The Easter story is declared by Paul in I Corinthians 15:3-7. Paul states that Christ died. He was buried. He was raised. He appeared. Paul’s creedal statement as recorded in I Corinthians dates back to early Christianity. It is written soon after the actual event took place, giving it significant credibility. Jesus’ resurrection is the pivotal aspect of the Easter story. Without the resurrection, the story would have no value. Easter would have no significance. There would be nothing to celebrate. In fact, without the resurrection, Christmas would have no significance. Many martyrs have died for a cause, but none has ever been raised to life again. At the time of Christ there were people then, as there are now, who did not ...

[Editor’s note: This article was written by Laura Houle with the approval of Hopewell Counseling. Laura is our daughter and is a passionate patriot for America. She is also a committed believer in Jesus Christ and an unashamed witness for the Gospel.]

What will a frog do when you drop it into a pot of boiling hot water?  It quickly leaps out to safety.  However, if you put a frog in a pot of lukewarm water, it will get very comfortable.  So comfortable, in fact, that it doesn’t even notice the water temperature being turned up until it’s too late.

That’s what has been happening in America.  The water in America was lukewarm for a very long time, and we became very comfy and complacent. &...

The Revelation of the Anti-Christ

Thus far we have looked at the signs leading up to the Great Tribulation, the Rapture of the Church of Jesus Christ, and a brief overview of the Great Tribulation. During the first 3.5 years of the Great Tribulation, a man of mystery and great influence will arise. He is called by many names: The Anti-Christ (meaning “substitute or counterfeit Christ”) (1 John 2:18). Revelation 9:11 calls him the “king” of the locusts of the abyss (demons). Rev. 9:11 also calls him the “angel of the abyss,” “Abaddon” (destruction-Hebrew), and “Apollyon” (destruction-Greek). Remember a primary characteristic of the thief in John 10:10, “He comes only to steal...

Elsie and I have been in full or part-time Christian ministry for 42 years, 33 of which were in the pastorate. We have pastored congregations in Illinois, California, and Minnesota. We have attended more churches than we can count and been members of seven. We are pretty familiar with the inner workings of the Bride of Christ. Based on that backdrop of experience, I would like to humbly submit a list of the marks of a healthy church. How healthy is your church? “It’s pretty healthy,” you say. How would you know? Are there any tangible, practical ways to measure the health of a church? Sure. Here is a list of 12 marks of a healthy church compiled by Pastor Stephen Paul Goold and me back in 2002. We spoke at a Freedom in ...