Be all that you can be by Gary Rose

 

Unlike my normal way of doing things, I chose this “Sermon Starters” picture. First, I am NOT preaching a sermon AT You. Next, this picture brought back a memory from about 1972. It was about 4am and I was sitting at my desk in the quality control office and I said to myself: now what? Why? Because I was in early 20’s and had a job that many were envious of; a quality control supervisor.

A friend had recently given me a copy of the “Living Bible” and I was reading through it with joy. It seemed to me that the things within this book was the pinnacle of human existence, the highest goal that a person could possibly achieve, namely, being a genuine Christian.

Five decades have come and gone, but this one fact remains: If you aim high in your goals, you just might reach unexpected heights. Even if never reach your goals and fall flat on your face, you just might be covered in stardust.

Think about what you would like to do with the rest of your life and then consider what God can do. The Bible says…

John 3 ( New American Standard Bible )

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

THE TRUTH by Gary Rose

 

When I saw this picture, I thought: Is this real or a fake? Being the skeptic, I think it is a fake. However, just suppose this picture genuinely represented a natural phenomenon in the sky? How marvelous that would be! Today, people use technology to cleverly twist and manipulate the truth to the point that it is difficult to determine what the truth is. Even before our advanced technology, people manipulated THE TRUTH and this was happening when the Apostles wrote the New Testament. Consider the following Bible passages...

2 Peter 1 ( World English Bible )

16 


For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ( see also 1:17 Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35 )

18 We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

Galatians 1 ( WEB )

¹ Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),

² and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:

³ Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁴ who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—

⁵ to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

⁶ I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;

⁷ and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

⁸ But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.

⁹ As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.

¹⁰ For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.

¹¹ But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.

¹² For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

¹³ For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.

¹⁴ I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

¹⁵ But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,

¹⁶ to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

¹⁷ nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia. Then I returned to Damascus.

¹⁸ Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.

¹⁹ But of the other apostles I saw no one, except James, the Lord’s brother.

²⁰ Now about the things which I write to you, behold, before God, I’m not lying.

²¹ Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

²² I was still unknown by face to the assemblies of Judea which were in Christ,

²³ but they only heard: “He who once persecuted us now preaches the faith that he once tried to destroy.”

²⁴ And they glorified God in me.

Two apostles, two very different men, but one truth; THE TRUTH from God. Now, whether or not that picture of a heart in the sky is the genuine article or not is really of no consequence. But, any attempt to say that THE WORD OF GOD is untrue can lead to some very terrifying consequences, namely eternal punishment. Believe the Apostles of Christ, for almost all of them (the exception being john) were martyrs for the Gospel of Christ. Believe what the Bible says and do what it tells you to do and live forever. Choose Jesus and live because of HIM. Think about these things, because your very life depends upon it!