Keep Watching Your P's and Q's

Rick Jackson

So many good suggestions were given to me concerning the first "P's and Q's" message I thought I should follow up with more.

I. WATCHING THOSE "P'S"

1. Pray (Neh. 4:9, Mk. 13:33, 14:38, Lk. 21:36, Eph. 6:18, Col. 4:2, I Pt. 4:7)

2. Praise (Ps. 7:17, 9:2, 18:49, 21:13, 28:8, 30:12, 33:2, 40:3, 50:23, 52:9, 57:7)

3. Preach (Mk. 16:15, Acts 5:42, I Cor. 1:18, II Tm. 4:2)

II. WATCHING THOSE "Q'S"

1. Christ will judge the quick and the dead (Acts 10:34-42, II Tm. 4:1, I Pt. 4:5)

2. Christ will spiritually quicken those who trust in Him (Eph. 2:1-9, Col. 2:13)

3. Christ will come quickly at the right time (Rev. 2:5, 16, 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20)

III. WATCHING THOSE "W'S"

1. Watch for Jesus (Mt. 24:42, 25:13)

2. Watch yourself (I Co. 16:13, II Tm. 4:5)

3. Watch out (I Th. 5:6, Rev. 3:2-3, 16:15)

Watch Your P's and Q's

Rick Jackson

Have you ever heard the phrase "watch your p's and q's"? Where did it come from?
My favorite theories include:
admonishment to children learning to write
admonishment to typesetters (who had to look at the letters reversed)
mind your pints and quarts
mind your prices and quality

But lets go somewhere else for what we mean in this message.

I. THE LETTER "P"

1. The Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6, Dan. 8:23-25)

2. The Peace with God (Acts 10:36, Rm. 5:1)

3. The Peace of God (Ph. 4:7-9, Col. 3:15-17)

II. THE LETTER "Q"

1. "Quake" (Heb. 12:18-24, Ps. 111:10, Pr. 1:7, 9:10)

2. "Quality" (Jn. 10:1-10)

3. "Quantity" (Jn. 10:11-18, 24-30)

Though it is not part of the "p's and q's" I want to add one more letter for our attention.

III. THE LETTER"D"

1. No silly "Doubt" in Jesus is positive (Mt. 14:31, I Tm. 2:8, James 1:5-8)

2. No so-called "Defeat" in Jesus is permanent (Rm. 8:31-39)

3. No second "Death" in Jesus is possible (Jn. 11:25-27, I Jn. 3:9 compared with Rm. 6:23, Rev. 20:6, 14)

MEMORIAL WORDS

Rick Jackson

Though there is some ambiguity concerning the exact origin of Memorial Day most historians agree it started during or shortly after the War Between the States. The exact history of the day need not be known to appreciate what it really means. I am not talking about barbecues, days off, and sales at various stores. I can write these words because my father, a World War II recipient of the Purple Heart came home. Many didn't. Those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country are the ones we are supposed to honor on this Memorial Day. They gave their all and we all enjoy the freedom their sacrifice made possible.

What powerful words: SACRIFICE, HONOR, FREEDOM.

The ultimate meaning of these words goes back farther than an American War. There would be no America had there not been a Bible, and the Christ of the Bible. If Americans forget their Christian heritage they lose a large part or what made her what she is.

I. SACRIFCE

1. The Greatest Sacrifice (I Cor. 5:7, Heb. 7:27, 9:26, 10:11-12)

2. The Greatest Motive (Rm. 5:6-8, Eph. 5:2)

3. The Greatest Response (Rm. 12:1, Heb. 13:15-16)

II. FREEDOM

1. True freedom is "free from something" (Rm. 6:18-23, 8:2, Gal. 5:1)

2. True freedom isn't free (Rm. 3:23-24, 5:15-18) Christ had to pay for it!

3. True freedom is free (Rev. 21:6, 22:17)

III. HONOR

1. True honor is honestly heartfelt (Mt. 15:8, Rev. 19:7)

2. True honor perceives position (Jn. 5:23, 8:49-54, Eph. 6:2, I Tm. 1:7, 6:16, I Pt. 3:7, Rev. 4:11, 5:12-13)

3. True honor surrounds service (Jn. 12:26, Rm. 2:7, I Tm. 5:3ff, 5:17, II Tm. 2:20-21)

For Me

I don't post this poetry because I believe I'm the next Robert Frost. I need a good location for it that I can find when I need it. So here it is. If you enjoy it that'll be icing on the cake.

Taking Stock
Sitting at my keyboard...
I take stock of life.
Both daughters now in college,
I live with my sweet wife.

That is not a problem,
We're still great friends you know.
We cherish the time together,
And the Lord knows I love her so.

We have two dogs as well,
A Collie and Great Dane.
The cat that we call Missy,
Is looking at the rain.

So sitting at my keyboard,
I still am taking stock.
Wondering when it will happen...
I'll break this writer's block!

The State of Fall
With the temp still in the nineties,
A leaf or two has fallen.
The lawn needs weekly mowing,
The air is full of pollen.
The leaves they're not a-changin',
They're as green as they can be.
The birds are still out chirping,
The squirrels still care-free.
Don't they realize?
Do they not know at all.
The calendar is October,
The season is really Fall?
It's just one of those things,
That I sometimes hate...
Some things rarely change,
In Florida, the Sunshine State.

This Note Is Late...
This note is late,
A Thing I hate.
But thought sublime,
God is always on time.

Christmas Is Come and Done
Some say that Christmas has come,
While others say it's done.
This should not be true,
Of those who know the Son.
What we have celebrated,
Is His incarnation on Earth.
What we have experienced,
Is the Second birth!
This birth has brought eternal life,
A peace instead of strife.
A destination settled,
A victory won.
Christ has come,
And that's what He has done!

It's not about That!
I love the Christmas season,
The chance to sit and chat-
With old and maybe new friends,
But it's not about that!

I love the smell of Christmas trees,
And the goodies that make me fat-
The Christmas cookies are superb,
But it's not about that!

I love the Christmas cheer,
The greetings and warm pats-
Oft its with some strangers,
But its not about that!

I love the Christmas story,
I don't think that it's old hat,
God incarnate came to earth,
And it's all about that!

On Behalf of Ink and Lead
How often have you stopped to think,
Of all the lead and all the ink,
That gave their lives that you might read,
Whenever you felt you had the need?
That's silly, you say, no lives were given.
No ink and lead were really livin'.
How you think that, I Can't abide...
It was murder then, not suicide!

Risen?
How do I know that Christ is risen,
To death He bid adieu?
God's Word proclaims He left the tomb,
He and His Word are True!

The Hard Part
Perhaps you have thought-
that I have forgotten you.
So let me express-
That this really isn't true-
My thoughts and prayers were with you-
And my "well wishes" too!
But the thing is, and this really is quite hard,
Is though I remembered you, I forgot to send your card!


Waiting
Ah, when I think of this modern age,
How far we have come from the printed page.
Things that previously were found in books,
Now call us, audibly, to give them a look.
We have faxes, and moderns, and gadgets galore,
Sold by the piece, the lot, or the store.
Palm sized gadgets and laptops too,
Make desktops something that many aschew.
We download books and read them all right,
Or choose to listen and thus save our sight.
Like Buck Rodgers, Sulu, or good Captain Kirk,
we can communicate by giving our wrists a slight jerk.
Flip open our phone and even have mail,
Makes the old postman seem like a snail.
With all this we''ve mentioned it must seem like baiting,
Where did I come up with the odd title...Waiting?

Copyright ©2006 Frederick A. Jackson

WORLDLY KNOWLEDGE (ISAIAH 36-37)

ISAIAH 36:1-3

Rick Jackson

I. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD

1. They understand how people are unreliable (36:4-6)

2. They understand how our own resources are limited (36:8-9)

3. They understand how tempting worldly pleasures can be (36:13-17)

II. THE IGNORANCE OF THE WORLD

1. They think "God" approves of their lifestyles (36:10)

2. They only think they know the true God (36:7, 15)

3. They think true Christianity is like man-made religions (36:18-20)

III. THE RESOURCES UNTAPPED BY THE WORLD

1. The people of God (36:21-37:4)

2. The promises of God (37:5-7)

3. The prayer to God (37:14-20)

4. The power of God (37:35-38)

BEWARE!

MATTHEW 16:1-12

Rick Jackson

The days of the Pharisees and Sadducees are not over. There are those that want the respectability of being Christians but oppose the very Word of God they claim to represent. I have some quotes for you from a certain well-known television preacher that I would like you to compare to the Word of God. A little lesson to remind us of the words of our Saviour, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees”

1. “There are some things in the Bible I cannot swallow but you get saved not by the Book but the blood.”

-I Pet. 1:23-25 (without the Book we wouldn’t know about the blood, they stand together
-Granted you may not understand all the Bible, you’re not God, but as Martin Luther once said, “If you cannot understand… then grant the Holy Spirit the honor of being more learned than you are.”

2. “Understand God is a God of grace and glory so forget the matter of justice.”

-Gn. 18:19, Ps. 89:14, Is. 9:7, Jer. 23:5, Acts 3:14, 7:52, 22:14 (God's love is not the only attribute of God, the Bible says over and over that God is holy and justice is a byproduct of holiness.)

3. “Jesus never called a person a sinner. Rather he reserved his righteous rebuke for those who used their authority to generate guilt and caused people to lose their ability to taste and enjoy their right to dignity.”

-Lk. 5:32, 6:32, 34; 15:7, 10; Rm. 3:23, 5:8, I Tim. 1:15, Jude 15 (Jesus said He came to call sinners to repentance. We are all sinners.)

4. “Salvation is to become the person God wants you to be here and now.”

-Rm. 1:16, 10:9-13 (Salvation is to miss Hell and gain Heaven by the merits of Jesus Christ, a changed life is the result of salvation.) Eph. 2:8-10

5. “A person is in hell when he has lost his self-esteem.”

-Lk. 16:23-31 (Tell that to the rich man. Jesus never spoke of Hell as a loss of self-esteem, He often spoke of it as a place of fire).

6. “Pride is the great thing we need to strive for.”

-Pr. 8:13, 11:2, 14:3, 16:18, 29:23, Mk. 7:22, I Tm. 3:6, I Jn. 2:16 (Pride is never mentioned in the Bible in a positive way. It is often, if not always, at the bottom of every sin. It is what caused Lucifer to fall.)

7. “Sin is any act or thought that robs myself or another human being of his or her self-esteem.”

-I Jn. 3:4 (He is attempting to redefine sin. So when he "preaches against "sin" he is not saying what you think.)

8. “Do not say that the central core of the human soul is wickedness. Positive Christianity does not hold to human depravity, but to human inability.”

-Gn. 6:5, Ps. 51:5, Mk. 7:22, Lk. 11:39, Rm. 1:29, I Jn. 5:19 (Postive non-Biblical thought might hold to that but true Christianity teaches both human depravity and inability).

A choice must be made. Will we accept the Word of God or will we follow a false minister like Robert Schuller? Every numbered quote is from the Robert Schuller who claims to be a minister of God but his words are in direct contradiction to God’s Words. (II Cor. 11:3-4, 13-15)

DO YOU KNOW MY JESUS?

Rick Jackson

I. ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH HIS HUMANITY?

1. The virgin born Saviour (Is. 7:14)

2. The stem of Jesse (Is. 11:1)

3. The spirit-filled man (Is. 11:2)

II. ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH HIS DEITY?

1. The knowledge of Him will fill the earth (11:3-9)

2. The root of Jesse (11:10) Only Jesus is the root of Jesse and the stem of Jesse.

3. The real Jehovah (Is. 9:6, 43:10, Acts 1:1-8)

III. ARE YOU ACQUAINTED WITH HIM PERSONALLY?

1. He can be your salvation (Is. 12:1-2)

2. He can be your strength (Is. 12:2, Rom. 5:6-8)

3. He can be your song (Is. 12:2, Ps. 40:1-5)

10 THINGS GOD HATES!

I JOHN 2:15

Rick Jackson

God loves, but God also hates. This message looks at 10 things God hates. The list is not exhaustive but I hope it is enlightening. It’s okay to hate as long as we hate the right things. It’s not always okay to love for sometimes we love the wrong things. What then are some things God hates that should likewise be hated by us.

I. IDOLS (DT. 16:22)

II. WICKEDNESS (PS. 45:6-7, HEB. 1:8-9)

III. PRIDE (PR. 6:16-17a)

“I am better than you” not so, someone may act better but the value is determined by the price paid for everyone

IV. “A LYING TONGUE” the father of lies is Satan (Jn. 8) Christ is Truth as is His Word (Jn. 14, 17)

V. “HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD” murders, abortions (self-defense, war, capital punishment aren’t murder)

VI. “A HEART THAT DEVISETH WICKED IMAGINATIONS” (V. 18a, Mt. 15:19, Jer. 17:9) (the old nature)

VII. “FEET THAT BE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO MISCHIEF” (V. 18b )

(looting, robbing, dope dealing)

VIII. “A FALSE WITNESS THAT SPEAKETH LIES” (V. 19a)

Not just general lying, more emphatic, like in court, about others

IX. HE THAT SOWETH DISCORD AMONG THE BRETHREN” (V. 19b)

Causing trouble between Christians, relatives, friends

X. EVIL DEEDS (REV. 2:6)


What do you hate?

3 WORDS THAT HELPED MAKE AMERICA GREAT

Rick Jackson

JOHN 8

I. “FREEDOM”WHICH ISN’T FREE

1. It is a result of TRUTH (Jn. 8:32-36)

2. It is a result of SACRIFICE (Rm. 3:23-26)

3. It is a result of right CHOICES (Rm. 3:22, 26-30)

II. “INDEPENDENCE” WHICH ISN’T INDEPENDENT

1. To be independent of man one must be dependent on God (Rm. 3:4)

2. To be independent of sin one must be dependent on righteousness (Rm. 6:13)

3. To be independent of works one must be dependent on Grace (Rm. 11:6)

4. To be independent of Satan one must be dependent on Christ (II Co. 6:15-18)

III. “LIBERTY” WHICH IS NOT LICENSE

1. Liberty is given so we can stand (Gal. 5:1)

2. Liberty is given so we can serve (Gal. 5:13-14, I Pt. 2:16)

3. Liberty is given so we can obey the Word (James 1:22-25, 2:8-13)

3 STEPS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER

Rick Jackson

We are given instructions from the National Weather Service concerning inclement weather. We are given steps to take in case of tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, floods, etc. All this is a good thing. Sometimes we find ourselves in inclement weather spiritually speaking. It may be a fog too dense to see through, a storm of difficulties or a wave of decisions that need to be made with no clear indication which way to head. Don't fret or fear for the Scriptures give us steps to take in these kinds of circumstances.

I. "BOW THE KNEE" (SUBMISSION)

1. Submit to His Word (Is. 45:18-25)

2. Submit to His way (Ps. 95:1-11)

3. Submit to His Wisdom (Eph. 3:1-14)

II. "TRUST THE HEART OF YOUR FATHER" (SERENITY)

1. He has your personal best at heart (Mt. 6:6-8, 31-34)

2. He has your professional best at heart (I Pt. 1:13-25, 5:6-7, 10)

3. He has your perpetual best at heart (I Jn. 2:24-3:9)

III. "LIFT UP YOUR EYES" (SEEK)

1. He will supply (Gn. 22:11-14)

2. He will help (Ps. 121)

3. He will have mercy (Ps. 123, Mt. 17:8, II Jn. 1:3)

THREE THINGS THAT HAVEN’T CHANGED

Rick Jackson

There is a great comfort factor in things that do not change. It’s nice to know that some things do not change. We have found from the Scriptures that God doesn’t change. There is no variableness in God the Father, neither shadow of turning. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. The Eternal Spirit is still at work in the world and in our lives. There are some things that haven’t changed as well. Three of which we will mention in this message.

I. SCRIPTURE HAS NOT CHANGED (PS. 119:89)

1. The history written in advance has not changed (Daniel 7)

2. The science has not changed (Is. 40:22)

3. The theology hasn’t changed (Gn. 1, Rm. 1)

II. SALVATION HAS NOT CHANGED (JONAH 2:9)

1. The work determined (Heb. 4:1-3, 12)

2. The Word declares (I Peter 1:18-25)

3. The Way delivers (Jn. 14:6, Rev. 13:8)

III. SOUL-WINNING HAS NOT CHANGED (Pr. 11:30)

1. David won souls (Ps. 51:13, 126:5-6)

2. Daniel won souls (Dan. 12:2-3)

3. Disciples win souls (Mt. 28:19-20)

3 THINGS THAT ABIDE

FAITH, HOPE, & CHARITY

I COR. 13:13

Rick Jackson

I. FAITH

1. In God (Mk. 11:22)

2. In Christ (I Cor. 2:5, Gal. 2:16-20, 3:26)

3. In the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:9-26)

II. HOPE

1. Of the Scriptures (Rm. 15:4)

2. Of God (Rm. 15:13)

3. Of expectation (I Cor. 9:10, 15:19)

III. CHARITY

1. Edifies (I Cor. 8:1)

2. Motivates (I Cor. 13:1-14:1)

3. Accompanies (I Cor. 9:10, 16:14)

Much ado about nothing... or... something deeper?

I routinely sell items on several websites (amazon.com. half.com and ebay). I like doing this for several reasons. It reduces clutter in my household and it provides a little extra cash flow at the same time. With every order sold I enclose a business card with my contact information on it so the buyer can, well, contact me, should the need arise. Now being a pastor my business card has church information printed on the front and a clear Gospel presentation on the back... but it still is "my" card.

I sold a book the other day and very quickly mailed it out to the buyer. I am always striving to go above and beyond and try to mail orders out the same or next business day (well before required by the listing website). I will sometimes ship 1st class instead of media mail if the cost isn't too prohibitive even though the buyer has only paid for the latter. Of course, I enclosed my business card.

Each of these websites has a place to give feedback concerning transactions. This particular website goes with a 5 point system. 5 being the highest. For my efforts in getting this person their book so quickly I got this feedback:

4 out of 5: "Religious business card enclosed. I did not like that."

To which I replied, Seller Response: "I enclose my business card with my information on it in case someone needs to contact me. How silly would it be for me to not use my own business card? How insecure do you have to be to be offended when a person encloses their business card? I am sorry they were so easily offended but I do not think its fair to rate me lower simply because they don't like my business card."

Now this may seem like much ado about nothing but is it? I routinely get business cards when I purchase on these sites, I get religious material sent to me, etc. I don't get bent out of shape about it and I don't "grade" the person on that but grade them rather on what you might expect: was the item as advertised, was it shipped in a timely fashion, etc.

If they send me religious material or even secular material I don't want I just toss it in file 13 and move on. So why would a person give less than excellent feedback when they got excellent service? Is it because they are insecure in their spiritual state and don't like to be reminded of it? Could it be they are under conviction of the Holy Spirit and it is hard to "kick against the pricks" (Acts 9:5)? Is it because they are so blinded by Satan that they must call evil good and good evil? Is it as John 3:19-20 puts it: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Hmmm. Makes you think doesn't it?

A MOTHER'S DAY EXAMPLE

Rick Jackson dedicates this message to his mother who went to be with the Lord in September 2005. This year she gets to spend Mother's Day with her mother!

I SAMUEL 1

There are many mothers mentioned in the Bible. Eve and Elisabeth, Rebekah and Rachel, Sarah and Hagar, Ruth and Naomi, and many, many more both good and bad. There are few mothers, in my opinion, that shine like Hannah, the mother of Samuel.

I. SHE WAS SURE OF HER OWN SALVATION

(I Sm. 2:1, I Jn. 5:13, Rm. 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-13) D. L. Moody said he never knew an effective soul-winner who doubted their own salvation.

II. SHE WAS PERSISTENT IN HER PRAYERS

A wise woman will pray for children, then pray for her children, and pray with her children. (I Th. 5:17, Lk. 18:1, Jer. 33:3, Jm. 4:2). John R. Rice said, "All our failures are prayer failures".

III. SHE WAS A WOMAN OF HER WORD

(I Sm. 1:11, 28; Eccl. 5:4-5, Mt. 5:37, Ps. 15:4)

IV. SHE WAS METICULOUS IN HER MOTHERHOOD (I Sm. 1:22, 2:12, 3:13)

She didn't leave it to chance... or Eli! She raised Samuel right from his earliest days (as did Moses' mother). Not the school, not the church, not the world---the HOME!

V. SHE WORKED AT THE WILL AND WORD OF GOD! (I Sm. 2:2-10, II Tm. 1:5, 3:15)


VI. SHE CONTINUED TO CARE (I Sm. 2:19, Jude 22)

Many is the person who has testified their mother's prayers have followed them.

The Rice Legacy

Few families have had as much impact on my life as the Rice family. As a fairly new Christian I was given a copy of the Sword of the Lord in 1974 when John R. Rice was the editor. What a blessing that was to me. The Lord used John R. Rice to draw me closer to Him in ways I could not have imagined. I have almost every book he ever wrote (I am still trying to find a few out-of-print ones) and have listened to hundreds of his sermons through various forms of media. I was priviliged to meet the great man of God in person and hear him preach numerous times. Only eternity will reveal the influence he has had on my life. If you can get anything by him (books, tapes, whatever) I would advise you to do so.

His family has been a blessing to me as well. His brother Bill Rice (who God used to start the Bill Rice Ranch) was also a great writer and preacher as are Bill's sons- Bill III, Pete, and Ronnie. His grandson Wil, is no slouch in that area either. Both Bill III and Wil have preached at Bradford Baptist Church where I have the privilege to pastor and Pete will be with us on June 4, 2006, Lord willing. I am praising God!

I had the privilege of teaching several of John Rice's grandchildren when I was a teacher at Tennessee Temple High School and was taught by several of his sons-in-law while I was a student at Temple Baptist Theological Seminary (now called Tennessee Temple Seminary). I have heard others of his sons-in-law preach and the writings of his daughters and these men are also a great blessing.

It was through the Sword that God led me to Tennessee Temple and under the ministry of Lee Roberson and there I heard hundreds of God's men in chapel and the classroom. All because Don Miller gave me a copy of the Sword of the Lord. Despise not the day of small things.

Of course the Sword itself has allowed me to glean from others. One of those in particular, Dr. Robert L. Sumner is mighty in the Scriptures. Here is another man of God who like Rice has been an evangelist, editior, author, published, preacher, Bible scholar... I could go on. Dr. Sumner, whom I count as a dear friend is still active. Use the link provided at the side and visit the Biblical Evangelist website. Be prepared to be blessed! He has taken some stands that were unpopular but were necessary and Biblical and I am grateful for a man of courage who like Paul, seeks to please God rather than men.

Well, I could go on but the bottom line is, Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Missing Days

The reason for no blogs for several days was because I was out of town. my lovely wife and I were in Pensacola, FL watching our youngest daughter graduate with honors from Pensacola Christian College. Very exciting. She's now home for the summer until she goes back next year as a graduate student and graduate assistant. She hopes to get her Masters in 2 years. Praise the Lord.

3 STEPS CLOSER TO GOD

Rick Jackson

If I asked how many of would like to be closer to God than you are now I daresay most of us would raise our hands or nod our assent to such a thought. To be closer to God, nearer my God to thee, to be like Jesus…this is the theme of many a song, the heart of many a prayer, and the longing of many a soul. I would like to propose to you 3 simple steps to be closer to God. Some of these you may already be doing, others may not have occurred to you but we can all profit from these simple reminders.

I. LIVE BIBLICALLY

1. In thought (II Cor. 10:5, Phil. 2:5-8)

2. In philosophy (Col. 2:6-10---why we do what we do and how we do it)

3. In deed (James 1:22-27)

II. WORK LOCALLY

“Brighten the corner where you are!”

1. Family (Lk. 8:26-39---Andrew)

2. Friends (Mk. 5:19---Philip, Daniel)

3. Community (Mk. 5:20, Lk. 8:39, Acts 1:8)

III. THINK GLOBALLY

1. Give to missions (Phil. 4:14-19)

2. Go as God calls (Acts 13:1-4)

3. Pray for missions (Eph. 6:19)

THROUGH HIM (II PETER 1)

Rick Jackson

I. THROUGH CHRIST WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE

1. Precious faith through His righteousness (v. 1)

2. Peace and grace through the knowledge of Him (v. 2)

3. Power through the knowledge of Him (v. 3)

II. THROUGH HIS PROMISES WE HAVE THE ABUNDANT LIFE

1. Which are exceeding great & precious (v. 4a)

2. We partake of the divine nature (v. 4b)

3. We escape the corruption of the world (v. 4c)

III. THROUGH HIS PROVISION WE HAVE A FRUITFUL LIFE

1. Add to faith, virtue (v. 5a)

2. Add to virtue, Knowledge (v. 5b)

3. Add to knowledge, temperance (v. 6a)

4. Add to temperance, patience (v. 6b)

5. Add to patience, godliness (v. 6c)

6. Add to godliness, brotherly kindness (v. 7a)

7. Add to brotherly kindness, charity (v. 7b)

YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH! (III JOHN)

Rick Jackson

There is a famous courtroom scene from a movie where the 2 lead actors are arguing. The man on the stand asks the lawyer, “You want answers?” And the reply comes back, “I think I'm entitled to them.” “You want answers?” “I want the truth!” “You can't handle the truth!” Apart from Christ, you can’t handle the truth. Look at the evolutionists. Look at the politically correct groups. Look at religious groups that don’t follow the Word of God. But those saved by Christ and walking in the light of His Word know this, YOU CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Firstly, we should:

I. WALK IN TRUTH (1-4)

2 Corinthians 4:2
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.

Galatians 2:14
But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?

1 John 1:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

2 John 1:4
I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

Walking in truth:

1. Makes a bond with others (v. 1)

2. Is seen of others (v. 2-3)

3. Brings joy to others (v. 3-4)

Not only should we walk in truth, but we should:

II. WORK FOR TRUTH (5-10)

1. Help people follow God’s way (v. 5-6)

2. Help people spread the Gospel (v. 7-8)

3. Help people with graciousness (v. 9-10)

Then finally, we can handle the truth not only by walking in truth and working for truth but we can:

III. WITNESS FOR THE TRUTH (11-14)

1. With our work (v. 11)

2. With our words (v. 12)

3. With our willingness (v. 13-14)

DO YOU SEE YOUR CALLING?

I CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

Rick Jackson

I. THE CALLS OF CHRIST

1. He calls sinners to salvation (Mk. 2:17, Mt. 11:28, Rm. 5:8)

2. He calls saints to service (Mk. 1:20, Acts 13:2)

3. He calls serving saints to friendship (Jn. 15:15, James 2:23)

4. He calls saved sanctified saints brethren (Heb. 2:9-15)

II. THE CALLS TO CHRIST

1. We call Him to be saved (Rm. 10:12-14)

2. We call Him to be shown (Jer. 33:3, Eph. 2:4-7, 3:14-21)

3. We call Him to be servants (Eph. 2:8-10, Zeph. 3:9)

III. THE CAUSE OF CHRIST

1. We are saved to serve (Zeph. 3:9)

2. We worship to serve (Mt. 4:4, Lk. 4:4)

3. We turn to and from to serve (I Th. 1:9)

4. We choose to serve (Joshua 24:14-15)

3 GREAT REQUESTS

Rick Jackson

I. LORD, MAKE ME CLEAN

1. The power of salvation (Mt. 23:25-28, Jn. 1:12, Rev. 1:5-6)

2. The prayer of supplication (Jn. 13:10, Ps. 19:12, 51:2)

3. The process of sanctification (Jn. 15:3, 17:17)

II. LORD, MAKE ME CLOSE

1. Confess and have faith (Rm. 10:9-13)

2. Confess and have forsaken (Pr. 28:13)

3. Confess and have forgiveness (I Jn. 1:9)

III. LORD, MAKE ME CLEAR

1. Concerning myself (Lk. 6:41-42)

2. Concerning my Creator (Rm. 1:20-25)

3. Concerning my obedience to God's Word (II Cor. 7:7-11)

WELL I DECLARE (I TIMOTHY 4)

Rick Jackson

By God’s grace, I have been preaching for 32 years. Until I sat down and started this message I hadn’t realized how varied a ministry the Lord has allowed me to have over the years. I have pastored 3 churches for 22 of those 32 years. I have preached in homes, schools, churches, Sunday Schools, nursing homes, military bases, funeral homes, restaurants and fairgrounds. I have preached over an hour and have preached for a few minutes. I have preached in person, on the radio and on the internet. I have driven to preach, walked to preach and once I even flew to preach. I have preached to 1 or 2 and I have preached to thousands. I have been boring and hopefully I have been interesting. Any good that has come from my preaching is to the Lord’s credit, any bad is mine.

I was fortunate that when God called me to preach He had already taught me what to preach, His Word. It is a great relief to me to not have to pour through encyclopedias and other reference books to find something worthy to preach I just reach for the Book, God’s Holy Word, the Bible. It is a great shock to me that some Christians complain when a preacher preaches the Bible. What should we expect any preacher to declare?

Every preacher should declare:

I. THE GOSPEL OF GOD (I Cor. 1:17)

1. It is the power of God unto salvation (Rm. 1:16)

2. Lost people need to hear it (Rm. 10:8-17)

3. Saved people need to hear it (I Peter 1:3-9, 25)

II. THE WORD OF GOD (Acts 20:27-32)

1. The example of Jesus Mk. 2:2

2. The example of the apostles (Acts 8:4, 25; 13:5, 14:25, 15:35-36, 17:13, 20:27)

3. The admonition of the Scripture (II Tm. 4:2, Titus 1:3)

III. AS LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD Micah 3:5-8

1. We need Him (John 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:7-15)

2. We need His direction (Acts 13:1-5, 16:6-11)

3. We need His power (I Cor. 2:1-5)

BURNING QUESTIONS, BRIGHT ANSWERS (PSALM 121)

Rick Jackson

The situation you find yourself in causes questions to come up in your mind. What will you do? Who can you call upon the can get you out of this mess? Will the person you call respond? Will they be able to help?

I. WHAT CAN THE LOWLY DO? V. 1-2A

1. Make the right decision (v. 1) “I will”

2. Look in the right direction (v. 1) implies valley, depression, lowlands, plains

3. Declare the right devotion (v. 1b-2)

II. WHO IS THIS LORD? (V. 2b-6)

1. Creator (v. 2b, Col. 1:16)

2. Sustainer (v. 3-4, Col. 1:17)

3. Keeper (v. 5a)

4. Comforter (v. 5b)

5. Protector (v. 6, Col. 1:18-20)

III. WHAT WILL THE LORD DO? (V. 7-8)

He will preserve His own:

1. From whatever necessary (v. 7, Col. 1:21-22)

2. Wherever necessary (v. 8a)

3. Whenever necessary (v. 8b)

TRUE OR FALSE

II PETER 2

Rick Jackson

I. THE EXISTENCE OF FALSE TEACHERS (V. 1-3)

1. Deny Christ’s place (v. 1)

2. Despise Truth’s place (v. 2)

3. Degrade humanity’s place (v. 3a)

II. THE EXAMPLE OF RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT (V. 3b-9)

1. The reservation of fallen angels (v. 3b-4, Jude 6) (Devil)

2. The reality of worldwide judgment (v. 5, Mt. 24:36-39) (world)

3. The recompense of ungodly living (v. 6-9, Jude 7) (flesh)

III. THE EXAMINATION OF FALSE PROFESSORS (V. 10-22)

1. They despise authority and discipline (v. 10-14, Jude 8-10)

2. They delight in empty materialism (v. 15-19, Jude 12-16)

3. They demonstrate a lost condition (v. 20-22, Jude 17-19)

THEY COULD NOT

Luke 14:1-6

Based on a message by Bobby Roberson adapted by Rick Jackson

Isn’t it amazing what “THEY” say? “THEY” say the Bible is full of contradictions…

“THEY” say Jesus couldn’t have been God in the flesh. “THEY” say all roads lead to heaven. If you start to look at Christ and what “THEY” say you will find a great gulf fixed between His reality and their claims. “THEY” are so limited and always have been. Let’s examine a few things THEY COULD NOT in relation to the Lord Jesus.

THEY COULD NOT:

I. KILL HIM WHEN HE WAS BORN (Mt. 2:2-3, 7-9, 11-23)

II. KILL HIM IN HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY (Lk. 4:18-30, 19:47-48)

III. MAKE HIM SIN (Heb. 4:15, Jn. 8:46)

IV. KEEP HIM OFF THE CROSS (Mt. 16:21-23, 26:1-5, Is 53:10)

V. KEEP HIM IN THE GRAVE (Mt. 27:62-28:6, Acts 2:27-31)

But wait, it’s not just true that THEY COULD NOT but praise His Dear Name, it is equally true, THEY CANNOT!

THEY CANNOT PREVENT HIM FROM:

VI. SAVING WHOSOEVER CALLS ON HIM (Rm. 10:9-13)

VII. COMING BACK (Jn. 14:1-3, Rev. 1:7, 19:11-21)

THE FREEDOM OF FORGIVENESS

PSALM 51

Rick Jackson

Everyone needs forgiveness. How do I know that? I know because all have sinned. Since all have sinned all need forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a given. It must be obtained. The alternative to forgiveness is condemnation. Condemnation is a given, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (Jn. 3:16-19).

I. THE BASICS OF FORGIVENESS

1. Mercy (not being condemned like we deserve) based on love (v. 1)

2. Removal of sin based on the blood (v. 2, Rev. 1:5)

3. Confession precedes forgiveness (to confess means to agree) (v. 3)

(1) The lost must confess Christ as Saviour (Rm. 10:9-13)

(2) The saved confess their sin to God I( Jn. 1:9)

---The saved already have a relationship with God hence the difference.

II. THE BASICS OF CONFESSION

1. All sin is against a thrice Holy God (v. 4, Is. 6:3, Rev. 4:9)

2. All humans are born sinners (v. 5)

---We aren’t sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. A Cat is not a cat because it meows, it meows because it is a cat; it is the cat’s nature to meow

3. Confession allows God’s desire of fellowship with man (v. 6, Ps. 8:4, Is. 59:2)

III. THE BASICS OF WHAT CONFESSION DOES FOR CHRISTIANS


1. Allows the blood to be applied to the specific area (v. 7, Is. 1:18, passover)

2. Allows joy to return (v. 8)

3. Allows communication to resume (v. 9, Ps. 66:18)

4. Allows God to renew us (not resave us) (v. 10-11)

5. Allows God to restore the joy of salvation to our lives (v. 12)

6. Allows God to use us again (v. 13, I Co. 9:27)

7. Allows us to worship in work and words alike (v. 14-19, Jn. 4:24)