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The Promise Of The Holy Spirit

(John 14:16-18) “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” Before Jesus left this world, he promised his disciples that he would come back for them, but also that he would indwell within them forever during his absence. He promised  us 5 things concerning the Holy Spirit: 1) He would Remain in you“that he would abide with you forever” and never be taken away. (Eph. 1:14) Tells us that we are “sealed” by Him until the day of our “redemption.” 2) He will Remind us of God’s truth. “he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance.” The Holy Ghost is our guide into God’s Word and a reminder of it if we take time to study it. 3) He will Reveal Christ in us. Not just in word but also in …
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The High Calling Of Motherhood

(2Tim. 1:5) “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. These words were penned by the apostle Paul to encourage the young Pastor Timothy to “continue on” in the faith that was handed down to him by his mother and grandmother. The truth that we have been given in Christ Jesus must be handed down to the next generation or it will die with us, and Paul uses motherhood as the perfect conduit here for doing so. Motherhood is indeed a high calling in this life, for Moms are called by God to: #1) Pass on humanity.  God chose the woman to bear in her body mankind, and then nurture him till he/she is able to leave the home. That’s why the womb is supposed to be the safest place on earth. As (Ps. 139:13) tells us ...“we are covered in my mother’s womb,” and we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by the “marvelous works” of God. “Mother,” in the Hebrew tongue means, “wor…
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Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life !

(John 14:6) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Ever since the time of Christ, many people have accepted the lie that there are many roads to heaven, when in the above verse Jesus says  very clearly that this is not true. Either Jesus was a liar, or he as God in the flesh was telling us the truth. 1) He is the Way. In John 1:1-4, Jesus told us that he was the Word of God in human form, and not only was he the Word of God, but also the Creator of the world and that in him was “life.” God came personally into the world that he created to show us that salvation can only come through his Son Jesus, and no other. Yes, there are many other ways in life to follow, but only Jesus came back from the dead to prove to mankind that he was and is God’s only Son, and the only way into heaven. 2) He is the Truth. Not only did Jesus say that he was the truth, but that his Word is absolutely true, also. In this world there are a lot …
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Learning To Be A Footwasher

(John 13:4-5) “He (Jesus) riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. (13:13) “ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. (13:15) “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.” In the above verses Jesus taught his disciples some important lessons.1) Concerning Salvation. In v.8 Jesus told Peter  “if I wash thee not, thou hast no part in me.” The washing that Jesus spoke of here was not the washing of the feet, but rather the soul.If someone is not washed from their sin in the blood of Jesus, he/she will have no part with Jesus in the kingdom of God. 2) Concerning Serving Others. Jesus said, “I have given you an example.” A servant in Jesus’ day was often asked…
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Jesus Is The Resurrection And The Life

(John 11:25) “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” This verse was spoken at the graveside of Lazarus before Jesus raised him from the dead. It has been said that it’s a good thing that Jesus only spoke the words “Lazarus come forth,” for if he had only said “come forth,” all the dead would have risen up. 1) Jesus is the resurrection. For without him there can be no life after death. Ever since the garden of Eden, man’s body and soul has been cursed with death, and so the body must go back to the dust from where it came (Gen. 3:19), but the spirit and soul back to the creator for judgment (Heb. 9:27). Life began with God, but death was brought on by man, and so only in Jesus Christ is there found eternal salvation. The resurrection from the dead is nothing more than the human body being brought back to life and put back together after death, by God. Until then the body sleeps here, while the soul and…
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Blindness

(John 9:1,3) “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth... Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”  In the above verses after the blind man was spotted, the apostles wanted to know if it was because of sin that he was born blind. Jesus very clearly went into the subject of blindness in the rest of the chapter. 1) Physical Blindness is not necessarily God’s judgment for sin. Sometimes people assume falsely that all physical imparities are due to our sins in this life. To that, Jesus stated in (v.3) that this blindness had nothing to do with him or his parents but rather God’s will. None of us in this life will ever truly know for certain why things happen the way they do, so be careful not to prejudge these things when they happen. 2) Spiritual Blindness on the other hand is the result of sin! Ever since the fall of Adam and Eve, a spiritual blindness has been upon the ears and h…
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The Power Of Grace

(John 8:3) “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery;... (5) ... Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: (7)... he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”  Under the Law of Moses the Pharisees were right, both she and the man were to be killed by stoning, but Jesus attempting to teach them about grace, challenged them all as to their worthiness of judging this woman seeing that they too were guilty of sin. 1) All judgment belongs to God. The Bible explains very clearly that God did give Israel capitol judgment in such cases of adultery, but in (Joh 1:17) “grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” This means that before Christ there was no pardon for sin except by God Himself, but now in Jesus Christ, the most vile of sinners can find pardon. 2) Jesus desires that we practice grace first. Under grace the guilty sinner is to be loved to the full extent of God’s forgiv…
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Jesus, The Bread Of Life

Corner (John  6:35) “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.” Jesus is known by many names in the book of John, but in the above verse as the “bread of life,” he is seen not only as God’s Son who came down from heaven as “manna,” but the sustainer of eternal life to all who receive him and who feed upon him and his word.  1) God’s Purpose for sending Jesus into the world,was to give man a permanent “bread” and not just a temporary meal as He did when he fed Israel in the wilderness. Jesus is our permanent savior and sustainer once we get saved. “and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”2) God’s Plan, was to send down Jesus to give men “eternal life.” We who were once dead in our sins, to us did God send down Jesus to save, and then once saved to feed upon as spiritual bread. “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for e…
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Ho To Build A Strong Marriage

(Gen. 2:24) “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” God describes the union between a man and wife as “one flesh.” Meaning that they are supposed to be inseparable and working together as a team. Therefore, in life the only thing that can destroy a marriage is when one or both become selfish and disobedient to God. The following are some ways that will help build a strong marriage: 1) Both need to obey God’s delegated authority . Since God is the creator and designer of all things, He has the right to set the rules in the home, and so He did when He placed the man in charge and the woman under his authority. This is not to say that he is a better creation, or smarter, but rather it just means that both are to obey God’s will. 2) The husband must love like Christ. He must learn to practice self-less love, and to love her as Christ loves the church. How?  By honoring her above himself, and to look for ways to …
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We Call Him Father

(Jn. 5:17-18) “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.Therefore, the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” In the day of Jesus, calling God “Father,” was a shocking statement, because that placed you in the direct family of God Himself. The concept of God having a Son was also foreign to the teaching of the “one God” doctrine of the Jew. However, it was not foreign to the prophesies of scripture concerning the coming of “Messiah,” or the “prince” that shall come (Dan. 9:25-26). 1) Jesus Called God “My Father .”  Only God’s true children can call Him Father. Of course, Jesus was and is the only begotten Son of God in the flesh, (His first born), but today anyone who calls upon Jesus for salvation can now call God Father. (Heb 2:10) “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory...” (Rom. 8:15)”…
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Go And Share The Gospel

(John 4:35) “Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.” These verses have been used for centuries by Preachers to challenge God’s people to win souls and labor in the world for Christ, but because of our human nature we can grow cold to this calling and forget to think about the eternal souls of the people around us. Then, all to soon comes a funeral or a sickness that causes us to be concerned. In the above verse Jesus challenged his disciples on how to stay focused on the souls of men, for he just witnessed to a woman standing at a well about her eternal soul, and because he did she believed on him and her witness caused an entire town to come out to find him. Therefore, Jesus commanded; 1)Lift up your eyes. In other words, stop being so distracted and place your focus onto what is really important. As Christians it’s very possible to be more focused on our…
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The Son OF Man

(John 3:3) “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” The term“Son of man”was not first introduced to us by Jesus Christ, but rather by Daniel in (Daniel 7:13) “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.” Speaking of a future time when Jesus Christ returns to this earth a second time, to set up his kingdom after the tribulation period. So, when we speak and preach of Jesus, we speak of the “Son of God” who became “a man.” In (Jn 3:14) 1) “The Son of man was lifted up.” Speaking of his crucifixion and death for the sins of men. (v. 14) says, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness...” so must Jesus have been lifted up “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish (15).” 2) “The Son of man came to Save.” (v.18) “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth n…
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"Ye Must Be Born Again"

(John 2:23-25) “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” In the above verse the Bible speaks of the “many” that followed Jesus because of what they were seeing, and because of their need for healing, but  Jesus did not “commit himself” to them.  By “commit,” the Bible means that they could not receive the truth of who Jesus was. Why? Because they sought not Christ as it were by faith. Even today “many” people still follow Jesus in a wrong way. In (Jn. 3:3)  one such man came to Jesus by night seeking truth, but Jesus said to him that the only way to find truth was to be “born again.” This man Nicodemus was a religious ruler in Israel, a Pharisee, who came by night fearing his religious colleagues, but the message to him was the same as it is to all men, …
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The Wine Made By Jesus

(John 2:10-11) “Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”  The above verses record the reaction of men after they saw and heard that Jesus turned water into wine. Unfortunately, over the years this story has been twisted to teach more about the wine making ability of Jesus rather than the reaction of men after they saw this miracle. The verse above says that the “glory” of Jesus was “manifested” and his disciples “believed on him.” How sad it is that these verses have been used to support the view that it’s ok for Christians to drink alcohol, when in context it was to introduce to us his glory. To fully understand what took place with the wine, we first of all would have had to have been there, second it doesn’t say that the wine was alcoholic that Jesus…
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Christians Are Called To Be Disciplers

(John 1:37)  “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” As we move once again into another new year, it’s good to look back and challenge ourselves concerning our service and walk with God. In the above verse we read for the first time in this gospel account the word “disciple.” John the Baptist had disciples and when Jesus came onto the scene the disciples that followed John left him to now follow Jesus. Why, and what is so special about making disciples? 1) We are all called to be disciples of Jesus.A disciple is a “trainee” or an “apprentice.” He or she is someone who is expected to follow the trainer, learn their skills, and then pass them on. If these skills are not passed on, they will die with the trainer. In salvation we are all called to not just be saved but to pass on the skills and truths that we have both learned and practice in Christ. 2) We are called to make disciples. Our job is to seek out disciples through the preaching of the gospel. God is t…
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Giving God The Right Present At Christmas

(Matt. 2:11) “And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts;...” Christmas is all about the giving of gifts; God gave the world Jesus (Jn.3:16), and here we see the wise men giving gifts as well. I think that in  many ways, gifts are the real reason that the world enjoys Christmas time, but to those of us that understand God’s purpose in sending His Son Jesus, we love this season for a different reason. The Biblical account doesn’t say how many wise men came from the east seeking Jesus, but it does tell us that they gave three different types of gifts; 1) Gold. In Jesus’ day gold was given to honor new kings, and to increase their wealth. Gold also represents the very best that God had to give to us but also the very best man should give to God. 2) Frankincensewas the incense burned in the temple of Solomon. It represented praise, prayer, …
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The Dayspring From On High Hath Visited US

(Luke 1:78) “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,” John the Baptist was an important messenger of the Christmas Story because he was the first man to proclaim the great threefold message of Jesus’ coming; 1) To shed light on the knowledge of Salvation. What a great merciful thing it was for God to give man Jesus Christ, but also to state clearly in His Word the way of Salvation and the eternal mercy we have in him, through being “born again,”.2) To give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.  What a great peace is given to the lonely, the destitute, and those who are facing the fearful time of death. Jesus places within every believer His Holy Spirit, who not only comforts us with His presence during times of despair and darkness, but who also gives to us an eternal peace and hope that not even death can take away. 3) To guide our feet in the way of peace. God’s Word not only guides us into the way of His salv…
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Why John The Baptist Was Sent To Israel

(John 1:6) “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.”  Why did God send John the Baptist to Israel before Jesus was introduced to them?  1) To answer the prayer of two faithful people. John’s parents Zacharias and Elizabeth prayed for a child for years, and in their later years God gave them John.  2) He came on a special mission from God. John was full of the Holy Ghost even from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15), and his mission was not to turn Israel back to religion, but rather to turn their hearts back to God, and “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (18). 3) To preach the coming of Israel’s Messiah. Jesus Christ was the “Word that became flesh,” and “John bare witness of him...” Jesus wasGod’s eternal Son, The Word, The Light, and our deliverer, and so John preached as Elijah did of old, foretelling his coming as also Isaiah said to Israel in (Chp.40:3) when he proclaimed “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the LORD, make strai…
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Being A Fellowhelper Of The Truth

(3John 1:7)“Because that for his name's sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.” Above, we are commanded to be “fellowhelpers” to the missions program of God here at WSBC. Another Faith Promise year is upon us, and again we will be taking  pledges for another year. Now before we do, it’s vital that each of us pray and seek God’s leading  before we pledge. The worst thing that we can do is to pledge and not give. Why? Because our missionaries are counting on our money to “fellow help” them in their effort to go to their specific field! When we fail to keep our word, it’s not us that suffers, but them. So, first we need to seek the will of God and then by faith pledge not just our money but our word. Our slogan this year is “Making the gospel fully known in 2020,”(2 Tim. 4:17). In this verse, the Apostle Paul made it perfectly clear that he saw world missions as his personal responsibility.…
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Do You Believe God Concerning Your Giving

(2 Cor. 9:7-8)"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver (7). (8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:" On the Faith Promise Slips that have been handed out to you is the promise of (verse 8), that cannot happen unless you first obey (verse 7). When it comes to giving to Faith Promise Missions, God never tells us what to give, but He lets us purpose the amount in our heart so that we by faith pledge it for missionary support. His only command is that we give it cheerfully and not because we have to, for then and only then is God free to supply all our needs (8), making sure that we not only have enough money to give what we pledge but also that we have enough for our bills and for anyother “good work” that we decide to give to. Our faith therefore releases God’s promise above (after) our…
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Doing Your Part In Making The Gospel Fully Known

(2 Tim.4:17) “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear...”Every believer in Jesus Christ has been called to witness the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. Therefore, #1) See your calling Personally. In the above verse the Apostle Paul said, “that by me.” What Paul didn’t do here was push his responsibility to reach the world for Christ on someone else, but rather implied, I’m going to do my part. #2) See your calling Potentially.God has given us the ability to reach the whole world, so that “all the Gentiles might hear:” (1 Tim. 2:4) Tells us that He desires “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” God’s vision therefore is to make the gospel “fully known.”#3) See your calling Powerfully. (Acts 1:8) Tells us that “we will receive power after the Holy Ghost comes upon us.” This power to witness is not of the flesh, but rather Christ’s Spirit within us as …
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Regret Is A Choice

(Gal. 6:7-8) “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Regret is a terrible choice to make, when God’s blessings are also available. In the Bible there are two different types of regret; 1) The Regret of the Unsaved. In the above verse God warns all men that once choices are made, they cannot be reversed. For example,  If someone hears the gospel of Jesus Christ and refuses to repent of his sin and get saved in this life, he chooses to go to Hell himself. Why? Because he refused the salvation of Christ, choosing therefore his own way.  So, as a result forever he will suffer the torment of Hell and  suffer the “regret” of his decision forever.  2) The Regret of the Saved. God gives every saved believer the same opportunities to grow in the Lord, win souls, pray, study their Bibles, and overcome …
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