Friday, February 29, 2008

Living Skillfully

With today being February 29 we are reminded that this is a leap year. The fact that we add a day every four years reminds us of the precision with which the Lord created.

In fact, Proverbs 8 tells us of the wisdom with which the Lord created all things. And the Lord offers His wisdom to you and me. The wisdom He offers gives us the ability to live life as He designed for it to be lived. With the wisdom that God gives you can live life skillfully.

The Bible tells us that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord. To fear the Lord means that He has our attention. And we can only see God through His son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

At Believers Fellowship we’re committed to opening God’s Word and pointing people to Christ so that they might fear God and live life with skill.

Please join us this Sunday and go online to believers-fellowship.org.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The True Shepherd

In John 10 we see Jesus presenting Himself as the true shepherd and the good shepherd.

As the true and good shepherd, Jesus is contrasting Himself with thieves, robbers, and hired hands.If you cut it straight in studying this passage you realize that the thieves, robbers, and hired hands are the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders.

Thieves and robbers picture religious leaders who rip of the sheep rather than feeding and protecting them. Hired hands run when there is trouble because they are not really concerned for the sheep, they only care about themselves.

Sadly, we live in a day when there are many leaders who are thieves, robbers, and hired hands. They are in ministry for their own personal gain. As a result, people are led astray from the true shepherd.

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to presenting the True Shepherd to people. We want people to follow Christ.

Visit us this Sunday and go online to believers-fellowship.org.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

The Seeking and Saving Shepherd

Jesus is the good shepherd and He knows who His sheep are. In fact He is actively calling His sheep to Himself.

He says in John 10:16, “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also.” When Jesus speaks of these other sheep which He must bring in He is speaking of a divine necessity. He must go after them, He will find them and bring them in. Jesus is seeking and He is saving.

And Jesus says regarding His sheep, “They will hear My voice.” When He says, “They will,” He speaks with divine certainty. Those who are Christ’s sheep will hear and respond to His voice. That is a certainty.

At Believers Fellowship we consider it the greatest privilege to be used by the Lord to give voice to His word and be instruments that Christ can use in calling His sheep to Himself.

Visit us any Sunday and go to believers-fellowship.org for more information.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

The Good Shepherd

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is John 10:11. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Jesus said He is the good shepherd. Literally it reads, “I am the shepherd; the good one.” Jesus is the only good shepherd.

And what sets Him apart is His love for the sheep. The supreme demonstration of that love was seen when He laid down His life for the sheep.

He laid it down voluntarily, willingly, sacrificially.

He laid it down for, or in place of, or for the benefit of the sheep. He was a substitute, taking on Himself the wrath that sinners deserved.

And it was His life that He laid down. It required His infinite life to pay the infinite debt of my sin.

Jesus is the shepherd, the good one. He loves the sheep.

At Believers Fellowship we proclaim Christ. Go to believers-fellowship.org for more information.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Slaves?

You are a slave.

That might sound like a shocking, slap-in-the-face kind of statement, but this is what the Bible teaches.

The Bible says that some are slaves of sin and unrighteousness. The Scriptures speak of some who are held captive by Satan to do his will.

On the other hand, God’s Word says that some are slaves of righteousness. They are slaves of Christ.

Most English translations of the Bible obscure this fact by using the word servant or bond-servant instead of slave, but slave is the original meaning of the word.

Jesus is Lord and all who follow Him acknowledge Him as their Master.

So, you and I, we are all slaves. It is just a matter of who or what you are enslaved to.

At Believers Fellowship we unashamedly proclaim Jesus is Lord. You are welcome to visit us any Sunday or go to believers-fellowship.org for more information.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Real Peace

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you.”

In Jesus Christ we find a peace that only He can give. In fact, this peace that He gives is the very peace that He Himself experiences. He said, “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”

What a contrast. The peace that the world gives is fleeting and depends on circumstances. The peace that Christ gives comes from Him and rests on His unchanging character.

Jesus gives real peace in your soul that can’t be touched by outward circumstances. That doesn’t mean following Jesus is easy or that you won’t have hard times, but He gives a peace that transcends even the most difficult situations.

At Believers Fellowship we’re committed to opening up the Bible and keeping the focus on the Lord Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace.

You’re welcome to join us this Sunday and visit us online at believers-fellowship.org.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Preach the Word

You can listen to John MacArthur daily on "Grace to You." Dr. MacArthur is the President of The Master’s Seminary where I studied in preparation for ministry. One of the slogans of the seminary is, “We train men as if lives depended on it.” This slogan points to the seriousness of the ministry. We are dealing with issues of eternal significance.

Many may be familiar with Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to preach the word, but that wasn’t just Paul’s exhortation. The whole statement is, “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by the appearing of His kingdom: preach the word.”

I’m sure Timothy got the point regarding how important this is. You and I need to realize the seriousness of the ministry.

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to preaching the word. Come and join us any Sunday and visit us online at believers-fellowship.org.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Take Up Your Cross


Two years ago I went to St. Andrews, Scotland, the home of golf. What many people might not realize about St. Andrews is that it is also the home to some significant church history.

For example, in the center of town, you’ll find the initials P H made with bricks in the middle of a sidewalk. Those are the initials of Patrick Hamilton.

Patrick Hamilton grew up in Scotland in the early 1500’s. He went to study in Germany and there was greatly influenced by the teaching of Martin Luther. Convinced that Luther was proclaiming the biblical gospel, Hamilton returned to Scotland to preach.

The Catholic Church, however, declared Hamilton a heretic and the initials in the sidewalk mark the spot where he was burned at the stake. He was 24 years old.

At Believers Fellowship we’re committed to the biblical gospel. Feel free to visit us any Sunday and look us up online at believers-fellowship.org

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Fear of the Lord

Psalm 128:1 says, “How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways.”



The rest of the psalm talks about some of the blessing this man will know. His wife will be like a fruitful vine in his home and his children like precious olive plants around his table. What a great family that pictures.


But what does it mean to fear the Lord? It speaks of a reverential awe of God – to have a high view of God. The idea is that God has your attention. You are listening to what He says so that you can do it. That’s what the verse says. The man who fears the Lord walks in His ways.


To fear the Lord you need to study the Bible and you need to cut it straight.


At Believers Fellowship we want to help you develop a healthy fear of the Lord. Feel free to visit us and check us out online at believers-fellowship.org.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Children Are Like Arrows


Yesterday my grandson turned 2. The Bible tells us that children and our children’s children are all blessings from the Lord. They are a gift from God and God only gives good gifts. Each child is a special gift given specifically by God to the parents.


The Bible also tells us, though, that we have a responsibility in the parenting of our children. The Bible says they are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. An arrow in Bible times started as a stick. You had to fashion that stick into an arrow, then direct the arrow, and release it. So it is with children. Along with loving them as good gifts we need to instruct, correct, direct, and then release them into the world where they can have an impact for the Lord.


At Believers Fellowship we take the family seriously. Feel free to join us and visit us online at believers-fellowship.org

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Man's Best Friend?



Thursday morning Roberta and I left to spend a couple of days relaxing in Fredericksburg. We left our dog, Buddy (that's his picture to the left), under the watchful care of our neighbor, Lorrae. Basically, Buddy can stay in the backyard during the day and just needs to come in at night.

So, we were in Fredericksburg having a good time. We had a wonderful lunch at Mamacita's and we were just about to enter the Bush Museum to review the history of the Pacific Operations during World War II. However, literally moments after purchasing our tickets we got "the call." Lorrae went by the house, the side gate was open and Buddy was no where to be seen. There had been a breakout!

Now to be fair, I had gone through that gate earlier in the morning and there is the possibility that I did not close it tight. Also, it was windy and the combination of not shutting it tight and the wind could have opened the gate. Either that or Buddy is a lot smarter than he lets on.

So what could we do? We had to drive back to help with the search for Buddy. As we're driving back I'm was imagining all the things Buddy could have done and all the damage he could have caused, but when we were close to home we got the call that Buddy had been picked up and was being held by Animal Control. Should be Animal Out -of-Control if you ask me.

When we arrived to bail him out, we were greeted by everyone with "Oh, you're Buddy's people." It appears that Buddy had found a house near ours with two dogs inside. Those dogs wanted to come out and play with Buddy. Looks like Buddy was encouraging these dogs to break out also but the lady of the house called the authorities. When they came to pick Buddy up he willingly jumped in the truck. On one hand that is a scary thought to know he will happily drive away with anyone but at least it kept "resisting arrest" off his record.

Yes, Buddy has a record now. He has a "file" with the authorities. I don't know if they paw-printed him or took a mug shot, but they definitiely will have a eye out for this criminal. He's the first one in our family to have a criminal record. There was a suspenseful moment as well when they told us that the law required all runaway dogs to be fixed within 30 days. Buddy started to sweat and look a little sick, but his membership in AKC saved him.

Buddy is safely back at home now. I don't know if he is on any kind of probation, but we'll be monitoring his activities a little more closely. And, yes, we returned to Fredericksburg, toured the museum and were able to have a nice relaxing time even though I was ready in case we got another "call."

Proverbs 12:10 says, "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal." Thank you, Lord, for using Buddy to sanctify me.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Verse by Verse

Don’t you think the Bible should be taught verse by verse? After all that is how it was written.

Each verse makes sense as a part of a paragraph and each paragraph makes sense as a part of a chapter and each chapter makes sense as a part of a book.

God wants us to cut it straight and it seems the best way to do that is to study His word the way He gave it. That may not seem as interesting as going from favorite topic to favorite topic, but going verse by verse, book by book, assures that we will cover all that God intended for us. We will have to deal with all of the difficult issues addressed in the Bible. But that is what is best for us.

At Believers Fellowship, we are committed to verse by verse Bible teaching.

Come visit us this Sunday and go online to believers-fellowship.org for more information.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

The Greatness of God's Love

Today a lot of people will be talking about love.

As Valentine’s Day is celebrated. cards will be exchanged and gifts will be given to that special person that we love. That’s all fine and should be enjoyed, but what about the other 364 days of the year?

It seems in our culture that love is something we give to those who can do the most for us. Once we don’t feel a need for them any longer we stop loving them. The divorce rate bears evidence of this.

God’s love is different. He loves people that are unlovable. He loves people who can do nothing for Him. He loves those who are His enemies. And He made the sacrifice of sending His Son to die for those whom He loves so that they can be reconciled to Him.

That’s love.

At Believers Fellowship we rejoice in the constant love of God.

Visit us online at believers-fellowship.org.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The Value of Expository Preaching

We have the privilege of having our radio spot come on right after Grace to You with John MacArthur. What you just hear on Grace to You is an example of expository preaching.

Expository preaching means that you explain the text of Scripture and give the application of it.

To do expository preaching, the preacher must cut it straight in his study. He must discover the meaning of the text as God intended it. That means he needs to consider the original language, the historical context, and the culture in which the Scripture was written so that he will come to the original meaning.

Then, the skilled expositor must be able to apply the meaning of the text to the people listening to him today. It is demanding work but it yields fruit that glorifies the Lord.

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to expository preaching. Come visit us any Sunday and go on line to believers-fellowship.org for more information.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

What is Saving Faith?

“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.” That is a simple, straight-forward statement. But because salvation is such an important issue, we must make sure we understand what it means to believe.

If we cut the scripture straight on this, we will find that there are three elements to a genuine, saving faith.

First, you must know the truth about Christ. You must know Who He is and what He has done.

Second, you must believe the truth about Christ. You have to acknowledge that what the Bible says about Him is right.

Third, you must personally commit yourself to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said deny yourself and follow Him.

Many know the facts about Christ and believe they are true, but have they totally committed themselves to the person of Christ?

At Believers Fellowship we want to help people truly follow Christ.

Visit us this Sunday and look on line at believers-fellowship.org.

Monday, February 11, 2008

The Good News

The Bible tells us that by nature we are all enemies of God. We are hostile towards Him and we actively rebel against His rule over us. Left to ourselves we would all die in this condition and justly face the wrath of God for our sins.

That is the bad news.

The good news is that God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to bring about reconciliation between God and His enemies. Christ at His crucifixion experienced the wrath of God in the place of everyone who would ever believe in Him.

Those who trust in Christ, therefore, are at peace with God. Their sins are covered. Everyone in Christ is reconciled to God.

Do you have peace with God through Jesus Christ? At Believers Fellowship we stand ready to explain to you the good news of Jesus Christ.

Visit us this Sunday and check us out on line at believers-fellowship.org.

Friday, February 08, 2008

The Call to Ministry

Here's the broadcast for today. Pray for us tonight that God will be glorified and that He will use this as a start to giving His Word a broader influence in our city.



Welcome to Cutting It Straight – A ministry of Believers Fellowship. I’m pastor Bruce Blakey.

The old advice that if you can do anything else other than be a pastor- do it, is good counsel.
The ministry is not something to enter into lightly, but very carefully.

It begins with an inner desire that you must believe comes from God. But that inner desire is not enough.

The Scripture in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 lays down objective standards for what a man must be if he is to serve in the ministry.

And a man must be evaluated by recognized spiritual leaders as having met those standards so that he is fit to serve.

Generally that recognition is done formally and publically.
That is what we are doing tonight at Believers Fellowship. Tonight the elders will lay hands on me, formally recognizing my call to this ministry and John MacArthur will be there to preach the sermon.

For more information, go online to believers-fellowship.org.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

The Church

Here is today's broadcast. Please pray for our service tomorrow night.



Welcome to Cutting it Straight – a ministry of Believers Fellowship. I’m pastor Bruce Blakey.

The church is obviously very important to Christ. He gave His life for it and He is building it. It is an immense privilege for me to serve as a pastor in the church.

I had pleasure of serving as pastor of Believers Fellowship from 1995 to 2005. After two years serving on the staff of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, I have had the joy of recently returning to Believers Fellowship.

Tomorrow night our church is having an installation service in which the elders will lay hands on me as a symbol, recognizing the Lord’s direction for me to serve as pastor in the church.
It will be a humbling and joyous occasion. I am particularly pleased that my first pastor and friend, John MacArthur will speak at the service. He has been a great encouragement to me.

For more information, go online to believers-fellowship.org.

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Happy Birthday, Bobby!

Here's today's broadcast.



Welcome to Cutting It Straight – a ministry of Believers Fellowship. I’m pastor Bruce Blakey.

Today is my oldest son’s birthday. He is a great joy to me and my wife. Our son is also in the ministry, serving as a high school pastor.

The family is important to God. It was instituted by Him from the beginning. God’s design is for a husband and wife to be faithful companions to each other for life and parents are to raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. The family is to be totally Christ –centered.

Today in our culture the family is under constant attack from every direction and, unfortunately, the church is not immune to family problems.

Because the family is important to God it must be important to the church. I would encourage you to get involved in encouraging and strengthening the families that you know. Pray for the families around you.

For more information about our ministry, go online to believers-fellowship.org

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

The Power of the Gospel

Here's today's broadcast. If you have heard any of these broadcasts on KSLR, please leave a comment and let me know what you think.



Welcome to Cutting It Straight – a ministry of Believers Fellowship. I’m pastor Bruce Blakey
.
In Romans 1:16 Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes …”That verse tells us very clearly that the power is in the gospel itself not in the one who proclaims it or in how clever their presentation might be.

As a pastor that is really a great comfort to me. I want to proclaim the gospel so that people might come to believe in Christ and be saved and all I need to concentrate on is faithfully delivering the message.

The Bible warns me that some will think the message is foolish and some will think that I am foolish, but it is the message of the gospel that the Lord uses to draw people to himself. What a joy it is to give out the gospel.

For more information, go online to believers-fellowship.org

Monday, February 04, 2008

The Pastor's Duty

Here's the script from today's broadcast.


Welcome to Cutting it Straight – a ministry of Believers Fellowship. I’m pastor Bruce Blakey.

Accurately handling God’s word is the primary responsibility of the pastor. My task is to feed God’s people the pure Word of the Bible. It’s not my wisdom or my opinions that people need, it is the truth as God has given it to us in the Scripture that will help people the most.

According to Ephesians 4: 11-16, when I do my job of teaching and preaching God’s Word, then God’s people are equipped to do ministry, they grow spiritually, they are united in Christ, and they are protected from the ever blowing winds of false doctrine.

The church is healthy and alive when it is feasting on the Scripture. By contrast, the church grows anemic and worldly when it lives off human wisdom.

Please pray for me that I would always cut it straight.

For more information, go online to believers-fellowship.org.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Life and Death

Here's the script from today's broadcast.

May the Lord richly bless you this weekend.


All week we have been talking about the importance of cutting it straight-rightly interpreting the Word of God. We saw from 2 Timothy 2:15 that you will either stand approved or ashamed before God regarding how you handled His word.

We have also warned about the deceiving, Scripture-twisting work of the devil. Both 2 Peter 2 and Jude warn about false teachers who secretly introduce destructive heresies into the church.
2 Peter 2 says many will follow them. Jesus in Matthew 7 said that many will follow the broad road that leads to destruction.

You can see, then, that handling the word accurately is not only an issue of approval or shame, but more significantly, it is an issue of life and death.

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to the Word which leads to life. Feel free to join us this Sunday. For more information go to believers-fellowship.org.