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Recent Posts
409: Why We Study Prophecy
One of the major reasons we study prophecy is called the Law of Proportions. This law states the more ink the Lord uses in His Word to communicate a message, the more important that message must be. Consider the following regarding the Old Testament:
Number of Verses in the Bible: 31,124
Number of Predictions in the Old Testament: 1,239
Number of Old Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 6,641 out of 23,210
Percent of the Old Testament that is Prophecy: 28.5%
What about the New Testament?
Number of Predictions in the New Testament: 578
Number of New Testament Verses that Contain Predictions: 1,711 out of 7,914
Percent of the New Testament that is Prophecy: 21.5%
And the Bible as a whole?
Percent of the Whole Bible that is Prophecy: 27%
Number of Separate Prophetic Topics in the Bible: 737
Just a few more facts:
Of the 333 prophecies concerning Christ, only 109 were fulfilled by His first coming, leaving 224 yet to be fulfilled in the Second Coming.
There are over 300 references to the Lord’s coming in the 260 chapters of the New Testament— one out of every 30 verses.
Twenty-three of the 27 New Testament books mention the Lord’s coming.
Jesus refers to His second coming at least twenty-one times.
There are 1,527 Old Testament passages that refer to the Second Coming.
For every time the Bible mentions the first coming, the Second Coming is mentioned eight times.
People are exhorted to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ over fifty times.
Need we say more? If you’re interested in the study of prophecy, then keep listening.
408: The Next Event on God’s Prophetic Calendar
Jesus said, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:1-2). In essence, He was paraphrasing an ancient maritime proverb that went something like this: “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky at morning, sailor’s warning.”
But the point of HIs words was to shame those of us who fail to see the signs of the times of His coming— even as they are portrayed right before our eyes.
Open Your Eyes
Take a look around. Read your Bible. Look at the nation of Israel. Do they mean nothing to you regarding the soon coming of our Lord? “Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt. 16:2).
The study of the end times, that discipline known as eschatology, is a minefield of confusion and disagreement. And because it’s so divisive and controversial many shy away from it. But not so with us. We are going to take a look at the Lord’s prophetic calendar to see exactly what the Scriptures tell us is right around the corner.
Are you ready? Good. Then keep listening.
407: When it Comes to Worship, We’re Clueless
One of the pressing questions today, as we take an honest look at the church, is what does worship look like? Is it what we see manifested on Sunday mornings? Is it music, a light show, an engaging speaker telling interesting and affirming stories? Or is it something more?
The greatest verse regarding the mechanics of true worship is found in the book of Romans. Consider the following:
Romans 12:1-2 – I beseech (parakaléō – to beg, exhort, desire, call for, encourage) you (personal) therefore (based on what was previously written), brethren (to believers), by the mercies (compassion and pity one shows for the suffering of others) of God, that you (personal) present (to place, offer) your (personal) bodies (whole person) a living (constant, enduring) sacrifice (offering, something slaughtered on the altar of God), holy (hágios – set apart, sanctified, consecrated, devoted, sharing in God’s purity and abstaining from earth’s defilement), acceptable (good, well-pleasing, that which God wills and recognizes) to (whom) God, which is your (personal) reasonable (implies intelligent meditation and reflection as pertaining to the soul) service (voluntary worship or service which conforms to human reason). And (you) do not be conformed (syschēmatizō – to fashion alike, to conform to the same pattern outwardly) to this world (generation, culture, referring to an age or time in contrast to kósmos), but (you) be transformed (metamorphóō – to transfigure, to change one’s form) by the renewing (a qualitative renewal, a restoration or renovation which makes a person different than in the past) of your mind (intelligent understanding, perception), that you (personal) may prove (try, test, discern, distinguish, to determine whether a thing is worthy or not) what is that good (excellent, best, distinguished) and acceptable (good, well-pleasing, that which God wills and recognizes), and perfect (complete, having achieved its goal and purpose, full, wanting for nothing) will (desire, God’s gracious disposition done out of His own good pleasure) of God.
Take a few minutes and reflect on these two verses. Have you done this? Do you worship Him this way? Is it even close? If not, then keep listening.