Cutting It Straight

The Surpassing Value of Knowing Christ

2009-08-04T11:27:00.002-05:00

What would it take to get you to deny Christ?

If someone offered you $500 million to deny Christ, would you?

If someone threatened to take your life through prolonged and agonizing torture, would you deny Christ?

What if someone threatened to take the life of a loved one if you didn't deny Christ? Would you? What if that loved one didn't know Christ? Would you deny Christ to spare their life so that they could have opportunity to trust in Christ?

These extreme examples serve to illustrate a point. The choice is not between heaven and hell. I assume most people would make the right choice if those were the options. No, the choice is between heaven and the things of this world. And whether its possessions or relations, many would rather have the things of this world than heaven.

Every time we choose something of this world over obedience to Christ, we are saying that the value in knowing Christ really isn't of surpassing value.

So, we must let our minds dwell more on Christ and the things above. We must fill our minds with the truth. And, as parents, we must teach our children that there really is a surpassing value in knowing Christ. That will help them not to get sucked in by the things of this world.

Knowing Christ is of far greater value than possessing the whole world.

From Uganda to Disneyland

2009-05-15T13:40:00.002-05:00

The last few weeks have been some of the busiest and most blessed of my life.

First, I went to Uganda. There I spoke at a pastor's conference to 200 Ugandan pastors. It was a great time and the Lord will surely use it to strengthen the churches in Uganda. If you want to hear the report I gave to the church on this trip, you can listen to it by going to our church web page: bfsatx.org.

I arrived home form Uganda on a Saturday, preached on Sunday, caught up on a bunch of stuff Monday, then, on Tuesday, Roberta and I flew to LA and went straight to ----- Disneyland (well, we stopped at In-N-Out on the way). Talk about a contrast! Uganda and Disneyland are definitely on the far ends of the cultural spectrum. While at Disneyland we got to see Bill and Cory, and Bobby, Christa, Tyler, and Emma. Priceless.

From Disneyland we drove to Santa Barbara to see my dad and we arrived on the night that a growing wildfire was threatening the city. When we got out of the car it felt like we were inside a smoky barbeque joint. Fortunately, the weather changed in time so that while the fire caused considerable damage, it could have been incredibly worse.

Just as a footnote: Going to Uganda was somewhat of a health risk. I had to get 7 shots before I left and I am still taking malaria pills. When I returned, however, I found out about the Swine Flu and that our city was at the epicenter of this outbreak. Then we go to fiery Santa Barbara. It appears I was safer in Uganda than I am at home.

Of course, as nice as it is to go to Disneyland and see Bobby, Billy and their families, and as nice as it is to visit my dad, the reason we were in California was to see Ben graduate from The Master's College. Ben is our youngest so this is it. They are all out of college now. It has been a joy to see Ben go through college and I have never known anyone who enjoyed everything about college as much as Ben did. I am thankful for The Master's College and, most of all, I am thankful for the Master's work in the lives of our children. The above picture is of Ben and me at his baptism last year.

Ben had preceded me in Uganda. He was there last summer for 6 weeks. At the beginning of my visit I was known as Ben's dad and that's okay with me. His being there before me really paved the way for me being so quickly accepted.

Jesus said that in Him we would find abundant life. Our Lord gives us a peace and joy that is full and complete. I am amazed at what He does in my life and the opportunities that He gives to me. For all of this I am profoundly thankful and I don't want to waste my life.

To the Ends of the Earth

2009-04-22T11:27:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I leave for Uganda, Africa. Next week I will be speaking at a pastor's conference of national pastors. This is an amazing thing to me. This is an incredible opportunity.

Not that I haven't had any reservations about this. I wasn't excited about getting all the shots (7) that were required for me to be able to make this trip safely. I also have to take Malaria pills for 40 days (started 2 days ago). Additionally, I will need to be careful what I eat and drink while I am there and I have been warned that the facilities may not be the greatest. On top of all that, I must travel for about 21 hours to get there.

So why do it? First of all, I was asked to do it. But when I think about ministering to a few hundred pastors as a part of a larger ministry that has the potential to affect a whole country for the gospel, how could I refuse? I believe that the Bible is powerful and that somehow the Lord can use a guy like me - just a guy like me, to proclaim His Word for His glory. What a privilege.

So, I'm looking forward to what the Lord has in store for this trip. I'm sure I'll have some stories to tell when I get back - testimonies to His goodness, grace, and power.

Please pray for me and I 'll give a report when I get back.

I don't want to waste my life.

Change Of Course

2009-04-01T07:56:00.003-05:00

Actually, I've decided to take to the course, the golf course. For years people have told me I should take my golf game out on tour. Especially, as I approached the age of 50, folks said I was made for the Champions (Senior) Tour. Well, 50 is a few years in the rear view mirror and so I've decided that if I'm going to do it, now is the time.

I was inspired by Tiger's victory over the weekend. If he can come back after eight months off following major knee surgery and win, then who's to say I can't come back after 30+ years away from competitive golf. I haven't had any surgery and I am certainly well rested.

In fact, after some of the ministry situations I've been through and some of the counseling cases I've handled, a three foot putt to win would be like playing on the playground.

So I'm going to put my ministry on hold and pursue my life-long dream of playing professional golf. Oh, I won't be totally leaving the ministry. I'll lead a Bible study out on tour and give my testimony at different events. Also, I'll write John 3:16 underneath my autograph so I'll be faithfully witnessing too.

Yes, I am going to suspend my ministry of following the Son for the time being as I follow the Sun out on the tour. No doubt the popularity I gain by being a golf champion will boost my ministry when I come back to it.

By now you might have guessed that this is an April Fools blog post and you would be right. I have the greatest job in the world. I have the privilege of proclaiming God's Word and I wouldn't give that up for anything. The guys out on the tour can rest easy - I'm staying in the pulpit.

I hope that both of you who might read this post had some fun with me.

Radical Christianity

2009-03-27T21:37:00.002-05:00

This Sunday I will be preaching on the Final Judgment from Revelation 20:11-15.

Do you really believe that there will be a final judgment?

Do you believe that the Lord will sit on a great white throne and that everyone who never believed will stand before Him in judgment?

Do you really believe that those unbelieving people will then be sentenced to eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire?

If you believe this, how did it affect your life today?

I read recently of two young Moravians who sold themselves into slavery in 1732 because that was the only way to evangelize 2,000 to 3,000 slaves on an island then a part of the West Indies.

Those two believed in a final judgment. They also believed in a great Savior who had given His life and could save men in every place and situation. These men acted like they believed these things.

We think we're being radical Christians when we invite someone to a church picnic.

How does a belief in these great, awesome, amazing eternal truths affect our lives?

Would anybody accuse you of being a radical Christian?

God is Amazing...

2009-02-09T14:17:00.003-06:00

A number of great things have happened since I last posted and I want to give you an update.

I spent a week at The Master's Seminary working on my Doctor of Ministry program. 12 preachers and a prof in a room for eight hours a day talking about studying and preaching the Word. It doesn't get much sweeter than that for a preacher.

God is Amazing...

Roberta and I went to California for the celebration of John MacArthur's 40th Anniversary as the pastor of Grace Community Church. It was a great weekend. We got to fellowship with lots of friends. We got to see all our children. We got to hear Iain Murray preach. And we got to thank God for the influence of a godly, faithful man.

God is Amazing...

This past Saturday we received The Call from Bobby telling us that his daughter (our granddaughter) had been born and that she and Christa were doing well. If you want to see some great pictures of Bobby, Christa, Tyler, and Emma Jane then just go to Bill and Cory's link to the right of this post.

God is Amazing..

The title of this post was inspired by a quote from John MacArthur. A couple of years ago he was asked how he stayed motivated to keep producing two sermons a week plus all of his other ministry responsibilities. His answer was, "It's simple. God is amazing and I am amazed."

God is Amazing...

Are you amazed?

Committed to the Word

2009-01-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

Perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses among American church attendees in our day is a lack of discernment. In our complex days when we live in a culture which is so overpowering because of the media capabilities, many who call themselves Christians have a difficult time making wise choices.

No doubt the biggest reason for this is because they are not being trained to think biblically. Churches today want people feel good about themselves and help them in their relationships. Some of this may be practical and beneficial, but people need to be taught what God says from His Word so that they aren’t led astray by a seductive society.

Where are the churches that are seriously training their people from the Scriptures? Where are the John Calvins and Martin Luthers of our day? We need a real return to the Bible or you won’t be able to tell the difference between the church and the world.

At Believers Fellowship we’re committed to the Word.

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Today was the last broadcast of Cutting It Straight on KSLR. I am thankful to Baron Wiley and Kevin Bel for all their help in making these broadcasts possible. It was a joy to work with them and I benefitted personally from putting these messages together. I'm thankful too, for any who were encouraged by these broadcasts.

The blog will continue but not with the same frequency which we have had in the past year.

May God Bless you with a fruitful 2009 to the glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

A Dying Breed

2009-01-08T11:03:00.000-06:00

In a few weeks John MacArthur and the rest of Grace Church will be celebrating his 40th anniversary as pastor. Think about that, for the past 40 years John MacArthur has been faithfully preaching God’s Word week in and week out at Grace Church.

I first attended Grace Church in 1974 and there isn’t any question that John MacArthur is the one person that the Lord has used the most in helping me in my understanding of the Scripture.

One of the highlights of my ministry was last year when John came and preached here at Believers Fellowship.

Unfortunately, men like John MacArthur seems to be a dying breed in our day. Not many are as faithful to preach God’s Word nor are many as faithful to the church.

At Believers Fellowship we desire to follow in the faithful footsteps of men like Dr. MacArthur and see the Word clearly proclaimed.

Spiritual Malpractice

2009-01-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today I am at The Master's Seminary as I continue to work on my doctorate in expository preaching.

Preaching is hard work and it requires intense study and preparation. When I was working on my masters degree there was another student who was a medical doctor. He told me that seminary was harder than medical school.

It should be. Ddoctors perform the important function of dealing with the physical body and we are all thankful for them. But the pastor deals with the eternal part of the person – his soul. Therefore, the pastor’s training should be more intense.

Now, you don’t have to go to seminary in order to be an effective and fruitful pastor, but the tragedy of our day is that there are so many unskilled pastors standing in the pulpit and committing spiritual malpractice.

Presenting Every Man Complete in Christ

2009-01-06T10:57:00.000-06:00

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to presenting everyman complete in Christ. We want to see people come to know Christ as Lord and then grow to maturity in their faith.

The primary way we do this is by teaching the Word of God and focusing on the person and work of Christ. We want to teach about the cross and Christ’s work there on our behalf. We want to listen to the Words of Christ and look carefully at the works of Christ.

Many ministries focus on people and teach for the purpose of making people feel good. Rather than starting with Christ, these ministries begin with man. Churches today are organized around what people want rather than what Christ, the Lord of the Church, wants.

As times get more difficult in our country, people will discover that a man-centered ministry won’t really help.

At Believers Fellowship we want to keep the focus on Jesus Christ, the Lord.

What's the Difference?

2009-01-05T10:53:00.000-06:00

Expository preaching is committed to explaining what the text of Scripture means and giving an exhortation to a proper application.

There is a lot of preaching which is not expository. Preachers may say they do exposition but they are not careful to define what is meant by expository preaching.

You might say, “What’s the difference? As long as the sermon helps me, then that’s all that matters.” Not really. If you don’t get the explanation right then you can’t make a right and helpful application.

And, when things get hard in life, unless you can turn to the Scripture with a confidence that you understand what it means then your faith will suffer. Weak explanation leads to weak living.

At Believers Fellowship we are committed to expository preaching. We want to know what God said.

I Don't Understand

2009-01-02T12:54:00.000-06:00

I have the great privilege of serving at Believers Fellowship. As we start another year I am looking forward to the privilege of ministering God’s Word as often as possible to as many as possible.

Our goal is to present every man complete in Christ. The only way to do that is through the ministry of the Word of God. The Bible is inspired, inerrant, powerful, relevant, and completely sufficient to minister to any person in any condition of life.

I don’t understand why other churches don’t demonstrate a higher commitment to the Scripture. I am concerned when I hear of churches that rely more on something else whether it be music or children’s programs or whatever.

Also, many churches don’t want in-depth teaching of the Bible. They are more into stories or testimonies than serious study of the Bible.

I’m thankful for a congregation that expects to hear what God says in His Word.

This Could Be The Year

2009-01-01T11:14:00.000-06:00

The Book of Revelation tells us that Christ’s return must shortly take place. That means it is something that could happen without any necessary delay.

We are also told that Christ’s coming is near. That means it is imminent. Christ’s return is ready to take place. Christ’s coming is on the verge of happening and could possibly occur at any moment.

Perhaps 2009 will be the year that Christ comes back. When you look at the world you can point to many things that would make you think that everything is lining up and getting ready for the return of the Lord. Not only do current conditions appear to be lining up but you realize that changes in our modern world can happen very quickly.

We should be warning people to be prepared for Christ’s return. We must preach the gospel and encourage people to trust Christ.

At Believers Fellowship we are looking for the return of the Lord.

Are You Ready?

2008-12-31T13:21:00.000-06:00

This is the end of another year. This was a significant year in many respects. We witnessed an historic election. We watched an historic Olympics from China.

We also have experienced a significant economic downturn. Stock and real estate values dropped at record rates across the country. Many people lost their jobs as many big companies either went belly up or had to make major cut backs.

This was also another year in which Jesus Christ did not return to the earth. All that means is that we are one year closer to His return. When Christ came the first time, He came to suffer and die in the place of sinners.

When Christ comes back He will come as a conquering King to rule over the whole earth. That day is drawing closer and closer and the Bible exhorts us to be ready.

Are you ready? Jesus is coming soon.

Jesus is a Great Savior

2008-12-30T16:55:00.000-06:00

Last week we celebrated Jesus coming in to the world. This was a glorious event that was anticipated by believing people for centuries. Christ’s coming was the fulfillment of a great promise made by God.

Do you know why Christ came into the world? The Bible says that Christ came to die for sinners. Christ came to give His life as a ransom for many. Christ came to seek and to save sinners. Christ came to destroy the works of the devil. Christ came to make the Father known.

While many people, if not most people, in the world acknowledge that Christ came, many do not know Him as their Lord and Savior. He died for sinners but sinners must repent and confess Christ as Lord or they will die in their sin.

It is pointless to celebrate Christmas and not know Christ. I encourage you to trust Him with all your heart. He is a great Savior.

Jesus the King

2008-12-29T10:55:00.000-06:00

The Bible tells us of some Magi who came looking for the One who was born as the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of the Jews. He is the descendant of David who would rule over Israel. But Jesus is more than the King of the Jews. Jesus is the King of kings.

Jesus rules over all. He is a King who is the Judge of the world. Every single person is accountable to Jesus the King.

Those who fail to submit to the King will eventually experience His wrath and judgment. This is what we all deserve because of sin.

However, Jesus is a merciful King who will pardon all who confess Him as Lord. He can do this because He Himself paid the penalty that we deserve.

So, do you acknowledge Christ as King? He is whether or not you ever confess Him, but every knee will eventually bow to the King of kings.

The Indescribable Gift

2008-12-26T10:15:00.000-06:00

Today is the day after Christmas and, traditionally, this is a big shopping day and, especially, a day for returning Christmas gifts. Maybe the gift was not the right color. Perhaps the gift wasn’t the right size. Perhaps the gift just wasn’t any good. Whatever the reason, you might have received something as a gift that just wasn’t very special to you.

Well, the good news is that God gave us the perfect gift on that first Christmas. He sent His own Son into the world to be the Savior that we so desperately need. We are dead and hopeless in our sin. Christ is the One who can set people free.

But, a gift is no good unless it is received. Have you received Him? Have you committed yourself to following Christ? Have you confessed Him as Lord?

God sent the best. 2 Corinthians 9:15 says, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.”

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:27:00.000-06:00

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas. I trust that you and your family are enjoying a day that is similar to what happened to those shepherds on that first Christmas day.

You’ll remember those shepherds were out tending their sheep in the fields around Bethlehem when and angel appeared to them to tell them that the Savior was born. After hearing this announcement and seeing the glory of God shining all around them and hearing an angelic choir give glory to God, these shepherds ran to town to see this baby.

They told everyone what they had been told and after seeing the child they returned to their sheep glorifying and praising God.

These men who had to return to their job of tending those smelly and stupid sheep, but their lives had been changed by the coming of a Savior.

Whatever your circumstance today, I trust that you are praising and glorifying the Savior.

Christmas Superficiality

2008-12-24T10:56:00.000-06:00

When the magi came to Jerusalem the chief priests and scribes told them that the king they were looking for could be found in Bethlehem according to the Bible.

What’s amazing about this is that these men knew this information but they would not walk the few miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to see the Savior who had been born.

They were very superficial. They knew the truth but they didn’t care about the Savior. Sadly, there are many today who know Christmas truth, but they don’t know Christ. They know Christ was miraculously born in Bethlehem and they are content just with knowing this information.

At Believers Fellowship we want to worship Christ in spirit and truth. You are welcome to join us tonight as we will be having a Christmas Eve service at 7 o’clock. We will rejoice in the reality of a Savior – One that our sin sick world desperately needs.

We encourage you to trust in Christ as Savior.

Christmas Hypocrisy

2008-12-23T14:12:00.000-06:00

You are probably aware of the magi who came to Jerusalem looking for the King who had been born. Herod, the king of Judah was quite disturbed by this news. Herod was a very jealous man and was threatened by this news.

Herod called together the Bible scholars to find out where this promised king was to be born. They told Herod that He would be born in Bethlehem. So, Herod sends the magi on their way with these amazing words, “When you find the King let me know so I can come and worship Him.”

That statement is the height of hypocrisy. Herod did not want to worship this king, he wanted to kill him. But the hypocrisy of Herod is very common.

There are many today who will worship Christ with their lips. They will sing the Christmas songs and go to Christmas services, but their hearts are far from Christ.

Trampling Down Christmas Truth

2008-12-22T12:38:00.000-06:00

You probably heard about the tragedy that occurred at a Walmart on Long Island the day after Thanksgiving. This day has come to be known as Black Friday because that is the day retailers go in to the black as they kick-off the official first day of Christmas shopping.

This particular Walmart was set to open at 5 am that morning and by that time 2,000 people had gathered outside and were chanting “push the doors in.” That’s pretty much what happened and sadly, almost unbelievably, one employee was trampled to death by the frenzied crowd.

What happened at that Walmart provides a real picture of what has happened to the truth about Christmas. The truth has been trampled in the mad rush to materialism. People will give lip service to Christ – they’ll sing Christmas songs, but they’re more interested in other stuff than they are the Savior.

Join us as we rejoice in the truth about the Christ of Christmas.

You Can Trust the Savior

2008-12-19T14:14:00.000-06:00

Jesus Christ came into the world as the result of a divine act –a divine working. Quite simply, God did a miracle in having a virgin named Mary conceive this child.

Miracles are not any more difficult for God than anything else that He does. In fact, nothing is impossible with God. God had said hundreds of years earlier, through Isaiah that a virgin would give birth to a baby who would be called Immanuel, which means God with us. The virgin birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of that prophecy.

Because of God’s infinite power, He can back up what He says. No word of God must be incredible to us as long as no work of God is impossible to Him.

You can trust God’s Word and you can trust the Savior that He sent into the world. Jesus is the only Savior. It is only through Him that anyone can truly know God.

Jesus is Savior, God, and King!

2008-12-18T14:43:00.000-06:00

God sent the angel Gabriel to Mary to tell her that she would conceive and give birth to a very special child. Gabriel carefully described this child to Mary.

The child’s name would be Jesus. He was given this name because He would save His people from their sins and Jesus means, “The Lord is salvation.” Mary would give birth to the Savior.

Gabriel also told Mary that her son would be great and called the Son of the Most High – the Son of God. This child would not only be the Savior, but He would be God in the flesh.

Not only would this child be the Savior and God incarnate, but He would also be the eternal king who had been promised to David. This child’s kingdom will have no end.

Jesus is Savior, God, and King. The birth of this Son shows that nothing is impossible with God.

Grace Does The Impossible

2008-12-17T15:07:00.000-06:00

God sent a might angel named Gabriel to announce the coming birth of the Savior. He sent him to the very unlikely city of Nazareth to make this announcement to a very unlikely woman.

You would have thought that this announcement would have been delivered to a Queen or, at least, a Princess. However, Gabriel was sent to a woman named Mary. Despite what Roman Catholic tradition says, there was nothing special about Mary. She was very simple, very humble, and probably very poor. She was engaged to a man who was a carpenter, nothing special about that.

But we are told that Mary was favored or shown grace by God. She was the one that He had chosen to give birth to the Savior. To this very unlikely woman comes a special demonstration of God’s grace. The choice of Mary, this unlikely woman just gives proof that nothing is impossible with God.

Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Nazareth?

2008-12-16T14:39:00.001-06:00

One day the Lord dispatched an angel named Gabriel with a very important message. He was sent to announce the coming birth of the Savior. God sent Gabriel because he was a very special angel. His name means “Mighty One of God.”

So God made a very likely choice for the messenger of this very important announcement. But God sent Gabriel to a very unlikely city. He did not send him to Rome, the political capital of the world. He did not send him to Athens, the cultural center of the world. He didn’t even send him to Jerusalem, the Jewish capital.

No, the Lord sent this mighty angel with this most important message to the little village of Nazareth. Many thought that it was impossible for any good thing to come out of Nazareth. But this unlikely city proves that nothing is impossible with God.

Nothing's Impossible with God

2008-12-15T14:37:00.000-06:00

In Luke 1 we read of the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to announce to her that she would give birth to the Savior. In verse 37, Gabriel says, “Nothing will be impossible with God.” Literally that reads, “Not any word will be impossible with God.” That means that whatever God says He will do – that He will do. Whatever God purposes – will be accomplished. Whatever God plans – will be fulfilled. And this is all true because of the infinite power of God.

And the power of God is clearly seen in the Christmas story. Gabriel assures Mary that the miraculous, virgin birth that he came to announce will be accomplished because the power of the Most High will overshadow her. Therefore her holy offspring will be called the Son of God.

The same power which accomplished the virgin birth is working today to save all who put their faith in the Son of God.

Missing Christmas?

2008-12-12T19:46:00.000-06:00

It would be hard to imagine anyone living in America missing Christmas. You can’t avoid it even if you want to. Stores, houses, and businesses are decorated to celebrate the season. Everywhere you turn you hear Christmas music of one kind or another. You’ll hear people talking about Christmas. Christmas is mentioned in the news. You are surrounded by the reality of Christmas – how could you miss it?

But there were many people in Bethlehem who missed Christmas. The Savior of the world was born right under their noses and they failed to get the significance.

That can happen to you. You might know that Christmas is going on but you can miss the significance of it. Unless you have repented of sin and come to Christ, totally committing yourself to follow Him as your Lord and Master, you will miss the significance of Christmas.

Don’t let that happen to you. Turn to Christ with your whole heart.

Deny Yourself - At Christmas?

2008-12-11T21:22:00.000-06:00

At this time of the year we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is a great time of rejoicing and thankfulness for God’s grace in sending His Son to be the Savior of mankind.

However, it does you no good to celebrate this fact unless you have experienced the salvation that Christ came to give. Many people know that Christ came in to the world and they believe that He is the Savior. They believe that Christ died for sinners and rose again.

However, just knowing and believing those facts won’t get you into heaven. Demons know and believe those facts. You must know these facts and you must believe them, but you must also repent of your sin and commit yourself completely to Jesus Christ.

Jesus said that you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him. That’s a call to total commitment. Have you done that?

If so, then rejoice in your great Savior.

Meditate on the Miracle

2008-12-10T14:15:00.000-06:00

As you go through the Christmas season it is important to take advantage of this time and focus on the significance of Christ coming into the world.

Is it an amazing thing to you that God became a man? Christ had to be God in order to be the perfect sacrifice for sin. He also had to be a man to stand in our place and be a substitute for us as He paid for our sins.

The virgin birth is what brings man and God together. Through the means of a virgin birth, God could take on a normal human body that would be subject to everything we experience as people, yet He would not be tainted by the sin nature that you and I inherit from our parents.

As you go through this season where we remember Christ’s birth, spend some time meditating on the miracle of the virgin birth.

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas?

2008-12-09T15:50:00.000-06:00

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas – well maybe not in the weather here in San Antonio, but certainly in the stores and malls. The big build up to Christmas is on full speed at this time and many people will be shopping, traveling, and celebrating.

The first Christmas was a busy time as well. Caesar had demanded that a census be taken and so everyone had to go to their hometown in order to be counted. That meant that a young couple named Joseph and Mary had to make the trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Their trip was complicated by the fact that Mary was pregnant and when they arrived in Bethlehem all the rooms were filled. Joseph and Mary were forced to stay in a barn and that’s where their son was born.

That was the humble birthplace of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He humbled Himself and became a man to die in our place.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

2008-12-08T15:33:00.000-06:00

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – at least that’s what the song says. We’re in that time of year leading up to Christmas and it can be a wonderful time. It can be a time of celebrating and rejoicing. It can be a time when families get together and enjoy great times together.

But for some people, it is not so wonderful. They don’t have much to celebrate. Financially they’ve had a bad year. Some don’t have enjoyable family times to look forward to. Some families suffered a divorce or a death this year which makes the holiday season really tough.

Based on the externals this might or might not be the most wonderful time of the year. However, we always have something to rejoice in. At this time of the year we remember that Christ came into the world to save sinners just like us.

At Believers Fellowship we will rejoice in God giving us His Son.

Don't Hide the Light

2008-12-05T13:28:00.000-06:00

As Christians we are to shine as lights for Christ in this world. And Jesus said that you don’t put a light under a basket, but you put it on a lampstand. You put it in a place where it can shine and be seen. Yet some Christians are guilty of hiding the light. Some believers want to avoid any contact at all with the darkness. But it doesn’t do the world any good for us to hide our light.

We are to be shining the light and holding out the offer of the gospel. We have good news to share with people who are living in darkness all around us. We have a message that leads to life and we are to get it out to as many as we possibly can.

Let’s put aside all our complaining about the world and shine the light of Jesus Christ. That’s why we’re here. That’s the mission of the church.

Don't Be A Grouch for Christmas

2008-12-04T14:55:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 tells us to stop complaining and verse 15 says we are to shine as lights in the world. In other words, stop whining and start shining.

A whining, bellyaching, griping Christian will never have a positive influence on others. They won’t believe the gospel will do what you say it can because they don’t see it working in you. They can legitimately ask, “If Christ so satisfies, how come you are such a whiny, grumpy, grouch?”

We are to be lights but we can definitely dim that light. We should be broken in our hearts as we see the results of sin all around us and rather than complaining about it, we should reach out to people with the gospel, telling them about forgiveness and salvation in Christ.

As Christmas approaches, let’s take advantage of every opportunity to tell others about the Savior who came into the world.

Shine the Light

2008-12-03T13:27:00.000-06:00

As believers we are to be witnesses to the world. We are to put aside our whining and start shining. We shine by living a godly life in an ungodly world. A person in our world who truly models integrity, whose life is characterized by goodness and righteousness and truth – a person who demonstrates a real love and forgiveness – a person who doesn’t return evil for evil but gives a blessing instead – that person is going to shine.

Now some people may shy away from the light, but they can’t help but notice it. Our light must shine in the midst of this dark world.

A Christian who isn’t committed to growing in godliness is going to dim the light. A believer who isn’t wholeheartedly following the Lord, isn’t going to appear as a shining light to others.

We don’t want to dim the light of Christ. We want it to shine through our lives as brightly as possible.

Stop Whining and Start Shining

2008-12-02T10:53:00.000-06:00

As Christians we do too much complaining. We complain about the things everybody else does – politics, weather, traffic, and whatever else – but we also complain about things in the church. The music is too loud, or too old, or whatever else.

When we do this complaining we forget why we are here. We are not here to live as comfortably as we can, but to be witnesses for our Savior. We are lights in the midst of a dark world and we are to shine. So… we need to stop the whining and start shining.

As believers we are the only light the world has. In us they are to see the light and life of God. We are to live godly, holy lives in the world and that kind of living will have a startling effect.

So let’s work on shining the light and giving glory to our Savior.

Tell Out the Good News

2008-12-01T10:52:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” One way for a Christian to do that is to remember why we are here. We have been given a commission by our Lord to take the good news of the gospel to our world. We have an evangelistic mandate.

We live in the midst of and among the people of the world. We have a responsibility to them to tell them of the salvation that they can find in Christ. You can’t fulfill that responsibility if you’re a whiner and a grumbler.

The Bible says that we live in a crooked and perverse society. That is becoming easier and easier to see in our country. The abnormal has become normal. Everywhere you turn you see signs of fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lying, and cheating.

We live in a world that desperately needs Christ. We must put aside our complaints and tell out the good news.

Back to Complaining?

2008-11-28T10:46:00.000-06:00

Now that Thanksgiving is over, we can go back to whining and complaining, right?

Wrong.

The Bible says that we are to do all things without grumbling or disputing. In fact, in Romans 1:21, the Bible warns us that an unthankful life is characteristic of unbelief.

If you are a Christian you need to be thankful that you did not get what you deserve. We all deserve eternal judgment because of our sin and rebellion against God. Yet a Christian is someone that the Lord has extended grace to. The wrath that we deserve was put on Christ and He suffered in our place. In Christ we are forgiven and we have been reconciled to God.
In Christ we have the assurance that no matter what else happens we are going to heaven. Our best days are ahead of us when we are in the presence of our Lord.

Surely, we have much to be thankful for everyday.

Thanks for a Heavenly Father

2008-11-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

Today is not only Thanksgiving Day, but it is also my father’s 86th birthday. I’ll be flying to California today to celebrate with my dad and many family members. I’m thankful for my father. We have enjoyed a wonderful relationship which has allowed us to do many things together. I will rejoice with him today.

But as thankful as I am for my earthly father, I am more thankful for my Heavenly Father. My Heavenly Father chose me, and forgave me, and made me His child through the work that Jesus Christ did on my behalf on the cross. It isn’t enough to have physical life, we all need the spiritual life that only Christ can give.

So today as I celebrate my dad’s birthday, I’ll also be expressing my most profound thanks to my God and Father because in Him I have an abundant and eternal life. He has been good to me.

Heaven's Rejoicing

2008-11-26T10:42:00.000-06:00

Every church has their own set of traditions. At our church we always have a service the night before Thanksgiving where we sing songs and anybody can give a testimony of what the Lord has done in their life over the past year. This is always a rich and memorable time for us as a church family.

This year we are adding another feature to this Thanksgiving Eve service. We are going to have baptisms as a part of our time together. We have a number of people who want to give testimony of God’s saving work in their lives through the act of baptism. I’m looking forward to hearing their expressions of thanks as they get baptized.

I also anticipate that those at the service will express their own thanks to the Lord as they hear the testimonies of those being baptized. Heaven rejoices when one sinner repents and so should we.

Is the Heavenly Father Inadequate?

2008-11-25T14:24:00.000-06:00

If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, then you are a child of God. A great transformation has taken place in your life and your life continues to be changed as the Lord works in you.

As we live this new life that we’ve been given in Christ, we are to bring honor to our Heavenly Father. Someone who complains all the time is not honoring the Father. A whiner distorts the picture of a child of God. When we grumble and dispute we imply that having God as my Father is somehow inadequate.

We need to remember the words of Lamentations 3:39 which says, “ Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins?” We need to stop complaining about what we don’t have and be overwhelmed by the truth that God would make me His child, forgiving all my sin.

Remember Whose Name You Bear

2008-11-24T13:26:00.000-06:00

If you are a Christian, then you are a child of God. We’ve been taken out of Satan’s family by virtue of Christ’s work on our behalf. We are sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

We need to remember who we belong to – who’s Name we bear. And we are to do all things without complaining so that we might be the kind of children God saved us to be. We need to be children who rightly represent our heavenly Father. When we think about all that the Lord has done and continues to do for us, how can we complain about anything?

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, let’s remember all the good that the Lord has done for us in bringing us into His family and making us one of His own. Let’s stop the complaining and start the rejoicing. Let’s give glory and honor to our great God and Savior.

Grumble-meters On?

2008-11-21T14:10:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 says “Do all things without grumbling and complaining.” In light of what this verse says, I want to give you an assignment. See how long you can go without complaining about anything. I wish I could give you a grumble-meter that would alert you every time you started to grumble about something.

Now I don’t want to make light of what is a very serious sin, and the Bible helps us to cut down on our grumbling. Philippians 2:15 helps us by reminding us that we are children of God. If we would just remember what the Lord has done for us in making us who were His enemies into His own children, we would have so much to be thankful for that we would stop our complaining.

I’m glad I didn’t get what I deserve from God. I am thankful for His grace.

Be Careful about Complaining

2008-11-20T10:28:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” We know what this verse is talking about because we are all guilty of this sin. What we probably don’t realize is how serious a sin this is.

The children of Israel did plenty of grumbling as the Lord led them through the wilderness. We are warned about this in 1 Corinthians 10:10 where we are told not to “grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer.”

That tells us what God thinks about those who grumble. It is a serious sin that is directed at God because He is the One who has ordered all of your circumstances. It is so serious that The Lord killed some people for their complaining.

So we need to take this sin seriously. Start making a list of all the things you are thankful for and share that list with someone on Thanksgiving Day.

Don't Edit the Scripture

2008-11-19T10:48:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” That’s a very important verse that we don’t take seriously enough. We’ve been so influenced by our culture and our own sin, that we don’t even think this is possible. Do “all” things without complaining?

So, we mentally edit this verse to read like this:

Do your best not to grumble or dispute

Or

If you do most things without grumbling and disputing, you do well.

But that is not what the Scripture says. It says to do all things without grumbling. Grumbling is that grouchy, complainy, murmuring that we all do. To dispute is to argue about our circumstances.

As we anticipate Thanksgiving Day, let’s put aside the grumbling and rejoice in all the grace and goodness that the Lord has shown to us. Let’s thank Him for what we do have not complain about what we don’t have.

You Don't Complain, Do You?

2008-11-18T15:17:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.” This verse clearly tells us that complaining is a sin, yet think of how much complaining we do.

We will complain about the weather. We will complain about the traffic. Somedays we will complain about the weather and the traffic. We will complain about our work. We will complain about other people. Sometimes we complain about the people at work. We will complain about our family. We will even complain about politicians.

We are a society of whiners. We can cry and bellyache about almost anything. It is amazing.

And the church is not immune to this. We will complain about all the other things and then complain about things at church as well.

That’s why we have this command to do all things without grumbling and disputing. We need the Lord to help us with this.

No Complaints

2008-11-17T13:12:00.000-06:00

Philippians 2:14 says, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing.’ That is a shocking, slap in the face kind of verse. It says to do “all” things without complaining. Not some things. Not most things. It says to do all things without complaining. There are no conditions given. There are no exceptions listed.

And the reason this verse is so startling is because we live in a culture of complainers. We live in a society of whiners. Because we often live in pursuit of personal happiness and chase after fantasies that don’t exist, we complain about everything that isn’t the way we want it to be.

As we approach the Thanksgiving season I want to encourage you to think about the things you have to be thankful for rather than complaining about the things you don’t have. Rejoice and give thanks for the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Resting In God's Protection

2008-11-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

Over the past few weeks we have talked about living the good life as it is presented to us in 1 Peter 3:8-12.

We have seen that even Christians who are being persecuted can live the good life because of the blessings that they have in Christ; because of the instruction they have in Scripture; and because of the promises that they have from God. As we walk with the Lord He promises to keep His eyes on us and His ears are tuned in to our prayers.

God also promises that His face is against those who do evil. Those who would persecute us or be hostile to us will find God in opposition to them. We can rest in God’s protection.

That is a good life. I don’t need to worry, just rest in Him.

God Cares

2008-11-13T13:12:00.000-06:00

When we live out the life that God has given us in Christ we can do so with the assurance that God is attentive to our prayers as 1 Peter 3:12 says. The word for prayer speaks of our petitions. The things we need to ask God for. He’s listening to what you are asking.

What a comfort it is to know that no matter where I am or what’s going on in my life, the Lord Himself is listening to my prayers. That’s a good life. There may be a lot of things that I don’t have, but I do have a heavenly Father who attends to my prayers.

You should never think that God does not care for you. He does. Knowing that is enough to say that you are living a good, rich, abundant life.

At Believers Fellowship we want to pursue the good life that can only be found in Christ.

He Listens to My Prayers

2008-11-12T13:20:00.000-06:00

We’ve been talking about living the good life and looking at 1 Peter 3:8-12. Peter says that for those who live out the life that Christ has given them that they can have confidence that the eyes of the Lord are on them and He is listening to their prayers.

That is the good life. To know that God Himself is maintaining a watchful, caring, listening oversight of my life produces a peace and joy that nothing in this world can come close to. No matter how bad the circumstances, I know that the Lord is watching and waiting to minister to me. Nothing escapes His view. I can have confidence that He cares for me.

After all, God sent His own Son to die for my sin and to make me one of His children. He took me out of spiritual death and gave me eternal life. And it’s a good life.

The Greatest of Lives

2008-11-11T13:03:00.000-06:00

In 1 Peter 3:8-12, the apostle gave instruction on living the good life to Christians who were facing hostility and persecution. He told them that they needed to live this life out and to do so remembering all of the blessings they have received in Christ and remembering the encouragement that they have in Scripture.

And Peter tells them that if they live out what they have then the eyes of the Lord are on them and He attends to their prayer. Wow. If that was all you knew – that the eyes of the Lord were on you and He was listening to you pray, then you would have to conclude that this truly is the good life.

To know that God is watching over me and His ears are open to my prayers, it can’t get any better than that. That’s not a good life, that’s the greatest of lives.

Preaching Christ in So Cal

2008-11-10T11:02:00.000-06:00

Today I am flying back from Southern California. I was there this weekend to preach at a church. My subject was living the good life from 1 Peter 3:8-12. If you’ve been following this blog for the past couple of weeks then you know what I was talking about. If you haven’t been listening, you can catch up by reading my previous posts.

Now you might be thinking that Southern California is the home of the good life. Many people do. With the great climate, the beautiful beaches, and the palm trees swaying in the ocean breezes, how could it get any better?

But just like everywhere else, not everyone in Southern California is experiencing the good life. The good life can only be found in Jesus Christ. If you’re looking for the good life in this world, you’ll be disappointed. Jesus never disappoints.

Join us in worshipping Christ. He is the life.

Christ Gives the Good Life

2008-11-07T10:59:00.000-06:00

Are you living the good life? If you define the good life like most Americans then maybe you’re not experiencing it right now. But the Bible says you can know the good life no matter what your circumstances might be. Even if your candidate didn’t win in the election. Even if the economy is affecting your income. Even if your marriage is not going well.

1 Peter was written to believers who were living in difficult times. They were persecuted by the government and they had difficulties at work and home. Yet in 1 Peter 3:8-12 they are given instruction on how they can know the good life even in trying times.

Jesus said that He came so that we might have life and have it abundantly. The life we have in Christ is so good that it transcends our circumstances. We just need to live out the life He has given us.

The Good Life: Pursuing Peace

2008-11-06T10:57:00.000-06:00

In 1 Peter 3:10-11, Peter talks about living the good life. He is quoting from Psalm 34 which was written by David. At that time King Saul was trying to kill David. But David said that if you want to know the good life you have to keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. You have to turn from evil and do good. You must seek peace and pursue it.

That’s exactly what David did. He never spoke evil of Saul. He never did evil to Saul. In fact, there were a couple of opportunities for David to kill Saul and even though he would have been justified in doing so, he refused to do it. David tried every way he could to seek peace with Saul.

By nurturing hatred and bitterness towards those who are opposed to us, we are not going to know the good life. We must pursue peace.

Election Results: Good Life Available to All

2008-11-05T10:48:00.001-06:00

I’m assuming that if you are reading this blog that you survived Election Day yesterday and I have some good news for you. Experiencing the good life is not dependent on who won the election.

In 1 Peter 3:10, the Apostle spoke about living the good life to some Christians who were being persecuted. Also, this verse is a quote from Psalm 34. Psalm 34 was written by David during that time in his life when he was being chased down by King Saul. Saul wanted to kill David.

So the Bible teaches us that even people who are having their lives threatened can live the good life. So powerful is what we have in Christ and in the Scripture that we can live the good life no matter what the circumstances might be.

One huge benefit of understanding this is that it frees me from chasing what the world says is the good life.

Vote for the Good Life

2008-11-04T10:18:00.001-06:00

Today is Election Day. To many people the results of this election will determine if they will live the good life or not over the next four years. At least that’s what they think.

The Bible teaches that you can know the good life no matter what. This instruction is given in 1 Peter 3:10 and it was given to Christians who were being persecuted by the Roman government. No matter who gets elected today, I don’t believe we will have it that bad.

Also, in this verse, Peter is quoting form Psalm 34. The good life that we enjoy as believers is dependent on the truth of God’s Word, not the ever changing circumstances of life.

Is your life anchored to the Scripture? Do you evaluate life based on what God says or by what the culture around us says?

At Believers Fellowship we want to know the Bible so we can live the good life.

Are You Loving Life?

2008-11-03T15:17:00.000-06:00

Are you living the good life? Some of you might be thinking, “We’ll see how the election goes tomorrow, then I’ll tell you if I’m living the good life or not.” Others might think they will be living the good life once the economy turns around.

Well the Apostle Peter wrote a letter to some believers who were living in terrible circumstances. He called it a fiery ordeal, a painful trial. Yet, in 1 Peter 3:10, Peter spoke to them about living the good life. He gave instruction for whoever would love life and see good days. Peter spoke of a life worth loving and it had nothing to do with their circumstances.

In Christ we are able to experience a life that is impossible apart from Him. In Christ we are blessed with forgiveness, hope, joy, and peace. On top of that we enjoy fellowship with other believers.

At Believers Fellowship we want to know the good life.

Christ Blessed His Enemies

2008-10-31T12:52:00.000-05:00

The Apostle Peter wrote to believers and told them how to live the good life even in the midst of persecution. Peter gave this instruction in 1 Peter 3:8-12.

Among other things Peter told the believers not to return evil for evil or insult for insult. That’s hard instruction. Our natural reaction when we are mistreated is to talk back. But Peter says that rather than do that, we are to give a blessing instead. We are to love our enemies. We should pray for them and be kind to them. This is how to live the good life.

We can do this by remembering all the blessings that we have in Christ. I was His enemy but He blessed me. He died for me and forgave me of all my sin forever. Because of what Christ has done for me, I am going to heaven no matter what anyone else does.

The Fellowship of Believers

2008-10-30T17:29:00.000-05:00

The Apostle Peter tells believers living in the hostile environment of the Roman Empire that they can live the good life in 1 Peter 3:8-12. This same instruction is true today for believers living in places like Iran, Iraq, and India – all places where Christians have recently been suffering.

But this instruction is just as necessary for believers living in San Antonio. We face the danger of thinking that the good life consists of what the society around us chases after. We need to be reminded of what the good life really consists of.

Peter reminds us that the good life is found in the fellowship of believers where the attitude is that of harmony, sympathy, brotherly love, kindheartedness, and humility. What we have together as believers is something to be cherished. In Christ we have a life that is worth sharing.

Are you enjoying that kind of fellowship? Are you sympathetic, kindhearted and humble towards other believers?

Living In Harmony

2008-10-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

The Apostle Peter gave instruction on living the good life in 1 Peter 3:8-12. He wrote this to believers who were being persecuted by an unbelieving and hostile culture. He had instructed them on how to relate to their government, their employers, and even their unbelieving spouses. Then Peter sums it all up with how they can experience the good life in the midst of all that.

Peter begins by telling the believers that they are to be harmonious. They need to live together in harmony in the midst of a hostile world. Believers need to be of one mind. Christians need to be united in serving the Lord.

No matter what rejection we face in the world we have our fellow believers who share our beliefs and we can enjoy the harmony of worshipping and serving the Lord together. When believers don’t take advantage of the fellowship of believers, they won’t experience the good life.

No Matter What

2008-10-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to live the good life apart from any particular possessions or circumstances? The Apostle Peter tells us it is possible in 1 Peter 3:8-12.

Peter was writing to Christians who were living in a hostile environment. They were hated. They were slandered. They were mistreated. They were abused. They were persecuted. The circumstances of their lives were anything but fun. Yet, they could still live the good life by following the Apostle’s instruction.

Most of you listening to this are not in that kind of situation. But I seem to be constantly encountering dissatisfied, unfulfilled Christians. To listen to them talk, you would not get the impression that they were living the good life.

We need to pick up the Scripture and read passages like this one in 1 Peter and learn how to live the good life in an ungodly world. The Bible provides answers and brings joy to the believing heart.

The Good Life

2008-10-27T16:41:00.000-05:00

I think it is safe to say that everyone is living in pursuit of what they would consider the good life. Not everyone is in agreement as to what the good life is, but to most Americans the good life consists of owning certain possessions and enjoying right circumstances.

As long as I can have what I want to have and I can indulge in whatever makes me feel good, then I would consider that the good life. The problem with this view is that you can never obtain enough and there is no guarantee that all these things will bring a good life.

The Apostle Peter wrote a letter to some Christians who were living in a hostile culture. These Christians were being persecuted for following Jesus Christ. Yet, in 1 Peter 3:8-12, Peter told them how they could experience the good life.

In Christ we have a life that can’t be touched by circumstance.

Study the Bible

2008-10-24T10:49:00.001-05:00

I trust that you know about the MacArthur Study Bible. This study Bible was put together a little over 10 years ago and has sold over a million copies since then. It has been translated into German, Russian, Spanish, French, and Italian. Currently Arabic and Chinese translations are in the works and when they are done almost 95% of the people in the world will be able to use this incredible tool.

I believe that The MacArthur Study Bible is the finest Study Bible available. If you want to know what the Bible means, then this is the book for you. There are introductory articles and thousands of notes to help you understand Scripture. If you could only have one study aid, this would be the best one to have.

At Believers Fellowship we want to know Scripture and we’re thankful for the MacArthur Study Bible.

The Master's Seminary

2008-10-23T10:45:00.001-05:00

As you may know, Dr. MacArthur is the President of The Master’s Seminary. Master’s Seminary has the simple goal of preparing men to be faithful expositors of God’s word in the local church. Every class is directed to that goal.

I am thankful for The Master’s Seminary and wish there were more seminaries with the same goal. We live in days where there is a great need for men in pulpits who will faithfully deliver messages that accurately communicate what God revealed in His Word.

I had the privilege of studying at Master’s Seminary and receiving my Masters of Divinity degree from them. The things learned help me every day in my ministry. Currently I am working on a Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching to help me improve still more.

At Believers Fellowship we are thankful for The Master’s Seminary.

The Master's College

2008-10-22T15:39:00.001-05:00

As you may know, John MacArthur was my first pastor back in 1974. Over the years I have greatly benefitted from his faithful Bible teaching. It is the solid truth from God’s Word that equips us for everything in life.

Dr. MacArthur is also the President of The Master’s College. Two of my sons graduated from Master’s and my youngest son is in his last year there. To study at a school that is so committed to the Savior and His word has been a tremendous blessing to my sons. In college is when many people decide their career path and who they will marry. To make those decisions in an environment with a godly faculty and committed leadership which supports the home and church is wonderful.

At Believers Fellowship we are thankful that God has raised up men like John MacArthur and ministries like Master’s.

Are You Abiding?

2008-10-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

Jesus repeatedly claimed to be God. One way He did this was by claiming the name, “I am,” for Himself. Everybody who knows the Old Testament knows that God revealed Himself to Moses as “I am.” So, for Jesus to claim that name for Himself was for Him to claim to be God.

Often in John’s gospel we see Jesus claiming this name for Himself and then adding something to this name to further describe Himself. In John 15 we read that Jesus said, “I am the true vine.” So not only is Jesus saying He is God, but, just like the vine is the source of life to its branches, so Jesus is saying that He is the source of life to all who abide in Him. To abide in Him is to have a permanent commitment to Him.

So, do you abide in Christ? Is He your God and your source of life?

Join us in worshipping our God. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Did Jesus Lie?

2008-10-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

We live in what are called postmodern times. In our day truth is seen as relative. What is true for you may not be true for me. In these times the only thing that is certain is uncertainty.

Jesus presents a different view. Jesus spoke in terms of absolute truth. For example, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Jesus’ statement flies in the face of modern thinking that wants to allow for many ways to God.

So, was Jesus right or was He wrong? When He says that He is the only way to the Father was He telling the truth or a lie? Some like to think that Jesus was a good teacher and we should admire Him. But did He lie about how to get to God?

At Believers Fellowship we believe that what Jesus said was true.

You are welcome to worship Him with us. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Do You Believe This?

2008-10-17T13:37:00.001-05:00

The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death. Everyday people die as an affirmation of this truth. The Bible also tells us that if a person dies with their sin unforgiven, they will experience eternal punishment for their sin.

We can’t avoid the reality of physical death, but God has made provision for the forgiveness of sin. He sent His Son to take upon Himself the punishment of sin for all who would believe in Him.

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” Then Jesus asked a question. He said, “Do you believe this?”

If you believe, your sin is forgiven and rather than the eternal punishment you deserve, you receive eternal life.

Do you believe this? At Believers Fellowship we believe in a life giving Savior.

You’re welcome to worship with us. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

You Can Live Even If You Die

2008-10-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

Jesus had some friends named Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. They were brother and sisters who lived near Jerusalem. In John 11 we are told that Lazarus got sick and eventually died. It was four days after he died that Jesus arrived.

Martha and Mary were glad to see Jesus but they were disappointed that Jesus had not been there earlier to heal Lazarus and prevent him from dying. Little did they know that Jesus intentionally arrived late so that He might perform the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.

As Jesus spoke with Martha He said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies.” Then to prove what He said, Jesus dramatically raised Lazarus out of the tomb.

Do you believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life? Sin kills, but if you turn to Christ, you will live forever with Him.

You are welcome to join us in worshipping Christ. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

I AM? No Doubt About It!

2008-10-15T13:17:00.001-05:00

Jesus clearly claimed to be God.

One way He did this was by repeatedly referring to Himself as “I am.” The Jewish people understood that this was the name of God. So, they understood that when Jesus called Himself “I am” that He was claiming deity for Himself.

Some cults will deny that Jesus claimed to be God, but the Bible couldn’t be any clearer on this.

One day Jesus was talking with some Jews. They were arguing with Jesus about His credentials and so Jesus finally said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

Was Jesus claiming to be God when He said that? Well, the Jews He was speaking with immediately picked up stones to stone Him. They understood that Jesus was claiming to be God and to them, that was blasphemy. They were going to execute Him.

Jesus is God. He repeatedly made that claim.

Worship Him with us. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.or

Don't Die in Your Sin

2008-10-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

In John’s gospel Jesus repeatedly referred to Himself as “I am.” In saying this Jesus was referring back to Exodus 3 when God told Moses that His name was “I am.” So when Jesus said “I am” about Himself, He was claiming to be God.

Now this is not just important theologically, but also very practically. In John 8:24, Jesus said, “Unless you believe that I am, you will die in your sins.” A failure to believe in Jesus as God will leave you condemned in your sins.

So when someone from a cult that doesn’t believe that Jesus is the God comes to your door you should make them aware of this truth. You should tell them that they will die in their sins if they fail to recognize Jesus as God and you should show compassion on them. You should urge them to change their view about who Christ is.

Join with us in worshipping Christ as God. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Come Out of the Darkness

2008-10-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

In John 8 Jesus said, “I am the Light of the World.” This is an emphatic statement. He said, “I Myself am the light of the world.”

And when Jesus says that He is the light of the world he is saying that He is God and He is saying that He is the promised Messiah.

Jesus made this statement in the Temple right after the Feast of Tabernacles. During that Feast the Jews remembered that God led them through the wilderness by a pillar of fire. He had saved them out of Egypt and He led them by His light.

Jesus says the same to you and me. He can bring you out of the darkness of slavery to sin. He said, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Do you follow Him?

Join us in worshipping the light of the world. You can find all of our information online at believers-fellowship.org.

Totally Committed to the Bread of Life

2008-10-10T10:10:00.001-05:00

Three times in John 6 Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” Jesus is saying that He can give life, in fact, He can give eternal life. He said that whoever comes to Him will not hunger, and that whoever believes in Him will never thirst.

Jesus promises to satisfy the human soul with a kind of life that can’t be found anywhere else. Unfortunately and unbelievably, most of those who heard Jesus say those words walked away from Him. Why? Because He told them that they must eat His flesh and drink His blood. By saying those words Jesus was saying that you must be totally committed to Him.

Those people didn’t want that. They admired Jesus’ miracles and they appreciated the free bread He gave them, but they didn’t want to commit to Him. They preferred sin and death to Jesus and life.

Are you totally committed to the Lord Jesus Christ? Only He gives life.

Visit us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Is I AM with You?

2008-10-09T12:09:00.000-05:00

One of the most, if not the most, common expressions in the Bible is, “Do not be afraid,” or something similar. Now why do you think that is one of the most common expressions found in all of Scripture? The answer is real simple. It is because we often are fearful or anxious.

Today we have many things we could be anxious about. Gas prices and the economic situation in general could give us plenty to worry about. Jesus’ disciples were afraid one night as they were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a storm.

But Jesus came to them walking on the water and said to them, “I am, do not be afraid.” When Jesus said, “I am,” He was claiming to be God. When you know that Jesus is with you, then you don’t need to be afraid of anything.

Have you trusted Christ as Savior? Then He is with you.

Come worship our God and Savior with us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

I AM says Do Not Be Afraid

2008-10-08T11:38:00.000-05:00

In John’s gospel we often read of Jesus referring to Himself as “I am.” That is a declaration of Jesus’ deity. When Jesus says, ‘I am,” He is claiming to be God.

Jesus referred to Himself this way once in a very interesting situation. In John 6 we read of the disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee and a storm came up. They were having a hard time dealing with the wind and the waves and then they were frightened by the sight of someone walking across the water.

Well, it was Jesus walking on the water and He said to those scared disciples, “I am, do not be afraid.” Jesus took care of those disciples that day and He can take care of you and me.

Knowing Jesus and knowing that He is God can take care of all our fears. Do you know Jesus? Do you know Jesus as your God and Savior?

Come and worship with us. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

I AM is the Messiah

2008-10-07T11:36:00.001-05:00

When Jesus referred to Himself as “I am” he was declaring that He is God in the flesh. But often Jesus attached some additional significance to that title.

For example, in John 4, we read of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman next to a well of water. The woman had come to the well to get water for her daily needs and Jesus, who was resting there, asked if she would give Him a drink.

This request led to a conversation which eventually led to the differences between Samaritan beliefs and worship and Jewish beliefs and worship. The woman said that she knew that someday a Messiah, a Christ, would come and He would straighten everything out.

At that point Jesus said, “I am.” Jesus informed this woman that the man talking to her was in fact the Messiah. “I am,“ God in the flesh, is the Messiah.

At Believers Fellowship we worship Jesus as God and Savior.

You can find all our information online at believers-fellowship.org.

I AM

2008-10-06T11:33:00.000-05:00

Several times in the Gospel of John we read of Jesus referring to Himself simply as, “I am.” When Jesus said “I am” He was clearly equating Himself with God. In Exodus 3 when Moses asked God what His name was, God said, “I am.” So, when Jesus says, “I am,” He is claiming to be God.

It is so important that we remember the deity of Christ. It is important for us to remember this in connection with the teaching of the Trinity. It is also important that we remember this in regard to the incarnation. When Jesus came into the world, it was God taking on human flesh.

When we think of God taking on flesh we marvel at His humility. When we remember that God took on flesh so that He could die in the place of sinners, we marvel at His grace.

Do you believe Jesus is God?

Worship Him with us Sunday. All of our information can be found online at believers-fellowship.org.

BLOGGING

2008-10-03T13:07:00.004-05:00

This week I read what I think is a very accurate definition of Blogging:

Never have so many with so little to say said so much to so few.

I can relate to that. I've been blogging recently about our incredibly awesome Savior. A Savior who is available to desperate sinners. A Savior who is impartial - accepting all sinners who come to him in faith. A Savior who is gracious towards sinners who come to Him, giving them far more than they could have ever imagined. And a Savior who is powerful - so powerful that that He can reverse death and give back life.

After writing about our great Savior I put out a call across the vast expanse of the World Wide Web, asking people to give an amen to these mind-blowing truths about Jesus Christ. I got two responses. Two. 1-2.

Never have so many with so little to say said so much to so few (apparently, two, to be exact).

Now maybe everybody is busy following the presidential campaigns. Jesus is King of kings.

Perhaps others are caught up in the financial crisis and following the bailout plans. Jesus owns the earth and everything in it.

Others maybe are tuned in to Facebook - following their friends as they go to a game, or shopping, or wherever. We want to stay connected. I got to keep the text messages flowing. Jesus never leaves me. I can talk to Him anytime or anywhere.

Jesus has communicated with us in His Word. His Word never needs updating. Scripture is as fresh today as the day it was first penned.

I love my Savior. Amen.

Never Disappointed!

2008-10-03T11:30:00.000-05:00

The Bible exhorts us to fix our hope on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Sadly, churches are filled with people who either have no hope or they have a false hope. Many today have placed their hope in their job, or their friends, or their possessions, or their church, or their marriage – or something else.

And when things don’t go for them like they had hoped in their marriage, or on their job – or whatever, then they struggle with discouragement, discord, depression, and even divorce.

In all these cases it is the result of a misplaced hope. Someone who has their hope fixed on the Lord will never be disappointed. You never can be disappointed because the Lord is absolutely perfect in every way.

The solution for those suffering from a misplaced hope is to set their hope on Christ.

Where is your hope today? Can you honestly say, “My hope is in the Lord?”

Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

The Gentleness of Jesus

2008-10-02T16:37:00.000-05:00

The Bible tells us to fix our hope on the Lord. In Mark 5 we read of two people who did that and they found Jesus to be available, impartial, gracious, and powerful.

We see one more thing about Jesus in this text. One of the people who reached out to Jesus was a man whose daughter died but Jesus brought her back to life.

But then after that incredible display of power, Jesus demonstrated gentleness to this young girl. He gave a command that no one should tell what He had done for her. I believe this was an expression of gentle thoughtfulness. Jesus did want this girl to become a spectacle.

Also, Jesus said that something should be given the girl to eat. She had been sick for several days and, no doubt, needed to eat something. Again, what a great insight into the gentleness of Jesus.

You can put your hope in the gentle Savior.

All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Can I Get an Amen?

2008-10-01T16:49:00.002-05:00

Lately I have written about our great Savior. I have pointed out that Jesus is available, impartial, gracious, and powerful. That's our Lord. He can do what no one else can do.

Have you been reading? If you've been encouraged this would be a good time to let out an "Amen!"

Talk to me. Let me hear from you.

The Power of Christ

2008-10-01T15:22:00.000-05:00

In Mark 5 we read about two people who looked to Jesus for help. One was a synagogue official whose daughter was dying. The other was a woman who had suffered with a hemorrhage for 12 years.

Both of them found Jesus to be available, impartial, and gracious. But if you are going to unreservedly and totally put your hope in someone they must also be powerful. And in this passage Jesus displays His power.

Not only did He heal the woman, but along the way He received word that the synagogue official’s daughter had died. This didn’t stop Jesus. He continued on to the house where the girl was.

He then entered her room, touched her, spoke tenderly to her, and raised her back to life. Jesus Christ has power over death.

If you put your hope in Christ, you do not need to fear death.

At Believers Fellowship our hope is in the Lord.

All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

What Kind of Faith Do You Have?

2008-09-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

In Mark 5 we read of two people who came to Jesus seeking help. One was a synagogue official whose daughter was dying. The other was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years.

These two people could not have been more different. However, they were very similar in the way they expressed their faith in Christ. They both showed humility. They both fell at the feet of Jesus.

They both were persistent in coming to Jesus because they had to make their way through large crowds that were surrounding Him.

They both came to Jesus out of a strong sense of desperation. They had to get to Christ. They were desperate and they knew Jesus was the only one who could help them.

They were very different people but they came with a similar faith and Jesus graciously received both of them.

Do you have that kind of faith? Is your hope in the Lord?

All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Jesus is Gracious

2008-09-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

Mark 5 tells us that as Jesus was making his way to the home of a synagogue official He was surrounded by a crowd of people. One person in that crowd was a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for 12 years. She was determined to get to Jesus because she believed that if she could just touch His cloak she would be healed.

She did reach Jesus. She did touch His cloak and she was healed.

Jesus stopped to talk to this woman. She was initially afraid because she didn’t want Jesus to know that she had touched him. However, Jesus was gracious to her. In fact, He told her that her faith had saved her. Not only was she physically healed, but all her sin was forgiven. She now had eternal life.

All who put their hope in Christ will find Him gracious.

At Believers Fellowship our hope is in the Lord.

All our information can be found online at believers-fellowship.org.

Turn to the Lord

2008-09-26T13:16:00.000-05:00

In Mark 5 we read of a woman who had had a hemorrhage for 12 years. Her condition would have made her religiously unclean, meaning that she could not attend the synagogue. To not attend synagogue would be to be cut off from all social life.

So this woman suffered physically and socially. She also suffered financially. She spent all she had trying to find a cure for her condition but in the end she was worse, not better. Like many people today, she had put her hope in medicine.

In her desperation, this woman turns to Jesus believing that He can do for her what no one else can. She places her hope in the Lord and the Lord delivers her.

Do you have a sense of hopelessness today? Have you tried everything else but nothing has helped? Turn to the Lord. He is available and He is impartial. He can help like no one else.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Jesus is Impartial

2008-09-25T14:01:00.000-05:00

In Mark 5 we see Jesus responding to the request of a Synagogue ruler to come help his daughter who was dying. By responding, Jesus shows how compassionate and available He is to hurting people.

Some might think that he responded to this man because he was an important individual and that Jesus wouldn’t do that for just anyone.

However, along the way Jesus stops to heal a woman who has had a hemorrhage for 12 years. This woman was in a hopeless situation. Every human means had been tried to cure her, but all had failed.

Because of her condition she would have been considered unclean by the religious people of her day, but she reached out to Jesus and He did not send her a way. This shows us that Jesus is not only available, but He is impartial.

He provides hope to those with or without social status.

At Believers Fellowship our hope is in the Lord.

All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Jesus is Available

2008-09-24T16:55:00.000-05:00

In the second half of Mark 5 we read of a hopeless situation. The 12 year old daughter of a synagogue ruler had died.

This hopeless situation provided the opportunity for Jesus to do what only He can do and give you and me reasons to place our hope in the Lord.

One thing to note is how available Jesus is. Jesus and His disciples had arrived by boat to Capernaum and they couldn’t even get off the beach before Jesus was mobbed. The synagogue ruler fights His way through the crowd and begs Jesus to come help his daughter. Jesus didn’t tell him to make an appointment; amazingly, Jesus went with Him.

Jesus is available to hurting people like no one else can be. He is available to you anytime, anywhere. No friend, spouse, or pastor can do that. Nobody can respond or help like Him.

At Believers Fellowship our hope is in the Lord.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Where is Your Hope?

2008-09-23T12:33:00.000-05:00

Because of who Jesus Christ is and what He does, you and I can set our hope on Him. The Bible tells us to fix our hope on Christ. And it is vitally important that our hope is set and fixed on Christ.

The Bible tells us that hope produce a steadfastness in the Christian life. It is hope that keeps us going. The Bible also tells us that hope has a purifying effect in our lives. We need our hope settled on the person of Christ.

A hope that is fixed on something other than Christ will lead to things like discouragement, discord, depression, and divorce. A misplaced hope, a hope that is fixed on the things of this world, will lead to disappointments and, ultimately, destruction.

The cure to all of the symptoms of a false hope is to turn to Christ and fix your hope in Him.

At Believers Fellowship our hope is in the Lord.

All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Hope for the Hopeless

2008-09-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

In the second half of Mark 5 we read about Jesus healing a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years and raising back to life a dead 12 year old girl.

These were two situations that were completely hopeless from a human perspective. In the case of the woman we are told that every human resource had been explored and found lacking.
There was no human cure that could be of help to this woman who had suffered so miserably for 12 years.

And there is no human resource that can bring back the dead. In both situations the hopelessness of the condition is well established. But that simply sets the stage for Jesus to do what only He can do.

Only Jesus can give hope to the hopeless. In both situations a desperate appeal was made to Jesus and He did more than could be imagined.

Is your hope in the Lord?

Worship with us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org

So Which One Are You?

2008-09-19T14:15:00.001-05:00

Over the last three weeks we have talked about the stable Christian. We’ve said that some Christians are like thermometers. Their spiritual experience goes up and down depending on what’s happening around them. They react. Other Christians are like a thermostat. They control the environment around them because they act instead of react and they act guided by godly wisdom.

These stable Christians have God’s Word as their priority. They have their hearts fixed on the person of Christ. Stable believers live their lives for the purpose of glorifying God. They have a peace that comes from their confidence in God. These believers are also persistent in their pursuit of spiritual realities. Lastly, these stable Christians have a passion for the Lord that fuels their lives.

So would you consider yourself to be a Christian who is more like the thermometer or the thermostat?

At Believers Fellowship we want to be stable Christians bearing a testimony for God.

Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Passion

2008-09-18T14:14:00.001-05:00

Stable Christians are those who are not pushed around by the circumstances of life. They are stable because that have made God’s Word the priority in their lives. They have their heart focused on the person of Christ. They live for a very definite purpose – to glorify God. These believers know peace because they are confident in their great God. And these believers are persistent in seeking after God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

One other characteristic of the stable Christian is that they are passionate. Their stability doesn’t come from just a grit your teeth and grind it out kind of spirituality. These believers have hearts that are on fire for their Savior.

These Christians have seen the darkness of their own sin and they are repulsed by it. Having seen Christ in all His purity they have fled to Him and they want to cling to Him.

At Believers Fellowship we want to be passionate about Christ.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Seeking First

2008-09-17T13:54:00.000-05:00

Stable Christians all demonstrate certain characteristics. They have God’s Word as a priority in their lives. Their thoughts are focused on the person of Jesus Christ. They live their lives for the purpose of glorifying God. They also know great peace because they have confidence in their God.

Another characteristic of a stable Christian is that they are persistent. Jesus said that we are to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. The stable Christian is one who faithfully, persistently obeys this command.

To seek God’s kingdom is to pour ourselves into things of eternal consequence. The stable Christian doesn’t get hung up by the trivial.

To seek God’s righteousness is to hunger and thirst for holiness, godliness, and Christlikeness.
The stable Christian will persistently seek these things even in the face of opposition. And the stable Christian pursues these spiritual priorities trusting that God will provide everything else that’s needed along the way.

Join us as we follow after the Lord. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Great Peace

2008-09-16T14:44:00.001-05:00

Some Christians are like thermometers. They go up and down depending on circumstances. Other Christians are like thermostats. They live a life of stability.

Stable Christians have a priority – the Word of God.

Stable Christians are focused on a person – the Lord Jesus Christ

Stable Christians live with a purpose – the glory of God.

And stable Christians enjoy a great peace.

The stable Christian lives with the confident peace that comes from knowing that their God has everything under control. The stable Christian knows that God’s sovereign control extends in every direction.

The Bible tells us that God is in control of the physical realm, all people, and every event. God’s purposes will be accomplished and nothing can stop Him.

The Christian can be sure that everything comes to them through God’s sovereign hand and that He is using everything for the good of that believer.

Peace comes from having a biblical view of God’s power and knowledge.

Join us in worship. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Do You Believe?

2008-09-15T15:16:00.000-05:00

A stable Christian is one who lives with a clear sense of purpose. That purpose is to glorify God. We glorify God by confessing Jesus as Lord. We glorify God by confessing our sin. We glorify God by enduring opposition. We also glorify God by believing His promises.

The Bible tells us that God made a promise to Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. This promise was made when Abraham was 75 and Sarah was 65, well past child-bearing age. But then it was another 25 years until this promise was fulfilled.

However, Romans 4:18-21 tells us that Abraham glorified God by trusting in God’s promise.
Unbelief doubts God and implies that He cannot be trusted. That detracts from God’s glory. Sometimes it’s not easy to believe God’s promises. It seems like they take a long time. But God is glorified when we trust Him.

Do you think God keeps His Word?

Join us Sunday for worship. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Willing to Suffer?

2008-09-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

Some Christians are like thermometers. They go up and down depending on circumstances. Other Christians are like thermostats controlling their environment by living with a purpose. That purpose is not to get what they want, but to give God glory.

The Bible tells us a number of ways that we give glory to God. One of those ways is by enduring sufferings that might come our way as Christians. We glorify God by being willing to suffer for Him.

This is an important commitment to have because the Bible tells us that everyone committed to glorifying God will suffer and therefore, we glorify God when we endure that suffering.

The Apostle Peter wrote his first letter to suffering Christians. He told them not to be ashamed but to glorify God as Christians even if we are being rejected and persecuted by others.

We glorify God by being faithful to Him even in the face of opposition.

Join us in glorifying God. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Confessing Sin to the Glory of God

2008-09-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

Stable Christians have the Scriptures as their priority. They have the person of Christ as their focus. And they live for the purpose of glorifying God.

The Bible tells us that one way we glorify God is by confessing our sin. In Joshua 7, Joshua confronted a man named Achan and told him to glorify God and confess his sin. When we confess our sin we agree with God that what we did was a violation of His law. Therefore we recognize His holiness and justice. We magnify God’s perfect character when we confess our sin.

To excuse your sin is to impugn God. It is to attack His character and His standard. When you absolve yourself of responsibility you, in effect, blame God for what happened. That’s what Adam did when he blamed his sin on the woman that God had given him.

We must confess our sin and give God glory.

Join us in worshipping our Savior. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Abundant Opportunities to Glorify God

2008-09-10T10:26:00.000-05:00

Stable Christian living comes from a commitment to glorify God in everything. And everything includes the routine events of life like the everyday duties and the ordinary conversations. How we conduct ourselves in these circumstances determines largely whether we will glorify God in our lives.

There are many Christians who work in a difficult environment and it can be very tempting to join with the crowd in complaining. Some believers have a stressful home environment with an unsupportive spouse, or resisting children, or harsh parents. In those kinds of situations it can be hard to resist the opportunity to gripe about them.

The reality is that life is a hassle for most people. That just means that we have abundant opportunities to glorify God in how we treat people or how we respond to the way others treat us.

Will you be pushed around by the hassles of life or purpose to glorify God in them?

Join us in glorifying God. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Resolved

2008-09-09T14:22:00.000-05:00

Stable Christians live their lives for the purpose of glorifying God. These believers have resolved that they will live to glorify God. This is the aim and direction of their lives.

What is the aim of your life? Is it to be successful, happy, or prosperous? Is your goal to be thought of as a good parent or a business professional? Having goals like this can cause instability in your life because these kinds of goals can be slippery and not completely under your control.

God’s glory must be our chief aim. All other goals must be secondary. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says that whatever we do we are to do it all to the glory of God.

We must prefer God above everything else. We must prefer Him above money, fame, honor, success, friends, and family. We must seek to please God above everyone else.

At Believers Fellowship we want to glorify God in every way.

Join us this Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

Confessing Jesus is Lord

2008-09-08T14:25:00.000-05:00

Some Christians are like thermometers just reacting to the circumstances surrounding them. Other Christians are like thermostats because they control their environment by acting according to godly wisdom, not just reacting.

The stable Christian has made a priority of God’s Word. They have their lives focused on the person of Jesus Christ. And, the stable Christian lives their life for the purpose of glorifying God.

What are some ways that we can glorify God? The Bible tells us several ways. One way is by confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord. Philippians 2:11 tells us that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Sooner or later, everybody will confess that Jesus is Lord.

By doing it now, you will bring glory to God. Have you done that? You can’t begin to glorify God until you bow before Christ.

At Believers Fellowship we seek to honor our Lord Jesus.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

What's Your Purpose?

2008-09-05T11:40:00.001-05:00

Some Christians are like thermometers. They go up and down depending on circumstances.

Other Christians are like thermostats. They control their situations by acting according to Godly wisdom.

This stability comes through having the Word of God as the priority in their lives and, as a result, having their focus on the person of Jesus Christ.

The stable Christian also has a clear sense of purpose. They understand that their purpose in life is to glorify God. The stable Christian is consumed with the desire to see God glorified.

Glorifying God basically means to live in response to His glory. By His glory we speak of the sum of all His perfect attributes. As we learn about the character of God through searching the Scripture and focusing on Christ we then seek to reflect that glory in our own lives. We let our light shine for Him.

At Believers Fellowship we want to glorify God in all we do.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.

What Person Has Your Attention?

2008-09-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

Spiritual Stability in the life of a Christian comes from having the Bible as a priority. The believer must delight in the Scripture and be a serious student of it.

As the Christian takes up this priority they will find their lives becoming even more focused on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ said that the Scripture testifies to Him. Christ is at the center of the Bible’s message.

Having our attention on Christ helps us to live a stable life where we are not pushed around by changing circumstances. Focusing on Christ will help us set our minds on the things above and not on the things that are on the earth as Colossians 3:2 tells us.

What person has your attention? It is so easy for us to get distracted. But spiritual stability doesn’t come any other way except by having our attention focused on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Join us Sunday. All our information is online at believers-fellowship.org.