11/7/11

Truth in simplicity


A long time ago, someone asked one of my professors how to preach a sermon.  The instruction lasted only a few seconds.  It was simple; Stand up, Speak up and Shut up.  Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  Yet its simplicity is its elegance.  But what do I preach came the reply?  Preach what is necessary, was the response.  What is necessary...

1 Corinthians 15:1-6 (WEB)
1) Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,
2) by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4) that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5) and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6) Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.

Romans 6:1-11 (WEB)
1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2) May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?
3) Or don’t you know that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4) We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5) For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
7) For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8) But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him;
9) knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no more has dominion over him!
10) For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.
11) Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 2:29-40 (WEB)
29) “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30) Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31) he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was his soul left in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay.
32) This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
33) Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.
34) For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand,
35) until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
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!”

What does this mean?  Simple; we all have a sin problem and Jesus is the answer to it.  What do I do about it (read Acts 2:37 and 38)? Wash it away.  Now, you have a choice; believe this is right or ask yourself.... "What chair"???

11/6/11

Noah found Grace in the eyes of the Lord by Mark Copeland

Another sermon by Mark Copeland... enjoy... Gary


http://executableoutlines.com/text/gen6_8.htm

14

 

I laughed when I read this one!  It IS FUNNY!!!  However, I could actually envision someone doing this.  Many people will try anything, do anything.  You just never know what some people will do next.  The same is true when it comes to matters regarding religion.  People do all sorts of crazy things; believe the most outlandish concepts and often are misled into error; Why?  The answer to that one is as varied as there are people, so I could literally spend years writing and never even begin to address everything.  Two things come time, though; first is that those in error forgot to make THE BIBLE AS THEIR STANDARD and second, they ignore the makeup of the church as it is found in the New Testament. So, this passage came to mind and I would like to share it with you.


WEB: Ephesians Chapter 4
[11] He gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, shepherds and teachers; [12] for the perfecting of the saints, to the work of serving, to the building up of the body of Christ; [13] until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; [14] that we may no longer be children, tossed back and forth and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error; [15] but speaking truth in love, we may grow up in all things into him, who is the head, Christ; [16] from whom all the body, being fitted and knit together through that which every joint supplies, according to the working in measure of each individual part, makes the body increase to the building up of itself in love.

Where would we be without love?  Our lives would indeed be empty and devoid of meaning.  Love for God and our fellow human beings should be our motivation for action.  Someone once said: "Love God and do what you like".  With the idea being that if you truly LOVE GOD, then you will do what he wants you to.  For those who follow Christ, that means to study, study, study and LOVE.  To study means not only an intellectual understanding of HIS WORD, but a willingness to listen to the Elders, Preachers and Teachers that God has given us, so that we might understand what THE WORD SAYS.  Growing up spiritually will enable us to understand truth from error, so that we won't just believe just anything.  Not everybody will do this of course and then what do you have?  NUMBER 14, of course!!!!

11/5/11

Am I my brother's keeper by Mark Copeland

Enjoy the lesson!!!  Gary


http://executableoutlines.com/text/gen4_9.htm

Humm, something is wrong...


I have a problem (or rather several) with this order!!! Why am I ordering a one cent item over the internet?  How does one item at one cent add up to a total of fifteen cents?  On top of that, how come something that costs fifteen cents has such a large Shipping & Handing charge and yet there is no tax?  Quick, cancel it QUICK!!!  The sad fact is that something like this could happen to anybody out there, because unscrupulous people are everywhere.  Bad things happen, to be sure, but sometimes there is a reason.  Here is an example of what I am referring to...

World English Bible: Job Chapter 1
[1] There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God, and turned away from evil. [2] There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. [3] His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. [4] His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. [5] It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.

[6] Now it happened on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan also came among them. [7] Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

[8] Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”

[9] Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? [10] Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. [11] But put forth your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”

[12] Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t put forth your hand.”

So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh. [13] It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, [14] that there came a messenger to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, [15] and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

[16] While he was still speaking, there also came another, and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

[17] While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

[18] While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, [19] and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

[20] Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. [21] He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be the name of Yahweh.” [22] In all this, Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.


WEB: Job Chapter 2
[1] Again it happened on the day when the God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh. [2] Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

[3] Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is none like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.”

[4] Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Skin for skin. Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. [5] But put forth your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will renounce you to your face.”

[6] Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand. Only spare his life.”

[7] So Satan went forth from the presence of Yahweh, and struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head.

 I wonder, how would I react if this sort of thing happened to me and I didn't KNOW Satan was behind it?  Would I become angry and lash out at everyone?  Would I start drinking?  Would I give up and "end it all"?  Well, I hope NONE of these, but I know what Job did.  He dealt with it and eventually God showed him the folly of his pride and everything worked out well.  The point of all this is that even though bad things may come into your life, do not let the problems define you, but rather let God mold you into an ever better person.  Who knows, perhaps the difficulties that occur MAY be a little "gift" from Satan; and you may be God's example of how the Godly deal with it, or maybe not.  Who knows?  One thing I am sure of is that from now on when I am ordering something over the internet, I will read the checkout TWICE!!!

11/4/11

Life after Death study by Mark Copeland

Here is a series of links on the topic... enjoy!!!
Click on the link to view... Gary



Life after death




#3 Spirits/believers after death http://executableoutlines.com/life/life_04.htm










By way of example...


In every one's life there are people who stand out; who have helped mold who and what you are. Helen and Larry Deason abundantly qualify in mine.  Most of you who read this have never met them and probably never will, but they are family to me.  Not in a physical sense, but in the church family understanding.  And, truthfully, this is the more important of the two categories.  Larry was a preacher for the church of Christ, founder of several schools of preaching and dean of Northeast School of Biblical Studies, as well as one of my professors there.  Both he and Helen had a profound effect upon my life and deserve every bit of recognition I could possibly think of.  Frankly, they remind me of a couple we read about in the book of Acts who are important as well.

WEB: Acts Chapter 18
[1] After these things Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corinth. [2] He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, [3] and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers.

WEB: Acts 18:18. 
Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow. 

WEB: Acts Chapter 18
[24] Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by race, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus. He was mighty in the Scriptures. [25] This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, although he knew only the baptism of John. [26] He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside, and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

WEB: I Corinthians 16:19.
The assemblies of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you much in the Lord, together with the assembly that is in their house.
 
Aquila and Priscilla worked with Paul in both trade and ministry and are immortalized in scripture.  Sometimes he is mentioned first and sometimes his wife, but they were a couple dedicated to spreading the GOSPEL.  I can't even begin to think of one of them without the other.  So also with Larry and Helen.  Beloved by God and faithful over many years, having an untold impact upon thousands of people.  Larry has departed this life to receive his heavenly reward, but Helen remains with us.  You would be blessed if you looked her up some time on Facebook.  She probably will change your life too!
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