Christ living in our small hearts

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven . . . ”
–Matthew 5:43–45

When H. G. Wells summed up the influence of Jesus in history, he said, “Is it any wonder that this Galilean is too much for our small hearts?” And yet the heart of man, though small, is big enough for Christ to live in, if man will only make room for Him. Christ instilled the spirit of Christian love in His followers, so that they lived without malice and died without rancor. The love that Christ talked about can only be given to us by God. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit. When you come to Jesus Christ, He transforms you. Your past is forgiven. You receive a power to love men, beyond your natural ability to love.

Instill in me, dear Father, Your same Spirit of love which enabled the disciples to live with true charity.

The Emergent Christian

"God is not looking for wafflers, fence-sitters, and double-minded philosopher types. In fact, He's bold enough in Revelation 3:16 to say He will spew such people out of His mouth (God's choice of words, not mine). God is looking for little children--children who simply trust that He means exactly what He says, and that He will do nothing less than what He has said He will do.
These young impressionable students are being asked to choose, they are being asked to radically believe, not by us Christians, but by militant atheists. They are being told, in no uncertain terms, that life and salvation is up to them. It's in our hands as humans to forge our own destiny. God isn't listening; He's not going to be helping. Because most of these young men and women grew up surrounded by "pilgrims, septic with doubt," it should be no surprise to find doubt toward God resident in their hearts and minds when they head off to college, where that doubt is played upon as if it were a Stradivarius violin.
If ther can be a New Atheist, then I say let's call on a New Christian to stand up and grow a backbone. If a new sect of God haters is raising their voices, then I say let a new breed of Christians emerge out of their dusty tombs to display the resurrected power of the risen Christ to this dead and dying world! We need Christians who don't try to match God's words to their experience, but rather, whose experience is corrected, elevated, and altered by the Word's penetrating perfection. If we find ourselves cowering in unbelief at the words of our Master and Commander--if we are hiding behind rocks of doubt and unbelief on the shores of our soul--then I say it is high time that we stood up, squared our shoulders, dodged the bullets, and started charging in the direction of those 'real life' cliffs."
-The Bravehearted Gospel By: Eric Ludy

The Purity of Marriage

Whatsoever things are pure . . . think on these things.
–Philippians 4:8

Nowhere does the Bible teach that sex in itself is a sin. Man in his sinful nature has taken what was intended to be a glorious and complete act of love between two people and has made it something low, cheap, and dirty. The Bible is one of the world’s outspoken books on the subject of sex, and the Bible condemns sex outside the bonds of matrimony. The fact that immorality is rampant throughout the nation doesn’t make it right; the fact that some clergymen may condone it doesn’t make it right. The Bible says, “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs 16:25). Under Jewish law adultery was punishable by death. Under God’s law today it also results in spiritual death.

Prayer for the Day:
Father, this world drinks lawlessness like water. It attempts to entice people to the things that are not Your way. God please help keep up focused on Jesus. May we not just praise You, and worship You on Sunday and go back the things of the world come Monday. May we never live out such a false form of Christianity.

We Must Decrease

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
–Lamentations 3:40

Our modern philosophy of self-reliance and self-sufficiency has caused many to believe that we can make the grade without God. “Religion,” they argue, “may be all right for certain emotional people, but you can’t beat a man who believes in himself.” But this self-confident generation has produced more alcoholics, more dope addicts, more criminals, more wars, more broken homes, more assaults, more embezzlements, more murders, and more suicides than any other generation that ever lived. It is time for all of us to take stock of our failures, blunders, and costly mistakes. It is about time that we are putting less confidence in ourselves and more trust and faith in God.

Letter form an Unsaved Friend

My friend, I stand in judgment now, and feel that you’re to blame somehow. On earth I walked with you by day, and never did you show the way.
You knew the Savior in truth and glory, But never did you tell the story. My knowledge then was very dim. You could have led me safe to Him.
Though we lived together, here on earth, you never told me of the second birth. And now I stand before eternal hell, because of heaven’s glory you did not tell!

Merely a Pleasant Voice

God forbid that any preacher should become merely a pleasant voice, entertaining and tickling the ears of his hearers. Yet many of America’s popular preachers have stripped the gospel of that which is designed to awaken its hearers, and replaced it with a message of life-enhancement. And I suspect that they have no idea what they have done. They are like a doctor who was well-liked because he never used a needle to inoculate his ever-increasing number of patients against a deadly disease. He did not like the feeling he got when the needle brought them pain, so he discarded it in the name of love. When his patients began to die of an agonizing disease, his professed love was seen for what it was—a terrible betrayal. Millions of unconverted churchgoers sit in pews with a Bible on their lap, asleep in their sins within earshot of the pulpit.

Listen to these sobering words of warning from J. C. Ryle: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, but never so fearful as when men fall from under the gospel. The saddest road to hell is that which runs under the pulpit, past the Bible, and through the midst of warnings and invitations.” How much sadder is it when no warning is given. Many a church service has become nothing but entertainment for those who profess to know God, while in works they deny Him (see Titus 1:16; Matt. 15:8). Jesus said, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46).

Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 32 Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them.

Spiritual Warfare

When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old battle. You have a three-fold enemy--the world, the flesh, and the devil. Before you became a Christian, you floated down stream with the other dead fish. But now, God has put His life within you, and you will find yourself swimming against a three-fold current. Let's look at these three resistant enemies.

First, the world. When the Bible speaks of the "world" in this context, it is referring to the sinful, rebellious, world system. This is the world that loves the darkness and hates the light (John 3:20), governed by the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4)( -- the "prince power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). The Bible says the Christian has escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. "Lust" is unlawful desire, and is the life's blood of the world --whether it be the lust for sexual sin, for power, for money, for material things. Lust is a monster that will never be gratified, so don't feed it. It will grow bigger and bigger, until it weighs heavy upon your back, and will be the death of you -- see James 1:15.

There is nothing wrong with sex, power, money, or material things, but when these become predominant in God's sight, the Bible calls this "inordinate affection" (Colossians 3:5). We are told, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." "Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (1 John 2:15, James 4:4).

The second enemy is the devil. As we have seen, he is known as the "god of this world." He was your spiritual father before you joined the family of God (John 8:44, Ephesians 2:2. Jesus called the devil a thief, who came to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).

The way to overcome him and his demons is to make sure you are outfitted with the spiritual armor of God listed in Ephesians 6:10-20. Become intimately familiar with it. Sleep in it. Never take it off. Bind the two-edged sword to your hand so that you never lose its grip. The reason for this brings us to the third enemy.

The third enemy is what the Bible calls the "flesh." This is your sinful nature. The domain for the battle, is your mind.

If you have a mind to, you will be attracted to the world and all its sin. The mind is the data-processing control panel for the eyes and the ears. It is the center of your appetites. All sin begins in the "heart" (Proverbs 4:23, Matthew 15:19). We think before we sin. This happens because we don't think before we sin. The Bible warns that lust brings forth sin, and sin when it's conceived brings forth death. Every day we have life, we have a choice. To sin or not to sin -- that is the question. The answer to the question of sin, is the fear of God. If you don't fear God, you will sin to your sinful heart's delight.

Did you know that God kills people? He killed a man because he didn't like what he did sexually (Genesis 38:10). He killed a husband and wife because they told just one lie (Acts 5:1-11). Knowledge of God's goodness -- His righteous judgments against evil, should put the fear of God in us, and help us not to indulge in sin.

If we know that the eye of the Lord is in every place beholding the evil and the good, and that He will bring every work to judgment, we will live accordingly. Such weighty thoughts are valuable, for "by the fear of the LORD one departs from evil" (Proverbs 16:6). Jesus said,

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5).

Second Mile

Jesus created what we might deem the Society of the Second Mile.  He presented a new option.  Serve the ones that hate you; forgive the ones who hurt you.  Take the lowest place, not the highest; seek to serve, not to be served.  Retaliate, not in kind, but in kindness.

Here I am Lord. Send me.

Hypocrites

A lot of people don't go to church because of the hypocrites that sit in the church. Even the world wants to flush Christianity down the drain because some so called Christians speak grand thoughts, but live horrible life's. May we dare not live out such a Christianity. The Bible talks about goats among the sheep, the true and the false. But don't worry, on the day of judgement God will separate them. But if that is why you don't go to church, then think about this: 'are you there to worship God and praise Him, or is it a social activity and nothing more?' Nothing should stand between you and your eternal salvation! If this is your stumbling block, make it your stepping stone. Jesus said to bless those who curse you. Pray for them! Add them to your prayer list so you'll spend more time in prayer, which means you're spending more time before the throne room of Almighty God. And isn't spending time with God to have a closer relationship with our Lord what we all should want anyway! Please think about this. Thanks for reading this. May God bless you!

-Walking in the Way

The Firefighter

 

An experienced New York fire fighter was charged this week with grave neglect of duty. Prosecutors maintained that he abandoned his responsibility and betrayed the people of New York when he failed to release rescue equipment. This resulted in the needless and tragic deaths of a family of five.

The Firefighter

An experienced New York fire fighter was charged this week with grave neglect of duty. Prosecutors maintained that he abandoned his responsibility and betrayed the people of New York when he failed to release rescue equipment. This resulted in the needless and tragic deaths of a family of five.
Eye-witnesses were sickened when they discovered that the reason the fire fighter remained in the locked emergency vehicle was simply to test a new high tech CD player, which he maintained that he had purchased as a gift for the Fire Chief.

The Fire Chief immediately distanced himself from the defendant, and dishonorably discharged him from the Department. In a prepared statement he said that there were no words to describe such a betrayal of those he was sworn to protect.
The lead prosecuting attorney argued that for more than three minutes after arriving at the scene, the fire fighter wore earphones and listened to a CD while a family of five screamed to be rescued from the sixth floor of a building. Horrified bystanders related that, as flames licked her clothing, a mother cried out in terror and fell to her death while still clutching an infant child in her arms. The distraught onlookers also said that the father held onto two terrified children as he was engulfed by the massive flames. This terrifying drama took place in full view of the fire fighter as he remained seated in the vehicle listening to the CD.

The defense pleaded No Contest, but added that the defendant had gone to great personal sacrifice to purchase the expensive gift for the Chief, and that he hoped that the judge would take that into account when passing sentence.

 

A Fitting Sentence

Here now are some questions in reference to this case. The first is, What is a fitting punishment for this serious crime? Should he receive a strong reprimand, two years in prison, twenty years, a life sentence, or perhaps capital punishment? Please make a choice.

The second question is, Do you enjoy worshipping God? Most of the modern Church does. All across the country auditoriums are full of hand-raising, God-loving Christians. That's understandable, because when the Holy Spirit dwells within the believer it's not hard to worship our glorious and worthy Creator. It is as natural for the godly to worship the Lord as it is for flowers to open in the warmth of sunlight. The sunshine of His great love opens the sweet-smelling petals of praise. Yet, the "sacrifice of praise" (Hebrews 13:15) isn't so great a sacrifice, in the light of the sacrifice of the cross.
Rather, our love for Him is more evidenced by obedience to do His will, and that doesn't come so naturally. It takes a concerted effort to obey the Great Commission and follow in the footsteps of Jesus to seek the lost. Our professed love and worship of God should evidence a determined devotion to do His will.

When then did you last do His will and share your faith with an unsaved person? When did you last meditate on the fact that all who die in their sins will be cast into the Lake of Fire? In his book, The Coming Revival Dr. Bill Bright said that only 2% of the American Church share their faith with others. Most are so locked into worship (with the volume turned high) that they have little or no thought for the fate of the ungodly.

Here now is the point. If you are not seeking to "save [the lost] with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh" (Jude 23), then you are the fire fighter. If you call Jesus "Lord," but refuse to do the things He has commanded you to do, then He is not your "Lord," and He will distance Himself from you on the Day of Judgment, despite your professed sacrifice of praise. When you cry out "Lord, Lord!" He will say, "Depart from me…I never knew you."

 

What Was Your Judgment?

What sentence did you give the New York fire fighter? Are you honest enough to judge yourself with the same standard? Think of the terrifying fate of that poor family. Think of his dreadful neglect of duty. He was no fire fighter. He was a Judas…a contemptible traitor. Their blood was on his hands.
Now, think of the terrible fate of the lost. They will be cast into a Lake of Fire. Think of your neglect of duty. Is Jesus your Lord? What then will be your defense if you do nothing to reach the lost, on the Day that you stand before His Judgment throne (2 Corinthians 5:10)?
Read these sobering verses of warning from God's Word:

"Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, 'Surely we did not know this,' does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?" Proverbs 24:11--12
"When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand." Ezekiel 3:18

The Apostle Paul said, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:26-27). If we refuse to follow in his steps, if we are like the wicked and slothful servant who knew His Lord's will but didn't do it (see Matthew 25), then we are not free from the blood of those who perish.
Oswald J. Smith said, "Oh my friends we are loaded down with countless church activities, while the real work of the Church, that of evangelizing and winning the lost is almost entirely neglected." We have been gazing to the heavens while sinners are sinking into Hell.

 

The Highest Calling

Worship is the highest calling of the Christian, and we can see in the Book of Revelation that in the future the Church will one day be consumed in worship before the Throne of the Almighty. But when we look back at the Book of Acts, we don't find that the Church was consumed with worship. Instead we find that they were devoted to reaching the lost, to a point where they willingly gave their lives to preach the gospel.

Devotion is nothing but a surrendered human will to the will of God. Gethsemane was a sweat and blood-stained altar of worship, and I believe that when Jesus whispered "Not My will but Yours be done," it was more pleasing to the Father than the adulation of myriads of angels.
Perhaps the very thought of preaching or witnessing to the lost makes you sweat your own great drops of blood, and your soul may become exceedingly sorrowful to a point of death, but when you determine to be true and faithful to your calling, you are proving the reality of your devotion.
Time is short. Are we going to passively sit during these precious moments of time, and muffle the cries of dying humanity with the sweet sounds of worship? Let's re-evaluate our priorities, take off the earphones, unlock the doors, become equipped, and prove the depth of our love for our God by rescuing those who are about to perish.

Don't put it off any longer. Every moment sinners are falling headlong into the terrors of death and a fiery Hell. Don't neglect your duty. Right now, bow your head in worship and whisper "Not my will but Yours be done," then do what you know you should. Do His will…seek and save that which is lost.

Open-Air Preaching (start to finish)