Sunday, August 10, 2014

Did the Bible Predict Television?

God knows everything that will happen in the future and has chosen to reveal some things in His Word. Many prophecies are clearly described while others are in cryptic language or insinuate what will happen. Several Scriptures indicate that the whole world will instantly view certain events taking place in Israel.

During the future 7-year Tribulation Period, two prophets will be killed in Jerusalem and their dead bodies will lie in the streets for 3½ days. The Bible indicates that people from all over the world will watch this event, which would only be possible through TV and the Internet:

Revelation 11:8-10 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

Another future event concerns the invasion of Israel by several nations where God will supernaturally protect Israel and give them victory... To continue reading, click on “Does the Bible Predict TV and the Internet?" 
 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

READ MORE STUDIES ON PROPHECY: Bible Prophecy Studies 
Worried about the future? Read The Sure Cure for Worry

Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
www.makinglifecount.net 
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry.
Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Why Evolution is Impossible

We’ve been told that evolution is a fact, but it’s actually only a theory that’s based on numerous assumptions. Scientists have tried for years to create life in a laboratory and have never been successful. It’s a fact that evolution is statistically impossible. Mathematicians agree that any requisite number beyond one chance in 1050 has a statistically zero chance of occurring.

Amino acids have to be formed in an exact sequence (like the letters in a sentence) to form a protein. The probability of a protein of 50 amino acids forming by chance is 1065 or 100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to one, which is impossible (without divine intervention).

All life contains DNA and for evolution to be true, the DNA molecules must be arranged in a certain order. R. L. Wysong in The Creation Evolution Controversy says, "This means that 1089190 DNA molecules, on average, must form to provide the one chance of forming the specific DNA sequence necessary to code 124 proteins.” It’s not logical to believe that this happens by chance.

Nor has it ever been proven in a laboratory that life can arise from non-life. It’s more logical to conclude that life came into existence through an Intelligent Designer. God has revealed Himself to everyone through the complexity of His creation. If you look at your watch, you can conclude an intelligent person designed all the parts and put it together so that it functions accurately—even though you have never seen that person. When you examine the amazing complex human body, you know there had to be an intelligent designer to make all body parts function together. 

The Apostle Paul writes, “That which is known about God is evident within them, for God has made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:19-20). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

MORE STUDIES on Creation vs. Evolution: Living Fossil Discovered

Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry. 
Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.

Sunday, July 27, 2014

The World Beyond This World

Two caterpillars were crawling across a hot sidewalk when a butterfly flew over them. One caterpillar said to the other, "I wouldn't get up there in that thing for a million dollars!" It's hard for a caterpillar to envision its future as a butterfly. It’s also hard for us in this life to envision what life will be like in the next world.

There is a life beyond this life and a world beyond this world, which will last for all eternity. Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). After you spend a few brief moments in this world, you’ll then spend the rest of your eternal existence in the afterlife. Yet, everything in this life will determine what happens in the next life. Click on the links to read more about heaven.

1. To go to heaven when you die, you must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord during this life (John 1:12, Rom 10:13). Salvation is a free gift and is offered to all, but it must be received by faith. Those who reject Jesus will spend eternity separated from Him and His kingdom.

2. Heaven will be far better than this world and filled with joy and excitement (Phil. 1:23, Psalm 16:11, Rev. 21:4). “Those who believe in Him will not be disappointed” (1 Peter 2:6).

3. Those who are saved will have assignments in heaven, which will be privileges like eternal hobbies. “And there shall be no more curse…and His servants shall serve Him” (Rev. 22:3). The fact that we will be serving Him forever means He will have assignments for us. Heaven would be "hell" if we had nothing to do forever! After you are saved, your faithfulness with your earthly responsibilities will determine the eternal rewards you will receive and the assignments you will be doing in the next life (Matt. 25:21, 23, 1 Cor. 3:13-15).

Never forget that we are just passing through this place. You only get one shot at living on planet earth, so make it count. “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” (Col. 3:1-2). www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

BIBLE STUDY: Do you understand why we must be judged? Click on this link: “If God forgives our sins, then why do we have to face the judgment?”

Watch this AMAZING VIDEO of a Ian McCormack who died and went to heaven. Ian is a former atheist and is now a pastor in England.

Want to know more about how you can prepare for the next life? Much more information is in my book Making Today Count for Eternity. (Available in paperback and e-book)

Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry. 
Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.

Monday, July 21, 2014

The Ark of the Covenant

You’re probably seen the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. Have you ever wondered why God told Moses to make the Ark of the Covenant? Hebrews 9:4 tells us “the Ark of the Covenant (was) covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant.” Each thing represented something about God.

The tablets of the Ten Commandments that Moses received on Mount Sinai = God’s Law
The jar of manna from the wilderness = God’s provision
Aaron’s rod that miraculously budded = God’s miracles. Aaron was the first high priest who would represent Israel before God.
The cover (or lid) of the Ark was called the mercy seat = God’s mercy.
The mercy seat had two golden cheribum (angels) with outstretched wings = God’s presence. The Ark was the connection between God in heaven and man on earth.

One day out of the year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle and would sprinkle blood on the top of the Ark of the Covenant—the mercy seat. The mercy seat was over the tablets of the Ten Commandments, which were inside the Ark. When people sinned the Law was broken, which required God’s judgment. But when the blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, this act demonstrated that the blood activated God’s mercy, and that mercy triumphed over judgment (James 2:13). Without the blood there would be no mercy.

The Ark in the Old Testament was an object lesson to teach us about Christ’s redemption in the New Covenant. We have all broken God’s Law and need forgiveness. Immediately after Jesus died on the cross, He took His blood into the Holy of Holies in heaven and placed it on the Mercy Seat to obtain eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:11-12). Now salvation is available to everyone who will receive Jesus Christ as their Lord. For more on the Ark, read the sermon “Don’t Touch That Ark!” and Where is the Ark of the Covenant today?

NEW STUDY: Where is the Ark of the Covenant today? The Ark disappeared from the tabernacle in 587 B.C.  In 1981, three rabbis claimed they found it under the Temple Mount. This study includes a video of their discovery! MUST WATCH

SERMON: “Don’t Touch that Ark!” Why did God kill Uzzah for touching the Ark? This message shows how need to learn from his mistake.
Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry. 
Contributions to Making Life Count Ministries are tax-deductible.

Monday, July 7, 2014

Blessing Those Who Sneeze?

Not long ago I was in a meeting when someone sneezed. Three people said, “God bless you!”
Have you ever wondered why people say “God bless you” after someone sneezes? It’s even weirder when someone speaks the German word “Gesundheit.” We’ve learned to bless people who sneeze because we were taught growing up that it’s the polite thing to do.

So where did this idea come from? The custom of blessing people who sneezed goes back to the Dark Ages when people believed that sneezing was expelling a demon from one’s body. Speaking God’s blessing supposedly prevented the evil spirit from re-entering the person. Pope Gregory the Great popularized the “sneeze blessing” to ward off the bubonic plague, where sneezing was a symptom of the disease. Of course, blessing the sneezer is a superstition and the practice is not found in the Bible.

It just goes to show that we often do things out of tradition and never think, “WHY am I doing this?” Even in church we can follow the traditions of men instead of God’s Word. If you try to break the man-made tradition to follow a new way where God is leading, some people will protest, “We’ve never done it that way before!”

The Pharisees revered their traditions over God’s Word. Jesus rebuked them, “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” (Matt. 15:3). Jesus never said to bless those who sneeze, but He did say, Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you(Luke 6:28). That’s the command we need to obey, not the other.


The Sure Cure for Worry proves that GOD IS IN CONTROL and you can trust Him to take care of the things that worry you.

Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry. 

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

How NOT to Make Decisions

Jurors in Kentucky couldn't decide whether or not to convict a man of murder—so they flipped a coin and found him guilty! The lawyer for the defendant said, "It's scary to think that twelve people would decide to flip a coin to reach a verdict, especially in a murder case." The judge threw out the decision and ordered a new trial. 

On an episode of House Hunters, a couple flipped a coin to decide whether to buy a more expensive house or a lesser priced one. The coin landed on “tails.” That’s how NOT to make a decision. Many people place their destiny in the hands of fate instead of the hands of God. Here is God’s way to make decisions.

1. Pray for wisdom. God always knows what we need to do, even when we don’t. James 1:5-7 says He will give direction if we will ask in faith.

2. Consider your options.  Think through your situation and list every possible option to take. Jesus said to first sit down, which settles down our emotions so we can think clearly. Then calculate the cost, which means to do a background check on the potential situation (see Luke 14:28-32).

3. Ask the Holy Spirit to point you to the right path. Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go. I will counsel you with My eye upon you."

4. Walk in the light you have. Sometimes it's a spotlight while at other times it's a flicker we can barely see. Walk in the light that God provides.

After deciding don't look back and question your decision. Doubting yourself will only cause problems after you have already made the correct decision. (see Luke 9:62)  Remember that decisions produce consequences. Good decisions will result in good consequences. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

NEW BIBLE STUDY at Making Life Count Ministries: 

Slaying Your Giants explains how to defeat 20 “invisible giants” that you battle in your mind.
The Sure Cure for Worry proves that GOD IS IN CONTROL and you can trust Him to take care of the things that worry you.

Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
www.makinglifecount.net 
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry. 

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The Umpire in Your Heart

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart and acts as an umpire to guide you down the right paths. When you are making a decision He will lead you through the desires in your heart (Psalm 37:4) and the peace in your heart. Colossians 3:15 says, "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts." The Greek word for "rule" means "to act as an umpire."

In a baseball game, the umpire is the one who decides whether you are safe or out. In the same way, when you praying about what to do, having an abiding peace in your heart gives the assurance that you’re on the right track, and a lack of peace in your heart is a warning that something isn’t right. A lack of peace in your heart can be for one of three reasons:

1. It might be God’s will, but you need to get some questions answered first. The umpire is telling you to do more investigating of the situation to clear up some issues. If you can resolve those uncertainties, God will give you peace to proceed.

2. It might be God’s will, but the timing is not right. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 says, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven…He has made everything appropriate in its time.” A lack of peace may mean the umpire is saying you need to wait for further guidance.

3. It is not God’s will and the Holy Spirit has removed your peace. If it isn’t God’s will, the umpire is telling you no by shouting “you’re out!” He is giving a warning that you are heading down the wrong path.

Submit yourself to God and let Him direct your steps (Proverbs 3:5-6). He knows the future and His peace, or lack of peace, is one of the ways He will guide youwww.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  

NEW BIBLE STUDY at Making Life Count Ministries: 
What does “the earth is full of God’s glory” mean? Isaiah 6:3 says that the earth is full of God’s glory. With all the evil in the world, how can it be filled with God’s glory? What does it mean?

Making Life Count Ministries
P.O. Box 680174
Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174
Thank you to all who support this discipleship ministry.