Treasure In Clay Jars

I have not written a post in a while; a combination of being busy but also a clear lack of motivation to do so, but this morning I felt compelled to share this video link below. I first heard this song on a CD that a sister in Christ shared with me several years ago. I must admit I am not what you would call an avid listener of Christian music, but there are many songs of worship that truly touch your heart for Christ. For me, this is largely driven by the words of worship in the lyrics, as well as an intangible emotional connection that you (as the listener) share with the singer as they pour out their heart in worship to a God that is so Holy, so incredibly Overpowering yet so loving as to single you out individually (before the beginning of time) for inclusion into His eternal kingdom. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus....

I have been thinking a lot lately about what will happen to fulfill God’s prophecy in Ezekiel 39. In this Bible Chapter , Israel is attacked by “an enemy from the north”, but is supernaturally delivered by God resulting in harm not to Israel but to that enemy and “her allies by the sea”. This prophecy appears to make it very clear, that no nuclear weapon developed by Iran will destroy Israel. This does not mean that Iran will not try. They could very well be among the coalition of enemies from the north that will fulfill this prophecy. This prophecy may very well be instructive as we continue to observe the shadow dancing that is currently playing out between Israel, President Obama and the Iranian nuclear issue. Below is an excerpt from a recent news report from the Christian News From Jerusalem website: More ominously, (Jerusalem Post Editor Caroline Glick reports) - likely from sources high up in the Israeli government - that the Obama administration has all but accepted as an irrev...

There MUST be a “two-state solution” for Israel and the Palestinians. So says the Pope, Barack Obama, virtually every European Leader etc. etc. According to the learned of this world, it’s not even a question anymore. Israel must submit to a “two-state solution”. And just what is the two state solution? Ostensibly, it is one in which Israel shares ownership of the land given to them by God with the Palestinian people. For those advocating such a “solution” their opinion on whether Israel was given her land directly from God must fall into one of two camps: 1) The land was never given to Israel by God and thus this claim is bogus – thus making a liar out of the Bible or 2) The land was given to Israel by God but is subject to man’s decision to overrule that God – in the interest of “peace”. I can guess which of the these options the Palestinians, Europeans and President Obama believes. This Pope is somewhat of a question, however with him earthly pragmatism is probably trumping biblical...

I was listening to the radio this morning when the song “One Love” from Bob Marley came on. It is a wonderful song with a great message of love. However there is a line in the song that got me to thinking…the line goes something like this: “give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright...” Now it’s rare that you hear a major mainstream artist like Marley incorporating praise to the Lord in their lyrics. In fact, I am certain if any established artist of today were to dare to incorporate praise “to the Lord” in their songs a) it would not be heard liberally in the media and b) that artist would probably be vilified for offending others. But alas, Bob Marley lived in a time where “the Lord” when uttered in the mainstream of public consciousness was not considered akin to a curse word. Good for him; in a way thankfully for Marley, he died before the foolishness of today's media culture truly began. The song also got me to thinking about the phrase “the Lord”. It is no...

I was speaking to a friend recently about the sacrifice made by our Lord Jesus Christ to redeem us back to God our Father. It was a heavy conversation where we were both focusing on the depth of our own individual sins in relation to the price that Jesus had to pay to wipe our stains away so that we can live permanently with a Holy and Perfect God. I believe that the punishment that Jesus had to bear was that which was (or is) coming to each and everyone human being who has ever lived, for the sins that they each individually has or will commit. It’s hard to conceive rationally, or even put into words, but the level of punishment, the pain, the horror, the terror, the anguish etc. that my Lord Jesus Christ took is the exact equivalent of what I would have received if God were to have punished me for my life; then He took the same level of punishment for you; then He took the same level of punishment for your brother; then that for your sister; then that for your mother; then that for y...

When I first read the Book of Revelation, among the many amazing future events that the apostle John wrote about was the many dramatic events that would take place towards the last days of the current earth age. To call the book awesome is an incredible understatement. Many people call it scary, and many others claim that it is mostly symbolism and not really an account of actual events that take place. But I for one fall firmly in the camp that believes that the Book is mostly a literal accounting of actual events that will take place. However regardless of one’s opinion, one thing is very clear and very literal: our Lord Jesus Christ accords His divine blessing on the readers of this book in it’s very beginning: This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John, who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the tes...

The doorbell rang at my home yesterday morning to a not uncommon visit from two members of the Jehovah Witness Church. This is I’m sure a common occurrence for many readers, as I can remember my home receiving similar visits from the time I was a child. Over the past several years, I have made it a point to use these visits as an opportunity for me to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with the Jehovah Witnesses which is usually the opposite intent of their visit to my home. I don’t pretend to know a whole lot about the beliefs and tenets of this Church, and I certainly don’t consider myself any more of a saved sinner than they may be. As it happened on this occasion, after welcoming the couple (a middle aged man and woman…about 10-20 years my senior), I immediately identified myself as a Christian. My initial point to them was that I was a believer in the entire gospel of Jesus Christ, and though we may have some doctrinal differences, if they too believed and accepted that Jesus Chri...