A CONDEMNED MAN'S LAST WORDS

2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8

Pastor Rick Jackson

We were in these verses recently and most of us are probably familiar with the words of the great Apostle in these verses. But don't miss the valuable jewels around these great boulders of truth.

I. THE TRUTH ABOUT OURSELVES

1. We are dependent upon others [v. 9, 21]

2. We are dying [v. 13, 20]            1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

3. We are despised [v. 16]

1 Corinthians 1:28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

1 Corinthians 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

II. THE TRUTH ABOUT PEOPLE

1. People will forsake you [v. 10, 16]

2. People will oppose you [v. 14-15]

Acts 9:13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:

3. People will profit you [v. 11] can be profitable [v. 11] euchrestos; easily used, i.e. useful:--profitable, meet for use.

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.

Philemon 1:11 Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

III. THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LORD

1. The Lord will stand with us [v. 17, 2 Corinthians 4:9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

2. The Lord will strengthen us [v. 17]

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

2 Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

3. The Lord will deliver us [v. 17-18]

2 Cor. 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

4. The Lord will preserve us [v. 18, Hebrews 7:25]

Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

5. The Lord will be with us [v. 22, Hebrews 13: 5]

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee

CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE

LUKE 10:38-42

Pastor Rick Jackson

Pressure is something we all understand. Few people have no pressures. Pressure, like trouble, is almost a universal constant. If you are living you probably have certain pressures you face every day. it's how you handle the pressures of life that makes the difference!

I. PRESSURE IS OFTEN SELF-INFLICTED

Isn't that strange? Strange but true, pressure is ofttimes self-inflicted. Martha is a good example of self-inflicted pressure.

1. Her Possession [v. 38]

2. Her Expectation [v. 39-40]

This was HER expectation not the Lord's. She put this pressure on herself and then blamed Mary for not helping HER with HER expectation. Then she practically snapped at the Lord Jesus for not helping HER reach HER expectation! She could have given an aspirin a headache!

3. Her Mess [v. 41]

Jesus told her she was worried about many things that she herself had stirred up! Her type personality, like almost any other type, can be focused and channeled properly and can be very productive. But, unchecked, it can be very destructive. Gasoline. properly funneled can power an engine and enable you to drive a car. It can also explode and cause much damage.

II. SELF-INFLICTED PRESSURE CAN THAN PRODUCE SINS OF COMMISSION

1. Sins of the Tongue [v. 40, Jn. 11:20-27]

2. Sins of the Temper [v. 40]

3. Sins of the Thoughts [v. 40] "Lord, dost thou not care"

III. SELF-INFLICTED PRESSURE CAN BE CAUSED BY SINS OF OMISSION

1. Lack of Preparation

1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.

Amos 4:12 Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

2. Lack of Prayer [Matthew 26:41]

Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

3. Lack of Participation [Hebrews 10:25]

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

IV. HOW CAN WE SURVIVE THE SELF-INFLICTED PRESSURES OF LIFE?

1. Make the Word of God a Priority [Colossians 3:16]

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Lk. 10:39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard his word.

2. Make the Peace of God a Reality [Colossians 3:15]

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Sometimes, you just have to let God BE GOD!

3. Keep the Relationship With God Personal!

We all know that relationships don't have to be personal. They can be very businesslike. Polite but impersonal. God wants us to have a different kind of relationship with us. He has made those of us who have trusted Christ part of His family.

He tells us in 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him... but why? Why should we do this?

"for he careth for you."

WHAT THE PROPHET SAW, HE SPOKE OF, WE SHOULD BELIEVE

JOHN 12:27-41

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD'S PERSON [Jn. 12:41]

1. In His Heaven of Holiness [6:1-9]

2. In His Highway of Holiness [35]

3. In His Humanity of Holiness [40:1-5]

II. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD'S UNIQUENESS

1. There is Only One True God [43:10, Acts 1:8]

2. There is Only One Saviour [43:11, Titus 2:13, 3:4, 3:6]

3. There is Only One Scripture Giving God [44:6-8]

III. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD'S PLAN [53]

1. He was not what people wanted [v. 1-3, Jn. 12:38]

2. He is what people need [v. 4-9]

3. He is what the Father intended [v. 10-12]

"Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons." (Deuteronomy 4:9)

Question of the Week: How long did it take for Noah to build the ark? 🔨

From: Answers in Genesis <www.answersingenesis.org>

Subject: How long did it take for Noah to build the ark? 🔨

 

Get the latest science, Bible, and culture news from Answers in Genesis.

Latest Answers May 26, 2018 View in browser Layers of Assumption Secular scientists claim it's easy to disprove the Bible's 6,000-year history: just count the tree rings. Tree rings, ice cores, and other natural records of seasonal changes, they say, prove that the earth is old and that the Bible's account of history can't be true. Let's take a closer look at these specific dating methods and see what lessons we can learn. Find Out More Building Noah's Ark Some confuse God's statement in Genesis 6:3 as describing the time it took Noah to build the ark. From a quick look, the 120 years in this verse would seem to be the absolute maximum for the time given to build the Ark, but the Scriptures reveal much more, allowing us to be more accurate. Find Out More Memorial Day Sale We're hosting a special Memorial Day sale on our online store. Choose your coupon of $10 or $25 and save on our huge selection of resources when you use the code MEMORIAL18 at checkout. This sale ends on Memorial Day, so be sure to take advantage of the savings now! Shop Now Win a $1,000 VBS Shopping Spree and Super Starter Kit We're giving you the opportunity to win amazing prizes as you try to guess what the 2019 Answers VBS theme will be. We'll announce the theme on June 4, 2018. Learn More → Fighting for Truth Who would have thought that people claiming to be Christians—even pastors—would attack the very notion of truth? But they are. Learn More → Is Sharing Our Faith Optional? Do Christians have a personal responsibility to share their faith? According to a recent Barna study, Christians are increasingly answering this question with a "no." Learn More → A Day in the Life of a Public Safety Officer Have you ever wondered how we keep our guests safe at the Creation Museum? Get a glimpse of what it's like to be a public safety officer! Learn More → Real Change See More Teach through the Bible in four years with this full-featured Sunday school curriculum for all ages. Get equipped to confidently share the gospel and biblical authority with this award-winning worldview magazine. Teach kids that the Bible is more than a dusty book of stories so they can trust its life-changing message of salvation! Copyright © 2018 Answers in Genesis, All rights reserved. PO Box 510 Hebron, KY  41048 view in browser

John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

What should we ask for when we pray? That is answered many times in the Bible. We are to ask for everything we want! Anything that you have a right to want, you have a right to ask for. Every Christian should take every desire to God in prayer. It is a sin to want anything that you cannot honestly pray for, and you should ask God to remove the desire, if it is wrong. And if the desire itself is not wrong, then you ought to ask God to fulfill it! - John R. Rice

Some Christians make the mistake of never separating from unsaved sinners. They are not a peculiar people. They are like Lot down in Sodom, who called the men of Sodom "Brethren" and lost his testimony so that "he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in-law" (Gen. 19:14). We should not be conformed to this world. It is true that we are in the world and must have contact with sinners, but we should not live as they do. Saved people must be different if lost people are to come to us for the bread of life. - John R. Rice

Christ never went against the Bible. The Bible never goes against Jesus Christ. - John R. Rice

I KNOW God answers prayer. He has answered mine in thousands of instances. The answers to prayer have been so definite, so clearly out of the realm of probability that an unbiased investigator must be convinced that these answers to prayer were really the supernatural intervention of a loving God Who works miracles for His children when they trust Him. Others ought to tell what God has done for them, and so i ought to tell what God has done for me. - John R. Rice

Oh,  Christians should be glad to suffer for Jesus.
These days are not crowning days; these are cross days. And these are days to go outside the camp to Jesus bearing His reproach. And "if we suffer, we shall also reign with him" (II Tim. 2:12). - John R. Rice

Oh, marriage out of the will of God is a tragedy unspeakable. And always a marriage of a saved person and a lost person is out of the will of God. - John R. Rice

Psalm 119:63: "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts." Of course there are none who perfectly, without a sin or failure, keep the precepts of God. But God loves and counts the heart intent and the holy desire here, and so should we.
In other words, I am for God's people who believe the Bible, who love Jesus Christ, who try to win souls. I am against the crowd that is against Christ and the Bible. - John R. Rice

ISRAEL AT 70 (GIVE OR TAKE 4000 YEARS)

                        GENESIS 12:1-3                                                  Pastor Rick Jackson

I. ISRAEL IS A MIRACLE NATION

1. 70 years ago This month in Israel-                       The British evacuated from Jerusalem, and Jewish military forces took control of most of the areas the British controlled. The State of Israel was well established, and the United States recognized the new state, which came into being on the evening of Friday, May 14, 1948. On the night of May 14-15, 1948, the regular forces of Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon invaded the newly founded country.

Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion announced “Something unique occurred yesterday in Israel, and only future generations will be able to evaluate the full historical significance of the event. It is now up to all of us, acting out of a sense of Jewish fraternity, to devote every ounce of our strength to building and defending the State of Israel, which still faces a titanic political and military struggle.” (Arutz-7, 5/14) 60 Years On, Israel Still Lives – editorial

The British Mandate in Palestine came to an end on May 14, 1948. In Tel Aviv, Zionist leader David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the State of Israel in the territory that the United Nations designated as the Jewish homeland. After nearly two millennia, the Jewish people had come home. Arab armies attacked within hours, with one leader promising to “sweep the Jews into the sea.” Against unbelievable odds, Israel prevailed. After winning two more wars of survival, in 1967 and 1973, the Jewish state would build a durable prosperous democracy.

Israel is not just a fortress against anti-Jewish killers. It is a raft of modernity and material progress in a regional sea of intolerance and militaristic sectarianism. Israel, one of the United States’ strongest allies, has no oil reserves, but it has turned itself into a model of diverse economic development unmatched by its neighbors. (Dallas Morning News, 5/14)

2. 10 years ago in Iran- Ahmadinejad – “Israel is throwing a party for the dead”

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Iranians Wednesday (14th) that “throwing a party for this Zionist regime is like having a birthday party for a dead person.” His latest outburst against the Jewish state coincided with the arrival of American President George W. Bush to Israel.

“Israel must know that the nations of the region hate this counterfeit regime, and if there is the slightest chance, they will uproot them,” Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northern province of Golestan. (Ha’Aretz, 5/14)

Modern Israel celebrates 60 years today but we know from Genesis that her birth was much earlier. Approximately 4000 years ago God promised Abraham, among other things, a nation, a Saviour and a posterity. Israel is part of that promise.

3. 10 years ago in Tennessee-   

Dr. Orman L. Norwood, President Emeritus of the International Board of Jewish Missions, wrote:

The fact that Israel still exists today is one of the greatest of miracles. Hunted and hounded, hated and harassed, the Jewish people relocated from place to place, seeking safety and peace. The Jew has wept, waited, and wandered among the nations as an unwanted entity, finding but little rest for his restless feet. He has encountered ridicule and persecution. It was a miracle that the Jew ever survived the wars of the Caesars, the cruel captivities and bondage of Egypt and other enemies, the terrible pogroms of Europe, and the devastating Holocaust of 1933-1945.

No weapon formed against them has prospered, and those who cursed the Jew have been cursed, themselves. Adolf Hitler and his henchmen paid a severe price for their attempts to destroy the Everlasting Nation.

There is only one modern country in history which revived a dead language - Israel. Hebrew is spoken on the streets by the children and older people as well. That's a miracle. Not so long ago, there were no flowers. Now, millions of flowers are grown and then shipped out to Europe to grace the tables of the world. It's another miracle. God said the once-barren desert would blossom as a rose. Our eyes have seen it...a miracle.

God said they would fill the earth with fruit. Agriculture was not the business of Jews, but since 1948 they have set the pace, and Israel has the best citrus fruit in the world. They invent and manufacture the best avionics and have the best aviation guidance systems in the world. Today, they are on the cutting edge of an exploding computer and electronics industry. These, too, are miracles. Like David, the little nation had only a handful of stones to work with, yet they have developed a top-notch defensive army, recognized as the best in the Middle East.

More journalists are based in Jerusalem today than any other spot on earth, except Washington, D.C. Why? Because that is where the action is! We have seen literally hundreds of thousands of Russian immigrants coming home to Israel from the north, out of the former Soviet Union, in literal fulfillment of prophecy. This is nothing short of a miracle. The Jewish prophets spoke of such miracles in the latter days. Ezekiel 36 and 37 have been fulfilled, and the miracle of Israel's spiritual rebirth is coming, just as Ezekiel 38 prophesied long ago.

What is ahead? They will come to the Messiah. They will look upon Him, and the nation will be born in a day. That means people will be saved. There are signs of a spiritual awakening in the Land. It will take nothing but a miracle, but nothing is too hard for the Lord. Thank you for being our partners in a miracle ministry.

II. ISRAEL IS A MEANS OF BLESSING

1. The Blessing of Her People [Gn. 12:2]

The Jewish people have contributed much to the world's well-being. I cannot even begin to elucidate on that but let me just mention a few in the field of medicine. Aspirin, anesthesia, Novocaine, penicillin, cortisone, Lasik surgery, polio vaccine, chemotherapy, gene splicing, sonograms, Heimlich maneuver and the cardiac defibrillator to name just a few. Other fields produce massive contributions as well.

2. The Blessing of the Bible [Rm. 3:1-2]

3. The Blessing of the Saviour [Gn. 22:18, Gal. 3:16, Rev. 12:1-5]

III. ISRAEL AS A MISSION FOR CHRISTIANS

1. We are to befriend Israel [Gen. 12:1-3]

2. We are to pray for Israel [Ps. 122:6, Rm. 10:1]

3. We are to be a witness to Israel [Rm. 1:16, 10:11-11:1]