"if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)
"We need to move past merely talking about the inerrant Word of God; we need to start living it to a far greater level than ever before. We must seek His face as we submit our hearts and lives to Him."
-Frank Page
SBC President
Full article at: http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=25792
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
Thursday, May 10, 2007
For By Grace
"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
If you think you’re going to get to heaven by your good works, I guarantee, you will always wonder if you’ve done enough. You will not have a “know-so” salvation. You will have a “hope-so” salvation. Rather than standing up straight in confidence like an exclamation point, you will be bent over and wondering like a question mark, that is, until you understand that it’s all by grace. Suppose everybody who wanted to be saved had to run around the block. Some can’t run. What if you had to read a chapter in the Bible to be saved? Some can’t read. But there is one thing that can make the promise sure, and that is grace.
-Adrian Rodgers
If you think you’re going to get to heaven by your good works, I guarantee, you will always wonder if you’ve done enough. You will not have a “know-so” salvation. You will have a “hope-so” salvation. Rather than standing up straight in confidence like an exclamation point, you will be bent over and wondering like a question mark, that is, until you understand that it’s all by grace. Suppose everybody who wanted to be saved had to run around the block. Some can’t run. What if you had to read a chapter in the Bible to be saved? Some can’t read. But there is one thing that can make the promise sure, and that is grace.
-Adrian Rodgers
Friday, April 20, 2007
Where's Jesus
My heart is heavy and I grieve with and for the families of the murdered students and teachers at Va. Tech. The killer is probably getting his reward in a devil's hell. I pray for his family as well. I wanted to post some words of my beloved bible teacher, Adrian Rodgers, who shares about the "storms of life."
These are dangerous days, indeed, and things can happen in the blink of an eye that can overwhelm us, but don't lose heart. Three hundred and sixty-five times in the Bible, one time for every day of the year, God has told us not to be afraid. In one way or another, He said "be not afraid," or "fear not." The devil is the sinister minister of fear, but our Lord tells us not to be afraid. Three hundred and sixty-five times He tells us not to be afraid!
We can also take comfort in the fact that we are graced by His prayers. In John 6:16 and 17, we read the account of the storm the disciples found themselves in on the Sea of Galilee. And what does Jesus do ... He leaves them! The verses explain, "And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them." They're saying, "Where's Jesus? Where is Jesus? It's dark and He hasn't come. Why hasn't He come?" Well, He's doing something else. What is He doing? He's praying. He's up on a mountaintop, praying (Matthew 14:22-23).
Don't think He has forsaken you just because you cannot see Him. When you're in the storm, He may not be with you in bodily form, but He is very much aware of you. I love that song that reminds us, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."
Did you know that He sees you right now? You may say, "He doesn't know where I am. He doesn't know this difficulty. Why is He so far away? Why am I in the storm and He is on the shore?"
Friend, He is there praying for you. In the case of the disciples' storm, He went apart to a mountain to pray and He was up there on the mountain looking down. He sees right through the dark. You may not be able to see Him, but He sees you. And what's He doing? He's praying. You are on Jesus' prayer list!
Do you have any reason to doubt that He is praying for you in the midst of your storm? How would you feel if you knew, while you are going about your business, Jesus was right beside you on His knees praying for you? What a comfort to know He ever lives to make intercession for you.
-Adrian Rodgers
These are dangerous days, indeed, and things can happen in the blink of an eye that can overwhelm us, but don't lose heart. Three hundred and sixty-five times in the Bible, one time for every day of the year, God has told us not to be afraid. In one way or another, He said "be not afraid," or "fear not." The devil is the sinister minister of fear, but our Lord tells us not to be afraid. Three hundred and sixty-five times He tells us not to be afraid!
We can also take comfort in the fact that we are graced by His prayers. In John 6:16 and 17, we read the account of the storm the disciples found themselves in on the Sea of Galilee. And what does Jesus do ... He leaves them! The verses explain, "And when even was now come, His disciples went down unto the sea, And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them." They're saying, "Where's Jesus? Where is Jesus? It's dark and He hasn't come. Why hasn't He come?" Well, He's doing something else. What is He doing? He's praying. He's up on a mountaintop, praying (Matthew 14:22-23).
Don't think He has forsaken you just because you cannot see Him. When you're in the storm, He may not be with you in bodily form, but He is very much aware of you. I love that song that reminds us, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."
Did you know that He sees you right now? You may say, "He doesn't know where I am. He doesn't know this difficulty. Why is He so far away? Why am I in the storm and He is on the shore?"
Friend, He is there praying for you. In the case of the disciples' storm, He went apart to a mountain to pray and He was up there on the mountain looking down. He sees right through the dark. You may not be able to see Him, but He sees you. And what's He doing? He's praying. You are on Jesus' prayer list!
Do you have any reason to doubt that He is praying for you in the midst of your storm? How would you feel if you knew, while you are going about your business, Jesus was right beside you on His knees praying for you? What a comfort to know He ever lives to make intercession for you.
-Adrian Rodgers
Sunday, April 8, 2007
The Cross of Peace
"having made peace through the blood of His cross."
Colossians 1:20b (NKJV)
How can a cross bring peace if Jesus is the One hanging there? At the cross, wickedness was not appeased. Wickedness was confronted. At the cross, sin was not overlooked. At the cross, sin was atoned and paid for. God’s greatest righteousness confronted man’s greatest wickedness, and righteousness won; peace was attained through the blood of the cross. Thank God for the cross! Thank God for Jesus!
Adrian Rogers
Colossians 1:20b (NKJV)
How can a cross bring peace if Jesus is the One hanging there? At the cross, wickedness was not appeased. Wickedness was confronted. At the cross, sin was not overlooked. At the cross, sin was atoned and paid for. God’s greatest righteousness confronted man’s greatest wickedness, and righteousness won; peace was attained through the blood of the cross. Thank God for the cross! Thank God for Jesus!
Adrian Rogers
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Why the Cross?
"Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" Luke 9:51
Why did Jesus have to die? Why the cross? Why couldn't God just say, "Look, I know you have sinned against Me. It's okay. Never mind. You are all forgiven." The answer is that it doesn't work with His nature and character. God is just. And the justice of God requires that our sins be paid. He could not accept us into fellowship with himself unless the penalty was paid.You see, the cross demonstrates the justice of God. At the cross of Calvary, the love and the justice of God met. Jesus had to go to the cross because humanity is sinful, and there was no other way to bridge the gap between a just and holy God and sinful humanity. The cross was His goal, and it was His destination from the very beginning. He spoke of it frequently.So don't think the cross was a mistake. Don't think that Jesus didn't know it was coming. Jesus, being God, had complete foreknowledge. He was braced for the cross. He knew the cruel and horrendous pain that awaited Him. In fact, Scripture tells us, "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). He would let nothing or no one deter Him from His course. God said, "My righteous requirements must be met. But I love humanity. And there is no way they can do it on their own. So I must assist them. I must help them." So He sent His only begotten Son to bridge the gap. Jesus came to this earth to purchase back what had been forfeited in the Garden of Eden.
Think about that. This was a daily devotion I received a few years back from Gregg Laurie of Harvest Ministries. Sign up for own daily emails from Harvest.
Why did Jesus have to die? Why the cross? Why couldn't God just say, "Look, I know you have sinned against Me. It's okay. Never mind. You are all forgiven." The answer is that it doesn't work with His nature and character. God is just. And the justice of God requires that our sins be paid. He could not accept us into fellowship with himself unless the penalty was paid.You see, the cross demonstrates the justice of God. At the cross of Calvary, the love and the justice of God met. Jesus had to go to the cross because humanity is sinful, and there was no other way to bridge the gap between a just and holy God and sinful humanity. The cross was His goal, and it was His destination from the very beginning. He spoke of it frequently.So don't think the cross was a mistake. Don't think that Jesus didn't know it was coming. Jesus, being God, had complete foreknowledge. He was braced for the cross. He knew the cruel and horrendous pain that awaited Him. In fact, Scripture tells us, "He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51). He would let nothing or no one deter Him from His course. God said, "My righteous requirements must be met. But I love humanity. And there is no way they can do it on their own. So I must assist them. I must help them." So He sent His only begotten Son to bridge the gap. Jesus came to this earth to purchase back what had been forfeited in the Garden of Eden.
Think about that. This was a daily devotion I received a few years back from Gregg Laurie of Harvest Ministries. Sign up for own daily emails from Harvest.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Reason To Live
A secular song by Hoobastank, is beautifully re-directed to our Savior in this video. The following is taken from a review posted at KaleoChurch.com
The truth is our story is just a small part of a much larger story. It's a story that began with the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve deliberately disobeyed God, this act we call sin brought consequences. Humans went from a close communion with God to being separated.
We all recognize our sinfulness. When we get angry, when we disobey our parents, when we hurt others around us and lie, cheat, steal, you name it, we find a way to do it. Hoobastank, too recognizes this truth, in their new album The Reason the title song, Reason states…
I'm not a perfect person
As many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know
We all fall short, we all cannot live and be perfect. We cannot earn our way back to God. We cannot reach out and pursue God on our own. This is where things change. The good news is the story did not end there. God's ultimate story began to unfold. God demonstrated His love, patience, and justice to all mankind.
Knowing that God is perfect in His justice, He requires that sin be dealt with. But because we (humans) cannot pay the price, He sent His Son to be the sacrifice on our own behalf. Jesus died so that we may have life eternal with God. If we accept this price Christ paid on our behalf and are willing to surrender to God our will our self and we put it ‘to death' we can become ‘born again'. We are born again spiritually and become a new creation in Christ. It is at this point that we are restored back into a relationship with the God who created us.
Understanding this story means we recognize that Christ had to come, He had to pay our price with His life. He conquered sin and death once and for all. He was willing to come and let mankind beat him, strip him and brutally murder Him on the cross. He willingly did this, because it was the only way that we could be reconciled with God.
The song continues…
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
That's why I need you to hear
Hoobastank did not intend these lyrics to be directed to Christ, but it is again through the lens of the good news of Christ this song means much more to us. We too have found a reason, a reason to change from who we used to be, to become someone new. We understand that because of our sin, Christ was hurt and we personally put him through the pain and death. But our life will begin anew, and we will have purpose, meaning and hope in knowing we will one day be with our God.
So there we have it, a grand story that our one small story plays a part. Are you willing to search for this? Are you willing to sacrifice yourself to gain everything? To make the ultimate decision so that “all the choices that I make won't end up all for nothing”...
Saturday, March 3, 2007
"God Is Crazy About You" tour
Last night was a hoot! Me, my kids and a close friend went to see Mark Lowry and company at North Jacksonville Baptist Church and had a ball!! Great singing and rib-busting laughs, yet all the while, praising and worshipping our great God! Mark is extremely gifted and blessed by God with a stage presence that holds your attention with fun and laughter, then 'preaches' in a way that all can understand. It was definitely a "Come and look at God" show and not one of those "Look at me" shows. You know what I mean. For a ADHD kid, God is really using him in a wonderful way. Check his website http://marklowry.com for more on the tour with Lord Song, who BTW, were great.
Next week, we're going to see Ken Davis. Another God-filled, rib-busting night for sure. God is SO GOOD. Later. Dave
UPDATE 3/11/07.......Just as expected, we had a great night with Ken Davis. His stories are so funny, yet so inspirational! Most of his stories I had heard before, (I think I own about every VHS or DVD he has ever made), but they are still funny. I was having a great time laughing at the people around me that were laughing at him! You never forget the first time you hear this guy. I love the fact too, that all ages of people were there. A little glimpse of heaven! I wish you could have been there with me--maybe next time. C-ya, Dave
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