Thursday, April 30, 2009

This is the day.


Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.

Sometimes we seem to think that what others are doing is insignificant. We look at people and say, "That project really doesn't look too important." Some of the things aroud the church, or in the ministry seem to be "small" things that have no real value. God has a task for each of us, He expects us to carry out our task with diligence. Next time you think what you are doing, or what someone else is doing for the Lord's service and glory is small, remember that nothing done for Him will be forgotten.

Some people who did "small" things in the Bible.
I. Noah. He just built a boat.
II. A widow. She gave Elijah a small meal.
III. An Israelite maid. She told Naaman about a prophet.
IV. Nehemiah. He just built a wall.
V. Jonah. He just preached a short sermon.
VI. A lad in the Gospels. He only gave two fish and five loaves.
VII. Some servants of Jesus. They only gave a cup of water.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

This is the day.



Daniel 1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Qestion: Why would Daniel worry so much about just a little bit of meat and wine?
Answer: Because God said it was wrong to eat these certain things, and He had not changed the Law for Israel.

Sometimes we cannot understand why some Christians find certain things wrong. Its because God said it is wrong. People try to say, "Well that was in the Old Testament." Things like meats and certain foods can be clearly seen to have the rules changed in the New Testament, but other things like wearing the right clothes, and the sins of impurity, sodomy, murder, theft, lies, and many other things are reinforced in the New Testament as well. People want to jump up and say, "I don't think it is necessary for me to do that." Hey, if God says its wrong, its wrong for me, its wrong for you, and its wrong for everyone else.

How can I tell if its wrong?
I. Its not about how you feel. Feelings change.
II. Its not about what you think. Thoughts can be influenced.
III. Its not about what others say. Everyon has their own opinion.
IV. Its all about what God says about it. God's Word is the final authority.

A New Name.



New name in Glory

I was once a sinner, but I came
Pardon to receive from my Lord:
This was freely given, and I found
That He always kept His word.


Chorus:
There’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
And the white robed angels sing the story,
“A sinner has come home.”
For there’s a new name written down in glory,
And it’s mine, O yes, it’s mine!
With my sins forgiven I am bound for heaven,
Never more to roam.


I was humbly kneeling at the cross,
Fearing naught by God’s angry frown;
When the heavens opened and I saw
That my name was written down.

Chorus

In the Book ’tis written, “Saved by Grace,”
O the joy that came to my soul!
Now I am forgiven, and I know
By the blood I am made whole.

Chorus

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Some Reasons I am a Baptist



What I Believe in general.

Note: Not all Baptists believe all of these things.

I. The Authority of the Bible.
If your manual is defective, you are probably not going to know how to properly assemble and operate the equipment. Likewise, if your Bible could possibly contain errors, you would never know which part is true and which is not, and you would not be able to properly order your life. The true Word of God is found in English in the King James Bible. All of the others take out parts of what God said.

II. God is Supreme. The God of the Bible. In the form of a Trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. No other "god" has any power. Man is not a god, nor is he the final authority.

III. The church is to be an independent body. Not ruled by some man or group of men.

IV. Jesus Blood is sufficient to pay for sin. Nothing else is needed.

V. Jesus is the only Mediator between God and man. Not the Pope, Mary, or some "Saint"

VI. Salvation is by Grace through Faith. It is the work of God in you, not you working to try to please God.

VII. Salvation is an eternal gift of God. You can't change what God does forever.

VIII. Man is a creation of God. Made on the sixth day of Creation. Man disobeyed God, and became a sinful being. Man cannot pay for his sin by himself. Man must be saved, for all men are sinners. Man must come to God in the manner that God has prescribed.

IX. Baptism is not part of salvation. Baptism is an act of a saved person identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism does not "wash away" sin, but is an identifying step--to show the world that you are now a Christian.

X. A Christian should try to live a life that is pure. God does not want Christians to live in a way that would bring shame to His name. Most human children try to live in such a way as to make their family name honored in the community, not to drag it through the mud. Likewise, a Christian should try to live in a way that would honor God's name, not make people think that there is no difference between a Christian and the rest of the world.

These are just some basic beliefs that I as well as most of the Baptists I know hold to (this list is not necessarily a complete list of beliefs, but is a pretty good basic list). Though some other denominations hold to parts of this, very few hold to all of these ten simple things. You can find all of these principles in the Bible, and that's why they work. God has prescribed these principles for His children.

This is the day.



Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

One of the main problems with Christianity today, is a lack of vision. So many Christians seem to want to do things in the same old way with the same old tactics, and are satisfied with the same old results. Most Christians are stuck in a rut. One Bible college professor used to say, "A rut is just a grave with both ends knocked out of it." Some things about Christianity are tried and true. For instance, the Blood of Jesus is still the only covering for sin, salvation is still by grace trough faith, and God's Word is still only preserved for us in the "old" King James Version. The point here is that other things are just getting old about what we do. Christians don't seem, as a whole, to want to be excited any more. I can tell you of a good number of "revival", and "camp" meetings where few people, if any seemed to be touched, no one shouted, no one gave the singing their all, no one gave God praise, and the overall atmosphere was cold, stale, and dead. Yet, when the meeting was over, the pastor got up and said, "God really met with us today." In actuality, it didn't seem like God was wanted in the service. The general attitude was, "prophecy smooth things." Christians need a vision for continuing the work of God, not simply "another meeting." Yes, the tried and true methods of the Bible will always work, but they will not work effectively, unless presented by men and women who have a vision.

A Christian Vision.
I. Souls. This should be our top priority.
II. Singing. We should have a song in our hearts, for this shows our joy.
III. Shouting. Praising God, and worshipping Him will always result in Him getting the glory. Why would anyone want to be a Christian, if Christians aren't excited about what they do?
IV. Service. If you were given an assignment by anyone else, you would do it without question. Have the same attitude with God.
V. Services. Attend a good, Fundamental, Bible-preaching, baptistic (preferably independent Baptist) church. Attend faithfully, with joy, and with an attitude that you want to be an asset rather than a liability to your church.
VI. Saviour. The goal in our lives should always be to honor and glorify the Saviour. Laziness, time wasting, lies, and many other 'small' things do not glorify Him. Of course, other more blatant things do not glorify Him either: Alcohol, Smoking, Immorality, Theft, Cheating, and many others are wrong, yet they are accepted by so-called "Christians."

Monday, April 27, 2009

This is the day.


II Samuel 12:1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

The background of this story is familiar to some, and unfamiliar to others. David had stayed home from battle, and while he was home had committed an affair with a married woman he saw bathing on her rooftop within his view. The woman, in turn, became with child by king David. David then brought her husband home from the war, and tried to convince him to go home and be with his wife for the night. When the woman's husband refused, David made sure that her husband would be killed in battle, thus murdering the husband of the woman with whom David had had an affair.

Nathan has now come to David with a message from God, its payday! As a direct result of his sin, David had to watch three of his sons die, and two of his sons rebel against him, trying to become king. There are consequences for your actions. Your sin will come home to roost. You can't blame God! You can't blame others! Taking a quote from verse 7, "thou art the man," its you, not everyone else that has caused the problem, and, guess what, God is not going to "blame" anyone but you for the problem as well. David, as he watched his family slowly fall apart, could not blame anyone but himself. (See devotion for March 25) America has the habit as a nation of blaming others for its problems. Americans always figure out how to point their fingers at the other person, but "thou art the man." David realized this, and wrote one of the most beautiful Psalms of repentance (Psalm 51) during this time in his life. That's also the key for you and me. Repent and let God forgive us and do a work through us, in spite of the sin that we have committed.

Accepting responsibility for your problems:
I. Realize that you have a problem.
II. Accept that you cannot fix the problem.
III. Confess to God that there is a problem, and that YOU are the cause.
IV. Ask God to help with the problem, and, more importantly, to forgive you for what you have done.
V. Be assured that there will be consequences for the action, and that you will not like the consequences.
VI. Let God take control, and, if you are His child, He will work it for your good if you are trying to serve Him.

Friday, April 24, 2009

This is the day.


I Timothy 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,

What kind of Bible teaching do you get? So many people don't get, and don't even want straight Bible teaching on hard issues. These verses tell us that many will try to teach something other than what God says is the truth. Let me point out here that the Bible (in the King James or Authorized version for English speaking people) does not simply contain truth, but it is truth. God says He honors His Word above His name, so He does not take lightly the altering of His Word, or even a wrong application of His Word. So many "versions" of the bible (not capitalized out of disrespect for perverting of God's Word) are printed today that do not really contain all the Words of God, but merely include some of His Words, and then weave the opinions of men about what God "meant" into the text so His Commandments don't seem so "harsh." Look at verse four. God says the men who do this to his Word and the doctrines contained in it "know nothing." Again, what are you getting from your personal Bible study, and the man whom you choose to instruct you in the Word of God? Are you getting truth, or are you a "know-nothing" when it comes to God's Word?

God's Word is:
I. Eternal.
II. Error free.
III. Established by Him.

God's Word is not:
I. Open for your own interpretation.
II. Unreasonable in its demands for your life.
III. To be changed or altered for any reason.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

This is the day.


Nehemiah 6:1 Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)

The thought here is about the doors in the gates. You might have your walls built, and you may have your gate posts up, but if you don't hang the doors, you not finished yet. What kind of protection have you established for your life? Is your life completley open as Jerusalem was before Nehemiah came? Is it built about half-way up like in an earlier chapter? Have you completed your walls, but somehow, you neglected to put up the doors on the gates? Jesus said He is the door, if you are going to fortify your life, you will have to do it through Him. Don't think that you can do it yourself, and don't expect things to turn out alright if you don't use the right formula for success. Let Jesus plug the breaches in your life.

Things doors keep out.
I. Tresspassers. Those who should not be hanging around.
II. Traveling salesmen. Those who would try to sell you something you don't need.
III. Theives. Those who would rob you of your blessing.
IV. Tyrants. Those who would force you to do things their way.
V. Time cosumers. Those who would keep you from what you need to do.
VI. Trouble makers. Those who would try to cause you pain and sorrow.

Things doors can't keep out.
I. Thoughts. Things that can get you in real trouble from within yourself.
II. Termites. (Small) Things that eat at your foundation.
III. Temptations. Things that you allow in that will eat at you.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

This is the day.



Psalms 125:1 They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Do you trust in the Lord? This passage tells us that those who do will abide forever. So many people have worries and fears, and the come upon all of us. What will I do? Where will I work? How will I ever live on this ammount of money? What does the future hold? Christian friend, you and I can be secure in one thing, God will never leave us. We will abide forever. God has promised that Zion will abide forever, and many have determined to destroy it. Still, there it stands, a testimony to God's faithfulness.

Things that won't abide forever:
I. Sin.
II. Sorrow.
III. Death.
IV. Sinner's freedom.
V. Satan's power.
Things that will abide forever.
I. Saints.
II. God's City.
III. God's People Israel.
IV. The Saviour.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

This is the day.




Ruth 4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

Redemption, it is God's wonderful work in you and me. How valuable are you? Really ask yourself this question. Are you as valuable as a movie star? Most people would put out a great ransom to buy back a star. Are you as vaulable as a politian? How about a sport's "hero?" A multi-billionaire? What about your boss? If you really give an honest answer to these questions, you will soon see that you have little or no value to most of the world.

"But God," two of the most wonderful words in the Bible. God thought you were worth redeeming. Many people would not want to "mar" their inheritance by taking time to love or provide for you. However, God made, or will make, you an heir. He will redeem you for himself.

Who God redeems:
I. The Wicked
II. The "good"
III. The Foolish
IV. The Proud
V. The Humble
VI. Everyone who comes.

Monday, April 20, 2009

This is the day.



Pslam 149:1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
5 Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7 To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;
8 To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;
9 To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Praise the Lord! Just think about how much God did for His people in the Bible when they simply praised Him. He takes pleasure in us, He beautifies those who will be meek with His wonderful gift of salvation. I believe we can compare the sword in verse six with our Bibles today. Verse seven shows us what happens when we apply the Word of God to the heathen God releases them, then binds them in love.

The honor of Praise.
I. We honor Him.
II. We uplift Him.
III. We abase ourselves.
IV. He meets with us.
V. He honors us.

Friday, April 17, 2009

This is the day.


Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

Have you ever prayed for patience? Well, expect tribulation if you really want to learn to be patient. Why does tribulation work patience? Well, I guess its like a sharpening stone for a knife, only the friction will create a smooth edge. I have prayed for patience this week, and, guess what, it has been the hardest week to date at work. I guess God is answering my prayer with a, yes, it sure is hard to get by sometimes. These verses contain a lot more than just patience, but this is what I needed today. Hopefully God will bless with much more patience than I have had, and then the tribulation will not seem so bad!

Tips for patience:
I. Endure tribultion. (try not to complain or get upset about it) [easier said than done] Job would not turn back.
II. Enjoy tribulation. (What!!) Paul (glory in tribulation)
III. Employ tribulation. (let God work your problems to your advantage) Joseph

Thursday, April 16, 2009

This is the day.



Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

In a day when so many Christians are falling, what a challenge this is to each one of us. Stand!! So many Christians have part of the armour of God, but do not have all of it. God wants us to take a stand. Why, if God really wants Christians to stand, wouldn't a Christian stand? Well, the pressures of the world, and the loss of a "friendship," or some other seemingly important aspect of life cause so many Christians to go astray, and make many of us give in to pressure. The trying question is simply this, "Do you love God more than anything, or anyone else?" If you won't stand for something, you'll fall for anything!! God wants us to stand up, and not just in the "big" things like dressing "properly" and standing against doctrinal heresy. God wants us to stand in the "little" things that can and will drag us down, to a semi-defeated Christian life. Its not a question of how your outside is, but how your inside is.

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

When should I take stand?
I. When everyone around takes a stand. [Most everyone will stand on basic issues.]
II. When most everyone around takes a stand. Abel (Adam and Eve stood) [Cain didn't]
III. When only a few around take a stand. (The three Hebrew Children, only two others stood)
IV. When no one else around takes a stand. Daniel, David vs. Goliath, etc. (no one else stood but they did)

Facebook=wickedness. Period.



Psalms 101:2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

Recently I was informed that in order to effectively connect with my former Bible College friends, I would need to go to Facebook. I tried this out for about one minute. I don't care how many good people are on Facebook, the site reeks of wickedness the minute that you log on. I was unpleasantly surprised to see a number of young people who I knew from church and other Christian activities, flaunting themselves in a manner that does not glorify God. Where do young Christian people get the idea that using the ways of the world will get them ahead as Christians. Is blogspot that much different than Facebook? Well, I haven't had any experience on Blogspot like the one on Facebook. It seemed as I entered the site at Facebook, that the whole thing was about making someone think that you are something you are really not. This may seem harsh, but you so-called good young people mingling with a lot of not-so-good young people will not further the cause of Christ. I will go far enough in this to say that Facebook is full of if not sexual misconduct, sensual activities, and will lead some of these young people astray. If Blogspot ever gets like what I experienced in just a few moments on Facebook, rest assured that there will no longer be a blog on here in my name. I have heard of people being churched for their activities on Facebook, and after seeing this place for myself, without actually seeing any of the pages of the college students, I can easily see why. How long will it be before Christians actually get real with God? No, There is not a page on Facebook for Joshua Barkley any longer, it lasted maybe five minutes. I don't really care what you thing about this post, nor do I consider this an unreasonable post. God is not pleased with Facebook, and neither should any Christian be pleased with this wickedness. What made you get this angry over Facebook, you ask? I saw the potential for great wickedness in the pictures of a few young Christians, and was grieved within my spirit by the presence of the Holy Spirit. I don't care how many parents are on here, I don't care how many college staff members log on, in direct contradiction to a message I personally heard the staff's pastor preach, AND I DON'T EVEN REALLY CARE WHETHER OR NOT YOUR PASTOR OR HIS WIFE OR HIS FAMILY OR HIS SECOND COUSIN TWICE REMOVED ARE MEMBERS, but I do care about the people who, already heading in the wrong direction, will go on down the path to destruction, based on the actions of you who are Facebook members. For those of you who didn't already delete this, God bless you, may you do the right thing. I won't know your reaction, because I won't be back on Facebook.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

This is the day.



Revelation 16:20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

What a statement of hatred, and hardness! Men here are pictured as having been plagued and abused and killed, yet they will not repent. Many times we have the idea that, "if they could only see the suffering of Hell, they would repent." However, these people have seen great miracles and they have heard great preaching by the two witness, and by the hundred and forty-four thousand. They have experienced some of the greatest judgment the world has ever know, yet with their last breaths they are still blaspheming God. How true it is that we are in the last days. The need for real Holy Spirit filled preaching is greater than ever. Can God still work and send a great revival throughout the world? God has not changed! Would to God that we could see the need, and get serious about the late hour in which we live.

The one thing God promises will get souls saved.
PREACHING: I Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;

What will not turn men to God.
I. Plagues. ("and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail") Think of Pharaoh in Exodus.
II. Programs. (building projects, puppet ministries, VBS, clowns, and swallowing goldfish all draw a crowd, but only the preaching of the Word of God will get people saved){these activities alone are not enough, but if preaching is done with them God will move}
III. Portraits (though beautiful, a chalk drawing ministry does not qualify as preaching)
IV. Personality (many flamboyant men have mounted a pulpit, and given a lot of great expositions based on their personality, and a prosperity gospel, however, it’s still through the power of God not the personality of a man that God does His work)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This is the day.

John 20:14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.
16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
17 Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.

She saw Jesus but didn't recognize Him. Sometimes we don't recognize the Lord when He speaks to us. How sweet it is, however, to suddenly recognize that Jesus is there, that the presence that we feel around us is our Saviour. God is real. His presence is real. Have you ever experienced a closenes with him?

Jesus in the garden.
I. Tenderness. (why weepest thou)
II. Talk. (He called her by name)
III. Touchlessness. (His task was not yet completed)

This is the day. (for 4/13)

Luke 23:1 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them.(2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.(3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.(4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:(5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?(6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,(7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.

What a surprise! These ladies walked in to add preserving materials to the body, and they found the tomb empty. Wondering about what was going on, suddenly, two angels appeared to them and reminded them that Jesus said He would rise from the dead. The only hope any of us has as a Christian is based on this, Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus Christ is alive! No other religion can claim a risen Saviour.

Remembering the ressurection.
I. Fortold. (by the prophets)
II. Founded. (by the scriptures)
III. Felt. (by all believers)

Friday, April 10, 2009

This is the day.

Matthew 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

Its still there! An empty tomb with an empty slab on which the Saviour of the world once laid. There can be no sorrow when we think of His ressurection. Christ claimed the victory over death, so that you and I can claim the victory over it some day very soon. What a wonderful Lord is He! Christ Jesus the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. God is not dead, God is alive, He is the risen Son of God.

Christ rose!
I. It was authoritative. (He rose as the King of the universe)
II. It was powerful. (He rose as the Creator of the universe)
III. It was permanent. (He rose as the Everlasting Father)
IV. It was inclusive. (All who live for Him will never die again)
V. It was a payment. (The debt was payed it will never need to be paid again)

Thursday, April 9, 2009

This is the day.

Read II Corinthians 6

II Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

How true it is that the urgency of salvation is a today matter. Tommorow may never come, and the future is uncertain in the best of circumstances. God says that the time to act on His offer to be saved is now. God constantly warns us in His Word to not let our hearts become hard to His call. Why? Because the more we as human beings put something off, the easier it is to continue to put it off until it never gets done. God says now is the day. Not tommorrow-it may never come, not yesterday-it is already over, you need to accept God now. Also, if you are going to do something with your life for God, you need to start now. God's simple statement is do it now.

Things you need to do today.
I. Get saved (if you are not saved this is the most important step of today)
II. Talk to God. (pray, God will listen to you)
III. Listen to God. (read, God will speak to you through His Word)
IV. Tell someone about God. (if you are already saved, its your responsibility to lead others to Christ)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Singing in the stocks.

Acts 26:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:(24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.(25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.(26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.(27 And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.(28 But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.(29 Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,(30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?(31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The statement is true, "Your life may be the only Bible some people read." These two great preachers had been beaten and ridiculed and imprisoned for their faith, yet with absolute determination, and the zeal and love for God that charaterized their lives, they sang and praised God for their salvation, in spite of their condition. What is your testimony to the world?

The second thing we can see here is a man who needed Christ. His need may have never been evident to him before. He seems to be oblivious to the matter, until, through circumstances beyond his control, he is confronted with his condition. This confrontation does not come in an irate manner, by men who condescend to tell him his need. He is not "raked over the coals," nor is he "showed" what he needs in an ignorant manner, as is the case of many "so-called" witnessing attempts today. This jailor, in fact, only hears the singing and praising of two badly beaten men. He does not hear the mumbling and groaning of men who were told someone would not take a tract, he hears the praise from men with bloody backs.

There may be someone who has never realized their need for Christ that comes into our lives today. Will our attitude be one of helping them or of offending them.

This is the day.

Read Psalm 51

Psalm 51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

How sorry are we for our sin? In 21st Century America sin is laughed at and scoffed, and very often is looked at as fun and games. Christians seem to have this attitude as well. David realized in this Psalm that his sin was wickedness before God, and a violation of God's holy principles. His sorrow was genuine and his repentance was complete. How is my tab with God? What about your tab? Are we paid up, or do we have things in our lives that are unconfessed? Remember, to God, all sin is sin. To us, sin sometimes seems to be categorized into tiny, little, small, not so bad, well that's ok but, medium, bigger, large, larger, huge, monsterous, and oh, I'd never do that. God, however, views all sin the same, as a violation against His Law. What would happen if every born again Christian, began to view his/her sin in the same way that God views it?

Repentance of a Christian. Psalm 51

Attitude toward God:
I. A cry for mercy.
II. A plea for taking away the transgression.
III. A desire to be washed and cleansed.

Acknowldedging of sin:
I. Realizing you are in sin.
II. Recognizing that you were born a sinner/and will be a sinner.
III. Remorse for what you have done.

Attidude after cleansing:
I. Rejoicing.
II. A Right heart.
III. A renewed spirit.
IV. A righteous testimony.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

This is the day.

Read II Kings chapter 2.

II Kings 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

Often as Christians we fall prey to the idea that God cannot work the same way He has before. We lose the vision that is so important to a clear and wonderful walk with God. Many preachers fall into the trap of making statements like, "We'll never see revival like Whitefield had," or, "there will never be another one quite like Spurgeon." Just imagine yourself in Elisha's position for a minute, one of the greatest prophets of all the ages is about to go off the scene, and he asks you, "...what shall I do for thee...?"
At this point, knowing Elijah's relationship with God, many hard things could have been ask, many conclusions could have been drawn, and many ambitions could have been realized. Elisha could have thought, "I could never have a ministry like Elijah," or "Elijah is the greatest, and there will never be anyone who does what he does." However, Elisha asked for a double portion. Even Elijah stated that Elisha was asking for a hard thing. It seems from Scripture that Elisha got his double portion. The question is this, "What is stopping us?" God has not changed!!!

A vision for a double portion.
I. Follow the man of God. Ch.2 vs.2 As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee.
II. Realize what is about to happen in your life. 2:5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. (the prophet doesn't have to die, God just may be moving you to another place or ministry)
III. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need for your ministry. 2:9 And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. (10) And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
IV. Remember that God is in control, don't oforget to call on Him. 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
V. Don't worry about what the other guy is doing or has done. 2:16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up, and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, Ye shall not send.

Monday, April 6, 2009

This is the day.

II 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.

Hallelujah! Two precious young souls came forward to be saved on Sunday morning!! What a wonderful change is made in the life of a person when Jesus comes in. The work of God in salvation is a work that it is impossible for a human being to understand. However, when He comes in, the joy unspeakable roles in, and the glory of the Lord over shadows the life. What a Saviour, what a Lord, what a glorious salvation Plan, the marvelous, wonderful, majestic, Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, cares enough for worthless mankind, to give Himself for me! Praise be to God for His unspeakable gift!

Salvation Brings a change.
I. In your Disobedience (Sin) {What you do} [salvation takes away sin]
II. In your Demeanor (attitude) {What you want} [salvation makes you want to do what is pleasing to God.
III. In your direction. {Where you go} [salvation makes you want to go different places--church]
IV. In your Determination. {What you want for others} [salvation makes you want others to be saved]
V. In your Destination. {Where your headed} [salvation changes the destination from Hell to Heaven]

Friday, April 3, 2009

This is the day.

Ecclesiastes 9:14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it:
15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.

Solomon is once again telling us the importance of wisdom. This time the scene is set for destruction, there seems to be no hope, yet just one poor wise man delivers the city. It is interesting to note that this poor wise man brings deliverance through his wisdom, not through his might or strength.

Wisdom gleaned from this passage.
I. There was a little city. (sometimes we think we are too small for Satan, the world, etc. to mess with)
II. And few men within it; (we often ask, Why would such a small group as ours be so tempted)
III. And there came a great king against it (Our situation is the same we are fighting a great enemy)
IV. And besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: (even as a "small" person in the midst of "few" people, sometimes the seige is very great)
V. Now there was found in it a poor wise man (in order to be able to stand this must be our testimony--we are wise)
VI. and he by his wisdom delivered the city (your deliverance will not be through your might or power, through your strength or pesonality, it must be throug the wisdom to face a situation, and to trust God for deliverance)
VII. yet no man remembered that same poor man. (the Christian life is not about fame or fortune, its not about popularity, or financial/physical gain, it is about serving God and letting Him keep the records)

Thursday, April 2, 2009

This is the day.

Philemon 18 If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;

Put that on mine account. How sweet the words of Paul about a former slave. The ultimate act of friendship, to pay a debt that someone else cannot pay. This is what Jesus did for us over 2000 years ago. He paid our debts.

What Jesus paid.
1. The price of my slavery. He became sin for me, he became the slave I was.
2. The price of my sin. He took ALL my sin on Him.
3. The price for my salvation. It is finished, Hallelujah, the debt is paid.
4. The price with or without my service. Its all paid, I may never do anything about it, but its still paid in full.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

This is the day.

II Chronicles 7:14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Revival!! The most pressing need of America and the world. God has promised this great outpouring of His Spirit on His people with only four simple steps. What a great promise that we could all claim, yet it seems so far off from America. We need to do our best, and ask for His help to do the rest, and get back to Him. Humility is a hard thing, but He will give it. Prayer is hard work, but He will strengthen us. Seeking God's face takes away from our "fun time", but He will let us find Him. Turning from our wicked ways "lets down our guard," and makes us vulnerable to Him, Praise God!! He will come in.

The nine P's of Revival.
I. Personalities of Revival. (My people, what a wonderful thing to be know by
God as one of His children)
II. Position of revival. (Which are called by my name. How do others view you? Can they say, "There goes a Christian.)
III. Pridlessness of revival. (shall humble themselves)
IV. Prayer of revival. (and Pray)
V. Pointing of revival. (toward God)(seek My face)
VI. Perspective of revival. (not me but God) (turn from your ways)
VII. Power of revival. (I will hear from Heaven)
VIII. Penalties removed. (forgive their sin)
IX. Promise of revival. (I will heal their land)