Category Archives: topical

Fearing God Is The Beginning Of Knowledge

2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear {phobos} of God.

Fear of God is not an antiquated notion. It is the bedrock upon which the Christian faith is built. Let us put God in first place in our Church, our homes, our communities, and our country. Only then will we experience the the blessings of God Almighty. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12). May God the Holy Spirit guide you in understanding this great truth. Amen and Amen. … Continue reading

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Faithful Is The Word (Part 3): Gospel Truths

This past Sunday we looked at several of the Apostle Paul’s “faithful sayings” that he gave to Timothy and Titus. Timothy was chosen of God to build the Church in Ephesus, whereas Titus was building the Church in Crete. Paul introduced these faithful sayings with πιστός λόγος {pistos logos}, or literally, “Faithful is the Word”. Our Jesus is faithful. God’s Word is faithful. Tonight we turn to,

1 Timothy 4:9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

When We Are Saved By The Word Of God,
We Must Feed Our Souls On The Word Of God

Word Study:We read “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation”, pistos logos, which means “Faithful is the Word”. This pistos logos focuses on the word of the world, and the Word of God.

God’s Word is faithful, but man’s word is not.

In our world today there is the unprecedented spread of evil, spread liberally by technology. Now, I’m not against technology. I love technology. I program my own computers with the Linux Operating System, because – to me – Bill Gates and Microsoft are greedy for money. I use the internet to study and research Scripture. There are amazing resources available freely to those willing to use them, resources that used to cost hundreds of dollars to access. Praise God for the internet. Praise God for technology. But Beloved, you need to know that Satan himself uses the same devises to evil.

Satan and the fallen world has always used God’s
good gifts for evil, and always will!… Continue reading

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Faithful Is The Word (Part 2): Gospel Truths

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Timothy. This morning we began to look at the “faithful sayings” the Apostle Paul shared with two young men, Timothy (a Jewish Greek) and Titus (a Gentile). Paul left these men in Ephesus and Crete to establish local Churches in those areas. We see Paul repeating a phrase:
“This is a faithful saying”
the Greek pistos logos, or literally
“Faithful is the Word”

In these phrases the Apostle is emphasizing the faithfulness of God in saving souls. This morning we saw that (1) God came to this earth the save sinners, and (2) God has given us a Faithful Word, the Holy Scripture, to grow us in our salvation.

The Lord Who Saved Us, Owns Us, And Will Keep Us

2 Timothy 2:11-13 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 13 if we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

This “faithful is the Word” is tied together with FOUR Ifs. We’ll look at these in order…. Continue reading

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Faithful Is The Word (Part 1): Gospel Truths

Let’s start by looking at the first five words of our text, “This is a faithful saying”. This is only two words in the Greek, πιστός λόγος, pistos logos, which means “Faithful is the Word”. This phrase is found several times in the books of Timothy and Titus. This is it’s first use.

Our Lord is Faithful To Save Sinners

Our Lord has some fifty names in Scripture. He is:

The Dayspring from on high (Luke 1:78)
The Alpha and Omega (Revelation 1:8)
The Amen, the Faithful & True Witness (Revelation 3:14)
The Bread of Heaven (John 6:32)
The Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4)
The Deliverer (Romans 11:26)
Immanuel, God With Us (Matthew 1:23)
The Door Of The Sheep (John 10:7-9)
The Heir of All Things (Hebrews 1:1-2)
The Horn of Salvation (Luke 1:69)
The Light of the World (John 8:12)

One of the earliest descriptive names of our God is FAITHFUL:

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God …

Our God is FAITHFUL. Our God is Father, Son, and Spirit. Our God is “The Word”. Remember those wonderful words:

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Faithful is THE WORD! Oh, this Jesus, this Eternal Son of God, of Whom the Scripture says …… Continue reading

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Abortion A Terrible Scar On America

Isaiah 49:1 … Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. Jeremiah 1:4-5 Then the word … Continue reading

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The Mind Of Christ – A Wednesday Devotional

As Jesus was and is, we are to be. We are sons of God, made so by the Spirit of God and by the sacrifice of the Son of God. We do not live as the world lives, but live as God says. We are Kingdom people.

“We have the mind of Christ”. The mind of Christ is not like the world.

This is the standard we must lean toward, to love others as we have been loved. We are to be lights of Christ in this present evil world, shining to the glory of Christ. May Jesus help us do so, through His Spirit and His Word. Amen and Amen!… Continue reading

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Humans Are Not Nor Will Ever Be Angels

“Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings”. A six year old Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu Bailey, said these words in that classic 1946 film, “It’s A Wonderful Life”. The film was cute. Over the past many years as a Pastor, I have read obituaries written by well meaning people who sought to honor a deceased loved one. One of the phrases I often read are either:

“Heaven gained another angel today”
or
“___ earned his wings, and is in the Presence of the Lord”

I am sure the writer of the obituary means well, and is sincere. But does the Bible teach the deceased Christian becomes another “Angel”? No, it doesn’t.

In the Book of Hebrews we are told that believers in Christ are not brought to Mount Sinai, but by the Blood of Christ are brought to Mount Zion.

Heaven is our home, Christian, if you have received Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. As God describes Heaven through the writer of Hebrews, He says:… Continue reading

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Abiding In Christ IS Christianity

Tonight I want to talk about “abiding in Christ”. Turn with me in your Bibles to John 15.

The Bible makes it clear that the Christian is called to abide in Christ. When Jesus spoke of our abiding in Him, He used the illustration of the grape vine, something all Jews were familiar with. Jesus said:

John 15:4-8 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. … Continue reading

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Faithful Sayings Of Paul

Five times in the Scripture the Apostle Paul says, “This is a faithful saying”. Now the Bible tells us that:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

ALL Scripture is God breathed (theopneustos), and is profitable. This means both the New and Old Testaments. The Bible is true in all that it affirms, and true in all that it reports. None of the Scripture is disposable.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

So why did Paul speak of “faithful sayings”?… Continue reading

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Little Foxes That Spoil The Vines

What does God our Father want of us? The Bible is very clear on this point. He wants every child of His, every Christian, to bear fruit. He says to His Child:

John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

Jesus wants me and you – if you have been saved by loving faith in Him (blessed be the Name of the Lord!) – bear fruit that remains. We who are Christians have no ability of ourselves to bear fruit. Let me say again … Continue reading

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