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From revelation, pastor Ray Bentley lays out the choice before us. As last days, believers engaged in the spiritual warfare going on around us. Either we overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, or the world flesh and the devil will overcome us. That concept of overcoming is found by the Lord Jesus and all seven letters to the church.
Coming up today, pastor Ray Bentley highlights one of Jesus messages to the seven churches of revelation. Pergamum was called the greatest city in Asia minor. Pergamum represents a period in church history when the church and the state became one and the devil, instead of going for outright victory, decided, well, if I can't conquer them, then maybe my strategy should be to get the church to compromise.
The Bible talks of returning to our first love. Today, pastor Ray Bentley explains what that is. First, love is the love of God. His love is burning. His love is consuming. His love is overflowing. His love is penetrating. His love is dynamic. His love is alive. His love cannot leave whatever it touches. The same as it was. That's the love of God.
Coming up today, pastor Ray Bentley points out the need for fellowship, especially during the last days. You and I, as human beings, were made for community. That's where we function at our best, at our premium, at our highest level. The greatest joy of the Lord is to be in the midst of his people and in the midst of the church.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley reminds us God is timeless. He's in the future. He's in the present. Even in the past. How could God be in the past? Every time you look up at the stars, you're looking at the past. The light you are seeing from those beautiful, twinkling little stars is from a long time ago. It was a long time ago.
Coming up today, pastor Ray Bentley helps us appreciate the dramatic symbolism of the Book of Revelation. John could have written in the last days. There will be a dictator called the Antichrist who will rule over the world and the end of days. Instead, what is John actually writing? He says there will be this world governing empire that will be ruled by a beast.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley launches a revealing look at the last book in the Bible. I like to look at revelation as this big door and each one of us can get up to the keyhole and look in. And when you look through that keyhole, you look into heaven itself, and the glory and the splendor of all that's happened in the midst of all of that is the glorified, eternal picture of Jesus Christ spread.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley addresses the skeptics who say the Bible is anything less than the timeless truth of the Word of God. I want to assure you that the Christian life is not something that we have made up. This is not something that we have manufactured. It is something that we have received. Faith. Our faith. Christian faith is not someone's personal opinion.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out, the small book of Jude is big on passion and urgency. Jude is saying agonize. Don't let the basic truth of the gospel be changed. Don't let it be twisted. Don't let it be perverted. Don't let it be lost. The simple message of the gospel. The world needs Christ. They need Jesus Christ. Spreading news.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out the diligent efforts of our spiritual forefathers. There were many who were already in the early days of the church. Here's the half brother of our Lord Jude, who is saying that there are already apostates who have perverted or twisted or chain the gospel. And the reason that so dangerous is if you miss, that, you can miss salvation spreading.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out, the path to happiness involves sanctification and holiness. Sanctification brings satisfaction, and the role of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you is to sanctify you and to make you more and more holy, and therefore more and more satisfied, and more and more like Jesus and the whole here we become, the happier we will be spread.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley brings us insight on the divine purpose of prayer. Prayer is God's way of solving every problem. You got a problem? Just pray. What should I pray? Just pray. God's will is done. It'll all take care of itself. Because God turns every problem into a blessing. When we pray, put it another way. God is on your side.
Some think effective prayer is praying with all our might and ultimately praying hard enough to change God's mind. Today on Maranatha Radio, pastor Ray Bentley corrects that perspective. Prayer does not change God's mind. It realigns us with his perfect will. So putting it another way, the purpose of prayer is not to get your will done. The purpose of prayer is to get God's will die spreading.
How do we grow in our faith? Is it through hard work and perseverance? Today on Maranatha Radio, pastor Ray Bentley answers that question. Many well-intentioned mistakenly think that Christianity is trying and trying harder and harder, and I want to erase that. I want to erase that from your minds and from your heart. It is not about trying or trying harder.
God is love. We know that's true. The Bible tells us so. But today, pastor Ray Bentley clarifies. Love does not define God, but God defines love. Who God is in his character and his nature and his holiness and his spirit and and his light and his presence. He is the one who defines what love is and what true love is spread.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out, love that doesn't affect our actions may not be real love. If you see a brother in Christ who is in need and you don't help him, oh, I just feel awful about those people. Well, you're, you know, sharing your words and you're having this great feeling inside of you. But that's not love.
Some choose not to follow Jesus. Today, pastor Ray Bentley answers their objections. There are many people who say the world, all that spiritual stuff, it's so hard. Yeah, it is, but it's not complicated. It's simple. It's just hard to do. But it's worth it and eternally worth it all. The world will never change. It will always be here.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley says First John is a book that encourages us but also holds us accountable. We need to know and understand that the Book of First John is a book of proofs. It isn't so much what I say, it's what I do. I can say one thing and do another. So what I say only carries so much weight.
Coming up today, pastor Ray Bentley reminds us of the primary job description of believers to display the love of God. What is love? To put it simply, love is to put others before ourselves. That's what love is. The world's idea of love is the world and universe revolves around me. And that's not love. That is selfishness. Love is when I put others needs first spread.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley warns about the great upheaval of the last days to come. He says it'll catch many off guard. The day of the Lord will hit unbelievers like a thief in the night, but believers are warned in advance. God tells us in advance what will happen. So we don't know the day or the hour, but we do know the general signs.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley reminds us of the Bible's warnings against false teachers. It just grieves me, though, that there are still people that are susceptible to weird false teachings, false prophets, cults, and then there's money involved, and you kind of pay your way into the upper echelons of deeper secrets and knowledge and all the rest of it. So be watching and be, you know, wary and be warned.
If we're really believers, pastor Ray Bentley says it'll show one of the signs that you're actually born again is that you're growing because you're saved. And you're, like, running from that life of the past that brought you to brokenness and repentance in the first place. So if you're not really wanting to grow, then where is your assurance or confidence that you really know the Lord?
Salvation doesn't come by the good works we do. But pastor Ray Bentley says, once we're followers, we'll do good works. Salvation is a gift that you don't earn it. But once you are saved, then you work that salvation out. Why? Because it is God who is at work in you, and he is the one giving you the will, both the will and the power to do his good pleasure spreading.
Pastor Ray Bentley says, we need to remember we're on the winning side in spiritual warfare. There are times when you get intimidated by overemphasis izing the enemy. Rather than emphasizing the greatness of our God, the greatness of our Savior, the greatness of the power of the Holy Spirit. We don't stand against Ray Bentley, against the devil. You laugh.
Thoughts on the fellowship of suffering from pastor Ray Bentley. There is no such thing as private pain. All pain is communal. We are to share it with one another, and we're to bear it with one another and have compassion for one another. Someone has said that suffering is like love. It can only be shared. And if we truly share our suffering with one another, then we can also share our joys spread.
Some treat prayer as a shopping list. Give me this, Lord. Give me that, God. Like we're pulling up to a drive thru window today, pastor Ray Bentley cautions us. We must be very careful and humble and let God bring His Word to pass, and let him live it out in our lives and answer our prayers according to his will.
Life can be hard. But pastor Ray Bentley says the Son of God wants to help us. Jesus desires to bear our burdens. You know why? Because it is what he said. His own words. It's easy for me, he said. Your burdens are easy for me, and my yoke is easy. My burden is light. If we will only let him and come to him.
Faith and fear are mutually exclusive. And pastor Ray Bentley says we can choose which prevails. Fear tells you there is no hope. I have lost everything. I've lost my job. I've lost my career. I've lost my retirement. And what the devil pounds on your head is? You've lost your reason to live. Because the devil hates us. God loves you, has a wonderful plan for your life.
Having a hard time trusting God completely. Well, today, pastor Ray Bentley says read God's word frequently. The more you know of the Bible, the more you learn about God. You can believe more and you can believe more about him. Get to know him better. Trust him in a bigger way. And as your faith grows, your belief grows. Your ability and capacity to receive the glory of God also spread.
There's so much uncertainty in our world. But pastor Ray Bentley reminds us of something that is certain now and for the future. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you are the chosen of God. It has nothing to do with you, per se. It's all the glory goes to him. You are the chosen of God. He loves you.
Sometimes we think God can't handle our honesty. Today, pastor Ray Bentley says he can. There come times in your life where you can't fold your hands and say nice little spiritual prayers. And in fact, if you're really going to get honest with God, you don't want people to hear. God loves that kind of prayer. God gives you literal, tangible evidence that I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Life comes with suffering. It's often not optional. But pastor Ray Bentley helps us see suffering through spiritual eyes. The very fact that your life has been full of trials and tribulations and trouble is a sign that you are suffering because you've hung in there and hung on to the Lord and your faith to this very day and hour.
We've been bought with a price. We know that from Scripture. But pastor Ray Bentley says it's not only that we belong to the Lord. It's all we have. And all we are. Everything that we have is from the Lord. It's given from the Lord. Sometimes we forget. We thought it was ours. But in fact, it's the Lord's. Whatever we have been given is a gift.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley warns us about speaking evil of someone, no matter how it's packaged. Most people think that it's okay to pass on information or gossip or demeaning talk. As long as well. I didn't want to say anything. But after all, it is true. As if. Because what we are saying is true, it now gives us license to be able to bring other people down.
If you want more wisdom, then become more pure. The more pure that we become, the more God will give his wisdom to us. To live an impure life is the height of foolishness and folly. It is the opposite of wisdom. Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out the paths to heavenly wisdom. Heaven can start taking root within us, not only in our heads, but in our hearts.
From time to time, we've all let a careless comment slip. But today, pastor Ray Bentley has a warning for those who continually let their words get out of control. If you have a tongue that is uncontrolled, you can literally start a forest fire in a human sense. You can devour multitudes of lives and literally it can be as hot as the fires of hell itself.
We are saved by grace through faith. The Bible is clear about that. It's not by anything we've done. And yet, pastor Ray Bentley says, the Bible also points out works are still important. James comes along and says, hey, if you have faith or belief, but you don't have works in your life that demonstrate that you actually believe, he says, then you have a dead faith and that won't save you.
Insights on attitude today from pastor Ray Bentley. What's the best attitude of the heart you can have? It's to have a merciful heart. Jesus was known for being merciful. He was known to the sinners as a friend of sinners because he was merciful. He got in trouble with the religious leaders for the same reputation being too mercy spread.
Albert Einstein said, make things as simple as possible, but no simpler. Today, pastor Ray Bentley makes the Christian life simple. If we would live by this one royal law to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, we wouldn't need all the other laws that there are. Basically, the reason we have so many laws is because nobody loves one another.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out why some people don't choose the good news of the gospel. Every other path other than Christianity offers an easier road. That's why it's so alluring, and why so often the Colts and weird things and people go after it, but it doesn't answer to the sin problem that you finally go, mama! I need something more powerful to deliver me.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out, full blessings come with full surrender. There are degrees to which we are willing to obey God's Word, and we have to make the conscious choice that I must submit all of my life and all areas of my habits, behavior, and feelings. Submit them to the Word of God. If you will submit every area to the word, it will be life to you.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley highlights the message of James to a generation facing great temptation. Since we are God's children and he is content gingerly showering us with gifts from the perfection of his throne. Why should evil have even the slightest attraction for us? So take temptation. Can't get to the curb and walk into the light of the glory of God.
Some real life insights today from pastor Ray Bentley. You were never going to get to the point where you're not going to have bad thoughts or wicked thoughts, or lustful thoughts, or prideful thoughts or covetous thoughts. But Lord, what can I do? He will not condemn you for having the thought. But now take that thought captive and say, Christ.
With the problems of life. Sometimes when it rains, it pours. Today, pastor Ray Bentley has encouragement for each and every one of us. All of us are facing a variety of trials in our lives right this moment. But how many of us say when we are being tested? Lord, what I really desire and what I really need is wisdom.
Forgiveness can be a difficult but necessary assignment. Today on Maranatha Radio, pastor Ray Bentley says her own outlook on life depends on it. We are to forgive even if they don't ask, because unforgiveness only leads to bitterness and bitterness only hurts you. You simply must forgive. You choose to forgive. Spread disease. All love is people coming down before the key.
astor Ray Bentley says, our walk of faith today is reminiscent of the walk of faith of the father of the faith, Abraham. When we heard the gospel itself, we heard the Word of God. And through the word we heard the voice of the Lord himself calling us, saying, come, follow me. Every single one of us. Who then said, yes, Lord, I will follow you began a holy pilgrimage.
The unseen world and the physical world are just separate, as we might think. Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out, they're inseparably linked together through God Himself. Everything that is seen was made by that which is invisible. That's true, isn't it? In fact, if you can see something with substance and physical tangibility to it, it's proof that it's made of something invisible, spreading.
Do you need some encouragement today? Well, pastor Ray Bentley points out the words of reassurance we find from today's study. God is saying to you, I see your life. I know exactly what's going on in your mind, in your heart. I know the pressures. I know what you're going through physically. I know where you are. Emotional. It's all right in front of me.
Today, pastor Ray Bentley points out, we often think about getting into heaven, but we don't often think about heaven getting into us. Heaven has already entered you. The Lord is what heaven's all about. Wherever Jesus is is heaven. There's heaven in you. But if you want to experience more heaven, you have to seek the Lord. Those who seek after me with everything they've got will find me spread.
In the Old Testament. Priests and their idiosyncracies would come and go. But pastor Ray Bentley says, under the New Covenant, Jesus is our priest. The beauty of the New covenant and our perfect grace Jesus. Number one, he is a man. So he resonates with us, but also he is perfect. He never has a bad day. He is always the same.