One of the great doctrines of our faith is the doctrine of reconciliation. The term ‘reconciliation’ comes from the Greek word ‘katallage’ (kat-al-lag-ay), which means to restore. It gives the sense of changing position. In relation to God it is changing from being an enemy of God to being a friend of God. When…
The final chapter of the book of Romans should not be overlooked. They are Paul’s final words to the church at Rome. The chapter consists of five basic parts. It begins with greetings to the church at Rome in verses 1-16. Paul then encourages the church to avoid divisions as he warns the church…
I have always been intrigued by the thought of the millennial kingdom or the thousand year reign of Christ. It will be a glorious utopia on earth for one thousand years. There will be a perfect peace that will rule the planet. At the end of the millennial reign, there will come a great…
The apostle Paul was a missionary who had a pastor’s heart. When we think of the term ‘pastor’ it is important that we differentiate between the gift of pastor and the office of pastor. The word ‘pastor’ basically means to ‘shepherd.’ According to Ephesians 4:11, to ‘pastor’ is a spiritual gift given to the…
Believe or not, there are times when believers in Christ just simply do not get along. One of the beautiful things about the body of Christ is its diversity. However, such diversity brings many challenges. The Apostle Paul encourages us in Romans chapters 14 and 15 to accept one another as brothers and sisters…
The second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is a much anticipated event. As we approach this text, however, we must understand that there is a difference between the second coming of Christ and the rapture of the church. The biggest difference between the rapture and the second coming is that at the rapture…
Babylon is a reference to the empire of the antichrist during the tribulation period. In chapter 17 we saw the religious aspect of that empire and here in chapter 18 we see the political aspect of the empire. Babylon is mentioned as a city. However, Old Testament prophecy shows us that the actual ancient…
Paul is giving his readers a challenge to wake up because the end of the dispensation of grace or the church is near. The hour is at hand. The day in which all believers have longed for and anticipated is upon us. We know that this truth is much more a reality in our…
The Bible is full of very practical wisdom. The answer to all of life’s questions and issues are found within the pages of scripture. Here in our text, we find a simple life principle concerning the accumulation of debt. Paul mentions that we are to ‘owe no man anything.’ The idea here is that…
The scene in chapters 17 & 18 are shifted from the judgments of God on the antichrist and his followers to the world empire of the antichrist. The target of the seven bowl judgments of chapter 16 is the world empire of the antichrist. The visions that John sees in chapter 17 & 18…
Pastor Chris Noland 