Tag Archives: God Is Faithful

Man Made Religion, Part 2

Posted on July 10, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

If I “feel” it’s okay, then why should anyone care?

I’m sure that you’ve all heard of the “Titan Sub”, which suffered a catastrophic implosion during its voyage to the shipwreck Titanic. The Titan likely imploded an hour and 45 minutes from its launch. What likely caused the problem? I quote:

“Experts have questioned the use of titanium and carbon fiber for deep diving, as they have different properties. Titanium is elastic and can adapt to ranges of stresses and pressures without permanent strain on the material. Carbon fiber on the other hand is stiffer and non-elastic, often prone to cracking.”

The CEO of the company who died in the implosion fired an engineer who questioned his use of titanium and carbon fiber. Mixing the two would prove to lead to no good. As humans, we love to push the envelope, thinking that we can overcome regardless as to how foolish our actions are. Sometimes there is no recovery.

Just as the engineers created a submarine destined to implode, last week we were introduced to a pioneer in false religion called Micah. Micah and his mother made a “do it yourself” religion, complete with his own store bought “priest”. What could possibly go wrong?… Continue reading →

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Jesus Is Not Afraid – And Neither Am I

Posted on July 7, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

John 7:13-14 Howbeit no man spake openly of {Jesus} for fear of the Jews. 14 Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

Israel enjoyed three great Feasts every year, commemorating great points in their history where God blessed them as His people. There was Passover, Pentecost, and Booths. Every Jewish male was expected to go to Jerusalem during each of these Feasts to worship God. In John 7 we are in the Feast of Booths. Last week we studied how Jesus refused to go to Jerusalem with His earthly Family during the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. Jesus would go to the Cross during the Feast of Passover, not Booths. Our Lord knew that – if He went with His brothers to the Feast – that the priests, Sadducees and Pharisees would prematurely kill Him.

Jesus waited to go to the Feast of Booths. Jesus was NOT FEAR driven, but OBEDIENCE driven

Word Study: We read that the people – though divided in their opinions about Jesus – did not openly discuss the Lord Jesus because of “fear of the Jews”. The word translated “FEAR” is the Greek phobos, from which we get our English word Phobia. The word is used 47 times in 44 New Testament verses. … Continue reading →

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christ, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Jesus Christ, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Will You Go Or Will You Stay?

Posted on June 9, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

John 6:66-71 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. 70 Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? 71 He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

God Save Us From “Consumer Christians”

The crowd grew in Capernaum, flooding the synagogue there, as people flocked to see Jesus. They wanted to be fed without working, to be healed without condition, to be saved without condition. They wanted what Jesus had and what Jesus offered, but did not want a life WITH Jesus. They wanted what many
“Christians” in America today want
a “Consumer Christianity”!

Jesus doe not offer a “Consumer Christianity” where we are to be pleased regardless as to the glory of God. Jesus demanded something else. He wanted people to believe in Him for life just as they believed in FOOD for life. He wanted people to bind to Him, to hear Him, to live by His Words, to follow His commandments. Jesus said:… Continue reading →

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, God Is Faithful, gospel, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

He That Doeth Good Is Of God

Posted on June 6, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 3 John. We’ve been studying through the Books of John the last few weeks, and one of the main themes is “What is the TRUTH”? In our world today, people teach that truth is FLUID. You have YOUR truth, and I have MY truth. As long as YOUR and MY truth do not conflict, we can just be happy in OUR OWN TRUTH.

When Pilate ordered an innocent Jesus crucified, he justified his actions with the words “What is truth?”

But is truth FLUID? The world would have you believe this. A quick search on Google finds this:

“Our body always knows first what our truth is… trust it. And, when you don’t trust it, acknowledge that too. Because it will reinforce to the Universe that you are listening to you, your higher-self, your intuition, source [whatever name resonates with you]. Remember, you have to know a truth from within not be told the truth. Get out of your head and feel into your body for what resonates now, not what should or could, but what does.”

So basically TRUTH is what you FEEL is true. This is what the world teaches today. Recently an obese man who identifies as a woman went into a YMCA (which stands for Young Men’s Christian Association – so it used to be Christian), into a female restroom, and was arrested for three counts of indecent exposure. The new report states:… Continue reading →

Posted in 3 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christ, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love God, prayer, salvation | Leave a comment

Are You A USER, Or Is Christ Your TREASURE?

Posted on June 2, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Last week we started studying Jesus’ discourse in Capernaum. Most people consider the Sermon on the Mount one of the greatest sermons Jesus ever preached – and it was. On the Sermon on the Mount Jesus explained the policies of God’s Kingdom. But here in Capernaum, Jesus is defining how we should regard Himself. The people that followed Jesus to wanted to be fed fish and bread again, just as they had been fed in Bethsaida. Jesus wanted to explain to them – and to us – that He did not come just to fill our bellies. Jesus came to sustain our souls.

John 6:40-42 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeS the Son, and believeS on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

Saving Faith Must See Jesus As He Is

Word Study: Jesus declared that the WAY to “everlasting life” is to “see” (Greek theōreō) the Son. This word means to “perceive with the eyes”, to see Jesus as He actually is. You cannot believe on Jesus unless you first know Who He is. We are creatures that must see and perceive to believe. When Satan tricked Eve into eating the forbidden fruit, he called on her to believe him above God. The Bible says that … Continue reading →

Posted in John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Following Christ, God Is Faithful, gospel, love God | Leave a comment

The Strange Case Of Samson, Part 2

Posted on May 28, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

Last week we saw Samson – a Nazarite from his mother’s womb (Judges 13:5) – infuriated because he lost a bet with a number of Philistines. His Philistine wife was threatened with being burned with fire (Judges 14:15) if she did not betray Samson’s trust and get the answer to the riddle he had given them. Samson’s wife wept before Samson and declared “you don’t love me” until he told her the answer to the riddle. Once she heard it, she told the Philistines – causing Samson to go home to his father (Judges 14:19).

Anything Without God Leads To Misery

Though Samson was supposed to be a Nazarite, dedicated to the service of God, he was a very poor Nazarite at best. Samson was absolutely NOT a good example of how a husband should treat his wife. Our Lord Jesus said of marriage:

Matthew 19:4-6 (ESV) “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Jesus was quoting from Genesis 2:24, and I am certain that Samson had seen that portion of Scripture. Yet he, in anger, left his wife. His first error in judgment was marrying outside of the faith. The Scripture says:… Continue reading →

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged ego, Faith, Following Christ, fornication, God Is Faithful, Philistines, prayer, self defeating, sexual immorality, sin | Leave a comment

The Doctrine Of Christ

Posted on May 28, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

2 John 1:9-11 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

Christians Are To Walk Christ’s Pathway

John’s first words are “Whosoever transgresseth”. If he stopped here we’d all be in trouble.

Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.

John is referring to a lifestyle characterized by guiltless sinning, and denial of who Christ is.

John warned us in an earlier scripture:

1 John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Word Study: You DENY the Son when you live a life unworthy of the Gospel, unworthy of Jesus. Those saved by Christ are to walk in this world as salt (Matthew 5:13) and lights in the world (Matthew 5:14). We who are saved are to “walk worthy of the vocation we are called to” (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:10). We are to stay on God’s Path, in step with Christ. The word “transgresseth” is the Greek parabainō, which means “to step off the path, to overstep, to abandon the right path, to go by the side of”. This word is only used four times in the Greek New Testament. The Pharisees asked Jesus,… Continue reading →

Posted in 2 John, Sermons Preached | Tagged Doctrine of Christ, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, Jesus Christ, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Walking In Truth

Posted on May 23, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

2 John 1:4-8 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

Try The Spirit By The Scripture

Opening: I believe that we ALL need to “try the Spirit by the Scripture”. What do I mean by that? I mean, we should check the truthfulness of what is said by what the Bible says. When Sherry and I were young, and had three young kids, we loved to hike. I loved hiking off trail, that is, I would lead my family into wooded areas that had no marked path. Before going into the woods, I would always check my compass. I’ve heard that you could check your direction by which way the moss grows on a tree … but I can’t remember which side its supposed to grow on. I also heard you can follow the North Star, but you often can’t find that in the daytime. The best – absolute BEST – way to make sure you don’t get lost is to check the compass.

If you are a Christian, your spiritual compass is the Bible.

I like to read Max Lucado. Though from the “Church of Christ”, he writes so as to reach all Christians with God’s Truth. But I don’t always agree with Max. For instance, I read this statement the other day:… Continue reading →

Posted in 2 John | Tagged Faith, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love God | Leave a comment

Five Judges

Posted on May 16, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

As we studied last week, Jephthah was the son of a prostitute, and a man who would not be defeated. Jephthah, though thrown out of his home by jealous brothers, would follow faith in God and become a “mighty man of valor”. Jephthah would be approached by the elders of Gilead – the same ones who cast him out of his family home – and by faith become the eighth legitimate Judge of Israel.

Jephthah would lead the armies of Israel to fight against and defeat the Ammonites. Jephthah would allow faithlessness and doubt to cause him to approach God with a foolish vow. This is what unbelievers do with God. “God, if you’ll give me this, or do that, I’ll do this or that”.

God does not expect us to bargain with Him, but to walk with Him. We are to fear our God, not the world!

Jephthah promised to offer up a “burnt sacrifice” of the first thing that greeted him if God gave him success in defeating the Ammonites. God never responded to the vow – but Jephthah decided he would keep his word. When he returned from battle, his only daughter greeted him. Following a two month sabbatical Jephthah offered up his only daughter to God as a spiritual burnt offering. She died childless, and Jephthah would die, closing out his line. Such are the rewards of stepping outside of God’s will. The Bible says:… Continue reading →

Posted in Judges, Sermons Preached | Tagged Christ, Following Christ, God Is Faithful, love God, salvation | Leave a comment

Come Join The Minority

Posted on May 8, 2023 by bibleteacherorg

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Back when I was young and dinosaurs roamed the earth, we used to write letters that we’d put in the mail. Texting has destroyed this, but yes, we’d absolutely do this. When I ended a letter, I’d end with my name and something affectionate, like “I love you”.

Many of the books we have in the New Testament are letters the Apostles wrote to the Church. As the Apostle Paul closed his letter to the Romans he sends greetings from others in ministry with him. Paul closes with “The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Romans 16:24), and then adds a rather length “P.S.” that ends with “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.” (Romans 16:27). As Paul ends his first letter to Corinth he says, “My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Corinthians 16:24). The letter to the Hebrews ends simply with “Grace be with you all. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:25). The Apostle Peter ends with “Grow in Grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18).

Notice how the Apostle John ends his letter to the Church. What thought did John want us to remember, a final point that is so very important? He writes:

Little children, keep yourselves from idols…. Continue reading →