ECCE

     The spiritual condition of our hearts, like its physical condition, can make all the difference in our lives. There are medical devices used to examine the physical condition of a human heart, but the Word of God says that the LORD examines the spiritual condition of the heart. The LORD has a heart, and the spiritual condition of a person's heart is open to God's knowledge. Before the judgment of the flood began, the LORD said this about man: "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made ( aleph-tav )-man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." (Gen. 6:5-6).        What a condemnation of mankind! It is also important to note that the word "man" in verse 6 above is preceded in the written Hebrew of this verse by the Hebrew letters  aleph and  tav . These letters are the first letter and t...

      Lately on social media, there have been more and more comments from people who say that they are leaving Christianity. Sometimes they are referred to as Deconstructionists. In giving their reasons for leaving the faith, many give reasons that have nothing to do with Christ, but rather things that have to do with men, men's doctrines and the doctrines of devils.       This comes as no surprise to those who are familiar with the signs of the last days as stated in scripture. Paul wrote to those believers who were being told that Jesus had already returned, or was returning momentarily: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him (perhaps referring to the rapture of the believers), that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall no...

      The final or last words of a person are given great weight. Many reports of the final words spoken by atheists or the unrepentant are powerful in their regret and fear.      The final words of men of God in scripture are, on the other hand, life transforming in their glory. Stephen, who was stoned for His faith in Jesus Christ, said: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God....Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (Acts 7:54-60, excerpt). The last words of Stephen's revelation and forgiveness remain powerful today and forever.      Peter wrote to the believers in Christ: "Finally, be ye all of one mind , having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil...but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto ...

      This ministry was named by the LORD after His everlasting covenant. This fall, the ministry will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. It is necessary to understand the importance and many facets of the everlasting covenant because, as we will see, it is not just an "Old Testament" term but is also present in the New Testament through Jesus Christ.      The first mention of the everlasting covenant is found in Genesis 9, as the LORD spoke to Noah: "And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh ; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth." (v. 15-16). The everlasting covenant was not just for Noah, but for all flesh, for every creature. The rainbow appearing in the cloud is not the covenant, but it i...

      We make life and death choices based upon the words out of our mouths. Proverbs 18:31 says: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." There is also a direct connection between what is in the heart, and what then comes out of the mouth: "Let the words of my mouth , and the meditation of my heart , be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer." (Psalms 19:14). Scripture says that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. What are you speaking? Jesus said: "...A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." (see Lk. 6:43-45). What are you speaking? Are the words out of our mouths really powerful enough to affect life and death?      James wrote that in the same way a small bit in the mouth...

     Genesis 1:1-3 tells us that from the beginning of creation God spoke the Word and earth was changed from a dark and empty void into a world inhabited by light and life. God first said ( 'amar - speak, said, command, utter, promise, appoint, call, certify): "Let there be light: and there was light." Within these first verses of Genesis, the aleph-tav , the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, appear in the written Hebrew, which connects this creation to Jesus, who is The Aleph-tav or  Alpha and Omega in Greek, the First and the Last, The Beginning and The End.      We see the essential presence of Jesus in creation in the New Testament also in John chapter 1 where He is identified as The Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made ( ginomai - come into existence, made, finished) by him; and without him was not any thing made tha...