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CURRENT RADIO SERIES Gifts for a Lifetime   CURRENT TV SERIES Eternity Now

In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.   --Genesis 4:3-5 One thing I’ve noticed is that even with all of our advancements and achievements, our world is still long on war and short on peace. The nations constantly fight and rage with one another…and people seem to be more in conflict with each other than ever before. Have you ever wondered why there is so much terrorism and violence in the world today? And that it seems only to be growing? I think the answer is simple; violence is an evidence of a sinful nature…a nature that came through the fall of Adam and Eve. This impact of sin even showed itself in the first set of siblings when Cain so violently killed Abel.  And after all of the millennia of history, we are still dealing with the same violence and sin. The reason nothing has changed is that the real problem resides deep in the human heart. All of us have inherited a sinful nature from Adam and we all have the propensity to commit violent acts…even if it is only with the tongue. This also explains why religion alone doesn’t solve the problem.  Religion is following a set of rules and traditions that are designed to make sinful people behave better. But religion can’t really change a person’s heart…and overcome a sinful nature. Salvation from sin and its impact on life can only come from a personal relationship with the one true God through Jesus Christ—a relationship that involves a radical change of the heart. Sin is the same problem today that it was for Adam and Eve and their children. And there is only one cure—a complete change of heart that comes through forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ. So don’t be surprised by all the violence in the world today.  It’s the natural expression of the sinful human heart…just as it was for Cain and Abel. The heart of our sin problem is the problem of the sinful human heart.

Does God Know You?

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:”
Luke 13:23–25
Dr. Bill Rice recounted an experience he had while on a trip to Israel many years ago. From his hotel room he watched two Bedouin shepherds walking toward each other. Each was followed by a large flock of sheep. As the shepherds greeted each other and began to talk, the sheep milled around, grazing on the sparse grass. Within a few moments, the two flocks were so mixed together that Dr. Rice said he didn’t see how they could ever get them separated. But when the conversation was over, each shepherd headed off, calling for his sheep to follow. In just a few moments the two flocks were perfectly divided and each went on their way.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). It is not enough for us to simply know of God, we must also have a personal relationship where we know Him and He knows us. There are many people in our world who call Jesus “Lord” but have never become His own through salvation. When they stand before Him, they will be shocked to find that what they claimed was not real—and that God does not know them as part of His family.

Today’s Growth Principle: 

Without a personal, saving relationship with God through the blood of Jesus, we have no hope for the future.