And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before."…

  Have you ever worn a mask? Perhaps you wore one to a costume party, to play a joke on a friend, or in a school play as a child. But, did you know that many people wear masks everyday? Psychologists tells us that people wear masks for a variety of reasons. Some people wear [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #92

TEXT: Genesis 18:16-33

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to negotiate with God? In the ancient middle east, when a man went to a merchant to buy something that he wanted, such as a horse, or some tools, he did not go to the merchant expecting a price tag on the item he wanted to buy. Instead, he would ask the merchant for his price, which normally would be very high, and then, the buyer would say he was only willing to pay a price that was very low. At that point, the merchant would lower his price little by little, and the buyer would raise his price little by little until they finally agreed on a price fixed somewhere in the middle. This process called "negotiation" or "bargaining" or "haggling" still happens today. God has blessed me in my young life to give four cars away. However, one time I tried to sell a car and I asked for my high price, and he told me that he did not want to hurt my feelings. So I knew that I was not a good negotiator.

Our passage today tells us about a man named Abraham who carried on a similar process with God. However, Abraham was negotiating with God for something far more valuable than any material product. He was negotiating with God for human souls if you will.

The Bible tells us that Abraham was sitting in front of his tent on a hot day when three "men" came to him. We know from Scripture that two of these "men" were actually angels. However the Bible tells us that the third man was "the Lord." Many Bible scholars believe that "the Lord" who appeared to Abraham was actually a Christophany, which is a pre-incarnation appearance of Jesus Christ. This simply means that Jesus Christ appeared to Abraham in physical form way back in the Old Testament before he entered the world as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem.

As was customary in the Middle East during that time, Abraham fed his guests and allowed them to rest at his tent before they went on their way. It is very likely that Abraham knew who the Lord was because He had appeared to him twice before. After eating and resting, the the Lord and the angels prepare to continue on their way to Sodom and Gomorrah. What happens next shows us three very important attributes of God.

+ Plus listen to Andrae Crouch singing "The Lord is My Light" and MercyMe singing "Love of God"…

He is the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Wisconsin during the 2011 season, in which he set the single season FBS record for passing efficiency and led the team to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl. He received the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year award and was named a consensus first-team All-Big Ten and third-team All-American by Yahoo! Sports. Before transferring to Wisconsin, he played football and baseball for North Carolina State University and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in football and became the first freshman quarterback to receive first team All-ACC honors.

He is a devout Christian who frequently speaks of his faith in press conferences and interviews and posts daily encouragement from the Bible on his Twitter feed. He said that he chose the number three for his Seahawks jersey as a way of honoring the Holy Trinity.

He grew up in a family where faith in God was the foundation of their lives. His family members and former athletic director at North Carolina State University all say that he is strong and sincere in his faith. This strong faith was molded and strengthened during a time when his father was suffering from complications from diabetes and had suffered several strokes. He said that during this time, "I think of the Lord being there and that there is a time and place for everything."

The day after he was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in June 2010, he, his mother, and his grandmother were called to the hospital for the final time. The doctors said his father was unresponsive. But after praying in the hallway, he says that they felt the Holy Spirit telling them to go in the hospital room. He went into the room and greeted his father for the last time. He said, "I walked in and I could see the EKG monitor. I said: 'Hey, Dad, I'm here.' As soon as I said that, the line went flat. That's how I knew the Lord is real. I knew my dad heard me and he could hear everything I was telling him about how I got drafted. He was waiting for something great to happen. That's how I knew he went in peace. He is here watching me right now." His name is Russell Wilson.…

Have you ever worn a mask? Perhaps you wore one to a costume party, to play a joke on a friend, or in a school play as a child. But, did you know that many people wear masks everyday?

Psychologists tells us that people wear masks for a variety of reasons. Some people wear masks in an attempt to be someone who they are not. Some people wear masks to try to hide the hurt and pain they feel from their past experiences. And some people wear masks in an attempt to hide their sins and failures from God and from others.

The Bible tells us in several places that trying to hide things from God is futile. In Jeremiah 16:17, God says, "Mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes." The Bible also says in Numbers 32:23: "...be sure your sin will find you out." Ecclesiates 12:14 also says, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."

God does not want you to live wearing a mask -- running from your past and hiding who He created you to be. He knows all about your faults and failures. And He has done something about them. Two thousand years ago, he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross and accept the punishment for your sins, failures, and faults that you deserve. He shed his own blood so you wouldn't have to. And 1 John 1:7 says, "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Instead of hiding the sins of your past, and continuing to wear a mask, you can bring it all before the Lord Jesus Christ, and He will wash you, cleanse you, and make you a new person in Him.

+ Plus listen to Chris and Conrad singing "Let It Out"…

How to Handle Persecution #18 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: Psalm 7

Psalm 7 is David's psalm of deliverance from those who falsely accuse him. In this psalm, David states that the charges of his accuser are not true and defends his own innocence. We are studying this psalm to learn how to handle false accusations.

Last week, we saw that...

1. David relies on God.
2. David faces the charges of his accuser.
3. David requests God's vindication.

Today, I want us to look at three more things we should do when we are falsely accused.

1. Realize that God is the ultimate judge.

2. Realize that God will bring an end to the actions of wicked people.

3. Realize that God will establish those who are faithful to Him. …

Praying Through the Bible #21 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 1 Kings 9:1-9

Everyone likes to receive blessings from God in answer to our prayers. We like to receive blessings with no strings attached. However, as we will see in our passage today, there are some conditions that we as humans must meet if God is going to bless us; and there are also consequences that will be suffered if we do not meet those conditions.

The passage which we have read today tells us of the time after King Solomon had fulfilled his father's wishes and had built the glorious Temple in Jerusalem. As you might recall, if you have listened to previous messages in this series, Solomon held a great celebration and invited all of Israel to come together to mark the completion of the Temple and to dedicate it to God. On that occasion, he offered a long prayer to God expressing his desire for God to accept the Temple as his own "house" where his presence would reside with the children of Israel. Solomon also requested that God would hear and answer the prayers of the children of Israel that were directed towards the Temple.

Today, we will see how God answers Solomon's prayer. …

  In 1972, a soul-gospel family band called The Staple Singers released a number-one single titled “I’ll Take You There.” It was written by a record company vice-president named Al Bell after he attended a funeral for his little brother who was shot to death. The entire song is based on a few simple words: [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #92

TEXT: Genesis 7:1-7

If you joined us for our service on last week, you might recall that we looked at Genesis chapter 6 which gives us the background information on the passage that we have read today. The world that God had created was in a state of great wickedness, and God pronounced judgment on mankind for their sins. However, at the end of the passage which we read in Genesis 6, we saw that one man, Noah, "found grace" in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was favored and accepted by God because he was a righteous man, and was obedient to God. Noah and his family would be saved from the devastating punishment which would come upon the earth.

Today, I want to show you three great aspects of the salvation of Noah and his family. Understanding what we learn today will help us have a greater understanding of what true salvation through Jesus Christ means.

+ Plus, listen to The New Life Community Choir singing "We Walk by Faith" and Jessy Dixon singing "Just a Closer Walk With Thee".…

In 1972, a soul-gospel family band called The Staple Singers released a number-one single titled "I'll Take You There." It was written by a record company vice-president named Al Bell after he attended a funeral for his little brother who was shot to death. The entire song is based on a few simple words: "I know a place, ain't nobody worried, ain't nobody crying, and ain't no smiling faces lying to the races, I'll take you there." In this song, lead singer Mavis Staples, sings about Heaven and encourages listeners to seek this place.

Today, people all around the world are still looking for this place called Heaven. Heaven is a place of glorious peace, tranquility, and joy. It is a place where nobody will have to cry or worry or feel pain or grief anymore. It is an eternal place that stands in deep contrast to the world in which we currently live. It is a place of unimaginable beauty, created by the hand of God, for all those who choose to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Staple Singers sung about it, and if they could, they would take us there. But there is only one person who can take us to Heaven for certain and His name is Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ told his disciples in John 14:2-3: "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." All you have to do is believe on Jesus Christ as your Saviour and He will take you there. Let me show you how you can believe on Jesus Christ today.

+ Plus, listen to The Staples Singers singing "I'll Take You There"…

He is an linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He is considered to be one of the best linebackers of his era. He played college football for the University of Miami. He has played his entire professional career with the Ravens after they selected him as a first round draft pick in 1996, and he is the last player remaining from the Ravens' inaugural season. He has been selected to 13 Pro Bowls and has been named an Associated Press All-Pro Player 10 times. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2000 and 2003. He was also the second linebacker to win the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award and the first linebacker to win the award on the winning Super Bowl team.

He is a follower of Jesus Christ, and his commitment to his faith was featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story in 2006. During an interview with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he said, "God is always God. It is only us that waver and go down wrong roads and do foolish things. And there are somethings in life that you have to deal with, and you have to go through some things to get to God." He believes that Christians should be about sharing faith, hope and love in every arena of life, and says that his faith inspires him to pray, read the Bible with, and give advice and encouragement to younger players so that they won't make the same mistakes he made.

During a recent game, he reminded his teammates that "No weapon formed against them shall prosper and that no man can stop what God can already destined." His favorite scripture is Psalm 91 because it reminds him that "God is everything you need." His love for God is evidenced in his charitable work providing personal and economic assistance to disadvantaged youth. He says, "to love God completes you as a man."

His name is Ray Lewis.…

Praying Through the Bible #20 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: 2 Samuel 5:17-25

We are in a series of messages titled "Praying Through the Bible: A Series on Every Passage and Verse Regarding Prayer in the Bible". The purpose of this series is to encourage and motivate you to pray to the God of the Bible. We highlighted each of these over 500 verses and passages in the new Prayer Motivator Devotional Bible. So far, we have done 19 messages in this series.

This is message #20 titled "How to Get Winning Instructions from God."

Our passage for today describes an important time during the history of the nation of Israel. King Saul had been killed in battle and David had just taken his God-ordained place as the new king of Israel. God had removed his blessings from the disobedient leadership of Saul, and now that David was in place as King, the country could move forward with a leader who truly had a heart after God. Brighter days were ahead for the nation of Israel.

However, whenever God's people are moving forward in a positive direction, there will always be opposition. Someone once said that if there is no opposition to God's work, one has to wonder whether or not God's work is truly being done.

And so, here in this passage, we see that before David can get settled in as king of Israel, he receives word of opposition in the form of the Philistines. The Bible says that "when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David" and the "Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim" to prepare themselves for war.

I want you to notice today, how David responded to this opposition.…

  Many people see the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf, to turn their backs on bad habits and old ways that do not benefit them, and to make changes in their lives that will make their future better and brighter than their past. Henry Ward Beecher once said, “Every [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #91

TEXT: Genesis 6:1-8

We live in a very pluralistic society. Many people believe that there are many ways to God; there are many paths to true happiness; and that all roads eventually lead to Heaven. However, my friends, the Bible tells us otherwise. Jesus Christ said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Jesus Christ is the one and only way to get to God, true happiness in this life, and eternal life in heaven.

This passage in Genesis takes us far back in the history of the world. Scholars tell us that the events described in this passage which we will talk about today happened 1,600 years after God created the earth. That is about 4,300 years ago. Our passage tells us that after God created the earth, men began to multiply greatly on the face of the earth -- in other words, people had many children, and the population of the earth greatly increased. Then, the Bible tells us that something happened. It says that the "sons of God saw the daughters of men and took them wives of all which they chose."

Scholars are divided on exactly who these sons of God are, but based on studies from the Word of God, we know that they are either fallen angels who intermarried with the human race or godly human beings from the line of Seth who intermarried with the daughters of the ungodly line of Cain. Either way, it was something that God was not pleased with, and it had a corrupting influence on the world at that time.

Because of man's great sin during this time, God says that he is tired with man's disobedience. There are three terrible consequences that occur because of man's sin. Allow me to share with you these three consequences, and the only way that you and I can be saved from them.

+ Plus, listen to Aretha Franklin singing "Amazing Grace" and Israel Houghton & New Breed singing "If Not For Your Grace".…

He is the quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies. He became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, and the first freshman to win the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. He played high school football in Kerrville, Texas. Recruited out of high school as a dual-threat quarterback with an impressive ability to extend plays, he plays in Kevin Sumlin's Air Raid offense in Texas A&M's first season in the SEC. Here he was given the name "Johnny Football" by fans and students for his unique improvisation and ability to make winning plays. He recently led his team to beat Oklahoma in the 2013 Cotton Bowl Classic.

In his Heisman acceptance speech, he said, "I thank God for allowing me to be here and for His grace and love throughout my life." He thanked his parents for bringing him up in the church and for the faith that he holds dearly. He often quotes Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." He said, "I tell myself everyday that God has a plan for me. I’m here for a reason and whatever happens in the future is meant to happen for a reason. I always make sure to trust the Lord with all my heart." His name is Johnny Manziel.…

Many people see the New Year as a time to turn over a new leaf, to turn their backs on bad habits and old ways that do not benefit them, and to make changes in their lives that will make their future better and brighter than their past. Henry Ward Beecher once said, "Every man should be born again on the first day of January."

The Bible speaks of the need for us to be "born again." In John chapter 3, Jesus Christ explains to a man named Nicodemus that "Ye must be born again." The new birth that Jesus Christ is talking about is not a physical rebirth -- one that changes how we look on the outside, but a spiritual birth -- one that changes how we really are on the inside.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "Born Again"…

Praying Through the Bible #19 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Kings 8:44-54

This is message #19 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 6). We are continuing our series on Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. After the Temple was built, Solomon called together all of the children of Israel to celebrate the completion of the Temple and that is the occasion on which Solomon offers his prayer.

Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at three more elements that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. We will specifically see three occasions on which we should pray and the type of prayer we should pray on those occasions.

1. From Solomon's prayer, we see that we should pray in times of conflict.

2. From Solomon's prayer, we see that we should pray in times when we have sinned.

3. From Solomon's prayer, we see that we should pray in times of restoration. …

  This past week, the much-anticipated movie Les Misérables was released in theaters. The movie is based on the popular musical of the same name which is based on the French historical novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862. The novel is considered to be one of the greatest works of literature of the 19th [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #90

TEXT: 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

Every time a new year rolls around, folks begin to think about things they can change in their lives. Some people say that they are going to lose weight and start eating healthy. Others say that they are going to go back to college or get out of debt. Some say that they are going to write a book or start their own business. And others commit to getting organized or spending more time with family and friends.

The start of a new year is indeed a great occasion to make a change in your life. I believe that God gives us such time markers as a way for us to stop, look back at our lives, and identify things that we can change for the future. However, many people focus on making only outward changes -- changes that will improve the way they look, improve their standard of living, or improve how others see them. I believe that the best change you can make is a change from the inside out -- a change of heart, soul, and mind. In other words, a change that brings about a new you for the new year. For there cannot truly be a New Year for you if there is no new you for the New Year.

So, today, I want to share with you from the Word of God how you can become a new you as we head into the new year. In Second Corinthians chapter 5, Paul is writing to the Corinthian believers about the implications of Christ's death. He emphasizes that Christ died for "all men", so anyone can have a new life. Because of Christ's death, salvation was not limited to the Jews, but was opened to everyone. This is good news for us today because it lets us know that anyone can have a great change in their life through the power of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and become a new you for the new year -- anyone can become a new person. How can such change come about?

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch sing "My Tribute (To God be the Glory)" and Adam Young singing "In Christ Alone"…

How to Handle Persecution, #17

TEXT: Psalm 7:1-6

Psalm 7 is David's psalm of deliverance from those who falsely accuse him. The superscription of this Psalm tells us that this is a "shiggaion -- that is an emotional lament -- of David which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush the Benjamite." From this title, we learn the occasion on which David was prompted to compose this psalm. Charles Haddon Spurgeon tells us in his "Treasury of David" commentary on the Psalms that "It appears probable that Cush the Benjamite had accused David of treasonable conspiracy against Saul's royal authority. This, the king would be ready enough to lend credit to, both from his jealousy of David, and from the relation which most probably existed between himself, the son of Kish, and this Cush, or Kish, the Benjamite. He who is near the throne can do more injury to a subject than an ordinary slanderer."

In this psalm, David states that the charges of his accuser are not true and defends his own innocence. Sometimes, in our own lives, we will have to deal with false accusations. People may lie on you to make you look bad in front of the world, in front of an authority figure, or to make themselves look good. People may try to trip you up and cause you to stumble into sin. People may gossip and spread rumors about you. All of this in an attempt to ruin your Christian testimony.

Well, today, I want us to look at this psalm and see how David handles people who falsely accuse him of wrongdoing. …

He is the NFL's premier running back. He plays for the Minnesota Vikings and is its all-time leading rusher. He is a 4-time Pro Bowl front runner and one of the league’s most marketable players. In college, he set the NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards during the 2004 season. As a first-team All-American, he became the first freshman to finish as the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting, behind USC quarterback Matt Leinart.

After his first pro season, he was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and was then awarded the MVP award for his performance in the Pro Bowl. He became only the fifth player in NFL history to have more than 3,000 yards through his first two seasons. In 2010, he became the fifth fastest player to run for 5,000 yards, doing so in his 51st game. In 2012, he became the sixth fastest player to reach 8,000 rushing yards. Nicknamed A.D. for "All Day", his football career success is carried by his tireless determination.

Born to two athletic parents, he was interested in sports from an early age. As a child, however, his life was not absent of pain and heartache. At 7, he watched his oldest brother die after being hit by a drunk driver while they were bike-riding. And while in high school, his dad, who was also his coach, went to jail on a drug charge. He credits his faith in God for sustaining him through those tough times and helping him to stay focused on his goals.

He says of his relationship with Jesus Christ: "Jesus Christ means the world to me. I've been through so many different situations through my childhood and now my adulthood...God just helped me get through them and made me stronger at a young age. (Through) all the adversity and hard times I've been through, God has always been present. I've always prayed to Him and asked Him to give me the strength to endure and to help others and to better understand whatever situation I deal with in my personal life. And He has always showed up! It brings hope and peace of mind knowing that God gave His only begotten Son for us. I'm able to look back and know that on Christmas day Jesus was born and gave us the opportunity to have eternal life. No matter how many flaws we have, our God is so forgiving and understanding. He'll never leave you or forsake you. So that brings peace to me." His name is Adrian Peterson.…

This past week, the much-anticipated movie Les Misérables was released in theaters. The movie is based on the popular musical of the same name which is based on the French historical novel written by Victor Hugo in 1862. The novel is considered to be one of the greatest works of literature of the 19th century.

Les Misérables is the story of Jean Valjean, a man who was imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family and then trying to escape jail. After Javert, the jailer, releases him on parole Jean breaks parole and is nearly taken back to jail. But through the kindness of a priest, he is saved from prison. Jean's life is so impacted by the priest's generosity that he sets about to redeem himself in the eyes of God by doing good. He goes to a town named Montreuile under an assumed name and invents a manufacturing process that puts many of the townspeople to work and brings great prosperity to the town. Eventually, he is chosen to be the town's mayor.

Javert, however, is committed to the law and is determined to see Jean put back in jail. Throughout the story, he attempts to hunt down Jean so that he can make him pay for his crimes.

Jean, on the other hand, strives to redeem himself. He adopts the daughter of a poor, dying woman who works in his factory and raises her as his own. During a violent uprising in France, he saves the life of a wounded young man who eventually marries his adopted daughter. And when he has the opportunity to kill the jailer who had been hunting him down he lets him go free instead.

Jean's attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of God is similar to what many of us do in life. Just like Jean, we know that we are condemned in the eyes of the law and deserve to be punished for our wrongdoings. And just like Jean we try to make ourselves righteous in God's sight by doing good deeds and helping others. However, God's Word says that no matter what we do, we can never be made righteous in the sight of God on our own. The Bible says in Romans 3:10, "There is none righteous, no, not one." Titus 3:5 says, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us."

+ Plus, listen to MercyMe singing "Love of God"…

To begin the year with God is more important than anything else in this world. The Bible says in Isaiah 55:6-7: "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon".

The dawning of a new year serves to remind us that we are all marching through time, heading for eternity. Awaiting each traveler is either a glad and glorious heaven in the presence of God, or a sad and sorrowful hell, banished from God. The eternal Son of God entered into time as the man Christ Jesus to make a way for sinful man to approach God and enter into life eternal. His death, burial and resurrection have fully accomplished this objective so that Jesus now proclaims in John 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me".

+ Plus, listen to Aaron Shust singing "My Savior My God"…

Praying Through the Bible #18 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Kings 8:41-43

This is message #18 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 5). We are continuing our series on Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. After the Temple was built, Solomon called together all of the children of Israel to celebrate the completion of the Temple and that is the occasion on which Solomon offers his prayer.

Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at three more elements that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life.

1. Notice how Solomon prays for those who are not a part of the nation of Israel.

2. Notice how Solomon is concerned about God's glory.

3. Notice how Solomon's purpose in praying is for all people to be obedient to God.…

  Galatians 4:4 reads, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son.”   How old is the story of Christmas? While it’s true that the events of Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—took place 2,000 years ago, the story of Christmas was being written for hundreds and even thousands of [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #89

TEXT: Matthew 1:18-25

During the Christmas season, there is so much going on that it is easy for many people to lose sight of the real reason for the holiday. There is the so-called "war on Christmas", the pressure of trying to pick the right present to give to a hard-to-please family member, the preparation to receive family members coming over for the holiday, or last-minute traveling to get to a certain destination. It has gotten so bad, that last year, when Christmas fell on a Sunday, some churches raised the question of whether or not they should even have services.

The glamour and false glory of commercialism abounds during this time of the year, and so many people get caught up in the distractions rather than in the reason for the season. It is disappointing to see so many folks miss the meaning behind this holiday.

In its very essence, Christmas is a holiday that brings with it a message of salvation and deliverance for all people. We must remember that the first people who received this message were not middle class citizens who had extra spending money and time to shop for presents to give to each other. Rather, they were poor shepherds spending the night outdoors watching over their sheep. They were an old husband and wife -- John and Elizabeth -- who didn't have any children. They were a young woman named Mary and a young man named Joseph; Mary risked being ostracized, ridiculed, and publicly humiliated and Joseph's life was turned upside down when he found out that the girl he was about to marry was already pregnant.

The Jewish people of first century Palestine lived under the rule of an occupational Roman government. Mary likely grew up somewhere near the city of Nazareth. From the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus, we learn that Nazareth was no more than a small peasant village of 200 to 300 people. Ninety-five percent of the people living in Palestine at that time were somewhere between the middle class and the bottom, and they were overtaxed, not only by the Romans, but by Jewish tax collectors who were infamous for their extortionary practices. Dr. George Shillington, a former biblical and theological professor who has written several books on the New Testament, states that it is unlikely that Mary could even read or write.

Joseph was not very well-off either. We know that his family was from Bethlehem and that he was a carpenter. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, a carpenter "only held a very humble position, and secured a very moderate income." John Broadus writes in his commentary that Joseph was mostly engaged in the making of plows and yokes for farmers because the society in which he lived was heavily dependent on farming for sustenance and income.

So, Jesus Christ came at a time when the people of Palestine were looking for deliverance and salvation. They wanted deliverance from an oppressive government. They wanted deliverance from a religious system which treated them as outcasts and people to be looked down upon. They wanted deliverance from poverty and a life of difficulty. They were looking for a hero. They were looking for a Saviour. They were looking for a Deliverer.

Today, I want to share with you the true message of Christmas -- for it is a message of deliverance and salvation, not only for the people of the first century Roman world, but for each and every one of us today. This message is embodied in the words of the angel to Joseph which we just read. This is the true message of Christmas.

+ Plus, listen to The Georgia Mass Choir as they sing "Joy To The World" and Rebecca St. James singing "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing"…

(Gospel Light Minute #41)

He is the latest sensation to hit the sports world. He is considered to be "the Tim Tebow of the NBA".

After receiving no athletic scholarship offers out of high school and being undrafted out of college, the 2010 Harvard University graduate reached a partially guaranteed contract deal later that year with his hometown Golden State Warriors. After his first year, he was waived by the Warriors and the Houston Rockets in the preseason before joining the New York Knicks early in the 2011–2012 season. He is the first American player in the NBA to be of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. He is credited with helping the New York Knicks win several recent games and the term "Linsanity" has been coined based upon his extraordinary talent.

While at Harvard, he was co-founder of a Bible study group run by the Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Christian Fellowship. Following his sudden rise to stardom, he said, "I'm thinking about how I can trust God more. How can I surrender more? How can I bring Him more glory?" An outspoken Christian, he has made it no secret that he thanks God for everything in his life. He says he would one day like to be a pastor who can head up non-profit organizations, either at home or abroad. He said "everything in my life is a blessing from God. I look back and I realize these are His fingerprints all over my story. Our true prize ... was something in heaven, not on earth. I realize I [have] to learn ... to stop chasing the perishable prizes of this earth ... and give my best effort unto God and trust Him with the results." His name is Jeremy Lin.…

GLMX #58

Galatians 4:4 reads, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son."

How old is the story of Christmas? While it’s true that the events of Christmas—the birth of Jesus Christ—took place 2,000 years ago, the story of Christmas was being written for hundreds and even thousands of years before that blessed day.

The beginning of the story of Christmas was told in the Garden of Eden, the paradise where Adam and Eve lived in harmony with God until they disobeyed His command. Because of Satan’s deceptive actions and temptation which led Adam and Eve to sin, God pronounced a judgment against him. The judgment, in Genesis 3:15, revealed that the seed of the woman (Jesus Christ) would bruise the head of the serpent (Satan). The sins of our first parents, as well as the sins of every person who has lived since then, created a need and a longing for a Redeemer who could conquer sin and restore mankind’s relationship with God...

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Away in a Manger"…

Praying Through the Bible #17 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Kings 8:37-40

This is message #17 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 4). We are continuing our series on Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God. After the Temple was built, Solomon called together all of the children of Israel to celebrate the completion of the Temple and that is the occasion on which Solomon offers his prayer.

Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at four more elements that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life.

1. Solomon sees the need to pray to God in times when the nation is undergoing judgment.

2. Notice that God hears the prayers of his people and He is willing to forgive.

3. Notice that God knows the heart condition of every man.

4. Notice that when God restores us, we should not forget the lessons we learned while we were being punished. …

When you were a child, you likely believed everything your parents told you because you trusted them. Your parents were there to guide you, protect you, and train you in your young life. If you believed what your parents told you, you listened to their advice and instruction and benefitted from it. Throughout our lives, [...]…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #88

TEXT: Revelation 21:9-27

This past Friday, our nation was again shaken by the news of the worst school shooting in America. In Newtown, Connecticut, 27 people were massacred in the Sandy Hook elementary school. Twenty of those who were killed were children, six- and seven- years of age. One young man who endured an agonizing wait for his sister outside the school after the shooting said that if he had to describe the whole situation in one word that word would be "hell". And he's right.

But now, those 20 children are in Heaven with God. While we here on earth mourn their loss and comfort those who will have to face the future without their child, those children are happy, loved, and comforted in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

Thomas Moore, the Irish poet, singer, and songwriter, said, "Heaven is a land where children shall walk on cool springy turf, and among myrtle trees, and eat fruits that shall heal while they delight them, and drink the coolest of water, fresh from the River of Life, and have space to stretch themselves, and bathe, and leap, and run, and whichsoever way they look meet Christ's eyes smiling on them." Those 20 children, who slipped beyond the veil of eternity last Friday morning, are now in this beautiful place.

Today, I want us to examine the great beauty of Heaven. If you have given your heart and life to Jesus Christ, you are going to spend eternity there. And if you have not yet given your heart and life to Jesus Christ, I hope that the Bible's description of this great future city will encourage you to make that decision today.

+ Plus, listen to Rudolph McKissick as he sings "Heaven" and Thomas A. Dorsey singing "It's A Highway To Heaven"…

He is a former New York mobster with the Colombo crime family who was heavily involved in the gasoline tax rackets in the 1980s. In the mid-1980s, Fortune Magazine listed him as number 18 on its list of the "Fifty Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses" According to a Federal report, he made more money for a crime family than anyone since Chicago boss Al Capone. As the former "Prince of the Mafia," he faced dozens of grand jury appearances, three major racketeering indictments, five criminal trials, seven years in prison and a Mafia death sentence.

However, in 1987, while in prison, he made a decision to walk away from the Colombo family and organized crime. Crediting the prayers of his Christian wife, Cammy, her family, and her church, he left the world of crime and became a born again Christian. He said, "If it had not been for my wife's prayers, I wouldn't be alive. There's no question that I'd either be dead or in prison for the rest of my life. And that's not even a guess. That's absolute."

Today, he is a follower of Jesus Christ and a man on a mission. He often describes his very own Damascus Road experience, from his early days in the Mob and its rise to power to God leading him to do the unthinkable: quit the Mob and follow Jesus. Since his conversion, he has created a foundation called the Breaking Out Foundation to educate, empower, and equip youth to face life's challenges.

He has become a motivational speaker to churches, corporate events, schools, and Christian conferences. And he shares his compelling story in two books, "Blood Covenant" and "The Good, the Bad, and the Forgiven". His theme always hits home with audiences around the world: “You can’t escape the long arm of the law—and you sure can’t escape the longer arm of the Lord.” His name is Michael Franzese.…

When you were a child, you likely believed everything your parents told you because you trusted them. Your parents were there to guide you, protect you, and train you in your young life. If you believed what your parents told you, you listened to their advice and instruction and benefited from it.

Throughout our lives, we are faced with choices and different points of view, and we have to choose what we believe and then act on those beliefs. We all know that what we believe shapes how we live our lives. But did you know that a simple act of belief can change your eternal destiny?

+ Plus, listen to Britt Nicole singing "Believe"…

Praying Through the Bible #16 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Kings 8:30-36

This is message #16 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 3). We are continuing our discussion of Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have already seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God.

Today, we will continue reading Solomon's prayer and look at three more lessons that we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. From verses 30-36, I want us to notice three things.

1. Solomon acknowledges human frailty.

2. Solomon asks for deliverance from enemies.

3. Solomon asks God to teach his people how to walk righteously. …

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #87

TEXT: Revelation 21:9-27

Throughout the history of the world, great cities have risen and fallen. You have heard of the greatness of Babylon and Jerusalem. You have heard of the greatness of Rome and Alexandria. You have heard of the greatness of Athens and Constantinople. These cities and many others were well-known for their educational advancements, their architectural techniques, their cultural diversity, their religious devotion, and their military prowess.

However, none of these cities were known for the one thing that the world has longed for -- peace. Jerusalem was sacked by Babylon and then later by Rome. Babylon was overrun by the Medes and the Persians. Athens underwent repeated wars with other Greek city-states. Very little of the ancient glory of Alexandria remains because the city suffered from constant wars. Constantinople was crushed by the Ottoman invaders. And Rome, perhaps the greatest city of the ancient world, was ravaged by bands of barbarians from the north.

None of these great cities were able to provide permanent peace for their citizens or the world. Even today, our world longs for peace. Just a few weeks ago Israel and Gaza were at war and today, despite a ceasefire, there is still open hostility. There is no peace. In Syria, rebels are fighting their own government to gain democratic rights. There is no peace. Egypt remains in turmoil and there is no peace in the great city of Cairo today either.

It seems as though the one thing the world has strived for the most it simply cannot obtain.

However, our passage for today tells us about a future city that will provide that peace that the world has longed for. It is called the new Jerusalem and it will be the capital city of the new creation that God will bring about at the end of time.

The passage we just read describes the beauty of the New Jerusalem. This New Jerusalem comes about after God has defeated the evil forces that rebel against Him during the end times. Jamieson, Fawcett and Brown state in their commentary that this passage "describes the eternal and consummated kingdom of God and the saints on the new earth." The name 'Jerusalem' actually means 'City of Peace'. It will be the eternal home of all those who remain faithful to God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Allow me to briefly share with you three reasons why the New Jerusalem will indeed be a "city of peace" and how you can have a place in this city.

+ Plus, listen to Tamela Mann singing "Joy Of the Lord" and The Sensational Nightingales singing "I Must Tell Jesus"…

Gospel Light Minute #51

He is the new NFL quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He was selected by the Redskins in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He played college football for Baylor University, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2011. Hailing from a military family, with a strong, strict father, he began college at 17 years old. With dedication and hard work, he graduated in 3 years with a degree in political science, and a 3.67 GPA, all while appearing on the Dean's List two times. He is currently studying for a Masters degree in Communications. He won the Associated Press College Football Player of the Year award, the Davey O'Brien Award, the Manning Award, and the Consensus All-American award in 2011.

He said of his faith, 'I was heavily influenced by my parents to learn discipline. But my relationship with God was my most important influence...I've been in the church since I was 7. My parents didn't push it on us but they made sure we grew up in the church, so that's all we know, that's what we do.' He went further to say, 'Whenever you can be a Christian and come to a Christian university like Baylor and make a difference like this whole football team has, it's great. [God] gives you the stage to make a difference and not to just talk about yourself, but lift Him up. There are a lot of different types of Christians everywhere, but my biggest thing is it's not our job to judge; it's just our job to go out, praise Him, let people know what He's doing, and let people follow if they want to. So I praise God, I thank him for everything. Purposefully, you live every day for Him, and when He gives you the opportunity to speak up for Him or to do something in His name, you do it." The young man that I am talking about is Robert Griffin III, better known as RG3.…

GLMX #37

Here are some of the signs of the times --- Chaos in the Middle East! Earthquakes! Protests! The War in Afghanistan! Terrorist Threats! Homosexual Marriage! Tsunamis! Floods! Tornadoes! Diseases!

These headlines remind us that our world is continually eating away at us and everything we possess. Not only are our finances and jobs in jeopardy, our very lives and security are being threatened as well. Uncertainty, instability, and now the spread of chaos in the Middle East and around the world are the signs of our times.

The world is clearly falling apart. So where can we find strength and security to survive and thrive? In this Gospel Light Minute Extended broadcast, Daniel Whyte III give the time-tested answer to this important question.

+ Plus, listen to Adam Young singing "In Christ Alone"…

Here are some of the signs of the times — Chaos in the Middle East! Earthquakes! Protests! The War in Afghanistan! Terrorist Threats! Homosexual Marriage! Tsunamis! Floods! Tornadoes! Diseases! These headlines remind us that our world is continually eating away at us and everything we possess. Not only are our finances and jobs in jeopardy, [...]…

Praying Through the Bible #15 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Kings 8:22-29

This is message #15 titled "Great Expectations" (Part 2). We are looking at Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem. We have already seen how God fulfilled His promise to David and allowed his son, Solomon, to build the Temple for the glory of God.

Today, we will begin reading Solomon's prayer and seeing what lessons we can draw from it and apply to our own prayer life. I want us to notice three things.

1. Notice how Solomon praises God for His greatness.

2. Notice how Solomon remembers God's fulfilled promises.

3. Notice how Solomon requests God's favor.…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #87

Scripture: II Corinthians 9:8-15

Last week, as we came out of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, we began looking at the number one reason why we ought to be thankful -- and that is because of God's Son, Jesus Christ, the Unspeakable Gift. We specifically saw three reasons why we ought to be thankful for Jesus Christ.

1. We ought to be thankful for Jesus Christ because He gave His Life that we might have Eternal Life.

2. We ought to be thankful for Jesus Christ because He keeps us by His grace.

3. We ought to be thankful for Jesus Christ because He is able to keep us from falling into sin.

On this, the first Sunday of December, as we begin the countdown to the glorious holiday of Christmas I would like to return to this topic of Why I Thank God for Jesus Christ. I believe this is a fitting way to begin this holiday season because, as I mentioned last week, the devil tries to get our focus off the main thing -- and the main thing is Jesus Christ. So, today, I want to share with you four reasons why I thank God for Jesus Christ.

1. I thank God for Jesus Christ because, in His mercy, love, and grace, He is still working on me.
2. I thank God for Jesus Christ because He is constantly interceding for me.
3. I thank God for Jesus Christ because He will never leave me nor forsake me.
4. I thank God for Jesus Christ because He has promised to come back and take us home to glory.

+ Plus, listen to Walter Hawkins as he sings "Thank You" and Matt Redman singing "10,000 Reasons".…

(Gospel Light Minute #27)

He led his team, the New Orleans Saints, to a Superbowl Victory in 2010. He was also MVP of Super Bowl 44. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times in his career – with the Chargers in 2004 and the Saints in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010. He was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2004 and the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008. He was also selected by voters to appear on the cover of Electronic Arts' Madden NFL 11. Sports Illustrated named him as its 2010 Sportsman of the Year. He and his wife founded, the Brees Dream Foundation to advance research in the fight against cancer and to help rebuild what was lost in Hurricane Katrina. In his book, Coming Back Stronger, he chronicles his journey with the underlying message of never giving up and following God’s plan.

He says of His faith, "I live for God, for the faith that I have in Him. Knowing the sacrifices that Jesus Christ made on the cross for me and feeling like it’s in God’s hands, all I have to do is just give my best, commit the rest to Him. Everything else is taken care of. That takes the weight off anybody’s shoulders. It’s to give you confidence to know that you’ve got somebody looking out for you." His name is Drew Brees.…

GLMX #81

Some people predict that there will be a cataclysmic event on December 21, 2012. They claim that this cataclysmic event is supported by astronomical alignments and ancient Mayan calendars. They say that the end will come about as a result of the earth colliding with a black hole or a passing asteroid. Will 2012 mark the end of the world and the start of a new era?

THE END OF THE WORLD?

We know that there is a day coming when this world as we know it will end. But how can we know for sure whether the world will end? The only reliable source of information we have about end-time events is the Bible.

THE BIBLE AND END-TIME EVENTS

The Bible gives us the following valuable information about the events of the end of the world.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Soon & Very Soon"…

Some people predict that there will be a cataclysmic event on December 21, 2012. They claim that this cataclysmic event is supported by astronomical alignments and ancient Mayan calendars. They say that the end will come about as a result of the earth colliding with a black hole or a passing asteroid. Will 2012 mark [...]…

Prayer in the Bible #14 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Kings 8:22-24

In our last message in this series, we covered the topic of how David was still before God in the Tabernacle. As you might remember, the context of that message was David's desire to build a Temple for God's presence to reside in. However, God informed David through Nathan the prophet that while his intentions were good, he would not be allowed to build the Temple. But his son, who would be king after him, would build the Temple.

Well, the context of our passage today is the fulfillment of God's words to David. Here, in this passage, we have King Solomon who has completed building the Temple in Jerusalem. On this great occasion, the children of Israel are gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate the completion of the building of the Temple.

Verse one of chapter eight tells us that "Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month."

The Levite priests carried the Ark of the Covenant out of the tabernacle and into the newly built Temple. When they had set up the Ark in the Temple, the Bible tells us that a great cloud filled the Temple signifying God's approval of what Solomon had done.

Today, I want us to begin looking at Solomon's prayer on this occasion and the lessons we can learn from it. Because this is such a long prayer, Lord willing, we will continue to study I Kings chapter eight in upcoming messages. Today, we are covering the first 22 verses so that we can get an understanding of the background of Solomon's prayer. I have titled this series of messages "Great Expectations" because Solomon prays a great prayer to God, and he expects God to do great things for the nation of Israel. …

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #86

Scripture: II Corinthians 9:8-15

We have just come to the end of another long Thanksgiving weekend. I can tell you that I have enjoyed myself throughout this holiday, and I trust that you have as well. During this time of the year, our hearts and minds turn to the many things that we are grateful for. And I truly have a lot to be grateful for because God has blessed me immensely. My dad used to say "God has smiled on me." And the Lord has shown great favor, grace, and mercy down through the years to me, my family, and everyone living today. In fact, if you are alive, you have a lot to thank God for. Paul tells the Corinthians in verse 11 of our passage that they have been "enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God."

My life has indeed been enriched by the bountiful blessings of God. I have health and strength. I have many beautiful and healthy children. I have a beautiful wife and a son and daughter born on my birthday. I enjoy the blessings of good food to eat, clothes to wear and a place to stay. Since I first preached this devotional message, in a small church, in a little city called Apalachicola, Florida, nearly twenty five ago, I have been serving the Lord in the ministry full-time for over thirty years. God has taken care of me, my wife and our seven children by faith in Him. God has been good to me and it has been a joy serving Him.

However, the person I thank God for the most is His Holy Son, Jesus Christ, whom the Bible calls the "unspeakable gift." I feel that, particularly as we head into the Christmas season, and all of the commercialism that unfortunately goes along with it, it is good for us to do as that old hymn says and turn our eyes upon Jesus -- to put the focus on Him, the true reason for the season. And before you get back to your shopping and gift-buying and gift-giving, I want us to take this time together today to focus on God's "unspeakable gift" to us. That word "unspeakable" means something so wonderful that words cannot even describe it.

Today, I want to share with you three reasons why I thank God for Jesus Christ.

1. I thank God for Jesus Christ because He gave His Life that I might have Eternal Life.
2. I thank God for Jesus Christ because He keeps me by His grace.
3. I thank God for Jesus Christ because He is able to keep me from falling.

+ Plus, listen to Deitrick Haddon as he sings "Do Not Pass Me By" and the Rance Allen Group singing "Livin' For Jesus"…

(Gospel Light Minute #22)

His Tae Bo fitness system has helped millions of people around the world get in shape and feel great. In 1975 he became the first Amateur Athletic Union champion, a title he won five times. The AAU is a multi-sport organization that is dedicated to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. By age 16, he had earned a black belt in karate and went on to earn a spot on the U.S. Karate team which won 36 gold medals in international competition. He became the captain of that karate team in 1980. A seventh-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, the dominant Korean version of karate, he holds black belts in five other forms of martial arts. He also became the 1984 Massachusetts Golden Gloves Champion and the Tri-State Golden Gloves Champion of Champions.

In 1988 and 1989, while pursuing a career in acting he felt that something was missing in his life. As he continued to become more successful, he said "I was always searching" for something else.

One day a friend suddenly invited him to church. They went together and he was so impacted by the Lord that he "received Jesus the same day." When his wife, Gayle, saw the change in him over a period of months, she gave her life to Christ, too and their children soon followed. When people ask him his secret to success, he says that it was when he dedicated his life to the Lord that his career took off. His name is Billy Blanks. …

GLMX #54

Sin has separated man from God. To be separated from God at death means to spend eternity in Hell, because God will not excuse sin, and sin must be punished. Man is sinful, but God is holy. The blood of Jesus Christ is God's way of meeting man's greatest need...and that Blood will never lose its power.

+ Plus, listen to CeCe Winans singing "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power"…

TEXT: 1 Chronicles 16:7-13

Today, I want us to move on to verses 11 and 12 of this passage and see the final three aspects of this "thanksgiving mandate" that are given in this passage of Scripture.

1. God wants us to get to know Him better.

2. God wants us to desire for His presence to be in our lives.

3. God wants us to remember everything that He has done.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"…

TEXT: 1 Chronicles 16:7-13

I believe it is good for us to set aside one special day out of the year just to focus on thanking and praising God for all that He has done for us. However, that one day should serve to remind us that we need to give thanks everyday of our lives.

On yesterday, we began looking at I Chronicles 16 and what I am calling the "thanksgiving mandate" that is given in God's Word. We looked at verse 8 of this passage and saw three things that God wants us to do in this matter of being thankful.

1. God wants us to be thankful for His blessings.

2. While we are remembering and being thankful for what God has done for us, God wants us to remain in communication with Him.

3. God wants us to tell others about His goodness.

As I mentioned on yesterday, this passage is actually a part of a psalm that was written by King David on the occasion of the Israelites bringing the ark of God into Jerusalem. The Bible tells us that David's purpose in writing this psalm was to "thank the Lord", and that he gave this psalm to Asaph. Asaph was a Levite, and he was one of the leaders of David's choir who also wrote twelve psalms himself that we know of. So, David probably gave this psalm to Asaph to teach it to the Levite choir so they all could sing it together.

Today, I want us to move on to verses 9 and 10 of this passage and see what else is involved in this "thanksgiving mandate".

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"…

1 Chronicles 16:8: "Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people."

Out of all of the holidays that we are blessed to celebrate, Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love this time of year. I love the weather. I love the time we get to spend with family and friends. I love the food. I love looking back over the past year to see where God has brought us from.

I believe that God gives us these times away from our daily routine to refocus our attention on what is truly important. The Israelites observed certain feasts, celebrations, and holy days every year. These days were observed so that the children of Israel would remember what God had done for them in the past.

The verse that we are looking at today is I Chronicles 16:8. This verse is a part of a psalm given by David on one of these important days in the history of Israel -- the day that he brought the Tabernacle of God up to Jerusalem. The people of Israel were celebrating and rejoicing because of this great event. From this verse, I want us to notice three things that I believe God wants us to do not only on this Thanksgiving, but on every day of our lives.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"…

1 Chronicles 16:8: "Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people."

Out of all of the holidays that we are blessed to celebrate, Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love this time of year. I love the weather. I love the time we get to spend with family and friends. I love the food. I love looking back over the past year to see where God has brought us from.

I believe that God gives us these times away from our daily routine to refocus our attention on what is truly important. The Israelites observed certain feasts, celebrations, and holy days every year. These days were observed so that the children of Israel would remember what God had done for them in the past.

The verse that we are looking at today is I Chronicles 16:8. This verse is a part of a psalm given by David on one of these important days in the history of Israel -- the day that he brought the Tabernacle of God up to Jerusalem. The people of Israel were celebrating and rejoicing because of this great event. From this verse, I want us to notice three things that I believe God wants us to do not only on this Thanksgiving, but on every day of our lives.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Count Your Blessings"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #85

Scripture: Isaiah 53

In our culture today, it seems as though one of the hardest things for us to do is to slow down and be still for any length of time. From the time we get out of bed in the morning to the time we turn in at night, we are always busy and always on the go. Many of us rush from one destination to another, running errands, fulfilling job duties, catching up with friends, and handling family issues. Even during "down time" when we should be relaxing, our fingers fly over handheld devices. While we are sitting in the recliner or laying in bed, we are surfing the web, checking e-mail, video chatting, and collaborating with co-workers on job projects. We find it nearly impossible to just be still.

In our passage for today, I want us to notice how King David goes into the Tabernacle and takes the time to "sit before the Lord."

Just to give you the background of this occasion: earlier in II Samuel 7, the Bible tells us that David is sitting in his newly built palace talking to Nathan the prophet. While they are talking, David says, "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains." He then expresses his desire to build a Temple for the Ark of God to reside in. Nathan understandably encourages him to do this. However, later, God speaks to Nathan and tells him that He will allow David's son to build the Temple and not David. However, God tells Nathan what we now call the "Davidic covenant" in which He promises that the House of David would be established forever as the ruling house of Israel.

After Nathan brings him this message from God, King David is overwhelmed by the grace and mercy that God has shown to him, and he goes to the Tabernacle and the Bible tells us that he "sat before the Lord."

Today, I want us to consider the fact that there are times when we need to leave our normal duties and get alone with God. We, too, need to sit before the Lord. …

(Gospel Light Minute #21)

By his early teens, he was constantly in fist fights, selling hard drugs and sleeping with married women. He continued to slide deeper into a life of violence and crime until he became a Shotgunner - an armed guard for drug dealers. His father, a former marine, grew fond of saying "Boy, somebody's gonna kill you one of these days!"

Haunted by his father's words, he became increasingly concerned that he was going to be killed because of drugs and slowly began to distance himself from his former life. Soon, his wife, Lynn, accepted Jesus Christ and helped bring him to Christ as well. After committing his life to Jesus, he kicked his drug addiction, built a church, became its preacher and managed a thriving construction business in Pennsylvania.

But in 1998, he went to Uganda as a volunteer for a construction project. That one trip, which was supposed to last only a few weeks, drastically changed the course of his life, his family and of hundreds of children in southern Sudan. Since 1998, he has spent his time in Africa rescuing children from being recruited as child soldiers or being forced into sex trafficking. He also runs an orphanage in Southern Sudan. His name is Sam Childers, and he is now known as the "Machine Gun Preacher." …

GLMX #48

It is true, most people are pretty good. However, contrary to popular opinion, not all good people go to Heaven. In fact, you do not have to be a bad person to go to Hell. Notice what the Bible says in Titus 3:5: "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..." The Bible also states in Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." You can see that even if you are a good person, and even if you do good works, God's Word declares that your goodness is not enough to get you to Heaven.

Another interesting fact found in the Bible is that you are not really as good as you think you are. Ecclesiastes 7:20 states, "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." The Bible also says in Romans 3:10 and 23, "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one...For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

It is true that you must have goodness to get to Heaven, but the truth is you do not possess that goodness in and of yourself. Isaiah 59:2 says, "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." You see, everyone deserves to die and go to Hell because of their sin; however, Jesus loved us so much that He shed His sinless blood and died in our place. Three days later, Christ arose from the grave, proving that He had conquered death and hell, and establishing that He alone has the power to give us eternal life. Romans 5:8 says "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

+ Plus, listen to Natalie Grant singing "Perfect People"…

Prayer in the Bible #12 | with Daniel Whyte III

TEXT: I Samuel 12:16-25

Today, as we continue our series on Prayer in the Bible, I want us to look at the life of one of the most powerful prayer warriors in history. His name is Samuel, and he was a great prayer partner to the children of Israel because he really knew how to get ahold of God. He was also a prophet and the last of the judges of the children of Israel. You might recall that his birth came about because of the earnest prayers of his mother Hannah who was barren and desperately wanted a child. Samuel grew up in the Tabernacle as a servant of God, and that is where he began his great and powerful prayer life.

1. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Listen to the Voice of God.

2. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Be Willing to Pray for Others.

3. In Order to Become a Powerful Person of Prayer, You Must Understand that Prayerlessness Is a Sin. …

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #84

Scripture: Isaiah 53

This past week, America came to the close of its election season. After months of non-stop campaigning, debates over policy, campaign ads bombarding the airwaves, and political pundits weighing in on various issues, the American people went to the polls and made a choice between two candidates.

Earlier in the political season, both parties held a convention where they officially nominated their candidate for the office of president. A great deal of planning went into each of these gatherings. There was a lot of pomp and ceremony, balloons, confetti and music. The venues were chosen with great care. And with a rare exception or two, everything was scripted. The conventions were orchestrated to show their candidate as being the most attractive, the most likable, and the most electable.

It would have truly been a disaster if, after investing all of that money and effort, their candidate came away as being perceived as unattractive, un-presidential and unlikable.

But, as Isaiah 53 tells us, that is how Jesus Christ, the Lord of Glory, was perceived when He came down to earth.

I like what one commentator wrote about this passage. He said, "Isaiah brings us on a personal level to the Messiah, the Son of God, who alone can atone for sin. His message is rejected; His person is refused; and His mission is misunderstood. Nevertheless, His vicarious suffering provides atonement for our sins; and though He suffers death and burial, He will ultimately be exalted. No other Scripture better describes the humble appearance of Jesus as a common rabbi from the city of Nazareth."

Isaiah 53:2-3 says that Jesus "hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

The term "no form nor comeliness" shows that Jesus comes from humble origins. When He was born, He was not laid in a crib in the bedchamber of a king, but in the feeding trough of cattle in a stable. Isaiah, the prophet, tells us that he was despised and rejected by men. This means that he was disdained, scorned, and abandoned. He was unattractive and undesirable.

Jesus was rejected by many of the people in His day. Yes, He was popular in Israel when he was feeding five thousand people from a little boy's lunch or when He was healing the sick. But, when He called on people to forsake their old lives and follow Him fully and completely, many just walked away. And at the end of his earthly ministry, the majority of the people wanted to get rid of Him. As He stood like a convicted criminal before Pilate, the crowds cried out, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!"

Why wasn't Jesus popular in His day? Why did the masses of people reject Him when it came down to choosing between Him and a common criminal? Allow me to briefly share with you today three aspects of who Jesus was that will help us answer these questions.

+ Plus, listen to Chris Tomlin as he sings "How Great Is Our God" and Israel Houghton & New Breed singing "Again I Say Rejoice".…

Dear Soul, the Bible declares that one day you will die and then stand face to face with God to be judged. Hebrews 9:27 reads, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." Nothing in your entire life could be more important than being ready for that day, because it will determine whether you will spend eternity in heaven or in hell.

This judgment will be based on a person's righteousness, which means to be absolutely perfect and without sin. The Bible says in Acts 17:31, "He hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained..." The man spoken of in this verse is Jesus Christ. This means that your righteousness must match that of Jesus Christ. Can you make it through your entire life without committing one single sin? Jesus Christ did, and He is the one that you will be compared with at your judgment.

+ Plus, listen to Andre Crouch singing "There is No One Like Jesus"…

(Gospel Light Minute #20)

Beyond his stellar college football career with the University of Florida, he played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. He is the winner of 4 NFL rushing titles, and is the first player in NFL history to rush for over 1,000 yards in 11 consecutive seasons. In 2002, he surpassed Walter Payton's All-Time Leading Rushing Record of 16,726 yards to become the NFL's All-Time Leading Rusher. During his career, he led the NFL in rushing 4 times, won 3 Super Bowl Titles, League MVP honors in 1993, the Super Bowl MVP Award (in Super Bowl 28), and has been selected to the Pro Bowl 8 times. He is the only running back to ever win a Super Bowl championship, the NFL Most Valuable Player award, the NFL rushing crown, and the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player award all in the same season in 1993. He finished his career with a total of 18,355 yards. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010, and is the first player from the 1990 NFL Draft to be inducted.

A devout Christian and family man, he shows his strong belief in God in his daily life and in projects that he uses to help others such as the Charities for Underserved Children which he heads with his wife. He urges Christians to pursue their God-given dreams and to combine persistence, humility, determination, courage and faith to be a winner in their calling. His name is Emmitt Smith. …

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #100 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Today, by the grace of God, I want to continue with part two of the message that we began on yesterday titled "10 Things God Wants You to Do in the Last Days." This is the last message in this series of 100 days of preaching the gospel. I am grateful to God for the time that we have spent in His Word together over the past 100 days. I hope that you have enjoyed it and that you have been blessed and encouraged by it.

The two passages which we read in I Timothy and II Timothy are a warning message from the Apostle Paul to the young minister Timothy who was leading the church at Ephesus. In 1 Timothy 4, Paul mostly focuses on religous apostasy. In other words, in the last days, false teachers peddling dangerous doctrine would creep into the church and the people of God will be deceived if they are not on guard against it. In 2 Timothy, Paul talks about the moral and social decay that will come about in the "last days." Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson write that in this context, the term 'last days' refers to the "end of the church age" -- and thus a time period that is close to the Rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. John F. Walvoord states, "Apostasy, of course, was already present in the time that Paul lived, but with the progress of the present age, in spite of the dissemination of the truth and the availability of Scripture, the world will continue to follow the sinful description which the Apostle Paul gave here."

As I mentioned to you on yesterday, I believe that we are indeed living in the last days. We are drawing ever closer to the Rapture of the church and the return of Christ. And during these days, there are some things that God wants us to do while we wait for His coming. On yesterday, we discussed five of those things, which are as follows:

1. God wants you to be saved, if you are not saved already.
2. God wants us to confess our sins when we commit them.
3. God wants us as His children to pray.
4. God wants us to live a holy life before Him.
5. God wants us to read and meditate on the Bible daily.

These are five basic, fundamental things that God wants us to do based on His word. Today, by the grace of God, I want to share with you five more things that God wants us to do in the last days.

1. God wants us to faithfully attend and participate in a local Bible believing church.
2. God wants us to tithe and give to Him through our local church.
3. In light of the second coming of the Lord, God wants us to love one another.
4. God wants us to witness to those who are not saved.
5. God wants us to put on the whole armour of God.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "My Tribute (To God be the Glory)" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #83

Scripture: Hosea 10:1-12

Today, we have come to the end of a long series titled "Break Up Your Fallow Ground: It Is Time to Seek the Lord" which is based on Hosea 10:12. In this passage, Hosea urges the children of Israel to turn away from their sins, repent, and get right with God. And, by the grace of God, we have been called to do the same over the past 22 weeks as we have studied God's Word together.

As we begin today, let's take a close look at verse eight of Hosea chapter 10. This is the last verse that we have not covered in detail from this passage. The verse reads, "The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us."

In this verse, God proclaims the destruction of the idolatrous places which the children of Israel had built up and which offended Him. "The high places" were the hills in Israel on which the children of Israel built altars to false gods. Hosea specifically mentions the high places of Aven. This is a reference to the city of Beth-Aven which is also mentioned in verse five. The name "Beth-Aven" means 'house of vanity'. 'Aven' simply means 'vanity' and it is a word which the Bible uses to refer to other places of idolatrous worship.

When the children of Israel were carried off into captivity, their high places of course fell into disuse. Thus, God says, thorns and thistles would grow up and cover the altars. The desolation of Israel will be so great that the people of Israel will desire for the mountains and hills to fall on them because the punishment and destruction that comes down on Israel would be too much for them to bear.

Just as God made the nation of His chosen people desolate, He can do the same to us today. Yes, He is long suffering, but He will not allow sin to go unpunished forever. One day, if our nation does not repent, we will fall under a similar hand of judgment from God.

Now, in this series of messages, we are addressing specific sins that folks in the church need to confess and repent of in order to get our hearts right with God, and so that we can ask God to send revival in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities, and our country. So far we have addressed sixty-two sins in total, and today, we are going to continue and complete this series by addressing three more sins from our list.

1. The first sin we will address today is the sin of not giving to those in need.

2. The second sin we will address today is the sin of not using our gifts and talents for God's glory.

3. The third sin we will address today is the sin of knowing to do good but not doing it.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Soon and Very Soon" and Newsboys singing "Blessed Be Your Name"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #99 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 24:1-14, 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are living in perilous, dangerous, wicked, bitter, and hard times. We are living in the last days. I tell folks all the time that we are living in days that only God can help us now. The Lord made it perfectly clear that "last days" would come. The Lord never told a lie. In fact, the Bible says that "God cannot lie", meaning it is impossible for Him to lie. I believe according to the Word of God, that those "last days" are here. Make no mistake about it, something is about to happen in this old sin-cursed world and that is, the Second Coming of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ.

However, even though we are living in these difficult times, God wants us to stand strong even if we have to stand alone. So today I want to share with you ten things that will help you to stand strong in light of these last days and in light of the second coming of Jesus Christ.

1. God wants you to be saved.

2. God wants us to confess our sins when we commit them.

3. God wants us, as His children, to pray.

4. God wants us to live a holy life before Him.

5. God wants us to read and meditate on the Bible daily.

+ Plus, listen to Al Green and Heather Headley singing "People Get Ready" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

She is an outstanding American musician. She is best known for her work with Prince, George Duke and Ringo Starr. As a child and teenager, she frequently performed with her father who was also a percussionist. By her early twenties she had already played with George Duke, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Herbie Hancock, and Diana Ross. She joined Prince on several Purple Rain recording sessions and served as a writer and musician on many of his records as well. In her own right, she scored hits with "The Glamorous Life" and "The Belle of St. Mark". She was nominated for an American Music Award and a Grammy for "The Glamorous Life".

She says of her faith, "I was raised Catholic and only went to church because I had to. But I actually gave my heart to the Lord for the first time when I was 18. I was playing in George Duke's band and one of the singers was driving me to a meeting and I was crying, just stressed out. There was a bunch of stuff going on and I said, 'You know what? This is crazy.' She said, 'Look, if you just give your heart to the Lord, everything will be fine.' And I thought, 'You know, it's not that easy.' She said, 'No, really, really it is.' So we prayed in the car and I accepted Christ right then."

As her popularity increased, she felt something was missing in her life. The abuse that she had suffered as a child and the immediate pressure to always perform took a toll on her physically and mentally. She soon became very sick and was admitted to the hospital with a collapsed lung. She was bedridden for weeks, lost a lot of weight, and could barely eat. It was at this point that she felt she was about to die and she cried out to God for help. She said of this time, "It was then that I decided, 'You know what, Lord? If you just give me another chance, I'll do whatever you want me to do.' I got the Bible and I started reading and I kept it on my chest. I slept with it and never took it out of my hand for weeks."

After being in the house for weeks, she finally walked outside for the first time in a month. She said of this time, "As soon as I walked outside, I saw this crack on the ground and I bent over and touched it. I just cried. Then I went over and I touched the grass. I looked up at the sky and it was so blue. I laid on the grass and said, 'Lord, look at all these wonderful things you've given us that we just take for granted. I thought that I needed this and I needed that, but I only need you.' That was the turning point."

Today, she uses her talent for God and is dedicated to serving the Kingdom through her music and her foundation for children. She says, "God has given me a gift and the energy in performing comes from just loving so much what we get to do and being able to share that gift with people." Her name is Sheila E.…

This past week, the Northeastern part of the United States was hit with a massive, devastating storm. Forecasters called it Hurricane Sandy. It started in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean before making landfall in Haiti and Cuba. Some thought the storm would die out at that point, but it kept gaining strength and churned its powerful winds and waves toward to the East Coast of America, causing people to fear for their lives and that of their families. Right now, parts of New York and New Jersey remain flooded, millions are without electricity, clean water, gas, food, or clothes. Many businesses remain shut down, homes remain damaged or destroyed, city leaders are desperate for a quick solution, and many people remain helpless, hopeless and heartbroken.

For many days, weeks, months, and probably years, the people of New York, New Jersey and other states in the region will have to work to rebuild. It will take time, patience, perseverance, and dedication. But those states and all of America will never forget what happened in the course of a few days and the long, devastating aftermath.

The truth is, God does not want us to forget Hurricane Sandy. In a strange way, it is a sign of His judgment and His mercy. It is judgment because He wants us to repent of our sinful ways and turn to Him. And it is mercy because He spared so many lives to give them the opportunity to do just that. In the midst of Sandy's devastation and destruction, God wants the people of New York and New Jersey and people everywhere to experience His grace and salvation. Things look bleak and difficult for the many people who are sitting in the dark, cold, hungry, and without any means of communication or transportation. But it is at these moments when the grace of God becomes obvious and the salvation of God becomes evident.

+ Plus, listen to Mandisa singing "He is With You"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #98 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 21:1-8: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

The Bible tells us that one day this old earth will be done away with. It will be destroyed and a "new heaven and a new earth" will be created in its place. In his letter to first century believers, Peter states that "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." A few verses later, he reiterates his point by saying, "the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

The passage we just read from Revelation 21 describes this new heaven and new earth which will come at the end of time.

Dr. John MacArthur states that "in the consummation of all things, God will renovate the heavens and the earth, merging His heaven with a new universe for a perfect dwelling-place that will be our home forever. In other words, heaven, the realm where God dwells, will expand to encompass the entire universe of creation, which will be fashioned into a perfect and glorious domain fit for the glory of heaven."

The Bible tells us that this new heaven and new earth will be so awesome, and so wonderful, that we will not even remember the old heaven and earth. Speaking through the Prophet Isaiah, God said, "Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind."

Today, I want to briefly share with you three ways in which God will make all things new in this new heaven and new earth.

1. First of all, God will make us new spiritually and morally.

2. Secondly, God will make us physically new.

3. Thirdly, and finally today, God will make a new creation.

+ Plus, listen to Steven Curtis Chapman singing "All Things New" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #97 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 20:4-10: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Our passage of scripture today tells us about the event which immediately follows the end of the Millennial Kingdom. At the end of the Millennium, Satan and his army of rebels are defeated by fire that comes from God out of Heaven. John quickly takes us to the next event in the grand end times drama, and that is the Great White Throne Judgment which read about in Revelation 20:11-15.

Tim LaHaye and Tony Kessinger write that this passage "is the most sobering passage in the Bible. Here unbelievers can see a glimpse of what their ultimate encounter with God will be like. These verses describe the end of the 1000-year millennial reign of Christ upon the earth."

The Great White Throne is only seen in this passage. It is unique from the other thrones mentioned in the book of Revelation -- no other throne is called "great" and "white" This throne is called "great" for three reasons: 1) the One who occupies the throne, 2) its enormous size, and 3) the significance of the judgment that will issue from the throne. This throne is called "white" because of the purity of the One seated on the throne and because of the fairness and righteousness of the verdict that will issue from the throne.

Very briefly, tonight, I want us to ask and answer four important questions about the Great White Throne Judgment.

1. Who is the Judge?

2. Who Will be Judged?

3. How Will They be Judged?

4. What Will the Sentence Be?

+ Plus, listen to Ruben Studdard singing "Amazing Grace" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #96 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 20:4-10: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years..."

On yesterday, we saw in the Word of God the final event which must take place before the millennial kingdom can be brought about -- the imprisonment of Satan. With the antichrist, the false prophet, and Satan gone from the earth; and with Jesus Christ and his army of saints and angels present on the earth, the one-thousand year reign of Jesus Christ can begin.

This time period is called the Millennial Kingdom. According to the Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy, "the word millennium comes from the Latin word 'mille' meaning 'one thousand' and 'annum' meaning year. This word appears 6 times in Revelation 20 defining the duration of Christ's kingdom before the destruction of the old heaven and the old earth. The millennium therefore refers to one thousand years of Christ's future reign on earth, which will immediately precede eternity."

This time period is also called the messianic kingdom because it is the fulfillment of the promise that God gave to David in the Old Testament -- that there would always be one of David's descendants sitting on the throne of Israel.

There are so many aspects of this wonderful time that we could get into today, but I want us to briefly hit the highlights of this passage.

1. The first thing I want us to look at today is the Resurrection of the Saints.

2. Secondly, today, I want us to look at the Reign of the Savior.

3. Thirdly, today, I want us to look at the Return and Rebellion of Satan.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "The King is Coming" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #95 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 20:1-3: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season."

Yesterday, we saw in Revelation chapter 19 the glorious return of Jesus Christ to the earth. He ends the Battle of Armageddon with the powerful "Sword" -- the Word -- that comes out of His mouth. This event marks the end of the Tribulation and the very beginning of the one-thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on earth.

Notice what John MacArthur said about this momentous event: "From the remotest point of antiquity, men have longed for and talked about a golden age, a utopia, an age of peace and justice and righteousness, a time when oppression and war will cease. Poets have written about it. Folk singers still sing about it. Politicians promise it. Prophets predict it. Most people cry for it. And no one brings it. There is, however, such a world coming. And it will be brought at the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. It will be a kingdom the likes of which men have never even dreamed, though they have dreamed much. It will be a utopia beyond all utopia and understanding and comprehension. It will be a true age of blessedness."

It will be the fulfillment of the words of the angelic choir which sang at the birth of Jesus Christ -- "Peace on Earth!"

However, there is one more thing that must be done before the thousand years of peace can begin. You might have noticed in our passage on yesterday that the beast and the false prophet were taken and cast into the lake of fire. However, there is no mention of what happens to Satan -- the mastermind behind the great rebellion against God during the end times. If Satan is still running loose, how can there truly be peace on earth? Well, today, I want us to look at the first three verses of Revelation 20 and see the destiny of Satan -- and how God brings about true peace on earth.

1. First of all, notice The Arrival of Heavenly Authority.

2. Secondly, notice the Abolishment of Satanic Power and Influence.

3. Thirdly, notice the Annihilation of Demonic Deception.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "Blessed be Your Name" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

How to Pray for a Nation (Part 8)

TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19

Today, by the grace of God, I want to continue our series titled "How to Pray for a Nation" based on Daniel's prayer for his people found in Daniel chapter 9. This message, I believe, is particularly pertinent considering recent events, such as the superstorm Sandy which has just devastated the northeast, and which I believe is a judgment of God on this nation because of its sins. It is not strange for God to judge a nation because of its sins. As we have been learning from Daniel chapter 9, even though He gave them a long time to repent, God eventually judged the children of Israel by allowing them to be carried off into captivity to Assyria and Babylon -- a true national disaster. And so in light of these events, I want us to look at the biblical perspective that we should take in times of natural and national disaster.

1. First of all, we need to understand that God is in control of every disaster.

2. Secondly, we need to realize that every disaster brings a mixture of God's mercy and judgment.

3. Thirdly, we must realize that disasters are warnings that call us to repentance.…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #94 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 19:11-21: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords...."

On yesterday, from the Word of God, we saw a glimpse of Heaven and the glorious future that awaits the redeemed people of God from all ages. We saw the wonderful event called the marriage of the Lamb -- the consummation of Christ's union with His body, the church. Today, in the Word of God, the scene shifts back to earth, and we read about the equally wonderful event which follows the marriage of the Lamb, and that is the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Remember, this is not the rapture. That happens at the beginning of the tribulation. What we are talking about today happens at the end of the tribulation after all of the judgments of God have been poured out on the earth. At the rapture, Jesus comes to claim His bride, but at the Second Coming, He will condemn all blasphemers and unbelievers. At the rapture, He comes 'in the air', but at the Second Coming, He actually descends to the earth. At the rapture, the saints go up to be with Christ, at the Second Coming the saints return to earth with Christ.

Someone once said: "Biblical prophecy provides some of the greatest encouragement and hope available to us today. Just as the Old Testament is saturated with prophecies concerning Christ's first advent, so both testaments are filled with references to the second coming of Christ. One scholar has estimated that there are 1,845 references to Christ's second coming in the Old Testament, where 17 books give it prominence. In the 260 chapters of the New Testament, there are 318 references to the second advent of Christ - an amazing 1 out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books refer to this great event. For every prophecy in the Bible concerning Christ's first advent, there are 8 which look forward to His second!"

Yes, Jesus Christ is coming back to earth one day, and that day will be at the end of the Tribulation. Let us look at three important aspects of Jesus' return.

1. Jesus Christ will return visibly.

2. Jesus will return in vengeance.

3. Jesus will return victoriously.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Soon and Very Soon" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #93 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 19:1-10: "And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

So far in this series on the second coming of Jesus Christ and the end times, I believe it would be safe to say that we have seen very little happy moments. The end times are not "good times" for the world. We have seen judgment after judgment, destruction, devastation, and the unfortunate defiance of man against God. In the past two messages, we saw how Satan and the antichrist gathered all the armies of the world to Armageddon to fight against the return of Jesus Christ. Of course, they will fail in this attempt. Not only will they be utterly defeated, but we saw yesterday how the entire satanic world system -- religious and political Babylon -- will be utterly destroyed under the judgment of the seventh vial -- the last of God's judgments on the earth.

Today, we come to a truly happy moment in John's prophecy. This moment takes place in Heaven just before Jesus Christ and his saints descend to earth to set up the Millennial Kingdom. This event is called the "marriage supper of the Lamb" or the "marriage of the Lamb". Let's look at three significant aspects of this wonderful event.

1. First of all, this marriage is preceded by a celebration.

2. Secondly, this marriage is perfected by a consummation.

3. Thirdly, and finally, this marriage is populated only by Christians.

+ Plus, listen to The Jackson Southernaires singing "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #83

Scripture: Hosea 10:1-12

As you know, we are in a long series titled "Break Up Your Fallow Ground: It Is Time to Seek the Lord" which is based on Hosea 10:12 which reads: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." In this passage, Hosea urges the children of Israel to turn away from their sins, repent, and get right with God.

As we begin today, let's take a close look at verse seven of Hosea chapter 10. The verse reads, "As for Samaria, her king is cut off as the foam upon the water."

If you go out to the beach and look at the water, you will see that the foam floats on top of the water. The prophet Hosea compares the king of Samaria (the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel) to foam floating on top of the water. Just like the foam dissolves as quickly as it is formed, God says that the government of Israel has no more foundation because it has rejected the laws of God. It is just like foam on the water, ready to be whipped away by the lightest of winds.

There is a verse in Psalm 11 which reads: "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?" Without the firm foundation of God's Word and spiritual principles in our society, our country will crumble just like the nation of Israel did many years ago. We must strive first of all to make God's Word the foundation of our lives and of our families, and allow that godly influence to spread into our churches, our communities, and our nation.

Now, in this series of messages, we are addressing specific sins that folks in the church need to confess and repent of in order to get our hearts right with God, and so that we can ask God to send revival in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities, and our country. So far we have addressed fifty-nine sins in total, and today, we are going to continue this series by addressing three more sins from our list.

1. The first sin we will address today is the sin of boasting.

2. The second sin we will address today is the sin of not resisting the devil.

3. The third sin we will address today is the sin of not obeying authority.

+ Plus, listen to Preashea Hilliard as she sings "Fresh Fire" and The Mighty Clouds of Joy singing "Walk Around Heaven"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #92 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16:17-21: "And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

Today, we return to the scene at Armageddon. The vast armies of the antichrist and all the nations of the world are assembled in Israel for the purpose of preventing Jesus Christ's return to this earth. Jesus is on the threshold of Heaven, ready to descend with his army to defeat forever the rebellious forces of the devil and the antichrist. But first, the final vial needs to be poured out, and judgment will be complete.

The passage we just read tells us of the pouring out of this seventh vial. This vial produces what the Bible calls "a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great". This earthquake is so awful that the "great city" -- that is Jerusalem -- is divided in three parts, the "cities of the nations" crumble, every island "flees away", and the mountains are flattened. This vial also produces great hail which rains down on the earth. Tim LaHaye tells us that this hail weighs about 100 pounds, and as the huge hail stones pummel the earth, man does what he has so often done during this time -- "blaspheme God."

This last judgment also establishes another parenthetical narrative, which we will focus on in this message. Verse 19 of our passage states that "great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath." This judgment of Babylon is found in Revelation chapters 17 and 18.

Dr. Grant Richison of Campus Crusade for Christ writes that, "Chapter 17 is the religious fall of Babylon and chapter 18 is the political fall of Babylon. First, we come to the destruction of religious Babylon. Babylon is the fountain of ecumenical religion that is the antithesis of true Christianity. Chapter 17 deals with the fall of worldwide ecumenical religion, a super-church inclusive of all cults and religions. The beast uses ecumenical religion to rise to power and then overthrows it later to suit his convenience. Chapter 18 presents political Babylon. This is the judgment of international government, multinational organizations and financial institutions." In Revelation chapter 17, we see the destruction of the worldwide false religious system. In Revelation chapter 18, we see the destruction of the worldwide government system. With the fall of these two satanic systems, the world crumbles at the feet of Jesus Christ.

For the sake of time, we will not read all of Revelation chapters 17 and 18 today. Actually, we could preach a whole series of messages on just these two chapters alone. Right now, I want us to notice very briefly three things about the destruction of these two world systems as the final moments of history draw to a close.

1. First of all, notice the Enticement of the great whore.

2. Secondly, notice the Evil world government.

3. Thirdly, and finally, notice the End of the world system.

+ Plus, listen to Kurt Carr singing "In the Sanctuary" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

He is an American professional boxer and a former Undisputed World Champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal." After winning the bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics, he debuted as a professional at the age of 21. He moved to the cruiserweight division in 1985 and won his first title the following year, when he defeated Dwight Muhammad Qawi for the WBA Cruiserweight belt. He would then go on to defeat Ricky Parkey and Carlos De Leon to win the Lineal, IBF and WBC titles, becoming the Undisputed Cruiserweight Champion.

He moved up to heavyweight in 1988, defeating Buster Douglas for the The Ring, Lineal, WBC, WBA and IBF titles in 1990. He also had other notable victories over fighters such as: George Foreman, Larry Holmes, Riddick Bowe, Ray Mercer, Mike Tyson, Michael Moorer, John Ruiz, Michael Dokes and Hasim Rahman. He is the only 4-time World Heavyweight Champion, winning the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles in 1990, the WBA and IBF titles in 1993 and the WBA title in 1996 and 2000.

Raised without his father, he gave his life to Christ as a young boy. Early in life, he learned the power of prayer and turned to it when going through tough situations such as divorce, business failure, and the accidental killing of his older brother. On his boxing shorts and robe, he has the words inscribed, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." After one of his most famous fights with Mike Tyson, he said, "I prayed during training, I prayed when I got into the ring, I prayed when I was fighting him." He has often said, "Boxing is 90 percent spiritual and 10 percent physical. It's the spiritual aspect that gives the edge and an extra burst of energy to draw from. My victories are not achieved by my might, nor by my power, but by the Spirit of Christ who strengthens me." His name is Evander Holyfield.…

Our culture seems to be obsessed with the walking dead. Movies based on the popular Twilight vampire novels have become major blockbusters. Television shows such as "The Walking Dead" and "True Blood" are seen by millions each week. And some of the most popular titles on bookstore shelves feature zombies and others who live among humans as the 'walking dead'.

Particularly during the Halloween season, peoples' interest in creepy creatures that come from the other side of the grave rises. And you might end up with a handful of trick-or-treaters on your doorstep dressed as zombies, vampires, or werewolves. Not to mention the fact that you might be dressed up as such creatures yourself.

Many people laugh off such interests as being all in good fun and nothing more than harmless entertainment. But did you know that one day every dead person will be called out of their grave and there will be an assembly of all the dead at the end of the world? The Bible tells us about this event in Revelation 20:11-13 which reads: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

This passage tells us that all of the dead will come out of their graves and will go to stand before God at what is called the Great White Throne Judgment. It will be the largest gathering of people in the universe. At this gathering, God will judge each and every one of the dead "according to their works" -- the things that they did in this life. This passage goes on to say that "death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

God will judge all of the dead based on whether or not their names are written in the book of life. Those who do not have their names in the book of life will be thrown into Hell or the lake of fire. Those whose names are written in the book of life will not have to go through this judgment at all and will go to live with God in Heaven for all eternity.

+ Plus, listen to Newsboys singing "God's Not Dead" …

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #91 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16:12-16: "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon."

On yesterday, we began looking at the final phase of judgment that will take place during the Tribulation -- the seven vial, or bowl, judgments. These are the most severe and complete of the judgments that we have seen. We covered the first five of these judgments, which are as follows:  

1. The first vial judgment brings painful sores on all those who have pledged allegiance to the antichrist.  

2. The second vial judgment turns all of the sea to blood and kills every living thing in the sea.   

3. The third vial judgment turns all of the rivers and fresh water to blood making them undrinkable.  

4. The fourth vial judgment causes scorching heat to come from the sun and burn mankind.  

5. The fifth vial judgment strikes the kingdom of the antichrist with utter darkness.  

After the fifth vial judgment is poured out, the Bible tells us that those on earth who have pledged their allegiance to the antichrist still refuse to repent and turn to God. Instead they "blaspheme God in their hearts".  

Today, we will look at the sixth vial as it is poured out. This vial represents the culmination of all of the disobedience and defiance of mankind upon the earth. Verse 12 of our passage states, "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared." The Euphrates River was the eastern limit of the old Roman Empire and it has long served as a natural boundary between East and West for centuries. Now, it is dried up to prepare the way for the great Eastern Kings -- some say these will be the armies of China, India, and Japan -- who will march against the Holy Land to gather in the valley of Armageddon.

Armageddon is the site of the final battle between the forces of good and evil, God and Satan. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, "Revelation promises that in the face of the defeat of God's saints by military forces from the east, south, and the north, the Lord Jesus Christ will return to defeat His enemies and deliver His people. The location of Armageddon shows us that the Middle East has historical importance in the last days. Armageddon, or the Mount of Megiddo, is located in the plain of Jezreel, a valley fourteen miles wide and twenty miles long. Many decisive battles have been fought there. And it is natural to think of it as the site of the last and greatest battle of all." ...

Today, I want us to notice three things about the sixth vial which tells us of the armies that gather for the battle of Armageddon. 

1. First of all, I want you to notice the influence of the devil.

2. Secondly, I want you to notice the words of the Lord.

3. Thirdly, I want you to notice the gathering of armies.

+ Plus, listen to Israel Houghton and Free Chapel singing singing "There's Something About that Name" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #90 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 16:1-11: "And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea. And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds."

We are currently in the middle of a series of messages on the end times and the second coming of Christ. So far, we have covered the Rapture, when Christ takes all believers from the earth and brings them to Heaven to be with Him forever. We also looked at the coming of the antichrist who is empowered by Satan and who sets up his worldwide kingdom on earth. And then, we began looking at the tribulation -- a seven-year-long period of judgment wherein God punishes those who remain on the earth for their defiance and rejection of Him. We have covered the first two phases of the Tribulation -- the seven seal judgments and the seven trumpet judgments, which we wrapped up on yesterday.

Today, we are going to begin looking at the final phase of judgment -- that is the seven vial judgments or the seven bowl judgments. These judgments are the most severe out of all the judgments poured out on earth. One of my points in sharing this message with you is to warn you that you don't want to be left behind for the wrath of God on this earth. You need to be saved today and I will show you how to do that in a few minutes. Right now, very briefly, let's look at the first five of these judgments:

1. The first vial judgment brings painful sores on all those who have pledged allegiance to the antichrist.

2. The second vial judgment turns all of the sea to blood and kills every living thing in the sea.

3. The third vial judgment turns all of the rivers and fresh water to blood making them undrinkable

4. The fourth vial judgment causes scorching heat to come from the sun and burn mankind.

5. The fifth vial judgment strikes the kingdom of the antichrist with utter darkness.

+ Plus, listen to Regina Belle singing "God is Good" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #89 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 11:14-19 -- "The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail."

On yesterday, we continued looking at the seven trumpet judgments which take place after the seven seal judgments during the Tribulation period. The six trumpet judgments that we have covered are as follows:

1. The first trumpet judgment brought about hail, fire, and blood, which destroyed a third of all plant life.

2. The second trumpet judgment brought about a third part of the sea being turned into blood and the death of a third of all sea life.

3. The third trumpet judgment brought about the poisoning of a third of the fresh water supply and the death of many people.

4. The fourth trumpet judgment brought about the diminishing of light from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

5. The fifth trumpet judgment brought about the opening of the abyss and an army of locust-like demons being released to torment (but not kill) those who reject God.

6. The sixth trumpet judgment brought about the releasing of the four fallen angels bound in the River Euphrates and an army 200 million strong who go forth to slaughter a third of earth's remaining population.

The Bible says three resounding "woes" started the fifth trumpet judgment. Verse 14 of our passage tells us that the "second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." Let's look at what this seventh trumpet entails.

1. First of all, the seventh trumpet shows us the praise for the Sovereign King.

2. Secondly, the seventh trumpet shows us the plan for judgment and reward.

3. Thirdly, and finally today, the seventh trumpet shows us the promise of communion.

+ Plus, listen to Anthony Evans singing "Glory to the King" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #88 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 9

On yesterday, we looked at the blowing of the first four trumpets, and saw how the earth suffers at the hands of an angry God. We saw that...

1. The first trumpet judgment brought about hail, fire, and blood, which destroyed a third of all plant life.

2. The second trumpet judgment brought about a third part of the sea being turned into blood and the death of a third of all sea life.

3. The third trumpet judgment brought about the poisoning of a third of the fresh water supply and the death of many people.

4. The fourth trumpet judgment brought about the diminishing of light from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

You might recall that after the fourth trumpet judgment, the Bible tells us that John "heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!" The three resounding "woes" tell us that even more severe and relentless judgment is about to fall on mankind. Today, we will look at the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments which are revealed in Revelation chapter nine.

1. First of all I want you to notice that severe pain is unleashed on those who reject God.

2. Secondly, I want us to look at the destruction of earth's inhabitants.

3. Thirdly, and finally, I want us to see the sad lack of repentance of those who remain.

+ Plus, listen to Jeremy Camp singing "There Will Be a Day" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19

Today, I want us to focus on how Daniel employed the power of remembrance in His prayer. The Christian German politician Richard von Weizsaecker said that "Seeking to forget makes exile all the longer; the secret of redemption lies in remembrance."

1. First of all, we as the church must remember past benefits.

2. Secondly, we must remember our own past strayings.

3. Thirdly, we must remember God's past deliverances.…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #87 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 8:6-13: "6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!"

Yesterday, we looked at the opening of the seventh seal, and we saw the wonderful demonstration of what happens to the thousands upon thousands of prayers of the saints that have ascended from this earth and have been stored up in the throne room of God Almighty in Heaven. We also saw how that when the seventh seal was opened, there was silence in Heaven for about half an hour. This is because the seventh seal introduces another set of extremely catastrophic judgments -- the seven Trumpet Judgments which we will begin looking at today.

John MacArthur calls the four trumpet judgments that we will cover today the "divine destruction of earth's ecology." This is because these four judgments devastate the natural processes that we depend on for the earth to operate normally. Let's begin looking at these trumpet judgments.

1. The first trumpet judgment brings about hail, fire, and blood, which destroys a third of all plant life.

2. The second trumpet judgment brings about a third part of the sea being turned into blood and the death of a third of sea life.

3. The third trumpet judgment brings about the poisoning of a third of the fresh water supply and the death of many people.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "The Blood Will Never Lose its Power" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #86 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 8:1-5: "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake."

Today, as we continue our series on the second coming of Christ and the last days, we return to the Seal Judgments in Revelation chapter eight. As you might recall, we looked at the opening of six seals in Revelation chapter six and those seals showed us six events that would take place at the beginning of the tribulation period. Those six events are: (1) the coming of the antichrist, (2) the eruption of war and violence, (3) worldwide famine, (4) the death of a third of the world's population, (5) Christians killed for their faith, and (6) a global devastating earthquake.

On yesterday, we saw the mercy of God in the midst of misery in Revelation chapter 7.

Today, we are going to look at the opening of the seventh seal and the scene which follows in Heaven in Revelation chapter 8.

1. Let's Look at the Opening of the Seventh Seal.

2. Secondly, Let's See How God Preserves the Prayers of the Saints.

3. Let's Notice the Role of the Prayers of the Saints in the End Times.

+ Plus, listen to Israel and New Breed singing "Prayers of the Righteous" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #82

Scripture: Hosea 10:1-12

As you know, we are in a long series titled "Break Up Your Fallow Ground: It Is Time to Seek the Lord" which is based on Hosea 10:12 which reads: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." In this passage, Hosea urges the children of Israel to turn away from their sins, repent, and get right with God.

As we begin today, let's take a close look at verse six of Hosea chapter 10. The verse reads, "It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel."

You might recall that last week, we looked at verse five, and saw how the children of Israel were greatly concerned about the golden calves which they had set up to worship. The "it" in verse six is referring back to the golden calves. God says that those idols would be carried off to Assyria just as the children of Israel would be carried off to Assyria.

In the ancient near east, a victory over a nation was seen as a victory over its gods. Thus, by God allowing the golden calves that Israel trusted in to be captured and carried off by the Assyrians, He was vindicating Himself by showing the utter uselessness of the Israelite idols and the utter foolishness of the Israelites for trusting in them. Ephraim and Israel were put to 'shame' by this occurrence .

We must be very careful to only put our faith and trust in God. If we lean on anything or anybody other than God, God has the ability to take that thing or that person out of our lives to let us know that we need to trust Him and depend on Him alone.

Now, in this series of messages, we are addressing specific sins that folks in the church need to confess and repent of in order to get our hearts right with God, and so that we can ask God to send revival in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities, and our country. So far we have addressed fifty-six sins in total, and today, we are going to continue this series by addressing three more sins from our list.

1. The first sin we will address today is the sin of not being humble.

2. The second sin we will address today is the sin of twisting God's Word.

3. The third sin we will address today is the sin of worry.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch and Marvin Winans singing "All Because of Jesus" and Hillsong singing "Amazing Love".…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #85 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 7

As you know, we are in a series of messages on the end times. By the grace of God, we are marching through the book of Revelation and seeing what is in store for the world in what I believe is the very near future. We have looked at the Rapture of the church in which every believer is taken from the Earth and ushered into Heaven to be with the Lord. We have seen the rise of the antichrist and the coming of a Satanic world system and government. And, most recently, we have seen the devastating judgment of God on a world that has turned its back on Him through the opening of the six seals as related in Revelation chapter 6.

Now, you might have been thinking that we were going to deal with the seventh seal today. But we are not. In Revelation chapter 7, we have what could be called an interlude or a break in the action. The scene shifts from the wrath of God being poured out on earth to the work that God is doing in Heaven. We will see that the work that God is doing is like a light in the darkness of the tribulation; it is a beacon in the shadows of Satanic supremacy; it is a lighthouse on the shores of a dark and stormy horizon. We see in Revelation chapter seven the awesome mercy, love, and grace of God in the midst of the wrath that is being poured out on the earth. Prophecy expert Tim Lahaye writes that "this chapter shows the supernatural efforts to which God will go during that time to bring a maximum number of souls to faith in Jesus Christ."

1. First of all, I want you to notice with me the selection of the servants.

2. Secondly, I want you to notice with me the salvation of sinners.

3. Thirdly, I want you to notice with me the suffering of the saints.

+ Plus, listen to Casting Crowns singing "Till the Whole World Hears" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

He is best known as the producer of such blockbusters as the "X-Men" trilogy, "The Planet of the Apes," and "The Fantastic Four." He also played a role in bringing "Star Trek" to the silver screen and has produced films such as "Left Behind," "Thr3e," and "The Visitation." His films have collectively grossed over $2 billion.

As a young man, he worked in youth ministry and considered becoming a pastor. He also produced short films for mission trips and Vacation Bible School, as well as acted in several plays and musicals. However, a job opening at Paramount Pictures set him on the path to success in Hollywood. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He has also helped along such film schools as the Veracity Project and Biola University, and has lectured at Regent College in Vancouver.

When he is not working on location, he routinely teaches at Christian conferences and is involved with more than one ministry dedicated to furthering the communication between Hollywood and the religious community. As a devout Presbyterian, he has turned down producing movies that don't promote positive values. He says of his role as a Christian in the movie industry: "I have been placed in this job for a purpose, and I am just trying to make great movies and keep my eyes on God. I don't deserve any praise....It is definitely all God's hand that I get to do this. And who knows how long this will last? He may choose someone else." His name is Ralph Winter.…

Everyone likes to be a winner. Business people like to make profits. Students like to make good grades. Chefs like to make a perfect meal. Doctors like a successful surgery. And sports fans love it when their team wins -- even though they don't do anything to help the team win, they are at least satisfied in knowing that they are on the winning side.

We all feel that it is important to be on the winning side in any contest in life. But did you know that there is a greater and far more important contest that is going on right now? It is a contest, a struggle, of epic proportions. It is a contest that takes place in the spiritual realm and the physical realm. It is a contest that has the destiny of the world hanging in the balance.

God, the Heavenly Father and the Creator of the Universe, wants everyone to live good and peaceful lives on this earth in obedience to Him. He even says so in His Word. In Jeremiah 29:11 we read: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."

The devil, however, has rebelled against God. He used to be a glorious angel, but now he leads and army of demons who seek to take control of the earth and use it for their own evil purposes. In John 10:10, we read of his evil purpose. The Bible says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy..."

When we look around at the pain, suffering, and heartache in the world, it may seem like the devil is winning. But in the Book of Revelation, the Bible tells us that in the end God wins and the devil is defeated. Listen to these verses in Revelation 20: "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more...And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

One day, the devil is going to be cast into the Lake of Fire, where he will be punished for all eternity. God will get the ultimate victory, and He will restore the world to the Paradise that it was meant to be. The wonderful thing about this is that all of those who believe in God and have a relationship with Him through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ will come out victorious in the end as well. We will be blessed to live in the wonderful Paradise called Heaven.

In the end, God wins, and God wants you to be on the winning side with Him. He does not want us to miss out on the blessings and benefits of eternal life. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins -- because He knew that we could never make it on our own. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

+ Plus, listen to Manafest singing "Every Time You Run"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #84 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 6: "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (verse 15-17)

Currently, we are in a series of messages focusing on the Second Coming of Christ and the End Times. Yesterday, we began looking at the period of time called the "Tribulation" in which the wrath of God is poured out in judgment on the Earth. I want you to listen to what the great prophecy expert and Bible teacher Tim LaHaye said about this time:

'There is no question this world will yet experience a time of "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time" as predicted by our Lord. In Revelation 3:10, He promised to keep believers from "the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth."

'Such a time will have to be worse than anything ever known in human history. Far worse than the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 in which there were one million casualties. Far worse than the Black Plague in which nine million people died. Far worse than World War I when 20 million people were killed. Far worse than the devastation of World War II and Hitler's holocaust when six million Jews and four million Christians were killed.

'The Scriptures give more space to describing the coming Tribulation period than to any other prophetic event. The Hebrew prophets mention it 39 times, calling it a "time of Jacob's trouble", "tribulation", and many other titles denoting distress. The New Testament calls it "the day of the Lord", "the wrath of God", and the "wrath of the Lamb." Revelation chapters 6 through 19 describe the events of that Tribulation period, the best description of this terrifying, close-at-hand time that will try the whole world.'

On yesterday, we began looking at the specific judgments that will come down on the earth during the tribulation period. The first six judgments are recorded in Revelation chapter 6 and are depicted as six seals. Evangelist and professor Ed Hindson said that "with the sixth chapter, the main action of the book may be said properly to begin." So, we are getting into this prophecy right where the action starts. We have already seen the first three of these seals, which are as follows:

1. The first seal reveals militant conquests.
2. The second seal reveals murderous conflicts.
3. The third seal reveals the presence of meager crops.

Today, we will look at the last three seals as revealed to us in Revelation 6:

1. The fourth seal reveals manifold carnage.
2. The fifth seal reveals martyred Christians.
3. Finally today, the sixth seal reveals massive cataclysms.

+ Plus, listen to Etta James singing "I'll Fly Away" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #83 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Revelation 6: "And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?" (verse 15-17)

Today, we are going to continue looking at the end times and what will happen on Earth after Jesus Christ raptures away the true believers. On yesterday, we saw how the days that follow the Rapture will be the darkest and most devastating days that mankind will ever see. Not only will the antichrist reign supreme and force his will on the world, but God will pour out judgment on the earth which will willingly reject the truth and embrace the lies of Satan.

This period of judgment is called the "tribulation". Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:21: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." The first phase of this judgment is recorded in Revelation chapter 6 which describes six seals. (In all, there are seven seals, but this passage deals with six of them.) Let us look at this passage and see what the first three of these seal judgments will be.

1. The first seal reveals militant conquests.

2. The second seal reveals murderous conflicts.

3. The third seal reveals the presence of meager crops.

+ Plus, listen to Twyla Paris singing "Days of Elijah" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #82 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

During our time together on yesterday, we began talking about the coming of the darkest days in the history of the world. We talked about the appearance of the antichrist, the unrestrained spirit of evil, and Satan's mastery over the world. Today, I want us to look at three remaining aspects of the darkness that will overtake the world in the last days which the Bible tells us about from this passage in II Thessalonians 2.

1. First of all, notice with me the misery of man.

2. Secondly, notice with me the mistreatment of the Jews.

3. Third, I want you to notice the majesty of Christ.

+ Plus, listen to Mahalia Jackson singing "When the Saints Go Marching In" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19

I want us to focus on how Daniel prayed for the children of Israel in light of Israel being an Old Testament depiction of the church as God's chosen people. Much of what we see in the history of the children of Israel can be seen in the history of the church. In this, the New Testament era, while the Jews are still God's chosen people, God has chosen the church to be His representatives on earth. And, frankly, just like the children of Israel, we have failed in our fulfillment of that duty. So today, I want us to see how we can use Daniel's prayer as a guide in praying for the church today.

In 1520, Martin Luther wrote an essay which he called "The Babylonian Captivity of the Church." What he meant by that title was that forces that were foreign to Christ and to his Word had captured the mind and heart of the church. The church of Martin Luther's day was in bondage to godless forces, just like the children of Israel were in bondage to the godless Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians.

Many Christians today have allowed themselves to be under the bondage of worldly and godless forces and the church is not as effective as it should be because of it. Just like Jerusalem lay desolate for seventy years, much of the church of today has become a desolation of disobedience, disunity, and dishonor to the name of Christ. How do we pray for a desolate church? Let's see what we can learn from Daniel's prayer for the children of Israel:

1. The first thing we should do is get back to the Word.

2. The second thing we should do is confess our sins.

3. The third thing we should do is appeal to God's zeal for his own glory. …

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #81 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

During our time together on yesterday, we talked about the wonderful event called the Rapture in which the Lord Jesus Christ calls all of those who believe in Him to a glorious reunion in the air. After that meeting in the air, every believer will go to be with the Lord in Heaven for eternity. All of the promises of eternal life, peace, joy, and happiness will come to fruition for every believer.

However, on earth, it will be quite a different story. Once the believers are gone from the earth, the darkest days in the history of mankind will begin, and that is what I want to talk about today. You may think that with the unemployment rate, the economic crisis, the rise of poverty even in places like America, numerous and frequent natural disasters, and constant wars and violence, we are already living in dark days. But I want to let you know that this is just the twilight -- that will be the darkness.

Our passage today tells us about three different aspects of the dark days that are ahead for this world. Let us briefly look at them.

1. First of all, notice with me the blasphemous dictator.

2. Secondly, notice the unrestrained spirit of evil.

3. Thirdly, notice with me the mastery of Satan.

+ Plus, listen to Andrae Crouch singing "Soon and Very Soon" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #80 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Acts 1:1-11 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Lord willing, over the next ten days, I am going to be shifting gears a little bit, and we will be talking about the events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In Acts 1, the Bible records for us Jesus' last meeting with His disciples before His ascension into Heaven. The disciples were standing there on the Mount of Olives with their heads tilted back straining at the cloud that had received Jesus on His way up. The Bible says, "And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

This news that Jesus Christ would return one day brought joy to the disciples' hearts. Their Master and Saviour would not be gone forever. One day, He would return. Our passage for today tells us about the return of Jesus Christ.

On that glorious day, the Bible tells us that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first." On this day, the King will call His own out of the world to be with Him in Heaven forever. We will rise up from this old sin-cursed earth to be with the Master of the Universe. Notice with me three things about this rising up that will take place when Jesus returns for His followers.

1. This rising up involves a very special Person.

2. This rising up involves a very special people.

3. This rising up involves a very special power.

+ Plus, listen to Al Green singing "He's Coming Back" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #79 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 12:1-3: "And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation."

In our text for today, I want you to notice that there is one word that is used three times. That word is salvation. It is one of the most important words in the entire Bible. In fact, it is used 164 times in the Bible. In the Old Testament, the word comes from a Hebrew word which means "deliverance and victory." In the New Testament, it comes from a Greek word that means "deliverance, preservation or safety."

Salvation is what we receive when we place our trust in Jesus Christ as the lamb of God who was sacrificed for our sins. However, salvation is not just a gift that you receive and then do nothing with. Rather, salvation is a gift that does something with you. If you study the instances of salvation recorded in the Bible, you will find that salvation is responsible for moving people from the place they are to another place. Salvation always takes you somewhere! Notice this:

- Salvation brought Israel out of bondage in Egypt.
- Salvation brought Jonah out of the belly of the whale.
- Salvation brought David out of the pit of despair.
- Salvation brought Paul out of his lost condition.
- And salvation brings every sinner out of the darkness of bondage to sin and Satan

Some of you might remember the popular book by Dr. Seuss titled, "Oh, the Places You'll Go." It is often given as a gift to those who have just graduated from college, and celebrates the opportunities that are now open to that person since they have graduated. Today, I want to share with you three places that salvation will take you, because it will take you some wonderful places indeed.

1. Salvation will take you into holy living.

2. Salvation will take you to the House of God.

3. Salvation will take you to Heaven.

+ Plus, listen to The Canton Spirituals singing "Glad I've Got Jesus" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #78 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: John 8:1-11: "Jesus went unto the mount of Olives. And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

The story of the woman caught in adultery is a very familiar story to most of us. Normally, however, when we look at this story we focus on the woman's self-righteous accusers and their hypocrisy. Today, I will not be focusing on this story from that persepctive. Rather, I want us to focus on the woman and the beautiful message of salvation that this story holds for each of us.

1. First of all, I want you to notice that the woman was caught in her sin.

2. Secondly, notice that this woman was condemned by the law.

3. Thirdly, this woman is cleared by the Saviour.

+ Plus, listen to Linwood Dillard singing "The Old Account Was Settled" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #81

Scripture: Hosea 10:1-12

As you know, we are in a long series titled "Break Up Your Fallow Ground: It Is Time to Seek the Lord" which is based on Hosea chapter 10. In this passage of Scripture, Hosea urges the children of Israel to turn away from their sins, repent, and get right with God.

As we begin today, let's take a close look at verse 5 of Hosea chapter 10. The verse reads, "The inhabitants of Samaria shall fear because of the calves of Bethaven: for the people thereof shall mourn over it, and the priests thereof that rejoiced on it, for the glory thereof, because it is departed from it."

This verse speaks of the unrepentance of the children of Israel even while they were under chastisement. The people of Samaria (another name for the northern part of Israel) were worried or afraid for the golden "calves" that they had set up in Bethaven as idols to be worshipped. Even as they were being carried off into captivity themselves, they still did not turn to the God of their fathers. They were not worried about pleasing the one true God. Rather, they were more concerned about the safety of the golden idols that they had carved. The Bible says that the Israelites "feared" for them and "mourned" over them. They were not willing to let go of the evil that they had been doing.

When God is calling us to repent, my friend, we must be willing to let some things go. Unlike the children of Israel in this verse, we must stop holding on to that which is sinful no matter how uncomfortable it may be. We must let it go and turn back to God.

Now, in this series of messages, we are addressing specific sins that folks in the church need to confess and repent of in order to get our hearts right with God, and so that we can ask God to send revival in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities, and our country. So far we have addressed fifty-three sins in total, and today, we are going to continue this series by addressing three more sins from our list.

1. The first sin we will address today is the sin of not controlling our tongues.

2. The second sin we will address today is the sin of coveting.

3. The third sin we will address today is the sin of listening to ungodly counsel.

+ Plus, listen to Hezekiah Walker singing "I'll Fly Away" and Albertina Walker singing "Give Your Life to Jesus"…

He is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. The most notable characters he has portrayed are boxer Rocky Balboa and soldier John Rambo. The franchises that stemmed from these characters solidified him as a mainstay in Hollywood. His film "Rocky" was inducted into the National Film Registry and its film props were placed in the Smithsonian Museum. He was voted into boxing's Hall of Fame on December 7, 2010.

As a child, he used to attend church regularly, but as he got older and his acting career progressed, he stopped going to church. After several years of Hollywood fame and fortune, he says "I got back to my Christian roots. After my daughter was born ill in 1996, I turned myself over to the process of believing in Jesus. That conversion experience released me from the pressures of the world."

He went on to say, "In the past, my ego and worldly temptations took over in my life and I went spiraling out of control. Rather than living like Rocky with some sense of ideal, I didn’t. I thought I was entitled to things but you’re not entitled to anything. You are what you leave behind. The more I go to church and the more I turn myself over to the process of believing in Jesus and listening to His Word and having Him guide my hand, I feel as though the pressure is off me now.” He said that the latest and final chapter in the ‘Rocky’ series, "reflects my conviction that life is about following Christ, not battling it out alone...You need to have the expertise and the guidance of someone else. You cannot train yourself. I feel the same way about Christianity and about what the church is: The church is the gym of the soul." His name is Sylvester Stallone.…

The baseball playoff season is well underway. This exciting series of games leading up to the World Series pits the best teams of Major League Baseball against each other. The playoffs begin with the eight best teams in the league competing against each other for division titles. After each series of five games, one team is eliminated. Soon, there are only two teams left to compete against each other in the World Series, and only one can win. Costly mistakes and team disunity can cost a team a spot in the playoffs and a chance to compete for the World Series.

In a way, the baseball playoffs reflect a lot about life. We are in competition with ourselves, and sometimes against others, to do what is right in life. We aim to live good and upstanding lives, but just like a baseball team, mistakes can cost us a lot.

In fact, in God's economy, mistakes, which God calls sins, can cost us the chance of our entrance into Heaven. Because of our tendency to sin, we are often eliminated from receiving the greatest prize in all the world -- eternal life and a home in Heaven with God.

However, because God loves us, He does not want us to miss out on such a valuable prize. That is why He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins -- taking the punishment that we deserve. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

+ Plus, listen to Tobymac singing "Lose My Soul" …

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #77 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: John 14:1-7: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him."

The name of Jesus Christ is perhaps the most controversial name you can mention. Millions of people praise His name, while others curse and demean it. Yet many people do not know Him. Despite the "solitary life" that He lived, His influence stretches through time and on into eternity. Yet many people do not know Him. Much of the turmoil and debate in our culture are on account of His name. Yet, many people do not know Him. His lasting effect on the world is unmatched by any other person in history. Yet, many people do not know Him.

If you are one of those who do not yet know Jesus Christ, I want to take this opportunity to introduce you to Him. John Knox said, "No one else holds or has held the place in the heart of the world which Jesus holds. Other gods have been as devoutly worshipped; no other man has been so devoutly loved." Who is this Man that so many people love?

Allow me to introduce you to Jesus Christ...

1. ...as the Great Teacher
2. ...as the Great Miracle Worker
3. ...as the Great Rescuer


+ Plus, listen to Donnie McClurkin singing "Hail, Jesus!" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #76 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Today, I want us to once again look at the name "Wonderful" and see five more reasons why Jesus Christ is so wonderful.

1. His Works Were Wonderful.
2. His Prophecies About Himself Were Wonderful.
3. His Death Was Wonderful.
4. His Resurrection Was Wonderful.
5. His Salvation is Wonderful.

+ Plus, listen to The Gaithers singing "Jesus, There's Just Something About That Name" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #75 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:6: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

This verse in Isaiah chapter 9 tells us several names that apply to Jesus Christ. In Bible days, a person's name was chosen because it reflected something about their character. You might recall that the name Abraham means "father of many", and he indeed is the father of many when you look at the children of Israel and the children of Ishmael -- the vast population of the Middle East are all descendants of Abraham. The name Jacob means "supplanter", and he is known for cheating his older brother Esau out of his birthright as the first born son. The name Nabal means "foolish" or "senseless" and he showed his character in his dealings with David in the Bible.

Today, I want us to look at the name "Wonderful" and see what it means when applied to Jesus Christ. The Hebrew word for "wonderful" means extraordinary or marvelous. So, let us look at Jesus' life and see how extraordinary, marvelous, and wonderful it is.

1. His Birth Was Wonderful.
2. His Character Was Wonderful.
3. His Life Was Wonderful.
4. His Teaching Was Wonderful.
5. His Originality Was Wonderful.

+ Plus, listen to Stephen Hurd singing "Jesus, You're Wonderful" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

TEXT -- Daniel 9:9-19

Tonight, by the grace of God, I want to continue our series titled "How to Pray for a Nation" based on Daniel's prayer for his people found in Daniel chapter 9. In this series of messages we are looking at what made Daniel's prayer for the nation of Israel powerful and effective so that we can learn to pray for our own nation in these critical times.

Today, I want us to look at the element of agreement in Daniel's prayer. To that end, we will be focusing on verses 11 - 17. Throughout his prayer, Daniel made it his business to agree with God. We never get the feeling that Daniel is trying to play games with God or that he is trying to get God to do something that is outside of His will. We specifically see that Daniel agreed with God in three areas.

1. We see that Daniel agreed with God's evaluation of Israel's behaviour.

2. We see that Daniel agreed with God's judgment of Israel's sin.

3. We see that Daniel believed God's promises regarding Israel's restoration.…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #74 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Romans 8:38-39: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In life, all of us face troubles and problems. The Bible says in Job 14:1: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble."

Jesus Christ said in John 16:33: "In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

There are some problems, such as sickness, that we simply cannot avoid. However, there are other problems that can be avoided. Everyone born into this world faces the problem of Hell. Because of our sins, we are on the road to spending an eternity in Hell separated from God after we die. However, the problem of Hell is one of those problems that can be avoided. I am grateful to God that, by His grace, I no longer face the problem of Hell. I may have other problems, but Hell is not one of them. And that is a huge burden taken off of my life.

Today, I want to briefly share with you a message about some of the problems that we do have to face in this life but how none of these problems have to separate us from that which is most important -- "the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

1. First of all, we must face the problems of life, death, and eternity.
2. In this life, we have to face spiritual problems everyday.
3. In this life, we must also face present circumstances and future uncertainties.

+ Plus, listen to Israel Houghton singing "Jesus at the Center" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #73 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:20: "For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Most people, especially many of us in America, think that we live in a pretty good world. For the most part, our houses are well-built, the food we buy is nourishing and wholesome, and our vehicles run properly. Things are pretty much available when and where we want them. But while this world may be good, it is not good enough. Notice the following:

12 babies are given to the wrong parents each day; Telecommunications companies misdirect 1,314 telephone calls every minute; 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions are written each year; 22,000 withdrawals will be deducted from the wrong bank account in the next hour.

Our world may be good, but it is not good enough. It is not perfect. In the same way, you may consider yourself to be a good person. You may even think that you are good enough to go to Heaven. Perhaps you have said to yourself, "If I try my best to live right God will let me into heaven" or "God is so loving that He will overlook my faults and I will go to Heaven anyway."

Martin Luther, the great reformer, wrote, "The most damnable and pernicious heresy that has ever plagued the mind of man is the idea that somehow he could make himself good enough to deserve to live with an all-holy God." My friend, you may be good, but, you are just not good enough to get into Heaven. Allow me to share with you the reason why.

1. First of all, you are not good enough because God's standard is perfection.
2. Secondly, notice that God has a solution for our imperfection -- it's called pardon.
3. If you accept the pardon that God offers by faith, you will go to Heaven despite your imperfection.

+ Plus, listen to Al Green singing "None but the Righteous" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #72 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: Philippians 2:5-8 reads, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

In the first sermon of this three-part series, we talked about the great richness of Jesus Christ. We saw that:

1. Jesus was RICH IN POSSESSIONS.
2. Jesus was RICH IN POSITION.
3. Jesus was RICH IN HIS PERSON.
4. Jesus was RICH IN POWER.
5. Jesus was RICH IN PRAISE.
6. Jesus was RICH IN LOVE.

On yesterday, we talked about the poorness of Jesus Christ. We saw that:

1. Jesus BECAME POOR IN POSSESSIONS.
2. Jesus BECAME POOR IN GLORY.
3. Jesus BECAME POOR IN PRAISE.
4. Jesus BECAME POOR IN PERSON.
5. Jesus BECAME POOR IN HIS SEPARATION FROM GOD.

Jesus' poverty was accompanied by something else -- His great humility. Jesus did not become poor because He had to become poor. He became poor for us because He wanted to. He was humble enough to take on the role of a servant so that we could be saved. And that is what I want to talk about today.

1. First of all, notice that JESUS WAS SO HUMBLE THAT HE WAS WILLING TO SUFFER LOSS
2. Secondly, notice that JESUS CHRIST WAS SO HUMBLE THAT HE WAS WILLING TO DIE A CRIMINAL'S DEATH
3. Thirdly, notice that JESUS' HUMILITY LED TO HIS EXALTATION

+ Plus, listen to Smokie Norful singing "Oh, the Blood" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message #80

Scripture: Hosea 10:1-8,12

As you know, we are in a long series titled "Break Up Your Fallow Ground: It Is Time to Seek the Lord" which is based on Hosea 10:12 which reads: "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." In this passage, Hosea urges the children of Israel to turn away from their sins, repent, and get right with God.

As we begin today, let's take a close look at verse four of Hosea chapter 10. The verse reads, "They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field." God was angry with the children of Israel because of the pervasive corruption that they engaged in. Not only were the Israelites unfaithful in their covenant with God, they were unfaithful in their covenants with their fellow man. Because they had abandoned the law of God, their was no restraint in their society, that would prevent them from "swearing falsely" or breaking their promises to their fellow Israelites. Because of the culture of dishonesty, God sent punishment among the children of Israel. The verse tells us specifically that judgment would come down on them like hemlock which is a poisonous and nauseous plant springs up in good fields.

Now, in this series of messages, we are addressing specific sins that folks in the church need to confess and repent of in order to get our hearts right with God, and so that we can ask God to send revival in our personal lives, our families, our churches, our communities, and our country. So far we have addressed fifty sins in total, and today, we are going to continue this series by addressing three more sins from our list.

1. The first sin we will address today is the sin of not loving our enemies.

2. The second sin we will address today is the sin of not raising our children the right way.

3. The third sin we will address today is the sin of not being patient.

+ Plus, listen to CeCe Winans as she sings "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and Yolanda Adams singing "Is Your All On the Altar?"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #71 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

Matthew 8:20: "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head."

Yesterday, we talked about the great richness of Jesus Christ. We saw that:

1. Jesus was RICH IN POSSESSIONS.
2. Jesus was RICH IN POSITION.
3. Jesus was RICH IN HIS PERSON.
4. Jesus was RICH IN POWER.
5. Jesus was RICH IN WORSHIP.
6. Jesus was RICH IN LOVE.

Those great riches certainly seem strange when we read our passage for today which states that Jesus Christ did not have any place to lay His head. A person who "has not where to lay his head" reminds us of poverty in the greatest degree. We have the poor with us always; but how many people do we know who are so poor they have no place to lay their head when the sun goes down?

Today, I want us to study the poverty that the Lord Jesus Christ accepted in order to keep sinners out of hell through the riches of His grace. We will appreciate salvation more when we see the great contrast between the riches He had with the Father and the poverty He accepted to become Saviour of mankind:

1. First of all, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN POSSESSIONS.
2. Secondly, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN GLORY.
3. Third, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN PRAISE.
4. Fourthly, notice that Jesus BECAME POOR IN PERSON.
5. Fifth and finally today, Jesus BECAME POOR IN HIS SEPARATION FROM GOD.

+ Plus, listen to BeBe & CeCe Winans singing "Grace" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…

He is an NFL quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles. After playing college football at Virginia Tech, he was drafted first overall by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2001 NFL Draft. He became the first African-American quarterback to be selected first overall in an NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, he gained wide popularity for his performance on the field, and led the Falcons to the playoffs twice. He ranks first among quarterbacks in career rushing yards. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl four times. He won the Ed Block Courage Award in 2009 and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 2010.

While growing up in a Virginia public housing project that was consumed with constant violence, poverty, and low finances, he often dreamed of playing sports. His father taught him and his brother the fundamentals of football and he often says that sports kept him off the streets during those difficult years. He excelled in football in high school, college, and in the NFL. In 2007, he was charged with funding and participating in an illegal dog fighting operation and was sentenced to 23 months in prison and three years probation. He was released from prison in 2009.

He became a Christian in high school in Virginia and began reading his Bible, but the more success he achieved on the football field, the less he thought he needed God. He said, "I was so self-centered, I forgot about the Lord." However, after going to jail for dogfighting, he realized how much he needed the Lord back in his life. He said of that time, ""I got back to my roots. The only thing I could do in prison was fall back on God. I wanted to do things right, that I didn't do the first time." In the final months of his prison term, Tony Dungy stepped into his life and helped him put his life back together and restore his walk with God. He says, "I thought the transition [from prison to the NFL] would be easy, but it was hard for me. I did things I never thought I would do, like studying and working by myself. I stayed close to my faith, constant in prayer and close to Tony's calls and texts." He goes further to say, "I am determined to leave my life in God's hands and leave the results up to Him. The main thing is I don't want to disappoint God...God has blessed with a second chance and that is something I will value forever. I don't want to let Him down." His name is Michael Vick.…

Have you ever given something to someone and they never thanked you for it? Many of us show this same ungratefulness towards God. God blesses us with gifts in many ways, we accept those gifts, and then forget all about the Giver.

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus encounters ten lepers. He heals all ten of them, but only one really realizes the extent to which he had been healed and turns around to thank Jesus. Leprosy was a terrible disease. It was considered unclean and contagious. People who had leprosy in those days were considered outcasts. They were kept in a secluded place away from the larger part of society, and were forbidden from seeing their families and friends. Since leprosy was incurable, those who had it often died alone.

The physical disease of leprosy is not unlike our spiritual condition. Leprosy only touches the body. But sin and its consequences go deeper to the heart and soul. Leprosy keeps those ridden with the disease separated from society, and likewise, sin keeps us separated from God.

+ Plus, listen to Ami Rushes singing "No Other Name But Jesus"…

100 Days of Preaching the Gospel #70 | with Daniel Whyte III

SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 8:9: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich."

In the news today, we often hear about the ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. Economists tell us that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Most people in this world strive to get rich or to at least live a life where they are comfortable financially. Some people get to that point and some people don't Tonight I want to tell you how Jesus Christ, who had all the riches in the world, gave them up so that He could die on the cross and be the Saviour of the world.

We are saved by grace through faith, but I wonder how many of us have ever stopped to consider how much it really cost the Lord Jesus to provide saving grace for us poor, hell-deserving sinners?

One cannot fully appreciate the vastness of the ocean until he has sailed for days without sight of land. When we stand on the beach and look out over the ocean it does not seem so great; but when we start sailing toward the far horizon we realize we have not comprehended its magnitude; there is more than can be seen at one time. We might compare God's grace with the ocean. Our vision is so limited it will take all the ages of eternity for us to realize the fulness of God's marvelous grace!

Today, I want us to consider the incredible riches that Jesus Christ had. These are the same riches that He had to give up in order to come to earth and save us sinners from our sin.

The Apostle Paul had a wonderful understanding of the grace of God and the exceeding riches of Christ. He said in Ephesians 3:8, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

In Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul speaks of the eyes of our understanding being enlightened, "that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."

1. First of all, notice that Jesus was RICH IN POSSESSIONS.
2. Secondly, notice that Jesus was RICH IN POSITION.
3. Third, notice that Jesus was RICH IN HIS PERSON.
4. Fourth, I want you to notice that Jesus was RICH IN POWER.
5. Fifth, I want you to notice that Jesus was RICH IN PRAISE.
6. Sixth and finally today, notice with me that Jesus was RICH IN LOVE.

+ Plus, listen to Vickie Winans singing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" and Deitrick Haddon singing "Sinner's Prayer"…