A TASTE OF HOPE

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE HOPE OF GLORY

1. A Glory we Access [Romans 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.]

2. A Glory we Know [Ephesians 1:17-23]

3. A Glory Christ Provides [Colossians 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:]

 

II. THE HOPE OF BLESSEDNESS

1.  Bound in a Person [Jeremiah 17:7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.]

2. Bound in a Work [1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,]

3.  Bound in a Future [Titus 2:13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;]

 

III. THE HOPE OF GOD [Romans 8:31 … If God be for us, who can be against us?]

1. God Around Us [Psalm 34:7 The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.]

2. God Before Us [Isaiah 48:17 Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I am the LORD thy God which teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.]

3. God Behind Us [Isaiah 30:21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.]

4. God at Our Right Hand [Psalm 16:8 I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.]

5. God at Our Left Hand [Job 23:9-10 On the left hand, where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him: But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.]

6. God Above Us [Psalm 36:7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.]

7. God Beneath Us [Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.]

8. God in Us [1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?]

My Shepherd

I love Psalm 23, and I suspect you do as well.  In the Bible, we learn that the Lord is the Chief Shepherd; that speaks of His position.  We also learn that the Lord is the Good Shepherd; that speaks of His character.  I love Psalm 23 because we learn that He is "my Shepherd." I am who I am because the Lord is Who He is.  I am what I am because the Lord is what He is.  So, if the Lord is my Shepherd, I am satisfied.  "I shall not want." Sheep are not content because they own anything; they are content because they are owned by the shepherd.  The Lord will not withhold any good thing (Psalm 84), and He is the Source of every good and perfect gift (James 1). When you see a pasture, it is not called a "cow pasture" or "horse pasture" because the cows or horses own it; it is the rancher's pasture and the rancher owns them!  If the rancher owns them, they own everything else.  They are satisfied because they belong to the rancher.  How much greater is the truth that we are satisfied because the Lord is our Shepherd! Since the Lord is my Shepherd, not only am I satisfied, I am safe.  "I will fear no evil: for thou art with me."  I am not safe because there is no danger; I am safe because He is with me (verse 4).  You are far safer in a dangerous spot with God than you are in a safe place without Him.  Safety is not found in a place; it is found in a Person. We wouldn't know comfort if we didn't know grief.  We wouldn't need a Shepherd if we didn't know danger.  God does not promise to remove grief and danger from your life, but He does promise His presence.  With His presence comes everything you need. With the Lord as my Shepherd, I am satisfied; I am safe; and I am saved!  "And I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever."  We have the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, and we have the "goodness and mercy" for this life right now. No problem, no situation, and no need will ever exceed the life God gives you when He is your Shepherd.  I am so grateful that "the Lord is my Shepherd"! Camp Quote: "The family is not just given to populate the earth; it is part of God's very genius." -Dr. Dave Hardy     Prayer Requests: 1. Safety at camp this week 2. Families to be encouraged and helped this week       Enjoy more devotionals, sermon audio, and articles on our website!

Bill Rice Ranch | 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road | Murfreesboro | TN | 37128

SIN THE DESTROYER

1 KINGS 14                                                                                                              Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE DESTROYER OF TRUTH [v. 1-6]

 

1. Deception Attempted [v. 1-4]

 

2. Deception Discerned [v. 5, Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.]

 

3. Deception Exposed [v. 6, 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing  before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

 

II. THE DESTROYER OF FAMILIES [v. 7-20]

 

1.  God Takes Sin Personally [v. 7-12, Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.]

 

2. God Takes Grace Personally [v. 13, 17-18 “God doesn’t have any grandchildren”]

 

3.  God Deals with Sin Personally & Nationally [v. 14-16, 19-20, Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.]

 

III. THE DESTROYER OF GOVERNMENTS [v. 21-31]

 

1. A Nations Downward Spiral [v. 21-24]

 

2. A Nation’s Sorry Substitute [v. 25-28]

 

3. A Nation’s Inevitable Division [v. 29-31]

IS GOD YOUR WORST ENEMY OR YOUR BEST FRIEND?

                                 LUKE 11:14-23

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE LOST ENEMIES OF GOD

 

1. Ungodly Enemies [Rm. 5:6-10]

 

2. Alienated Enemies [Col. 1:20-21]

 

3. Perverted Enemies [Acts 13:6-12]

 

II. THE SAVED “ENEMIES” OF GOD

 

1.  The Carnally Minded [Rom. 8:5-13, 1 Cor. 3:1-4]

 

2. The Earthly Minded [Phil. 3:17-19]

 

3.  The Worldly Minded [James 4:1-10]

 

III. THE SAVED FRIENDS OF GOD

 

1. The Believing Friends [James 2:23, Heb. 11:6]

 

2. The Obedient Friends [John 15:14-15]

 

3. The Dedicated Friends [Luke 12:1-9]

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What makes bones so strong?

 

answersingenesis.org | newsletter archives | contact us July 27, 2013 a weekly look at answersingenesis.org
In this issue . . . Q&A: What makes bones so strong? Get Equipped: Skeletal System DVD Answers Mega Conference Review News to Know Quick Look After Eden Answers . . . with Ken Ham radio program Answers Conversation podcast Video: The Great Delusion—The Spiritual State of the Nation Blog Highlights Pray for AiG Q: What makes bones so strong? A: Bones of animals and humans normally contain just the right balance of hard and flexible parts. Minerals such as calcium and phosphorous combine to provide the hard and durable structure of bones. For children, diets rich in calcium help to build their growing bones. But strong bones require more than the hardness that minerals provide, otherwise they would be too brittle. They also need the flexibility gained from tough fibers throughout the bone. The combination of these two materials produces a composite material that joins hardness and flexibility into a tremendously strong structure. Read the whole article from Answers magazine and perform the two experiments to test the flexibility and brittleness of bones. Get Equipped Body of Evidence 2: The Skeletal System, Cartilage, and Bone DVD Without bones you would be a lump of fleshy organs. Without cartilage you would have no nose, no fingernails, and folding your arm or straightening your leg would be extremely painful. In disc 2 of the series Body of Evidence, Dr. David Menton focuses on the human skeletal system. Dr. Menton employs anatomical props, models, and microscopic images to teach about God's amazing designs for life. Answers Mega Conference Review Ken Ham Delivers a Powerful and Moving Talk on "Rescuing Our Kids": In his final talk at this year's Mega Conference, Ken Ham exhorted that we need to rescue our kids from the evil one, this evil age, churches that compromise, many Sunday schools, and compromising Christian institutions. Holding to Biblical Principles in a Sin-Cursed World: The next four sessions on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning covered difficulties we face in a sin-cursed world and then applied biblical principles to these issues. We Can Understand the World Around Us When We Start from Scripture: Hear from our keynote speakers about the intelligent design movement, the genetics of Adam and Eve, fossilization, fossil beds, and the Flood. Who Defines Good and Bad? From the first day of the Answers Mega Conference, the presentations were hard-hitting and pointed. Read and watch the recent highlights in this Outreach Events blog post. The Battle for the Truth at the Answers Mega Conference: The Answers Mega Conference has begun! Here are some excerpts and key thoughts from some of the speakers. News to Know Quick Look Lizards Begat Lizards: Most lizards and snakes are egg-layers, but many species bear live young. Evolutionists debate various mechanisms to explain how this ability came to be, but we maintain that these various abilities are simply variation within God's created kinds. Cholera Clues Uncovered: Did Cholera Exert "Evolutionary Pressure" on People? The deadly disease cholera has a documented history for thousands of years. A recent study suggests that the disease has also been "documented" in the human genome of natives of the Ganges River Delta. Archaeologists Find Farming's Roots All Over the Fertile Crescent: Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of early cultivation and crop storage throughout the ancient Near East. The Bible documents that, from the beginning, God provided human intelligence, ingenuity, civilization, and the ability to tame and shape the environment to meet human needs. After Eden Answers . . . with Ken Ham radio program All of human history hinges on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. How shall we answer some of the secular denials of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ? Part 5: Swoon Theory Part 4: Disciples Stole the Body Part 3: Legend Part 2: Mass Hallucination Part 1: Mistaken Identity Answers Conversation podcast This week, Ken Ham joins his brother Steve Ham to explore the question, How must we teach apologetics to our children? Part 1. They share family memories growing up with their godly parents in Australia.	This Week . . . Feedback: "The Biggest Joke on the Internet" (Jul 26) Lizards Begat Lizards (Jul 25) A Proposal for a New Solution to the Light Travel Time Problem (Jul 24) Did Cholera Exert "Evolutionary Pressure" on People? (Jul 23) How God is Using Answers Bible Curriculum to Change Lives (Jul 22) Rubber Chicken Leg (Jul 21) Archaeologists Find Farming's Roots All Over the Fertile Crescent (Jul 20) Video On Demand The Great Delusion— The Spiritual State of the Nation Watch Video Blog Highlights Ken Ham: Hundreds of Kids Armed for Battle in the World Ken Ham: Hundreds of Families Attend Mega Conference Ken Ham: Back to the Lion's Den of the NEA Convention Ken Ham: The Need to Rescue the Kids Pray for AiG Thank God for last week's Answers Mega Conference. Please ask the Lord to confirm His Word in the lives of all who participated. Resources Jonathan Park Audio Series (Vol. VIII): The Copper Scroll Dragons: Legends & Lore of Dinosaurs Buddy Davis' Amazing Adventures: Extreme Caving Connect with Us Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Answers in Genesis Creation Museum See all networks
The material in today's blog was generously provided by: Answers in Genesis 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY 41080 Customer service: 800-778-3390

READ, RESPECT & REALIZE

 

July 2013   Thank you for reading my Prophetic Daily Devotionals!   Please visit my website to learn more Bible prophecies being fulfilled in these last days.    Nehemiah 8:8   So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.   For further study - Nehemiah 8:1-18   This chapter in Nehemiah is an exhortation for each of us to read the Word of God, come to an understanding of the Word, and then to obey the Word. Nehemiah 8:8 tells us how this can happen. The verse explains the process that Ezra, the scribe, used in order for God's Word to be understood and obeyed.   First the people would "read" the Word. Notice how they would read from the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. The teacher, Ezra, would stand behind a pulpit, Nehemiah 8:4, and the people would stand as Ezra would read the "holy scriptures", Nehemiah 8:5.   When someone tells me, based upon Nehemiah 8:4 that I must stand behind a pulpit to preach, I remind them that they must then stand while I preach based on the next verse.   Notice after the Word was read, Nehemiah 8:8, that Ezra would "give the sense" of the Word. In other words, he would do a Bible study with the people so that they would understand what was being read.   It is interesting to note that the people had a respect for God's Word, as indicated by the fact that they stood as the Word was read. We must first respect God's Word before we can really understand what God is saying to us through it. When we respect and understand His Word, then we will obey His Word, as we see happening in this passage, Nehemiah 8:9-18.   Did you notice the time of the year that the passage takes place? It is in the fall of the year, Nehemiah 8:2, the first day of the seventh month. That is the day that the Jewish people celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.   Notice also that as the people read and understood God's Word, they realized that they were to observe the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles, Nehemiah 8:14-18. The seven-day Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated by reading the Word each day, Nehemiah 8:18, in addition to living in their "thatched huts" for the seven days of the feast.   This chapter gives us an understanding of how we are to relate to God's Word. It also looks into the future with the mention of the two Jewish feast days, Trumpets and Tabernacles.   The first of these two Jewish Feasts foretells of the time of the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, to the Earth. Christ will come back to the Mount of Olives on the Feast of Trumpets. This is not the Rapture, but the Second Coming. Jesus tells the angel to blow the trumpet and gather His elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other, Matthew 24:31 .   The Millennial Kingdom will begin on the Feast of Tabernacles, the last of the fall feast, fulfilling the prophecy of the Jewish feast day, as will be the case in all seven of the Jewish Feast days. That is what Peter was talking about when he wanted to set up three tabernacles in Matthew 17 on the Mount of transfiguration.   Nehemiah 8 is a great chapter that reminds us of the importance of "reading", "understanding", and "obeying" God's Word. But also it reminds us of things to come, Bible prophecy that will be fulfilled.   PRAYER THOT: Help me Lord to read Your Word, understand it and obey it. Visit our website at http:/www.prophecytoday.com

Shofar Communications | PO Box 2510 | Chattanooga | TN | 37409

Building & Battling

July 25, 2013   Thank you for reading my Prophetic Daily Devotionals!   Please visit my website to learn more Bible prophecies being fulfilled in these last days.      Nehemiah 4:17   They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.   For further study - Nehemiah 4:10-23   What a great book is, Nehemiah, the one containing our reading for today. Nehemiah was still among the Jews that had not returned to the land of Israel. When he got word of the deplorable conditions of his beloved city of Jerusalem he immediately sought permission from the king to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the "walls" of the city and repair its "streets".   He would face much opposition to the task God had given him. In fact, there would be those who wanted the building stopped. Those who opposed the Jews would even resort to killing the workers.   Nehemiah prepared his workers to both rebuild the walls and streets of the city and to protect themselves from the attacks.   As I read through the extended passage for today, I was impressed with what happened about 2,500 years ago and what has been going on in the modern-day Jewish state of Israel. Nehemiah's helpers would work with one hand and hold their weapon with the other as they worked.   That principle extended to the other workers with a portion of them at the work of refurbishing Jerusalem and the other portion of the Jews with shields and spears to protect the workers.   I almost feel like I am reading out of the local Israeli newspaper reporting on a normal life in the Middle East. Today, the Jewish nation of just over six million people is building a nation with one hand working to build this Jewish nation and the other half of the nation protecting all Jews from total destruction.   A great statement is used as an exhortation to the Jewish people then - and now. "Our God shall fight for us", found in verse 20, is a reminder to the Jewish people of who they are and what the God of heaven will do for them. They are the "Sons of Jacob", the one who had his name changed to "Israel" which literally means, "my God will fight for you".   These six million Jews today have living around them at least 350 million Arabs and Muslims. They all claim to despise the Jews and want to rid the world of all of them. So what's new?   The only way the Jews will sustain existence is by God fighting for them, which He has done for about 4,000 years. That in and of itself is proof of the reality of a true, all-powerful, holy God who will indeed continue to fight for His "chosen people", the Jewish people.   PRAYER THOT: Thank you Lord for taking care of the Jewish people, which gives me comfort that You will also take care of me, fighting for me, as a member of Your body.      Visit our website at http:/www.prophecytoday.com

Shofar Communications | PO Box 2510 | Chattanooga | TN | 37409