You Must Actually Fail

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6   The problem with faith is that you must actually fail.  Too often when we run into obstacles where our faith is and will certainly be tested (1 Peter 1:7), we can easily come to the conclusion that we are wrong or our faith is in vain…in certain cases we can even think that that even the foundations are gone!  (Psalms 11:3)   “But the children of Israel committed a trespass regarding the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the devoted things; so the anger of Jehovah burned against the children of Israel.  Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is next to Beth Aven, to the east of Bethel, and spoke to them, saying, Go up and spy out the land. And the men went up and spied out Ai.  And they returned to Joshua and said to him, Do not let all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and strike Ai. Do not make all the people toil there, for they are few.  So about three thousand men went up there from the people, but they fled before the men of Ai.  And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six men, for they chased them from before the gate as far as Shebarim, and struck...

The Dead Stirred Up

“Sheol from below is excited over you, to meet you at your coming. It stirs up the dead for you, all the chief of the earth. It has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.  All of them shall speak and say to you, Are you also as weak as we?  Have you become like us?  Your arrogance is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of your lutes. The maggot is spread under you, and the worms cover you.  How you are fallen from the heavens, O shining one, son of the morning!  How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations!  For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of the Mighty God; I will also sit on the mount of the appointed assembly, in the recesses of the north.  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.  Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the recesses of the Pit.  Those who see you shall stare at you and consider diligently, saying, Is this the man who made the earth to tremble; who shook kingdoms; who made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed its cities; who did not open the house for his prisoners?”  Isaiah 14:9-17   Now this is interesting indeed and something that very few people ever hear about.  Just a little more thought into the following verse:   “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil...

“I ain’t worried about it dawg.”

“The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”  Proverbs 1:7   I was out driving around one evening recently in the north side of Rapid City, South Dakota, heading into the downtown district.  I happened at a stop light where there was a man around my age, full of tattoos, mean looking dude, with his woman driving their car.   Their car was booming from the bass of the speakers, shaking the windows a bit and I took a glance over at this gangster who glared back at me, thinking to say something, one of those things were you feel the nudging of the heart from the Holy Spirit, but your not quite sure, but I take off, getting stopped at a light just a couple of blocks away.  They pull up next to me again.   This time I put my window down and look over.  He looks my way again and I say to him…   “It’s all fun and games, but what are you going to do in the end?”   He looks back and hollers, “I ain’t worried about it dawg.”   He started to say something else, if I could guess it was asking what I was going to do, but the light had turned green and the driver of this car turned left, while I was making a right.   Oh…my heart goes out to that man, that God would grant him the opportunity to continue to hear the Gospel, to consider, to perhaps repent towards God and by faith believe into Jesus Christ as His...

In Exchange for Nothing

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:26   A preacher can write, preach, warn, rebuke, exhort often, but how many actually take heed to whatever is done honorable and according to the will of God regarding these things that mankind needs to know?  Certainly it can be discouraging.   Long before my first article ever written on All Will Stand, there were fiery conversations that were had at my local job.  We would debate back and forth about all sorts of topics from the girl who thought God was in everything, to the manager who thought that the charismatic movement was correct, as well as speaking in tongues, to the one who was Roman Catholic and believed that to be the right path to the atheist who said there was no God.    There were those who thought women preachers were allowed, some who thought that christian rock was the way to go.  Then there was the couple who actually got Saved while I was working there, believe it or not, as the closer (and eventually night manager) at a McDonald’s.  All of these conversations were had and each day, even with different viewpoints, we debated and both parties, myself and the other, would come in with their ‘evidence’ to present to the other trying to prove our cases.  While my arguments based upon the Bible might not have been accepted, there was not a single ‘lost’ argument, I had help, a good friend...

Disconnect

“And I will give to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.  These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.  And if anyone tries to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone tries to harm them, he must be killed in this manner.  These have authority to shut the heavens, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have authority over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.  And when they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.  And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.  And those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three and a half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.  And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.  And after three and a half days the spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood on their feet, and great terror fell on those who saw them.  And they heard a loud voice out of Heaven saying to them, Come up here. And...