Saturday, July 9, 2016
Hate, Where Does It Come From?
We have certainly seen nothing but hate in our world lately. Almost every segment of society has been affected by it. But where in the world does it come from? What is the source of hate? The word of God answers the question perfectly and gives at least seven sources. #1.Ignorance: In a letter to Timothy Paul admitted that when he had persecuted the church it was done out of ignorance (1Ti. 1:13). Jesus when He was dying on the cross prayed to God to forgive them because “they do not know what they are doing.” #2. Envy: Cain is a perfect example of envious hatred resulting in the murder of his brother Able. Pilate realized that it was envy that caused the Jewish leaders to desire the crucifixion of Christ (Mt. 27:18). #3. Lack of self respect: We are commanded to love our neighbor as ourselves, which we would be unable to do if our self image was lacking. #4. A lack of a prayer life: Jesus taught us to pray for those who hate us, not an easy task but it is impor-tant not to allow resentment and animosity to take control of our lives (Mt.5:44). #5. Selfishness: Jesus instructed us to “deny our-selves, take up our cross and follow Him.” It is impossible for a selfish person to comply with this (Mt.6:24). #6. A poor relationship with God: The importance of God’s involvement in our lives is crucial for us to have healthy relationships with others. The parable of the judgment in Mt. 25:31-46, was given by the Lord to teach us just how important it is to have a solid relationship with our Savior. #7. We hate because we just do not realize that it will cause us to be condemned. John wrote that if we say we love God but hate our brother, we are liars. Why? One who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen (1 John 4:20-21). Hate is a cancer on society and will not get any better until the day of judgment. God bless, Dave Howard
Luke 3:9 - And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Do you like good fruits? What do you do with fruits that are bad? You throw them away. What if you have an orange tree that bears sour oranges? Again, you cut it down and plant another tree.
In the same manner, what makes anyone thinks that God will continue to keep a tree that does not bear fruit, or does not bear good fruit? John the Baptist said God will cut it down. Christ said the same too (Matt 7:19).
A tree is known by its fruit. In the immediate context, John was referring to the fruitless Jewish nation who rejected Christ. The tree that is the Jewish nation did not bring forth good fruit and was cut down. God rejects the Jewish nation and opens the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
Every professing believer is a tree. And every professing believer bears fruit of some kind, whether it is good or bad. Therefore, every professing believer can generally be known by the fruits that he is bearing.
The “fruit” refers to our works. Therefore, in a general sense, we can usually tell who is a true Christian and who is a false one by examining his fruit with the Word of God. We observe the things he does, the kind of words that proceed from his mouth, and how he treats his fellow men. Our Lord says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt 6:16).
Good works glorify God. That being said, I must stress that we are not saved by good works. But every Christian who is a true follower of Christ will want to imitate the example of his Saviour and does good works. Every Christian is a product of Christ. Paul wrote: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10).
We are “his workmanship” means we are God’s new creation: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).
Christians are the product of God’s creation “unto good works”. And He has “ordained that we should walk in them.” Therefore, a Christian must be a fruitful tree that brings forth good fruit because that's what he is created for; and so are we.
Note that a tree is known not by the fullness of its leaves, but by its fruits. Christ saw a fig tree which was full of leaves but no fruits; he cursed the unfruitful fig tree (Matt 21:19). He was reinforcing His teaching that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit shall be cast down.
A tree can look healthy on the outside, big, strong and full of leaves. Yet, in spite of its outward appearance, if it does not bear good fruit, it is worthless. Christ condemned the Pharisees who outwardly appeared holy but were rotten to the core: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matt 23:27).
In the same way, a professing Christian can make a good and loud pretence of saying he believes in Jesus, but whose heart is full of malice and all covetousness, he is bearing bad fruit. Paul wrote: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph 4:31). Those are the evil fruits which belong to the devil.
But the Christian who is clothed with Christ bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” (Gal 5:22-23).
Are you bearing good fruit? We are known by the fruit that we bear. Let us imitate the example of our Lord and bear good fruit. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet 2:21).
Jimmy Lau
Psa 119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
Do you like good fruits? What do you do with fruits that are bad? You throw them away. What if you have an orange tree that bears sour oranges? Again, you cut it down and plant another tree.
In the same manner, what makes anyone thinks that God will continue to keep a tree that does not bear fruit, or does not bear good fruit? John the Baptist said God will cut it down. Christ said the same too (Matt 7:19).
A tree is known by its fruit. In the immediate context, John was referring to the fruitless Jewish nation who rejected Christ. The tree that is the Jewish nation did not bring forth good fruit and was cut down. God rejects the Jewish nation and opens the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
Every professing believer is a tree. And every professing believer bears fruit of some kind, whether it is good or bad. Therefore, every professing believer can generally be known by the fruits that he is bearing.
The “fruit” refers to our works. Therefore, in a general sense, we can usually tell who is a true Christian and who is a false one by examining his fruit with the Word of God. We observe the things he does, the kind of words that proceed from his mouth, and how he treats his fellow men. Our Lord says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt 6:16).
Good works glorify God. That being said, I must stress that we are not saved by good works. But every Christian who is a true follower of Christ will want to imitate the example of his Saviour and does good works. Every Christian is a product of Christ. Paul wrote: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10).
We are “his workmanship” means we are God’s new creation: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).
Christians are the product of God’s creation “unto good works”. And He has “ordained that we should walk in them.” Therefore, a Christian must be a fruitful tree that brings forth good fruit because that's what he is created for; and so are we.
Note that a tree is known not by the fullness of its leaves, but by its fruits. Christ saw a fig tree which was full of leaves but no fruits; he cursed the unfruitful fig tree (Matt 21:19). He was reinforcing His teaching that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit shall be cast down.
A tree can look healthy on the outside, big, strong and full of leaves. Yet, in spite of its outward appearance, if it does not bear good fruit, it is worthless. Christ condemned the Pharisees who outwardly appeared holy but were rotten to the core: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matt 23:27).
In the same way, a professing Christian can make a good and loud pretence of saying he believes in Jesus, but whose heart is full of malice and all covetousness, he is bearing bad fruit. Paul wrote: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph 4:31). Those are the evil fruits which belong to the devil.
But the Christian who is clothed with Christ bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” (Gal 5:22-23).
Are you bearing good fruit? We are known by the fruit that we bear. Let us imitate the example of our Lord and bear good fruit. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet 2:21).
Jimmy Lau
Psa 119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
World Christian Radio
Imprisoned But Free
Gayle Crowe of World Christian Radio once wrote about a
man who found a ministry in prison:
In the early 1990’s, Dinh Trung, a Vietnamese Christian,
was thrown into jail for telling others about Jesus. While his wife and small children waited for
him at home, thousands of Christians around the world wrote letters to Dinh
Trung, supporting and encouraging him after they learned of his plight from
Voice of the Martyrs.
While others were writing and praying, what was Dinh
Trung doing? [He was] preaching to his
cellmates in the Quang Ngai prison. Over
the years many prisoners were brought to Christ. (“After all,” as the December 2006 VOM
newsletter reminds its readers, “he had a captive audience.”)
Recently prison officials
– concerned about the number of prisoners who had become Christians –
came to Dinh Trung to offer to let him go home months early. He stunned the officials by replying, “I
demand my right to complete my prison sentence.” He was alarmed that his teaching opportunity
was about to be taken away. Realizing
they had no other recourse, prison officials allowed him to stay.
His wife’s response was, “I am happy that God has given
my husband a ministry.” *
Why would a man choose to stay in prison when he could be
set free?
For Dinh Trung, the answer is that he had the opportunity
in prison to tell others about freedom in Christ!
It was the same for the Apostle Paul. From prison, he wrote to some concerned
Christians: “But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to
me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has
become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains
are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by
my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear… Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice,
yes, and will rejoice” (Philippians 1:12-14, 18).
Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you
abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you FREE” (John
8:32).
The Truth is:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of
sin” (John 8:34). “All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Therefore, all have become enslaved and condemned by it (Romans 6:23).
The Truth is: “if the Son makes you free, you shall be
free indeed” (John 8:36). Through
Christ, we are freed from sin’s guilt, its power, and its condemnation! “There is therefore now no condemnation to
those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).
The Truth is: Jesus died on the cross to save us from our
sins. He paid the price for our
redemption so that we might have salvation and receive the gift of eternal life
(Ephesians 1:7).
The Truth is: God will save those who place their faith
and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized into
Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-4). Then, as we continue to walk in the light of
His Word, the blood of Jesus will continue to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7).
Although they were in prison, the Apostle Paul and Dinh
Trung shared the Good News (the Gospel) of freedom in Christ! In Christ, we are free indeed!
Won’t YOU accept the offer of freedom from sin through
your trusting obedience to Christ?
-- David A. Sargent
* From “Different, Odd, and God” by Gayle Crowe of World
Christian Radio as shared in PREACHER STUFF MINISTRY RESOURCE EXCHANGE
(6/29/16), edited by Dan Williams of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Easy to preach sermons
Here are some easy to preach sermon outlines and they are FREE!
Get more easy to preach sermon outlines on our free sermon outlines web site.
Get more easy to preach sermon outlines on our free sermon outlines web site.
Saturday, July 2, 2016
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Riptide!
Neal Pollard accompanied his son, Carl, on his senior
trip. They were enjoying themselves at
St. Pete’s Beach in the Tampa (FL) area, when Neal suffered a harrowing
experience. Here is Neal’s account of
that experience:
“We were … swimming and playing in the water not far from
a fishing pier. Somehow, I was pulled
into a riptide and quickly pulled out toward the Gulf. The shore quickly grew distant and my subpar
swimming abilities were tellingly useless.
A couple of fishermen told me I was caught in it, and my best hope was
to try and move parallel to the waves and angle for a point about a half-mile
up from where I was. That was a
painfully slow process, and the water kept taking me where it wished. I was on the other side of the pier, moving
generally toward that point but still in the grips of the tide, when Dale
[another of Neal’s sons] swam out and helped pull me out of the current until I
could finally get to shallower water and make my way back onto the beach. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I
believe Dale saved my life.” *
Neal’s perilous condition while caught in the riptide
pictures our condition due to sin.
Because of our wrong choices, we are “caught up” and “entrapped” in our
sin and doomed. Unless we receive some
outside help, we will die (Romans 6:23).
James Rowe, in the lyrics of the song “Love Lifted Me,”
wrote from a similar vantage point as Neal’s while also pointing to the One who
can save us from sin:
“I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry, From
the waters lifted me, now safe am I.”
“Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help,
Love lifted me!”
When we were drowning because of our sins, God sent His
one and only Son to rescue us (John 3:16).
Jesus had to die on the cross in order to save us, but His death paid
the price for our sins and provided salvation and eternal life for us
(Ephesians 1:7).
In order to receive His salvation and the gift of eternal
life, we must “take His hand” through our trusting obedience: placing our faith
and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance (Acts
17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Praising God for salvation in Christ, James
Lowe also wrote:
“All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling.
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing.
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.”
In the third and final verse of the song, Lowe makes an
appeal to all who are caught in the “riptide” of sin:
“Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves, He
will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey, He
your Savior wants to be, be saved today.”
Won’t YOU “look above” and accept the Lord’s offer of
salvation through your trusting obedience?
-- David A. Sargent
* From “The Danger of Being Swept Away” by Neal Pollard
in Daily Bread (6/6/16), an e-mail ministry of Neal and the Bear Valley church
of Christ in Denver, CO.
Friday, July 1, 2016
Freedom That Makes Us Free Indeed!
Many modern
Americans have a rabid focus on freedom and liberty.
Sadly, because our culture has largely rejected the
reality of moral and spiritual truth, liberty for millions is now nothing more
than a license to sin and a demand to live life free of any moral and spiritual
restraints & strictures beyond what individuals decide between their own
ears. Because of that, many wrongs are now declared to be right. Sin has been
baptized and sanitized to the point many things once considered to be sinful now
enjoy widespread social acceptance as well as legal and constitutional protection. There is a
“new normal” which very often is the same old immoral behavior and thinking
wrapped up in new verbal packaging and terminology. Where and when and even if
America’s current gallop away from God and His truth will ever stop is
anybody’s guess. All the more reason, then, for genuine Christians to tighten
their grip even more firmly on the great truth declared by Jesus Christ in John
8:32, 34, 36 – “You shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free . .
. . Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. . .
Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” As you think
about the political and legal freedoms we enjoy as Americans, consider, as
space allows, just a few ways New Testament writers depict the magnificent
freedom Christ gained for us through His perfect and peerless performance as
our Savior at the cross:
☛ He
ransomed us from sin – Matthew 20:28;
Mark 10:45;
1 Timothy 2:6.
☛ He
redeemed us from sin – Galatians
3:13; Ephesians 1:7;
Titus
2:14; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
☛ He
reconciled us to God – Ephesians 2:16;
Colossians 1:20-22;
Romans
5:6-11.
☛ He
delivered (rescued) us – Galatians
1:4; Colossians 1:12-13;
1 Timothy
1:10.
☛ He
saved us from our sins – Matthew 1:21.
☛ He
provided propitiation for our sins (that’s good news – check a Bible
dictionary!)
– Romans 3:23-25.
☛ He
justified us, made peace with God & gave us access into God’s
grace by
faith – Romans 5:1.
☛ He
gave us newness of life through His death, burial, and resurrection,
pictured
beautifully by our repentance and burial into His death in
baptism and
subsequent rising to a new life – Romans 6:1-6.
☛ He
released us from the guilt of sin and keeps us in a state of no
condemnation
– Romans 8:1-3.
☛ He
made us who once were far off from God near through His blood,
made peace,
gave us access to the Father, and made provisions for us
to become
fellow-citizens with the saints and members of the
household of
God, a holy temple in the Lord, a habitation of God in the
Spirit –
Ephesians 2:13-22.
Christ
provides us with a freedom that makes us free indeed!
I close with a
statement I read a while back – “I spent most of my life
searching for
the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Then I finally
found it at
the foot of the cross.” Won’t you think about it?
--Dan Gulley
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