TO WHOM DO YOUR WORKS SAY YOU BELONG TO? (John 8:41-53)

A wise man once said that “Actions speak louder than words.” Do you know who that person was? According to that paragon of truth, Google, the first person in the US to say it was Abraham Lincoln in 1856. He said, “Actions speak louder than words is the maxim; and, if true, the South now distinctly says to the North, Give us the measures, you take the men.” Now, I have no clue about the context of President Lincoln saying that, but the phrase "Actions speak louder than words" essentially means that what we do means much more than the words we say.

If you combine this phrase, Actions speak louder than words, with the question of the title of the lesson, To whom do your works say you belong to, you begin to get an understanding of the Biblical truth that our message is about today. You can say that Christ is your Lord and Master, but do your works say that this is true?

Jesus said “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Therefore, you may tell the world that you are a Christian, but when they look at your works, the things that you do each day, do they speak loudly that you are indeed the servant of Christ, or of sin? What would God say if He looked at your works, are they His, or Satan’s? There is no in between.

The lesson for us today is that you can give the best sermon that was ever preached, you can teach the best Bible study lesson that was ever taught, you can quote hundreds of verses from the Bible, or you can give the sweetest testimony about what Christ has done for you, but if your life is full of sin, then you are nothing but a hypocrite serving Satan as you master. Again, To whom do your works say that you belong to?

Clink on the link below to hear a message on how God, and the world, look that the works that you do.

Amen.

ARE YOU THIRSTY? PART 1 (John 37-39)

Let me start by asking a question, how important is religion in your life? You see, I would say that religion is really only a small part of my life. I come to church on Sunday and participate in the form and the structure of a typical Protestant church. Certainly, there are differences in the religious rituals that are performed between the different Christian religions, but there are some basic similarities as well. Now, I am no expert on all Christian religions, but there is generally a sanctuary where everyone meets, there will be some music, some Bible verses read, and some preaching of one kind or another. The music may be contemporary, or it may be traditional hymns. It could be lively, with a bunch of dancing and shouting, or it could be almost silent whispers. The preaching may be fire and brimstone, or much more formal. It could be topical in nature, or it could be expository in nature. It could be entertaining, or it could be a real snoozer. Hopefully, it is someplace in the middle, but I have to admit that I have slept through a good share of the services I have been in. While there are differences, the basic building blocks of a worship service are all there in one form or another.

So, let me ask that question again, but just a little differently, how important is the style of the religion to you? How important are the traditions that created that style to you? How important are the rituals that are performed in that service to you?

Now, most people don't need more religion. We've got enough religion. What we need is a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the Son of God. What we need is true salvation with joy. We need to draw water from the wells of salvation.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how we should stop enduring religion. You need to ask yourself, why do you come to church on Sunday? Do you come to be blessed, or do you come to bless others? The importance of that answer is critical to your attitude as you walk into the doors of your church. Are you coming as a taker, or as a giver? Are you coming to check the box of obedience, or are you coming as a servant?

Are you thirsty?

Amen.

WHY DID JESUS CHOOSE JUDAS (John 6:70-71)

When you think about it, it may be hard to understand why Jesus would choose Judas to be in the select group of men that were to represent Him to the world. Was Jesus fooled by Judas? Was Jesus surprised by His betrayal by Judas? Does this mean that Jesus was a bad judge of character? Did Jesus make a mistake? Absolutely not, Jesus never made a single mistake in His whole life. The Bible says he doeth all things well. He knew exactly what he was doing when he chose Judas.

So, the question is why did Jesus choose Judas? Why would Jesus choose to have a man like this knowing that He would be betrayed? Well, let me ask you why Jesus did anything during His earthly ministry? So that the will of His Father might be fully accomplished, and so that we might know that Jesus was the Son of God. We also know that everything Jesus did was to be a lesson for us as believers in how we are to live the life of a victorious Christian.

Click on the link below to hear a message concerning religious hypocrisy, a message concerning the divine sovereignty of God, a message concerning our personal responsibility and the tragedy of sin, and a message concerning the security of the believer. Those are the four reasons to explain why Jesus chose Judas, and those are the four lessons that Jesus would have us learn from that choice.

Amen.

THERE IS WONDER WORKING POWER IN THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE LAMB (John 6:63)

I know a lot of Christian people who are living painful lives because they have let toxins build up in their lives. They have let the sins of worry, envy, jealousy, fear, pride, bitterness, and doubt, build up in their lives. They build up more and more of these toxins in their lives. If you don't allow the blood of Christ to be constantly cleansing you, then you are going to be living a life of pain. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Now, you may be saved and on your way to heaven, but you're miserable, you're miserable because you are not letting the blood of Jesus Christ cleanse you, and so you're just miserable. You see, not only is there the constant provision of the blood, there is the cleansing property of the blood. It is the body’s blood that cleanses us in the physical world, and it is the blood of Christ that cleanses us in the spiritual world.

This is the reason that many Christians are failing. They are not living in victory because while they understand the saving blood, they have never understood that everything that I need to live the Christian life is in Jesus.

Click on the link below and you will hear a message on how the wonder-working power of the precious blood of the Lamb can give you victory as you walk with Christ. Listen as God tells us in His Word that Anything Jesus has overcome, we can overcome, and Everything that I need to live the Christian life is in Jesus, and Jesus is already in me.

There is power, wonder-working power, in the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

THERE IS LIFE IN THE BLOOD (John 6:52-53)

Are you in the secret service? I know a lot of Christians who are in the secret service. Now, they may be saved, but you would never know it by looking at them and the way they talk, the way they walk, the way they act, and the way they live. They do not have that power that God wants them to have. The life of Jesus Christ is not evidenced in them, and the difference is that they have never discovered the power of the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ gave Himself for us in order that He might give Himself to us. He wants to share the power and life that is in His blood with us.

This is why we are failing to walk victoriously in Christ. We can be going to heaven, and we can thank God for the shed blood, which is saving blood, but there is more to it. He gave Himself for us, that He might give Himself to us, that we may eat of His flesh, and drink of His blood. Jesus is saying that we are to do this so His life might be in you.

Click on the link below to hear a message on what it means to find life in the blood of Jesus. Just as in my human body everything that my body needs to exist is delivered to me by my blood, so everything I need to live the victorious Christian life is in Jesus. There is life, and there is power, in the blood. The life of Christ is in that blood, life everlasting, and there is power in that blood for you and me to walk victoriously in our work for the Lord.

Amen.

JESUS IS GOD’S ANSWER TO MAN’S DESPAIR (John 6:15-21)

Each of us face times of great trouble and despair. Maybe you're not there right now. Maybe everything is fine for you. Maybe it is smooth sailing for you right now. If so, just wait, just wait, sooner or later you're going to find the wind is going to begin to blow and things are going to seem to reverse on you. If you're having smooth sailing now, I'm grateful. I want you to enjoy it. But, the day will come when you face a time of despair.

The Bible says that you will have trouble in this life. You will have tears and heartaches. But, if the Lord Jesus Christ is your Savior, then I'm going to promise you something on the authority of the word of God. You are predestined to be like Jesus. Paul tells us in the book of Romans "all things will work together for good to those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." One of these days your destiny will be fulfilled. For the Bible says in Philippians one six, "he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it." If you're in trouble right now, God’s eyes are on you. He's praying for you. He will come to you and I can promise you this, He is going to see you through. God does not promise you a life of smooth sailing, but He does promise you a safe landing. God said in His Word, "I will never leave thee or forsake thee." He will see you through to a safe landing.

Click on the link below to hear a message about six anchors for your soul that will help you to ride out the storm. When the storm comes, these are six things for you to learn so you can say with real meaning that Jesus is God's answer to man's despair.

Amen.

TRUST IN JESUS (John 6:25-36)

Have you been looking for true happiness, true joy, true peace, and just not been able to find it? It is because you are looking for the wrong things in the wrong places. If you want true happiness, and joy, and peace, then trust in Jesus Christ.

Happiness, joy, blessedness, and satisfaction, are never things that you find by searching for them. They are the things that you stumble over when you serve the Lord Jesus Christ. You are to seek Him preeminently. It is Jesus that you need, and it is in Jesus that you will find all that you have been searching for.

The people of this world want fame. They want fortune. They want friends. They want fashion, and they want fitness. Jesus tells us that they are seeking after the wrong things. Yet, these are the things that most people want. They are what they seek most of all in their lives. Jesus tells us that they are looking for satisfaction in the wrong places. Listen now, none of these are wrong in themselves. Fame and food and fashion and fitness and friends, they're all fine in their place, as long as that place is second place.

Matt 6:33
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
KJV

Jesus tells us to seek God first, seek God preeminently, and all the things that God has planned for you shall be added unto you.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to find the satisfaction, the happiness and joy, that you have been searching for. Most people today are working hard at changing their lives, trying to make them better using the things of the secular world, but all they are doing is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. All they are interested in is making the world a better place to go to hell from. What our Lord Jesus Christ is offering, is everlasting life. He is talking about getting a person saved. Jesus is spiritual bread that gives everlasting life.

It is in Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, that you will find what you are looking for.

Amen.

JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE (John 6:8-36)

Are you willing for God to use you? If you are, then ask yourself, have you given everything to Jesus Christ? Some might say, “Whoa, wait a minute, That's absurd! I need some for myself. I have a family to take care of.” Well, if that is your response, then I have to tell you that you have got a real problem. If you want God to use you, then you need to give everything, I mean everything, I mean totally, one hundred percent of all that you have, all that you are, your family, your friends, your reputation, totally to Jesus Christ.

Matt 16:25-26
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
KJV

One of my favorite quotes from Adrian Rogers is, “If Jesus Christ is not Lord of your all, then He is not your Lord at all.” Do you believe that? Really, truly, believe that? Do you live your life with that as a truth in your life? Let me tell you something, Jesus already owns everything you have, whether you believe that or not. It is all His, but we don’t act like that is true. Yet, when we live our lives like it is true, then you don’t bargain with God about how much you tithe, when you tithe, or whether you tithe at all. When that is true, you don’t go places and do things that God would not have you do. When that is true, you love your neighbor as you love yourself, because, the very first thing that you did was to love God with all of your heart, mind, and soul. You love God with all of you and all that you have. If Jesus Christ is not Lord of your all, then He is not your Lord at all. Put that in your heart, and live your life with it.

Click on the link below to hear a message how Jesus is the bread of life. You are hungry for more than fish and bread. You are hungry for Jesus. Whether you know it or not, Jesus is life's hidden hunger. What you really need, the only thing that will satisfy the deepest longing of your heart and your soul, is Jesus Christ. Men are searching everywhere for satisfaction, but they will never find it until they find it in the Lord Jesus!

Amen.

JESUS FEEDS YOUR DEEPEST HUNGER (John 6:1-14)

Our message today is about the miracle where Jesus fed the 5,000 using just five loaves of bread and two little fishes. We will see that Jesus performed a miracle, and it was a miracle of feeding physical bodies. However, if all you learn from this message is that Jesus can miraculously feed 5,000 people with five loaves and a few fishes, then you have missed the whole point of the message God has for us today. What I want you to do as we talk about this miracle is to look beyond the miracle and on to Jesus. Jesus did not come to this earth as God incarnate in man in order to feed you physically. Jesus did not come to heal you physically. Jesus did not come to solve all of your physical, material, problems. He is a Savior. He came to save you from sin, and you need to look beyond these miracles and on to Jesus. We need to believe in miracles, but trust in Jesus.

Down in your heart, down in the deepest part of your being, there is a hunger that only God can satisfy. Pascal once said, "In every man's heart there is a God-shaped vacuum that God alone can fill through His Son Jesus Christ." And that is the hunger that I want to talk to you about today, not the physical hunger that we have.

Click on the link below and learn how there is never a problem too big for Jesus to solve. In every problem you face, God already knows about the problem and He has a plan to solve it. So many times, we have a problem in our lives that we're trying to solve. We are using all of our strength, at least so we think, but there is a heavenly Father who is ready to help us with His strength in order to solve our problem. The moral of the story is, there is never a problem too big for Jesus to solve, you just need to ask Him.

Amen.

JESUS IS GOD’S ANSWER TO MAN’S DISABILITY (John 6:6-16)

Many of us do not even realize that we are spiritually disabled. We live a good life, a moral life, so we do not recognize that our weakness is that we don't have the strength to be godly. Not good, not moral, but godly. We are without strength, and so Christ died for the ungodly. You see, I have a need to be godly in my life. What is God's plan for me? What is God's plan for you? God's plan for all of us is that we be godly. Yet, we don't have the strength to be godly. Without the power of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, we cannot be godly on our own. What does it mean to be godly? To live our lives as God would have us do, to do the things that God wants us to do, and to accomplish God’s work, and purposes, in this world. We cannot be godly without God in our heart.

So, if you are to have spiritual strength, then you must validate your weakness by acknowledging the primary source of your weakness is sin, you must recognize the paralyzing force of your weakness, and you must stop the persistent course of your weakness.

The second thing that you must do to gain spiritual strength is you must activate your will. You have to choose to accept the Lord Jesus as your Lord and Master. You have to choose to accept salvation by grace.

And then the third thing is that you must initiate your walk. You need to hear the Word of God, and then obey the Word of God. Salvation comes first, salvation by the grace of God, but then you must Rise, take up your bed and walk.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can have the inner spiritual strength to be godly. Jesus is God’s answer to your spiritual disability.

Amen.

HAVING SPIRITUAL STRENGTH (John 5:1-6)

Our physical bodies are ultimately going to fail. You could be the strongest person in the world, but if Jesus doesn't come beforehand, you are going to die as well, no matter how much strength you have.

Isa 40:30
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
KJV

Since we know our bodies are going to fail, our great problem is not what is going to happen to our bodies. It is, do we have that inner strength that God wants us to have in order that we might live our lives for Christ? Why would we need spiritual strength? Because, by our nature, we are spiritually paralyzed and without strength. Yet, in Christ, we have power for living. Why do we need power for living? Because God has a greater plan for us.

The Bible describes every person who is without Christ as being without strength. The primary source of that weakness is sin. When we are without strength, we are unable to be godly. We do not have the strength to be godly. We all have a need to be godly in our lives. Yet, we don't have the strength to be godly. I don't care how hard you try to be godly, you don't have what it takes to be godly. Yet, there is an answer for your weakness, and His name is Jesus Christ.

Rom 5:6
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
KJV

If you wish to have spiritual strength, the strength to be godly, the strength to be holy, then Christ died and rose again for you. The longer a person is physically paralyzed, the weaker their body gets. It is the same for a person without Christ. The longer they live without Christ, the worse their spiritual condition gets. That is the reason that no man should put off giving his or her heart to Jesus Christ. If you need to be saved, then you ought to be saved today because tomorrow you will only have more sin to repent of and less time to repent in.

Click on the link below to learn how to have spiritual strength in this life, and life everlasting.

Amen.

A STRONG, SAVING, FAITH (John 4:48-54)

Why do we Follow Christ? Think about your answer to that question, why do you follow Christ?

Do we follow Christ because of promised healing? No, that is not the reason we follow Christ, because Christians get sick and die just like everyone else.

Do we follow Christ because of protection from disaster or accidents? I see no evidence that Christians escape disaster and accidents more often than others. A bullet makes no detour around the body of a believer.

Do we follow Christ for promised prosperity? Again, I see no evidence that Christians are particularly favored with wealth and success in the world.

Do we follow Christ because of a promise of stronger personalities or fewer neuroses than non-believers? I have watched Christians suffer emotional and mental disabilities, just like non-believers.

So, why do we follow Christ? Why become a disciple of Jesus when life may become more complicated as He so often warned us it would?

For one reason alone. In Jesus we behold the face of God. He is the truth, the everlasting truth. I trust in Him and His promises. He is the one certain thing in an uncertain world. He is to be worshiped, not so something will happen to me or to the world, something already has happened to me and the world, but because He is God, who through Christ has reconciled the world to Himself. He saves me. He is my justification. He is the center that holds. We offer our lives to Him because He alone has claim upon us."

Don’t base your faith in Jesus Christ based on signs and wonders. Jesus is the Savior. He suffered, lived, bled, and died for you, rose from the dead, and if you'll trust Him, I promise you, according to His Word, He will save you and He will keep you, and one day we'll be gathered around the throne to give Him praise forever and ever and ever. Believe in miracles, but trust in Jesus, and you go from a superficial faith, to a strong faith, to a saving faith. That's what matters.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to progress from a superficial faith based on signs and wonders, to a strong, saving, faith in Jesus Christ.

Amen.

STRONG FAITH (John 4:43-48)

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Every true believer in Jesus Christ must have faith in God. That is a basic requirement of being born again. If you do not have faith in God, then you cannot be born again. How many of you would like to have strong faith, not just faith enough to be saved, but strong faith in God?

In our economy, the dollar is the medium of exchange. If you want to receive something at a store, well, that store owner is likely to say something like, “According to your dollars, be it unto you.” Can’t you imagine a store owner talking like that? What he is saying to you is, according to the number of dollars you have, then that is how much I will give to you.

Well, in the kingdom of heaven, dollars are not is the medium of exchange. Faith is. The store owner in heaven, God, says in His Word, According to your faith, be it unto you.

Matt 9:29
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
KJV

This just means that whatever we receive from God is according to our faith. God gives to us according to our faith. Not according to the amount of money we give. Not according to who our friends are. Not according to our family. Not according to our feelings. Not according to our fate, F-A-T-E, and I hope you're not watching the horoscope, but according to our faith. Jesus said to the blind person, according to your faith, be it unto you. Now, not only do we need to possess faith. What we really need is for faith to possess us. We need a mighty faith. Why? Because we have a Mighty God.

The greater your faith, the greater the glory that God gets, and the more pleased He is with it. It is by faith that man gives God pleasure, and it is according to our faith that God gives man treasure, real treasure. Not the kind you put in your bank account, but the real treasure of God.

What is the real treasure of God? Well, what does God value the most of all things? His Son. The real treasure of God is His son. It is according to our faith that God gives us His Son and everlasting life.

John 5:24
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
KJV

That is what real treasure is.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to have strong faith in God. If you will apply the things that God tells us in His Word to your daily walk with Him, then God will bless you a strong faith.

Amen.

EVANGELISM FOLLOWS WORSHIP (John 4:25-32)

It is not enough to worship God. It is not enough to worship God. Now, you must worship God, and you should worship God, but any real worship will show itself in evangelism and service.

Matt 4:10
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
KJV

Jesus links worship and service together, and any so-called worship that is not the blood-brother of evangelism is false worship. Real worship always results in evangelism. If your worship of God is not the blood-brother of evangelism, then there is something wrong with it. What better worship service can we have than one where people are getting saved?

When you truly worship in power and spirit, then you are going to witness to everyone around you, and your witness will be filled with a new power. When you worship in truth and spirit, your witness and your service will be different from anything you have done in the past.

Click on the link below to learn that there is a mandate to our worship of God. Jesus tells us “thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve.” It is the worship of God alone that will satisfy the longing of your heart, and it is the worship of God alone that will satisfy the longing of the Father's heart. God thirsts for your worship just as you thirst to worship him. The mandate that God gives us for our worship is to then share the gospel message of Jesus Christ to others who are seeking to fill that thirst for God. Evangelism always follows true worship.

Amen.

HOW TO WORSHIP GOD (John 4:7-24)

Do you know what the word worship means? Well, you can almost hear it as you pronounce the word worship. Say it out loud, only this time say worth ship. Say it a little faster worth ship. Now, say it even faster worth ship. What does the word worship mean? It means that when we worship God, we are giving to Him, and attributing to Him, and assigning to Him, our estimation of His worth. When we worship God, we are showing Him how much He is worth. Not just to you and me, but His total worth.

You see, God is God and God deserves that we worship Him because there is no other God. It is God who made us. It is God who created us. It is God who sustains us, and it is God who is all glory. He deserves our worship because there is no other like Him. We have to learn that God is not going to bless anybody who doesn't worship Him. You have got to learn how to worship, if you want the power of the Holy Spirit in your life.

When we begin to worship, then God begins to work, and there is nothing that will wipe the devil out like worship and praising the Lord. If it seems like God is not real to you, if it seems like when you pray your prayers are dry and ineffective, try worshiping God full of praise, and you'll have the power of the Holy Spirit in each of your prayers. Worship the Lord, praise the Lord, give him the glory due to his name, because God demands our worship.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how to worship God. It must not be wrapped up in a building or shrine. It must not be formalized to the point of being frozen. A frozen church service is a dead church, and the Holy Spirit will not work in a dead church. There must be joy in our worship, and our worship should be full of praise to the one and only Almighty God. It must also not be fantasized. True worship is when we worship the God of the Bible, not some God that you have created to meet your social ethics. If you are not worshiping the God of the Bible, then you are not worshiping in truth and in spirit. Learn to truly worship God and the watch the power of the Holy Spirit come alive in your life.

Amen.

GOD WANTS YOUR WORSHIP (John 4:1-23)

Have you ever been out working under that hot July sun and you are sweating, and getting really thirsty? So, you go inside for a moment and pull a soft drink out of the refrigerator. Boy, it is ice cold and you drink one and it tastes so good and it just seems to hit the spot and you go back out to working in the yard and before long in that 100 degree heat you're thirsty again. So, you go back in for another soft drink and you drink that one, and it seems so good and it seems to satisfy, but before long you're thirsty again. But this time, instead of a soft drink, you tell yourself, I know what I need, and you go back and you get you a big tall glass of ice water, pure, ice cold water, and you drink it and you tell yourself, now that really does satisfy my thirst.

Ok, so why is that? Well, if you look at that bottle of soft drink, you'll see that it says it is artificially colored, artificially flavored, and most of all artificially sweetened. That tells me that there's just something there that doesn't have that touch of authenticity and reality. Instead of fake news, it is a fake cola, right?

Now, there are a lot of us who are trying to satisfy and to quench our thirst with things that are artificially colored, things that are artificially sweetened, and artificially flavored, and what we need is the water of life. What will truly satisfy us is to learn how to worship God in spirit and in truth.

Clink on the link below to hear a message explaining how God created you to worship Him. And until you learn how to worship him, truly reverence him, truly praise him, truly love him, truly adore him, truly have communion with him, there will always be in your heart and in your spirit a God shaped vacuum. You can be a Christian, and not know how to worship God, and as a result there will be this God shaped vacuum in your heart. Learn from the Word of God about how to worship Him.

Amen.

WHO ARE YOU, JOHN? (John 1:18-23)

Have you ever had people trying to figure out who you are?

When you fly back into the U.S. after traveling abroad, and you are arriving from a city like Amsterdam where drugs are legal, and you step up to that customs agent with your passport, he knows which flights have just landed, he looks at the stamps on your passport, so he knows where you have been and he is already on point. The questioning about who you are, where did you come from, why were you in Amsterdam, did you buy any drugs while you were there, can get pretty intense. Especially, if you are abrupt in your answers, look tense, sweaty, or seem evasive as you reply. If you are not careful, they have this room off the side that you really don’t want to go to.

Who we are is defined by different things. A police officer is identified by the authority he has as a law enforcement officer, the uniform he wears, and the badge that he carries. A preacher is identified by the One he preaches the gospel for, and by the authority he has been given to be the under-shepherd of the local church. A college student is identified by the school he goes to. Is he a wildcat, a Jayhawk, or a Shocker, and the major that he is studying.

Many of us are identified by our job or our profession. A baker, a butcher, an accountant, a lawyer, or a doctor. These are well defined professions and people have an image in their minds as to what type of person has each role. When you think of an accountant you think of green eyeshades, ledger books, and a 10 key calculator with a tape. A butcher is a big guy, with a white apron with red stuff all over it. Right?

As you get older, you realize that none of that really matters, because it doesn’t last very long, and it can all be taken from you, all of those material things you have worked for and earned, your shop, your business, your job, can all disappear in less than a heartbeat. As you get older, after having that happen to you a couple of times, you realize that is not who you are at all, and you choose to be identified as something more important, more eternal, you, and what you do for God.

You learn that there needs to be a balance between, what you do for God, what you do for work, what you do for your family, and then someplace there has to be time for who you are, and yes, I am speaking from personal experience. I used to be proud of talking about what I did for a profession. No more, it truly is nothing more to me than a means to an end. I am grateful for it because God has blessed me with that job, and I have a role in God’s plan to bring salvation to the world to play there, but it does not define who I am. It is not what I want to be known for. Today, I am most honored when somebody tries to describe me and they say, “There goes Keith, he is a good teacher of the Word of God, or a good husband and father.” Those are thnigs that are more enternal in their result. But those were hard lessons for me to learn, and to this day, God continues to do remedial training on me.

Our lesson today is about the Jewish religious leaders trying to figure who John the Baptist was, and by what authority he was practicing a religious ritual not sanctioned by the leadership. The interesting thing that we will see about John the Baptist is that he didn’t care if they knew or accepted who he was, or his authority. He was willing to tell them, but he wasn’t going to put up with any nonsense. He knew who he was, he knew his authority came from the almighty God, and he knew his role in God’s plan to bring salvation to the world. He understood how he wanted to be identified. He wanted to be identified as the forerunner of the promised Messiah.

Click on the link below to hear a message on who John the Baptist was.

Amen.

GAINING VICTORY IN JESUS (Revelation 15:3-8)

Let me ask you a question, have you ever considered celebrating the wrath of God?

Chapter 15 of the Book of Revelation talks about the tribulation saints standing in victory on the crystal sea of glass, or the Word of God, and celebrating the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can learn three principles about our victory in Jesus Christ from these Tribulation saints, and how to celebrate that victory. We are studying the Tribulations saints and the events that occur during that Tribulation Period, but there is much that we can learn from this set of verses and apply to our lives today.

Have you ever looked at the sin of those around you and asked the question, Where is the wrath of God? Doesn’t God promise to punish sin? Yet, when you look at rape, child abuse, blasphemy, sexual perversion of all kinds, and the horror of terrorism, we are all tempted to ask, Where is God? And where is His wrath?

The answer to the question of where is God? Is, He is on His throne. The answer to the question of where is God’s wrath? John tells us “Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?... for thy judgments are made manifest.” God’s judgements are God’s wrath for sin. John says that God’s judgment, or wrath, is made manifest, or visible, for all to see. One thing the Bible teaches us for certain is that all sin will be punished. Your sin will be punished. My sin will be punished. Every sin, whether it be that of a lost person, or a saved, will be punished. The only question is, who will bear that punishment? Every sin will be either pardoned by Christ, or punished in hell, but it will never be overlooked. Nobody’s sin is ever overlooked. All sin is dealt with.

Don't ever forget that the secret of our victory is the wrath of God. Apart from the wrath of God, apart from the righteous judgment of God, there can be no ultimate victory. Sin must be dealt with. We celebrate the Wrath of God, because we know that God will deal with all sin. God is indeed a loving God, but God is also a just God. God will deal with all sin. As believers, our victory comes from three things, the Word of God, the redeeming works of God, and the righteous wrath of God.

Amen.

GATHERING CLOUDS (Revelation 14:14-15:2)

Without a doubt, I praise the Holy name of God that, during the period that I have been alive on this earth, there may have been wars, there may have been rumors of wars, but there has not been a major world war to endure the tragedy of on a global scale. There was the Vietnam war, the Cold war, Israel’s Six-day war, the battle of Yom Kippur, The Falkland Islands, the Iraq wars, and the war on Terror, just to name a few. Each of these was terrible in its human toll of death and injury. Now, make no mistake about it, when you are a soldier fighting, and your friends are dying around you, it doesn’t matter if the war you are in is called a world war, a police action, a skirmish, or a conflict, it is horrible, it is tragic, and I am glad we have soldiers willing to fight these wars.

But the scale of deaths in a global conflict is staggering. If we look at WWII, just as an example, depending on where you look, they estimate the total deaths due to the conflict as anywhere from 35 million to 96 million people. All of these other wars that I mentioned earlier pale in comparison to the deaths and casualties that occurred during WWII.

Yet, one thing is consistent no matter the size of the conflict, each of these wars had a period at the beginning where the storms clouds of war were gathering. People, rulers, and nations, made decisions that either cast their country into war, or turned toward peace. We have many of those events happening in our world today. North Korea and Iran are two that come to mind. Either of these countries could throw the world into a major war based on the decisions their rulers make.

Chapter 14 of the Book of Revelation tells us of a turning point in Satan’s worldwide empire that will exist during the Tribulation Period. It describes that from this point on in our study, God is going to start intervening in the events of the world until it reaches a point where Satan is defeated, the world is judged, and those who have rejected the gospel message of Christ will be cast into the Lake of Fire with Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. This chapter tells us that the storm clouds of a truly epic war, unlike anything that mankind has seen before, is about to become a reality. Decisions are being made, and eternal destinies are being decided.

Click on the link below to hear a message about the coming of the Day of the Lord. The storm clouds are gathering as God moves toward judging the evil of the world at the Battle of Armageddon.

Amen.

GAINING VICTORY OVER SATAN (Revelation 12:11-17)

We are studying a period in the future called the Tribulation Period. It is a time which begins after the church is raptured out to meet the Lord in the air. It is a seven-year period of great tribulation and chaos. It is filled with war, disease, famine, and overwhelming demonic activity. During this Tribulation Period, Israel has many earthly foes, but Israel’s biggest enemy is Satan. John describes him as the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan. He is called a dragon, because he is so fierce. He is called a serpent, because he is so subtle. He is called the devil. The word devil means accuser because he is the accuser of the brethren. He is called Satan. The word Satan means adversary. Israel is in a spiritual fight with Satan.

As believers in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are also in a spiritual fight with Satan. Satan has a plan to destroy your witness. He has a battle strategy to defeat you as you do the work that God has given you to do.

In our message today, John speaks of the saints of the Tribulation Period when he says, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Satan, who is cast out of heaven once and for all, now is here upon the earth. He is filled with violent rage. He knows that things are closing in on him. He's like a cornered animal. He begins to fight against the saints with an intensity that he's never known before, and so there is a battle on earth during the Tribulation Period.

And even though, Satan and his minions, the Antichrist and the false prophet, slaughter untold millions upon millions of people, Satan does not defeat these saints. Instead, the saints gained victory over Satan. And what I want you to see in our message today is that John gives us the three-part formula that the saints used to gain this victory over Satan. And the wonderful thing about this message is that you can use that formula today in this age, or in any age to lead a victorious Christian life by defeating Satan’s plan for your life.

Click on the link below to hear a message on how you can gain victory over Satan in your life by the blood of the Lamb, the word of your testimony, and loving not your life even if it means you must die for Christ.

Amen.