“Most religious groups have got their own set of rules. Most of the people in those groups think keeping our rules makes us righteous. Then they look at the people that keep a different set of rules and say, well ,they’re not really righteous because they’re not keeping our rules!”
The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality
(1 Corinthians 15:1-5 New King James Version (NKJV): “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,”
The Changing Global Religious Landscape
Babies born to Muslims will begin to outnumber Christian births by 2035; people with no religion face a birth dearth
More babies were born to Christian mothers than to members of any other religion in recent years, reflecting Christianity’s continued status as the world’s largest religious group. But this is unlikely to be the case for much longer: Less than 20 years from now, the number of babies born to Muslims is expected to modestly exceed births to Christians, according to new Pew Research Center demographic estimates.
Muslims are projected to be the world’s fastest-growing major religious group in the decades ahead, as Pew Research Center has explained, and signs of this rapid growth already are visible. In the period between 2010 and 2015, births to Muslims made up an estimated 31% of all babies born around the world – far exceeding the Muslim share of people of all ages in 2015 (24%). CLICK TO CONTINUE READING
Tags: Christianity vs Other Religions, Christianity, Religion, World Religion vs Christianity
“What is it about the Word of God that you and I need to know? Why is it that the Word of God gives us truths that will last forever? I stand before you at the age of 73, having criss-crossed this globe for nearly 50 years. Two years ago, I lost one of my colleagues in Nabil Qureshi at the age of 33. Toweringly-built man, and he sat across one day with me and told me, “I’ve just been diagnosed with stage four cancer.” I thought he was joking. Life is like a vapor, it’s here for a moment, and you’re gone. All the medals will come off. All the credentials won’t mean anything. The only thing that will abide then is, what does God think of you?” – Ravi Zacharias
Ravi Zacharias: True Love in a Time of Crisis
Ravi Zacharias Quotes:
“Outside of the cross of Jesus Christ, there is no hope in this world. That cross and resurrection at the core of the Gospel is the only hope for humanity. Wherever you go, ask God for wisdom on how to get that Gospel in, even in the toughest situations of life.” – Ravi Zacharias
“I think the reason we sometimes have the false sense that God is so far away is because that is where we have put him. We have kept him at a distance, and then when we are in need and call on him in prayer, we wonder where he is. He is exactly where we left him.” – Ravi Zacharias
“You can only learn so much from books. You can only learn so much from education. Ultimately, it is the wisdom of God that will carry you through in the toughest situations of life.” – Ravi Zacharias
“Who is God? Who are we? What is our purpose? All these questions remain unanswered. I want to reach the genuine seeker of spiritual well-being. My goal is to satisfy the hunger and longing for those who are seeking the truth.” – Ravi Zacharias
“Pleasure without God, without the sacred boundaries, will actually leave you emptier than before. And this is biblical truth, this is experiential truth. The loneliest people in the world are amongst the wealthiest and most famous who found no boundaries within which to live. That is a fact I’ve seen again and again.” – Ravi Zacharias
“Only through repentance and faith in Christ can anyone be saved. No religious activity will be sufficient, only true faith in Jesus Christ alone.”- Ravi Zacharias
“The Christian faith, simply stated, reminds us that our fundamental problem is not moral; rather, our fundamental problem is spiritual. It is not just that we are immoral, but that a moral life alone cannot bridge what separates us from God. Herein lies the cardinal difference between the moralizing religions and Jesus’ offer to us. Jesus does not offer to make bad people good but to make dead people alive.” – Ravi Zacharias
Tags: Ravi Zacharias: True Love in a Time of Crisis, Ravi Zacharias, Ravi Zacharias preaching, Ravi Zacharias quotes, Ravi Zacharias sermons
WATCH this powerful preaching “When The End Comes, Where Will You Be by Pastor Carter Conlon of Time Square Church, New York.
Pastor Carter Conlon is senior pastor of Times Square Church, an inter-denominational church in New York City, where he joined the pastoral staff in 1994 at the invitation of founding pastor David Wilkerson. Read more about him at https://carterconlon.com
BIBLICAL REFERENCE FOR THIS PREACHING
Matthew 24: Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple
24 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
The Signs of the Times and the End of the Age
3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Great Tribulation
15 “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it.24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.
The Coming of the Son of Man
29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
“I was so desperate to search for God that at the age of 19, I flew to India and trained to become a Hindu priest. In my first month of training, I was in the temple upstairs praying, worshipping. At that moment, I had this very silent voice in my left ear say, “Have you made the right choice?” My goodness, what have I done? In this Hindu religion that I was with, we firmly believed that the guru is God. When he speaks, God is speaking. So to be chosen to be one of His favorite priests is like the most incredible dream coming true.” – Rahil Patel, a Hindu priest
I finally got off this train that I was on for 20 years. I was done with my search for God. And I parked the whole idea of religion because I had no answers. Then feeling that I’ve wasted my life with Hinduism, I forgot about my secret encounters with Christ. I was done. So I flew back to London. Three weeks later, I was walking to South Kensington Station. I had a prompting, and my head turned, and I saw this church down this very quiet road. And as I approached the church, I saw these beautiful red doors. It was a Sunday morning. And these two people were welcoming people to come in. And soon as I walked through the doors, the presence of God just fell on me. I felt this incredible peace. And this very silent whisper again in my left ear said, “You’re home.”
Jesus met me where I was. It’s not a religion. God showed me this is a relationship now.
Tags: Hindu testimony, Hindu Priest to Christianity, Christian testimony
A lot of discussion in the social about the issue of getting a tattoo among Christians. In the Bible, it says in Leviticus 19:28: ”You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: Iam the LORD.” Many argue that since we are in the New Testament and this Bible verse is in the Old Testament, this is no longer applicable to us. If we are bought into this idea, it is like saying that the Old Testament is no longer relevant to us in this modern age. Question! In the first place, why is this verse in the Bible? We need to look beyond the physical aspect of it. After all we are spiritual being. It is God desire for His people to be set apart from other religious practices, like pagan worship, witchcraft, and sorcery. If you look at this verse in context, you can see that it is specifically dealing with pagan religious rituals. What is your motivation of having a tattoo?
Is Getting a Tattoo a Sin?
To commit sin is to come short of the standard of God. It is understandable for a person who had tattoos already before he/she became a follower of Jesus Christ. But if a person is already a “believer” or “follower of Jesus Christ,” and wanting a tattoo, then motives and intentions come in. What is your motivation? Will it glorify God? And since you are a follower of Jesus Christ, did Jesus had a tattoo? A lot of people fall into trap because tattoo is a trend. Some say it’s cool to have one. Worship leaders and even preachers proudly showing their tattoos in the pulpit! What message are they bringing to young people? Hardened criminals, gangsters, drug addicts, rockstars, witchcraft, satanists, etc. are people who have tattoos all over their bodies. If you are a Christian and wanting to be identified with these people, then go ahead because it only shows how carnal you are. Your flesh is stronger than your spirit. Lord have mercy! In 1 Corinthians 10:31, a New Testament passage, it says: “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” Does getting a tattoo glorifies God at all? Did Jesus had to have to have a tattoo in His arms or body to glorify the Father? Jesus only did the Father’s will. He only did what the Father commanded Him to do! Definitely, the Father did not asked Jesus to have a tattoo. “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
What Does the Bible Say About Tattoo?
Is It a SIN to Get a TATTOO for CHRISTIANS?
What are your thoughts? Feel free to comment below.
Tags:
Christian tattoos, tattoo sin, Bible tattoo, Bible says About Tattoos
