Practical application of Pentecostal theology in politics, economy and social issues
In the last installment, I introduced you to my friend from ancient Babylon, the prophet Daniel. I commented on some of the overarching themes of his book in the attempt to demonstrate its significance and further provide some structure that might aid additional study. But I also tried to remind us of Daniel’s real, human […]
The post Daniel: Revealer of Secrets, Part 2 :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
I marvel with gratitude at the wonderful opportunities that the Lord God has given me to learn from some exceptional teachers. My appreciation of this gift only grows as the years go by—and as I speak with other Christian leaders who, for one reason or another, never had such an opportunity. One of the men […]
The post What Makes a Ministry Appealing? Part 1 :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
If you work in a retail environment, you’ve already seen them—maybe as early as July, but certainly in August. Yes, you’ve seen the signs! I am referring, of course, to the signs of Christmas. [i] They’re all around you by now. It started with the arrival of lots of new merchandise—more than you knew what […]
The post The Signs of the Times: Part 1 – Assessing the Signs :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
As Jesus taught His disciples in the Upper Room on the night before His death, He addressed them in light of their collective position as “the foundation” (Eph. 2:20) for the forthcoming church. The church age would begin on a specific “day” (John 14:20), which we know would occur on Pentecost Sunday. Once this age […]
The post Revealed in Upper Room: Holy Spirit & New Testament :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
We are fast approaching that time of year in which we remember the death of the Lord Jesus and celebrate His victory over death through His resurrection. Over these next three weeks, I would like to focus on Jesus’ ministry following the Passover meal He shared with His disciples in the Upper Room. There Jesus […]
The post Revealed in the Upper Room: The Rapture :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
I experienced all kinds of weather playing eight years of high school and college football in Wisconsin—from the burning heat of August to the frigid cold of November. I only remember one snowfall, during a practice in my last season in college. But I remember rain—lots and lots of rain and especially lots of mud. […]
The post ‘I Am Resolved’ :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
In our culture, it’s become the proverbial fifth wheel of holidays. Really, we don’t even celebrate it anymore. It used to be that we would pause for much of the day—to feast, spend time with our families, and, yes, to watch football … but, most importantly, to worship and give thanks. But sadly, those days […]
The post Signs of the Times: Part 3 – No Signs of the Rapture :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
Are you and your ministry prepared for the next crisis that will inevitably flow from these “perilous times” in which we live, “in the last days” (2 Tim. 3:1)? SermonAudio is preparing—which will allow all of its broadcasters to be better suited for the next cultural calamity, whatever that may be. The company is building […]
The post Two Years Later: Where Are We Now? Part 7 :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
During my time as a student at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, I learned that there was an old youth pastor’s joke, built on a misuse of Heb. 11:6. The verse states: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently […]
The post Without Faith :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
If I had it to do over again…. How many times have we thought that way? If you’re like me, probably more than you would like to count. If we had it to do over again—with an assurance that we’d do at least as well as we did—what efficient and artful users of time we […]
The post An Honest Evaluation of a Year :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
In these strange new “perilous times” (2 Tim. 3:1), it takes an awful lot to shock us. An unexpected trend has emerged, however, that is so unthinkably disturbing that we hate to even fathom it. It involves pushing a random stranger down onto subway tracks or even in front of an oncoming train. If more […]
The post Making Thanksgiving Real, Part 1:: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.
In the previous installment, I began building upon a statement by my professor of systematic theology at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Myron J. Houghton. Basing his thoughts on 2 Cor. 2:15-16, Dr. Houghton stated: “Your ministry is like a fragrance. It will attract some, and it will repel others.” We are considering here some […]
The post What Makes a Ministry Appealing? Part 2 :: By Paul J. Scharf appeared first on Rapture Ready.