ARE YOU SERIOUS?

Pastor Rick Jackson

Last night I called my son-in-law Kevin to comfort him as the Texas Longhorns were getting beat at that point in the game by Texas Tech. He told me, "Dad, Texas didn't come to play tonight." The commentators were saying basically the same thing. They said, "Only one team wants to win this game. And they're wearing black (Tech)". In other words, it seemed to many, fans, foes, and media alike that Texas was not taking the game seriously. Perhaps they were over-confidant, perhaps they were just having a bad day, maybe they other team just wanted it more.

Lets leave the game of football and look at something way more serious. Salvation is the most important human need in a person's life. Lost people shouldn't even go to sleep at night, or take another bite, until they get it settled. If they do sleep or eat without being saved they just aren't serious about it!

But wait, what about saved people? People who are saved but don't bother getting baptized when they know they ought to, they don't go to church when they know they ought to, don't read the Bible when they know they ought to, don't pray when they know they ought to, don't witness when they know they ought to... just are not taking the matter of salvation seriously! Any Christian not taking his salvation seriously needs personal revival!

Can you name anyone that takes salvation seriously? God the Father takes salvation seriously! God the Son takes salvation seriously! God the Holy Spirit takes salvation seriously! God's angels take our salvation seriously!

1 Peter 1:12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

Further more, Satan and his angels take the matter of salvation seriously. You know what we need to do? We need to get serious!

I. GOD'S ACTIONS ON CRUCIFIXION DAY SHOW HE WANTS US TO TAKE SALVATION SERIOUSLY!

1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Consider the events in less than 1 weeks time given by Matthew:

1. The Sun Forsaking the Earth [27:45]

2. The Father Forsaking the Son [27:46]

3. The Rending of the Veil [27:51a]

4. The Rending of the Rocks [27:51b, 54]

II. GOD'S ACTIONS ON RESURRECTION DAY SHOW HE WANTS US TO TAKE SALVATION SERIOUSLY!

1. The Angel-made Earthquake [28:2-4]

2. The Angel's Announcements [28:5-7]

3. The Appearances of Resurrected Saints [27:52-53]

1 Corinthians 15:21-23 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

4. The Appearances of Christ Himself [28:9-10, 16-20]

Now that's just 2 chapters of one book, Salvation is important to God!

III. GOD'S WORD ON THE MATTER SHOWS GOD WANTS US TO TAKE SALVATION SERIOUSLY!

1. It Has Many General Warnings! [Hebrews 2:3]

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him

2. It Has Many Specific Warnings About the Lost [2 Thessalonians 1:7-9]

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

3. It has Many Specific Warnings About the Saved [2 Corinthians 5:19-11]

Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

So ask yourself these questions:

Am I serious?

If not, what would I have to do to get serious?

If I am not willing to be serious about salvation, what would God have to do to me to make me get serious?

QUESTION OF THE WEEK! - Is Creationism the Biggest Threat?‏

A: Yes, he actually said it: creationism “may pose the greatest threat to the future of our children, your health, and the nation’s economy.”

This remarkable quote comes from Arthur Caplan, chairman of the medical ethics department at the University of Pennsylvania and frequent TV commentator, writing in the major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. What prompted this venomous attack? Vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin apparently believes in creation and is on record as having said that students should be allowed to “debate both sides” of the evolution question. She also adds (and I want you to remember this as you read the rest of this letter) that creationism “doesn’t have to be part of the curriculum.”

In Caplan’s eyes, this simple desire to allow children to discuss both sides of the issue means “a vote for Sarah Palin, or any creationist, is a vote for change, all right, a change back to the lifestyles of the 19th century.” Attacks like these demonstrate better than anything I could ever say why the ministry of Answers in Genesis is so crucial. We must be out on the front lines to combat the mixture of hysterics, misrepresentation, and scare tactics presented by secularists everywhere.

Read on as Ken Ham examines evolutionists’ scare tactics and the battle to ban Christianity in Creationism: The Biggest Threat?

News to Note Quick Look

Evidence for God’s Word?: Once again, a bit of biblical history has been matched up with an archaeological finding. Read more.

Human evolution up in flames: The discovery of how to make fire—was it a turning point in human history? Read more.

Also: a very logical conclusion, Captain; more evidence for a wet Mars; and replacing religion. Read more.

This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.

How a radical atheist got saved and the dramatic results

Sumner Wemp

A fantastic story how an atheist got saved!

35 years ago I preached in a church and a white man was there with an Afro hair do on top and his beard. Just the whites of his eyes shone through. After the service a fine Christian girl asked me if I saw the man with all the hair. I told her I would have been blind not to. She told how she came out of a grocery store, ran into a lady, gave her a tract and led her to Christ right there in the parking lot. This man was her husband, Dale Cutlip. He was an atheist and debated atheism and would I go see him and try to lead him to Christ. I am no debater and did not want to but after she begged me, I said I would. She gave me their address. It was in the opposite side of town from me.

I planned to go Monday night but could not make it. The same happened every night until Friday night and I knew I had to go. They lived in an enormous apartment complex. It took one half hour to find them. I knocked and when Dale opened the door, I almost fainted. He had no shirt on and had an afro on top, in his beard and on his chest. I thought I was looking at the missing link. He blurted out, "preacher, what is going on. You won't believe it." I asked him three times before he invited me in and then said, "You wont believe it, I am an atheist and when you knocked I was reading the Bible."

I said, "I know what is going on, sit down. I want to tell you. I just told him the gospel, how God loves him, Christ died for his sins, paid the debt in full, rose again and was seen by hundreds of people and if he would believe God that Christ suffered and died for his sins too and receive the Lord Jesus in his heart, God would save him. Without hesitation, he said he would. The three of us knelt in front of his couch with me in the middle. He prayed out loud with me to receive the Lord Jesus. With tears flowing he knocked me out of the way, grabbed his wife and we all wept and rejoice.

He was genuinely saved. Four weeks later, I saw him at church and did not recognize him for he was shaved, clothed and in is right mind. Today I get his prayer letter. He is an evangelist and has led thousands to Christ. He has 61 missionary affiliates in 12 countries. It is awesome what God has done with Dale. It all started with a college girl handing a lady a tract in a parking lot and led her to Christ. God would not let me get there until He had him ready, reading the Bible.

O dear people the "harvest in plenteous" They are all over the place.You and I MUST get the gospel to every person and have the eternal privilege of leading people to Christ, who God has ready, to be saved.

Our world needs to be saved. You and I must get the gospel to more people to see our country saved. Makes sense.

"I am debtor both to the wise and the unwise" and to God, and to lost people to "preach the gospel to every person"

Go to www.sumnerwemp.com for some transforming brief messages. I just got 2000, tracts "Your ticket to heaven" to give out at Halloween. Call 1-877-872-2871 to order tracts. What an eternal opportunity. ABC Sumner

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire? "

BLESSINGS FROM THE BILL RICE RANCH

On October 2, 2008 a small band of intrepid warriors, weary from the daily struggles of life, made their way through the splendors of north Florida, the long winding roads of Georgia, and the treacherous mountains of Tennessee to the Bill Rice Ranch for much needed rest, relaxation, and recharging.

As usual, the ranch did NOT disappoint!On Thursday night, October 2, 2008 after a fantastic meal (the food at the Ranch is utterly delicious) we had our first service. Evangelist Wil Rice IV was the speaker and there was no doubt that he was "prayed up" as he preached out! See Oct. 20th blog for details.

The second speaker that night was Evangelist Rick Flanders. His text was James 5:16-20 and his title was "One Man whose Prayers Can Change"

He reminded us that the Word of God [Dt. 11, 28] when coupled with the man of God [I K. 17] praying in the will of God can change things.

Elijah was such a man. Carmel was such a place [I K. 18]

I. PRAY FOR WISDOM [James 1:5]

1. Wisdom is the principle thing [Pr. 4:7]
2. Wisdom comes from the Word of God [II Tm. 3:15]
3. Wisdom comes by the Spirit of God [Rm. 8]

II. PRAY IN FAITH [James 1:6-8]

1. Lust means "my will" as opposed to God's will [v. 12-14]
2. Lust is a great obstacle to a prayerful life [4:2-3]
3. The lust filled man like all of us owes God everything--- but he isn't going to give God what he owes Him! [4:8]

III. VOLUNTEER TO HELP OUT [2:14-17]

Pray, "Lord, what can I do to answer my own prayer?"

TRICKS OR TREATS?

In just a few days Halloween will be observed by many. There are many reasons to not like Halloween - greed, it's cultic history, it's occultic tendencies and it's promotion of overtly dangerous behavior to name just a few.
There are ways for Christians to turn this day from a day in which Satan gets glory to one in which God gets the glory. Anytime that happens its a good thing. We'll see some of these truths in a message I have entitled "Tricks or Treats".

I. TRICKS OF THE DEVIL

1. Doubt & Denial [Gn. 3:1-5]

2. Deceit & Desperation [Jn. 8:44, II Cor. 11:12-15, Rev. 12:12]

3. Defeat & Devouring [I Pet. 5:8-9]

II. TREATS OF GOD

1. His Unchangeableness (He is Immutable) [Jm. 1:17, Heb. 13:8]

2. His Graciousness [Heb. 2:9, Eph. 2:8-9]

3. His Liberalness [Jm. 1:5]

III. TRAITS OF THE TRUE BELIEVER [Eph. 6]

1. Fight Deception With truth [v. 10-14]

2. Fight Greed with the Gospel [v. 15]

3. Fight Fire with Fire (the Devil's fiery darts with God's Firepower) [v. 16-19, Rm. 10:17, Jer. 23:29, Rm. 12:20, Heb. 1:7, 12:29]

Don't handle it yourself... let God handle it!

Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

How often we are tempted to "get back" at those who wrong us. The truth is--- we never have to do that. "I don't get mad, I just get even" may sound tough but it isn't Scriptural. God's timing is always right, God's way is always best, and God's dealings are always just. Let me give you a personal example.

I few years ago several individuals started slandering me. I wanted badly to strike back but for the most part I let it go lest I cause more harm than good. I talked to the Lord about it and then left it in His hands the best I could. Since then I have been vindicated and these individuals have very obviously been dealt with far better than I could have ever done.

Then, to let me know He had it under control I came across a cassette tape I was given 5 or more years ago that I had never heard (it was accompanied by several hundred others). It had been taped in 1989 by a friend of mine in Tennessee and had made its way to me in Florida and waited until just the right time for me to play (ain't God good?). It was primarily a tape of a church service that my friend was taping via radio but after the service the tape recorded a lesson given by J. Vernon McGee. Here is a transcript of part of that message:

Isaiah 43:3 For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

Now when He says He gave these nations for a ransom that seems to contradict Scripture. Because God doesn't do that sort of thing according to our way of looking at it. But have you ever noticed that God says "that these nations that I used to discipline you- I will judge those nations. I permitted them to treat you as they did, and now I will judge them." And that's what He means when he says here He gave them.

And you find that in Proverbs 21:18, "The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright." Do you know why God permitted that enemy to cross your pathway and cause you all the trouble that he did? And you often wondered why. God did it in order to bring you into line. In order to develop you, my friend. God gave him for your deliverance and that's the way that He does these things. And we're told here in Proverbs 11:8, "The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead." Takes his place. And I have observed this, God has let several people really mistreat me. I'll be honest with you I talked to Him about it because I thought He was wrong. But now I noticed the Lord is paddling these individuals, and I must confess I'm rather satisfied and I see now what He means here that He intends to do it just that way and it did something for me by the way.

Wow! Confirmation upon confirmation. What had I done in the meantime? I had prayed for those individuals. Not imprecatory prayers mind you. I confess I do not like those folks but God said "love your enemies" so I prayed for them anyway. Not because I am so devout and holy but because it's easier to obey God than to fight Him. I don't like "whuppin's". Let's let God handle things. He does it better than us anyway and the results are far less messy in our lives.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you!

QUOTES OF THE WEEK!

King Nebuchadnezzar needed a wake-up call, and God gave him one! God took him down from his pedestal and made him to act like a cow. Make no mistake about it—God will not share His glory with another. He resists the proud and will bring them down. Just because people who are living in obvious pride seem to be prospering does not mean that God does not care. He is a patient God, but His judgment will come.
For Nebuchadnezzar, it was twelve months after he was warned that the judgment came—from a king to a cow. To us, this seems like a terrible turn of events; in God's eyes, a king and a cow are not very different in terms of greatness. God looks on the heart of a man, not on his position. -Evangelist Wil Rice



You should not do everything you can do—but you can do everything that you should do. ...In every decision we make, the question to ask ourselves is not "Can I?" but "Should I?" We can do everything that we should do—God will take care of the "how." -W. R.

people are peculiar. They want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the middle of the road. - Evangelist Louis Arnold

All that really matters in this life is that I am right with God and that I am bringing others to Jesus. - L. A.

I want to get closer to Christ every day. I want Jesus to be the most intimate associate of my life. - L.A.

FEELING FROGGY?

EXODUS 8:1-15

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE WISDOM OF THE TRUE GOD [v. 1-6]

1. The Word [v. 1]

2. The Warning [v. 2-4]

3. The Way [v.5-6] (He will do exactly what He says He will do)

II. THE FOOLISHNESS OF THE NATURAL MAN [v. 7-11]

1. He has NO Power [v. 7]

2. He has NO Prayer [v. 8]

3. He has NO Perspective [v. 9-11]

Because I had used the Bible in a discussion with someone I got a couple of email responses that showed this fellow had no perspective.

so your prove[sic] is the written word that is a joke. That would mean anything written is true. It is so sad that people like you are fallowers[sic] and belief anything some people tell you. Why dont you step back and think for youself[sic] instead of repeating something somebody told you.

reframe[sic] from mentioning your bible in your response cause it is wrote by MAN!!!!!!! NOT GOD SO SAVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

III. THE SENSE & NONSENSE OF IT ALL!

1. Intercessory Prayer Works [v. 12-13, I Tm. 2:1-6]]

And while it is true that Pharaoh was probably never saved--- many Egyptians and Israelites were!

2. Sin Has Consequences [v. 14, Gal. 6:6-7]

Proverbs 14:9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour.

3. You Cannot Fool God [v. 115, Heb. 4:12]

HERE'S YOUR SIGN

MATTHEW 24:1-3

Pastor Rick Jackson

It is a well known fact that people twist the Scriptures to their own destruction. They often take the plain words of the Bible and claim they say the exact opposite. There are those who say Jesus never claimed to be God. There are those that say the way of salvation is to keep the law. There are those who say we can know when Jesus is coming again with certainty. The certainty is... He's coming back and we cannot know when so we should be ready always!

I. THE BIG PICTURE [v. 4-12]

1. Expect Satanic Turmoil [v. 4-5]

2. Expect Global Turmoil [v. 6-8]

3. Expect Religious Turmoil [v. 9-12]

II. THE BIG PROPHECY [v. 13-31]

1. The Bright Spot [v. 13-14]

2. The Bad Spell [v. 15-21]

3. The Big Sign [v. 22-31]

III. THE BIG PATTERN [v. 32-51]

1. The Tribulation is Relatively Short [v. 32-34]

2. The Timing is Indistinguishable [v. 35-42]

3. The Thing is--- to be Ready! [v. 43-51]

QUESTION OF THE WEEK! - For Whom Should We Vote?

A: Would you vote for someone like Eliab if he were running for office? He was an impressive Old Testament character. And he was a tall and handsome man! Surely we should vote for such a person? After all, when comparing him to his little brother David (the future king of Israel), the prophet Samuel did!

The Lord said to Samuel, however: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Many of us will soon be deciding whom to vote for in the U.S. presidential election (as well as congressmen, senators, and other offices). This will be just the second opportunity for me to vote for the president of the most powerful nation on earth.

Just over four years ago, my homeland of Australia passed legislation to allow its citizens to obtain citizenship in another country, yet retain their Australian citizenship. My family and I (having lived in the USA for over 17 years at the time) immediately applied to become American citizens.

Not long after, there was a presidential election. My wife and I had to decide whom we should we vote for, and I learned a lot in that process. Here’s how we came to our decision.

Read more about how Ken Ham starts from Scripture when heading into the polls in For Whom Should We Vote?

News to Note Quick Look

Chemicals + volcanoes + time/chance = life?: Zzzzzap! All it took was a helping of primordial stew and a bolt of lightning—or perhaps the hot gases of an angry volcano—and, voilà, you’ve got life. Read more.

Flying off with the truth: Chinese paleontologists have discovered another “feathered dinosaur.” So how should we interpret it: a “feathered” dinosaur or a feathered “dinosaur”? Read more.

Also: dinos at the disco, Godwit Airlines, probably a bad campaign, and fun in the sun—almost literally. Read more.

This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.

MECHANICAL DICTATION IS NOT A BAD THING

For another, longer and equally good treatment of the so-called Mechanical Dictation method I recommend Dr. John R. Rice's book OUR GOD-BREATHED BOOK-THE BIBLE usually available from Ebay or Amazon.com as well as from http://www.swordofthelord.com
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"And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying . . ." (Leviticus 1:1)

This introductory verse to what many erroneously consider a dry and difficult book of the Bible actually introduces a remarkable phenomenon. All the rest of the chapter consists of a direct quotation from the Lord Himself. In fact, most of the rest of the book also consists solely of the direct words of God, except for an occasional interjection of a statement that God was still speaking. In all, 717 of the 832 verses in Leviticus (that is 86 percent) consist of the very words of God, directly quoted. This is more than any other book of the Bible, except for the books of the prophets, some of which also consist almost entirely of verbatim statements from God. The same situation is found in lesser, but still substantial, degrees in other historical books, not to mention the extensive quotations from the sermons and discourses of Christ in the four gospels.

While it is true that the Holy Spirit used many different means by which to convey the Scriptures (all of which are verbally inspired and fully inerrant) to writing, it is also true that, on many occasions, what amounts to the "diction" method was used by Him. Evangelicals have often been intimidated by the scientists' ridicule of this "mechanical theory" of inspiration, but they should not be. God is well able to use whatever means He chooses to reveal His word to men, and we should simply take Him at His word!

Leviticus is a guidebook for the consecration and cleansing of God's people--especially His priests. In the New Covenant, all believers are priests, and therefore are expected to be consecrated and pure. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9). HMM

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INSTITUTE FOR CREATION RESEARCH www.icr.org (FROM October 22, 2008 )

QUOTES OF THE WEEK!

The future of this Republic is in the hands of the American Voter. -Dwight D. Eisenhower

Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants. -William Penn

It is impossible to enslave, mentally or socially, a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom. -Horace Greeley

Bad men cannot make good citizens. it is impossible that a nation of infidels or idolaters should be a nation of free men. It is when a people forget God that tyrants forge their claims. -Patrick Henry

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the people discover they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy- to be followed by a dictatorship. -Lord Woodhouselee

The first thing necessary to control the people, is to separate them from their heritage. -Karl Marx

quotes found in the Fall 2008 PCC Update.

ARE YOU CLAIMING OR MIS-CLAIMING THAT PROMISE?

Pastor Rick Jackson

There is a familiar poem to many that is not quite true. It goes like this:

Every promise in the Book is mine!
Every chapter, every verse, every line.
I am standing on His Word divine,
Every promise in the Book is mine!

Of course in one very wide sense this is true. I can learn from every word in the Bible. I can own a Bible. But is every promise God gave someone in the Bible a promise I can claim as valid to me personally? The answer is "no". There are promises given to certain individuals for them at that time that do not apply to me. The land of Israel was promised to Abraham and his descendants. Can I, as a Gentile, claim God has given me the land of Israel? No, of course not. Can I be blessed by noting that God keeps His promises? Of course! David was promised his seed would sit on Israel's throne forever, can I expect the same? Paul was promised no-one would die in a shipwreck with him. Does that mean nobody will die in a shipwreck if a Christian is on board? It's silly to think so is it not? It's like the man who opened his Bible with the expectation God would tell him what to do. He opened his Bible and read, “Judas went out and hanged himself”. Nervously he tried again and read, “Go thou and do likewise”. Trying one more time he read, "That thou doest, do quickly.”

With that in mind I want to draw your attention to three oft claimed verses that actually have a very limited scope and should not be claimed by everyone!

I. ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS NOT NECESSARILY PRESENT WITH THE LORD!

[II Cor. 5:6-8]

"Oh well, at least he's better off." That's as stupid as saying "He's probably up there right now chasing the girls" to a grieving widow! (A comment I actually heard given by a Bible ignorant person)

1. It was written to the Saints [1:1]

2. The saints are those who are in Christ [1:18-22]

3. Those "in Christ" have believed the Gospel [4:1-7]

It is to them this promise is given, is applicable and can be claimed!

II. ALL THINGS DO NOT NECESSARILY WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD [Rm. 8:28]

1. This is to them that know God [Rm. 5:1, 8:1]

2. This is 'to them that love God" [Jn. 14:15, 15:10]

3. This is "to them who are called according to His purpose"

or rather, to be doing what God wants you to do when God wants you to do it where God wants you to do it!

For instance, suppose I had stayed at Grace Bible Church when God told me to come to Bradford Baptist. Would I still be called? Yes, but not according to His purpose! Joseph, Daniel, and John the Baptist suffered in the will of God, in God's purpose.

David loved God and was called but did his sin with Bathsheba work out for good? No, the chastening did but the sin did not!

III. GOD MAY NOT SUPPLY ALL YOU THINK YOU NEED [Phil.4:19]

1. This is for those who have learned the secret of contentment [4:11-12]

2. This is for those who are dependent upon Christ [4:13]

3. This is for those that give to God [4:10, 14-20, Mt. 6:33]

1st Kings 17:8-16 is the Old Testament example of this New Testament truth.

A Joke Doc sent me...

I urgently needed a few days off work, But, I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave. I thought that maybe if I acted 'Crazy' then he would tell me to take a few days off. So, I hung upside-down on the ceiling and made funny noises. My co-worker asked me what I was doing.

I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb, so that the Boss might think I was 'Crazy' and give me a few days off.
A few minutes later the Boss came into the office and asked, 'What in the world do you think you are you doing?'

I told him I was a light bulb.

He said, 'You are clearly stressed out.' Go home and recuperate for a couple of days.'

I jumped down and walked out of the office...

When my co-worker followed me, the Boss asked her, '...And where do you think you're going?!'

(You're gonna love this....)

She said, 'I'm going home too. I can't work in the dark.

BLESSINGS FROM THE BILL RICE RANCH

On October 2, 2008 a small band of intrepid warriors, weary from the daily struggles of life, made their way through the splendors of north Florida, the long winding roads of Georgia, and the treacherous mountains of Tennessee to the Bill Rice Ranch for much needed rest, relaxation, and recharging. As usual, the ranch did NOT disappoint!

On Thursday night, October 2, 2008 after a fantastic meal (the food at the Ranch is utterly delicious) we had our first service. Evangelist Wil Rice IV was the speaker and there was no doubt that he was "prayed up" as he preached out! The following are some of the things the lord laid on his heart and that I wrote down.

Text:Proverbs 20:1

Wine will mock you with things you wouldn't say... do... places you wouldn't go! Liquor will rage against your life... home... health... happiness. Alcohol is deceiving. it makes and breaks promises. [Just as we were getting into this message he slapped us in the face by saying...]

"Your Temper will do the same thing!" [And then he proved it v. 3]!

He compared drunk driving to road rage.

Gal. 5:16-24

"Drink responsibly? That's an oxymoron. More moron than oxy!"

The results of self in control are immorality, unkindness, and being out of control.

The results of being Spirit-controlled are morality, kindness, and being under control.

"This is written for believers, not make believers." [referring to Eph. 5:20]

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The message was a real blessing and a great way to start the meeting. One of our men said, "Wil pulverized us with the first message and then we were putty in their hands for the rest!"

OVERLOOKING THE OBVIOUS

EXODUS 7

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE FAITH PROGRAM [v. 1-5, Rm. 10:14-11:2]

1. The Audible Word Spoken [v. 1-2, Rm. 10:14-15]

2. The Active Word Rejected [v. 3-4, Rm. 10:16]

Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

3. The Accomplishing Word Activated [v. 5, Rm. 10:17-11:2]

II. THE FULL PROCESS [v. 6-13]

1. Command Proceeds [v. 6-10]

2. Counterfeit Produced [v. 11-12a]

3. Confirmation Provided [v. 12b-13]

III. THE FIRST PLAGUE [v. 14-25]

1. The Battle Commences [v. 14-21]

2. The Bitter Counterfeit [v. 22-23]

3. The Bad Consequences [v. 24-25]

Though the magicians had done similarly (only in a much smaller fashion) they didn't reverse what God had done.

IDENTIFYING THE ANTICHRIST

Daniel 9

Pastor Rick Jackson

Back in the 1960s and the 1970s there was a rumor going around that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger was the Antichrist. Later in the 70s it was rumored to be Jimmy Carter. Since then I have heard that Ronald Wilson Reagan or Bill Clinton must be the Antichrist. Now there's a new name for the office of the Antichrist going around... can anyone guess the new candidate?

There's an email going around the Internet since March that says this:

According to the book of Revelations [sic] Chapter 13: The beast will be allowed to have authority for 42 months, which is almost a four-year term of a Presidency. The anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40's, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal. The prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, he will destroy everything. Is it OBAMA?

I have read where people thought the Antichrist was the pope. One Bible teacher of former days thought Mussolini, the Italian dictator up into WWII was the Antichrist. At least he had some actual Biblical information to go on. What does the Bible say about the Antichrist? Can we identify him? Is he alive today?

I. THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ANTICHRIST

Just as the Bible gives us information to identify Christ the Messiah (His tribe, place of birth, time of birth, type of birth, etc.) which not only identify Him but excludes others (anyone born outside of Bethlehem for example) so the Bible does the same for the Antichrist. There are certain things we know that will be true of him that identify him and excludes others. Here are just a few.

1. He's the man of a place [Dan. 9:26-27] -the revived Roman Empire

2. He's the man of a people [Rev. 13:1, 17:15] -the nations of the Gentiles

3. He's the man of perdition [II Th. 2:1-9] -won't be revealed until after the rapture

II. THE EXPRESSION OF THE ANTICHRIST [I John. 2:18]

John reminds his readers that while the Antichrist is coming since we are in the last days already (in his day and on up into ours) there are many expressions of Antichrists already. The expression of antichrist thinking is blatantly anti-trinitarian. These are characterized by:

1. Liars that deny the Father and the Son [2:22-23]

2. Liars that deny the Holy Spirit and the Son [4:1-6]

3. Liars that deny the Deity of Christ [II Jn. 7-11]

III. THE INCARCERATION OF THE ANTICHRIST [Rev. 19-20]

If Obama was the Antichrist no email would stop him from attaining power. It has been proven that he and all the others mentioned in the introduction cannot be the Antichrist. The Antichrist will be Satanically empowered. So Who can stop this blasphemer yet to be revealed?

1. The Lord Jesus will be revealed at the end of the tribulation [19:11-16]

2. The False prophet and the Antichrist will be thrown into the lake of fire [19:19-21]

3. Satan himself will be incarcerated [20:1-10]

Which group will you be in? Which master are you serving now?

QUESTION OF THE WEEK! - What Was the Post-Flood World Like?

A: The Flood of Noah’s day was the greatest catastrophe in earth history, and it involved much more than rain. It reshaped the surface of the earth, spawning massive volcanoes and earthquakes that dwarf anything observed in modern times. Such a tremendous catastrophe would have radically altered the earth’s climate, resulting in an Ice Age.

In general terms, an “ice age” is a time of extensive glacial activity that covers a relatively large area with ice. During the Ice Age, which ended a few thousand years ago, 30% of the land surface of the earth was covered by ice. In North America an ice sheet covered almost all of Canada and the northern United States.

We know the extent of the Ice Age because the glaciers left features on the landscape similar to features we observe around glaciers today, such as lateral and terminal moraines. A “lateral moraine” is a mound of rocks of varying sizes deposited to the side of a moving glacier, and a “terminal” or “end” moraine is a mound of rocks dumped in front of the glacier.

Two particular aspects of the Flood were instrumental in causing the Ice Age: (1) extensive volcanic activity during and after the Flood, and (2) the warm oceans following the Flood.
To learn more about the cause and extent of the Ice Age, see Setting the Stage for an Ice Age.

News to Note Quick Look

Sticking its neck out: The supposed missing link Tiktaalik is back in the news again, rearing its ugly “evolutionary” head on the supposed transitional element of a mobile neck. Read more.

Shopping for fossils: The world’s oldest (allegedly) fossilized impression of a flying insect wasn’t found in a rock quarry in an exotic setting; it was found behind a strip mall in suburban Massachusetts. Read more.

This information was provided by Answers In Genesis, an excellent source of material relating to Creation and evolution. Please visit their website using the link in the upper left.

The Beginning of the Creation‏

"For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be." (Mark 13:19)

The phrase "from the beginning of the creation" or equivalent occurs at least six times in the New Testament, indicating beyond question that the world was created at a definite beginning-point of time. All other cosmogonies, on the other hand, are evolutionary cosmogonies, which deny a real beginning for the space/time cosmos at all.

What almost seems a redundancy in our text is the phrase "the creation which God created." Evidently the Lord thought it vital to stress the fact of divine creation, especially as the great last-days "affliction" draws near.

That the "creation" mentioned in this verse refers explicitly to the cosmos, is evident from the parallel passage in Matthew 24:21, where the same prophecy is rendered as follows: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time." Here "world" is actually the Greek kosmos, referring to the ordered universe of heaven and earth. Thus, according to the Bible, the entire universe (including even time itself) came into existence at the "beginning," when God created it, as recorded in Genesis 1:1.

Note especially the significance of Mark 10:6 in this connection: "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female." Jesus was here quoting from the account of the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:27) and included what seemed an almost incidental confirmation that God created them, not after many billions of years of cosmic evolution, but from the very beginning of creation! Man and woman were not divine afterthoughts, as evolution would imply, but were the very reason why God created the universe in the first place. HMM

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