How We are to Respond to God's Promises~Bob Hoekstra

How We are to Respond to God's Promises

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is thepower of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)

How are we to respond to God's promises of blessing? Such promises are not automatically at work in every life that hears them. Some people respond correctly, while others respond improperly. Some enjoy the benefits of God's promises, whereas others do not. In these two verses, we are given the necessary response to all that pertains to the gospel of grace. That response is faith. This would certainly include living by the promises of God.

Paul was unashamed of the gospel because he knew its effective character. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is thepower of God to salvation." The good news about Jesus Christ is essentially the grace of God proclaimed to man: "the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). This grace is God's power poured out unto the saving of souls. This power is experienced by all who place their faithin the gospel, whether Jew or Gentile: "for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." The gospel is effective, because it holds forth God's righteousness to sinful man, if he is willing totrust in the Lord. "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed fromfaith to faith."

The gospel is referred to in the Scriptures as a promise. "And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life" (1 John 2:25). The gospel is often stated in the form of promises: "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved… whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 15:11and Romans 10:13). These gospel promises are partaken of by faith."The just shall live by faith."

In addition to initial salvation, the good news of God's grace includes many other promises from God. "I will build My church…You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free…When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth" (Matthew 16:18; John 8:32; and 16:13). All of these promises are experienced byfaith as well, because "the just shall live by faith"—continually, as well as initially.

O Lord God, I want to respond to Your promises properly. How gracious that You only ask me to trust in what You have promised to do. I do not want to ignore Your promises or doubt them. I want to live by relying upon every promise You have ever made. In Your faithful name I pray, Amen.

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us ...~Jon Courson

When man sinned, God said to Adam, ‘From this point on, you will

labor for bread,
live by the sweat of your brow,
and work through thorns and thistles.'

Then came Jesus, the Last Adam.

In the Upper Room,
His broken body became our bread.

In the Garden of Gethsemane
His sweat mingled with blood.

On Calvary,
The thorns of the earth were embedded in His brow.

‘I’ve absorbed it all,’ Jesus said, as He Who knew no sin became sin for us, as He Himself became the curse. This is what Paul is driving home.

What Jesus did is so incredible, so wonderful, how could we think that, through our efforts, we could add anything to His work on our behalf?

The Scorpion and The Tortoise~Greg Laurie

The Scorpion and The Tortoise

July 27th, 2009 Posted in Pastor's corner, essentials, questions, sermons | No Comments »

Sometimes we wonder why we sin. This is especially hard if we think we are basically good and “the answer is within.”

The fact is, the problem is within. For all practical purposes, we have ourselves to thank when we give into temptation. Jesus told us, “From Within, out of the heart of man, is what defiles the man” (Mark 2:21).

Where is the logic in that?

That brings me to the fable of the scorpion and the tortoise.

One day, a scorpion who wanted to cross a pond. As you may know, scorpions can’t really swim. He found a rather unsuspecting tortoise and asked if he would give him a lift.

The tortoise exclaimed, “Are you joking? You’ll sting me while I’m swimming and I’ll drown.”

“My dear tortoise,” laughed the scorpion, “If I were to sting you, you would drown and I’d go down with you! Now where is the logic in that?”

“You’ve got a point there,” reasoned the tortoise. “Hop on.”

Resigned to his fate

The scorpion climbed aboard and the tortoise set off into the water. Halfway across the pond, the scorpion carefully aimed his powerful stinger and gave that tortoise everything he had.

As they both sank to the bottom, the tortoise, resigned to his fate, turned to the scorpion and said, “Do you mind if I ask you something? You said there is no logic in you stinging me. So why did you do it?”

“It has nothing to do with logic,” the drowning scorpion replied. “It’s just my nature!”

In a sense, that is a very accurate way of defining temptation. When we get tempted and when we give into it, we like to conveniently place the blame on someone or something else.

I’ve heard people say, “Get behind me, Satan . . . and push!” The fact is, “It’s just our nature!”

Be careful

So be aware of that today. Satan needs our cooperation in this area before we give in to his temptation. Where there is no desire on our part, then there is no temptation.

As it’s been said, “It takes two to make a successful temptation, and you are one of the two.”

But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:14-15)

2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37 ~ Romans 10:14-11:12 ~ Psalm 21:1-13 ~ Proverbs 20:4-6

2 Chronicles 19:1-20:37 ~ Romans 10:14-11:12 ~ Psalm 21:1-13 ~ Proverbs 20:4-6
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Old Testament - Today in Second Chronicles chapter 19 verse 7 we read: “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you.” It is important to realize that this verse was said not as a curse upon someone, but really as a blessing and perhaps a warning. Jehoshaphat says these words to judges he is appointing. Why would Jehoshaphat say these words to judges? Why should judges have the fear of the Lord upon them? What is the fear of the Lord? I believe it is a healthy and strong sense of God’s presence – a sense so strong that it would prevent these judges from administering any injustices. Because they know God is in the room. How about for you and me in our lives today? What if I were to say to you right now – “Now let the fear of the Lord be upon you.”? Would you accept this as a blessing? Or would you think of this as some sort of curse? Do you want the fear of the Lord to be upon you? Why or why not? Right now in your life – is the fear of the Lord upon you? Will you consider praying for the fear of the Lord to be upon you?

New Testament - Romans 10 verses 14 & 15 are a powerful call to share the Gospel with a world that so desperately needs it! "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"" Are you bringing good news to people in your life? Do you realize that you do not necessarily need to go abroad to share the Gospel with people who really have probably never heard it before? Yeah, sure, maybe in our hometowns people have heard the name Jesus. But have they really heard about the love and life and forgiveness and healing that Jesus offers? Do they really know who Jesus truly is? How will they know unless you tell them? Will you utilize the gift of your beautiful feet?

Bible.org's commentary on today's readings in Romans titled "Without Excuse" is at this link and "Man's Failures Do Not Frustrate the Purposes of God" is at this link.

Psalms - Psalm 21 today follows up Psalm 20 from yesterday - yesterday's being a prayer for victory for the king as he goes out to battle - and today's being a psalm of praise for victories granted to the king. I like the credit given to God in verse 1: "How the king rejoices in your strength, O LORD! He shouts with joy because of your victory." The king is not rejoicing in his own strength. He is not claiming victory as his. He is giving credit to God! How about you in your life today? Do you give credit to God for the blessings and gifts he has given you? Do you shout for joy and rejoice simply because God is in your life?

Proverbs - Proverbs 20 verse 6 definitely gives me something to think about: "Many will say they are loyal friends, but who can find one who is really faithful?" This is a challenging Proverb for me because I feel like I have many good friends. Many who are loyal. And some who even seem faithful. But... yet.... there are still times on occasion when these friends do let me down. Or I know for a fact I let them down on occasion. It's our human nature. Fortunately for us, long after this Proverb was written, we were given the most faithful friend we could ever dream up or imagine in Jesus. Jesus really should be our best friend. I had a friend kind of shock me with this thought by continually referring to Jesus as his best friend at a lunch we had a few years ago. For some reason I was very comfortable with Jesus being my savior. But my friend? My best friend? Well, it was a new concept to me. And maybe this is a new concept to you. I do honestly believe Jesus wants to be our best friend. And he will undoubtedly be the one true and loyal and faithful friend we all can have - now and forever. So, is Jesus your best friend?

Worship God: Speaking of Jesus being our friend forever - are you familiar with the Delirious song called "What A Friend I've Found"? It's beautiful. The chorus repeats the name of Jesus 3 times and then says "friend forever". Below is a YouTube video of Delirious performing this song live with Darlene Zschech, with Slovak language subtitles:

Do you know our savior God? Click here for your Savior!

Please join us in memorizing and meditating on a verse of Scripture this week: "May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14 (NIV)

Comments from You & Questions of the Day: What verses or insights stand out to you in today's readings? Please post up by clicking on the "Comments" link below!

God bless,
Mike

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Are you Ready~Bob Caldwell

Are You Ready? 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. The believer's hope in the return of Christ is an anchor for our souls in the midst of the storms of a world in rebellion to God. Because the hour and the day of Christ's return is not made known, each generation of Christians since Christ's first coming has hope that He will return during their lifetime. For those who oppose the gospel of Christ, it is not uncommon for them to point out that His promised return has not happened and, based upon that, that it is a fantasy to think it will. They say, "All things continue on as they were from the beginning" (v. 4). Peter addresses this by reminding us that in the past God brought His judgment upon the earth that certainly did not let "all things continu[e] on as they were." Secondly, we are reminded that time from God's eternal perspective is quite different than ours. To Him, a thousand years is like a day. Furthermore, God's delay has a lot to do with His longsuffering. Judgment, when it comes, will be irreversible. Therefore, in His longsuffering, it is His desire to give every person a chance to be saved prior to Christ's return (3:9). He does not desire or pleasure that any should suffer the coming judgment for their sin. Lastly, we are reminded that Jesus taught He would return as a thief in the night. No one will be fully prepared for the day of His return. We will know the "signs of the times" that describe the generation that He will return in, but that's about it (v. 10). The logical conclusion for us all is that if one day this world will be destroyed in judgment and a new Heaven and Earth will be created, we should live accordingly (v. 10-13). Keeping this perspective in mind is the basis by which we live. For those who live in light of Christ's return, we are able to live in preparation for that day. For those who do not, they will be drawn to falsehood that validates a life that seeks to be given over to the deceitful lusts of a fallen world. What we believe matters. What is really true matters. Be diligent to seek, to know, and to live in light of truth, in light of Christ and His sure return.
2 Peter 3:1-18 God's Promise Is Not Slack 1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. The Day of the Lord 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Be Steadfast 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
2 Peter 3:1-18 v. 1 Beloved – The Apostle addresses his readers in a way that truly represents Christ's attitude toward them (1 John 4:19). Second Epistle – An epistle is simply a letter. This is Peter's second letter written to this group of people. That's why this book is called 2 Peter. by Way of Reminder – Even pure minds need reminding so that they might remain pure. When a person is saved and cleansed from his or her sins, that person's mind becomes genuine and sincere. Since a pure mind can become impure again through intentional sin or neglect, Peter felt compelled in both letters to stir up their pure minds by way of reminder. v. 2 the Holy Prophets – The words of these holy prophets Peter is referring to are recorded for us in the writings of the Old Testament. These Old Testament writings have come to us by the inspiration of God's Holy Spirit through these holy men and are treasured as the Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Commandment – Peter attributes Divine authority to his writings and the writings of his fellow apostles. Apostles – Jesus Christ personally trained and ordained 12 apostles (Matt. 10:1-27, Mark 3:14-19). Savior – soter (Gk.) savior, deliverer, preserver v. 3 Scoffers – One who mocks. The implication here is to that of a false teacher. Last Days – Referring to the days just before the Lord's return. The New Testament writings warn us repeatedly that in the last days many will mock and scoff at the truth of God's Word (1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:1; 1 John 2:18; Jude 1:18). Walking – This word is used figuratively in the New Testament to depict one's lifestyle. v. 4 Where is the Promise of His Coming? – A common question of a scoffer. This is a cynical question aimed at undermining the belief in the return of Christ (Matt 24:48, Luke 12:45). The second coming of Christ is clearly taught in scripture (1 Cor 15:23; 1 Thess 2:19; 2 Thess 2:8; 1 John 2:28). the Fathers Fell Asleep – A biblical expression referring to the death of the fathers of our faith in the Old Testament. v. 5 Willfully Forget – The attitude of scoffing is a deliberate choice to forget God's truth. By the Word of God – God spoke the world into existence with a word (Gen 1:3, 6, 14). One of the things the scoffers have chosen to forget is the literal creation of the heavens and earth by the spoken Word of God as described in scripture. Standing Out of Water and in the Water – A biblical description of how the earth was created. God separated the waters of the atmosphere with the waters of the earth and then divided the land and the seas (Gen 1:6-10) v. 6 Perished, Being Flooded With Water – A biblical description of the people of the known world being destroyed by water at the time of Noah (Gen 7). Scoffers also choose to reject this story of Noah and the flood. v. 7 Preserved by the Same Word – God created the heavens and the earth with a word. He is preserving and holding it all together by His word (Col. 1:16-17). Reserved for Fire – The earth has a reservation for final destruction by fire according to God's word. God destroyed the inhabitants of the earth once before by water. Next time it will be by fire (Zeph. 3:8; Matt 25:41; 2 Peter 3:10, Rev 20:10). Day of Judgment – A coming day when God has promised to punish all sinners. See 2 Peter 2:9; Matt 10:15; 12:36; 1 John 4:17, Rev 20:11-15, 21:8). Perdition – apoleia (Gk.) utter destruction and ruin. v. 8 Beloved – In the midst of this terrible talk of judgment, Peter softens these harsh words by reminding his readers that they are among the beloved of God. One Day is as a Thousand Years, and a Thousand Years as One Day – God does not account time as man does. God lives outside of the dimension of time and space. Long periods of time do not produce impatience or anxiety for God. This is why He can patiently watch and wait while we anxiously scuttle about. See Ps. 90:4. God has the eternal perspective that we lack. v. 9 Slack Concerning His Promise – Peter is referring to the Lord's promise to return in final judgment and ultimate restitution. Because the Lord sees time much differently than man does, He is not slack or slow acting as man would measure slowness. Longsuffering – makrothumeo (Gk.) be patient, slow to anger, slow to punish Perish – To be destroyed or put to death. In this case, eternal death (John 3:15, 16). Repentance – metanoia (Gk.) a change of heart that leads to a change of action v. 10 the Day of the Lord – The scriptural Day of the Lord is a threatening and dark day. See Isaiah 2:12; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 31 as well as the rest of this verse. A careful study of scripture reveals that this Day of the Lord will be a day of great judgment for those who are not right with God. See Amos 5:18-20. a Thief in the Night – Peter is now using metaphorical language do describe the Day of the Lord. A thief does not announce his coming but seeks to catch his victims off guard and unaware. He often comes at night under the cover of darkness when most are sleeping and not alert to impending danger. What Peter is saying is that God will not give further warning for those who oppose His truth or resist His rule. God's judgment will come without warning to the wicked. Heavens will Pass Away – When the Day of the Lord arrives it will be a cataclysmic event that affects much more than just the earth (Matt 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 21:33). Heavens – ouranos (Gk.) the vaulted expanse of the sky with all visible in it Elements – stoicheion (Gk.) elementary principles of all matter Burned Up – Further description reveals that all life as we know it will come to an end at the Day of The Lord. Everything on earth and all that takes place in the earth will totally cease. v. 11 Dissolved – luo (Gk.) Undone, destroyed. Godliness – eusebeia (Gk.) reverence and respect toward God v. 12 Looking For – prosdokao (Gk.) To expectantly wait for. Christians should look forward to the return of Christ with great expectancy and eagerness. See 1 Cor. 1:7; Titus 2:13; Jude 1:21. Hastening the Coming – It is possible that the Christian church can actually hurry this Day of the Lord along through our evangelistic efforts by preaching the Gospel to all creatures, thus bringing about an early completion to the final number of Gentiles to be saved before the coming of the Lord (Rom. 11:25). The Day of God – Another way of saying The Day of the Lord. v. 13 According to His Promise – the promise of a new heaven and earth is found in both the Old and New Testaments. See Isa 65:17; 66:22; Rev 21:1. Righteousness – The state of him who is as he ought to be, the condition of being acceptable to God. v. 14 Looking Forward to These Things – The Day of the Lord should be a day all Christians look forward to with eager expectation and not fear. Diligent – To make every effort; to be hardworking. To be Found by Him in Peace – Descriptive of one who is in right standing with God and has peace with God. See Romans 5:1. The next phrase is a good description of what a person looks like who has peace with God through Jesus Christ. v. 15 Salvation – soteria (Gk.) deliverance, preservation, safety, deliverance from harm Paul…Has Written to You – Here Peter acknowledges the authenticity, authority, and inspiration of the Apostle Paul's writings. v. 16 All His Epistles – By this time Peter was aware of multiple letters written by the Apostle Paul. Paul's many letters to the churches were widespread and well known. The Apostle Paul wrote the majority of New Testament letters to the churches. Untaught – unlearned, ignorant Unstable – asteriktos (Gk.) vacillating, unsettled the Rest of the Scriptures – Peter is implying that the writings of the Apostle Paul are to be considered as on an equal plain as other scriptures that have been universally accepted as the Word or God. v. 17 Beware Lest You Also Fall – Peter gives warning here to every true Christian who reads this letter. Beware – It is possible for true Christians to be deceived and be led away into the error of the wicked. There are so many exhortations in scripture for believers to beware (Rom. 11:22; Col. 2:8; Heb. 2:1-3, 3:12-15, 6:1-6, 10:26). Peter is clearly warning the steadfast Christian to be careful and on guard not to fall away into the deception of the wicked. v. 18 Knowledge – gnosis (Gk.) The deeper more perfect and enlarged understanding of Christianity. To Him be the Glory – This is another undeniable reference to the deity of Christ. There is no one deserving eternal glory but God alone. Here we see that Jesus will rightfully receive glory (Is. 42:8, 48:11; Ex. 20:3-5, 34:14; John 5:23). Forever – aion (Gk.) An unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity. This never-ending state is applied in scripture to God (Rev 10:6) as well as the state of heaven (Rev 22:5) and hell (Rev 19:3; 20:10).
The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. –2 Peter 3:9 God, we remain sure of Your promises and look to heaven with certainty that You, Jesus, will return to this earth. We are small in our knowledge, Lord, and we do not know the time when these things will happen. But we pray for daily opportunities to share You with others who do not yet know You. We pray for those who have knowledge of You but yet guard their hearts and do not submit to You fully. We pray that those we love will not be caught up in judgment before they have decided to follow You.

History and Obama~Dry Bones

Here are your Dry Bones blog updates

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History and Obama

History and Obama

The President was asked:

"Recently, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. was arrested at his home in Cambridge. What does that incident say to you? And what does it say about race relations in America?"

His answer began with:

"I should say at the outset that Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here." the President then said: "I don't know all the facts".

His admission of both bias and lack of knowledge of the facts did not stop the President from pronouncing judgement by saying that:

"The Cambridge police acted stupidly"

* * * Exactly the way he does not allow his bias and lack of knowledge of the facts interfere with his pronouncing judgement on Israel.

How could I NOT have done today's cartoon?

-Dry Bones- Israel's Political Comic Strip Since 1973

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Christ, who is the image of God. ~Daily Light

July 27
MORNING

Christ, who is the image of God.

"The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."--No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. . . . And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.--"Whoever has seen me has seen the Father."--He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.--He was manifested in the flesh.

In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.--Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

2 Cor. 4:4; Isa. 40:5; John 1:18, 14; John 14:9; Heb. 1:3; 1 Tim. 3:16; Col. 1:14, 15; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49

EVENING

For you equipped me with strength for the battle.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

And Asa cried to the Lord his God, "O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you."--Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.--The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God.

Ps. 18:39; 2 Cor. 12:10; 2 Chron. 14:11; 2 Chron. 18:31; Ps. 118:8, 9; Ps. 33:16, 17; Eph. 6:12, 13

This brother of yours was dead but has come back to life he was lost but has been found~The Voice of the Lord

The Voice of the Lord

This brother of yours was dead but has come back to life he was lost but has been found (Luke 15:32).

AV 6 When the Perushim (Pharisees) and Scribes criticized Yeshua for spending time with "sinners and tax collectors," Yeshua told them a story about two types of teshuvah (repentance). A father had two sons. The younger one wandered off but finally returned to his father, who joyfully prepared a great feast for the whole household. The older son, who had remained with his father all along, petulantly refused to participate. He was in his father's house but would not join the celebration. The younger son experienced a "crisis of teshuvah"; he had to change direction completely in order to return to his father. The older son, on the other hand, required a "custom of teshuvah." Though he had remained with his father, he had turned away from him in heart. The older son resented his father's forgiveness of his brother and felt that his father owed him for all of his years of faithfulness. When Yeshua told this story, he did not reveal the ending. The older son represented his critics, and the choice that lay before them was theirs alone. Would they repent, embrace their Father's grace, and enter his joy, or resent what they heard in Yeshua's message and remain without these blessings. The same choice confronts us and all who dwell in our Father's house. We may not require a "crisis of teshuvah." We must still follow the "custom of teshuvah" and return in heart to Avinu (our Father) daily.

...return to the Lord in my heart and receive his grace and forgiveness.

You cannot fake fruit.~David McGee

Monday, July 27th 2009

1 John 2:15

"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."
NKJV

Life Lesson

You cannot fake fruit.

What a blessing it was to have Alex McFarland as our guest speaker this Sunday. I was freshly reminded of the tremendous potential impact of the full outpouring of God's love by God's people on this world.

These are days of self-deception and lies. These are times marked with focus on 'self'. Many are deceived and many Christians have clothed themselves with a candy coating of worldliness. The average American spends 142 minutes a day watching television. By age 65, you will have spent nearly 9 years of your life, watching television. Sticky sweet idolatry marked with slogans such as "A diamond is forever", "Because you're worth it" and "Have it your way", proclaimed hourly to wide-eyed zombies ready to toe the line of "in". It is no wonder so many have bought into the lie.

Have you bought in to today's "self-worth" mentality? A good way to tell is to examine the fruit in your life. Good fruit comes by love for God and love for others. Bad fruit is the product of concentrating on 'self'. Be discerning about the fruit in your life. There is great potential for every child of God to bear awesome fruit. What are your priorities? Whom do they point to? Do they point to you, or do they point to Jesus?

Dear Jesus,
Thank You for loving me. Thank You for dying for me so that I can be forgiven. Lord, help me not to live a life of deception, but rather strive to live and walk in the Holy Spirit always showing my 'fruit'. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee
Senior Pastor
Calvary Chapel of the Triad
reachthetriad.com
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Just Share It ~Greg Laurie

Just Share It

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
--Romans 10:14

There are critics of mass evangelism, or crusade evangelism, who say it is not effective. They say it is much better to share the gospel one-on-one, because trying to gather them in large stadiums is really not an effective way to reach people.

I would have to disagree. First of all, we find two forms of evangelism in the Book of Acts. We see what we might term as mass evangelism at work, and we also see examples of personal evangelism.

Second, we have found that 85 percent of the people who come forward at a Harvest Crusades event were brought by a friend. So essentially, one-on-one evangelism--that is, personal evangelism--was coupled with large-scale evangelism.

Therefore, a Harvest Crusades event can be a catalyst for a believer to utilize in his or her evangelistic efforts. After all, there are a lot of unbelievers who won't go to church when Christians invite them. Something about the idea of going to church intimidates them.

But when you invite them to a stadium, however, they are more likely to go with you. Of course, a Harvest Crusades event is church too. In fact, it's a larger church than they would go to with their Christian friends. But whatever the motive an unbeliever may have for coming to a Harvest Crusades event, they will hear the gospel.

God can use both large-scale evangelism and personal evangelism to get the gospel out. Both are important.

It's vital that we share our faith one-on-one with people. But it's also important that we throw out the seeds of the gospel to as many people as we can.