Author: Texas Gospel

The Comfort of the Shepherd’s Care

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AMY TURNER

Psalm 23:4 says that the shepherd’s rod and staff bring comfort. These were not random objects. The staff, with its curve, guided sheep when they wandered into danger. The rod, a strong club, protected the flock by driving away predators. One corrected mistakes made by the sheep, while the other defended them from outside threats.

For David, both were signs of safety, and the same is true for us. Living under God’s care means His hand reaches into our struggles, whether they come from our own choices or from enemies around us. Because of this, we should not push back when God disciplines us. His correction is for our good, and His protection is certain.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Romans 8:31

Why Believers Need Each Other

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JEFF TURNER

Hebrews 10:25 reminds us not to give up meeting with other believers. While this verse is often seen as a simple call to attend church, it actually points to something deeper. The message is about how important it is for Christians to stay connected with one another in regular, meaningful ways.

Gathering with fellow believers helps us grow in love and good actions. It’s a time when we encourage and support one another. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. The New Testament gives many instructions that involve relationships with others. We hear of praying together, correcting each other, offering love, and giving comfort. These can only happen when believers come together in fellowship.

When someone chooses to stay away from the church community, they miss out on the spiritual help and accountability that come with it. Following Jesus faithfully becomes much harder if we try to go it alone.

Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Trusting God’s Guidance Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense

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FLOYD ROGERS

God offers guidance to those who seek it. When we ask Him for direction, it’s important that we follow what He reveals, even if it doesn’t immediately make sense to us. Often, people hesitate because they can’t fully understand God’s plan. In those moments, they may be tempted to choose what seems easier or more appealing to them. However, relying on human judgement over God’s wisdom leads us off course.

God’s word reminds us that He understanding far exceeds our own. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

The Bible is the source of light for those seeking direction. If we want the truth, we need to listen carefully to God through His Word and obey, setting aside personal feelings or opinions.

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and [a]without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:5-6

Jesus Shows His Power to Forgive and Heal

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AMY TURNER

In Matthew 9:6, Jesus told the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.” Before this, the man had been lowered through the roof by others who wanted him to meet Jesus. When the man arrived, Jesus first forgave his sins. This raised an important question: how could anyone know if forgiveness had truly happened? There was no visible sign.

Healing the man’s body gave the answer. While words of forgiveness are unseen, telling a paralyzed man to walk required real action. Jesus spoke, and the man stood up.

I want to be clear here: I am not saying all who are forgiven of their sins will be healed. I am saying Jesus’s authority to forgive sins is evidenced by his authority to make the lame man walk. He has mercy and power for the body and for the soul.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

John 3:17

No One Knows the Day or Hour, yet another Prediction About the Rapture

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DAVID INGRAM

You don’t see my name on the website too often. Mostly because so many others are better at saying things that need to be said. But today, I’ll make an exception.

Matthew 24:36 makes it clear that no one knows the day or the hour of Christ’s return. Matthew says that not the angels in heaven, nor even the Son, but only the Father. This truth is a direct warning against those who claim to predict the timing of the Second Coming. I realize that some don’t use the word “rapture” because it’s not in the Bible. I think we all know it refers to Jesus’ return, so let’s hold that debate for another day.

When a South African pastor, Joshua Mhlakela, insists that the Rapture will take place on September 23 or 24, 2025, he places himself in direct contradiction to the very words of Jesus. Any attempt to put a date on such an event is not only speculative but also unbiblical, since Scripture emphasizes readiness at all times, not countdowns to a specific day.

Mhlakela’s so-called “divine prophecy,” shared on YouTube and in his interview with Centtwinz TV, reveals a troubling pattern: presenting certainty where the Bible gives none. Scripture consistently reminds believers to be watchful and prepared because Christ’s return will come suddenly and unexpectedly, “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). By fixing a date, Mhlakela misleads his audience into placing their hope in his personal claim instead of in the sure promises of God. This not only undermines biblical authority but risks damaging faith when his prediction inevitably fails, as all such predictions have in the past.

The responsibility of every preacher is to point people to Christ and His Word, not to their own revelations. In Matthew 24, Jesus stresses the importance of faithfulness, watchfulness, and endurance, not of prediction-making. By claiming to know what the Bible says cannot be known, Mhlakela shifts attention away from the gospel and onto himself.

Could Jesus come back today or tomorrow? Of course! Does Mhlakela have a prophecy from God? Well, the verse above says no one knows the day or hour. Mhlakela says he’s narrowed it down to two days. This is something we’ve heard from many mislead preachers in the past including Edgar Whisenant back in the 1980’s and Harold Camping in the 1990’s.

Christians are urged to measure every teaching against Scripture and to reject messages that contradict its clear truths. Isn’t the call of Christ not to chase dates but to live faithfully and expectantly every day, ready for His return at any moment?