6/9/15

From Mark Copeland... "EQUIPPING THE SAINTS FOR MINISTRY" The Practical Necessity 





                  "EQUIPPING THE SAINTS FOR MINISTRY"

                        The Practical Necessity

INTRODUCTION

1. In our previous lesson, we made the following observations...
   a. That Christ gave "gifts" to His Church - Ep 4:7-10
   b. That such "gifts" included such functions as "evangelist,
      pastors, teachers" - Ep 4:11
   c. That the goal of those so employed is to "equip the saints for
      ministry" - Ep 4:12-16
   d. That the Lord is still building His Church, opening doors for
      those prepared to serve - Ac 14:27; 1Co 16:9; Col 2:12; Col 4:3
   e. That if we desire the Lord to open doors for us, we must be
      prepared to serve, both as individuals and as a congregation
      - 2Ti 2:20-21; Re 3:8

2. Thus we have "The Providential Necessity" to be concerned about
   equipping the saints for ministry
   a. This needs to be a concern we have as individuals
   b. And it should be a concern we have as a local congregation

3. Before proceeding further, I thought it might serve well to describe
   what I call "The Practical Necessity" for equipping the saints for
   ministry

[In other words, from a practical viewpoint, any congregation that
wishes to grow must give serious consideration to "Equipping The Saints
For Ministry".

To understand what I mean, consider the challenge of maintaining
consistent church growth...]

I. THE "REVOLVING DOOR" SYNDROME

   A. MANY CHURCHES HAVE LITTLE TROUBLE GAINING MEMBERS...
      1. Some are very diligent in spreading the gospel, and people are
         obedient to the Lord
      2. Others are blessed to live in growing areas, and Christians
         look for a church when they move in to the area

   B. BUT MOST CHURCHES HAVE TROUBLE KEEPING MEMBERS...
      1. They lose members about as fast as they get them
         a. New converts become weak in the faith, and drift away
         b. Christians new to the area attend for awhile, and then look elsewhere
      2. It has been well documented that many churches cannot break
         beyond the "75 barrier" or the "200 barrier"
         a. Both barriers are related to "group dynamics" (principles
            that affect people's ability to relate to one another in a
            particular group)
         b. But the problem basically boils down to this:  growth does
            not continue, because people are not being assimilated into
            the "family life" of the congregation

[Some people do not really care about church growth, being happy to
maintain the "status quo."  But we are talking about souls here, not
numbers, and any true Christian will have a concern on what can be done
to add souls to the body of Christ!

The solution to the "revolving door syndrome" actually has several
different elements.  But in keeping with our theme of "equipping the
saints for ministry", let me focus on one essential element...]

II. INVOLVEMENT OF EVERY MEMBER

   A. THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERY MEMBER INVOLVEMENT...
      1. In his book WHY CHURCHES GROW, Flavil R. Yeakley emphasized
         the importance of every member getting involved in some way or another...
      2. "The more involved a person becomes in the work of the
         congregation, the more important the congregation becomes in
         his life. It logically follows, therefore, that a congregation
         which offers people many opportunities for involvement would
         be more successful in attracting and keeping converts than
         would a congregation which offers few opportunities for
         involvement." (p. 40)
      3. "Total evangelism includes more than reaching the lost. It
         also includes involving the members in the work of the local
         congregation. If a congregation does not use its members it
         loses them...the congregations with the highest drop-out rate
         were the congregations with the lowest involvement level."
         (p. 113-114)
      4. "If a congregation can maintain a high involvement level, its
         conversion rate will be higher, its drop-out rate will be
         lower, and thus its net growth rate will be higher." (p. 44,
         45)

   B. THE CHALLENGE OF INVOLVING MEMBERS...
      1. Yeakley also addressed the challenge a congregation faces to
         involve every member, especially when it starts to grow...
      2. "In general, the larger the congregation the lower the
         involvement level...Why does the involvement level tend to
         decrease as size increases?...The problem with the larger
         congregations is that they have not been able to increase the
         number of task assignments fast enough to keep pace with their
         expanding membership." (p. 41, 42, 43)
      3. "Actually, the real problem was not always the ACTUAL roles-
         to-members ratio, but was sometimes the PERCEIVED roles-to-
         member ratio. In other words, a larger congregation might
         actually have more than enough specific task assignments to go
         around, but the members might not be aware of the many ways in
         which they could get involved." (p. 43)
      4. "If a congregation has a good actual roles-to-member ratio but
         a low perceived roles-to-members ratio, the problem is one of
         communication...A congregation can have a high involvement
         level no matter how large it becomes--if:
         a. that congregation will do the necessary organizational work
            so as to have a high actual roles-to-member ratio
         b. the congregation's leaders will communicate in the right
            way so as to have a high perceived roles-to-members ratio
      5. So the challenge is not just to have something for people to
         do, but letting them know what is available to do!

CONCLUSION

1. Thus "Equipping The Saints For Ministry" is a practical necessity as
   well as a providential one

2. If we want the Lord to open doors for us so we can be used by Him to
   reach lost souls, we must equip ourselves to be of service (the
   PROVIDENTIAL NECESSITY)

3. If we want those who come our way to feel that this congregation is
   important to them and vice versa, we must provide opportunity for
   every member to be able to serve! (the PRACTICAL NECESSITY)

4. Indeed, if we desire growth in the body of Christ, EVERY member must
   be doing his or her part, if the body of Christ is going to grow as
   it should! - cf. Ep 4:16

Having emphasized in these first two lessons the NEED for "Equipping
The Saints For Ministry", our next study will focus on the diversity of
function in the body of Christ.

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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Don't Worry, Be Happy by Kyle Butt, M.A.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=854

Don't Worry, Be Happy

by Kyle Butt, M.A.
It certainly would not single-handedly prove the Bible’s inspiration if we could show that it is filled with practical advice that is time-tested and true. However, it would add considerable weight to the overall case of biblical inspiration if several such pieces of proverbial wisdom could be discovered. One of those can be found in Matthew 6:25, a passage in which Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?”
Worry has consistently been one of society’s most plaguing problems. It has caused countless costs in the healthcare profession. It has crippled the effectiveness of Christians. Worry has retarded growth in family, led to the premature deaths of loved ones, destroyed businesses, and separated souls from God. Surely, worry can’t be that destructive, some might say. However, in an amazing book titledNone of These Diseases, medical doctors S.I. McMillen and David E. Stern brought to light the fact that worrying and stress do cause major problems.
On pages 175-177 of their book, they included a partial list of conditions that are caused or worsened by worry and stress. Among those are infertility, suicide, lung cancer, breast cancer (or cancer of many types), anorexia, heart attacks, and strokes.
The negative effects of worry on the human body have been known for many years. The Great Physician’s prescription for a worry-free life was, and is, “just what the doctor ordered” for good health—physical, emotional, and spiritual.

REFERENCE

McMillen, S.I. and David Stern (2000), None of These Diseases (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell), third edition.

Computer Puts Evolution In “Jeopardy” by Kyle Butt, M.A.




http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3736

Computer Puts Evolution In “Jeopardy”

by Kyle Butt, M.A.
Science fiction writers have been portraying the face-off between computers and humans for years. Ever so often, what once was science fiction becomes a reality. Such is the case with the upcoming television showdown between the two most-winning contestants from the popular game show “Jeopardy” and a new supercomputer named Watson (Fitzgerald and Martin, 2011).

On February 14-16, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter will be challenged by the latest in computing technology. The humans in the contest are certainly no slouches. Jennings won 74 “Jeopardy” games in a row. And he and Rutter combined to amass over 3.3 million dollars in prize money. Their challenger, Watson, an IBM supercomputer named after the founder of the company, can store the equivalent of over 200 million pages of information, is “the size of 10 refrigerators,” and is the “result of four years of work by IBM researchers around the globe.” In a practice round with the human champions, Watson outscored its opponents $4,000 to Jennings’ $3,400 and Rutter’s $1,200.

As enjoyable as contests like these are to watch, they bring to light a very serious truth that needs to be underscored. Would any person who was thinking correctly look at a supercomputer like Watson and conclude it did not have an intelligent designer (or several) behind its construction? To suggest such would be absurd. And yet it challenges brilliant humans, who are much less physically bulky, and who have proved their mental prowess repeatedly on “Jeopardy.” Does it make sense to suggest that Watson was the product of thousands of man-hours of IBM’s most brilliant researchers across the globe, but the human contestants were the products of blind chance and random evolutionary processes that lacked any type of intelligence and had no goal in mind? Certainly not. If Watson is the product of intelligence, then the IBM technicians who built it and the “Jeopardy” champions competing against it must have been designed by an even more impressive Super-intellect. As Hebrews 3:4 says, “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God.” One could express that sentiment in another way and just as truly state that every computer is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. Supercomputer Watson adds one more piece of evidence that puts the theory of evolution in “Jeopardy!”

REFERENCE

Fitzgerald, Jim and David Martin (2011), “Computer Could Make 2 ‘Jeopardy!’ Champs Deep Blue,” http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110114/ap_on_hi_te/us_man_vs_machine/print, January 14.

Another “Dragon” Discovered by Eric Lyons, M.Min.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=1442

Another “Dragon” Discovered

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Some people just don’t get the connection—between dinosaurs and dragons, that is. So much of the world, and sadly many Christians, have become so entranced with the vast ages of evolutionary time, that few consider the clear connection between human history and the fossil record.
For millennia, people have told stories of seeing and interacting with large reptilian creatures with elongated bodies, serpentine necks, horned or crested heads, sharp teeth, lengthy tails, and stout bodies, with or without membranous wings. These stories, called dragon legends, “have been with humanity since the dawn of recorded history” (“The Spread...,” 1981, 89:103), and are, as famed 20th-century evolutionist Carl Sagan admitted, “a worldwide phenomenon” (1977, p. 150, emp. added).
Thousands of years prior to the 19th century A.D. (when humans began locating, excavating, and reassembling dinosaur fossils, and when the term “dinosaur” was actually coined), humans had been describing dinosaurs; only they referred to them as “dragons” (see Lyons, 2007). Interestingly, when a nearly complete dinosaur skull was excavated in South Dakota in 2003, the long, knobby skull appeared so similar to ancient descriptions and paintings of certain “legendary” dragons, the dinosaur actually was named Dracorex, meaning “dragon king” (see Bakker, et al., 2006).
The news agency Reuters has now reported that paleontologists in Poland have unearthed the fossilized remains of another dinosaur. The animal is believed to have been over 16 feet long with two-inch teeth. Dr. Tomasz Sulej of the Polish Science Academy stated: “This is a completely new type of dinosaur” (Baczynska, 2008). It is so new to science, in fact, that a scientific name has yet to be given to the animal. In the meantime, however, scientists have given the animal a working name: “Dragon” (Baczynska, 2008).
In the past five years, fossils from two different dinosaurs have been excavated. Researchers so readily recognize the similarities between these two dinosaurs and dragons that they have given one the scientific name Dracorex (“dragon king”), and the other the working name Dragon. When will evolutionary scientists take the next logical step and ask from whence came descriptions of dragons? If humans never lived with dinosaurs, historical descriptions of dragons, many of which sound just like dinosaurs, should not exist (cf. Job 41). But they do exist, and have for millennia. In truth, dragon legends, or should we call them “dinosaur descriptions,” are exactly what one would expect to find if humans and dinosaurs once cohabited the Earth, just as Scripture teaches (Genesis 1:24-28; Exodus 20:11).

REFERENCES

Bakker, Robert, et al. (2006), “Dracorex Hogwartsia, N. Gen., N. Sp., A Spiked, Flat-headed Pachycephalosaurid Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota,”New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin 35, [On-line], URL:http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/draco_rex/dracorex_hogwartsia.pdf.
Baczynska, Gabriela (2008), “Ancestor of T-Rex Dinosaur Unearthed in Poland,” Reuters, [On-line],URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL148207720080802?sp=true.
Lyons, Eric (2007), “Historical Support for the Coexistence of Dinosaurs and Humans—Parts I & II,”Reason & Revelation, 27:65-71,73-79, September-October.
Sagan, Carl (1977), The Dragons of Eden (New York: Random House).
“The Spread of Dragon Myths” (1981), Science Digest, 89:103, May.

Are All Divorced Persons Eligible to Remarry? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=1182

Are All Divorced Persons Eligible to Remarry?

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
American civilization is experiencing significant moral decay. “Traditional American values,” i.e., values that were drawn from the Bible, are being jettisoned by a sizable portion of the nation’s citizenry. This spiritual and social deterioration is nowhere more evident than in the breakdown and dissolution of the family. Divorce rates have consistently climbed to higher and higher levels. The marriage relationship no longer commands the respect it once did. This God-ordained institution, though originally intended to be held in honor and sanctity, has been significantly undermined and cheapened.
The religious response to this situation generally has been accommodative, as many within the church find their own families adversely affected by divorce. They have been intimidated by two factors: (1) the large numbers of divorced people; and (2) the emotional trauma associated with divorce. “Rethinking” their understanding of Bible teaching, they have decided to relax the high standards that God enjoined. The various viewpoints now available to those who wish to justify their marital decisions are legion.
The clear teaching of the Bible is that God wants one man for one woman for life (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). The only exception to this foundational premise was articulated by Jesus when He said a person is permitted to divorce the original mate only for the specific reason of that mate’s sexual infidelity. Then and only then may the innocent mate form a second marriage with an eligible partner (Matthew 19:9). Consequently, the primary thrust of Scripture as it pertains to marriage is “God hates divorce” (Malachi 2:16). In fact, He permits it on only one ground.
This divine aversion to divorce refers specifically to divorce that occurs between two people who arescripturally married. Men and women who marry for the first time in their youth should so conduct themselves that they remain together. God does not want that first marriage to dissolve. He hates it when these couples unscripturally dissolve their scriptural marriage. Unscriptural divorce is the kind of divorcing that God hates.
However, not all divorce is contrary to God’s will. Jesus said an individual has permission to divorce the mate that commits fornication (Matthew 19:9). So divorce for that innocent marriage partner is not sinful. In Ezra’s day, exiled Jews had formed illicit marriages and were required to sever those marriages (Ezra 10:3,11). Divorce in that instance was likewise not sinful. John the baptizer informed Herod that when he married Herodias, he was sinning, and would have to dissolve the marriage (Mark 6:17-18). Divorce in that case was not sinful. When Paul identified several Corinthian Christians as having previously been adulterers (1 Corinthians 6:9), the putting away (i.e., divorce) that would have been necessary to end their adultery in order to be “washed” and “sanctified” (1 Corinthians 6:11) would not have been sinful. (The same principle would have applied equally to all other forms of fornication mentioned in the context—including homosexuality). These scriptural examples show that not all divorce is wrong in God’s sight.
On the other hand, much of the divorcing that is occurring today is contrary to the will of God. Any person who divorces their scriptural spouse for any reason, other than fornication, is sinning in so doing. They sin when they divorce! They sin on at least two counts. First, they sin because they have divorced for some reason other than fornication. Second, they sin because they violated the vows they took when they married (i.e., “until death do us part”).
In this divorced condition (i.e., having divorced for some reason other than fornication), the individual has placed himself in a predicament that comes under additional divine restrictions. Paul pinpointed those restrictions in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 where he insisted that scripturally married couples ought not to divorce. However, should their marriage break up unscripturally, both are to remain unmarried. Some feel this verse does not refer to a technical divorce but merely to a separation. Either way, their breakup (whether by separation or divorce) is contrary to God’s will, and neither of the two is eligible to marry someone else.
People are permitted to participate in marriage only insofar as God says they are eligible to do so. The Hebrews writer insisted that marriage (and the sexual relationship that accompanies marriage) is to be undertaken honorably—i.e., in accordance with God’s regulations. To engage in marriage (and the sexual relations that accompany marriage) out of harmony with God’s regulations is to be guilty of fornication and adultery (Hebrews 13:4). Fornication, by definition, refers to illicit sexual intercourse. Adultery is one type of fornication, and refers to the sexual relations between a man and a woman, at least one of whom has prior marital responsibilities. Adultery, by definition, derives its meaning on the basis of a person’s prior marital connections.
A person does not have to be married in order to please God and go to heaven. All a person has to be is a Christian. He does not have to be an elder, a deacon, or a preacher. He or she does not have to be a father, or a mother, or a parent. These are relationships and roles that God designed to be helpful to the human condition. However, not everyone qualifies to fill these roles, and people can go to heaven without ever occupying these roles. So it is with marriage. All people must meet God’s designated prerequisites before marriage may be had in honor. God nowhere promises anyone unlimited access to the marriage relationship.
Notice, then, that in view of God’s regulations, three categories of divorced persons are ineligible to remarry: (1) the person who committed fornication and was divorced for that act by his or her spouse (Matthew 19:9a); (2) the person who was unscripturally divorced (i.e., put away for some reason other than fornication) by a spouse (Matthew 19:9b); and (3) the person who was deserted by an unbelieving spouse (1 Corinthians 7:12-15). In these three instances, the divorced person is ineligible to remarry. Putting the entire matter positively, the only divorced person who is eligible in God’s sight to remarry (while the former mate is still living—Romans 7:3) is the person who divorced his/her original mate for that mate’s sexual unfaithfulness.
Many people feel that such strict limitations are out of harmony with the grace, love, and forgiveness of God. They believe that such high standards make divorce the “unpardonable sin.” But this conclusion does not follow. People can be forgiven of mistakes they make in the realm of divorce and remarriage. Forgiveness is not the issue. The issue is: can they remain in whatever marriage relationship they choose? Can they so sin that they forfeit their right to participate in a future marriage relationship? Jesus made the answers to these questions clear in His discussion in Matthew 19:1-12. All people who divorce their scriptural mates for any reason except fornication continue to commit adultery when they remarry.
However, do we have any indication elsewhere in Scripture that people can so sin that they forfeittheir privilege to participate in a state, condition, or relationship that they previously enjoyed—even though they may be forgiven? As a matter of fact, the Bible is replete with such instances! Adam and Eve violated God’s word and were responsible for introducing sin into the Universe. One consequence of their sin was that they were expelled from Eden. Could they be forgiven? Yes! Could they ever return to the garden? No! Their expulsion was permanent. They had so sinned that they forfeited the privilege of enjoying that previous status.
Esau was guilty of profanity when he sold his birthright (Hebrews 12:16). Could he be forgiven for this mistake? Yes! Could he regain his birthright? No, “though he sought it diligently with tears” (Hebrews 12:17)!
Virtually the entire adult population of the nation of Israel sinned when they refused to obey God by proceeding with a military assault against the land of Canaan (Numbers 14:11-12). Could they be forgiven? Yes, and they were (Numbers 14:19-20). Were they then permitted to enter into the Promised Land? Absolutely not! They were doomed to wander in the desert for forty years (Numbers 14:33-34).
Moses allowed himself to be goaded into disobedience on one occasion by the incessant complaining of the nation committed to his keeping (Numbers 20:7-12). Could Moses be forgiven? Yes! In heaven, we will sing the song of Moses and the Lamb (Revelation 15:3)! But was Moses permitted to enter into the Promised Land? No. He was banned permanently from that privilege due to his own sinful choice (Deuteronomy 32:51-52).
Eli failed to manage his family properly, and so brought down upon himself lasting tragedies (1 Samuel 3:11-14). Though Saul acknowledged his own sin, his disobedience evoked God’s permanent rejection of him as king (1 Samuel 15:11,23,26,28). Samuel never visited Saul again. David’s sin, though forgiven, brought several negative consequences that could not be altered (2 Samuel 12:11-14). Solomon’s sin resulted in personal calamity and the division of the nation (1 Kings 11-12).
These biblical examples demonstrate that sin produces lasting consequences, despite the availability of God’s grace and forgiveness. If biblical history teaches us anything, it teaches that people cannot sin and then expect to have things the way they were before. More often than not, much suffering comes upon those who violate God’s will, making it impossible for them to enjoy past privileges—though they can be forgiven and have the hope of heaven.
Many people feel that God would be unkind, unfair, or overly harsh if He did not permit divorced and remarried couples to stay together, regardless of their previous marital choices. Undoubtedly, these same people would feel that God was unfair to Adam and Eve for ejecting them from the garden, making it impossible for them to enjoy the condition that they once sustained! That would mean that God was unfair and harsh toward the Israelites as well as Moses! Such thinking betrays an inaccurate and unscriptural grasp of the nature and person of God. It reflects a failure to possess a healthy fear of God (Exodus 20:5; Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Luke 12:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9; Hebrews 10:31; 12:29; Revelation 6:16-17).
God elevated the marriage relationship to a high plane when, at the beginning of the human race, He laid down the strict standards that govern marriage (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6). Many apparently feel that they have a right to be married regardless of their previous conduct. They feel that God’s high standards ought to be adjusted in order for them to exercise their “right.” Yet, the Bible teaches that the institution of marriage was founded by God to provide cohesion and orientation in life. Unlike one’s spiritual marriage (i.e., to Christ), which will proceed right on into eternity, human marriage is for this life alone (Matthew 22:30). Therefore, marriage is not a right; it is a privilege. People must conform to God’s marriage rules in order for marriage to serve its earthly purpose. Failure to comply neutralizes the ability of the marriage institution to do what it was divinely designed to do. Failure to comply with God’s “directions for use” causes us to forfeit our opportunity to participate in the institution. We must remember: Father knows best.

From Gary... The TEST

The Test


A test becomes The TEST

This morning, as a did my usual review of facebook, I came upon a test. It was one that was purported to be able to predict whether or not I would live another five years. When the results said that I would be around for that amount of time, I wasn't as happy as I thought I might be. Something bothered me.  Then, I remembered the Scriptures....

James, Chapter 4 (WEB)
 13  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow let’s go into this city, and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”  14 Whereas you don’t know what your life will be like tomorrow. For what is your life? For you are a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.  15 For you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will both live, and do this or that.” 

Conclusion: The earthy test had been a waste of time, because although statistically it might be valid, in reality, its up to God how long I have upon the earth.

After a bit, it occurred to me that all of life is a test, both of the physical AND the spiritual. The physical is obvious to us all, but what about the SPIRITUAL TEST THAT IS FROM GOD????


I won't take The TEST, right NOW...


Acts, Chapter 24 (WEB)
 22  But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, “When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will decide your case.”  23 He ordered the centurion that Paul should be kept in custody, and should have some privileges, and not to forbid any of his friends to serve him or to visit him.  24 But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, “Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you.” 

Felix thought he could put off a decision about Jesus, and he could for awhile.  But with each an every day, he came closer to his own death.  Sooner or later, we all must die.

Conclusion: Why put off the inevitable? Come to grips with reality, and do it NOW!!!!


I won't BELIEVE The TEST, NO MATTER WHAT!!!!



Romans, Chapter 1 (WEB)
13  Now I don’t desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.  15 So, as much as is in me, I am eager to preach the Good News to you also who are in Rome.  16 For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes; for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. 17 For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.”  18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.  20 For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.  21 Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. 

Luke, Chapter 14 (WEB)
 16  But he said to him, “A certain man made a great supper, and he invited many people.   17  He sent out his servant at supper time to tell those who were invited, ‘Come, for everything is ready now.’   18 They all as one began to make excuses. 


“The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please have me excused.’ 

  19  “Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out. Please have me excused.’ 

  20  “Another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.’ 


Some people will just not believe in God- NO MATTER WHAT!!! Instead they will reason within themselves and deny the evidence and rationalize until they become "hardened of heart" and make up something that pleases and eases their conscience (if any remains).  Therefore, they become their own god, because they put their will above the creator of all things!!!

Conclusion: Stop with the excuses, already!!! God is God and you will never become equal to him!!! Stop trying to do this- seek HIM with a submissive attitude, and do it NOW!!!

I will try to pass The TEST!!!!

Romans, Chapter 6 (WEB)
12  Therefore don’t let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.  13 Neither present your members to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  14 For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.  15 What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? May it never be! 16 Don’t you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?  17 But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. 18 Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness. 

Acts, Chapter 17 (WEB)
 10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Beroea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 


  11  Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.  12 Many of them therefore believed; also of the prominent Greek women, and not a few men.

The difference between the sinner and the saint is a matter of heart, mind and action. A saint is simply a person who has been made right with God by the sacrifice of Jesus in his stead. Be one!!!

Conclusion: Be a person with the right attitude towards God, study the Scriptures and do what God wants you to do to be right- and do it NOW!!!


Show me The TEST; I want to take it now!!!



Matthew, Chapter 16 (WEB)
13 Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” 

  14  They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 


  15  He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 


  16  Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 


  17  Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.   18  I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.   19  I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” 


Acts, Chapter 2 (WEB)
 36  “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 

  37  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 


  38  Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”  40 With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 


Two passages, one common problem: Jesus!!! Sooner or later, we all will have to take The Test of what we will do about HIM!!!

Conclusion: Jesus is both Lord and Christ- Believe it, because its true!!!  Get right with HIM as soon as possible- your Spiritual well being depends upon it!!!

NOW, BEGIN!!!...
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