Monday Mini-Messages 2015

Monday's Mini-Messages 2015

12/28/15

Luke 14:25 - "And there went great multitudes with him..." During the first half of Jesus' earthly ministry He enjoyed great popularity. However, this popularity would not last. Jesus continued to lose disciples in the last half of His ministry until there were only a hand full of people standing by Him at the cross. In this text great multitudes followed Jesus, but most were not following Him for the right reasons. They were there because what was happening was new, sensational and the "in thing." But when it ceased to be new, exciting and in vogue, they would go back to their normal lives, in search of the next new thing. Are you following Jesus, and if so, why are you following Him? Our motives will often determine the degree to which we will follow Him and whether or not we will persist in the midst of trials.

12/21/15

When life deals you a bad hand! Mark 3:1 - "And he (Jesus) entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand." As a result of this man's bad hand, he had physical limitations, emotional challenges and even spiritual restrictions under the Old Testament law, Leviticus 21:19. Therefore, many would have understood if he was bitter, discouraged and depressed. His bad hand could have led him to forsake church, disbelieve the Bible and reject God, but that is not what he did. Instead, he was in the synagogue on the Sabbath, which resulted in him meeting Jesus and having his hand restored. Like this man, we sometimes feel as though life has "dealt us a bad hand," and may be prone to blame God for our supposed hardship, but keep in mind this man's infirmity became a means by which Jesus was glorified. Perhaps, God desires to use our infirmities to bring glory to His name. So, when you feel life has "dealt you a bad hand," don't fold, but wait for a better hand!

12/07/15

ALL Souls Matter! Luke 15:4 - "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?" In Luke chapter fifteen Jesus gives three parables concerning a lost sheep, a lost coin and a lost son. And though in each case ONLY ONE is lost, while numerous are home safe, the lost ONE is searched for until it is found. In addition, each parable states there is great rejoicing when the lost object is found. If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ to save you, He is searching for you. Though you are only one person, and He already has numerous children, He still wants to save you. Luke 15:7 - "...joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

11/30/15

Mark 2:5 - "When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee." This passage is referring to the faith of four friends who went to great lengths to get their sick companion to Jesus. Because the crowds were so great and the house was too full, the four friends had to uncover the roof and lower their friend to where Jesus stood. The degree of faith (or confidence) they had in Jesus' ability to heal their friend is demonstrated by the extent to which they were willing to go to get him to the Savior. Had they lacked confidence in Jesus' ability, they would have given up upon seeing the crowded house and lines of people. Do we have the same degree of confidence in Jesus' ability to save us from our sins? Likewise, do we have confidence in His ability to save our lost loved ones and friends. If so, it will demonstrate itself in the extent to which we are willing to go to bring the gospel to them.

11/23/15

Mark 1:40-41 - "...there came a leper to (Jesus)...saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean." The leper in this account was confident Jesus could heal him. However, the leper appears to be uncertain whether or not it was Jesus' will. Perhaps, the leper felt himself unworthy of the Savior's mercy and Grace. Likewise, each of us are unworthy of God's forgiveness for our sin, but because He loves us He makes it available to us nonetheless. We must simply come to Jesus Christ believing He can cleanse us from our spiritual infirmity. Put your confidence in Jesus Christ to save you.

11/16/15

1Pe 4:3-4 - "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you:" As a believer, does the world think we are strange because we do not lust, indulge and party like they do? Do they speak evil of us? If not, we are apparently doing something wrong, as our lives are suppose to be noticeably different from the world around us.

11/09/15

1 Peter 4:17-18 - "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" Verse 12 of this chapter speaks of the "fiery trial" which is to try believers. This refers to the lost world's treatment of the people of God. Thus the point of this passage is that if God does not prevent these trials in the lives of believers, certainly the unsaved will not escape the Judgment of God. While repenting of your sin and trusting Christ as your savior will not exempt you from trials, it is certainly better than the alternative.

11/02/15

Matthew 13:19 - "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart..." In this passage Jesus taught that the devil is actively involved in suppressing the truth of the gospel from those who do not understand it. Has he succeeded in keeping you spiritually blind to the truth that a man is saved by faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ?

10/26/15

Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." It is not uncommon for those who espouse biblical views to have others respond by saying things like: "It is the 21st Century," "Get with the times," or "That is so archaic!" While a considerable amount of time may have elapsed since the scriptures were recorded, Jesus Christ is still the same, and God's moral laws remain unchanged. The evolution in our culture's thinking does not demonstrate the irrelevancy of the Bible or those who adhere to its teachings, but is rather an indication as to how far our society has moved from the biblical standard.

10/19/15

2 Samuel 21:22 - "These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants." In the Bible you do not hear too much about giants being slain before David slew Goliath, but you hear a lot about it afterwards. It appears that giant slayers produce giant slayers! This is why it is frightening that most Christian youth have never witnessed their parents fighting "giants," let alone winning against them! Just as Israel had enemies who were giants in David's day, God's people have giant enemies today. Who will be like David and courageously step forward to engage in spiritual warfare? Who will do battle with the giant of darwinism? Who will do battle with the giant of secularism? Who will do battle with moral relativism, communism, atheism and feminism? Who will do battle with the cultural giants of fornication, homosexuality and drunkenness? Who will follow in the footsteps of the greatest giant killer of all time, Jesus? He did spiritual battle with the Pharisees, Sadduccees, Herodians, Legion, Satan and even DEATH and WON!

10/12/15

2 Samuel 24:14 - "...I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man." After David had sinned against God, he was given the opportunity to choose his punishment: war, famine or pestilence. Rather than rely on the mercy of Israel's enemies, he choose pestilence, knowing God would be merciful. He was right, as verse 16 points out God prematurely put an end to the pestilence. Jonah also testified of the goodness of God (though Jonah was actually upset about God's longsuffering to Nineveh) in Jonah 4:2, "...O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil." It is common for God haters to falsely accuse the God of the Old Testament as being mean and cruel , but the honest Bible student would have to agree with the Psalmist when he said, "O taste and see that the LORD is good...," Psalm 34:8.

10/05/15

2 Samuel 18:33 - "And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" Prior to this passage Absalom stole the hearts of the people of Israel and led a coup against his father David. The events which followed resulted in David's military commander killing Absalom. However, upon learning of Absalom's death, David responds much differently than expected. Instead of celebrating, or being relieved, at the death of one who rebelled against him, he wept bitterly. This should remind us of the actions of God. While Adam, Eve, and everyone of us have rebelled against God by our sin, He does not respond with immediate judgment, nor does He take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze. 33:11). Instead, He made a way for us to be forgiven for our sins.

09/28/15

1 Corinthians 9:25 - "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." It is easy for us to get caught up in the humanistic philosophies of DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, or IF IT FEELS GOOD, DO IT. But the Bible and Godly character teaches us otherwise. Our actions are not to be directed by our fickle feelings, but rather by the unchanging principles of the Bible. And godly character is what gives us the discipline to do what we ought to do, rather than what we feel like doing.

8/25/15

Jeremiah 38:3 - "Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it." Jeremiah delivered, what was perceived to be, a negative message to the people of Israel. He told them if they did not leave the city and surrender to the Babylonians they would die. His warning was not heeded. The false prophets rejected Jeremiah's message from the Lord and assured the people everything would be okay, and they made Jeremiah look like the bad guy. As a result of their unbelief they died just as God had said. Likewise, many today deny the message of God and His messengers. God has clearly told us in the Bible that we are all sinners and if we do not repent of our sin and trust in Jesus Christ to save us, we will be separated from Him forever in the lake of fire. While this might be perceived as negative by some. In reality, it is a message of warning and compassion. God warns us of impending judgment and provides a means of escape. However, we must come to Him on His terms. If you have not already done so, Trust Jesus Christ and escape coming judgment.

8/10/15

YES MEN! 2 Chronicles 8:7 - "There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire of the LORD: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil..." Like in this text, it is common for some leaders to surround themselves with people who will always support their ideas and never be resistant to them. However, this can be dangerous. When this kind of leader proposes a plan with serious flaws in it, there is no one to offer an opposing voice. Therefore, the plan is implemented and everyone is hurt in the end. Likewise, many people fall into a similar snare in their own personal lives. They surround themselves with people who will always sympathize with them and never dare judge any of their actions or words. But then when a person like this behaves in a harmful manner, whether it be emotionally, financially or spiritually harmful, there is no one to object and try to help them change. A good friend is not a "yes man," but one who will truly look out for your best interest, and sometimes that includes telling you to quit being stupid!

07/27/15

John 8:5 - "Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such (adulterers) should be stoned: but what sayest thou?" Someone asked me yesterday if I had a favorite message that was preached by my home pastor, Pastor Bill Hendricks. I told them of a message he preached from John chapter 8 over 18 years ago. He explained in his message that each of us, like the woman taken in adultery, are condemned by the law and deserve to die spiritually. However, as illustrated by this account, Jesus would rather extend mercy to us than judgment. However, before we can be the recipients of God's mercy we must come face to face with our sin and repent of it. Very few words should thrill the heart of the sinner more than Jesus' words in verse 11, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

7/20/15

The Regressives!" Romans 1:32 - "Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." The last half of Romans chapter 1 explains the consequences of rejecting God's revelation. The first step of regression is a rejection of God and His truth, vs. 19-23. This in turn leads to a reprobate mind where you think backwards (i.e. Contrary to God's truth). One of the last steps is the practice of homosexuality, vs. 24-28. Then the final step is judgment, but judgment is not only for those who participate in the specific sins mentioned, but those who "have pleasure in them that do them," (i.e. They support it).

7/13/15

Isaiah 1:9 - "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we (Israel) should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." This passage should encourage Jesus' disciples because it indicates it may only take a remnant of believers to prevent the judgment of God upon a people. While the majority of Americans may have rejected God and His truth, the remnant who remain can prevent its destruction. So, might God's people continue to be the salt and light of the nation.

06/29/15

Proverbs 23:26 - "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." My home Pastor, Bill Hendricks, and I have often talked about how boys tend to mimic their father's actions. My pastor always says this is scary for dads. Truly, being a dad is a tremendous responsibility and one dads should take seriously. May we be a kind and godly fathers worthy of our sons imitation and may we also seek to imitate the behavior of our Heavenly Father.

6/01/15

The Voice - Matthew 3:3 "For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord..." The New Testament says John the Baptist was the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isaiah 40:3. He was a lone voice calling upon men to prepare to receive their Saviour. Likewise, God has called upon His saints today to be a voice and call upon men to repent of their sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ. Have you heard the cry? Have you prepared your heart for receiving Jesus Christ as your Saviour?

5/18/15

Hebrews 4:12 - "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." If you have never been a part of a Bible believing church, you may be unfamiliar with the expression, "He stepped on my toes." Someone may say this when a preacher says something which applies directly to their life and their sin. The relevancy of bible preaching is not the result of pastors having a crystal ball, or security camera pointed at someone's life. Rather, it is because the Bible is a "discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

05/11/15

A Mother's Advice - Proverbs 31:1-4 - "The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him...Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink." King Lemuel's mother gave him some timeless motherly advice. She said avoid 1) Strange (immoral) women and 2) Strong (alcoholic) Drink. Or you could say Loose women and Liquor, or Women and Wine or Ladies and Liquor. Regardless of how you say it, it is good advice as "...many strong men have been slain by her (the immoral woman)" Proverbs 7:27, and "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise," Proverbs 20:1.

05/04/15

Matthew 23:5 - "But all their works they do for to be seen of men:" As Jesus instructs His disciples in this passage He warns them of one of the errors of the scribes and Pharisees, which was to perform their good deeds in order to appear unto men to be righteous. However, no one can ever be righteous on their own merits, as we have all sinned. The fact that we so often do good works only to appear righteous to others, demonstrates the sinful nature of man. We should spend more time contemplating what God thinks of us, rather than what others think of us and God has declared all of us to be unrighteous. But He also has provided a means by which we can be justified (declared righteous), and it is by trusting in the finished work of Christ to save us. Romans 3:28 - "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

4/27/15

Matthew 6:2 - "Therefore when thou doest thine alms (giving or charitable acts), do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward." Our sinful nature causes us to want to announce our good deeds to rest of the world, and usually when this is done it will merit the applause of others, but that will be the extent of our reward. That is what Jesus meant when He said, "They have their reward." However, if we desire to receive ETERNAL rewards, we must not do our alms to be seen of men. Instead, we must do them in secret and then "...thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly," (Matthew 6:4). Motives are just as important to God as the acts themselves.

04/20/15

Proverbs 20:6 - "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?" One of the reasons social media is so popular is because it gives people a tool to promote themselves, and this is a natural desire of man's sinful nature. But in Proverbs 20:6 the man who proclaims his own goodness is contrasted with a faithful man. Therefore, a faithful man does not promote himself, but seeks to glorify God and edify others. Which type of person are we, a self-promoter or a faithful man?

04/13/15

2 Peter 1:16 - "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." Some claim there is no evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ. However, the bible includes the eye witness testimonies of Jesus' disciples. And while some like to propose the unsupported claim that they were lying, it is unlikely they allowed themselves to be martyred for a lie.

4/06/15

After hearing Peter's preaching in Acts 5:33 the hearers "...were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them (the disciples)..." After Stephen preached in Acts 7:54 those who heard him "...were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth." Jesus told Saul of Tarsus, "it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." After Jesus spoke to the men in John chapter 8, they "which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one." In Acts 24:25 when Paul "...reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled..." All of these accounts substantiate John 16:8, which says, " And when he (the Holy Ghost) is come, he will reprove the world of sin..." God works in the hearts of sinners to convict them of their sin and point them to the One who can forgive them. So, when the truths of scripture pierce your heart, do not lash out at the messenger, but turn to Jesus Christ, who is eager to forgive you.

03/30/15

Isaiah 58:1 - "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression..." Upon graduating high school, I began attending Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois. Being more interested in wrestling and other things, studying was not a priority. As a result, I failed the first four writing assignments in my English class. Realizing I was in danger of failing the class, I went to my teacher for some direction. I have never forgotten the advice he gave me; and I had no idea how practical it would be to me years later when I began preaching. He told me I needed to give specifics and examples in my writings, rather than always speaking in generalities. This was good advice. A preacher can speak boldly regarding sin and as long as he never names WHICH SINS no one is likely to get mad. But no one will get right with God either. So, please excuse this preacher, if I try to define sin specifically. I am only trying to give those who are overtaken with sin the opportunity to turn from it. I am also being true to my calling and heeding some good advice I received in the past.

03/23/15

EXECUTIVE ORDER! Jonah 3:7-10 - "And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying…let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way..." This passage references a decree put forth by the King of Nineveh, which resulted in God withholding His judgment upon this city. Oh that God would give America a leader who would put forth this type of executive order. A leader who would reject political correctness and pluralism in favor of the truths of scripture. This may do more to fix America's ills than the passing of 10,000 laws.

3/16/15

Romans 13:11 - "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep..." The Great Awakening is considered to be one of the greatest spiritual revivals to ever occur. Ben Franklin commented on its effects, "It seem'd as if all the world were growing religious, so that one could not walk thro' the town in an evening without hearing pslams sung in different families of every street." One of the preachers God greatly used during this time was Jonathan Edwards and during his famous sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," he made the following statements: "The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you and is dreadfully provoked...You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it and ready every moment to singe it and burn it asunder." These comments remind me of a another sermon preached by a man of God in Nineveh which sparked a national revival: Jonah cried out, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" Jonah 3:4. This type of preaching would be harshly criticized by today's popular Christianity, which may also be why we see no signs of significant revival. Dr. Clinton Branine, teacher at Indiana Baptist College in Greenwood, Indiana, once recounted an experience he had while pastoring Suburban Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana decades ago. During a week of special meetings a visiting preacher was speaking nightly. After a couple of services, some of the men in the church came to Dr. Branine and suggested he ask the preacher to leave. The men felt the preacher was too harsh. However, Dr. Branine asked the men if the preacher had said anything that was doctrinally incorrect. The men admitted that the preacher had not. So, the meetings went on as scheduled. By the end of the week, God was working in a mighty way. The meeting went on for 3 weeks and dozens of people were saved. This would never have happened had the meetings been stopped because some felt the preaching was too rough. I know the larger part of Christians today think we need more positive sermons, which make people feel better about themselves. Christians want to be comforted, coddled and told how special they are. However, I contend this is not the kind of preaching America needs. George Whitfield commented about what he thought the early American colonies needed: "The Christian world is in a deep sleep! Nothing but a loud voice can awaken them out of it." Perhaps, that is what America needs today. It is high time for us to awake out of our spiritual sleep.

03/09/15

Romans 10:3 - "For they (Israel) being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." For twenty years I have witnessed God fearing saints called Pharisees because of their desire to obey Christ in all matters (not as a means of salvation, but as a result of salvation). However, the chief error of the Pharisees was not their desire to obey Christ, but their rejection of Him as the Son of God. They also prided themselves on their own self-righteousness, rather than repenting of their sins and trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ for their salvation. In contrast to this, Bible believing Christians whole heartedly receive Christ as the Son of God and Saviour of the World. Likewise, they have no confidence in the flesh and trust exclusively in Christ for their salvation. The world is getting a glimpse of who the true Pharisees are today by witnessing the actions of many fundamental Muslims. They reject Jesus Christ as the Son of God and are attempting to secure their own righteousness through their good deeds. Have you rejected Christ as the lone Saviour of the world? Are you trusting in your own righteousness, or have you submitted yourself to the Righteousness of Christ?

03/02/15

The Good Ole' Days - Ecclesiastes 7:10 - "Say not thou, What is the cause that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this." Notice the Bible seems to say we should not refer to the past as the good ole' days, assuming they were better than current times. The reason this is "unwise" is because when we say this, we are making an assumption that our generation in its youth was morally superior than the current one. In truth, we were just as selfish, wicked and carnal as they are. This does not discount the fact that things are "waxing worse and worse" as 2 Timothy 3:13 explains, but it highlights that man has always been, and will always be, sinful. This is why every generation needs Jesus Christ!

2/23/15

Romans 3:19 - "Now we know that 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." It has often been said by preachers that you cannot be saved until you first realize you are lost. When pastors and believers point out people's sins, their motives are often impugned, as some assume this is done for self righteous reasons. However, the true motive is to make sinners aware of their need for salvation. Do you recognize that you have offended a holy God by breaking his moral laws? Do you realize the punishment for such behavior is eternal separation from Him? Because until you realize this, you are not in a position to be saved.

02/16/15

Psalm 39:7 - "And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee." A story is told of researchers who divided rats into two different groups and placed them in containers filled with water. The researchers would periodically pick up the rats from group one and immediately drop them back into the water. However, the second group was left alone. While the second group of rats drowned within 1 hour, the first group survived nearly 24 hours in the water. The first group did not survive longer because they were allowed to rest, as the researchers only momentarily lifted them out of the water. Instead, the researchers concluded they lasted so much longer because they held out hope that someone would at any time come and lift them out of the water. In other words, their perseverance was due to HOPE! Hope is a powerful thing. It is so powerful that when a person's life is filled with pain and negative circumstances and they are convinced it will never get any better, they commit suicide. In the Bible the word hope means confident expectation, and all of those who have repented of their sin and put their faith in Jesus Christ to save them can confidently expect to be taken out of this world one day and into his presence. The Bible calls this the "Blessed Hope" in Titus 2:13. Do you have this hope?

2/09/15

Psalm 127:1 - "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it..." Have you ever tried to run your two-cycle chain saw with unmixed fuel, or your vehicle without regularly scheduled oil changes? It does not normally work out well. If you want the most effective results from your equipment, you must operate them according to the manufacturers guidelines. Likewise, if our lives and homes are to bring forth the greatest results, we must pattern them after the principles given to us by our creator. While there are some circumstances outside of people's control, we should strive to pattern our lives, as best we can, after the principles of the Word of God. The world wants to do away with any reminder of God and this includes dismissing the necessity of a biblical home with a father, who provides and protects, a mother who supports the husband and guides the home, and children who are expected to obey their parents. But, according to the Bible, this is a blueprint for successful families.

2/02/15

John 3:19-20 - "...light (Jesus) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." If you have ever walked into a lighted room after being in the darkness, you know how hurtful it can be to the eyes. This is similar to what happens when a sinner comes into contact with the truth of the gospel. It is an unpleasant experience because his sin is revealed, and for this reason many people avoid the gospel, or reject it. Is this perhaps why you have rejected the gospel? If so, I implore you to come to Christ and see yourself for the sinner you are. Then repent of your sin and trust Him to save you.

1/26/15

Hate Speech - Jeremiah 26:8 - "Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die." As you read this verse, it appears that times have not really changed that much. If you preach ALL of the Bible to ALL of the people, there will be many who want to lynch you. And it is not because what you are saying is hateful, it is because people hate what you are saying! The Bible is not a popular book in this apostate hour in which we live. But the saints of God are not called upon to go along with what is popular, but to be faithful to God and His word.

01/19/15

Jonah 2:8 - "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." When we live our lives according to spiritual untruths, we forsake mercy that would otherwise be extended to us. For instance if we believe the lie of evolution, or the popular myth that we can work our way to heaven, we cannot be the recipients of God's mercy, as His mercy is only extended to those who believe Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world and trust Him, and His redemptive work, to save them.

1/12/15

Proverbs 29:27 - "An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked." The reason people disagree on multitudes of subjects is because they have different sources of authority and as a result differing world views. For example a bible believing Christian views the world through the teachings of scripture, while a humanist views it through the theory of evolution. So, don't expect the two to ever come to the same conclusions until they first deal with the root cause of their differences. In truth, man is the product of God's design. It is simply mathematically impossible for earth and all of its varying and complex life forms to have evolved through natural processes.

1/05/15

Proverbs 1:23 - "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." When a doctor warns you about the dangers of over eating or smoking, it is not because he is self-righteous. When a dentist warns you about the consequences of neglecting oral hygiene, it is not because he thinks he is better than you. When a financial advisor warns you of the folly of spending everything now, to the neglect of your future, it is not because he does not care about you. No, these individuals are demonstrating genuine care for our lives. Likewise, when God warns people of the dangers of sinful practices such as fornication, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, covetousness, envy, and such, he is doing it out of a genuine love and concern for people and their eternal souls.

LISTEN

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