Friday, January 7, 2011
Sermons and Bible Study
Many of my sermons can be viewed in text form at http://freesermons.wordpress.com/
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Support your local Children's Home
Serving New Bethel Baptist Church as pastor affords many wonderful new found friendships to my family and I. Our relationship with the Alabama Baptist Children's Home and Family Ministries (http://www.abchome.org/index.html) has been a blessing. Each year we have Bro. Steve Sellers preach for us and tell us what is happening with Abchome&fm.You can count on tears flowing. You can rejoice in the hope God provides to children through this wonderful ministry.
If you haven't had someone from your local Children's Home visit your church I encourage you to ask your pastor if it is ok with him if you do a little research and get the contact info. If you are in Alabama I am happy to help you with that info.
When Steve preaches at New Bethel we always take up a love offering for him to take back to the children's home. The service they provide to tomorrow's leaders is worth every penny you can give, each drop of sweat you can put into them and all the prayers you will offer up on their behalf.
If you haven't had someone from your local Children's Home visit your church I encourage you to ask your pastor if it is ok with him if you do a little research and get the contact info. If you are in Alabama I am happy to help you with that info.
When Steve preaches at New Bethel we always take up a love offering for him to take back to the children's home. The service they provide to tomorrow's leaders is worth every penny you can give, each drop of sweat you can put into them and all the prayers you will offer up on their behalf.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
No Fire in the Pulpit Means Ice in the Pew
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
In 2010 we are sure to see more of the same from pulpits across America. Many today fear offending congregants. Following such fear is the preaching of watered down versions of sermons. The Bible is plain, true and powerful. If we are to see transformed lives we are going to have to preach the transforming truth without compromise.
Things called sin in scripture should be called sin by the pastors around the world. Subjects covered in scripture should not be detoured by pastors. Our churches are supposed to be places offering hope to the hopeless and help to those in need. The Gospel is Hope. The Gospel is Help. But when it is not presented in truth it lacks power. The True Gospel message is the power of God unto salvation.
If we are to see transformed lives in 2010 we will have to see transformed pulpits. All who are called by God to preach the Gospel should not be ashamed to do so. Opinions are not the Gospel. Politics are not the Gospel. Preach the Bible with love. The Holy Spirit will lead the preacher, convict the sinner and save lost.
My appeal to all the preachers; let us not forget to enter the pulpit having already repented of our own sins.
May God bless you in 2010. My prayer is for real revival to begin in all Bible believing churches this year.
(Title taken from a statement made by a member of First Baptist Church Dallas Texas during W.A. Criswells pastorate)
http://www.wacriswell.org/Search/videotrans.cfm/sermon/180.cfm
In 2010 we are sure to see more of the same from pulpits across America. Many today fear offending congregants. Following such fear is the preaching of watered down versions of sermons. The Bible is plain, true and powerful. If we are to see transformed lives we are going to have to preach the transforming truth without compromise.
Things called sin in scripture should be called sin by the pastors around the world. Subjects covered in scripture should not be detoured by pastors. Our churches are supposed to be places offering hope to the hopeless and help to those in need. The Gospel is Hope. The Gospel is Help. But when it is not presented in truth it lacks power. The True Gospel message is the power of God unto salvation.
If we are to see transformed lives in 2010 we will have to see transformed pulpits. All who are called by God to preach the Gospel should not be ashamed to do so. Opinions are not the Gospel. Politics are not the Gospel. Preach the Bible with love. The Holy Spirit will lead the preacher, convict the sinner and save lost.
My appeal to all the preachers; let us not forget to enter the pulpit having already repented of our own sins.
May God bless you in 2010. My prayer is for real revival to begin in all Bible believing churches this year.
(Title taken from a statement made by a member of First Baptist Church Dallas Texas during W.A. Criswells pastorate)
http://www.wacriswell.org/Search/videotrans.cfm/sermon/180.cfm
Friday, November 6, 2009
ATM Christianity (not what you think)
When you open a checking account you put money in. It is your money. Your ATM card comes in the mail. On it is a number to call and activate your card. Once your card is activated you can begin using it to make purchases through your account. When you were saved you were given a Heavenly Account. It is your duty now to follow through.
First you must look at your statement to find what you have in your free account. The Bible is your statement. All sins are wiped off the ledger and you have been given everything that belongs to Christ. If you have not read the statement (Scriptures) you have been missing out on the Heavenly Account awarded you at Faith in Christ!
Your account must be activated. You have a Father with your best interest in mind. He activated it for you. This took place on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost was given to all who believe. You received this personal account administrator on the day you believed. Your account has been activated. You now have access to all the Father has gifted to you. But maybe you didn’t know this. Probably because you haven’t been reading your statement (Bible)!
Now you have the account. You are aware of its activation. What are you waiting on? Now is the time to spend some Heavenly money. It is yours, but it is for a specific purpose. As believers we belong to a faraway place called Heaven. Our account is for the purposes of Heaven. We are given all we have for the work and enjoyment of the place where we will spend eternity. We are not given our resources for poor stewardship in earthly purposes.
Believers are of a far country. The place is Heaven. Our home is eternal. We are to be workers for the Kingdom of God. All we have is for that purpose. Our Father leaves us without need when it comes to our service to and fellowship with Him. Until we open His record of our account we don’t know what we have to accomplish what He has planned for us to do. If we were account managers in any worldly firm and had this record we would be fired immediately!! Thank God we serve a forgiving and merciful God!
First you must look at your statement to find what you have in your free account. The Bible is your statement. All sins are wiped off the ledger and you have been given everything that belongs to Christ. If you have not read the statement (Scriptures) you have been missing out on the Heavenly Account awarded you at Faith in Christ!
Your account must be activated. You have a Father with your best interest in mind. He activated it for you. This took place on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost was given to all who believe. You received this personal account administrator on the day you believed. Your account has been activated. You now have access to all the Father has gifted to you. But maybe you didn’t know this. Probably because you haven’t been reading your statement (Bible)!
Now you have the account. You are aware of its activation. What are you waiting on? Now is the time to spend some Heavenly money. It is yours, but it is for a specific purpose. As believers we belong to a faraway place called Heaven. Our account is for the purposes of Heaven. We are given all we have for the work and enjoyment of the place where we will spend eternity. We are not given our resources for poor stewardship in earthly purposes.
Believers are of a far country. The place is Heaven. Our home is eternal. We are to be workers for the Kingdom of God. All we have is for that purpose. Our Father leaves us without need when it comes to our service to and fellowship with Him. Until we open His record of our account we don’t know what we have to accomplish what He has planned for us to do. If we were account managers in any worldly firm and had this record we would be fired immediately!! Thank God we serve a forgiving and merciful God!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Asking for Revival (the Great Commission)
In the Old Testament book of Ezra the Temple was under construction after the People of God experienced a long exile under Babylonian captivivity. When the foundation of the Temple was laid (chapter 3) the older men wept and the younger shouted. The young men were viewing something they had only heard about. The elders were carried away by the memories of the Temple destroyed by the Babylonians. Weeping was certainly called for in remberance of the fellowship with God that was broken by sin and rejection of God's warning and call to repentance.
We as believers can look to a time that should cause us to weep. The time I will call your attention to is a time none of us have physically witnessed. We only have a record of the time when all believers were assembled together waiting. They waited for a person. The person they waited for was Jesus Christ in the person of the Holy Ghost. Coupled with the promise of the Holy Spirit they waited with a Great Commission in mind. After the person, Holy Spirit, was sent from on high and recieved by the Church a passion for fulfilling the Great Commisson propelled believers into life long ministry.
As we weep over a time past may we make it the time when the Church was given the Great Commission and made that commission the purpose of life. Sharing the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth was imperative to the early church and should still be for us today. The uttermost carries deeper meaning than most understand. Yes we should share the Gospel to the ends of the physical earth, but there is much more. Uttermost means not only the end of the physical but also the end of the time. We are in the time of the Church. Until we rest in Heaven in the presence of our Savior we are under the call of the Great Commission. May God Revive=change, awaken us to the original work of the Church.
One Commission, the Great Commission.
We as believers can look to a time that should cause us to weep. The time I will call your attention to is a time none of us have physically witnessed. We only have a record of the time when all believers were assembled together waiting. They waited for a person. The person they waited for was Jesus Christ in the person of the Holy Ghost. Coupled with the promise of the Holy Spirit they waited with a Great Commission in mind. After the person, Holy Spirit, was sent from on high and recieved by the Church a passion for fulfilling the Great Commisson propelled believers into life long ministry.
As we weep over a time past may we make it the time when the Church was given the Great Commission and made that commission the purpose of life. Sharing the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth was imperative to the early church and should still be for us today. The uttermost carries deeper meaning than most understand. Yes we should share the Gospel to the ends of the physical earth, but there is much more. Uttermost means not only the end of the physical but also the end of the time. We are in the time of the Church. Until we rest in Heaven in the presence of our Savior we are under the call of the Great Commission. May God Revive=change, awaken us to the original work of the Church.
One Commission, the Great Commission.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Praying for the work in 2010
Please be in prayer for all churches participating in the GPS initiativehttp://www.greatcommissiongps.com/templates/System/default.asp?id=48151 .
I desire your prayers in all areas of ministry.
1, Preparing for Discipleship Study (Soul Shaping) @ Cherokee Baptist Association Feb. 9 2010 @ 6:30 pm.
Monday, August 3, 2009
We serve a Jealous God
A lukewarm ministry is a withering blight. It is an iceberg in the Church. It
freezes and deadens. But can lips be cold which speak of heaven—of hell—of
never-dying souls—of God's everlasting love in Christ!
Henry Law, Beacons of the Bible, 1869.
Henry Law wrote the words above in 1869. They still hold true in 2009. God will spew out of His mouth the lukewarm church. That is from His word which is forever settled. It never changes. Why is it so important for believers to be serving with a sense of urgency accompanied by unmatched diligence? Because the God we serve is a jealous God?
God tells us through His giving of the Ten Commandments He is a jealous God. We should have no other god before Him. We are warned in the New Testament we cannot serve two masters. We will love one and hate the other. Everything we do must be for and toward one master. The right master is the Heavenly Father who is a jealous God.
We are not without instruction as to how to live a life of diligent service to our Lord. Countless examples are also given to us showing what happened to those who did not serve God (a jealous God) with their whole heart. Israel as God's chosen people often sought pleasure and went after false gods. Nineveh, a Gentile people, repented after Jonah preached only to later return to former sins. Both groups were not given a free pass. We read in Nahum chapter one what happened to the Gentile people. God told them He is a jealous God. Why jealous over a Gentile people? Because they were called to God. Through repentance they belong to God.
All who come to God by faith in Jesus Christ are made His. He is jealous when it comes to His own. Just how deep is His jealousy? So deep He has fixed a gulf between the prepared place of His people so no one can cross. Only Christ can take Gods people across. So deep He uses His word to rebuke and chastise His own children when we step outside His will. So deep He will one day destroy all who do not trust Jesus Christ as savior.
Our God will not share His Glory with another, He will not accept partial worship, He casts out all who do not accept His Son and He will one day right every wrong done toward Himself and His people. Why? Because He is jealous.
freezes and deadens. But can lips be cold which speak of heaven—of hell—of
never-dying souls—of God's everlasting love in Christ!
Henry Law, Beacons of the Bible, 1869.
Henry Law wrote the words above in 1869. They still hold true in 2009. God will spew out of His mouth the lukewarm church. That is from His word which is forever settled. It never changes. Why is it so important for believers to be serving with a sense of urgency accompanied by unmatched diligence? Because the God we serve is a jealous God?
God tells us through His giving of the Ten Commandments He is a jealous God. We should have no other god before Him. We are warned in the New Testament we cannot serve two masters. We will love one and hate the other. Everything we do must be for and toward one master. The right master is the Heavenly Father who is a jealous God.
We are not without instruction as to how to live a life of diligent service to our Lord. Countless examples are also given to us showing what happened to those who did not serve God (a jealous God) with their whole heart. Israel as God's chosen people often sought pleasure and went after false gods. Nineveh, a Gentile people, repented after Jonah preached only to later return to former sins. Both groups were not given a free pass. We read in Nahum chapter one what happened to the Gentile people. God told them He is a jealous God. Why jealous over a Gentile people? Because they were called to God. Through repentance they belong to God.
All who come to God by faith in Jesus Christ are made His. He is jealous when it comes to His own. Just how deep is His jealousy? So deep He has fixed a gulf between the prepared place of His people so no one can cross. Only Christ can take Gods people across. So deep He uses His word to rebuke and chastise His own children when we step outside His will. So deep He will one day destroy all who do not trust Jesus Christ as savior.
Our God will not share His Glory with another, He will not accept partial worship, He casts out all who do not accept His Son and He will one day right every wrong done toward Himself and His people. Why? Because He is jealous.
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