The Gospel

(1Co 15:1) "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved…,) The Gospel is the wonderful story of the love and grace of God, whereby God sent His Son Jesus to die a substitutionary death for the sins of all men. We should have died on that cross, we deserve Hell, for we are the guilty sinners not Jesus. 1) The Gospel is a (Story) of love & grace. 2) The Gospel is a continuing (Saga). A tale of love, forgiveness, and the promise of God to every generation, that "whosoever" desires salvation regardless of race, religion, or the depth of one's sin, God will provide it freely in Jesus Christ, but it is also a continuing saga of rejection. Unfortunately in every generation there are those that scoff and attempt to disprove Jesus, his Gospel, and his Word. 3) The Gospel is the (Sovereign) way by which God calls all men to salvation. Jesus said, "Many are called but few are chosen." We preach Jesus crucified, buried, and then risen for the sins of all mankind. If anyone desires to be saved they must trust in his Gospel and Jesus!

Learn From The Wisdom Of This World

Luke (16: 9) "…for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." This verse was quoted by the Lord Jesus as he explained the parable of the unjust steward. 1) His reason was to explain to his disciples that the world many times handles their affaires better than the sons of God do, though they have not received the true riches. Wisdom comes from many places, and here Jesus says that it is a wise thing to look at the world and notice how diligent they are in the handling of their "mammon." Mammon is the Bible name for the wealth and riches of this world. The world respects money, serves money, multiplies and invests money with more return then the riches of God in the hands of saved men, and Jesus wanted us to understand and see that if we would just serve God with the same wisdom and diligence that the world does money, we too would see greater returns. 2) He also wanted us to understand that compassion and love draws men into friendship quicker than a firm hand or a judgmental spirit does. We would be wise to realize that people are drawn to compassion more than they are truth. The world knows this, but the question is, why don’t we?

The Resurrected Change

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a wonderful story of victory, for it was proof that Jesus was indeed God in the flesh, and that his sacrifice for our sins was accepted by the Father. Death could not keep him dead! Jesus is alive, and because he is alive we now all have the hope of eternal life through him, as well as the hope of the forgiveness of sin. Jesus said in (John 8:32) "If the Son therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Because of the Resurrection we now have, 1) Freedom from the Power of Sin. Satan won and condemned the souls of men in the Garden of Eden, but Jesus won us back on the Cross. For the just punishment of sin was paid by Jesus forever there, and therefore sin can longer condemn us anymore. 2) Freedom from the Power of the Flesh. Once we are in Christ, we have within us God's Holy Spirit which gives us power now over not only our sinful past but our present addictions. Though we now live in the flesh, it's possible to live victoriously in and through His Spirit. 3) Freedom from the Power of Satan. (James 4:7) "…Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Satan is a defeated foe, and subject unto the name of Jesus. Resist him boldly therefore, for the only power he has is the power we give him. Brethren Jesus is alive, and has given to us now and forever the victory!

"Why Bad Times Sometimes Get Worse"

Gen. 40:4)"…and they continued a season in ward." God allows trials in our life to continue for seasons of time. In the story of (Gen. 40), Joseph was allowed to suffer "inwardly" for a season even though he was an innocent man. We are not sure just how long Joseph was in prison, but it could have been for as long as 11years. Like Joseph, the preparation of a godly man always takes time, so God uses seasons to test us. Why? 1) To Strengthen Our Abilities. Spiritual abilities are acquired only through time and trial. Like exercise, if we endure the pain of it, we will find that in time we will become stronger and capable of more. Like a hardened steel tool, hard steel only gets harder by the application of much heat and pressure. Softer tools are made with less, and God like a master craftsman has need for both in His tool box. 2) To Build Trust. Trust can only be matured through experience, and experience proves God. Joseph learned trust as he saw God bless him even though things got worse. God does not work on our schedule, but He does work in seasons of time. When you can't see God, trust in His Word, He will keep it!

Joseph, The Soveriegn Choice Of God

(Gen. 37:3) "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. In the sovereignty of God, God chose Joseph over his brothers for the special purpose of one day saving them from a future famine. Joseph never asked or had any say in the favoritism that God or Jacob gave to Him. In the same way, the Bible tells us that God chose us for His purpose even before we were saved, for his glory and our benefit. None of us should ever think that our lives are not important to God, for if we are saved, know this, that Like Joseph God has a special purpose for your life also. According to the Bible, there are two common purposes for each of us being saved; First, that we be conformed into the image of his Son (Ro. 8:29), Second, that we be use to carry out God's perfect will and purpose in this life (Ro. 8:28). Joseph had no Idea what God was doing when he was sold into slavery in Egypt, but he remained faithful to the leading of God until the purpose of God was revealed to him, 13 yrs. later.

"Joseph, And The Sovereign Will Of God"

(Gen. 37:3) "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. In the sovereignty of God, God chose Joseph over his brothers for the special purpose of one day saving them from a future famine in Egypt. Joseph never asked or had any say in the favoritism that God or Jacob gave to Him. In the same way, the Bible tells us that God chose us for His purpose even before we were saved for his glory and our benefit. None of us should ever think that our lives are not important to God, for if we are saved, know this, that God has a special purpose for your life also. According to the Bible, there are two common purposes for each of our lives; First, that we be conformed into the image of his Son (Ro. 8:29), Second, that we be use to carry out His perfect will and purpose in this life (Ro. 8:28). Joseph had no Idea what God was doing when he was sold into slavery in Egypt, but he remained faithful to the will of God until the purpose of God was revealed, some 13 yrs. later. All that God reveals to us is the present, but it's in the present that will learn obedience. God has a plan, so be faithful now and you will see His purpose later.

"Learning To Let Go But Hold On "

(Gen. 32:24) "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." In every Christian's life there comes a time when we need to let go of fear and just hold on to God. Jacob came to that place one night as he waited for his brother Esau to come and meet him. Twenty years earlier he tricked Esau out of his birthright and the blessing of God, and Esau vowed to kill him. That night while Jacob was alone and fearful in his tent, a man appeared in the dark and began to fight with him. Later Jacob would say, "for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." That man in the tent was none other than the Lord Jesus. The wrestling was over the power of God and the fear of Esau. Jacob would not quit wrestling until God gave him His power and His blessing. Just like Jacob, there needs to be a time in our life where we stop wrestling with God over our fears, and just let God have our problems. When Esau arrived God had already changed his heart and fixed the problem. That night God changed a conniving Jacob into a Prince called Israel, for God said, "for thou has power with God and with men." Jacob was never the same, and neither will we be once we realize that God's power and blesings are not gained by the works of our flesh but rather by our faith in a powerful God.