Everything You Need

 

Romans 8:31-32  "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?"     Romans 8:31-39 is an amazing passage of Scripture!  It reminds us that when you have God, you have everything you need.  You may not have a plush salary, easy hours, or easy people with whom to work; but with God you have everything you need!   The Bible asks rhetorically, "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect?"  Satan, the "accuser of the brethren," would love nothing more than to dredge up everything wrong you have ever done and fling that before God and in your face.  When the Devil does that, God is our defense!  "It is God that justifieth."  If God justifies me, who could possibly condemn me?  That is a wonderful truth!   Haven't you had days when you wondered if God was still there?  God's people have always encountered hard times, sometimes precisely because they were His.  The truth is, when you follow God's plan for your life, sometimes you encounter trouble that you would not have otherwise.  In those times, it is important to ask yourself the question of verse 35: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?"  Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, for "If God be for us, who can be against us?"   What did you do to deserve Heaven?  Nothing-not one thing!  Well, if God would give His Son (verse 32), is there any need you have that He could not or would not provide?  We are "more than conquerors," not because of who we are, but because of who God is.  When you have God, you have all you need!  Aren't you glad for the truth of Romans 8:31-39?   Browse our fall events schedule on our website: billriceranch.org

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

Ezekiel--Son of Man

Ezekiel--Son of Man October 13, 2010   "And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee." (Ezekiel 2:1)   This is the first of more than 90 times in which the prophet Ezekiel is addressed by God as "Son of man." This seems quite remarkable, as this title also was Christ's favorite title (using it 80 times), always applying it to Himself.   In Christ's case, of course, it means "representative man," "perfect man," "heir of man, all God's promises to man," "man as God intended man to be." As Son of man, Jesus as perfect man could take all the sins of sinful man upon Himself and redeem man.   David was the first to use the term when he asked: "What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?" (Psalm 8:4). That this was revealed to him in a Messianic sense becomes clear when it is quoted in the New Testament (Hebrews 2:6-9) and applied strictly to the Lord Jesus. The prophet Daniel also used the title in a Messianic sense when he saw "one like the Son of man," who came to "the Ancient of days" to receive "everlasting dominion" over all men (Daniel 7:13-14).   Evidently the title as given by God to Ezekiel must also have been intended somehow in a Messianic sense, so that Ezekiel is, in effect, a type of the coming Savior. Ezekiel was a godly priest and scribe, but the Lord Jesus Christ is our "great high priest, that is passed into the heavens"—in fact, He is our "high priest for ever" (Hebrews 4:14; 6:20) and is "the Word of God" to the world (John 1:1, 14; Revelation 19:13). It is significant that to Ezekiel was revealed more about the primeval fall of Satan (Ezekiel 28:11-19) and the glories of the coming kingdom (Ezekiel 40-48) than to any of the other Old Testament prophets. Truly, God "spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets," but now, He has "spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:1-2). HMM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

SAMSON’S PROBLEMS

JUDGES 14-16

Pastor Rick Jackson

Samson was the strongest man in the world in the physical sense of the term but sin made him weak. He had power to conquer others but he couldn’t conquer his own lust. Samson could kill a lion with his bare hands but he couldn’t kill his sin nature.

I. THE CAUSE OF SAMSON’S PROBLEMS

1. The Choices He Made

-the wrong girlfriends [14:1-3, 16:1, 4]

-the wrong view of standards [14:8-9]

-the wrong view of strength [16:5-16]

he didn’t flee temptations- he flirted with them! “I can handle it… I know she’s out to get me but…

2. The Things He Did - Samson played games with holy things and lost!

- our bodies are holy [I Cor. 6:19-20]

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

- our Bibles are holy [II Cor. 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.

- our behavior is holy [Col. 1:10]

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF SAMSON’S PROBLEMS

1. Lost his power [16:20] sin befuddles

2. Lost his eyes [16:21] sin blinds

3. Lost his freedom [16:21] sin binds

4. Lost his testimony [16:24] sin brands - lost the chance to be a blessing to others

5. Lost his life [16:30] sin’s wages

6. Lost his opportunity to obey and serve God [16:30, 1 Corinthians 11:30]

For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

III. THE CURE OF SAMSON’S PROBLEMS

1. Starve the Flesh [Proverbs 4:14-15]

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away

2. Feed the Spirit [Proverbs 27:7]

The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

Many want the thrill of feeling right but don’t want the inconvenience of being right.

3. Keep Short Accounts with God [ I Jn. 1:9, Proverbs 28:13] He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The Blessing of Prophecy

The Blessing of Prophecy November 3, 2010   "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." (Revelation 1:3)   There seems to be an increasing interest in biblical prophecy in recent years, but the great majority of professing Christians (especially in the so-called mainline denominations) continue to reject or ignore the great portions of the Bible dealing with the prophetic future. This is most unfortunate because there is genuine blessing in the study of these prophecies. It is significant that only the book of Revelation makes a specific promise to this effect. Not only in its opening verses as above, but also in its final chapter is such a blessing promised: "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth (i.e., 'guardeth') the sayings of the prophecy of this book" (Revelation 22:7).   Note also the exhortation in Peter's final epistle, just before his martyrdom. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19).   For those who ignore these prophecies concerning the Second Coming, Christ's rebuke to certain disciples who had failed to believe the prophecies concerning His first coming may well come to be appropriate again: "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken" (Luke 24:25). The book of Revelation ends with an even more serious warning: "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy (note, not just the concepts, but the words!), God shall take away his part out of the book of life" (Revelation 22:19). It is clearly very important that Christians read, understand, believe, and obey the divinely inspired prophecies, as well as all the other revelations of the Holy Scriptures. HMM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

You Are Contagious!

 

II Corinthians 7:13  "Therefore we were comforted in your comfort: yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all."   You Are Contagious!   Have you ever had a cold?  The only thing worse than having a cold is getting a cold from someone else!  Like a cold, your attitudes and actions are contagious.  What are you spreading?  What is your family's attitude?  Even a family can have a dominant attitude as a group!   Our attitudes will spread like a contagious cold.  If you notice that you do not like the attitudes you find around you, stop looking around you and look in you!  If you don't like the attitude you find floating around, change it!   It really is true that attitudes are caught, not taught.  That can either be positive or negative, depending on what you are spreading.  Just look at Paul and the believers in Corinth: the joy and comfort they received were a product of the joy and comfort they were catching and spreading to each other!    If people in your workplace, your home, or your school catch what you have, what will they "come down with" today?  Will they catch comfort and joy, or will it be something else that is wrong?  We ought to be a conduit to spread what is right, good, and godly to others.  The next time your family passes around a cold, think about what else you are spreading to those around you!  Prayer Requests: 1. Services tonight in Elizabeth City, NC and Thomasville, GA 2. BRR Sign Language School this week in Margate, FL 3. BRR Men's Retreat this weekend (11.5-6)   Browse our fall events schedule on our website: billriceranch.org

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

Watchful Sobriety

Watchful Sobriety November 1, 2010   "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)   Several words are used in Scripture to imply spiritual watchfulness, and each has a slightly different meaning. Only as we compare and combine these words do we get the full force of the Scripture exhortations to watchfulness.   One such word is the Greek word agrupneo, translated "watch." In Mark 13:33 we read, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." The word literally means to be sleepless and comes from two Greek words meaning "to chase" and "sleep." It implies a purposeful and active state of awareness.   More commonly used is gregoreo. It is a stronger word, meaning to arouse oneself and shake off lethargy, implying activity as on the part of one who is fully awake. "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith" (1 Corinthians 16:13), and "continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving" (Colossians 4:2). "Watch ye, therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh" (Mark 13:35).   A third word is nepho, which literally means to abstain from drink which would produce stupor, as well as sleep, and therefore conveys the additional idea of sobriety. By combining the teaching of these three words, we are instructed not only to keep awake but to keep active and to avoid the intoxication of this world's seductive pleasures.   In our text, we see that we are not only to be sober (nepho) and vigilant (gregoreo), but we also see the reason why. Our "adversary the devil" is a vicious opponent. He stalks us both day and night with brutal cunning. We dare not underestimate him by figuratively closing our eyes in sleep or dulling our senses with intoxicants. "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober" (1 Peter 1:13). JDM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

Taking Aim at the Eternal

 

II Corinthians 4:18  "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."       What makes more sense, investing in something temporary or investing in something permanent?  You can spend money remodeling your home or developing a property, and you can expect a return on your investment.  On the other hand, I've heard people talk about "investing" in an R.V. or fifth-wheel trailer.  I can tell you from personal experience that a fifth-wheel is not an investment!  It may serve your needs well, but a trailer never appreciates in value.  Parts wear out and things break, and you never recoup the money you've put into it!    You may not aspire to own a "home on wheels," but just think about all the time and money we "invest" in things like food, clothes, and personal items.  On top of that, they all go into maintaining our bodies which will not last!  A pantry full of food will be empty in a heartbeat (ask a parent of a teen guy); clothes will wear out and go out of fashion; and toothpaste, soap, and deodorant are a daily need!  None of these things are bad, but none of them will last.   What you and I have right now is like a tent--it is temporary.  What we have awaiting us in heaven is like a building--it is eternal!  Each day we ought to take aim at what is eternal.  Most of us fret our lives away on what is urgent instead of what is important.  There is a difference between living in light of the important and living in light of the urgent.   II Corinthians 4:18 says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."  How do you look at things which are not seen?  You "take aim" at them.  You have an opportunity every day to take aim at eternal matters or focus solely on the here and now.   It is not wrong to have a job, a car, a house, or for your kids to play soccer, take tuba lessons, or any number of things; what is wrong is to be so caught up with keeping up with the neighbors or the latest trends that you forsake what is eternally important for what is only temporary.  Investing in the eternal may require investing in temporary things, but that should never take the focus off of the ultimate goal.  What are you aiming at this morning?  Is your life busy with temporary things or eternal things?  To focus on eternal things requires vision and wisdom that can only come from God.  May it be true of my life and your life today that we are taking aim at eternal things. Prayer Requests: 1. Service tonight in Elizabeth City, NC 2. BRR Sign Language School this week in Margate, FL 3. BRR Men's Retreat this weekend (11.5-6)   Browse our fall events schedule on our website: billriceranch.org

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

WHEN FRUSTRATION MEETS FAITH

JOB 22-24

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. ELIPHAZ’S MELTDOWN [22]

1. Falsely Assumes Job’s Motives [v. 1-4, Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged.]

2. False Accuses Job [v. 5-17]

3. Frustration Advocates Prosperity Gospel [v. 18-30]

II. JOB’S RESPONSE [23]

1. God’s Explanation Would Be Welcome [v. 1-5]

A good Christian doesn’t live by explanations, he lives by faith!

2. God’s Person Encourages His people [v. 6-7]

3. God’s Working Even Though We Might Not See Him [v. 8-17, Hebrews 11:27]

By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

III. JOB’S REALIZATION [24]

1. Wicked People Do Sometimes Prosper in this Life [v. 1-12]

2. Wicked men Fear Men Rather than God [v. 13-17, Romans 3:18]

There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Psalm 36:1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

3. God is Watching & Will Act [v. 18-25]

FEAR

MATTHEW 10:24-42

Pastor Rick Jackson

When I was a child my friends and I liked to watch scary movies with couch pillows to hide behind. Mind you the scary movies we watched were mild compared to today’s fare but nevertheless we were scared. Of what are you afraid?


I. DON’T FEAR THE FICTIONAL


1. Man Made myths - Frankenstein’s monster, Vampires, Zombies, Freddy, Jason. Etc.

2. Man Made Religions - Buddhism, Islam

3. Man Mutilated Truths - Angels, Demons, Witches, “Christian” cults


II. DON’T FEAR THE LIMITED


1. Lies About Your Person [v. 24-26]

2. Physical Threats for Jesus Sake [v. 27-28a]

3. Being Forgotten [v. 29-31]


III. DO FEAR TRUE DANGERS


1. Rejecting the One True God [v. 28b]

2. Rejecting the Gospel of God [v. 28c]

3. Rejecting the Service of God [v. 32-42]

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Why did God create apes with human features?

 

answersingenesis.org | newsletter archives | contact us October 30, 2010 a weekly look at answersingenesis.org
In this issue . . . Q&A: Why did God create apes with human features? Video On Demand: Why 66, Part 3 (Sidebar) Ken's Blog (Sidebar) News to Note Quick Look Biblical Authority Devotionals Answers ... with Ken Ham After Eden Network with Us! Job Opportunities at Answers in Genesis (Sidebar) Q: Why did God create apes with human features? Since God knew these similarities would be misused by evolutionists, why did he create apes? A: First, similarities between organisms—like those between humans and apes—cannot be used to prove evolution. All living creatures down to bacteria share similarities (for example, see this article for more information on similarities). We can argue that the similarities are actually evidence for a common Designer. Why wouldn't God create living things using similar principles? After all, an artist or builder will often create different works with a similar design. Whether one interprets similarities as evidence for evolution from a common ancestor or evidence for the Designer depends on one's presuppositions. The evolutionary idea of homology—inferring common descent from structure similarity—is an assumption by those who reject the Creator's account in the Bible. The biblical account of Genesis is clear. At the end of the Creation Week, God called His creation "very good" and "finished" (Genesis 1:31, 2:1–2). No evolutionary process of death improved His design by leading to humans from an ape-like ancestor. Although created on Day Six with the land animals, Adam and Eve were distinct from apes and other animal kinds because God created humans in His image (Genesis 1:26–27). God gave people unique linguistic, aesthetic, rational, moral, and spiritual capacities that were not given to animals. Continue reading to read more of the biblical answer to this question. News to Note Quick Look Jawbone of contention: Experts in human evolution thought they had most of it figured out—when our ancestors left Africa, the major evolutionary steps since then, etc. But a human jawbone discovered in China just doesn't fit. Read more. Corvid college: Crows' remarkable intelligence has been one of our favorite topics over the years (our last update came in April). Here's the latest. Read more. Also: Of snowballs and algal blooms So ancient, yet so similar? Bullying Darwin And Don't Miss . . . Biblical Authority Devotionals When Do We Fail to Protect the Church? How Do We Protect the Church? Is There Really a God Who Created the Universe? Who Are We Really Fighting? In What Can We Be United? Answers ... with Ken Ham radio program Fossils—they can form quickly! A flood of biblical proportions . . . in New Orleans? Birth and fossils—they defy millions of years! Morality—from a penguin? The Scopes trial—what really happened? After Eden Network with Us! Answers in Genesis Answers in Genesis Creation Museum Creation Museum Answers Magazine   Answers VBS   Note: Facebook and Twitter are both social networking sites with user-contributed content. Children should not visit the sites without parental supervision.  Free app for iPhone / iPod Touch / iPad	This Week . . . Feedback: Why Did God Create Apes with Human Features? (Oct 29) Section 6 of The Pilgrim's Progress (Oct 28) Catastrophic Plate Tectonics: A Global Flood Model of Earth History (Oct 27) God Created Things to "Look Old" (Oct 26) Letter from Ken, October 2010 (Oct 25) Cave Dwellers—Are They Ancient? (Oct 24) Video On Demand Why 66, Part 3 Watch Video Ken's Blog Pioneer Scientist Tours the Creation Museum He Still Doesn't Understand Thousands Have Been Impacted in Florida There Will Be a Rush for Gold Rush! Christmas Town Is Coming Previous entries Prayer Requests View the current prayer requests to keep track of and pray for current ministry needs. Resources Answers Magazine Subscription: United States Demolishing Supposed Bible Contradictions Answers Book for Kids Complete Set (The) More current bestsellers Upcoming Events West Virginia I Am Not Ashamed (Charleston Municipal Auditorium), November 6 West Virginia Sunday Speaking, November 7 Georgia Answers in Genesis Conference, November 14–15 Kansas Answers in Genesis Conference, January 16–17 Wisconsin Answers in Genesis Conference, January 30–31 More events Job Opportunities Armed Public Safety Officer A/V Technician Bookstore Sales Associate Constituent Data Administrator (CDA) Cook Food Service Assistant Manager Graphic Designer Senior Database Administrator (Senior DBA) Video Editor/Animator/VFX Warehouse Specialist Zoo Keeper
This information was provided by:   Answers in Genesis 2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, Petersburg, KY 41080 Customer service: 1-800-778-3390

QUOTES OF THE WEEK!

History is God's providence in human affairs. - Daniel Webster

There is not enough in this world to give you joy. You only find joy in Jesus. - Sunday School Teacher Greg Trentham

Things that Jesus cares about bring you joy. - Trentham

Judicial forgiveness is for the sinner, Parental forgiveness is for the saint. - Trentham

If that didn't bless you- you're dead. You just haven't fallen over yet. - Pastor Norris Belcher

If you come here as you are you'll leave as you came. - Belcher

I have never seen a monument erected to a pessimist. - Paul Harvey

There are two ways of exerting one's strength: one is pushing down, the other is pulling up. - Booker T. Washington

POEM OF THE WEEK

Once it was the blessing,
Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling,
Now it is His Word;
Once His gift I wanted,
Now, the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing,
Now Himself alone.

Once 'twas painful trying,
Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation,
Now the uttermost;
Once 'twas ceaseless holding,
Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting,
Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning,
Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring,
Now He has the care;
Once 'twas what I wanted,
Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking,
Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working,
His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him,
Now He uses me;
Once the pow'r I wanted,
Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored,
Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus,
Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying,
Now they brightly shine;
Once for death I waited,
Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored
Safe within the veil.

A.B. Simpson

THE PROFANE MAN

GENESIS 25:27-34, 27:34-41, 28:6-9, HEBREWS 12:14-17

Pastor Rick Jackson

God’s Word declares that Esau was a profane person. Profane is not a common adjective in our time but it is an apt one. “Profane” means a thorough secularization, someone who is profane has no place for God but are open to everyone and everything else. The profane person was unable, unworthy, and even unwilling to enter a sacred place. Esau was such a man- godless, without God, without thought of God or without caring what God may say about aspects of his life. The life of Esau is a great warning about losing so much to gain so little.

I. WHAT DID ESAU LOVE? The answer is simple- Esau loved Esau.

1. Self-centered [John 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease.]

1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

2. Self-confident [Eph. 2:8-9]

Psalm 34:2 My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
Psalm 44:8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.
Psalm 49:6 They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches;
Psalm 94:4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?

3. Self-indulgent [2 Timothy 3:4]

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

II. WHAT DID ESAU LACK?

1. Discernment [2 Corinthians 4:18]

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

He could not discern true quality- the difference between the passing and the permanent. He, like many others, sacrificed the eternal on the altar of the immediate.

He could not discern true value- the difference between the “pricey” and the priceless. “He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep for that which he cannot lose.”

2. Devotion [Deuteronomy 6:5] He recognized no cause but his own.

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

3. Discipline [Deuteronomy 6:6] He recognized no authority except his own.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

III. WHAT DID ESAU LOSE?

1. He Lost the Delight & Blessing He Could Have Been to Others [Gn. 26:34-35]

2. He Lost the Earthly Destiny that Could Have Been His [Heb. 12:16]

He wept but- Not because he was a sinner but because he was a loser
Not because he sold the birthright but because he lost it
Not because of his sin but because of his loss

3. He Lost the Eternal Destiny that Could Have Been His [Heb. 11:20-21, 12:14-16]

Blessing or Impressing?

 

I Corinthians 13:1  "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."     Have you ever received something valuable as a gift, yet you didn't highly value it because it was given by obligation?  The gift becomes more about impressing you with the giver's wealth than about the giver's love for you.   Contrast that kind of gift with a silly piece of paper you probably have hanging on your refrigerator.  Your child's artwork is not worth a nickel to anyone else, but it means the world to you!  It's not about the gift; it is about the person who gave the gift.   I was just thinking about some people that I know who are supremely gifted.  When I think about each of these people, I instantly think about their talents.  I realized that I have not been blessed by their talents; I've merely been impressed.  There is a difference between blessing and impressing with what you have!   On the other hand, I can think of some very accomplished people who are a blessing because of what they have done with their gifts.  In other words, I'm not impressed, although their gifts are impressive; I am blessed!   The truth is, if your gift is impressing instead of blessing, you are a failure.  On the other hand, if you are blessing people while going unnoticed or unheralded, that's just fine.  The reason God gave you your gifts in the first place was to bless people, not impress people!   If the dominant impression I leave with you is how good I am, I have failed because I have not blessed you; I have impressed you.  Impressing you results in either discouragement (because you are not as good as I am) or a desire to be better than me.  Those results never help the body of Christ!   The gifts mentioned in I Corinthians 13 are impressive: "tongues of men and of angels . . . gift of prophesy . . . all knowledge . . . all faith, so that I could remove mountains . . . bestow all my goods to feed the poor . . . give my body to be burned. . . ."  Great gifts and even good things, without charity, mean nothing if they impress but do not bless!  The only way to bless others with your gifts is to be driven by charity (love).  Charity is something you have, not something you give.  How do you know if what you are giving is driven by charity?  Well, start with "suffereth long" in verse 4 and end with "endureth all things" in verse 7!  Are your gifts blessing or impressing?  Are you driven by biblical love today?     Prayer Requests: - Service tonight in Greer, SC   Browse our fall events schedule on our website: billriceranch.org

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

5 Favorites- fictional Doctors

I was reading in a book where two men were trying to defuse a bomb when finally one said in exasperation, "Confound it... I am a doctor, not an explosives expert!" If you are old enough you probably thought, as I did, of Dr. McCoy. The doctor speaking however, was Dr. Watson of Sherlock Holmes fame. I believe the author, William Seil, threw that bit in for us Trekkers (more grounded than Trekkies). This got me to thinking about fictional doctors and hence the impetus for this blog. Here, in random order, are my 5 favorite fictional doctors.

1. Dr. John Watson, M.D., friend and biographer of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. If the only Watson you have seen is Nigel Bruce in the movies you DON'T know Watson. Not that I blame Bruce for the scripts he was given- just not accurate to the books by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. An intelligent man in his own right, he was the perfect friend and sounding board for Holmes.

2. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, M.D., played to perfection by DeForest Kelly in the original Star Trek (and respectfully followed up by Karl Urban in the latest movie) Bones is the quintessential fish-out-of-water, an old-fashioned country doctor in outer space. The trio of Spock-Kirk-Bones is one of the finest friendships where no man has gone before.

3. Victor Von Doom, the greatest anti-hero or villain in the comics. The monarch of Latveria, arch-nemesis of the "so-called Fantastic Four" and one of the greatest minds in the Marvel Universe. Complex and cunning Doom is always an entertaining read. See the blog www.doomwithoutgloom.blogspot.com for more on the "good" Doctor.

4. Clark Savage, Jr. otherwise known as Doc Savage is an adventurer from the age of pulp magazines that has survived a horribly written film, so-so stories and countless villains. With the help of his five aides/friends whom he calls "brothers" the Man of Bronze is an actual surgeon, scientist, and expert in many fields who has dedicated his life to fighting injustice. My daughter would be upset if I didn't mention his cousin, Pat Savage, who appears in several of the 120 plus stories.

5. Jeffrey Geiger, Heart doctor. He was House before Gregory House was invented. Smug, arrogant and oh so talented. I recommend watching the first season of Chicago Hope and perhaps the second if you don't believe me. ER and Hope debuted the same year and ER swept the Emmys except for Mandy Patinkin (Geiger) winning over Anthony Edwards portrayal of Dr. Mark Greene. I still remember George Clooney whining about that. Once Mandy Patinkin left the cast Chicago Hope was doomed though it retained many fine actors.

The Gift that Keeps on Giving

 

I Corinthians 12:7  "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal."       Over the past several years, my son has received some exciting and wonderful gifts from his grandpa.  He received a couple of pocket knives, a high-powered pellet gun, and some other dangerous items.  These gifts are wonderful because they keep on giving!  Whenever he is in Illinois, he can worry Grandma and Grandpa with knives and guns!   The gifts that God gives us are much the same-they are gifts that keep on giving.  Your gifting should profit others, not just yourself.  The point is not what gift you have; rather, it is what you are doing with what you have.  In other words, whatever gift God has given you is only as good as the good it is doing.  It is true that "a man's gift maketh room for him" (Proverbs 18:16), but your gift was not primarily given just to make a way for you.  The gifts God has given are not toyou but through you.   You may have a different gift than I do, but both our gifts came from the same Source.  My gift is not better than yours, nor is it a lesser gift than yours.  The gifts came from "the same God which worketh all in all."  (I Corinthians 12:6)  You can't do better than a God-given gift!  If you are not sure what your gift is, start serving somewhere and you will find out soon enough.   After all, God gave you the gift to "profit withal"!   Everything I have that is worth anything comes from God.  It matters not what I have; it only matters what I am doing with what I have.  The only good your gift has is the good it is doing.  So what are you doing with the gifts God has given you?  Are they gifts that keep on giving?     Prayer Requests: - Service tonight in Greer, SC   Browse our fall events schedule on our website: billriceranch.org

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

WHEN FOLLY MEETS FAITH

JOB 20-21

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. ZOPHAR’S FOLLY [20]

1. The Folly of a Hasty Answer [v. 1-3, Proverbs 29:20]

Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

2. The Folly of False Generalizations [v. 4-10]

Example- Girls like cats. Herb likes cats. Herb is a girl.

3. The Folly of Unjustified Application [v. 11-29]

Such was the case of Job. Sometimes illness can be the result of sin in one’s life but this was clearly NOT the case for Job, Fanny Crosby or the man born blind in John 9:2.

II. JOB’S SARCASM [21:1-5]

1. Try Listening & Thinking at the Same Time [v. 1-2]

2. Let Me Speak then Resume Mocking [v. 3]

3. Pay Attention- You Might Learn Something [v. 4-5]

III. JOB’S OBSERVATIONS [21:6-34]

1. Sometimes the Wicked Prosper in this Life [v. 6-15]

2. God Has His Reasons for Delaying Judgment [v. 16-26]

3. Your “Comfortings” are Worthless Falsehoods [v. 27-34]

WHY SOME CHRISTIANS LEAVE JESUS

JOHN 6

Pastor Rick Jackson

We are not implying that Christians leave Jesus and then are no longer saved. We are simply stating the sad truth that some of God’s children decide to leave off following Jesus and decide instead to act like the Devil’s children- at least in some areas of their lives.

I. THE WAY IS CLEAR

1. Believe [v. 24-29]

2. Come [v. 30-35]

3. Security [v. 36-40]

II. THE TRUTH IS THE LIFE

1. Christ’s Deity is Foundational [v. 41-46]

2. Christ’s Death is Foundational [v. 47-52]

3. Christ’s Resurrection is Foundational [v. 53-58]

III. THE PEOPLE ARE FICKLE

1. Christ Offends Some in His Narrowness [v. 59-61, Matthew 7:14]

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

2. Christ Offends Some in His Uniqueness [v. 62-66]

3. Christ Offends Some in His Necessity [v. 67-71, Acts 4:12]

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.