Category Archives: General

Before I started tagging my material

God Is Not Done

I like to call today “Resurrection Sunday”, the most important Christian holiday there is. Though we make much of “Christmas”, very few people saw the Baby Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God in that manger in Bethlehem. I heard one man say,

When man reaches for God, this is called “religion”. But when God reached for man, we call this “Christmas”.

God reached down to save us. The Bible says that those who claim to follow Christ are to follow His example:

Philippians 2:3-7 (ESV) Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Joy is not found in selfishness or narcissism, but in “humbling yourself, and count others more significant than yourselves”. Though He was God, and “in the beginning with God, and was God” as the Apostle John tells us (John 1:1-3), Jesus allowed Himself to be born through a relatively unknown virgin and her lowly carpenter fiancee’. The story of His birth into His Creation (for Jesus co-created this earth, and all that is in it): Continue reading

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The Way To God

Proverbs 16:21 The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

Gentle, Then Harder Is More Effective

Our Lord Jesus Christ is a perfect example of One Who is “wise in heart” and yet “sweet of the lips”. Jesus knew that most people responded easier to gentler teaching, or as the Apostle said,

Ephesians 4:15 … speaking the TRUTH in LOVE …

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well our Lord knew that she was living in adultery. Jesus would later tell her,

John 4:16-18 (NKJV) .. Go, call your husband, and come here. 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.

Jesus did not begin with her sin, but with “Give Me some water from the well”. Intrigued, and knowing Jesus was a Jew, she said,.. Continue reading

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Living For Jesus

Proverbs 14:24-25 The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly. 25 A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

Word Study: The “WISE” (Hebrew ḥāḵām) person is the one who heeds and obeys the Word of God. These people have riches, perhaps not on this earth, but in glory. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

The wise person, the believer who loves the Lord, will one day receive a crown of glory that will not fade away (1 Peter 5:4). The fool who rejects the Word of God, mocking the Master, will only have the crown of eternal folly. Their foolishness will multiply on the earth, and be eternal when they leave this life for the next. … Continue reading

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A Matter Of Identity

The person who often laughs is not always happy. A good case in point is Actor and Comedian Robin Williams. Robin often had severe depression. Earlier in his life he was addicted to alcohol and drugs, but he stopped cold turkey. After 20 years he re-entered depression, and turned back to his addictions before he killed himself in 2014. He was only 63 years old. Williams was a comic genius as well as a brilliant dramatic actor. Off stage he was quiet and reserved. But onstage he came alive. His suicide by hanging was a surprise to the world.

Sadly, many people find their identity in anything but the right thing.

People chase after identity in power, fame, in their God given abilities (God gave Robin his extraordinary talent), in skin color, in a variety of lesser things. To seek your identity in anything outside of the Creator is to follow a perilous path. When God made man and woman, the Bible says:

Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male… Continue reading

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And It Came To Pass: A Christmas Sermon

Luke 2:1-5 (KJV) And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

I Love Those Words, “It Came To Pass”

“it came to pass”. The greatest event in human history begins with these four words, “it came to pass”. That phrase “it came to pass” is in the Bible (the King James Version) 2,204 times in 457 verses of the Holy Scriptures.

“it came to pass” is found in front of the most horrific things in the Bible. Mankind, created in the image of God, has the ability to design and make fantastic things. We have creative power, and free will to do with it as we will. God gave us dominion over the planet, granting to us what He did not give the angels nor the animals. In a perfect environment we were given all things, and forbidden the one thing that could hurt us. Continue reading

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Wonderful Article

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Take Out The Trash, Son

Crucifixion was considered “the most cruel & hideous of tortures” (Cicero). Author Dr Alexander Metherell wrote, “The pain was absolutely unbearable. In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe it; they had to invent a new word: “excruciating”. Literally excruciating means ‘out of the Cross’”.

Before Jesus was removed from the Cross for burial a Roman guard, well versed in crucifixion, ensured that Christ was dead. The Bible says:

John 19:34 (ESV) … one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.

This was a clear forensic sign that our Lord had passed into glory. Jesus’ body was embalmed by washing and wrapping Him in myrrh and aloe – about 75 pounds in weight… Continue reading

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Doctrine of Baptisms

… If you are Christ’s possession, if you have given yourself to Him as Lord and Savior, neither sin nor death has any hold over you. Praise God! Heaven is the destination of the believer in Christ. Heaven in glory, and Heaven on this earth walking with Jesus.

Do you know Him? Oh Beloved, if you do not, may the Holy Spirit touch your hearts, and bring you from death to life this very day. Do not leave this place without Jesus. May God so secure your souls. Call upon the name of Jesus, surrendering to Him, and you shall be saved. Continue reading

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Doctrine Of Original Sin

When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, resting fully on Him, God imputes righteousness, HIS righteousness, to our spiritual account. Abraham – the Father of Faith – met the pre-incarnate Jesus in Ur of the Chaldees (John 8:58), and the Bible tells us:

Romans 4:20-25 (NKJV) {Abraham} did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted {imputed} to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

When we believe the Father sent the Son to die to pay the penalty for our sins, and raised Jesus from the dead to lead and justify us, then God IMPUTES righteousness to us. This is fully a work of God. God looks at you differently once you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior because of Imputation. … Continue reading

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Doctrine Of Imputation

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2) By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) And patience, experience; and experience, hope: (5) And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The Doctrine Of Imputation

I want to talk to you today about The Doctrine of Imputation. Unless you understand this Biblical truth, you will NEVER understand your salvation. We are able to “STAND in GRACE” (verse 2) before God because of imputation. The pattern for our salvation is Abraham, as we saw in the previous chapter. We are told in:

James 2:23 (KJV) … the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was IMPUTED {Greek logizomai} unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Word Study: Because Abraham believed God – following God where He led – God IMPUTED righteousness to him. The word translated “IMPUTED” is the Greek logizomai, which means “to reckon, to compute, to calculate, to make an account of, to number among”. The Bible tells us that God is … Continue reading

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