IN WHAT SHOULD YOU GLORY?

JEREMIAH 9:23-26

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. DO NOT GLORY IN TEMPORAL THINGS

 

1. Do Not Glory in Wisdom [v. 23, Ecclesiastes 1:12-18, 2:12-15, 8:15-16, 9:10, 15-18, 10:1]

 

2. Do Not Glory in Might [v. 23, Ecclesiastes 9:16, Isaiah 3:25, Jeremiah 49:35, 51:30]

 

3. Do Not Glory in Riches [v. 23, Ps. 49:6-20]

 

II. GLORY IN GOD

 

1. In Understanding God through Salvation [v. 24, Psalm 47:7. 53:1-6, Daniel 9:13, Luke 10:20]

 

2. In Knowing God [v. 24, 3-6, 4:22, 5:4-5, 16:19-21]

 

3, In Knowing the Works of God [v. 24]

 

III. GLORY IN THE THINGS THAT COUNT

 

1. God’s Lovingkindness [v. 24, 31:33, 32:18, 33:11]

 

2. God’s Judgment [v. 24-26, 1:16, 4:2, 5:4-5, 33:15, 51:9]

 

3. God’s Righteousness [v. 24, 4:2, 33:15, 51:10, Jn. 16:7-11]

Sound Doctrine

July 30, 2014 Sound Doctrine "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:13)   When Paul wrote to his two young disciples, Timothy and Titus, he stressed again and again the vital importance of maintaining sound doctrine in their churches.   "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome [same word as 'sound'] words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness" (1 Timothy 6:3; see also 1:10). "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine" (2 Timothy 4:3). "That he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers" (Titus 1:9). "But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1; also 2:8).   If the great apostle was so concerned that his pastoral disciples guard the doctrinal integrity of their first-century churches, he would surely be even more exercised today. These are times when false doctrines are rampant, and when sound (that is "healthy" or "whole") doctrines are often the object of compromise and distortion, or (even more commonly) simply ignored, even in evangelical churches.   Paul's command was to "hold fast the form" of sound words. Not only the so-called "spirit" of the words in Scripture, but the words themselves.   Such strict guarding of doctrine is vital for the spiritual health of the churches. Furthermore, such doctrinal integrity does not lead to cold orthodoxy, as some would allege, but is centered in the "faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." It is "the doctrine which is according to godliness." It is doctrine which is not only sound in the faith, but also "in charity, in patience" (Titus 2:2).   After all, it is the doctrine of Christ Himself, who is not only "the truth," but also "the way" and "the life" (John 14:6). HMM

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

To despise doctrine is to despise the Word of God. - R.C. Sproul

Paul had hoped that the Macedonian Christians would give money to help the saints in Jerusalem who were in such dire poverty and distress. But they did far more than Paul had hoped. They not only gave their money; they gave themselves first. If a man gives himself, then, of course, his pocketbook is included. You see, the real thing that pleases God always in this matter of giving is that people shall give themselves, their love, their devotion, their trust, their service, and all they have. After one has given himself thoroughly to Christ, out and out, lock, stock, and barrel, then the giving question is pretty easily settled. All one needs to know, then, is simply what will please God.
May God make those who read into Macedonian Christians! May we give ourselves afresh to the Lord Jesus Christ. - John R. Rice

Almost always when a person insists that he believes tithing was only for Old Testament saints, was ceremonial law and is not required of Christians today, it is not that he has a better way of giving than the tithe, it is not that he gives more, it is not that he loves God more, or has a more blessed way. People who do not believe in tithing almost always believe in giving less than the tithe, not more! Arguments against tithing are usually from people who give less than a tithe and who, with covetous hearts, would withhold from God the larger gifts which the tithe and offering basis would require.  - J. R. Rice

Do not misunderstand me here: the tithe is not a part of the plan of salvation. People are saved by grace alone. They are not saved by giving tithes nor by any other righteous deeds. People are not saved by the Ten Commandments, are not saved by church rites and ceremonies, not saved by baptism. However, the moral commandments are proper standards for Christians. Christians should do right, and one matter of righteousness still expected of Christians is that, from a loving heart, we should bring to God not less than the tithe. This is a matter of Christian duty, not part of the plan of salvation. - Rice

More than once people have asked me to pray that oil would be discovered on their land, and then they said, "If oil is discovered on my land, I promise God I will give one-tenth to Him." To one such man I said, "You promise God that if He will give it to you, you will spend nine-tenths of the income on yourself and you offer Him only one-tenth. I cannot see that that is any spiritual incentive to me to pray, nor any incentive to God to grant your request. It is obviously nine-tenths selfish." - Rice

A secretary of a British missionary society called on a Calcutta merchant and asked him to help in the work. He drew a check for $250 and handed it to the visitor. At that moment a cablegram was brought in. the merchant read it and looked troubled. "This cablegram," said he, "tells me that one of my ships has been wrecked and the cargo lost. It makes a very great difference in my affairs. I shall write you another check." The secretary said he understood perfectly and handed back the check for $250. The check book was still open and the merchant wrote another check and handed it to him. He read it with amazement. It was drawn for $1000.
"Haven't you made a mistake?" the secretary asked.
"No," said the merchant, "I haven't made a mistake." Then, with tears in his eyes, he said, "That cablegram was a message from my Father in Heaven. It read, 'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth!' "
The honest reaction of the consecrated heart in such a case was to give an offering that would testify to God and men that God's will was good, and that he would not set his heart upon money. - Rice

The fundamental truth back of all Christian giving is that all authority in the world belongs to Jesus Christ; that to every Christian Jesus Christ is absolute Lord. His will is law. The Christian belongs to Jesus Christ lock, stock, and barrel; hook, line, and sinker! The Christian ought to say, "For me to live is Christ." The Christian ought to count himself crucified with Christ and raised to live in newness of life with Him. The Christian not only looks to Jesus Christ alone for salvation, but looks to Him for instructions. And every Christian should know that he must personally give an account to Jesus Christ.
When a Christian gives, he ought to give as if he placed his gift in the nail-scarred hand of Jesus Christ. To withhold anything from Christ is rebellion and sin. To let anyone come between the Christian and Christ and take part of the authority which belongs to Christ is sin. - Rice

[all the quotes by John R. Rice on this post were taken from the book- All About Christian Giving, published by the Sword of the Lord. Like all of John Rice's book- it is highly recommend by yours truly.]

PROPHECY 101

                                                         MATTHEW 24                                                                Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THREE KINDS OF PROPHECY

1. Preceptive Prophecy- the proclaiming of the precepts of God- also known as "forth telling" [Neh. 9:14, Ps. 119:4, Jer. 35:14-19]

             - The man that preaches the precepts of God is a prophet in this broad sense even today.
 

2. Predictive Prophecy- the kind we generally think of when we hear the word “prophecy”-  also known as "foretelling" 2 types=

-Fulfilled prophecy-that which has already come to fruition [Is. 7:14, Mic. 5:2] It is a great testimony to the divine authorship of the Bible [Is. 46:9-10]

-Unfulfilled Prophecy- that which awaits fulfillment [2 Pet. 3:1-13]

3. Presumptuous Prophecy- not given by divine enablement but claimed to have been - also known as "false telling" [Deuteronomy 18:18-22]

 

II. THREE PRINCIPLES CONCERNING MT. 24

There are 3 king discourses given by Jesus in Mt. (1) The Principles of the Kingdom [Mt. 5-7], (2) The Parables of the Kingdom [Mt. 13], and (3) The Prophecies of the King [Mt. 24]. When we look at Mt. 24 we need to remember 3 things.

1. We are not looking for signs- We are looking for the Saviour [Titus 2:13]

2. The Rapture is Imminent- it could happen any moment [1 Corinthians 15:52, 1 Th. 4:13-18]

3. The signs in Mt. 24 are Tribulation signs for Tribulation saints. They only hint to us.

We may see trends leading to the end but the signs are not for us now.

 

III. FOUR SIGNS OF THE END [24:1-3]

1. The Misleading Sign [v. 4-5, 11, 24] –unusual deceptions associated with religions and the name of Christ

               Since 1950 more than a score [Jim Jones, David Koresh, Sun Myung Moon, some politicians called Savior]

2. The Military Sign [v. 6-7] –in just the first 30 years after WW2 there were over 150 wars with over 25 million slain.

               There will be no peace until THE Prince of Peace comes [1 Th. 5:3]

3. The Moral Sign [v. 12]

4. The Missionary Sign [v. 14, rev. 11, 7, 14] There is only one true Gospel [Gal. 1:6-12] but there are many designations-

THE Gospel of God, the Gospel of Christ, “my Gospel” –Paul, the everlasting Gospel, the Gospel of the kingdom-all the same Gospel but the emphasis will be “the King is coming, get ready, trust Him now [Ps. 2:10-12]

IMPOSSIBLE

                                                                                                                                Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: SALVATION

 

1. It is IMPOSSIBLE for any Man to Save Himself [Mt. 19:23-26]

 

i.e., apart from God man cannot be saved

 

2. It is IMPOSSIBLE for anything Tainted by Sin to Pay for Sin [Heb. 10:1-11, Rm. 8:21-22]

 

i.e., apart from Christ man cannot be saved

 

3. It is IMPOSSIBLE for any to be Saved after going too Far [Heb. 6:4-6, Gn. 6:3]

 

i.e., apart from the Holy Spirit man cannot be saved

 

II. THINGS HUMANLY IMPOSSIBLE

 

1. It is Humanly Impossible Defeat Demonic Powers Without God’s Power [Mt. 17:14-21]

 

2. It is Humanly Impossible that Offences NOT Come [Lk. 17:1, 16:27-17:2]

 

3. It is Humanly Impossible to Please God Without Faith [Heb. 11:6, Rm. 10:17]

 

III. THINGS DIVINELY IMPOSSIBLE

 

1. It is Impossible that Death could hold Christ [Acts 2:224, 21-36, Rm. 6:23, Heb. 2:9]

 

2. It is Impossible that God could Fail [Lk. 1:34-37]

 

3. It is Impossible that God could Lie [Heb. 6:18, Jn 14:6=Christ, 16:13=the Spirit, 17:17=the Father]

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: How did Noah's world produce so much coal?

 

	answersingenesis.org | newsletter archives | careers | contact us July 26, 2014
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In this issue . . . Q&A: How did we get all this coal? Get Equipped: The New Answers Book 3 News to Know Quick Look After Eden Answers with Ken Ham radio program Answers Conversation podcast Video: "What About Cloning and Stem Cells?" Blog Highlights Pray for AiG Q: How did Noah's world produce so much coal? A: Some people have wondered how the vegetation during Noah's day could produce so much coal, since today's vegetation would produce only 3% of known coal reserves. To find the answer, we must reexamine the assumptions behind that estimate. First, it is often assumed that around 10 feet of peat is necessary to produce 1 foot of coal. But if you consider the weight of peat and coal, or if you consider the energy content, then 10 feet of vegetation probably produced 5–10 feet of coal. Second, it is mistakenly assumed that the world of Noah's day was much like today. That is not the case. It turns out that Noah's world was very lush, producing nearly six times more vegetation than we see today. Read the whole article by geologist Dr. Andrew Snelling to consider how lush vegatation might have covered up to 75 percent of the pre-Flood world. Get Equipped The New Answers Book 3 Read more about the pre-Flood world, the shape of Noah's Ark, the extent of the Flood, fossils, how fish survived the Flood, and more. Many chapters of this book are also available to read online. News to Know Quick Look "Feathered Dinosaur" Featured Long Tail Plumage, Evolutionists Say: Up, up, and away—this large, long-feathered microraptorine was equipped for fast flight, steep descent, and a controlled landing. Archaeopteryx's Feathery Legs Fuel Flightless Evolutionary Claims: While there is nothing "transitional" about the feathers on Archaeopteryx, researchers claim new insight concerning the evolution of quill-like feathers. Denisovan Gene Gave Tibetans Their High–Altitude Tolerance: Tibetan natives ability to tolerate high-altitude conditions is a genetic inheritance obtained from mixing with the long-extinct Denisovan people.. After Eden Answers with Ken Ham radio program Putting Our Worldview in Action Mankind's Real Problem Human Life and Evolution Mankind—Created in God's Image Delivering Help and Hope Photo of the Week To download this image for use as wallpaper on your device, right-click on the link below for the desired resolution and select "Save Link/Target As..." Mobile Full (4:3) Wide (16:9) Answers Conversation podcast This week Steve Ham talks with Dr. Terry Mortenson to answer the question, "How Does the Inerrancy of Scripture Relate to Our Understanding of Genesis?" in this series on theology.	This Week . . . The Bible Says or Paul Says? (July 25) "Feathered Dinosaur" Featured Long Tail Plumage, Evolutionists Say (July 24) How Did We Get All This Coal? (July 23) Archaeopteryx's Feathery Legs Fuel Flightless Evolutionary Claims (July 22) A Man of Many Wives (July 21) Claims of Divine Authorship (July 20) Denisovan Gene Gave Tibetans Their High–Altitude Tolerance (July 19) Video On Demand "What About Cloning and Stem Cells?" Blog Highlights Creation Museum: The Return of the Pterodactyl Ken Ham: Secularists Make Great Publicists for Us Steve Ham: Russian and Ukrainian Visitors Dr. Georgia Purdom: A Message from God in Our Genes? Creation Museum: Family Fun Night 2014 Ken Ham: BBC Staff Told Not to Represent "Marginal Views" on Science Programs Pray for AiG Please pray for all the volunteers who come from both near and far to help AiG, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter in numerous ways thoughout the year. Job Opportunities Resources Buddy's Amazing Adventures 3–DVD Combo The Secret Code of Creation The New Answers Book Boxed Set Connect with Us Ken Ham Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter Creation Museum Ken Ham Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter Creation Museum Answers in Genesis Ark Encounter Creation Museum Free app for iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad See all networks

The information in this post has been kindly provided by the good folks at Answers In Genesis · 2800 Bullittsburg Church Rd · Petersburg, KY 41080 · USA

Do You Really Want an Answer?

Luke 20:2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority?       If you're a parent, you probably have had a child who asked the same question incessantly until he got the answer he wanted. There's a difference between asking a question for an answer and asking a question for the answer. Adults also ask questions not because we want an answer but because we want something else, like an argument. A basic law of life and nature that we find in the Bible is that there are no answers for those who just want arguments. Those kinds of questions are what Jesus received from the religious leaders in Luke 20.   Luke 20:2 is probably the best question they had, and it's also the question that summarizes the essence of all the questions that follow. "They spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority?" Now that's not an invalid question. It's just that those who are most concerned about their own authority are often the least submitted to God's. They were threatened by Jesus because they were not in submission to the Father who had sent Him.   In verse 22 they said, "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?" Once again this question was valid, but the motive was argument. Oftentimes, instead of asking "How can I obey?" our question is "Against whom can I rebel?" Rebels are hyper-sensitive to conflict because they prefer conflict to obedience.   In verse 28, more religious leaders said to Him, "Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother." Then they gave him this long story about seven brothers who married the same lady. One brother died and the next brother married her and so on. It's a ridiculous, theoretical story born of rebellion.   There are no answers for those who want arguments. These men eventually stopped asking questions because they weren't getting the arguments they wanted to use as fodder against Jesus.   Submitting to Jesus Christ answers questions that nothing else can. There are some questions that cannot be answered by intellect or by argument, only by submission. When we submit to Christ, then all of a sudden life makes more sense. God never denies an answer to an open hand, an open heart, and an open mind, but He resists the proud.           Prayer Requests: -Youth/Junior/Deaf Camp- July 20-25   Enjoy more devotionals, sermon audio, and articles on our website!

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

THE UNCHANGING FACTORS IN FACING LIFE

                               ACTS 20:17-24                                    Pastor Rick Jackson

 

Though technology changes we basically face the same kind of life that the Apostle Paul faced over 1900 years ago. Which would be the same kind of life that Solomon faced over 1400 years before that when he rightly observed in Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Therefore, we can glean from the life of Paul the way we should live our own lives under the sun.                                                                                                 Note, first of all:

 

I. PAUL’S TESTIMONY [v. 17-21]

 

1. Live a Life of Christian Consistency [v. 17-18, 31]

 

2. Live a Life of Hard-working Humility [v. 19, 32-35]

 

3. Live a Life that is Biblically Based [v. 20-21, 26-28]

 

II. PAUL’S TESTS [v. 22-23a]

 

1. Ignorance of the Immediate Future [v.22]

 

2. Certainty of Coming Trials [v. 23, 25, 29-30, 2 Timothy 3:12]

 

3. Dying to Self [v. 24a, 1 Corinthians 15:31, Gal. 2:20]

 

III. PAUL’S TASKS [v. 24]

 

1. Finish My Course [v. 24, 13:25]

 

2. Fix My Joy [v.24, Philippians 1:25]

 

3. Fulfill My Ministry [v. 24, 2 Cor. 4:1, 2 Timothy 4:5]

 

2 Timothy 4:7

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all. -- Lou Gehrig

Only God's Word can accomplish God's purposes. - Debbie Burgett

I'm a child of the King. I'd rather be A child of THE King than THE child of A king. - Raymond Barber

Don't expect to build up the weak by pulling down the strong. -- Calvin Coolidge

Posterity:  you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. -- John Quincy Adams

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. -- Neil Armstrong

If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right. -- Henry Ford

Shutting the Kingdom

July 22, 2014 Shutting the Kingdom "But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in." (Matthew 23:13)   Our Lord Jesus pronounced eight "woes" in Matthew 23 on the religious leaders of His day. This one condemns them for refusing the liberty that Christ was bringing with the new covenant.   The first "formal" message that Jesus preached was taken from the great prophecy in Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18).   Later, the apostle Paul noted that "before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed" (Galatians 3:23). These self-righteous leaders were so enamored with their positions and prestige that they refused to rejoice in the "liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" (Galatians 5:1) and kept the prison doors of legalistic self-righteousness shut fast—even against those who were responding to the good news of the Kingdom!   It is interesting to note that Jesus condemned both groups (Pharisees and Sadducees) for the same problem. Yet they were much different in their positions. The Pharisees would be analogous to the legalists of our day and the Sadducees to the liberals. Both camps claimed belief in "inspiration" and both camps prided themselves on their knowledge of Scripture.   Their common error was distorting the truth of God with interpretations that clouded the message—thereby shutting up the doors out of unbelief that led into the "glorious liberty of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). May God keep us from such confusion. HMM III     All the information in this post was graciously provided by ICR.