Why did God send Jesus when He did? Why not earlier? Why not later?"

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law” (Galatians 4:4). This verse declares that God the Father sent His Son when “the time had fully come.” There were many things occurring at the time of the first century that, at least by human reasoning, seem to make it ideal for Christ to come then.

A Compelling Reason for Rigorous Training of the Mind

I was reading and meditating on the book of Hebrews recently, when it hit me forcefully that a basic and compelling reason for education — the rigorous training of the mind — is so that a person can read the Bible with understanding. This sounds too obvious to be useful or compelling. 
But that's just because we take the preciousness of reading so for granted; or, even more, because we appreciate so little the kind of thinking that a complex Bible passage requires of us.
The book of Hebrews, for example, is an

10 Things To Pray For In Marriage

 Alfred Lord Tennyson once said, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.

" Prayer can change the one who prays, one's marriage, and one's partner. Don't let a day pass without serious prayer. What can happen will surprise you.

Going through marriage without prayer is like walking a high wire without a safety net. Always remember that prayer succeeds when all else fails.

Here are the 10 things

6 Ways to Boost Your Marriage

Do you want to give your marriage a boost?  It doesn't take attending a weekend seminar or even reading a thick, hard cover book; you can boost your marriage in just one minute a day. 

Try these six ways below to boost your marriage in sixty seconds.

10 Tips for Maintaining Sexual Integrity in Marriage

Read the comments of a housewife below:

“One of the best things I ever did for my marriage was to make our intimate relationship a high priority. For the first 10 years of our marriage, we struggled in this area. It wasn’t that we had any major physical or emotional problems, but more that we were self-conscious, self-centered, and perhaps a bit naive, especially for me”.

“For a long time, I didn’t know that

What is Praise Power? Why is it imperative for Christians to use it and What exactly is said?

Praise is defined as: "Bragging, or boasting; holding in high esteem; honoring and adoring."

Someone once wrote: "How greatly we need a school to teach the power of praise!

Yet seasoned soldiers, in this world's armed forces, frequently brag, or boast, about their military commanders or leaders.

Even though it is more fiction than fact, genuine boasting (praising) can only be produced as a result of 'knowing' someone, on a personal level.

Preparing For A Marriage That Goes The Distance!

Loving Jesus must be your number one priority in life if you’re going to become the kind of person God wants you to become and be able to give and receive love in your marriage the way you should. 

So reach out to Jesus with all of your heart, devoting the best of your time and energy to pursuing a closer relationship with Him. 

Place your relationship with Jesus at the center of your life and revolve everything else around it.

The Audacious Power of Praise

What is Praise?

Praise means “to commend, to applaud or magnify.” For the Christian, praise to God is an expression of worship, lifting-up and glorifying the Lord. It is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. Praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God — it magnifies

Principles To Follow When Considering Marriage and Preparing For Engagement

You must become a Christian who is mature enough to marry and seek a Christian who is mature enough to marry.

In Eph.5:25 and Prov.31:10 the Scriptures talk about the qualities of a Christian husband and wife.

A Christian man should be seeking to develop the qualities of a Christian husband who will love his wife as Christ loved the church and he should be seeking a Christian woman who is developing the qualities of becoming a Biblically excellent

Is Jesus the only way to Heaven?

They think and say words like these - "I'm basically a good person, so I'll go to heaven." "OK, so I do some bad things, but I do more good things, I'll go to heaven." "God won't send me to hell just because I don't live by the Bible. Times have changed!" "Only really bad people like child molesters and murderers go to hell."

These are all common rationalizations, but the truth is that they are all

Is Living Together Outside of Marriage Wrong?

Let us ask ourselves these two  related questions.

Ø  What do the Scriptures say about a believer living with someone of the opposite sex when they are just friends?

Ø  What do the Scriptures say about a believer living with someone of the opposite sex if they are boyfriend and girlfirend? What about if they feel it is necessary for financial reasons?

Although, the Bible does not specifically state that it is wrong

How Do I Know God's Will for a Marriage Partner?

Christians have a variety of views regarding selecting a husband or wife according to the will of God. Many Christians fear that they might go out of the will of God or miss out “on God’s best.” 

Many believe that there is only one person whom the Lord has selected for each Christian and it is up to each Christian to find that person.  

Finding the “right one” is the key to finding God’s will and marital happiness over a lifetime. 

Many believe that If a Christian should marry someone else by accident or by desire, then he or she will not be in God’s will. They can still be happy, but will not have God’s best.

However, those who marry the wrong person also risk

HOW TO LOVE JEHOVAH WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH !

Deuteronomy 6:5 says ‘And thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength’ (DBT). It is also repeated by Jesus Christ in Luke 10:27. 

So, how are we to love Jehovah with all our strength?

To love the God with all our strength means to love him “exceedingly” “richly”, “lavishly”, with reckless abandon out of simple devotion.

In more practical terms it means we are to

Principles for A Successful and Lasting Marriage

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5, Ephesians 5:31)

Do not allow relationships with parents to become too important. A common problem is to “complain” to a parent when we are not happy with a spouse. Some parents are always hearing negative things about their son-in-law or daughter-in-law. 

Principles For Finding A Godly Wife Or Husband

Many Christians are destroying themselves in the effort to find a husband or a wife. The ladies wear revealing clothes and the young men are 'sagging' and not properly dressed  to church on Sunday. Pain and desperation are driving them to clumsily adopt the ways of the world in finding a life partner. It can only lead to heartache and disappointment.

Here are some good Christian principles for finding a Godly wife or husband.

How do I stop my negative thoughts?

It is a question that I have been asked many times. If you have ever asked this question then you will feel such enormous relief in knowing the answer, because it is so simple. How do you stop negative thoughts?

What should we learn from the revolt of Absalom?

Absalom was the third son of King David, by his wife Maacah. The bulk of Absalom’s story is told in 2 Samuel 13-19. He had a strong influence on his father’s reign.

The first recorded event defining Absalom’s life also involved his sister Tamar and half-brother Amnon. Tamar was beautiful, and Amnon lusted after her. When Tamar rebuffed Amnon’s advances, he arranged, through

The meaning of the Parable of the Sheep and Goats

In studying the Parable of the Sheep and Goats (Matthew 25:31-46), let’s take a look at just what a parable is. 

Webster’s New World Dictionary, Second College Edition, defines the parable as “a comparison; a short simple story, usually of an occurrence of a familiar kind, from which a moral or religious lesson may be drawn.” However, Jesus explained the parable in a

How did Jesus fulfill the meanings of the Jewish feasts?

The way in which Jesus fulfilled the Jewish feasts is a fascinating study. In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Jewish prophet Amos records that God declared He would do nothing without first revealing it to His servants, the Prophets (Amos 3:7). 


From the Old Covenant to the New, Genesis to Revelation, God provides picture after picture of His entire

What is the significance of Mount Moriah in the Bible?

Mount Moriah in Old City Jerusalem is the site of numerous biblical acts of faith. 

It is also one of the most valuable pieces of real estate and one of the most hotly contested pieces of real estate on earth. This is a profoundly sacred area to Christians, Jews, and Muslims. Sitting atop Mount Moriah today is the Temple Mount, a 37-acre tract of land where

What should we learn from the life of Paul?

There is much we can learn from the life of the Apostle Paul. Far from ordinary, Paul was given the opportunity to do extraordinary things for the kingdom of God.

The story of Paul is a story of redemption in Jesus Christ and a testimony that no one is beyond the saving grace of the Lord. However, to gain the full measure of the man, we must examine his dark side and what he symbolized before becoming “the Apostle of Grace.” Paul’s early life was marked by religious zeal, brutal violence, and the relentless persecution of

THE SECRET (Ask, Believe and Receive)

The Secret is based on the earlier film of the same name that was released in DVD format in March 2006. 

The tenet of the film and book is that the universe is governed by a natural law called the law of attraction which is said to work by attracting into a person's life the experiences, situations, events, and people that 'match the frequency' of the person's thoughts and feelings.

Therefore, positive thinking and feeling positive are claimed to create life-changing results such as increased

Paul said, “I have kept the faith” What does it mean?

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

This is one of the better-known and most-quoted passages of the apostle Paul. 

These words written just before Paul’s death are a powerful affirmation of his unyielding love and undying faith in Jesus and the gospel message (Galatians 1:4; 2:20; Philippians 1:21).

Paul said he had finished the race, what is the meaning?

 “I have finished the race” is the second clause of three within a passage written by the apostle Paul to Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

The apostle wrote these words near the end of his life. These three statements reflect Paul’s struggles in preaching the gospel of Christ and his

What does it mean that man is made in the image of God?

On the last day of creation, God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). Thus, He finished His work with a “personal touch.” God formed man from the dust and gave him life by sharing His own breath (Genesis 2:7). Accordingly, man

What is Blasphemy and what does it mean to Blaspheme?

To blaspheme is to speak with contempt about God or to be defiantly irreverent. 

According to Black's Law Dictionary, blasphemy is “the written or oral reproach of God, His name, attributes, or religion.” This is similar to slander, which is “malicious oral lies that harm a reputation,” and libel, which is “slander through writing or another type of recording or transmission.” Blasphemy

What did Paul mean when he said he had fought the good fight?

 In 2 Timothy 4:7; Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 

This well-known and oft-quoted passage is quite significant in that this epistle was Paul’s last before his martyrdom in A.D. 67. 

It is a deeply moving affirmation of his unwavering faith and unyielding love for the

How to be filled with the Holy Spirit!

An important verse in understanding the filling of the Holy Spirit is John 14:16, where Jesus promised the Spirit would indwell believers and that the indwelling would be permanent. It is important to distinguish the indwelling from the filling of the Spirit.

The permanent indwelling of the Spirit is not

How To Glorify God!

To “glorify” God means to give glory to Him. The word glory as related to God in the Old Testament bears with it the idea of greatness of splendor. In the New Testament, the word translated “glory” means "dignity, honor, praise and worship."

Putting the two together, we find that glorifying God means to acknowledge His greatness and give Him honor by praising and worshiping Him, primarily because He,

Why does God love us so much?

This short question is among the most profound questions ever asked. And no human would ever be able to answer it sufficiently. One thing is certain, however. God does not love us because we are lovable or because we deserve His love. If anything, the opposite is true.
The state of mankind since the fall is one of rebellion and disobedience. Jeremiah 17:9 describes man’s inner condition:

Who was Pontius Pilate?

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor of Judea from A.D. 26-36, serving under Emperor Tiberius. 

He is most known for his involvement in condemning Jesus to death on a cross.

Outside of the four Gospels, Pilate is

Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit

The concept of “blasphemy against the Spirit” is mentioned in Mark 3:22-30 and Matthew 12:22-32.

The term blasphemy may be generally defined as “defiant irreverence.” The term can be applied to such sins as cursing God or willfully degrading things relating to God. It is also attributing some evil to God, or denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him - for example, wisdom, sovereignty, love, Spirit, Holiness, omniscience, faithfulness, life, truth, eternal, invisible, immortal etc.

This case of blasphemy, however, is a specific one, called “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in

The significance of the temple veil being torn in two when Jesus died!

During the lifetime of Jesus, the holy temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish religious life. The temple was the place where animal sacrifices were carried out and worship according to the Law of Moses was followed faithfully. 

Hebrews 9:1-9 tells us that in the temple a veil separated the Holy of Holies—the earthly dwelling place of God’s presence—from the rest of the temple where men dwelt. 

This signified that man was separated from God by sin (Isaiah 59:1-2). Only the high priest was permitted to ...

The love of Christ

The phrase “love of Christ,” as opposed to “love for Christ, refers to the love that He has toward mankind. His love can be briefly stated as His willingness to act in our best interest, especially in meeting our greatest need, even though it cost Him everything and even though we were the least worthy of such love.

Though Christ Jesus, being God in nature, existed from the beginning of time with God the Father (John 1:1) and the Holy Spirit, He willingly left His throne (John 1:1-14) to become a man, that He might pay the penalty for our sin so that we would not have to pay for it for all eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). 

Because mankind’s sin has

What does it mean to be spiritually dead?

To be spiritually dead is to be separated from God. When Adam sinned in Genesis 3:6, he ushered in a continuum of death for all humanity. God’s command to Adam and Eve was that they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

It came with the warning that disobedience would result in death: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.''

”The phrase “you shall surely die” could be literally

What is the difference between the soul and spirit of man?

The soul and the spirit are the two primary immaterial aspects that Scripture ascribes to humanity. It can be confusing to attempt to discern the precise differences between the two.

The word “spirit” refers only to the immaterial facet of humanity. 

Human beings have a spirit, but we are

What does it mean to love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength?

 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).

This is known as the Shema, taken from the first word “hear” in Hebrew. Modern Jews consider the recital of the Shema both evening and morning to be one of their most sacred duties. It was cited

What was the significance of the rebellion of Korah?

The story of the rebellion of Korah is recorded in Numbers 16. The rebellion of Korah demonstrates the grim consequences of usurping the authority of God and of those whom He has chosen to be leaders of His people.

Korah was the oldest son of Izhar, who was the son of Kothath of the tribe of Levi. Korah, then, was of the same tribe as Moses and Aaron. He led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, accusing them of exalting themselves above the congregation of the Lord (Numbers 16:1-3). 

Korah was not alone in his charge. He gathered

What does it mean that we will judge angels?

 In his letter to the church in Corinth, the apostle Paul tells us that believers will not only judge the world, but also judge angels: “Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world ... Do you not know that we are to judge angels? 

How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life” (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). Scripture teaches that the fallen angels will be judged

What are the biblical principles for solid decision-making?

Solid decision-making begins by discerning the will of God. God delights in revealing His will to those who are eager to follow His precepts (Psalm 33:18; Psalm 35:27; Psalm 147:11). 

Our attitude towards decision-making should be that of Jesus Himself who affirmed, “Not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42; Matthew 6:10).

God reveals His will to us primarily in two ways ...

Is it good to have close friendships with unbelievers?

As Christians, we have to constantly face temptations and the attacks of the world around us. Everything we see, read, do, hear, put in our bodies, etc., affects us somehow. 

That's why, to maintain a close relationship with God, we have to put aside our old ways of

doing things—the things we watch on TV, old bad habits (drunkenness, smoking, etc.), the activities we participate in, and the people we spend our time with. People are divided into only two categories, those who belong to the world and its ruler, Satan, and those who belong

The Christian Behavior

“Christian” behavior means the behavior of those who have accepted, by faith, Jesus Christ as their Savior and thus are indwelt with His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), making it possible for them to serve God. Examples of Christian behavior are woven throughout Scripture. Indeed, our Savior Himself spoke at length about the way we are to behave towards others, friends and enemies. More than that, however, the life He lived, accentuated by His love and compassion for the lost, provides the consummate example of what Christian behavior should look like.

Christians are “God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10). And these last four words “to do good works” epitomize the behavior that glorifies God and makes Christ real to others. Granted, there are obstacles in our daily lives that can encumber our minds and hinder our spiritual progress, but only if we let them. 

Nonetheless, Christians are called to live lives that are ...

How does bad company corrupt good character? (1 Corinthians 15:33)

In his first letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote of the false teachers who had come into the church at Corinth teaching that the resurrection of Jesus Christ wasn’t true. These people considered only their physical existence and denied life after death or the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:32). As a result, their moral outlook on life influenced the rest of the Corinthian believers.

Paul is telling us that in associating with unbelievers, we will be adversely influenced by them. The truth is that false teachings do not lead to godly holiness. As such, it is critical that we are

What does it mean to be crucified with Christ? (Galatians 2:20)

In his letter to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote that he had been “crucified with Christ” and, as a result, Paul no longer lived. Does this mean that Paul hung on the cross with Jesus and was crucified along with Him physically? Obviously not. What, then, did Paul mean by “crucified with Christ”? The life and death alluded to here are spiritual, not physical.

In the previous verse, Galatians 20:19, Paul states that in Christ he became dead to the Law, insensible to it in the same way that physical death makes a person insensible

TEARING DOWN STRONGHOLDS - In Marriage

The marital relationship is supposed to be a place where your feelings are safe with your spouse because you are in partnership -- being careful and considerate with each other’s feelings. You don't expect to be ridiculed, deceived, or assaulted with poisonous words and/or physical abuse. And neither should you do any of these things to your spouse. And yet this is what is happening in homes all over the world in epidemic proportions -- even with those that claim to be Christ-followers. It's absolutely heart breaking. And it's ABSOLUTELY WRONG – it is something that needs to

LIES THAT CAN KILL A MARRIAGE!

We are confronted by lies every day --our culture lies to us, advertisers lie to us, we even lie to ourselves. One of the biggest lies people grab onto is the fairytale ending where it reads, "and they all lived happily ever after." But the fairytale never tells you about the hard work that goes into making the "happily" into an "ever after." Often, when reality hits home, many married couples are more likely to live "miserably ever after" than the other way around.

What sort of New Year’s Resolution should a Christian make?

There is just something about the start of a new year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31 and January 1. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

What are the times of the Gentiles?

In Luke 21:24, Jesus speaks of future events, including the destruction of Jerusalem and His return. He says that “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (ESV). A similar phrase is found in Romans 11:25, which says “a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (ESV). Does the Bible tell us what the phrase “times of the Gentiles” means?

Why is the birthright so emphasized in the Bible?

The birthright is emphasized in the Bible because it honored the rights or privileges of the family’s firstborn son. After the father died, or in the father’s absence, the firstborn son assumed the father’s authority and responsibilities. However, the Bible also shows that the father could rescind the birthright and pass it on to a younger son. A good example of this is the case of Jacob and his twelve sons. Reuben was the eldest, but the birthright was given to Joseph’s sons. Even then, Jacob blessed the younger son, Ephraim, above the elder, Manasseh (Genesis 37:19-22; Genesis 49:1-4; Genesis 49:22-26).

Is there evidence that God answers prayer?

Countless stories could be cited of diseases cured, exams passed, repentance and forgiveness granted, relationships restored, hungry children fed, bills paid and lives and souls saved through the efficacy of prayer. So, yes, there is plenty of evidence that God answers prayer. Most of the evidence is anecdotal and personal, however, and that bothers many who think of “evidence” only as that which is observable, measureable, and reproducible.

Wake Up, Dreamer!

Dreaming of a better living?

Thinking up ideas and building castles in the air is great fun, but there comes a time when you need to get off your bed and make things happen. Dreams are nice, but they're weak and will never bring you true happiness - you need to make them come true - But How?

The following steps will help you to make your dreams a reality.