Saturday, April 21, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
False Conversions: The Suicide of the Church
Excerpt of a message given by Mark Dever at Together for the Gospel 2012. Watch the full message here.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Why You Don’t Read Your Bible
Author: Jim Elliff
To go through life as a professing believer without taking in the Word of God is like trying to drive across the country without a road. You won’t make it. It’s like saying, “I’m not really interested in God at all.” People who don’t have any interest in God, sadly, go to hell.
You must have Bible intake. You may get it from the ears if you cannot get it with the eyes. And if you can’t get it with either, you can get it with the fingers, by Braille. And if you cannot get it any way, but want it, then God will understand. Yet almost all the time, God will help you do it. Don’t tell me you love Him if you don’t care at all what He says.
I once read a story of a man who survived a blast which blinded him. He tried Braille, but the nerves in his fingers wouldn’t cooperate. Accidentally, he touched the Braille markings with his tongue and discovered he could actually read that way. At the time the report was written, he had read through the Bible several times with his tongue. What then is your excuse?
Continue reading here.
You must have Bible intake. You may get it from the ears if you cannot get it with the eyes. And if you can’t get it with either, you can get it with the fingers, by Braille. And if you cannot get it any way, but want it, then God will understand. Yet almost all the time, God will help you do it. Don’t tell me you love Him if you don’t care at all what He says.
I once read a story of a man who survived a blast which blinded him. He tried Braille, but the nerves in his fingers wouldn’t cooperate. Accidentally, he touched the Braille markings with his tongue and discovered he could actually read that way. At the time the report was written, he had read through the Bible several times with his tongue. What then is your excuse?
Continue reading here.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
If Jesus Christ is Not Risen, Our Faith is Worthless
"Don't think I would even ask you to make Jesus Lord of your life. That's the most preposterous thing I could ever tell you to do. Jesus Christ is Lord of your life. Whether you serve Him or not. Whether you bless Him, curse Him, hate Him, or love Him, He is the Lord of your life. Because God has given Him a name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee shall bow and tongue confess that He is Lord. Some of you will bow out of the grace that has been given to you and others will bow because your kneecaps will be broken by the One who rules the nations with a rod of iron." -Paul Washer
This is an excerpt of Paul Washer's sermon "The Greatest Words in all of Scripture"
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Praying Men
by Pastor Ron Bridge of Rehoboth Baptist Church
"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8, italics mine).
The reasons for the weakness and shallowness of the American church are manifold and too many to list, but here are a few of them: There has been a general failure to preach and teach the whole council of God which can be attributed to a loss of confidence in the word to build up the church. As a result the church has turned to a myriad of programs to attract the world to the church and has become more like the world in the process. Many churches no longer have a Sunday evening service and have abandoned a midweek prayer meeting. The result of this is that Christians are spending too much time in the world doing the things of the world, and as a consequence, they begin to look and act like the world. The dramatic cultural shift brought about by the rise of feminism has also greatly impacted the church. To a great extent men have lost, neglected or have simply abdicated their traditional leadership role in society. A similar neglect and even abdication is also evident in many churches.
This is not to downplay the vital role that women play in the life of the church (some churches would not survive without faithful women). But, it is to stress that when men neglect or abandon their God- given leadership roles in the church, the church is no longer able to fulfill the mandate to make biblical disciples. The Bible teaches the absolute equality of men and women in Christ (Gal.3:26-29), but it also teaches that there are distinct roles for men and women (1 Tim. 2:8-3:13). To put it simply, men are to lead in the church and women are to provide support. Both roles are vital and both have equal honor. When a church follows this pattern it is building on the right foundation.
The particular areas of male leadership are identified in the passage as leading in prayer (2:8), leading in preaching and teaching (2:12), leading in church administration (3:1,8) and providing leadership in the home (3:4,12). I think that the order in which these appear are not accidental. Prayer is the starting point or the foundation on which a life of biblical manhood is built (study of the word of God while not mentioned in this section is, of course, implied). The early church followed the customs of the synagogue so when Paul stressed male leadership in prayer it would not have been surprising to his readers, it would have been natural. Anything less would have been surprising. So, I want to challenge the men of Rehoboth Baptist Church to take the leadership in prayer in the home and at church. Men, you should be leading your family in prayer and you should be leading the church in prayer. There is no excuse for failure in this essential biblical discipline. If the men of the church neglect to lead in this one point they will be prone to neglect in every other point as well. So, brother, fulfill your biblical mandate!
For the kingdom and His glory,
Pastor Ron
"I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Timothy 2:8, italics mine).
The reasons for the weakness and shallowness of the American church are manifold and too many to list, but here are a few of them: There has been a general failure to preach and teach the whole council of God which can be attributed to a loss of confidence in the word to build up the church. As a result the church has turned to a myriad of programs to attract the world to the church and has become more like the world in the process. Many churches no longer have a Sunday evening service and have abandoned a midweek prayer meeting. The result of this is that Christians are spending too much time in the world doing the things of the world, and as a consequence, they begin to look and act like the world. The dramatic cultural shift brought about by the rise of feminism has also greatly impacted the church. To a great extent men have lost, neglected or have simply abdicated their traditional leadership role in society. A similar neglect and even abdication is also evident in many churches. This is not to downplay the vital role that women play in the life of the church (some churches would not survive without faithful women). But, it is to stress that when men neglect or abandon their God- given leadership roles in the church, the church is no longer able to fulfill the mandate to make biblical disciples. The Bible teaches the absolute equality of men and women in Christ (Gal.3:26-29), but it also teaches that there are distinct roles for men and women (1 Tim. 2:8-3:13). To put it simply, men are to lead in the church and women are to provide support. Both roles are vital and both have equal honor. When a church follows this pattern it is building on the right foundation.
The particular areas of male leadership are identified in the passage as leading in prayer (2:8), leading in preaching and teaching (2:12), leading in church administration (3:1,8) and providing leadership in the home (3:4,12). I think that the order in which these appear are not accidental. Prayer is the starting point or the foundation on which a life of biblical manhood is built (study of the word of God while not mentioned in this section is, of course, implied). The early church followed the customs of the synagogue so when Paul stressed male leadership in prayer it would not have been surprising to his readers, it would have been natural. Anything less would have been surprising. So, I want to challenge the men of Rehoboth Baptist Church to take the leadership in prayer in the home and at church. Men, you should be leading your family in prayer and you should be leading the church in prayer. There is no excuse for failure in this essential biblical discipline. If the men of the church neglect to lead in this one point they will be prone to neglect in every other point as well. So, brother, fulfill your biblical mandate!
For the kingdom and His glory,
Pastor Ron
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
An Urgent Message
Excerpt from the message "Who is Jesus" given on Easter Sunday 2011
Download or listen to the full message here.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
What is Easter All About?
Eggs, bunnies, and candy?
Just like other holidays, the celebration of Easter has come to include many traditions, decorations, and fun events which have nothing to do with the real meaning of the day.
Coloring and hunting for Easter eggs, eating candy, and enjoying a big family dinner are fun things to do, but the true meaning of Easter is not found in any of them.
What is Easter really about?
Easter is the time of year when Christians remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You may notice that the date of Easter changes each year. This is because, historically, the timing of Easter has been linked with the Jewish Passover feast, which was taking place at the time Jesus died and rose again. In fact, the Bible links the sacrificial death of Jesus with that of the Passover lamb: “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Why celebrate someone’s death?
It might seem strange to some people that we remember and even celebrate the death of Jesus Christ. Why do we do it? Just like we would honor the loss of a soldier who died for our country, or a hero who lost his life while rescuing someone dear to us, Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ because He died for us—He died to rescue us.
You see, each of us has a problem called sin. Sin is the Bible’s word—God’s word—for everything we do that goes against what God wants. We all sin by doing things we shouldn’t do like lying, stealing, or swearing. We also sin in other ways, like having improper thoughts and attitudes—even by not doing things we know we should do (Matthew 5:28; James 4:17).
What does this have to do with Jesus? Well, Jesus, the Son of God, is the only person who ever lived a perfect life without any sin. Because He is sinless, He was perfectly qualified to become our substitute: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). That is the very reason God sent Jesus here: He came to open the way of salvation by bearing “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Yes, He did. The Bible is very clear on this, and even gives a list of witnesses who saw Him alive again. In addition to the apostles and others who are named, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time (read John chapters 20 and 21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The fact of Jesus’ resurrection is not only a demonstration of God’s power and majesty, it is a proof that God is satisfied with the work Jesus did on the cross when He suffered for our sins.
Because of who He is and what He has done, Jesus—the living Savior—is the only way to Heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).
What does this mean for me?
Do you want to be free from your sin—free from the burden and weight of sin which is dragging you down to Hell? Turn to Jesus. You need a Savior who can stand between you and God, one who can make peace with God for you (Romans 5:1). Jesus died for you and rose again; He is the savior you need!
God’s message to you is simple: repent and believe (Acts 20:21). Acknowledge that you are a lost sinner in need of the Savior. Reach out by faith and lay hold of what Jesus has done for you. He will take away your sins (1 John 3:5), give you peace with God, and make you a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17)! “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
Just like other holidays, the celebration of Easter has come to include many traditions, decorations, and fun events which have nothing to do with the real meaning of the day.
Coloring and hunting for Easter eggs, eating candy, and enjoying a big family dinner are fun things to do, but the true meaning of Easter is not found in any of them.What is Easter really about?
Easter is the time of year when Christians remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You may notice that the date of Easter changes each year. This is because, historically, the timing of Easter has been linked with the Jewish Passover feast, which was taking place at the time Jesus died and rose again. In fact, the Bible links the sacrificial death of Jesus with that of the Passover lamb: “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
Why celebrate someone’s death?
It might seem strange to some people that we remember and even celebrate the death of Jesus Christ. Why do we do it? Just like we would honor the loss of a soldier who died for our country, or a hero who lost his life while rescuing someone dear to us, Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ because He died for us—He died to rescue us.
You see, each of us has a problem called sin. Sin is the Bible’s word—God’s word—for everything we do that goes against what God wants. We all sin by doing things we shouldn’t do like lying, stealing, or swearing. We also sin in other ways, like having improper thoughts and attitudes—even by not doing things we know we should do (Matthew 5:28; James 4:17).
What does this have to do with Jesus? Well, Jesus, the Son of God, is the only person who ever lived a perfect life without any sin. Because He is sinless, He was perfectly qualified to become our substitute: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). That is the very reason God sent Jesus here: He came to open the way of salvation by bearing “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Yes, He did. The Bible is very clear on this, and even gives a list of witnesses who saw Him alive again. In addition to the apostles and others who are named, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time (read John chapters 20 and 21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The fact of Jesus’ resurrection is not only a demonstration of God’s power and majesty, it is a proof that God is satisfied with the work Jesus did on the cross when He suffered for our sins.
Because of who He is and what He has done, Jesus—the living Savior—is the only way to Heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).
What does this mean for me?
Do you want to be free from your sin—free from the burden and weight of sin which is dragging you down to Hell? Turn to Jesus. You need a Savior who can stand between you and God, one who can make peace with God for you (Romans 5:1). Jesus died for you and rose again; He is the savior you need!
God’s message to you is simple: repent and believe (Acts 20:21). Acknowledge that you are a lost sinner in need of the Savior. Reach out by faith and lay hold of what Jesus has done for you. He will take away your sins (1 John 3:5), give you peace with God, and make you a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17)! “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).
“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
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