After John sees Jesus opening the first six seals of the scroll, he witnesses groups of people that he did not recognize as he listens to an explanation of who these people are. The 144,000 sealed Jews. Notice what Revelation 7:1-8 says, “After these things I saw four angels standing at the…
A second component of discipleship as seen in Acts 2 is, fellowship. Often times we mistaken fellowship with having fun with one another or sharing a meal together. These activities may include fellowship, but they are not fellowship in and of themselves. In order to be a disciple making church, there must be true Biblical…
We come now to a very sobering time in our study of the book of Revelation. We saw the four horsemen of the Apocalypse in 6:1-7. As we come to the opening of the fifth and sixth seals, we are at the mid-point of the tribulation period. The first 3 ½ years are coming…
The entire ministry of the local church is to be centered on Jesus Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and driven by discipleship. In Acts 2:42-47, we see how the early church practiced discipleship. In this passage, we find five key components that drove the ministry of the early church. These components, rightly practiced and…
We come now to a very difficult passage of scripture that raises many questions. There are numerous interpretations that man has made as to the meaning of this passage. However, there is only one true interpretation and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will attempt to arrive at the most accurate…
At the beginning of our study of the book of Revelation, we mentioned how that we should study this book not to just learn about future events, but to get to know Jesus more. The entire theme of Revelation, and the whole Bible for that matter, is all about Jesus. The apostle John…
In Romans 4:13-25, Paul continues what he started in Romans 3:27. He is giving a defense of justification by faith for his Jewish readers. As we study scripture there is something very important that we must keep in mind. We should never stray away from the context of scripture. We should never ‘read into’ scripture…
At the writing of this article we are experiencing the first big snowfall of the year. Unfortunately, we were unable to have church on Sunday due to the inability to get the parking area plowed. As we announced that there would be no services, I encouraged folks to worship with their family at home. I…
“In his book, Self-Esteem, the New Reformation, (Word, 1982), Dr. Robert H. Schuller shared thoughts on a hospital call he made on John Wayne. The veteran film star was facing surgery the following morning. As he traveled to the hospital, Schuller prayed for divine guidance. Should he be direct about Wayne’s relationship to Christ, was…
Earlier, we examined the need for discipleship in the local church. We saw how that many Christians are struggling to live differently than the rest of the world. We noticed some of the statistics that show how there is not much difference between believers and non-believers in the way that they live. There is a…
Pastor Chris Noland 