A Scriptural Look At Sin

Written by Stephen Kingery


Continued from page 1
As hard as I try, I cannot overcomerepparttar human tendency to sin. It is impossible for us to live a life free of sin, perhaps even a day without some form of sin in our lives. However, as Christians we have two important items to consider: (1) Jesus died for our sins, and therefore, we have been forgiven of our past sins and our future sins (the shortcomings or "missingrepparttar 140583 mark" so to speak); and (2) we must do everything in our power to controlrepparttar 140584 human tendency to sin. In other words, we must strive to identify sin in our lives and then get rid of it. I know that this is a difficult matter in relation to some sin. For example, there are those of us who have what we might call a "private sin." A "private sin" is that which we as an individual deal with each day to overcome but it still plagues us, it seems continuously. This "private sin" could be any number of things: lust, desire for money, pleasure, hatred for someone, a drinking problem and so forth. The key here is that we must always be onrepparttar 140585 look out for it, and guard against it having an effect on our lives and relationships with friends, family and especially God. How can a Christian overcome sin in his or her life? Have you ever really stopped to consider this question? Have you tried to overcome sin and been forced to conclude that you just can't? Have you perhaps given up even trying? I really have two thoughts on this subject. First, I don't think that a Christian can overcome sin. If that were possible, we would not needrepparttar 140586 sacrifice that Jesus made for us as it relates to our future sin. (Remember that before we became a Christian we were sinners and as such neededrepparttar 140587 sacrifice of Jesus' dying onrepparttar 140588 cross for us to receive remission of sin. That is not what I am talking about here.) When Jesus died onrepparttar 140589 cross, He took ALL our sin torepparttar 140590 cross (not justrepparttar 140591 sins we committed before we became Christians). If we were capable of overcoming sin, we would have just been forgiven of our past sins. The second thought I have is, even though we as an individual cannot overcome sin, we can through Jesus realize a victory over sin. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:13) In other words, we (by ourselves) cannot overcome sin; but we (through Jesus Christ and His strength) can realize a victory over sin. Is sin still going to be in our lives from time to time? Yes! Do we have to let sin control our lives? No! Can we control sin - through Jesus Christ? Yes! Now even though I have said that it is through Jesus that we are able to control sin, I need to make one thing perfectly clear. It is still up to us as torepparttar 140592 degree to which sin is controlled! We must take action! How does one go about controlling sin? Or better yet, how does one call uponrepparttar 140593 strength of Jesus Christ to help us in this effort? The answer is really quite simple. The degree to which you are able to control sin in your life is in relation torepparttar 140594 degree to which you allow God's Word to work in your life. Allow me to explain. Perhaps you are a Christian, and go to church every Sunday morning and that's it. Are you allowing God's Word to strengthen you to overcomerepparttar 140595 battles you will have to fight forrepparttar 140596 coming week in relation to sin. Probably not! Onrepparttar 140597 other hand, if you are faithful torepparttar 140598 worship services torepparttar 140599 fullest extent possible, spend daily time in prayer and Bible study, faithful in your giving, faithful torepparttar 140600 Lord's Supper and so forth, you will findrepparttar 140601 strength necessary to overcomerepparttar 140602 temptations of sin. When you spend quality time in prayer and Bible study you receiverepparttar 140603 strength that is in God's word to know what is right andrepparttar 140604 strength to do it. How does it happen? I don't know. I just know that it does. I know because I have experienced it. When I am faithful in those areas mentioned above, I am happier and it is much easier for me to overcomerepparttar 140605 temptations which come along each day. One of my favorite Scriptures is found inrepparttar 140606 book of Joshua when he was giving a speech torepparttar 140607 Israelites just before they enterrepparttar 140608 promised land. He is telling them that they are to choose which god they are going to follow. Joshua says. "... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,. . . But as for me and my house, we will serverepparttar 140609 Lord." (Joshua 24:15) We too in America today need to choose this day (and every day) whom (or what) we will serve. Are we to serverepparttar 140610 Lord - or will we serve sin? All Scriptures quoted are fromrepparttar 140611 New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of Be Ye Doers Of The Word. Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org


The Rise And Fall Of Babylon

Written by Michael Bradley


Continued from page 1

Therefore her plagues will come in one day - death and mourning and famine. And she will literally be burned with fire, for strong isrepparttar Lord who judges her.

Andrepparttar 140560 kings ofrepparttar 140561 earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they seerepparttar 140562 smoke of her burning, standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas, alas, this great city Babylon,repparttar 140563 mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' Andrepparttar 140564 merchants ofrepparttar 140565 earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore ... Rejoice over her, O heaven, and your holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her."

Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it intorepparttar 140566 sea, saying, "Thus with violencerepparttar 140567 great city Babylon shall be thrown down, and shall not be found ... andrepparttar 140568 light of your lamp shall not shine anymore. For your merchants wererepparttar 140569 great men ofrepparttar 140570 earth, for by your sorcery allrepparttar 140571 nations were deceived. And in her was foundrepparttar 140572 blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain onrepparttar 140573 earth." (Revelations 18:1-24) 3. Here is another verse that says her destruction will come in one hour.

"For in one hour such great riches came to nothing." (Revelations 18:17)
Conclusion

1. Babylon probably has to be rebuilt sometime beforerepparttar 140574 7 year Tribulation starts. If it is going to be a flourishing city byrepparttar 140575 timerepparttar 140576 Antichrist sets out to destroy it, it has to be rebuilt sometime beforerepparttar 140577 Antichrist really comes to power in order to properly setrepparttar 140578 stage for it to be a "flourishing and wealthy" city again.

Prophecy students feel that its destruction byrepparttar 140579 Antichrist will probably come somewhere aroundrepparttar 140580 midpoint ofrepparttar 140581 Tribulation or shortly thereafter. Remember,repparttar 140582 Antichrist will rise to power more on peace and diplomacy duringrepparttar 140583 first three and half years. It is inrepparttar 140584 last three and half years ofrepparttar 140585 Tribulation thatrepparttar 140586 Antichrist basically goes nuts and startsrepparttar 140587 mass persecution ofrepparttar 140588 Jews and all who will not accept his mark. My guess is that Babylon is included inrepparttar 140589 last three and half years of his mass destruction of both people and countries.

2. You'll also notice that Babylon is destroyed in one hour by fire. The first verse above says thatrepparttar 140590 beast will burn her with fire. I have to believe thatrepparttar 140591 Antichrist will probably launch some type of nuclear missile or bomb on Babylon to completely destroy it by fire in one hour.

3. The Bible says our God is a jealous God. The first ofrepparttar 140592 Ten Commandments is "You shall have no other Gods before Me." The second commandment says:

"You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is inrepparttar 140593 earth beneath, or that is inrepparttar 140594 water underrepparttar 140595 earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I,repparttar 140596 Lord Your God, am a jealous God ..."
All ofrepparttar 140597 other false religions that have come onto this earth all have their origin withrepparttar 140598 ancient city of Babylon - and they all involve some form of idol worship.

With our Godrepparttar 140599 Father beingrepparttar 140600 one and only true God ofrepparttar 140601 entire universe, He calls all of these other false religions originating out of Babylon harlots! That is because they are notrepparttar 140602 one and only true faith involvingrepparttar 140603 God ofrepparttar 140604 Bible. I've already done an article titledrepparttar 140605 "The Basics of Salvation Through Jesus Christ". The Bible makes it very clear that there is only one faith, one God, one religion and one Savior - Jesus Christ. Godrepparttar 140606 Father will not honor in any way, shape or form any of these other false religious systems. All of these other religions are an abomination in His sight and they all have their origin with Satan himself. Andrepparttar 140607 city of ancient Babylon was reallyrepparttar 140608 official starting point from where Satan really started to develop and work in all ofrepparttar 140609 other false religions ofrepparttar 140610 world today into each ofrepparttar 140611 other countries aroundrepparttar 140612 world.

Once you understand and seerepparttar 140613 "big picture" as how God sees it, you can understand why He would want to resurrectrepparttar 140614 city of Babylon again, just so that He can set it up for its final destruction atrepparttar 140615 end of times.

The above verses also says this destruction is set up by God in order to avenge all of His people who have been martyred throughout history by all of these other false religions.

4. If you want to read more on Babylon and its final destruction, go to chapters 17 and 18 in Revelations. Those two chapters were too long for me to type out everything in this article. The above verses are highlightingrepparttar 140616 basics on this subject for you. Note Revelations 17:3 where it says:

"And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns."
The woman isrepparttar 140617 city of Babylon andrepparttar 140618 beast she is sitting on isrepparttar 140619 Antichrist. This verse tells you that initially Babylon will be riding on and working withrepparttar 140620 Antichrist and probably helping him set up his agenda.

There are also predictions that out of Babylon, will come a lot more ofrepparttar 140621 New Age Movement, along with a heavy increase in sorcery, magic andrepparttar 140622 occult. Demons and their supernatural powers will be at their peak duringrepparttar 140623 end times, andrepparttar 140624 city of Babylon will also have a lot of occultic activity surrounding it which will help draw a lot of people from all overrepparttar 140625 world to visit there. This would probably explain why it is going to become so popular and wealthy again once it is resurrected.

All ofrepparttar 140626 above is just another powerful "puzzle piece" given by God inrepparttar 140627 Bible to let us know when we really are starting to approachrepparttar 140628 end of times andrepparttar 140629 return of His Son to our earth to set up His 1000 year Millennium Kingdom.

Article written by Michael Bradley of Bible Knowledge Ministries. Their website is a resource of Bible commentary and teaching. If you do not want to wait for the next article, you can go to our end times section. Copyright © 2005 by Michael Bradley. All Rights Reserved.


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