Gospel

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Message from God

I don’t enjoy every message I hear – some are pleasant and others are not.

I may get a letter in the mail that I have won a contest or I get word that someone has been saved and baptized. That’s great news and I enjoy both. Continue reading →

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Second Chance Message

Have you ever missed something on TV or the radio? Perhaps you missed the best ball game of all time because you were preoccupied.

Maybe a new restaurant offered free meals on opening night but you declined to go with the in-laws. Continue reading →

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Many Messages

One thing that confuses many people are the mixed messages they get from those that supposedly believe the same group – Christians.

Different denominations, doctrines, and belief’s confuse a lost world, especially when each church quotes from the same book.

One group says baptism is essential to salvation and another group says it isn’t. There are the gifts of the Spirit and whether they exist today or have fulfilled their purpose. Is salvation eternal or can it be lost again. Is there only one chance of salvation in this life or do you get another opportunity after death.
Is the rapture a true event and if it is does it happen before the tribulation, during it, or after it?

No matter what you believe you can find someone that will agree with you.

This is not a unique situation. It is something that the early church had to deal with.

Paul wrote to Timothy saying,

And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 2 Tim 2:17-18

To the Galatians he wrote,

I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. Gal 1:6-7

What we don’t have is an Apostle Paul to explain things today. Even if there were there would still be false messages from others that change the message.

I don’t have that answer to all the Christian denominations except to say read the Bible for yourself. Study the message for yourself. Pray about it for yourself.

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Rom 12:18

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Apologetics – Part 2

Christian apologetics is just another way of saying “defending the faith”. For me, that’s not debating or arguing – it’s an explanation of the scripture, including the Gospel. Continue reading →

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The Warning and the Way!

Last time I said that your love for another person will excuse their sin. They can be living an abomination but because you love them, you will overlook what they do.

Let me shed some light on this in a different way by using a familiar verse.

You are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. Rom 2:1

You often think of judging when someone points out the sins of another in a condemning tone.

But what happens when you overlook the sin of another person. You are judging that there is no severity in their sin. You will let them live without the knowledge that sin is punishable by the Great Judge.

To not inform someone about the danger of sin is to condemn them in their sin.

Ezekiel was given this charge by the Lord God:

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Ezek 3:17-19

I will admit that I am guilty of overlooking the sin of someone I love. But in doing so I may be condemning us both.

We need to be a watchman and just shout the warning. That’s all God requires from me and you.

Abba, You love me so much that You told me my sin would be punished by death. Then You provided a way for me to live through Your Son. Thank You. Give me wisdom in giving the warning and the way! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN

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Do Not Preach Jesus!

You may have seen the news on what the city government of Houston is doing.

Some local pastors have been issued subpoena’s to turn over certain sermons about homosexuality and may mention Houston’s openly gay mayor. Of course it is the buzz on Facebook and Twitter.

Houston area pastor’s and minister’s across the state are telling the government has absolutely no reason to bully congregations who are speaking out about what they believe. It’s none of the government’s business.

It seems this started with a new bill that has been introduced that will, among other things, allow men who identify as women to use the restrooms of their choice – and vice versa.

Of course the church would be against that. What person in their right mind wouldn’t be?

But silencing opponents that preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of God is not a new thing. It happened in the early days of the church when Peter and John preached in the name of Jesus. In that case the religious leaders caught the apostles,

and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:18

But it was too late! The message had been given and

many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. Acts 4:4

That’s the fear of government officials, kings, presidents, senators, congressmen, mayors, despots, tyrants, and dictators – loosing their power and ruling ability to a Higher Power!

They fear the preaching of the Word of God. It convicts of sin and presents the only redemption available to mankind.

Peter said it best.

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

The name of JESUS!

Abba, in Jesus’ name, give the pastor’s and minister’s the boldness to speak Your word! YES&AMEN

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Grasshoppers!

For the 2nd night this verse has been given to us:

Num 13:33 we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.

This is from two different speakers that attend two different churches.

The verse is from the men that did not believe they could take the Promised Land that God had led them to.

When I think of a grasshopper my mind sees this small, virtually harmless insect; harmless because they don’t bite or sting humans. Imagine if they did!

However the Israelites missed the important characteristic of grasshoppers – in swarms they can take over the land.

Indeed it seems at times that Christians are like grasshoppers in this secular world. Therefore we don’t act. We sit. We get ran over by the world!

But Israel wasn’t grasshoppers and neither are we!

We are the people of a Holy God that has commanded us to go and take the land; to go and spread the Gospel, making disciples, and baptizing in the name of Jesus!

We need to be as grasshoppers and swarm the land in the name of Jesus!

Abba, I want to move forward into the land and face those giants today in the name of Jesus!! YES&AMEN

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The Flaming Sword

Gen 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life. Continue reading →

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It’s time to weed!

Matt 13:24-25 The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. Continue reading →