Category: gospel

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The Good News!

Share the good news

Hebrews 8 Won’t it be wonderful!

The author of Hebrews wants us to look ahead and understand what the New Covenant will be like. It will be wonderful because God will write His Law the heart, there will be no more sacrificial offerings for Jesus has done it once for all. “And I will write them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [Heb 8:10] Again He says: “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, And I will remember their sins no more.” [Heb 8:12] 

 Yes it will be wonderful and I can’t wait! How about you?

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Dressed for war

be strong and courageous


Eph 6 Paul lived in a time when the threats against Christians was widespread and very real. It was not just threats but actual physical altercations. Today, we have moved from the physical to the war of words. We no longer put on a sword to defend ourselves but now our enemy puts on the garment of hypocrisy and eloquent words. Satan is clever and he has shown us how he fights and it isn’t with a true soldier’s garment, but his soldiers come dressed in actual finery.  We must be discerning lest we too fall victim to his schemes for the result is the same,  defeat the believer through innuendos, threats, lies, deceit masked as what is acceptable and the phony “I believe in Jesus too,” sayings but the truth of the matter is this: he has blinded the minds so that they who do not believe the true Christ but believe in a false manifestation of Him which leads men to believe they must work their way to heaven.  [2 Cor 4:4] 

Today, believer, you must be dressed for war by putting on the armor of the scripture and strap your sword, which is the Word of God, upon your thigh. You must hide yourself in your prayer closet and pour out your groaning to He who will intercede for you. And when you emerge, you will have the promised Spirit with His wisdom and power for without prayer, you are only engaging the enemy with false ideas and ways.

War is real and we must prepare for it because our life depends on it. 

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Prayer

Let God handle this

Colossians 4 What hinders your prayer life? Paul was in chains in a Roman prison yet even in that, he sought prayer from the believers that the message may not be hindered but go forth. Not only that, but Paul sought prayer from others for the work that he foresaw needed to happen. How fervent was his passion for the message of Christ crucified, risen and coming again to the lost. How fervent is my prayer for the lost around me? How about you? Listen to his words left for us:

At the same time pray for us too, that God may open a door for the message so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ.

Is this our prayer? 

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Discipleship

Words have consequences

Colossians 1 The author Paul had never set foot in Colosse, yet Epaphros or Epaphroditus was from there.We glean from other letters that he had gone to Rome seeking out Paul and from there several things had transpired, one of which was a lasting friendship. Upon hearing of the Colossian church, and the problems there, Paul’s heart was torn. Like many of us, when we hear of tests and trials of others, we can say we are sorry but go on our way or we can get involved. Paul did the latter. We know from the letter to  Philemon that Paul was instrumental in the salvation of the slave, Onesimus and his return to his owner. We also learn that his owner used his home as a house church in Colosse. As so happens with us in our world, we too find ourselves immersed in the life of those we have not had the opportunity to engage face to face, yet our lives are forever changed because of this new introduction.

Paul immersed himself in these people so much so that he called them saints and faithful brethren. How do we speak of those with whom we have never met, but have in some way corresponded? In Paul’s case it began a love triangle between Paul, Epaphros and Philemon. Paul shares his heart with them and some wise counsel about their spiritual walk.  Wisdom from others can gently and boldly disciple even from afar. 

Who has God put in your path to disciple? 

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JOY!

Phil 1 The Judaizers in Philippi sought to undermine and close Paul’s ministry down, but God had more plans for this fledging ministry. If it wasn’t for Lydia washing the purple cloths at the riverside, and the jailer who asked Paul how to be saved, the church would not even begun! How often do the words of Joseph come ringing back: what you meant for evil, God meant for good. 

Thanks be to God for His provision of Paul’s message which pricked their hearts and a “baby” church was begun. But, it wasn’t long after that, that the jealous Jews began a campaign to shut Paul and his band of faithful disciples down. They had to leave Philippi, but the seed began to bear fruit and Paul is beyond joy as he hears about their ministry. Thus, he wrote them an encouraging letter and we have it so we can also rejoice in this church and their testimony to those who do not know Christ. It sets our hearts yearning to one day meet these two faithful believers who “hung in there” even with the hate filled jealousy of the Jews. 

Hate is a four letter word as is the word love. The Jews hated Paul but Paul and his ‘band of merry men’ loved on the Philippians and that is a model for us. 

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From the grave to heaven

1Thess 3 Be encouraged

The Left Behind series authored by Tim LaHaye offered truths about the end times and especially about our loved ones who have gone on to eternity.

Think now back to the first century when this teaching had been usurped by those who sought to teach that we could not be assured of our peace in regards to the afterlife. 

We have just celebrated our Lord’s death and resurrection which is always an encouragement to all who believe in the Lord. However,  in the first century there were many Judaizers or false teachers that roamed about presenting false teachings about the death of our blessed sisters and brothers. It seems that Paul encountered these people with their false teaching that caused many of the Thessalonians to be fearful that they had missed the second coming of the Lord. They thought that their loved ones had gone on ahead of them and they were left behind. 

Paul sent this letter to assure the believers that they too would meet Christ.

Some may meet him at the rapture, some will meet him in heaven upon their death. One certainty is this: when we die our bodies are placed in a grave waiting for the Lord to return and when he does our grave bodies will be reunited with our spiritual bodies. Then he will take each one to heaven with him. Encourage one another with these words. 

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Sharing the Gospel Message

The simple gospel message

1Thess 2 Paul and his team were persecuted in Philippi, but that did not stop them from sharing the gospel message. He may have been cast out of that city, but God saved some of those seekers who became the little church there. Paul had to leave and went to Thessalonica and it was there that the jealous Jews followed him there to keep the gospel hidden. Today, there are many who want the gospel hidden and men to remain unsaved. As it was then, so it is today. The reason is found in 2 Cor 4:4 “the god of this world has blinded men so that they might not see the glorious image of Jesus Christ.” 

Paul tells the Thessalonians that when he came there to share he presented the gospel message as a child might or as a nursing mother or as a doting father. Paul became all things to win some. How do you seek to share the gospel message when there are evil workers seeking to undermine the truth? 

Jesus said to go and make disciples and we are to be about that business today. Are we going? Are we making disciples? What is keeping us from fulfilling that command? 

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A Teacher’s Goal

Colossians 1 “We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.” [Col 1:9] Each week several of us meet to discuss the book we are studying. This should be our goal, and it falls upon me more than they. Jesus said if any of you would cause one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better to have a millstone hung around his neck and thrown into the sea. That has been before me all the years I have taught as a warning sign. My goal has been and will be as long as I teach; to present everyone who sits under me mature. As i look at the roster of those who have gone before me, I see them standing before Christ mature and whole. 

What is your goal as you speak and live before others? 

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Salvation by Grace or Rules?

Galatians 2 Where have you met others who insist that you must do this or that to be an acceptable Christian, like the lady in our former church that insisted that women must wear hats, gloves and dresses to be a “true Christian.,” She, like these who infiltrated the Jerusalem church are called legalizers by definition because of their insistence that salvation must be accompanied by an outward sign. 

It is into this that Paul mentions two other men, Barnabas and Titus, who are Gentiles by birth. Both have special places in the heart of Paul and are used by God to help him in various matters. They are trustworthy men and God has noted their faithfulness. They are accepted by the church without the rite of circumcision, because as Paul notes, that rite is of the Law and not by grace. It is a rite God set for the Jews but not for the Gentiles. The Galatian church needed this reassurance that they too would be acceptable without this rite. 

Where have you met others who insist that you must do this or that to be an acceptable Christian? Today do not allow others, the “busy-bodies,” to take your salvation gift away by some outward antiquated rules that God did not require.

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Whom do you fear?

fear is a snare

Galatians 1 Are you a people pleaser or a God pleaser? Do you fear the condemnation of men? Whose affirmation do you seek? A people pleaser seeks the affirmation from others rather than from God. That was the charge Paul is making to the Galatians, and in turn he is asking us that same question. Will you stand apart from the crowd or will you stand firm for the cause of Christ? How were you called to salvation but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ who offered himself as bounty for our sin, once for all. 

The Galatians were being charged by some who brought to them a gospel contrary to what Paul had taught them. He was incensed by this intrusion into their new found liberty in Christ. He blatantly said these should be condemned to hell, which are pretty strong words. Why would he be so strong in his condemnation? It is because the price for our salvation was great and should be prized above all else because it freed us from the bondage of sin. 

So the question is asked again: are you a people pleaser or a God pleaser? Pray and ask God to reveal to you about this matter.

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