Tuesday, September 28, 2010
The Church in the World?
I don't want to start this post out with, I feel, I think, I' am . No today is a day that the lord has made[ I will ] rejoice and be glad in it. Which causes me to remember the great things God has done for us. With that in mind I looked back at the opportunity God gave the Grace Baptist Church family over the sorghum festival week-end. The privilege to go on main street,to sing songs of Zion,preach the Gospel, witness to the lost, and encourage the saved. No doubt the Church was able to reach more lost folk last Sunday than in the entire 2010 year. The Church has been criticized for going into the world,yet that is what Jesus told his Church to do in Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye[the Church ] into all the world. The Church is to go into the world but not the world go into the Church. We are not to be conformed to the world but be transformed by the message of Jesus Christ. What a blessing to see lives transformed by the message , not turning over a new leaf,or just change my ways. No the message of Jesus is New Life in Christ,the old is dead the new is living. Wow Living a new Life a opportunity to start over again with the wisdom of God to lead us, the power of Christ to sustain us ,and the presence of the Holy Spirit to help us. With that we can truly say[ I can do all things through Christ who gives us strength] Philippians 4:13. The Church is a beautiful thing, and a blessing to the World when it operates in the way Jesus intended.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Are You a Threat to Satan?
Read 1 Peter 1:6-7
On two separate occasions, the Bible records that Satan petitioned the Lord to test a believer (Job 1:6-12; Luke 22:31-34). In both cases, God agreed. The Devil did his best to break the faith of first Job and later Peter, but he failed both times.
Do you suppose that Christ and Satan have ever discussed you? I think most people are too humble to assume such a conversation has happened. So let me ask the question a different way: Is your life making an impact worth talking about? I had to ask this of myself—am I serving God sufficiently to make Satan feel threatened?
Preachers and missionaries aren’t the only people who make the Enemy nervous. Any believer who is determined to obey the Lord is a threat to the Devil, particularly when sharing the gospel. God calls on you to witness to certain people because you have just the right knowledge, story, or temperament to reach them. Fearing that the unbeliever might choose salvation because of your testimony, Satan gives you plenty of opportunities to fail. He hopes you’ll be too discouraged to continue serving the Lord. The Enemy would like nothing better than to thwart God’s plan for believers’ lives by undermining their faith. That being the case, we might all be surprised how often our names pass between Jesus and Satan!
Although you may think you aren’t important, God knows your true value. Friend, as a Spirit-filled believer, you have amazing potential to serve the kingdom. Satan sees that, and he will try to make you stumble. If you fall, lean on the Lord as you get to your feet and carry on.
Dr. Charles Stanley
On two separate occasions, the Bible records that Satan petitioned the Lord to test a believer (Job 1:6-12; Luke 22:31-34). In both cases, God agreed. The Devil did his best to break the faith of first Job and later Peter, but he failed both times.
Do you suppose that Christ and Satan have ever discussed you? I think most people are too humble to assume such a conversation has happened. So let me ask the question a different way: Is your life making an impact worth talking about? I had to ask this of myself—am I serving God sufficiently to make Satan feel threatened?
Preachers and missionaries aren’t the only people who make the Enemy nervous. Any believer who is determined to obey the Lord is a threat to the Devil, particularly when sharing the gospel. God calls on you to witness to certain people because you have just the right knowledge, story, or temperament to reach them. Fearing that the unbeliever might choose salvation because of your testimony, Satan gives you plenty of opportunities to fail. He hopes you’ll be too discouraged to continue serving the Lord. The Enemy would like nothing better than to thwart God’s plan for believers’ lives by undermining their faith. That being the case, we might all be surprised how often our names pass between Jesus and Satan!
Although you may think you aren’t important, God knows your true value. Friend, as a Spirit-filled believer, you have amazing potential to serve the kingdom. Satan sees that, and he will try to make you stumble. If you fall, lean on the Lord as you get to your feet and carry on.
Dr. Charles Stanley
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
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The Comfortable Church September 22, 2010 "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." (Revelation 3:17) This is the heart of Christ’s rebuke of the church at Laodicea, the "lukewarm" church (v. 16) of the last days. This is an evangelical church for its candlestick is still in place (note Revelation 1:20; 2:5), but it has become a neutral church, "neither cold nor hot" (3:15). The reason for its tepid witness is because it has become "rich, and increased with goods," comfortable in a culture which tends to equate material prosperity with success and God’s favor. It may have acquired large and beautiful facilities, developed special programs of many kinds, featured a variety of musicians and other artists, and even gained a measure of political power. Yet, Christ calls it poor and blind and naked! Not all large churches become like this, of course, but it is always a real danger. The desire for large congregations can easily lead to compromising biblical standards of doctrine and practice. "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion," the prophet warned (Amos 6:1). Note that the Lord began His letter to the Laodicean church by identifying Himself as "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" (Revelation 3:14). This strongly suggests that a major reason for the development of such complacency in a large church (or a small church, for that matter) is neglect of these three doctrines--the sufficiency of Christ, the inerrant authority of God’s Word, and the special creation of all things by God. The letter to this church ends with the sad picture of Christ standing at its door, seeking admission (v. 20). "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" (v. 22). HMM |
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Friday, September 17, 2010
Encouragement.......
May we always find ourselves ready to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.
OD employs His people to encourage one another. He did not say to an angel, "Gabriel, my servant Joshua is about to lead my people into Canaan—go, encourage him." God never works needless miracles; if His purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means, He will not use miraculous agency. Gabriel would not have been half so well fitted for the work as Moses. A brother's sympathy is more precious than an angel's embassy. The angel, swift of wing, had better known the Master's bidding than the people's temper. An angel had never experienced the hardness of the road, nor seen the fiery serpents, nor had he led the stiff-necked multitude in the wilderness as Moses had done. We should be glad that God usually works for man by man. It forms a bond of brotherhood, and being mutually dependent on one another, we are fused more completely into one family. Brethren, take the text as God's message to you. Labour to help others, and especially strive to encourage them. Talk cheerily to the young and anxious enquirer, lovingly try to remove stumblingblocks out of his way. When you find a spark of grace in the heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame. Leave the young believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees, but tell him of the strength which dwells in God, of the sureness of the promise, and of the charms of communion with Christ. Aim to comfort the sorrowful, and to animate the desponding. Speak a word in season to him that is weary, and encourage those who are fearful to go on their way with gladness. God encourages you by His promises; Christ encourages you as He points to the heaven He has won for you, and the spirit encourages you as He works in you to will and to do of His own will and pleasure. Imitate divine wisdom, and encourage others, according to the word of this evening.
"Encourage him."—Deuteronomy 1:38.
OD employs His people to encourage one another. He did not say to an angel, "Gabriel, my servant Joshua is about to lead my people into Canaan—go, encourage him." God never works needless miracles; if His purposes can be accomplished by ordinary means, He will not use miraculous agency. Gabriel would not have been half so well fitted for the work as Moses. A brother's sympathy is more precious than an angel's embassy. The angel, swift of wing, had better known the Master's bidding than the people's temper. An angel had never experienced the hardness of the road, nor seen the fiery serpents, nor had he led the stiff-necked multitude in the wilderness as Moses had done. We should be glad that God usually works for man by man. It forms a bond of brotherhood, and being mutually dependent on one another, we are fused more completely into one family. Brethren, take the text as God's message to you. Labour to help others, and especially strive to encourage them. Talk cheerily to the young and anxious enquirer, lovingly try to remove stumblingblocks out of his way. When you find a spark of grace in the heart, kneel down and blow it into a flame. Leave the young believer to discover the roughness of the road by degrees, but tell him of the strength which dwells in God, of the sureness of the promise, and of the charms of communion with Christ. Aim to comfort the sorrowful, and to animate the desponding. Speak a word in season to him that is weary, and encourage those who are fearful to go on their way with gladness. God encourages you by His promises; Christ encourages you as He points to the heaven He has won for you, and the spirit encourages you as He works in you to will and to do of His own will and pleasure. Imitate divine wisdom, and encourage others, according to the word of this evening.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Saved!
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Thou Shalt Be Saved! September 15, 2010 "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31) This was Paul's answer to the trembling jailer's question: "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (v. 30). To our modern sophisticated ears, such terms as being "saved" may sound strange and oldfashioned, but there is no more accurate term than this to describe the miracle that happens when a person becomes a real Christian and is "born again." Before being saved, he is under God's condemnation because of sin, destined for hell; but when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, he is "saved from wrath through him" (Romans 5:9). Not only is he saved from eternal wrath, he is saved to eternal life. Christ is "able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). This great salvation is not achieved by good works of any kind or number, "for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). Although being saved is God's gift to man, its cost was infinite to Christ. "If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Romans 5:10). The price of our salvation was the shed blood of Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and the greatest of all sins--the one for which there is no forgiveness--is that of rejecting Him. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). He is our great redeeming Savior, and only He can save! HMM |
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Sunday, September 5, 2010
Perseverance....
Romans 5
Faith Triumphs in Trouble
1 "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have a peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."Brother Josh and Sister Tami Adkins know what tribulations are....trying to get the last piece of furniture or clothing out of your burning house while everything (literally) falls in around you. The firefighters drown out the flames, but in the process water log everything that was salvageable in your home. Pictures lost forever...some saved, but covered in soot. Is this why the Bible tells us, 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-20) Just imagine if their heart was only in their possessions. They would be lost...but they're not.
They believe Jesus when He says, 1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." (John 14:1-3) Josh said himself today, "I have a mansion in Heaven that would really make this one look bad." Amen Brother.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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