Is the Partnership of Non-Calvinists and Calvinists in the SBC beyond saving?

Hey guys,

I must start this post with where I am in the SBC. I am and have always been a Non-Calvinist. I attend a Southern Baptist Seminary that is very heavily in Calvinism. This obviously puts me in an overwhelming minority at school. I have never been too shy to admit to my Calvinist classmates that I am not a Calvinist. One classmate said it me, “Then you are an Arminian?” I very quickly replied, “No.” His response was that I had to be one or the other. For the record, that is simply not true. I will adamantly reject Arminanism. I also reject Calvinism. I do not believe that either one of these stances accurately depicts the nature of God, especially in respect to salvation. With that being said, I have no problems working alongside Calvinists. I have attended Southern Seminary for 3 years now and I have enjoyed my time there.

Maybe that is why I have apparently had my head in the sand with respect to the debate of Calvinism and Non-Calvinism in the SBC. I, just for the life of me, can’t figure out why in the world we have to turn this issue into such a big deal that it could possibly, if it has not already, splinter the SBC.

The points of Calvinism have been debated for so long now, that there is no way that any new debate can come out of it. So, the question is, why are we trying? Can it be that each side believes so much so that the other is wrong and can be “won” over to the other side? I don’t know, but I do know that, as presently constituted, the SBC will never be totally one side or the other. Why does it seem that agreeing on the basic premise of the gospel is not enough anymore? Who is at fault for this hotly contested debate? More importantly, can the SBC get past this problem and the two sides coexist?

I am too young to remember the beginning of the Conservative Resurgence. I am aware that things started happening to move in this direction before 1979, but it was at this time, I was four years old, that Adrian Rogers was elected SBC President. The resurgence took hold, and it has never looked back. In 1990, I believe, Al Mohler is made President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This is the Seminary that I attend, and he is still there today. I would like to point out that Al Mohler, a strong Calvinist, was given the position through the work of many men that are not Calvinist. This has to be proof, on some level, that Non-Calvinists have believed that they could work together with Calvinists.

It would take time for Al Mohler to change the direction of Southern Seminary. This is a feat that has been accomplished for sure. I would also like to say thank you to Al Mohler for the work he has done at Southern Seminary. It has been impressive, to say the least. The direction that Southern Seminary had been moving towards before Al Mohler is a direction that I, and I would imagine all Non-Calvinists, am glad has been turned from. However, now there seems to be Calvinists coming out of Southern, as well as Southeastern, that have become very staunch in their doctrine. So much so, that it would seem that they do not remember, or realize, that Non-Calvinists helped the institutions that they have graduated from get where they are. It seems to be that many in this group that are heatedly debating the Calvinism issue. I am hoping that both sides will get past themselves and their personal views of grace and election to continue to work together, as we have for so long now.

I know that this is easier said than done. We have groups of Calvinists that say things like, “We desire to encourage the return to and promulgation of the biblical gospel that our Southern Baptist forefathers held dear.” (founders) To a Non-Calvinist, that sure sounds like you want to weed out the Non-Calvinists because they are not truly Southern Baptist. Many of the “New Calvinists” call the Southern Baptists that are not Calvinist, Semi-Pelagian. We have Seminary leaders saying such things as Calvinism is the only logical answer for a young pastor. If we want to stand with Paul and the Apostles, we must be reformed(paraphrase). Those are strong words that make this into an issue that divides.Those words sure sound like they mean if you are not reformed/Calvinist then you don’t understand the true gospel, and you do not stand with the Bible. Are these people saying that Page Patterson, Adrian Rogers, Bailey Smith, Johnny Hunt, Jerry Vines, etc., are somehow less evangelistic, less gospel driven, less Christ centered, and don’t understand the Bible because they do not espouse Calvinism. Divides are quickly drawn with statements such as these. That is not to say that the Non-Calvinists have not helped to expand the divides between the two.

To me it is simple, can we agree on the basic tennants of the gospel? The answer should be a yes. Why do we have to make an issue out of how the doctrine of grace and election work? I know the Calvinists think that they are right. I also know that the Non-Calvinists think that they are right. If the two sides want to discuss differences, that is fine, but why does it have to turn into such a heated debate? Does your view of grace and election change the way you evangelize? It shouldn’t.

Serving HIm,

Bro. Joey

 

The internet: The good, The bad, and The ugly

Hey guys,

This is not an ordinary post for me. I would like to talk about the internet. To be more specific, social media. We have made some great advances over the years. Social media has been a source of fun and connection with others. Social media, by itself, is not a bad thing. However, what we do with it can be a problem. There are some great uses for it. We can connect with long lost friends, update our friends with pictures of our life, as well as many other things.

The problem is that now everything is instant. Before social media, if someone pushed our buttons, we usually had an amount of time to think about our response. That does not have to be the case anymore. I wish it were. Never forget that once we put something “out there” we cant delete it. Someone will see it and share it before we can take it back.

These instant updates can cause great harm to ourselves and our ministry. We must ask ourselves, before we push “send”, how will this affect my ministry? Will this update be a Godly response or a worldly one. The stakes are greater than we realize in the moment. Is the moment of frustration worth the loss of our testimony?

This is a lesson that many have had to learn the hard way. Let us learn from history that one momentary outburst will never benefit us in the long run. How can we keep orselves from this? There are a few things we can do.

1. It is usually not a good idea to engage in those types of discussions on social media. You should make every effort to stay away from social media arguments. Even when you think that you not coming across this way, things tend to get lost in type.

2. If we feel we must get involved, never respond quickly. Do not immediately hit “send”. There is nothing wrong with taking a few moments to calm down and gain perspective. There is also nothing wrong with reading ans re-reading your update. Sometimes taking a couple of moments is a good thing.

I am not saying that we should not engage people via social media necessarily. I am saying that, just as we must control the words we speak, we must also control thw words we type.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

Handling Hard Times

Hey guys,

Life can be tough. There is no doubt about it. If you are reading this post, chances are that you are either going through a difficult time, just coming out of a difficult time, or you are about to head into a difficult time. We can’t escape difficult times, but we can handle them rightly. So, how do you handle hard times? What do you do when you are going through hard times. Now there are many illustrations throughout Scripture of people going through hard times. King David definitely had his share of difficult times. We can look at how he handled hard times and learn the proper response that we should have.

I. He turned to the Lord.

Ps 62:1a

62 My soul waits in silence for God only;
NASU

David is going through a difficult time when we writes the 62nd Psalm. His own son is out to get him, and what does David do? He turns to the Lord. As you read the 62nd Psalm you will see that God was his salvation in the difficult times. Isn’t a great thing to know that when the problems of life arise, we can turn to the Lord.

II. He trusted in the Lord.

Ps 62:8
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah.
NASU

You see, trusting in the Lord is following through with turning to the Lord. God has promised us in His Word that He will never dessert us or forsake us. When we turn to the Lord, we must trust in Him that He is faithful to all of the promises that He has given us in His Word. Notice that David said to “Trust in Him at all times.” No matter if it is good times, bad times, or worse times. Our trust in the Lord is to be continual.

III. He talked to the Lord.

Right in the middle of V. 8 David said, “Pour out your heart before Him.” Take time to spend in prayer with the Lord. No matter the circumstance, talk to the Lord. We are to pour out our hearts freely and fully. Don’t hold back with the Lord. Bring it all to Him.

We will always have struggles in this life. There is no escaping that this side of Heaven. However, we do not have to be defeated during those times. Our God is with us. At all times He is with us. Cast your cares before Him. He will see you through.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

No more unnecessary resolutions, please

Hey guys,

I am not sure how many of you keep up with the SBC annual meetings, but they are a big to do. Southern Baptists from all over the nation will gather in just under 3 weeks to discuss the business of the Southern Baptist Convention. I believe these meetings are vital, necessary, and always very interesting. We vote on who our next Convention President will be. This is very important as the President will help appoint people that will set the direction that the SBC will follow. We elect other officers as well. We also hear reports from the various agencies in the SBC. I look forward to going to the SBC.

However, there is one thing that I believe the convention needs to address. It is my opinion that we have way too many unnecessary resolutions. Some of you may not even know what the purpose of a resolution is. According to the SBC website, a resolution has traditionally been defined as an expression of opinion or concern, as compared to a motion, which calls for action. A resolution is not used to direct an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention to specific action other than to communicate the opinion or concern expressed. Resolutions are passed during the annual Convention meeting. 

Resolutions are a good and necessary thing when they are used properly. We have passed resolutions on race reconciliation, capital punishment, abortion, homosexuality, and the list goes on. Each of these were good resolutions that express the SBC stance on issues. However, many times we go too far with our resolutions. For example, last year in Houston, we passed a resolution that expressed our displeasure with the Boy Scouts with regard to their change in policy as it concerns homosexuality. I tried to explain to as many people as would listen that this resolution would not be helpful. We have already passed a resolution in regard to our stance on homosexuality. I told people that the media would grab hold of this and twist it against us. No sooner had I got home from the meeting, my father in-law informed that he heard on the news that the SBC was anti-boy scouts. I just shook my head. I later found out that over 20 different media outlets reported on this resolution. None of them reported what we actually said. I am no prophet, but I was right on this particular example. There was no need for this resolution, but we passed it and received all the negativity that went with it.

This year, we have at least 1 unnecessary resolution that will go to the resolution committee. My prayer is that it will not make it out of the committee. You can read the resolution by clicking here. Unbelievably, this is 1 resolution. It should be at least 3, but that is another issue altogether. On the 1st point in the resolution, we have already passed resolutions against homosexuality. I do not see the need to pass another one. It just doesn’t make sense. 

To the 2nd point in the resolution, I have no problem recognizing and applauding Kenny Washington for breaking the color barrier, but I am not in favor of condemning the Washington Redskins, and I am against it for at least 2 reasons. 1. We have already passed resolutions related to race and racism. Why do we need to pass another? We can not force them to change their name, even if we want to. 2. I have seen no information that Native Americans are against the name. As a matter of fact, everything I have read points to the opposite being true. From what I have read, many either don’t care or actually like it. Here is a link to a 2004 poll about this issue. 

To the 3rd point in the resolution, I believe that the state laws already state that you can’t be the aggressor and then use the “stand your ground” defense. The whole point of “stand your ground” is to protect those who are protecting themselves, which at least implies that they are not the aggressor, from criminal and civil suits. I absolutely agree that there have been times that the law has been misused, but that does not constitute an amendment. If we were going to pass a resolution, it would make more sense to call on them to use the law properly. 

Now, it is my opinion that this resolution is far too broad in scope to be a single resolution and it is not written all too well. It is also my opinion, that this resolution is unnecessary because we have dealt with all of these issues, except for the “stand your ground”, numerous times in the past. If this resolution makes it out of committee, we will spend a great deal of time debating and amending it, and even then, I do not think it will come close to passing. We have much business to get done in Baltimore, and not much time to do it. I don’t believe we will make good use of our time passing another version of resolutions that have already been passed. 

I am looking forward to the annual meeting in Baltimore. I know it will be eventful, interesting, and hopefully we will discuss necessary business.

Serving Him,

Bro. Joey

 

Does God answer prayer?

Hey guys,

I was reading a story about Dr. George W. Truett the other day. He was preaching a sermon about prayer. He used Matt. 18:19 as his text.

Matt 18:19

19 “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.
NASU

Dr. Truett asked: “Do you believe it?” Of course he did not expect an answer, but he paused for a moment that his question might be understood. A very poor member of the congregation rose to her feet and said, “I believe it, pastor, and I want you to claim that promise with me.”

“It staggered me,” said Truett. “I knew I did not have the faith to claim the promise, but before I had time to answer, a big, burly blacksmith in the congregation rose to his feet; l’ll claim that promise with you, Auntie,” he said, and together the two, the poor washer-woman and the blacksmith, dropped to their knees in the aisle and poured out their hearts in prayer for the salvation of the woman’s husband.”

Now it happened that this man was a riverboat captain on the Rio Grande, a swearing, foul-mouthed drunken sot, and he was at that moment sleeping off a drink at home. That night, for the first time in many years at least, the old riverboat captain was in the church and while the pastor preached the woman prayed, not for the salvation of her husband, rather she was thanking God for it, for she seemed to know it would happen that night. And of course, when the invitation was given, this old foul-mouthed captain came to give his heart to the Lord, and he became one of the most dependable and faithful workers in that church.

Do you believe that God answers prayer? The Bible testifies that God does answer prayer.

1 Sam 23:4a
4 Then David inquired of the Lord once more. And the Lord answered him
NASU

Ps 99:6

6 Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called on His name;They called upon the Lord and He answered them. 

NASU

Ps 65:2
2 O You who hear prayer,
To You all men come.
NASU

God absolutely answers prayer. Our problem, many times, is that God does not answer our prayers when we want or how we want. Can I tell you, that is not a God problem, that is an us problem? God always answers our prayers.

Sometimes we receive and immediate answer. I think about Peter as he was walking on water. He began to sink and cried out for God to save him. He needed and received an immediate answer.

Sometimes God delays in answering our prayers. People often times wonder why God delays. God is teaching us to be persistent. He is also teaching us to be patient. He is teaching us to rely on and have confidence in the promises He has given us.

Sometimes God gives us an answer to prayer that is different than we were anticipating. We must realize that God sees things differently than we do. We see dimly, but not God. Sometimes we think we know what is the best thing for us, but God’s answer will always be better for us.

God sometimes answers prayer with a “no”. Elijiah wanted to die. God said, “No”. Jonah wanted to die. God said, “No.” Peter wanted the thorn in the flesh removed. God said, “No.” In the cases of Elijiah and Jonah, I would imagine that there came a time that they were thankful that God did not answer their prayer. As for Paul we know that God told him that His grace was sufficient, and my friend, God’s grace is sufficient for you as well.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

 

The Happy life is a life lived by God’s Word

Hey guys,

Everyone wants to know the secret to success. What can we do to make our lives successful? I would bet that most of us, at some time or another, has pondered that question. The answers to that question might be as vast as the number of people that have asked it. However, God’s Word tells us the secret to true happiness and success. It is trusting Him and living in the light of His Word.

Ps 1:1-3

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
NASU

A happy person, a truly successful person, is a person that lives his or her life by God’s Word.

I. The happy life is a guarded life.

Verse 1 says that the happy person does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

Simply put, the person that is happy and successful will guard his life against certain things. It’s not that the happy person simply knows how to get out of bad situations, it is that the happy person guards himself or herself so that they are not in those positions to begin with.

II. The happy life is a guided life.

Ps 1:2
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
NASU

According to this verse, the happy person has his delight in the law of the Lord. This word “delight” speaks of pleasure. Following God’s commands are pleasurable to the truly happy person. He or she also meditates on God’s Word. The word “meditate” means to murmur. It could also be translated “hum”. The person that meditates on God’s Word hums God’s Word after he has read it.

III. These things bring a glad life.

Ps 1:3
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
NASU

The happy person, in this verse, is compared to a healthy tree. The person that is happy in God will have everything that he or she needs. He or she will bear fruit for God. They will not wither away. How great is it to know that to have a happy and prosperous life all we have to do is give ourselves over to God and His Word.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

To give or not to give, that is the question

Hey guys,

I am going to take a minute and step in a hole. Many people don’t like talking about this subject, as it relates to God and His Word to the Church. What am I talking about? I am talking about giving. I am talking about tithes and offerings. Well, I will be spending most of my time talking about offerings.

However, let’s quickly talk about the tithe for a minute. I would like to quickly dis-spell the myth that tithing is Old Testament Law and not valid in the New Testament. For starters, How in the world would we want to, or believe it to be sufficient, to give less under grace than under the Law? That one just doesn’t make sense to me.

Second, many people say that Jesus never spoke about tithing, but that is not true either. When talking to the Pharisees, Jesus said:

Matt 23:23-24

23 ” Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 “You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
NASU

Did you catch that? Jesus said, “You tithe but you neglect the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. You should have done these things without neglecting the others.”

Translation: We are to tithe, but also to strive for justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Grace does not take away our responsibility to tithe. It takes it to another level.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, I want to move on to the subject of giving/offering.

I want to share a few things about giving.

1. Our giving is to be private. 

Matt 6:1-4

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 “But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 

NASU

We are not to give so as to receive recognition on earth. To do so, shows that we have impure motives in our heart. Also, we see in verse 1 that the person who gives for a reward on earth will not receive a reward from the Father in Heaven.

Also, it is important to notice that Jesus says “when”, not “if”. It is not a question of should we or shouldn’t we, but a question of when we do it.

2. Giving is not easy. It is meant to be a sacrifice. 

2 Cor 8:1-5

8 Now, brethren, we wish to make known to you the grace of God which has been given in the churches of Macedonia, 2 that in a great ordeal of affliction their abundance of joy and their deep poverty overflowed in the wealth of their liberality. 3 For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord, 4 begging us with much urging for the favor of participation in the support of the saints, 5 and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord and to us by the will of God.
NASU

Wow! How many churches do we have like that one today? Why is it that people think things in the Christian life are always supposed to be easy? The life of Christ wasn’t easy. We are not about our teacher, are we? Sometimes giving is not easy. However, the sacrifice is absolutely worth the reward in eternity.

3. We are to be cheerful givers.

 

2 Cor 9:6-7

6 Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
NASU

What greater reason to give and give cheerfully do we need than to know that God loves this? I want to do the things that God loves and do not want to do the things that God does not love. God loves a cheerful giver, and as I have grown in Christ and my understanding of Him, it has caused my heart to be happy and full as I give, even when my wallet may not be so much.

My hope and prayer is that we may all grow in our giving to God.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

 

 

 

What is your prayer?

Hey guys,

I have been leading the church that I pastor through the bible in a year. We are reading, together, through the bible chronologically. This is a one year plan, and I am preaching selected texts of the week’s reading during our three weekly services. The blessings have been simply amazing. We have seen an increase in those that are regularly reading their bible. Also, many have told me that the worship services have been even more engaging. We have also watched God do a mighty work in our lives, both collectively as a church, and individually as well.

How appropriate that we will be looking at the prayer of Jabez this week? The prayer of Jabez is actually pretty interesting. We find the name Jabez, in the midst of a sea of names in 1 Chronicles. There is this massive list of names and right there in the middle of it all is Jabez. We have these two verses that just jump out at you as you read the passage.

1 Chron 4:9-10
9 Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez saying, “Because I bore him with pain.” 10 Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!” And God granted him what he requested.
NASU

For the purpose of this post, I want to focus on his prayer. What an amazing prayer that Jabez prayed. This prayer just jumps out at you and ought to make your heart almost jump out of your chest.

Look at how powerful a prayer Jabez prayed. R. Earle Allen says that Jabez prayed intelligently. He knew that God had made covenant with Israel and would keep that covenant. He prayed earnestly. He prays with passion. He prayed definitely. Look with me quickly at what Jabez prayed for.

1. He prayed that God would bless him.

2. He prayed that God would enlarge his coast.

3. He prayed that the hand of God would be upon him.

4. He prayed that God would keep him from evil.

Jabez was not timid in his prayer. He didn’t pray some generic prayer because he was afraid God would not answer (or afraid that God would answer). No, not Jabez. He comes just about as boldly as one came come to the throne of God and makes his requests known to Him.

I believe we can learn a lot from Jabez. In fact, I believe that this is exactly the way God wants us to approach Him in prayer. He wants us to come to Him, boldly, confidently, and request specifically. These are the prayers that God delights in answering for His people.

Look at every great revival in human history. You can track them all back to a group of people that earnestly prayed as Jabez prayed.

Also, it was an answered prayer.

1 Chron 4:10b
And God granted him what he requested.
NASU

God answered his prayer! He was blessed. His coast was enlarged. God’s hand was upon him, and God did keep him from evil.

What would happen if we began to prayer the prayer of Jabez from our hearts? What would happen is we resolved to approach God with these requests? What would happen if we earnestly, fervently, and persistently took these petitions to God?

Let me tell you what would happen. God would begin to do things in your life that you never thought were possible before.

What if we, as a church, began to pray in this way?

I believe would witness a massive revival begin to break out! Don’t you want to see revival? Don’t you long to see true revival break out in this land and around the world?

It can happen. I believe that if we had the heart of Jabez and prayed the prayer of Jabez, God would show up in a mighty way. This is my challenge to you. Who’s with me?

Serving Him,

Joey

 

God’s purpose for the family

Hey guys,

What is the purpose of the family? What does God want the family to be? God wants our families to be great. Some people might doubt that based upon their family situation. I want you to know that God knows your situation, whatever it is, and He absolutely cares about you. Maybe your family is not great right now. Maybe, instead of your family being great, it is horrible. God can work a miracle in your life and in the life of your family.

Ps 128
28 How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who walks in His ways.
2 When you shall eat of the fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine
Within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.

5 The Lord bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 Indeed, may you see your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!
NASU

God designed the family, but what was His design? As we read this wonderful Psalm, we will see the purpose of the family:

I. God’s purpose for the family is to be a safe haven.

Let’s face it, this life is full of storms, trials, and the like. You can not escape the storms of this life. They are going to happen, but God has given us the family to be a safe haven from these storms.

II. The purpose of the family is to be a source of happiness.

When you read about the family in Psalm 128, you can’t help but see a happy family I mean, this is a family that people want to hang around with. However, many families are not happy. Many families are in dire trouble. They are not happy, more than likely, because they harbor things that destroy happiness and joy.Many homes today harbor bitterness and priorities that are totally out of whack.

Bitterness will absolutely steal the joy and happiness from any family. Having your priorities out of order will do the same. Many men have work as a top priority. It is a good thing to work. However, I have never forgotten what a wise man once told me, “Work to live, but never live to work.”

III. The family is to be a place to learn.

Deut 6:6-9
6 ” These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 ” You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8 ” You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9 ” You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
NASU

Parents, you are to teach your children. The question is, what do you teach them? Well, we teach them all sorts of things. We teach them manners. We teach them to respect authority. We teach them morals. We teach them character. We teach them many things. And how do we teach them these things?

One way is with your words. Just like a teacher at school, we tell them about the things in life that are right and good. We tell them what we want them to learn. That is how the Lord says to teach them.

However, even more than with your words, you teach them with your life. For example, I am sure that most parents tell their children that it is wrong to lie, but then a solicitor calls and the child answers the phone. The parent tells the child, “Tell them I am not home.” Now, what have you done? You have told them that it is not right to lie, but with your life you have just shown them that, at least at times, it is o.k. to lie.

Prov 20:7
7 A righteous man who walks in his integrity —
How blessed are his sons after him.
NASU

Your children are listening and they are watching. Is your life reinforcing your words?

The family is a gift from God. Let us honor God with this great and wonderful gift.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

He is coming again!

Hey guys,

Easter is upon us. What a great time Easter truly is. It is a blessed day for all of those that profess Jesus Christ as Lord. The victory is won! He is risen from the grave! However, there is one great event left to look forward to. That event is the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Make no mistake about it, He is coming again. Jesus told His disciples,

John 14:1-3

14 ” Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

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There is no greater promise for the follower of Jesus Christ than this one. We know that the bible teaches that many terrible things are in store for the earth. We know that there will be a 7 year tribulation that will be unlike any time of persecution in all of history. However, there is coming a day when Jesus will fulfill His promise. He is coming again.

Rev 19:11-16

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ” KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
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He is coming again! This time He will have a very different mission than He had 2000 years ago. Then, He came meek and mild. He came to serve rather than be served. He came to give His life a ransom for many. He came to make a way for salvation. That was His 1st mission. His second mission will be one of judgement.

He will wage war with those who refuse His love, grace, and mercy. He will finish the victory over Satan that He has already won. This last great battle will see the greatest military force that the world has ever seen. They will gather together with of their weapons of war to do battle against Jesus. They will have their tanks, planes, missiles, guns, and everything else that you can imagine. They will be a force that would intimidate almost anyone who stands in their way.

However, their battle will be against the One who will not be intimidated. He will bring about the judgement that is due all those that refuse His love and grace and mercy today. Yes, they will have all their weapons, and all Jesus will have is His word. That is all He will need. The God that spoke this world into existence will speak it into oblivion.

Satan’s last effort will no doubt be his greatest effort that he has ever made.

Rev 19:19

19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
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Satan will throw everything he has at Jesus, including the kitchen sink. He will have the beast and the false prophet there with Him. But, the war will be no contest.

The enemy will be devoured.

Rev 19:17-18

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, ” Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
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The beast and the false prophet will be seized.

Rev 19:20

20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.
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And then we see the enemy is vanquished.

Rev 19:21
21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.
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Revelation 20 opens with Satan being bound in the bottomless pit for 1000 years. This ushers in the millennial reign of Jesus Christ. At the end of this 1000 year period, Satan will be loosed for his final defeat. After this comes the Great White Throne Judgment. At this time everyone will be judged and the Bible says that anyone whose name is not found written the the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.

God will never force anyone to follow Him. He has paid the necessary price for all of humanity to be able to be saved. However, many refuse this free gift of salvation. This is their choice, and it is your choice to make as well. However, the Bible teaches that those who place their faith in Him will be with Him forever, and those who refuse to do so will spend eternity in Hell.

It is so imperative that we as Christians take the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world. If a person goes to hell, do not let it be because we did not tell them the message of salvation. This is our purpose. This is how we bring glory to God.

Luke 10:2-3
2 And He was saying to them, ” The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 “Go; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.
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This is what we have been tasked with by God. Let us be busy about the task.

Serving Him,

Joey

 

Easter: The gospel

Hey guys,

Of course, we all know that Easter is this Sunday. I have said it many times, and I say it again, this is the greatest day in Christianity, as well as human history. This is the gospel.

John 11:25

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,

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Lee Strobel, in THE CASE FOR CHRIST, said “Every single shred of evidence for the resurrection of Jesus Christ is also evidence for my eventual resurrection.”

Hank Hanegraaff said, “You see, without resurrection there is no hope.  Indeed, without the resurrection, there is no Christianity.

1 Cor 15:1-4
5 Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

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Paul begins by exhorting his readers. He exhorts them, and us, that there is a message that must be proclaimed. It is our responsibility to proclaim the message of the resurrection.

We also see that it is a message to be received. He says in verse 1, “which also you received.”

In THE TRIAL OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST,

Jeffrey L. Pombert quotes Corrie ten Boom

“When I was 5 years old, I learned to read; I loved stories, particularly those about Jesus.  He was a member of the ten Boom family, it was just as easy to talk to Him as it was to carry on a conversation with my mother and father, my aunts, or my brother and sisters.  He was there.

One day my mother was watching me play house.  In my little girl world of fantasy, she saw that I was pretending to call on a neighbor.  I knocked on the make-believe door and waited…no one answered.

‘Corrie, I know Someone who is standing at your door and knocking right now.’  Was she playing a game with me?  I know now that there was a preparation within my childish heart for that moment; the Holy Spirit makes us ready for acceptance of Jesus Christ, of turning our life over to Him.  ‘Jesus said that He is standing at the door, and if you invite Him in He will come into your heart,’ my mother continued.  ‘Would you like to invite Jesus in?’

At that moment my mother was the most beautiful person in the whole world to me.

‘Yes, Mama, I want Jesus in my heart.’  So she took my little hand in hers and we prayed together.  It was so simple, and yet Jesus Christ says that we all must come as children, no matter what our age, social standing, or intellectual background.”

He also says, “by which you were saved.” It is this message that is proclaimed, that when received, brings salvation.

Paul proclaims the resurrection.

1 Cor 15:3-4

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

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Christ’s death was absolutely necessary. Paul tells us this in Romans when he says, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

It is our sin that made it necessary for Christ to sacrifice Himself on the Cross of Calvary.

Friends, Jesus died on the Cross so that we would have a way of salvation. Those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior have a responsibility to proclaim the gospel to others. This is not rocket science. This is not an intellectual thing. This is a life altering, eternity changing decision that all men must make. There is no “good life”, no “moral life, no set of rules or works that can bring salvation. There is only one way for salvation, and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior. We must admit that we are sinners, believe that He died on the cross for our sins, and confess Him as Lord of our lives.

Rom 10:9-10
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
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I thank God that He loved me enough to send His Son to pay the price I could not pay, to pay the debt He did not owe, and do for me what I could not do for myself.

Serving Him,

Joey