Jesus Was a Charismatic? by J.D. Greear

Go to J.D. Greear's blog and listen to his sermons on the Holy Spirit. http://www.jdgreear.com/

Jesus As the New Israel

Jesus As the New Israel

The Providence of God: Part 1

"The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." - (Psalms 103:19 ESV)


Some believers today are fearful of discussing the providence of God. They are afraid of "making God look bad" in the eyes of 21st century skeptics. Jesus came to save. Satan came to steal, kill and destroy. But the fact is, God still allows Satan to work in the earth. Satan was a willing participate in the death of Jesus, but the crucifixion of Christ led to the resurrection, and reconciled sinners back to God. I believe we are to pray against destruction and seek to bring healing to the sick and oppressed, but God who does no evil (James 1:13) uses evil for his ultimate glory.

So as I share definitions about God's providence, you might be asking, what does this have to do with me? If you are a child of God, nothing that happened to you (no matter how evil) is beyond redeeming for his glory.The apostle Paul said when a Christian dies, we will be "swallowed up by life." (2Cor 5:4) Paul also said to die is gain. We must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is Lord in all circumstances. We very seldom understand what God is doing in the various trials of life, therefore I pray against tornadoes, and cancer, and leave the results to God.

Referring to the doctrine of providence, Wayne Grudem says, "The biblical doctrine is not deism (which teaches that God created the world and then essentially abandoned it), nor pantheism (which teaches that the creation does not have a real distinct existence in itself, but is only part of God), but providence, which teaches that though God is actively related to and involved in the creation at each moment, creation is distinct from him. Moreover, the biblical doctrine does not teach that events in creation are determined by chance (or randomness), nor are they determined by impersonal fate (or determinism), but by God, who is the personal yet infinitely powerful Creator and Lord."

Grudem defines God's providence as, "God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes." - Bobby

Sam Storms on The End Times

Come To The Real Jesus and Be Healed

" For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough." - (2 Corinthians 11:4 ESV)

"...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - (Heb. 12:2 NASB)

Jesus is the author and prefector of the Christians' faith. The particular culture or worldview you are influenced by, should not cloud your vision of Jesus and his kingdom. Western Christianity has a largely anti-supernatural worldview. What we in the west call "third world" countries, Bible scholar Craig Keener calls the, "Majority world."  We in the minority world need the wisdom and understanding of the majority worlds view, on the power of Jesus to heal and deliver.

We live in a day where it seems OK to create a "Jesus" in our own image. Some see Jesus as a good moral teacher, but when he demands that we die to our own way of life to live his way, many chose their own way. It's important not to let our own personal ideas or feelings about Jesus dictate how we live. God, by the power of the Holy Spirit gave us the Bible to understand truth about our Lord. The Spirit himself reveals the truth of the scriptures to us. But we must be willing to obey the truth and believe it, even though it may be contrary to our personal opinions.

In the name of tolerance many are presently abandoning  the faith to follow "another Jesus" and "another gospel." God has chosen to reconcile the world to himself through Jesus Christ. Jesus never discouraged anyone who bowed down to worship him, from doing so. He stands alone in the history of mankind as claiming to be fully God and fully man. No religious leader ever claimed such authority and demonstrated such power.

 In His sovereignty he sometimes heals our physical bodies. But His power to heal us spiritually and emotionally is always available, to those that call on the name of Jesus. Come to Jesus and be healed. - Bobby