Bible Prophecy by Rick Lange

WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?                 If I read Paul correctly then the issue of the Law is the key to rightly understanding the New Covenant. I want to make a key statement here: THE MAIN POINT OF THE NEW COVENANT IS NOT TO DO AWAY WITH THE LAW, BUT TO OFFER US SOMETHING INFINITELY BETTER AND MORE POWERFUL.                 So when Paul tells us in Galatians that the Law was a temporary tutor to lead us to Christ and that once we have come to Christ we no longer need a tutor, he could not have said it more clearly.                 In understanding how to apply this transition from Law to Grace, Paul gives us the sign of circumcision. Circumcision was given as a sign to Abraham long before the Law was given on Sinai, but it was to be an eternal sig...

PICTURE PERFECT MEMORIES                 We all got together at Zach and Jamie’s house after church. Pam brought grass fed beef from Johnson City. Bonnie brought her trademark salad, Zach lit up the grill and we had steak and baked potatoes and salad, with homemade brownies for desert.                 Then we retired to the living room. Seth (My grandson) brought his entire drum set down and graced us with highly complex drum solo. Then we all gathered around in a circle to sing and play music for about 5 hours. Zach is a song writer and we have been practicing about ten of his songs in anticipation of recording them in the near future. Ben, one of Zach’s friends and an accomplished musician alternated between violin and mandolin and singing parts, Seth played drums, I played bass and chimed in on a few backup parts. Jamie joined...

ONE OF THOSE THINGS (PART 2)                 I guess I shouldn’t keep you in suspense. The Colonoscopy was a success. It was by far the easiest part of my 4 day ordeal.                 I, along with those who now know me more than most, watched the whole procedure on the screen in full HD color. Doc told me that my colon was in good health. I had two little polyps which they removed painlessly and it was all over in about 20 minutes.                 To ally some of your fears, they weren’t staring at my caboose. They were all watching the screen along with me. I was covered with a pre-warmed blanket, festooned with 5 heart monitors, an oxygen measurer on my finger, and an IV pouring comfort and ease into my veins.       ...

ONE OF THOSE THINGS                 Well guess what? Today I get to go in for a colonoscopy … Oh joy. So anyway I guess you know what I have been doing for the last couple of days. Nothing but clear liquids and Jello since Wednesday. They put me on a double cleanse because I made the mistake of telling my doctor at one time or another that I have occasional constipation.                 I shouldn’t have told them you know. It only happens if I have had a sudden change in diet or a road trip or something that throws my circadian rhythms off a bit.                 I’m sure I have already given you far more information than you wanted to know, but hey, we all have them at some time in our lives…colonoscopies that is. So at 1:15 today they will sedate me an...

THE CHECKLIST                 Many people sort of use the Ten Commandments as a checklist to see if they are doing well. No other gods (X) Idols (X) Swearing, (X) Sabbath, (X) Honor parents, (X), commit adultery, (X) steal, (X) lie (X) Covet, (X)                 The only problem with this check list is that the Law was not written for the righteous man, but for the sinner. The Ten Commandments forms the basic rules for a peaceful society. They stand between us and chaos. But they can never make us what God wants us to become.                 So, if keeping the Commandments is not God’s ultimate objective for us then what is?                 John the Baptist came into Israel...

THE ENCOUNTER                 When I first met Jesus He took me by surprise. His manliness, his strong build, His purposeful gait, His presence was nothing like the artist’s rendition. They had painted Him sensitive, effeminate… sorrowful. HE was none of those things. He was kingly, royal, exuding power and innate authority.                 It was His bearing that had made me suddenly aware. HE had not been afraid of the Pharisees, they had been afraid of Him. Their false humility, their mumbled apologetics, their posturing over carefully turned phrases… truth always treated as theory… Jesus wasn’t like that at all.                   He used nature to demonstrate His truth. For Him truth was reality. Truth and reality were one and the same. Reality c...

DWELLING IN HIS PRESENCE                 “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4                 Every moment that we are not consciously aware of the presence of Christ within us is a moment in which we are in the flesh rather than in the Spirit. Think about it for a minute. If Christ actually dwells in us, should we not know it?                 “Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in...

THE UNVEILING                 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed IN US. For the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.” Romans 8:18, 19.                 When we ask Jesus to come into our hearts, do we really understand what it means that He actually does come in by His Holy Spirit and that He actually takes up residence in us and that at His coming, that which is in us will be revealed to the world?                 We walk about the earth in humble clothing, human skin and bones and flesh. We scarcely comprehend it ourselves… in fact we generally live far below our spiritual potential because we do not comprehend what Go...

HE WHO HAS AN EAR                 “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…” Hebrews 1:1, 2a                 From this text in Hebrews, we learn that God has many different ways of communicating with His people. In the Old Testament He largely communicated with His people through prophets, those who had ears to hear. But now in these last days, as Hebrews one tells us, He speaks through His Son and His Son speaks to us through His Holy Spirit which we all have if they are born again.                 Seven times in the book of Revelation Jesus says: “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29…3:6, 13, 22. G...