Monday Mini-Messages Archive 2010

Monday's Mini-Messages Archive 2010

12/27/10

Philippians 1:21 - "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Over the last few days you have probably heard someone say, "Jesus is the reason for the season." And while this is true, Jesus Christ deserves our focus and attention more than just once a year. He deserves our focus and attention more than just once a week (Sundays). We should be able to say like the Apostle Paul, "For to me to live is Christ." Is Jesus Christ your purpose for living?

12/20/10

Proverbs 14:34 - "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." The laws of a nation tend to reflect the morals of its people. Therefore, the increased acceptance of fornication, homosexuality and a self-centered lifestyle is not surprising in light of America's moral decline. But it will not be without consequences. And unfortunately, our society is unlikely to look in the right place for the cure to our ills, God and the Bible.

12/13/10

Titus 3:5 - "...according to his mercy he saved us." What is mercy? Notice how Mr. Webster defines it: "That benevolence...which disposes a person to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; the disposition that tempers justice, and induces an injured person to forgive trespasses and injuries, and to forbear punishment, or inflict less than law or justice will warrant." "O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever," Psalm 136:1.

12/06/10

John 6:28-29 - "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered...This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." The multitudes who followed Jesus wanted to DO SOMETHING in order to be saved and sure of heaven. However, Jesus told them to BELIEVE in SOMEONE. A person's good works cannot save them, because their good works cannot cancel out the sin they have done. But faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ will bring forgiveness and salvation.

11/29/10

Notice Jesus' view of the scriptures: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly," Matthew 12:40, "he which made them at the beginning made them male and female (Adam and Eve)," Matthew 19:4, "As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man," Luke 17:26. Unlike liberal theologians, Jesus spoke of Adam, Eve, Jonah, Noah and many other biblical characters as historical figures. Jesus took the Bible literally, and so should we!

11/22/10

Psalm 8:4 - "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" The Bible describes mankind in the following ways: "dead in treaspasses and sins," "There is none righteous," "we have turned every one to his own way," "fulfilling the desires of the flesh," and "there is none that doeth good." Yet in spite of this, God loves us. Romans 5:8 -"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." AMAZING!

11/15/10

Philippians 1:1 "...to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi..." Notice three things in this verse: 1) The epistle was written to the saints, 2) All believers are referred to as saints, and 3) Living believers are referred to as saints. The word saint in the Bible never refers to a dead believer who has been canonized. In the scriptures there is absolutely no reference to the "path to sainthood." And a religion that is wrong about something as simple as this, is probably wrong about much more.

11/08/10

For the believer who strives to test everything by the scriptures, it is disheartening how others completely disregard them or are ignorant of what they teach. For instance 1 Timothy 3:2, 4 says a pastor "Must be the HUSBAND of one wife," and "one that ruleth well HIS own house" (a responsibility of the man). Furthermore, 1 Timothy 2:12 says, "But I suffer (allow) not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." In spite of what the Bible teaches, women continue to be ordained into the ministry.

11/01/10

Matthew 11:11 - "Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist..." When I read this, it motivates me to find out what made John the Baptist so great. So then I can mirror his life and ministry and meet the Lord's approval as well. John's message was one of repentance. John's methods consisted of preaching and baptizing (no promotions or gimmicks) and his motive was the glory of Jesus Christ. In John 3:30 he said, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

10/25/10

Ephesians 4:17 - "This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles (non-Jews) walk." It is clear from this passage (and many others) that believers are to live differently than the lost world around them. Drunkenness, fornication, adultery, divorce, covetousness, tattoos, piercings, and such like may be considered appropriate by unbelievers, but "let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints," Ephesians 5:3.

10/18/10

Matthew 2:1 - "...when Jesus was born in Bethlehem...behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem." The "wise men" left their friends, homes, families and occupations to go in search of the Saviour. What are you willing to sacrifice in your pursuit to know Jesus Christ in a more intimate way? Are you willing to leave houses and lands (Matthew 19:29)? Are you willing to bear the reproach of the world (Luke 6:22)? Are you willing to forsake all and follow Him (Matt. 19:27)?

10/11/10

Luke 13:3 - "...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Repentance has been defined as a change of mind, which results in a change of action. It is when we change our mind about ourselves, our sin and the Saviour. Has there been a time in your life, where you recognized yourself as a sinner deserving of God's eternal judgment in hell? If so, did you call on Jesus to save you? Every person must repent of their sin and by Faith receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour, or they will perish.

10/04/10

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine..." This week I heard a political candidate accuse his opponent of being a religious fanatic, and even likened him unto the Taliban, because he believed the Biblical truth that a woman should submit to her husband (Eph. 5:22) and should also strive to be a housewife (Titus 2:5). This might seem fanatical to a liberal progressive, but to a God fearing person, it is simply believing God.

09/27/10

Psalm 27:4 - "One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple." My children sometimes sing a song called "The Refiners Fire," and among the lyrics of the song include the words, "He (Jesus Christ) is consuming my soul." I believe this expresses the thoughts of the Psalmist in this verse. Does Jesus Christ consume your thoughts?

09/20/10

Revelation 3:19 - "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." We all tend to be zealous (passionate) about something. Some are very zealous of sports. Others are zealous about political matters or humanitarian causes. And while the Bible commends those who exhibit zeal for preaching, giving, ministering to others and good works, our zeal to know more of the Lord should surpass the zeal we have for anything else. Are you zealous for the things of God?

09/13/10

1 Corinthians 6:9 - Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals), Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: BUT ye are washed." Do any of these behaviors characterize your life, or have you been "washed?"

09/06/10

John 6:28 - Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. It has been said that man is "incurably religious." And as such, he constantly seeks to DO SOMETHING to merit God's favor. However, as Jesus states here; there is only one means of gaining God's grace and it is faith.

08/16/10

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." If you are "in Christ" (saved), you ARE a new creature! This explains why some people's lives change so drastically after their conversion. As one preacher put it, "It is impossible for someone as big as God to move into your life without it being noticed." And the reason some professing Christians exhibit no change in their life is because they are not really "in Christ." Are you truly saved, and if so, does your life demonstrate it?

08/09/10

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." According to this verse when a believer confesses His sins to God he is forgiven. However, when a believer does not confess his sins, his fellowship with God is broken (Matthew 6:14-15), he is unable to prosper spiritually (Prov. 28:13) and he is in danger of being chastened of God (Hebrews 12:6). Therefore, keep your sins confessed to God.

08/02/10

Matthew 4:4 - "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Bible believing preachers often say, "The Bible is our sole authority for faith (what we believe) and practice (how we behave)." However, in modern society it is extremely rare to find a Christian who bases everything he believes and does upon the Bible. Is man inherently good or bad? The Bible says bad. Is salvation dependent upon works or faith? The Bible says faith. Is fornication, divorce and drunkenness sin or not? The Bible says it is sin. Is the Bible your sole authority for faith and practice?

07/26/10

Ecclesiastes 7:2 - "It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart." Most people would think it is better to go to a party ("the house of feasting") than a funeral ("house of mourning"). However, this verse says just the opposite. It is better to go to a funeral because it can cause us to ponder our own end. All of us will die, but where will you go after you die? Have you trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour?

07/19/10

James 2:19 - "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble." Many people say, "I believe in God," and conclude they will be allowed into heaven because of their faith. But this degree of faith may extend no further than that of a devil? In order to be saved, you must believe Jesus is the Son of God, who died for your sins, was buried and rose again. And if you are truly saved, your life will demonstrate it by your actions.

07/12/10

Proverbs 13:22 - "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children." The baby boomer generation gave us the sexual revolution, rock-n-roll, legalized abortion, public schools without prayer and the Bible, and a "judge not," lukewarm, compromising version of Christianity. What type of spiritual inheritance will we leave our children? Will we promote a faddish Christianity with its church growth methodologies, positive only preaching and fleshly music, or one that is decidedly biblical?

07/05/10

Ephesians 5:22-25 - "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord...Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." I doubt there is anyone who desires to live an unhappy life. Likewise, I doubt there is anyone who wishes to have an unhappy marriage, and yet many do. Because it takes more than wishes and desires to have a happy marriage. It begins with trusting Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Secondly, it involves putting biblical principles into practice.

06/28/10

1 Timothy 1:15 - "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." The owners of some vehicles advertize the causes they support with bumper stickers such as "Save the Polar Bears," "Save the Wetlands," "Save the Planet," "Save America," or "Save Our Freedoms". If Jesus had such a slogan, it would have been SAVE THE SINNERS! What is more important: the extinction of a species, the disappearance of the wetlands, the possible warming of the planet or the eternal damnation of a soul in the lake of fire forever? Get behind Jesus' cause and help to SAVE THE SINNERS!

06/21/10

Romans 6:1-2 - "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid." The question, "Should a born again believer indulge in sin?" is answered with an emphatic "God forbid!" Then chapter 6 proceeds to give multiple reasons why the child of God should avoid sin. No where does it state one of the consequences for committing sin is a loss of one's salvation. No, that is not possible. But this does not give the Christian a license to sin. God is holy and expects believers to be holy as well, 1 Peter 1:16.

06/14/10

1 John 3:4 - "...sin is the transgression of the law." The pulpits of America have become increasingly silent on certain topics. One such topic is sin. It is defined in this text as transgressing (stepping over the boundaries of) God's laws. The Bible declares the following behaviors as sinful: fornication, adultery, drunkenness, sodomy, envy, hatred, covetousness and more. While it is not popular to preach against sin and its dangerous consequences, the faithful servant of Christ who loves others will do it. Preaching against sin is not meant to condemn people, but to lead them to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

06/07/10

Song of Solomon 5:8 - "...if ye find my beloved...tell him, that I am sick of love." The phrase "sick of love" is found twice in the Song of Solomon. It means the same thing as our modern phrase "love sick." The book describes two characteristics of being sick of love: 1) You are preoccupied with the one you love and 2) You are unable to bear being apart. Do you feel this way about Jesus Christ? Are you in love with Him?

05/24/10

Romans 3:19 - "What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." Did you realize good works (i.e. keeping the 10 commandments) cannot save you? The Old Testament law was not given to save anyone. Instead, it was given to demonstrate to us that we are sinners. This in turn points us to Jesus Christ, the only one who can save us from our sins.

05/17/10

Luke 19:10 - "For the Son of man (Jesus) is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Have you ever heard the slogan "Giving blood saves lives, period." While giving blood to help others is a noble thing, I have often felt like the slogan is not completely accurate. In order to be correct, it should say, "Giving blood has the potential to postpone a death, period." Not quite as catchy, but true. Only Jesus saves lives, eternal lives!

05/10/10

Job 23:12 - "I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." How many days have you ever went without eating because you did not have the time, or perhaps you had more important things to do? If you respond, "None." I am not surprised. However, what surprises me is that Bible believers esteem God's word so lightly that they seldom ever read it, and study it even less.

05/03/10

Psalm 19:10 - "More to be desired are they (the words of God) than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb." If you found a $100 bill every time you opened your Bible to read it, how often would you open it? I am confident you would open it frequently, and yet the truths in the Bible are MORE valuable than silver, gold or $100. So, if you believe God, start reading and studying the Bible. It will be worth your time and energy.

04/26/10

Romans 1:20 - "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." You may not be able to see God directly, but you can see Him indirectly in the "things that are made," (i.e. the creation). The beauty, complexity and order of the universe all point to the truth that there is a God. And while the creation reveals Him in a general way, there is not enough revelation to save you. For that, You must turn to the Bible.

04/19/10

Isaiah 45:18 - "God...formed the earth and made it...to be inhabited." Thousands of scientists and others have searched in vain for life on other planets. There appears to be only one place suitable for life, Earth. If the Earth was much closer to the Sun, it would fry. If it was any further away from the Sun, it would freeze. If 2/3 of the Earth's surface was not covered in water (absorbing most of the Sun's heat), life would not be sustainable. Was all of this, and more, just luck and chance? No, it was by DESIGN!

04/12/10

2 Peter 3:6 - "The world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished." Oil and gas deposits in the ground are under tremendous pressure, sometimes as much as 20,000 psi. Due to this pressure, some oil experts have indicated the deposits would have leaked out in less than 10,000 years. This presents a problem for evolutionists, but not Bible believers. The fossil fuels were formed very quickly during the time of Noah's flood, which occurred approximately 4,400 years ago.

04/05/10

Genesis 8:1 - "...God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged." It is estimated that Niagra Falls moved backwards 4.7 feet per year due to erosion until 1930, when water was diverted to lessen the effects of erosion. The falls are reported to have moved backwards a total of 7 miles. If erosion has been consistent, this only represents 9900 years. Taking into account additional erosion when the flood water's receded, this fits exactly with a literal interpretation of the Bible and a young earth position.

03/29/10

During the final days of WWII, fighter planes traveling to Japan noticed they were not making any headway against the strong easterly winds. Once they changed their altitude, they were able to progress as expected. This was how the jet stream was discovered. However, thousands of years before this God declared in Ecclesiastes 1:6 - "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits."

03/22/10

Genesis 8:11 - And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. The oldest tree in the world appears to be a Bristlecone Pine in California, which is dated to be 4300-4500 years old. Some may wonder why there are no older trees on the earth, but Bible believers do not wonder. They know every tree and plant was destroyed by the flood during Noah's day, approximately 4400 years ago.

03/15/10

Genesis 2:7 - "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." When Adam was 1 day old, how old do you think he looked? Probably 20-30 years old. Likewise, If Adam had cut down a tree one day after creation, it probably would have had multiple rings, giving the appearance of age. When God created the universe, He created it with the appearance of age, but it is not millions of years old as scientists sometimes claim.

03/08/10

Job 40:15-17 - "Behold now behemoth...he eateth grass as an ox. Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly. He moveth his tail like a cedar..." The Bible gives the names of two different dinosaurs, behemoth and leviathan. They did not live 65 million years ago, but lived alongside of man until shortly after the flood. This seems to be supported by the discovery of human footprints alongside of dinosaur footprints in Glen Rose, TX. Dinosaurs most likely died out after the flood due to the drastic changes in the Earth's atmosphere.

03/01/10

Genesis 2:5-6 - "...the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth...But there went up a mist...and watered the whole face of the ground." Have you ever wondered how men like Adam, Noah and Seth lived to be 900 years old? Our verse indicates the atmosphere was much different before the flood. The Bible seems to indicate there was a water canopy above the earth which would have kept out the sun's harmful rays and increased the oxygen concentration in our atmosphere, both attributing to the long lives of men before the flood when the canopy collapsed.

02/22/10

Genesis 7:19 - "The waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered." On the tops of all major mountain chains (Rocky Mountains, Mt. Everest, etc.) are found fossilized clams and other creatures which live in the ocean. The condition of these fossils indicate they were buried quickly as sediment developed around them. This evidence would seem to support the world-wide flood as described in Genesis 6-9.

02/15/10

Isaiah 40:22 - "It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth." Job 26:7 - "He...hangeth the earth upon nothing." Long before Magellan, telescopes and space exploration, the Bible declared the Earth was a circle and it hung upon nothing (Not Atlas' back). These statements were recorded thousands of years before our modern technological advancements. How could that be? Because the words of the Bible are God's words and they can be trusted.

02/08/10

Exodus 20:11 - "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is." Evolutionists look at the Grand Canyon and conclude it was formed by erosion over millions of years, However, a creationist looks at the Grand Canyon and concludes it was formed in a few days or weeks during Noah's flood. The eruption of Mt. St. Helen's in 1980 produced similar geological canyons (though much smaller) when it erupted, and this happened in a few days, not millions of years.

02/01/10

Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." If the earth was millions or billions of years old, you would expect to find the effects of erosion on each rock layer. However, that is not the case. Instead, only the top layer shows any erosion. This would seem to indicate the different rock layers were laid down quickly (during Noah's flood), not over millions of years.

01/25/10

Genesis 1:1 - "...God created the heaven and the earth..." The earth is estimated to be spinning over 1000 mph at the equator. and is slowing down by approximately 1/1000 of a second each day. If the rate at which it is slowing down has been even remotely consistent, the earth could NOT be billions of years old. Otherwise, it would have been spinning so fast, it would have flown off into space. However, if the earth is only thousands of years old, as the Bible suggests, this does not present a problem. Believe God, not man!

01/18/10

Genesis 2:7 - "The LORD God...breathed into his (Adam's) nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." "In 1859 French Chemist, Louis Pasteur, successfully disproved the widely accepted theory of Spontaneous Generation, which stated some life forms arose spontaneously from non-living matter. However, in order to accept the equally popular evolutionary theory, one must believe life sprung from non-living matter. Scientists have not been able to explain how rock, minerals or water could be energized to become alive. Believe God, not man!

01/11/10

Psalm 19:1 - "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork." The Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum states that fragments or parts of an object which break off of a spinning mass will spin in the same rotation. So, if the Big Bang theory is accurate, we would expect to find stars, planets, galaxies, etc. to be spinning in the same direction. However, that is not the case. In our own solar system, Venus and Uranus spin in opposite directions. Believe God, not man!

01/04/10

Genesis 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." The second law of thermodynamics states that all matter and energy in a closed system moves from a state of order to a state of disorder, and from complex arrangements to simple ones. For example, fruits do not stay fresh, clothing fades, chemical compounds break apart, and even death testifies of the accuracy of this universal law. And yet evolutionists suggest atoms organize themselves into increasingly more complex arrangements. Believe God, not man!

LISTEN

----------------