It is a horrible thing that some of you people who claim to be Christians - there are those in your own home and of your own blood who have no confidence in the way you live and in the way you serve God. Lot was "as one that mocked unto his sons in law." - John R. Rice
A woman came to me the other day about her poor, troubled boy. God bless her, I wouldn't embarrass her at all, I am anxious to help her. Her boy is now in the penitentiary, and she urged me to pray for him, but I told her she had better go home and get down on her knees before God in tears and confess to God she had failed, that she put her boy in the pen, didn't rear him right.
"Oh, but I did rear him right," she said.
"No, you didn't." I said, "The Bible says, 'Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
"Oh," but she said, "I did train him right."
"You have come to me for help, and I will talk plainly to you. Did you have a family altar?"
"No, I never did."
"You didn't win him to Christ, did you?"
"No, but I have a good boy."
"He is in the pen at any rate. you didn't get him saved."
She needed to confess her failure And some of you men here tonight ought to confess your failure to God. I would go home with a broken heart and confess, "Lord, I have failed. My family is going to Hell. I have led them into Sodom. I didn't have enough religion that they could have confidence in me."
You remember Lot was as one that mocked unto his own children and sons-in-law. If that is your case, it is time for old-fashioned repentance and confession in sackcloth and ashes. - John R. Rice
Lot didn't lose his soul, but he lost his family and his influence, and he lost his joy. And as he went out of Sodom that day his wife turned and looked back and became a pillar of salt. Others of his daughters burned to a crisp in the fire and brimstone from God out of Heaven that destroyed that city. Only two daughters remained and they went with him into a mountain and there Lot had to have his wine.
Somebody says, "I don't see any harm in wine." If you read the 19th chapter of Genesis, you will find plenty of harm in wine. Those poor, silly, worldly girls, brought up in Sodom, made their father drink wine and committed incest with him. Read the 19th chapter of Genesis. - John R. Rice
Fathers, listen to me. Unless you want to ruin your family, I would not touch it. I wouldn't do it- not a glass of wine, not a glass of beer, not a toddy at Christmas, nor eggnog. If you do, a time will come when you reap it in your children. - John R. Rice
The subject this morning is, "God-First or Second?" Everybody feels that nobody would put God last, that everybody loves God to some extent. It is not a question of whether you put God last or not. Nobody wants to put God last. But you have a temptation to put Him AFTER your business, or AFTER your wife or your children and AFTER a few other things. It is not even a question of whether you are going to put Him before the first things, but whether you are going to put Him before the first of the first things and the best of the best. That is what He demands and He has a right to it, "the first of the firstfruits." - John R. Rice
It is self or the Lord today. Let's put first things first. He that is first will be last. If you put yourself first, you will come out last. - John R. Rice
A young woman came weeping and asking me, "What shall I do? I don't know what to do. I didn't dream when my mother told me not to go to that country club dance it would turn out this way."
No, and nobody ever dreamed sin would turn out like that. But it does. Adam didn't believe it. Eve didn't believe it when the Lord said, "Thou shalt surely die."
Self means ruin, poverty, heartbreak. I wouldn't go on in my selfish way. I would say, "Today, come in, Lord Jesus, take charge of my life. You can have the first today." - John R. Rice
Friday, August 31, 2018
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
THE USUAL UNIQUENESS OF JESUS CHRIST
MATTHEW 21
Pastor Rick Jackson
It's really a wonderful thing that after all these years as
a preacher of the Word of God and even longer as a student of the Word, and
longer still as a Christian that Jesus can still surprise me! No matter how
much you learn there is still an infinite amount you don't know and so there's
still so much more we can know. I was reading this week and a man wrote
"the Lord hath need" and I thought God doesn't need anything but he
gave a Scripture reference and sure enough... "the Lord hath need."
It's just THE USUAL UNIQUENESS OF JESUS CHRIST!
Unique means “having no like or equal.” Jesus is unique. But
that is the usual for Him, hence the title, THE USUAL UNIQUENESS OF JESUS
CHRIST.
I. A USUAL UNIQUE WORD
[Mt. 21:1-11]
1. The Lord hath Need Of Sensitive Followers [v. 1-5]
2. The Lord hath Need Of Obedient Followers [v. 6-7]
3. The Lord hath Need Of Focused Followers [v. 8-11]
II. A USUAL UNIQUE
WORK [v. 12-13]
Jesus didn't do things the same way every time. With the
blind for example... sometimes he touched their eyes, another time he spit in
the man's eyes and touched him, he spoke to Bartimaeus, another time he spat on
the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind
man with the clay --- in every case the blind person was healed and could see!
Isn't Jesus wonderful? So, look at this usual unique work of Jesus.
1. It was a Work of Righteousness [v. 12a]
It speaks of Jesus' righteous strength of character!
2. It was a Work of Physicality [v. 12b]
It speaks of Jesus' physical strength!
3. It was a Work of Spirituality [v. 13]
It speaks of Jesus' spiritual strength!
III. A USUAL UNIQUE
WISDOM [v. 14-16]
1. The Wisdom of God brings Light to Darkness [v. 14]
2. The Wisdom of God Displeases Worldly Men [v. 15]
Luke 6:26 Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of
you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.
3. The Wisdom of God is Found in the Scriptures [v. 16]
Monday, August 27, 2018
THE CHURCH IS RIGHT
MATTHEW
16:13-21
Pastor
Rick Jackson
I. THE FOUNDATION OF
THE CHURCH IS RIGHT!
1. The Lord Jesus said, He, Himself is the Foundation [Mt.
16:13-21, 7:21-27]
2. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, said Jesus is the
Foundation [1 Cor. 3:10-11]
According to the grace of God which
is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and
another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth
thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is
Jesus Christ.
3. The Holy Spirit, through Peter, said Jesus is the
Foundation [1 Pet. 2:1-8]
Wherefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn
babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is
gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but
chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the
scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he
that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the
builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient:
whereunto also they were appointed.
II. THE FOCUS OF THE
CHURCH IS RIGHT!
At least it is if the Church:
1. Evangelizes the World [Mt. 28:18-19a]
2. Instructs the Believers [Mt. 28:19b-20]
3. Glorifies the Lord [Mt. 5:16, Jn. 15:8, 1 Co. 10:31]
Mt. 5:16 Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven.
Jn. 15:8 Herein is my Father
glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples
1 Co. 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat,
or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
III. THE FUTURE OF
THE CHURCH IS RIGHT!
1. The Rapture of the Church [1 Co. 15:50-58]
Now this I say, brethren, that flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit
incorruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we
shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last
trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and
this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on
incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be
brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O
death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is
sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be
ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as
ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
2. The Return of the Church [Jude 14, Rev. 19:11-16]
Jude 14 And Enoch also, the seventh
from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten
thousands of his saints
3. The Reign of the Church [2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 5:10,
11:15, 20:6, 22:5]
2 Timothy 2:12 If we suffer, we shall
also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Sunday, August 26, 2018
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
PROVERBS 22:1
Pastor Rick Jackson
What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other
name would smell as sweet. -William Shakespeare
Names are very important. Names identify places, items,
animals and people. Names are often descriptive in the Bible much like
nicknames in our day.
Abraham=father of a multitude, Nabal=fool, Daniel=God is my
judge, Shorty, Greedy, Professor, Deacon
Names may mean one thing but take on a different
connotation: Lucifer means "Bright One" but has a bad connotation as
does Judas "Praise"
I. WHAT'S IN A NAME?
1. Recognition [Acts 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:]
Let's play a little game. I'll call out a name and you raise
your hand and tell me what you think of first when you hear that name. =
Michael Jordan, Joshua, George Washington, Shadrach, Hitler, Paul, Benedict
Arnold, Noah, Dale Earnhardt
What if I had called out your name? What would people say?
What would your teachers say? Your friends? Your family? Other kids at school?
The people you work with?
2. Reputation - Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be
chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold.
3. Redemption - Sometimes a bad "name" can be
overcome. [Proverbs 10:7, 21:24; 1 Cor. 6:9-11]
Know ye not that the
unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be? not deceived: neither:
fornicators, nor, idolaters, nor, adulterers, nor, effeminate, nor, abusers of
themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were
some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.]
II. WHAT ABOUT THE
NAME OF JESUS? [Pr. 18:10, 30:4-5, Mt. 1:21]
1. It has been Abused (Many use His name as a curse word}
[Exodus 20:7, Deuteronomy 5:11]
2. It has been Revered (Look at how the early Christians saw
it!) [Acts 2:21, 38; 3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 12, 17-18, 30; 5:28, 40-41; 8;12;
9;13-15, 21, 27-29; 10:43, 48; 15:14, 17, 26; 16:18; 19:5, 13, 17; 21:13; 22:16
3. It will be Exonerated & Honoured [Phil. 2:5-11]
III. OUR NAME AS
CHRISTIANS
1. Don’t Shame the Name! [2 Samuel 12:14, 2 Timothy 4:10,
Pr. 30:8-9]
-David did! [2 Samuel 12:14]
-Demas did! [Philemon 1:24, Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:10]
-Do you? [Pr. 30:8-9]
2. Don’t Honor Others that Shame the Name [Jm. 2:7]
3. Honor the Name
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto
Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with
the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians
first in Antioch.
"Christian" means "little Christ"
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him
not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Did you know you are
probably the best Christian somebody knows? So, do you talk like a Christian?
Dress like one? Act like one?
Do YOU have a good name?
Have you called on the Name of the Lord? [Rm. 10:9-13]
Are you dragging His name through the mud or are you
honoring His name?
Saturday, August 25, 2018
Question of the Week: Did dinosaurs stop and smell the roses? 🌹
Subject: Did dinosaurs stop and smell the roses? 🌹
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
