By Martha Bailey Does Satan ever mess with you?  Of course, he does.  He is the epitome of evil and has been since the beginning of time. He’s the master of lies and distortion. His goal is to destroy. He does not relinquish his territory without putting up a fight. He chooses his accomplices very carefully. He often uses greed to motivate people to do his dirty work. Let’s look at Satan in Acts 19, and observe him using his age-old tactics which he still employs today very effectively. While on his third missionary journey, the apostle Paul made a stop at Ephesus. Typically, he targeted urban areas for his ministry, and Ephesus fit the strategy. Ephesus was known for its commercial and religious significance.  Commercially, it was a booming port city strategically located on a major east-west trade route in Asia.  Religiously, it was the home of the temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the world.  People came from all over the Roman Empire worship to see the magnificent structure and to worship the fertility goddess, Artemis. Paul conducted a very fruitful ministry in Ephesus.  Initially, he began his work among the Jews in the synagogue.  However, three years later opposition arose … [Read more...]

By Rebecca Holloway It was almost a year ago that I wrote “Hope Deferred” about how Evan’s delays made my heart sick. I read that verse again this week in my Bible reading. Again, I prayed and asked God to help my heart not to be sick and to finally “fulfill our dreams” and bring on the “tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12, NLT) I went about my day and didn't really think about it again until later that afternoon. Then a fresh, new wave of grief fell over me – a sadness that had never even occurred to me before. As I have mentioned before, I was resistant to having a second child because Zach was such a handful when he was a toddler. I supposed all toddlers are. I was just not prepared for all the boyness that came with our boy. Plus, right after Zach’s first birthday, I had lost my mother, so the whole time is clouded by that grief. One of the things that finally broke me down and made me realize we needed another child was that I was an only child. I had wished for a brother or sister to play with, and when my mother died when I was 32 years old, I wished for a brother or sister to help carry the load of what I was facing. Stewart nor I wanted Zach to grow up alone. Last week was Zach’s spring break, and I … [Read more...]

Almost everything Jesus said was astounding. We shouldn’t be surprised at this because of who made the statements and what He was talking about. Jesus was the Son of God who gave us principles for the Kingdom of God. People who talk about the facts of this life often make unusual or impactful statements, but even then they seem common sensical. But Jesus talked about the kingdom that is not of this world. He gave many astounding teachings. Here are three that are found in the Sermon on the Mount. First, Jesus taught that religious practices are for God rather than for other people. He told his followers that their fasting should be a picture of joy and happiness. Many people of Jesus’ day fasted to be seen of others and considered pious. Jesus taught His followers to practice their piety for God alone. Therefore, they should wash their face and put on a smile. Anything done for God produces joy and happiness. Instead of seeking to be seen as pious and observant, Jesus wanted His followers to be seen as joyful. Second, Jesus asserted that real treasure is heavenly and not earthly. He led His followers to seek to lay up treasure in heaven. He knew we needed to redirect our hearts toward heavenly things. Setting … [Read more...]

By Steve Horn Thursday, May 4th, is the annual National Day of Prayer. As we approach this day, I am grateful for all of the prayer gatherings that will happen across the United States of America. In the Book of Acts, people are said to be praying 31 times. Of these 31 times … 14 times an individual is said to be praying. 2 times two or more people in a small group are said to be praying. 15 times the church is gathered in prayer. Half of the references to praying in the book of Acts are references to corporate praying! We see in Acts that there were appointed times and places for prayer. We see that the church prayed for power, wisdom, boldness to share Christ, in times of crisis, for missionaries, for pastors, and for each other. When the Early Church encountered a crisis, they didn’t pout, panic, protest, sign a petition, or organize a boycott. Instead, they prayed. Bob Russell, retired pastor of Southeast Bible Church in Louisville, KY, recounts the story of how his church once bought the building next door to the leading abortion clinic in Kentucky. They did some crisis pregnancy counseling out of this building, but mainly they prayed. As a result, in 18 months, the abortion clinic closed. It is not … [Read more...]

Several days before I am due to go on a trip, I begin to plan and prepare for it. My executive assistant briefs me on what my responsibilities will be. My travel assistant goes over flight and hotel arrangements, as well as alerting me to departure and arrival times. I decide the messages I will give and the clothes I will wear. I make arrangements for my pets to be cared for and my home to be secure in my absence. And to make sure nothing is forgotten or overlooked, I make a checklist that I continually reference. Preparing to leave takes time, thought and energy. The Bible teaches that all followers of Jesus are to plan and prepare for a “trip.” The trip is not only undertaken when we move to Heaven following death, but it is also a very unique one that will take place at the end of human history as we have known it. We are told that believers in the last generation will not experience physical death, but will be caught up in what is called the “rapture”… the “snatching away”… to meet Jesus in the air and be reunited with loved ones who have died in Christ and have gone before us. It will be the trip of a lifetime—a trip that is out of this world. Are you ready? Read John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 … [Read more...]

By Danny Mann If you're looking for a concise theme to Matthew’s Gospel, it would have to be “The Gospel of the Kingdom.” Matthew’s message is quite clear - the Good News message of the Kingdom has stepped out of the shadows and now is in plain view. But it wasn’t the kingdom the Jews were looking for. They were looking for an earthly king. This is why the Jews flocked to Jesus on Palm Sunday. Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem is immersed in imagery of the Messianic king. The Jews wanted freedom from the Romans. They wanted a King on a throne in Jerusalem. They wanted their own kingdom. Which is why this message of the Kingdom of Heaven is so important. Before Israel ever had a king, they were meant to view God as their king. They were meant to follow - His rule and pledge their allegiance to Him and to His purposes. Israel rejected God when they demanded to have a king like their surrounding nations (1 Samuel 8). Though they had moments of faithfulness and glimmers of hope, Israel never fully embraced what it meant to be God’s kingdom. When you jump forward to the New Testament, Israel was still stuck in the rut of an earthly kingdom. However, God had greater plans. God’s plans were … [Read more...]

By Tommy Middleton Romans 6:9 “We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again …” The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the first and only resurrection of its kind, ever. There were other “raisings” recorded in the Bible, but they were mere resuscitations. People were raised back to life, BUT not in a glorified body as was Christ. Instead, each was returned to the original corruptible state, which meant they would physically die “again,” except, then, it would be permanent. Jesus was raised in a glorified state, alive indeed, but death had lost its grip, its sting, its power! -- HE has conquered the unconquerable—the grave (2 Cor. 5:1-9). -- HE has crushed with His death what had and has crushed every life before and after Him—sin (1 Cor. 15:54-55). -- HE has taken away the deepest fear of man—the fear of death (Heb. 2:15). The resurrection of Jesus stands as the most significant and profound event in human history. He has risen and dies no more, AND for all those who trust in Christ for salvation, we have been raised with Him and ONE day, like Him. He is risen! HE IS RISEN INDEED! Amen and HALLELUJAH! Tommy Middleton is the director of missions for the Baptist Association of … [Read more...]

In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. — Luke 2:8 The third act of Luke’s account of Jesus’s birth occurs on a hill outside of Bethlehem. Now most people don’t realize this story did not take place in December. It was probably in the spring, close to Passover. It was very likely that these shepherds were taking care of sheep that would soon become the Passover lambs. Now you have to know something about shepherds to appreciate what is going on in this story: -- Shepherds were the lowest rung in the Jewish culture. -- Shepherds took care of dirty and smelly sheep, so the shepherds were dirty and smelly–and there was no deodorant back then to take away the stench. -- Shepherds were the outcasts of Jewish society. So if you were going to have a party, guess who you would not invite? Isn’t it interesting that God chose to make His announcement of the Savior’s birth not to the political leaders in Rome, not to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, but to these smelly, dirty shepherds? Look at how it came about: “An angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly … [Read more...]

By Jack Graham … he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. —Philippians 1:6 There are many churches these days that avoid talking about sin. It’s not a “feel good” topic. But sin is a critical topic if we want to be effective servants of Christ and to grow spiritually. So let me address one of the big questions before we go any further. People frequently ask me, “Can sin cause me to lose my salvation?” And I’ll tell you what I’ve told them, “Absolutely not!” You cannot sin your salvation away. You see, when you asked Jesus to forgive your sin and made him Lord of your life, he began a “good work” in you. And he promised to complete that work within you! But beyond salvation, God is also at work to help you deal with the issue of sin in your life on a daily basis. You and I desperately need this because sin will remain a reality in our lives this side of heaven. But we can overcome. We see this clearly in some of God's choicest saints. Men like Simon Peter and Paul admitted to the sin in their lives. But listen, sin was not a pattern in their lives! And that’s the difference that Christ made in their lives! Will you let Jesus do the same for you? He wants to! Let … [Read more...]

By Craig Beeman As Easter approaches, it is a good time to consider the question, "What would your life would be like if Jesus had not been raised from the dead? What if Jesus had just performed miracles, talked a lot about the kingdom of God and spoken about how much His Heavenly Father loves us? Sure, He still would have been praised for these things by those who followed Him, and he would have been held in awe by them until the day He died. After that there would still be fond memories of a man who was a good man. There would be memories of His childhood and some of the things He said. But, eventually some of the things He said and did would be forgotten, even by His most devout followers. The truth is, at some point in time the memories that did exist would be in the minds of those who knew Him best and no one else. That would be the end of His story. Two thousand years later, you and I would have not been impacted by His death -- an ordinary type of death, then and now, not unlike anyone else’s in time. Maybe, just maybe, some of what He “supposedly” did would have been passed down through time. There are always some who hold on to beliefs they can only have through faith or through stubborn … [Read more...]