- May 7, 2023Two By Two Part 2
Two By Two Part 2Jesus did not attempt to proclaim the gospel to the world singlehandedly. Instead, He recruited others to spread the message of salvation. In Mark 6:7-13, we read of the first time Jesus officially commissioned His disciples to go out and preach. Notice first how Jesus called and commissioned the twelve disciples to go out as His representatives. They went out by the authority of Jesus. In so doing, they went out in total reliance on God for provision and success. Note how the disciples responded with obedience. “They went out and preached….” Some would receive the message they were to deliver, and some would reject it, but they were not responsible for the actions of others. They obeyed and their obedience would honor God. The content of their message was simple. People needed to change their minds about sin and their need for a Savior and turn to Christ. That is the message of repentance. It is the message that John the Baptist preached, that Jesus preached, and that all followers of Jesus should preach. We also see how God worked through them to confirm their message. God gave them miraculous abilities that proved that the gospel they preached was of God. While we do not have the same miraculous abilities today, we do have the same Holy Spirit working through us to confirm God’s word in the hearts of those who hear. Believers today are in a similar position to those apostles. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the message of the gospel. We are not responsible for how people respond, but we will answer to God for our obedience. We go out by the authority of Jesus and preach, relying on God to work through us.
- May 7, 2023Two By Two Part 1
Two By Two Part 1Jesus did not attempt to proclaim the gospel to the world singlehandedly. Instead, He recruited others to spread the message of salvation. In Mark 6:7-13, we read of the first time Jesus officially commissioned His disciples to go out and preach. Notice first how Jesus called and commissioned the twelve disciples to go out as His representatives. They went out by the authority of Jesus. In so doing, they went out in total reliance on God for provision and success. Note how the disciples responded with obedience. “They went out and preached….” Some would receive the message they were to deliver, and some would reject it, but they were not responsible for the actions of others. They obeyed and their obedience would honor God. The content of their message was simple. People needed to change their minds about sin and their need for a Savior and turn to Christ. That is the message of repentance. It is the message that John the Baptist preached, that Jesus preached, and that all followers of Jesus should preach. We also see how God worked through them to confirm their message. God gave them miraculous abilities that proved that the gospel they preached was of God. While we do not have the same miraculous abilities today, we do have the same Holy Spirit working through us to confirm God’s word in the hearts of those who hear. Believers today are in a similar position to those apostles. We have been commissioned to go forth and preach the message of the gospel. We are not responsible for how people respond, but we will answer to God for our obedience. We go out by the authority of Jesus and preach, relying on God to work through us.
- Apr 30, 2023Ephraim’s Terrible Temper
Ephraim’s Terrible Temper
- Apr 23, 2023A Disappointing Homecoming
A Disappointing Homecoming
In “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy famously said, “There’s no place like home.” Returning to the place you grew up after being gone for years is often a happy experience, with fond memories and reunions with old friends as you visit familiar sites and reminisce. For many, returning home after a long absence is a joy and a relief. Sometimes we forget that Jesus had a childhood home and a hometown that He grew up in. Though little is recorded of it, the first thirty years of
His life were spent primarily in one small town called Nazareth. But when, in Mark 6:1-7, Jesus returned to His hometown to do for them as He had done for so many others, the reception they gave Him was anything but warm and friendly. Their rejection of Jesus limited His ministry to that community. “And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And he marvelled because of their unbelief.” (Mark 6:5-6) Perhaps the old adage “familiarity breeds contempt” explains why they did not believe on Jesus. Jesus was not a new and exciting figure to them like in other towns. Their rejection of Jesus resulted in their missing out on miracles and blessings because they would not believe. We can limit God by doubting. We do not limit His actual power, but we limit what He will do in our life, just like the Israelites when they doubted God in the wilderness. They “limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:41) Don’t limit the work of God in your life, and don’t let familiarity with God erode your faith in God. - Apr 19, 2023When God’s Will Is Unfair
When God’s Will Is UnfairThe theme of suffering is woven throughout the book of 1 Peter and when we come to 1 Peter 3:17-22, we find it once again. In this passage, we are told directly that it is better to suffer unfairly than to suffer fairly. That is not an easy truth to accept when you are receiving unfair treatment. To help us understand that benefit of unfair treatment, we are reminded of what Jesus did for us.
- Apr 17, 2023Five Faith Facts
Five Faith FactsFaith is believing what God says. When you think of it this way, you realize that faith is not complicated. It is not always easy to have faith. Sometimes it is very hard, because life is complicated and confusing. But having faith is simply choosing to believe what God says, even if you don't understand how that makes sense in your current situation.God rewards faith. He rewards saving faith (faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ) with eternal life. He continues to reward the saved who walk by faith with the blessing of answered prayer and extraordinary blessing. If you want to see God solve big problems and meet enormous needs in our life, then you must have faith that God can and will do it.
- Apr 16, 2023Who We Are
Who We Are
- Apr 9, 2023Jephthah and the Foolish Vow
Jephthah and the Foolish Vow
- Apr 9, 2023Living in Light of the Resurrection
Living in Light of the Resurrection
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20-21) When one trusts Christ, many amazing things happen. Among them is the fact that you identify with the death of Jesus on the Cross. You die to sin and you die to the Old Testament Law. You also identify with Christ’s resurrection. You are given new life, eternal life, in Jesus Christ. Jesus dwells in you and He is the source of your spiritual life. Here is a key to living the Christian life. You must recognize that Christ is in you and that is the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27) The life that you now live is not yours. It is Christ’s, and therefore it should be lived as
Christ would live it. Paul summed this truth up when he wrote, “the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.” We should not walk in the flesh, following sinful impulses. We must live by faith and that faith must be in Christ. It is He that lives in us and it is He that will live through us. Moment by moment, we must choose to believe that Jesus is all we need. He is all we need to be justified. He is all we need to live justly. Because He rose
from the grave and lives forever, we can live a life that glorifies God and satisfies the believer. We must live in light of the resurrection. - Apr 2, 2023God, I’ve Done It Again
God, I’ve Done It Again
- Apr 2, 2023The Gospel Seed
The Gospel Seed
Jesus often used parables to teach
the truth about the Gospel. In Mark 4,
we have several parables about seeds that
help us understand how the message of
the Gospel works.The first parable is of the seed and
the soil. A sower sows seed that lands
on various types of ground with varying
results. Some seed withers, some is stolen,
some sprouts but never brings forth fruit,
and some grows into a healthy plant that
bears much fruit.The next parable deals with the
mystery of the seed’s growth. We may
plough a field and plant a seed, but we
cannot make a seed grow. God does that
through the mystery of creation, and we
can only watch in wonder and be ready to
reap when the time is right.The third parable highlights the impact
that one small seed can have. A mustard
seed is small, but it grows into a plant so
large that birds can make a home in it.
There is a tremendous amount of potential
in that one seed.All of these parables illustrate the Gospel
seed. We may not understand exactly how
God uses the Gospel to work in a person’s life,
but we know that if we sow the seed, it will
have a huge impact. We must be ready to do
our part in planting and reaping the harvest
while trusting God to do the real work of
causing that seed to bring forth fruit. - Mar 29, 2023For God So Loved The World
For God So Loved The World
- Mar 28, 2023Catch’em and Keep’em
Catch’em and Keep’em
- Mar 27, 2023Church History of a Soul Winner
Church History of a Soul Winner
- Mar 26, 2023Sunday PM Revival
Sunday PM RevivalJesus, the perfect example of a soul winner.
