tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-318701392011-04-21T14:58:47.075-04:00When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comBlogger351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1167765595972272592007-01-02T14:19:00.000-05:002007-01-02T14:19:55.983-05:00

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).At this point, let us consider several questions that may be raised concerning those events leading up to the birth of the Savior.1. Why did Joseph and Mary wait so long before coming to Bethlehem? We know that both believed the angel

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1165442947175796232006-12-06T17:07:00.000-05:002006-12-06T17:09:07.186-05:00

The following response comes from Dr. Charles Detwiler, Biology Professor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA.:Human beings will soon be able to cause a human egg cell with a somatic cell nucleus taken from another person to develop to full adulthood. This adult will be a “clone” of the original adult from whom the somatic cell nucleus was taken. If this sort of process is experimentally

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1164583263218753312006-11-26T18:19:00.000-05:002006-11-26T18:21:03.230-05:00

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS … Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1163627691485306682006-11-15T16:54:00.000-05:002006-11-15T16:54:51.493-05:00

“And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).In the latter part of 1971 an American astronaut named James Irwin wrote a book titled, Moon Walk which described how he had once left a beautiful and hospitable planet called Earth (on July 26, 1971), and by way of a special vehicle (

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1162330507212378122006-10-31T16:34:00.000-05:002006-10-31T16:35:07.223-05:00

How many false philosophies does the first verse in the Bible refute? “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).● It refutes atheism, for creation is the work of God’s hand.● It refutes evolution, for the universe was created and did not evolve.● It refutes materialism, for the universe did not always exist.● It refutes polytheism, for there is only one God.● It refutes

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1161799852119213312006-10-25T14:09:00.000-04:002006-10-25T14:10:52.126-04:00

Does anything have to happen before Christ returns to earth?The surprising answer seems to be yes. One final event must transpire and that event is the adding of the last repenting sinner into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. Thus when the body is complete, the Head will appear, or, to use another scriptural analogy, the Bridegroom will come for his beloved bride. The entire book of

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1161282746757902432006-10-19T14:31:00.000-04:002006-10-19T14:32:26.766-04:00

Since coming to Liberty University in 1972 to establish our Bible Institute I have had the opportunity to preach in hundreds of churches. It wasn’t long before it became evident that the average congregation consisted of two groups. The smaller group (some 10-20%) were the PILLARS. These faithful members gave willingly and lovingly of their time, talent, and treasure to the work of God. They

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1161013796691942962006-10-16T11:49:00.000-04:002006-10-16T11:49:56.700-04:00

A man is cleaning out his garage and discovers a small box filled with a mixture of tiny iron nails, wooden splinters, sawdust, and pieces of paper. Suppose he desires to save the nails. How could he quickly separate them from the wooden splinters? If a magnet was available, the task would be quite simple. He would simply position the magnet over the box. Immediately all those objects

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1160775542588175342006-10-13T17:37:00.000-04:002006-10-13T17:39:02.596-04:00

God may respond to our particular prayer in one of five ways:•No! “Now it came to pass, as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, Lo, I dwell in an house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains. Then Nathan said unto David, Do all that is in thine heart; for God is with thee. And it came to pass the same night, that the word of God

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1160361087345226802006-10-08T22:27:00.000-04:002006-10-08T22:31:27.353-04:00

A broken-hearted Jeremiah once sobbed out these pitiful words as he viewed the terrible destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian armies some six centuries before Christ.Sometimes we feel this way. Does anybody know my pain? Does anybody care? Consider the following:Many believers feel the apostle Paul was the greatest and most spiritual Christian who ever lived. Certainly he was a powerful

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1159825532606871002006-10-02T17:43:00.000-04:002006-10-02T17:45:32.616-04:00

Strangely enough, this piece of evidence might be evermore indicative than that of the empty tomb. Imagine the following:While visiting a foreign country you are suddenly seized by some terrorists and held hostage in solitary confinement for 90 days. During this time you are permitted absolutely no contact with the outside world. After three months (for no apparent reason) you are released and

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1159470620668287432006-09-28T15:09:00.000-04:002006-09-28T15:10:20.676-04:00

A pastor friend of mine once had the joy of leading one of the most wicked men in his entire community to the Lord. The former drunkard, thief and street fighter now glowed with the love of Christ. Shortly following his amazing conversion he asked the pastor if he could give his testimony, which request was quickly granted. Thus, this uneducated and crude convert stood before the congregation

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1159222361061880302006-09-25T18:09:00.000-04:002006-09-25T18:12:41.080-04:00

One of the biggest mathematical miracles in the world—Moses and the people of Israel were in the desert, but what was he going to do with them?! They had to be fed and feeding 3 or 3 ½ million people would require a lot of food.According to the Quartermaster General of the army, it is reported that Moses would have to have 1,500 tons of food each day. Do you know that to bring that food each

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1158975677243343402006-09-22T21:40:00.000-04:002006-09-22T21:41:17.250-04:00

Often God is thought of as a Creator, a Redeemer, a Shepherd, a Judge, etc. This is correct thinking, of course, for he does indeed function in all these roles. But there is one great accomplishment of God which is almost always left off the divine attribute lists compiled by men. This wonderful but forgotten role is that of Author! God has written a book, and that profound and priceless book

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1158765137294308482006-09-20T11:05:00.000-04:002006-09-20T11:12:17.976-04:00

As the book of Romans opens, the trial of the ages is taking place. Here is the official court record:• The charge— High treason against the King of the universe (Rom. 1:18-19). • The defendants—1. A heathen—the pagan (Rom. 1:18-32)2. A hypocrite—the moral person (Rom. 2:1-16)3. A Hebrew—the religious person (Rom. 2:17-3:8)• The jury—consisting of four jurors1. The conscience of a person 2. The

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1158614253131214542006-09-18T17:16:00.000-04:002006-09-18T17:17:33.140-04:00

“It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body (1 Cor. 15:44).Imagine a book with a loose sheet of paper placed inside. In this illustration the book will represent the body of the believer and the loose sheet of paper his spirit. In this earthly life, for the most part, it is the body that controls (or limits) the spirit as the

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1158327325199235632006-09-15T09:32:00.000-04:002006-09-15T09:35:25.500-04:00

What really happened during that night of all nights in the Judean hills some 2000 years ago?Two illustrations may prove helpful:• The diamond/clay vessel illustration:A perfect, priceless, and incredibly beautiful diamond is placed within a plain and lowly clay vessel. One day, for a brief moment, a tiny hole appears in the container, resulting in the immediate outpouring of a dazzling beam of

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1158239825989555802006-09-14T09:16:00.000-04:002006-09-14T09:17:06.000-04:00

“And Jesus took upon Himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man.” He thus agreed to join His heavenly, divine nature to that of an earthly, human nature, appearing at Bethlehem as a lowly servant!And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14).“But when the

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1158175709024845742006-09-13T15:27:00.000-04:002006-09-13T15:28:29.033-04:00

List everything that God has ever done in the past, plus everything He is now doing at the present, and, finally, all He will do in the future!Give up? Impossible you say? Not really. In fact, not at all, for a well-informed Bible student could ace the test in about 30 seconds or less, depending on how fast he or she could write down two words: C-R-E-A-T-I-O-N and R-E-D-E-M-P-T-I-O-N!That’s

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1157991447203786242006-09-11T12:16:00.000-04:002006-09-11T12:17:27.213-04:00

A recent U. S. census revealed that a majority of Americans used a shoe to drive a nail into a wall. But why would they do that? Surely no shoe designer or manufacturer whoever lived had this usage in mind. Shoes are for walking, not pounding nails. Actually the mystery deepens, as the same census also discovered 95% of those households polled had at least one or two hammers. So why the

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1157763114139201112006-09-08T20:51:00.000-04:002006-09-08T20:51:54.153-04:00

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Pet. 4:12, 13).During my first semester at the Moody Bible Institute in 1952, I purchased a beautiful wall plaque which

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1157658199048032832006-09-07T15:41:00.000-04:002006-09-07T15:43:19.060-04:00

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (Rom. 16:20).“Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Heb. 2:14).As one considers the unspeakable cruelty that

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1157329500247196632006-09-03T20:23:00.000-04:002006-09-03T20:25:34.973-04:00

In essence it would be radically different from how someone would write regarding a physical biography. It would doubtless begin with your birth date and place, your parents, early life, education, marriage, vacation, family, etc. But an angel would go back much earlier, in fact, even before the creation of the world.Here’s how it might read:Title: The Full Spiritual Biography of John

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1157136057649122872006-09-01T14:39:00.000-04:002006-09-01T14:40:57.663-04:00

Dr. Harry Ironside, famed Bible teacher and pastor of Moody Memorial Church in former years was once handed a gospel tract by a Moody Bible Institute student as he was walking in the Loop. The following conversation is reported to have taken place:Student: (not at first recognizing Dr. Ironside)—“Sir, here is a gospel tract. Are you saved?”Pastor: (always the theologian)—“Am I saved? Well,

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1156788542532200202006-08-28T14:08:00.000-04:002006-08-28T14:09:02.540-04:00

Question: What kind of person is unable to pray the Lord’s prayer?Answer: If you don’t know Christ … you can’t pray, “Our Father.”If you glorify yourself … you can’t pray, “Hallowed be Thy name.”If you reject His rules … you can’t pray, “Thy kingdom come.”If you won’t submit … you can’t pray, “Thy will be done.”If your life is only for here and now … you can’t pray, “On earth as it is in heaven.”

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1156516492145106982006-08-25T10:33:00.000-04:002006-08-25T10:34:52.156-04:00

What's the best way to pray? Various prayer positions are described in the Bible:• Standing (Mk. 11:25)• Sitting (1 Chron. 17:16)• Bowing (Ex. 34:8)• Reclining (Psa. 6:6)• With lifted hands (Psa. 28:2)• On one’s face (Mt. 26:39)• On one’s knees (1 Kings 8:54)• With the face between the knees (1 Kings 18:42)The following amusing poem aptly summarizes this subject the best:“The proper way for a man

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1156450196425705032006-08-24T16:09:00.000-04:002006-08-24T16:09:56.436-04:00

There was a member in one of the churches I pastored who regularly called my wife for some Christian ‘fellowship’ each Monday morning. Following this she often would phone my office, expressing just how much she enjoyed conversing with Sue. But this was really not the case. In reality the only word poor Sue could contribute was the word ‘hello’ as she answered the phone. Then, for the next

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1156341272708637532006-08-23T09:53:00.000-04:002006-08-23T09:54:32.716-04:00

“Why, if I believed that way, I could go out tonight, get drunk, lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery, and live like the devil, and still be saved.”I would like to relate a personal experience here. Some years ago an Arminian friend of mine would often repeat the above words to me. One day I said, “Glen, you’re always bringing this up. Let me ask you a personal question. Are you telling me that

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1156187465993457602006-08-21T15:10:00.000-04:002006-08-21T15:11:06.003-04:00

Imagine justification and sanctification sitting together in some large city rescue meeting. Both listen intently as the visiting preacher proclaims the saving work of Jesus Christ and then invites any and all to come forward and accept this glorious Redeemer.As they watch, a poor wretch of a man gets to his feet and stumbles forward, wearing filthy and tattered clothes, his breath reeking with

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1155927378189341342006-08-18T14:55:00.000-04:002006-08-18T14:56:18.203-04:00

As a personal note, to my shame, I did not start drinking until after my conversion. The reason for this is that I began running with a crowd of unsaved boys. I’m sure an Arminian would have pointed to me back then as an example of someone who “had it,” but through booze had “lost it.” Of course, they had no way of knowing the terrible struggle and conviction that were raging inside me during

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1155748687254472732006-08-16T13:04:00.000-04:002006-08-16T13:18:07.276-04:00

This advice sound strange to you? I know it sure did to me as I stood at the altar of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, Illinois along with several hundred other young people over a half century ago. We had just answered the call to dedicate our lives to God following a sermon by Dr. Vance Havner. Looking down at us, he said:“In a few minutes I’m going to ask the dear Lord to honor your

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1155512631160520842006-08-13T19:40:00.000-04:002006-08-13T19:43:51.166-04:00

The Bible clearly presents in the strongest language both the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. The sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man cannot be totally reconciled in the mind of man. To do so would be like attempting to pour the Atlantic Ocean into a small bucket.Consider the following illustration. Here is a mighty river flowing from eternity past to eternity

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1154660885298230272006-08-03T23:01:00.000-04:002006-08-04T21:03:19.706-04:00

There is an old Arab proverb that says: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Simply stated, this refers to and occurs when two previous enemies team up against a common and more hated enemy.Interestingly there is an occasion in the Bible where this actually happened. It involved two bitter political rivals, Pontius Pilate, Governor of Judea, and Herod Antipas, Governor of Galilee.However,

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1154453768860527572006-08-01T13:21:00.000-04:002006-08-01T13:36:08.873-04:00

Can the current Middle East situation be viewed as a dress rehearsal for the final battle of Armageddon, and how might the coming Antichrist exploit it for his own wicked agenda?Many students of Bible prophecy see those Middle East events in the future transpiring as follows:Jesus Christ returns and removes all His followers from the earth (1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:51-53)The situation reaches

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31870139.post-1154227750692195242006-07-29T22:31:00.000-04:002006-08-01T14:42:33.186-04:00

I'm not an expert, but I have an expertise. I have a calling, a passion to summarize the Bible in such a way that the average person can understand it. I love studying the great truths from God's Word so that I can help pastors and teachers spiritually feed their people. Not just for the sake of information, for knowledge, but for formation, that the Christian "may be complete, thoroughly

H.L. Willmingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15531010023495857220noreply@blogger.com