The Defeat of Disease and Death

When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and carried our diseases.' Matthew 8:16-17

My friend Skip and I are the same age, plus he broke his neck the same day I did. What's more, his diving accident also occurred in the Chesapeake Bay! I dove into the Maryland side of the bay; he, the Virginia side. You can see why I've always felt a special kinship with Skip. And my heart broke when I learned he died from complications connected with his quadriplegia. It made me angry at death and disease!

At the same time, I felt a sense of joy. Christ defeated death and disease by taking them with Him to the grave. God's judgment on the sin which ushered disease into the world was endured by Jesus when He died. The prophet Isaiah explained, "He was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5). The horrible blows on Jesus' back purchased a world without disease - that world is still in the future, but it's coming soon (Romans 8:23-24). And Skip and I can't wait!

                         

Sennacherib : The Man Who Built Nineveh

Sennacherib [Sĕnnăch'e rĭb]—the moon-god, sin (the moon-god) hath increased the brothers or destruction of the sword. A son of Sargon who succeeded to the throne after the murder of his father (2 Kings 18:13; 19:16, 20,36; 2 Chron. 32; Isa. 36:1; 37:17, 21, 37).

The Man Who Built Nineveh

This Assyrian king saw his boasted army destroyed in one night. He himself was slain by two of his sons in Nineveh in the Temple of Nisroch (2 Kings 19:37). Sennacherib’s great achievement in this area was the creation of Nineveh as a metropolis of the empire. It was he who built the wonderful palace of Konyungik and the great wall of Nineveh.

The Assyrian king’s invading hosts marching through Judah leaving destruction behind them were vividly described by Byron in The Destruction of Sennacherib:

Hezekiah : The Man Who Asked for Added Years

Hezekiah [Hĕze kī'ah] — jehovah is strength or a strong support is jehovah. Also given as Hizkiah, Hizkijah, Ezekias.1. Son and successor of Ahaz as king of Judah (2 Kings 16:20). He is referred to in well over one hundred references in 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Jeremiah, Hosea and Micah.

The Man Who Asked for Added Years

Hezekiah was one of the best kings who ever sat upon the throne of Judah, and is distinguished as the greatest in faith of all Judah’s kings (2 Kings 18:5). Sincere and devout, he was not a perfect man by any means, nor outstanding because of any brilliant gifts he possessed. This good king, however, is to be admired when one remembers his family background. Having such a wicked, apostate father as Ahaz, the wonder is that his son became the noble king he did. He had no pious training, but only a heritage of weakness in his moral fibre, for which God graciously made all fair allowance.

Hearing God in a Time of Crisis

Blaine Smith, Author and founder of Nehemiah Ministries

Defining Visions for Our Life Sometimes Come When Our Foundations Are Shaken

James Michener was an astoundingly creative and productive author. The historical novels he wrote required intensive research and the most acute understanding of cultural nuances. The production of one such tome would be an outstanding accomplishment for any writer. During his lifetime Michener authored forty-three of them, completing one a year for several decades, and researching one while writing another. He continued to write prolifically until he was 92. He also moved numerous times, residing as often as possible in the region of the world he was researching for his next major work. 

Two stunning factors in Michener’s transformation into one of the great writers of all time offer encouragement to each of us in realizing our own potential. One is that he didn’t begin writing novels until he was 40. His example brings to mind that some of us are simply late-bloomers by nature, and that there can be vital benefits to being so. We shouldn’t lose heart if we have a major dream that hasn’t yet been realized even though we’re well into our adult years. We each operate on different clocks, and God has radically different timetables in unfolding his plan for each of us.

Fulfilled Prophecies at the Birth of Christ

by Tim Chaffey, AiG–U.S

Another Reason to Rejoice this Season

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying God and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. (Luke 2:20)

Millions of Christians around the world choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus during this time of year—some on December 24 or 25 and others around January 7—while some choose not to celebrate at all. Whenever a Christian decides to celebrate, or if he elects not to celebrate His birth, we can all rejoice in the fact that, by putting on humanity, the Son of God became one of us to deal with our sin by dying in our place before conquering death when He rose from the dead.

History in Advance

Conquer Your Mountain in 2013!

KIM CLEMENT

 

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(© Marrvin | Stock Free Images )

It's almost 2013! Many great things happened during 2012, and even though we faced hardships and trials, which are to be expected in life, we survived and even laughed a lot more than we had in previous years. How can we smile, have joy, and even get excited when we are faced with so much evil and darkness? Well, let's look at a few things before we travel together to the mountain in Israel and hear the Word of the Lord on Dec. 31.

We are NOT going to enter 2013 with one negative word on our lips, but rather the word "CONQUER" will resonate and prepare our path to many victories. You may be saying, "Kim, you're just too positive! How can we truly believe this?"

Sir Winston Churchill was once asked to give the qualifications of a person needed in order to succeed in politics, and he replied: "It is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen." That is what is required for politicians, not God's prophets and messengers. Look at Isaiah as an example.

The Servant, Steward of Justice

Isaiah 42:1–9

God’s word through Isaiah is that he has appointed a servant, or trusted envoy, who will usher in a new order—a bringer and establisher of justice, whom we all long for and look forward to with hope. Evangelical leader Charles Colson emphasizes how we need that hope:

We cry out for the demands of justice to be satisfied, and we even sense that they will someday … How could we possibly live with the unfairness of this world if we did not have a belief that at some point the accounts will be reckoned? The nonbeliever has to chalk this up to the spin of the wheel and futile human remedies. But the believer, who trusts in a loving God, knows all believers have the same ultimate hope.

Our longing for justice is fulfilled both now and in the “not yet” by Jesus the Messiah. Best-selling author Philip Yancey elaborates: