Monday Mini-Messages Archive 2011

Monday's Mini-Messages Archive 2011

12/05/11

John 15:18 - "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." Jesus was crucified, the apostles of the 1st century were martyred, Christians in the 2nd and 3rd centuries were fed to the lions in the coliseum, Christians in the 4th thru 14th centuries were put on "The Rack" and burnt at the stake and Christians in the 16th - 17th centuries were disarmed, imprisoned, beaten and banished (In AMERICA). And yet still some think Bible believing Christianity is going to find favor in the eyes of the unbelieving world.

11/21/11

2 Timothy 3:12 - "...ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Those who are "in Christ" refers to saved believers. However, being saved is not the only condition given in the verse. It says those who WILL LIVE GODLY in Christ Jesus SHALL suffer persecution. So, if we are not enduring persecution from the lost world, it must be because we are not saved, or we are not living godly. "Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you," 1 John 3:13.

11/14/11

2 Thessalonians 3:10 - "...this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." When the Pilgrims landed in the "New World," they, along with their Governor William Bradford, decided to practice collectivism (i.e. socialism) and distributed the harvest evenly among its citizens. This idea was soon scrapped, as it removed the personal incentive for the industrious to work any harder than others, seeing there was no reward for it. Instead, a plot of land was assigned to each family, allowing them to enjoy the fruits of their own labor. "...every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God." Ecclesiastes 3:13

11/07/11

Ephesians 1:3 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings..." The book of Ephesians can be divided into two sections: Chapters 1-3 deal with the believers wealth in Christ, and Chapters 4-6 address the believers walk in Christ. It is the spiritual blessings God has given to believers that motivates us to live for Him. Some of the spiritual blessings include: He has chosen us, redeemed us, forgiven us, given us an inheritance in heaven, sealed us, quickened us (made us alive), reconciled us, and made us citizens of heaven.

10/31/11

Positive only Christianity may sound good, but it is not biblical. Biblical Christianity has both positive and negative aspects, and the faithful preacher will preach the whole counsel of God. "Blessed is the man that walketh NOT...standeth NOT...sitteth NOT...But his delight is in the law of the Lord," Psalm 1:1-2. "Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good," Romans 12:9. "having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this...add to your faith virtue," 1 Peter 1:4-5. "put off...the old man, which is corrupt...and put on the new man," Ephesians 4:22-24. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God," Romans 6:13.

10/24/11

Judges 21:25 - "In those days there was no king in Israel: EVERY MAN DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES." We are living in an age very similar to the times of the judges, where truth is considered relative, rather than absolute. Even professing Christians determine right and wrong by their own feelings, rather than the objective source for truth, the Bible. May bible believing Christians get back to judging everything according to God's Word. What it says is right, is right, and what it says is wrong, is wrong, regardless of what anyone or everyone says.

10/17/11

Romans 12:2 - "...be not conformed to this world..." One of the biggest hindrances to believers being what God wants them to be is pop culture. It is impossible to heed the command of Romans 12:2 when saturating yourself with fleshly music, filthy movies and humanistic TV. The song When God is Near says, "When God is near all the world seems far away." May believers draw so near to God that our appetite for worldly things disappears.

10/10/11

SIN! 1 John 3:4 - "...for sin is the transgression of the law." Sin is defined as breaking God's laws, as recorded in the Bible. And the Bible says "...all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23). In other words, no one has attained God's requirements for righteousness. The penalty, or punishment, for sinning is death, "For the wages of sin is death," Romans 6:23. Therefore, all of us deserve to die (be separated from God for eternity). But the good news (i.e. gospel) is God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to take our punishment and die for our sins. If you accept His sacrifice for your sins, believing He died, was buried and rose again for you, you can be forgiven and avoid the punishment you justly deserve for your sin.

10/03/11

Romans 5:1 - "Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" To help people understand the meaning of Justification, some have wittingly defined it as just-as-if-i-had-never sinned. Theologians define it as a judicial act of God whereby He declares the sinner righteous. Romans 5:1 explains the means by which God declares someone righteous, FAITH. Salvation (i.e. entrance into heaven) is not based upon your obedience to God's commands, but rather your faith in Jesus Christ. God declares you righteous when you repent of your sin and believe/trust that Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again.

09/26/11

2 Corinthians 5:11 - "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men;" In recent times, it has been popular to deny the true nature of hell. Men like C.S. Lewis, Billy Graham, J.I. Packer, Martin Luther King, and most recently, Rod Bell, have all denied the literalness of a fiery hell. I would like to believe hell is not real and that no one will go there, but since that is not what the Bible teaches, I cannot. Instead, I warn people to flee from it. Jesus described hell as fire, fire that shall never be quenched, everlasting fire, darkness, torments and where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

09/19/11

BRING THE BOOK - Nehemiah 8:1- "...they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses..." In Deuteronomy 31:11 God required the priests of Israel to read the Old Testament law to the people every seven years. This is what is taking place in Nehemiah 8, however, there is one slight difference. Instead of the priests summoning the people, the PEOPLE summon Ezra the priest to read the Law. May believers today develop the same type of attitude toward the bible and hunger and thirst for preaching!

09/12/11

WALK FOR SINNERS. Romans 10:15 - "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Meeting the temporary and earthly needs of others is a good thing and aught to be done, but striving to meet the eternal needs of others should be the priority of believers. After all, what good does it do someone if they die cancer free, not having lacked food and clothing, only to awake in the flames of hell? Jesus described hell as "fire that never shall be quenched," Mark 9:43.

09/05/11

Romans 13:11-13 - "...it is high time to awake out of sleep...let us cast off the works of darkness." Other "works of darkness" believers are told to put off include "chambering and wantonness." Chambering means cohabitation (fornication/living together prior to marriage), or lewd immodest behavior. Wantonness means lasciviousness or unnatural and unlawful sexual desires, including sodomy. While these practices are considered acceptable by the lost world "let them not be once named among (believers), Eph. 5:3.

08/29/11

Romans 13:11-13 - "...it is high time to awake out of sleep...let us cast off the works of darkness." The first "works of darkness" the next verse tells us to put off is "rioting and drunkenness." Rioting means reveling, partying or letting loose. It refers to throwing off restraints and "painting the town red." Drunkenness is closely associated with reveling. The Bible says in Proverbs 20:1 says, "Wine (beer) is a mocker, strong drink (whiskey) is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

08/22/11

Psalm 122:1 - "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD." While attending, or joining, a church is not necessary to be saved, when you get saved you should want to join a Bible believing church. Hebrews 10:25 says, "...not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." One pastor said, "If your faith won't take you to church, it probably won't take you to heaven."

08/15/11

Psalm 1:1 "Blessed is the man..." Many times people make decisions based on what they THINK will make them happy. However, the error in this logic, is that we cannot know what will bring us long term joy and happiness. Our creator, however, knows precisely what is necessary for us to live a fulfilling and rewarding life. Trust Him and His Word, not your fickle feelings or the philosophies of men. Obey the Bible and be a "blessed man."

08/08/11

"In the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves," 2 Timothy 2:1-2. "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh." Ephesians 5:29. I have read and heard often, "In order to love others, you have to first love yourself." I challenge anyone to prove that from the Bible. While the self-esteem philosophy is widely popular, it is also decidedly unbiblical. As believers we are to "die to self" and consider ourselves the servants of Christ and others.

08/01/11

1 Corinthians 4:21 - "What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?" Some incorrectly conclude there is only one correct approach in dealing with the sins of others. However, this text explains there is at least two. Paul said he could either come to the Corinthian believers "with a rod, or in love." The choice was up to them. When Jesus Christ comes the second time, which approach will He take with you? Will He come "with a rod, or in love." It all depends on whether or not you have repented of your sin.

07/25/11

Matthew 11: 24 - "It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee." Jesus said it would be more tolerable for the people of Sodom in the day of judgment than those of Capernaum, because Capernaum was given much more revelation/light and yet still rejected it. The same principle would apply to every person living in America. The gospel is freely proclaimed here and accessible through many different means (Churches, radio, books, pamphlets, fb). Therefore, if it is rejected, the judgment will be more severe.

07/18/11

John 13:17 - "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." I often hear people say, "I have to do what makes me happy," and many times they are referring to doing something contrary to the teachings of the Bible (divorce, fornication, etc). We do not always know what will bring us lasting happiness and peace, but God does. We should learn to trust Him and His Word. If we are not "happy," perhaps it is the result of living our lives our way, rather than God's way.

06/20/11

As you study the Bible you will find principles regarding unity (i.e. Psalm 133:1 - How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!) and separation (i.e. 2 Thess. 3:6 - Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly.). The Bible's teachings can be summarized as follows: Believers should never allow personalities and preferences to divide them or cause contention. However, believers are obligated to separate over matters of belief (doctrine) and behavior.

06/13/11

Proverbs 10:17 - "He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth." The normal reaction to instruction is to dismiss it based on 1) Who gave it (find fault with reprover), 2) How they gave it (describe it as unloving), or 3) Why they gave it (question their motive). However, the proper thing to do would be to focus on the CONTENT or SUBSTANCE of the instruction. If it is right, listen to it no matter who gave it, how they gave it or why the gave it. This is a sign of spiritual maturity.

06/06/11

The bible declares, "by GRACE are ye saved," in Ephesians 2:8, which means salvation is not earned. Instead, it is a free gift of God. However, does this give believers a license to sin? Notice what the GRACE of God teaches us, according to Titus 2:11-12, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world."

05/31/11

Romans 1:32 - "...they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Many of us are not personally guilty of committing such sinful things as fornication, adultery, dressing immodestly, drunkenness, and such like, but may find pleasure in those that do (Hollywood personalities and movies). According to Romans 1:32 it is not only those who do such things that are worthy of death, but those who find pleasure (i.e. are entertained) in them that do them.

05/23/11

Matthew 8:8-10 - "The centurion answered and said, Lord...speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. ...When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said...I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." The centurion's faith is called great because he needed no further confirmation that his servant was healed, Jesus ONLY HAD TO SPEAK THE WORD. When the Bible speaks do we in simple child like faith believe it, or do we need further confirmation? Is our Faith great?

05/16/11

Jude 1:4 - "For there are certain men...ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness (unbridled lust, i.e. doing whatever you want)." When a person gets saved they are liberated. But they are not liberated to continue in sin, but freed from sin's punishment and power. "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Galatians 5:13.

05/09/11

If you lose your bicycle, you don't get to ride it anymore. If you lose your iPod or MP3 player, you don't get to listen to it anymore. And if you lose your life, you don't get to live it anymore. Matthew 16:25 - "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Have you lost your life?

05/02/11

How many people would truly be interested in living a life of self denial (forfeiting your goals, ambitions and desires), sacrifice and servant-hood? A life that is characterized by these things is not viewed in a positive light by most people today, even professing Christians. However, they are required for disciples of Jesus Christ. Matthew 16:24 - "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

04/25/11

One proof that our culture has drifted from its Biblical roots is the many references to Karma on TV, facebook and the work place. Karma is a doctrine of the pagan religions of Buddhism and Hinduism having to do with cause and effect. If our society was more biblically oriented it would instead talk about the law of sowing and reaping. Galatians 6:7 - "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

04/18/11

Some people may be surprised to discover that the Apostle Paul said, "For I...HAVE JUDGED ALREADY, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed," (1 Corinthians 5:3). This text concerns a man in the church at Corinth, who was guilty of fornication (unscriptural sexual behavior). Paul instructs the church to, "put away from among yourselves that wicked person." This again illustrates the Bible does not universally prohibit judgment, but does caution believers about WHAT, and HOW, they judge.

04/11/11

Some people may be surprised to discover that Jesus said, "judge righteous judgment" in John 7:24, because a segment of our society appears to be familiar with only two words in the Bible, "Judge not." However, the Bible does not universally prohibit judging, or passing judgment on others. Instead it cautions believers to be careful WHAT we judge (what people eat or what days people celebrate, Romans 14) and HOW we judge (hypocritically or without mercy, Matt. 7, James 2:13).

04/04/11

Romans 12:1-2 "...present your bodies a living sacrifice...And be not conformed to this world...THAT YE MAY PROVE (discern/determine) WHAT IS that good, and acceptable, and perfect, WILL OF GOD." Sometimes it is difficult for us to determine the will of God for our lives because we have not met the prerequisites. We must first present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, NOT be conformed to the world, and change the way we think to be in harmony with the Bible. Then we can discern God's will in our lives.

03/28/11

Some things are clearly the will of God. For instance 1 Peter 4:19 says, "Wherefore let them that suffer ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing." And James 1:2 says, "Count it all joy WHEN (not IF) ye fall into divers temptations;" Sometimes it is God's will that we suffer. But we are to count it all joy because "the trying of your faith worketh patience." In other words, it is for our good. It is also for God's glory.

03/21/11

Some things are clearly the will of God. For instance 1 Thess. 5:18 says, "In every thing give thanks: for THIS IS THE WILL OF GOD in Christ Jesus concerning you." If anyone in this world ought to be thankful, it is a believer. After all, we realize we deserve to suffer throughout all eternity in the lake of fire for our sins, but God has saved us and given us a home in heaven. Therefore, "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD," Psalm 150:6.

03/14/11

Some things are clearly the will of God. For instance 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says, "For this IS THE WILL OF GOD, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication." God wants believers to be sanctified (set apart) and avoid fornication, which is unlawful sexual behaviors (premarital sex, adultery, homosexuality). While it may be hard to discern God's will in some areas of our lives, it is not difficult in this area.

03/07/11

Some things are clearly the will of God. For instance 1 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It is God's will that all men be saved. But also notice in order for someone to be saved they must repent. Repentance can be defined as self-condemnation (i.e. agreeing with God regarding our sin) or a change of mind which results in a change of action.

02/28/11

Isaiah 1:18 - "COME NOW, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Matthew 11:28 - "COME UNOT ME, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Revelation 22:17 - "And the Spirit and the bride say, COME. And let him that heareth say, COME. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." God has invited every sinner to COME to Him for salvation. Will you RSVP?

02/21/11

Romans 5:1 - "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Justification is a judicial act of God, whereby He declares the sinner righteous. It has also been more easily defined as "just as if I had never sinned." Notice in this verse that FAITH is means by which God declares the sinner righteous. Also notice that the consequence of being justified is peace with God. Are you justified? Are you trusting Jesus Christ alone to save you? Do you have peace with God?

02/14/11

2 Timothy 1:12 - "...I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Sometimes when a believer indicates he knows for sure that he will go to heaven when he dies, others view it as pride or presumptuous. However, such confidence is not rooted in one's own good works. The believer's confidence is in Jesus Christ and what He has done for him, not in his own ability to save himself.

02/07/11

Acts 16:30-31 "...Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Biblical Christianity is different from all other religions in that you do not earn your way to heaven with your good works. Instead, salvation is a gift of God, which you receive upon trusting Jesus Christ to save you from the punishment you deserve for your sins. However, salvation will result in a life of good works.

01/24/11

Luke 18:13 - "And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." In this portion of scripture, Jesus describes two men: One man, who was self-righteous, thanked God he was not like others, who were extortioners, unjust, and adulterers, and the second man (in the verse I quoted) recognized his utter sinfulness. Which man better describes you?

01/17/11

Psalm 119:105 - "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." There was a lot of attention given to the changing of zodiac signs last week. Sadly, many people reference vain things like this and never turn to the one place where they can find true direction in life, the Bible. If you want to know what God's plan is for you life and what the future holds, read God's Word.

01/10/11

Proverbs 21:4 - "An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin." 2 Corinthians 10:17 - "But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." Someone needs to come up with a bumper sticker that says, "I am proud of...NOTHING!" According to the Bible, no one in the human race has anything to be proud of. So, just admit you are an unclean sinner and Trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour. Then glory (boast) in Him!

01/03/11

SAINT BRAD! Philippians 1:1 - "...to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi..." The Bible refers to every living believer as a Saint. The word saint literally means "holy one." And while believers are not practically holy, they are positionally holy. When someone puts their faith in Jesus Christ, God gives to them the righteousness and holiness of Jesus Christ. Do you possess the righteousness and holiness of Jesus Christ? Are you a saint?

LISTEN

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