Joel Osteen It's Your Time - It's Your Time Joel Osteen Lakewood Church

Need a good bible study ?

Consider these two FREE resources from HeartCry Missionary Society. If you are not familiar with HeartCry, I would urge you to take a look at their website: http://www.hcmissions.com/ .

If you are looking for a good bible study and a lengthy one consider one of the following:

1. One True God - A Biblical Study of the Doctrine of God. You can download it free at the HeartCry resource page here - http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/resources/online_books

Or if you prefer to purchase a hard copy you can do that here - http://grantedministries.org/press.html



2. Truth About Man - A Biblical Study of the Doctrine of Man. You can download it free at the HeartCry resource page here - http://www.heartcrymissionary.com/resources/online_books

Both studies are by Paul David Washer.

Open Air Preaching 16 December 2009 - Christmas Message

Open Air Preaching December 16th 2009 Christmas Luke Chapter 2 from Return To The Truth on Vimeo.

Knowing, therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...

God from eternity, decrees or permits all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not to destroy the free will and responsibility of intelligent creatures.

One of the most misunderstood and heavily debated areas of Christendom is the relationship between the sovereignty of our Almighty God and the free will of His creation. The moment our theology takes any glory away from God and attempts to give it to man or any other form of creation, it has strayed from the truth of the Word and the authority of Scripture.

The modern, professing church has gone astray in this area and the results have been devastating. Man-centered theology has infiltrated the professing church and has taken on many forms, from the most ludicrous to the entirely subtle and everything in between.

The chief end of man is to glorify God. Why should we glorify God, because He loves us and takes care of us. When we attempt to rob God of His glory, we become useless and commit the greatest of sins, unbelief.

The modern professing church has chosen (in their free will) to make an idol for themselves to worship, instead of worshipping the One True God.

Not to us, O LORD, not to us,

But to Your name give glory

Because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth.

Why should the nations say,

"Where, now, is their God?"

But our God is in the heavens;

He does whatever He pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold,

The work of man's hands.

They have mouths, but they cannot speak;

They have eyes, but they cannot see;

They have ears, but they cannot hear;

They have noses, but they cannot smell;

They have hands, but they cannot feel;

They have feet, but they cannot walk;

They cannot make a sound with their throat.

Those who make them will become like them,

Everyone who trusts in them.

Salvation is of the Lord. This has always been, and will always be the truth. If men will be saved from the wrath of God, He must save them.

Christ centered, God glorifying theology is important in every area of our Christian life and it is especially important when considering our salvation or more specifically, the doctrine of justification. Christians are declared righteous in the sight of God by faith in Jesus Christ, because of the finished work at the cross.

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;

The modern church has exchanged “calling on the Name of the Lord” for “the sinners prayer”. The modern church has exchanged “the call to Holiness” for “the call to a better life”. The modern church has exchanged “the One True God” for “a god made in the image of man”. The modern church has exchanged the truth of God for a lie.

The cross of Christ has always been an issue of righteousness, a demonstration of God’s righteousness … so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Attempting to minimize, trivialize or avoid the concept of propitiation is futile and results in a man-centered, diluted gospel that is truly no gospel at all.

God in His sovereignty, decreed and permitted His Son to die at the hands of ungodly men. Those same ungodly men chose in their free will to kill Him.

God in His sovereignty has decreed and permitted that He would justify, sanctify and glorify a specific number of people that He would call His own; the elect, the bride of Christ. Those same people, the elect, have made and will make a real, conscience decision to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

God in His sovereignty, has decreed and permitted that He would allow a specific number of people to die in their sins and suffer an eternity of punishment in hell forever. Those same people have made and will make a real, conscience decision to sin against God, not honor God, nor give thanks and ultimately, if given the chance, reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Salvation is of the Lord. Praise His Holy Name.