The Cross: Why We Believe

Written by Dr. Charles Stanley

Please open your Bible and read I Corinthians 1:26-31

The apostle Paul had impeccable credentials, education, background, and a position of authority. But when he encountered Christ on the road to Damascus, he discovered their absolute worthlessness. He learned that the only thing of eternal value on earth was that his Savior died on the cross for his sins. Paul understood this so well that he counted as loss all he had once seen as advantageous. (Philippians 3:8) 

Now his only boast was in the cross of Christ. (Galatians 6:14)

Paul attached importance, not to his own resume, but to a “criminal” on a cross and the blood He spilled there. Though this seemed foolish to many people, the apostle knew that the cross was where God kept His long-awaited promise: to provide a Savior. It was there that His Son stooped low and took on all the sins of the world’s past, present, and future. The cross marked the place and moment that God’s judgment was accomplished and His mercy was poured out. 

Jamie Foxx Blasphemes, Calls Obama Lord and Savior

11/27/2012 RAY RISER

 

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Respect for Barack Obama as the president of the United States is one thing. Worshipping him as a deity is quite another.

Comedian Jamie Foxx is beginning to draw fire for his idolizing comments about the commander-in-chief during the recent Soul Train Music Awards in Las Vegas. During the broadcast, aired last Sunday on BET, Foxx urged the audience to “give an honor to God—and our Lord and savior, Barack Obama.”

The statement received a rousing ovation from the audience, and another when Foxx repeated Obama’s name.

Catholic League President Bill Donohue, who has been an outspoken critic of the president’s liberalism, said in a statement Monday that Foxx’s “epiphany is startling.

Artist Depicts Obama as Christ Crucified

11/28/2012 BILL ROBERTS

 

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Entertainer Jamie Foxx recently in public declared President Barack Obama to be our “Lord and savior.” An artist has now taken the bold declaration a step further as an obvious attack on Christianity.

Michael D’Antuono’s painting, “The Truth,” originally scheduled to be shown in New York’s City’s Union Square in 2009 but whose display was cancelled due to public outcry from Christian groups, is finally seeing the light of day at the Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery in Boston.

The painting, depicting Obama posed as Jesus Christ on a cross including a crown of thorns on his head with his outstretched arms pulling back curtains to unveil the presidential seal, is part of an exhibit called “Artists on the Stump, The Road to the White House 2012. The exhibit will be held at Bunker Hill through Dec. 15.

HOLINESS IS A FRUIT

"But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone."  Luke 11:42 

LUKE 11:42-44

When Jesus said, "and not to leave the other undone," it is clear that He is not arguing against doing what is right. God's Word stresses holiness in our actions. The Pharisees' error that caused Jesus' rebuke was that they believed their actions could produce a right relationship with God. But a proper relationship with God can only come by humbling ourselves and putting faith in a Savior, who is Jesus. God cleanses our hearts by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8) and then we have our fruit unto holiness (Rom. 6:22). Holiness is a fruit, not a root, of salvation.

In a similar instance found in Matthew 23:26, Jesus told the Pharisees, "Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also." True Christianity comes from the inside out. A good heart will change a man's actions, but a man's actions cannot change his heart.

Did Jesus Claim to be the Only Way to Heaven?

Charles Stanley

One of the best ways to understand someone is to find out what he thinks about himself. Jesus said many, many things about who He was — He said that He is the Son of God (Matthew 16:16-17), that He and the Father are one (John 10:30), and that the Father is the One who sent Him (John 5:37). 

He also announced that He did not come to be served, but to serve and that He came to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28). He came as a substitute payment in behalf of humanity. He agreed with His accusers when they called Him "King of the Jews." 

His "I am" statements from the book of John reveal that He claimed to be the Good Shepherd who loves the sheep (10:11), the Bread of Life who can prevent hunger (6:48), and the True Vine who abides in us as we abide in Him (15:1).

Jesus also said He was the Door to Heaven (John 10:9), and in John 14:6, He expanded on that thought: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." 

If Jesus Couldn’t Sin, Why Was He Tested?

J. Vernon McGee

It was impossible for Jesus to sin. In Luke 1:35, Mary was told “that holy thing” that will be conceived by the Holy Spirit is the Son of God. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). 


It is rank heresy to say that Jesus Christ could sin or that He had any sin in Him. He was in all points like we are, except for one: He was not contaminated with sin.

Jesus was not tempted to see if He would fall. He was tempted to show that He could not fall: "The prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me" (John 14:30). 


After He had lived a life down here for thirty-three years, Satan came with this temptation, a temptation that appealed to man's total personality—the physical side, the mental side, and the spiritual side of man.

The Lord Jesus could not fall, and the testing was given to demonstrate that He could not fall. If He could have fallen, then any moment your salvation and mine is in doubt. 

Open to the Savior

If you would like to welcome Jesus Christ into your life, you can do so at any time, anywhere. Consider these important facts:

God loves you and seeks a personal relationship with you! "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3:20)

The problem is: everyone has been born into this world spiritually dead because of sin. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 6:23)

Jesus will forgive us of all sin, assuring us of eternity in Heaven! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

To receive Jesus, pray in this manner: Lord Jesus, I'm a sinner. Please come into my life and forgive me of all sin. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. Now, fill me with Your Holy Spirit and guide me from this day forward. Thank You, Lord, for loving me! Amen.

http://www.jackhayford.org/articles1-443/OpentotheSavior

When We Miss the Target

Max Lucado

Do you deal with undeserved feelings of guilt? We are here to pray with you.

Read the first verse of Matthew’s gospel. Jesus knew David’s ways. He witnessed the adultery, winced at the murders, and grieved at the dishonesty. But David’s failures didn’t change Jesus’ relation to David. The initial verse of the first chapter of the first gospel calls Christ “the son of David” (Matt. 1:1 KJV). The title contains no disclaimers, explanations, or asterisks. I’d have added a footnote: “This connection in no way offers tacit approval to David’s behavior.” No such words appear. David blew it. Jesus knew it. But he claimed David anyway.

He did for David what my father did for my brother and me.

Back in our elementary school days, my brother received a BB gun for Christmas. We immediately set up a firing range in the backyard and spent the afternoon shooting at an archery target. Growing bored with the ease of hitting the circle, my brother sent me to fetch a hand mirror. He placed the gun backward on his shoulder, spotted the archery bull’s-eye in the mirror, and did his best Buffalo Bill imitation. But he missed the target. He also missed the storehouse behind the target and the fence behind the storehouse. We had no idea where the BB pellet flew. Our neighbor across the alley knew, however. He soon appeared at the back fence, asking who had shot the BB gun and who was going to pay for his sliding-glass door.

“Can a Christian lose salvation?”

Before this question is answered, the term “Christian” must be defined. 

A “Christian” is not a person who has said a prayer, or walked down an aisle, or been raised in a Christian family. While each of these things can be a part of the Christian experience, they are not what “makes” a Christian. A Christian is a person who has, by faith, received and fully trusted in Jesus Christ as the only Savior (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9).

So, with this definition in mind, can a Christian lose salvation? Perhaps the best way to answer this crucially important question is to examine what the Bible says occurs at salvation, and to study what losing salvation would therefore entail. Here are a few examples:

A Christian is a new creation. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). This verse speaks of a person becoming an entirely new creature as a result of being “in Christ.” For a Christian to lose salvation, the new creation would have to be canceled and reversed.

Receive Jesus as Your Savior

Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you’ll ever make!

God’s Word promises, “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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:9–10,13).

By His grace, God has already done everything to provide salvation. Your part is simply to believe and receive.

Pray out loud, Jesus, I confess that You are my Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead. By faith in Your Word, I receive salvation now. Thank You for saving me!

The very moment you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the truth of His Word instantly comes to pass in your spirit. Now that you’re born again, there’s a brand-new you!

Please contact us and let us know that you’ve prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior. We would like to rejoice with you and help you understand more fully what has taken place in your life.


We have a Helpline staffed by mature Christians who will be glad to pray with you. Our Helpline is open from 4:00 A.M. to 9:30 P.M. (Mountain Time) each weekday. The number is (719) 635-1111.


Give us a call — we’re here to help you understand and grow in your new relationship with the Lord.

http://www.awmi.net/receive_jesus

Discover Purpose Is this the life for me?

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Take a look at your life. How would you describe it? Contented? Rushed? Exciting? Stressful? Moving forward? Holding back? For many of us it’s all of the above at times. There are things we dream of doing one day, and there are things we wish we could forget. In the Bible, it says that Jesus came to make all things new. What would your life look like if you could start over with a clean slate?

The Bible talks about the world beginning with the creation of a beautiful garden and two blameless people who walked and talked with God. They were truly innocent – they didn’t even know that they were naked. But it didn’t stay that way. They chose to turn away from God and sin entered the world, and with it guilt, shame, regret. Humankind was no longer blameless. But God still loved the world that he created and so he sent his Son to redeem it.

Jesus came, and died, and rose again to wipe the slate clean. He was scourged, tormented, and finally nailed on the cross for humankind’s sins – this was all part of God’s plan to bring you and I back into relationship with him. God wants to be a part of your life. Is this the life for you?

God is perfect, powerful, and yet personal. The Bible tells us: “He (God) is the Rock. His work is perfect. Everything He does is just and fair.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)

God created the world, which reflects His magnificence, balance, and beauty. “For God created the heavens and the earth and put everything in place, and he made the world to live in and not be an empty chaos.” (Isaiah 45:18)

Would you like to know God personally?.

God loves you and created you to know Him personally.
God’s Love: “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

God’s Plan: “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 10:7-10).

What prevents us from knowing God personally?

People are lost and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.

People are Lost: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23)

People were created to have fellowship with God; but, because of our own stubborn self- wills, we chose to go our own independent way and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

People are Separated: “The wages of sin is death” [spiritual separation from God] (Romans 6:23).

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and people are lost. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that people are continually trying to reach God and establish a personal relationship with Him through their own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion but we inevitably fail.

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The fourth step of your journey explains the only way to bridge this gulf.

Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience His love.

He Died in Our Place: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

He Rose from the Dead: “Christ died for our sins…He was buried…He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6)

He is the Only Way to God: “Jesus said to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me’” (John 14:6).

The diagram above on the right illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these three truths…

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We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.

We must Receive Christ: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

We Receive Christ through Faith: “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works that no one should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

When we Receive Christ, we Experience a New Birth: (Read John 3:1-8)

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation: [Christ speaking] “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20).

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be. Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough. Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Self-Directed Life

 Self is on the throne

Christ is outside the life

Interests are directed by self often resulting in discord and frustration

Christ-Directed Life

 Christ is in the life and on the throne

 Self is yielding to Christ

Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God’s plan

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Which circle best represents your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

The following step explains how you can receive Christ…

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You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer!

(Prayer is talking with God)

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart. The following is a suggested prayer:

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart? If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, just as He promised.

If you have a question first, click here.

gotquestions  http://powertochange.com/discover/faith/discoverpurpose/

Bethlehem – the House of Bread

Scripture Passage  :  Genesis 35:15-20

INTRODUCTION : Genesis 35:19 is the first mention of Bethlehem in the Bible. The name means house of bread. This could mean a place where one could come and eat when hungry; a place of supply for the hungry (Isaiah 58:6-7). Historically, Bethlehem is just such a place. We will look at Bethlehem as a type of God’s supply for the hungry in five different incidents in the Bible. But first, let us visit the town of Bethlehem.

Bethlehem is located five miles south of Jerusalem (the distance from Antioch Baptist Church to downtown Knoxville). The mountains and valleys between the two cities make it impossible to see the one from the other. Bethlehem is located on a ridge one hundred feet higher than Jerusalem. It has a deep valley to its north and another to its south. This explains why the Philistines put a garrison there. 

To the east of Bethlehem, the land drops quickly down to the Dead Sea. To the west, there is a slightly milder drop to the Plain of Philistia. These slopes are known in ancient times for their terraced gardens. Bethlehem was normally a fairly small town. Biblically, it is the place of the death of Rachel, the birth of David and Jesus, and the marriage of Ruth and Boaz. We will see it as the house of bread.

1. A PLACE OF WEEPING
1. The Death of Rachel (Genesis 35:15-20
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2. The Weeping of Rachel (Matthew 2:16-18
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3. The Hope in Weeping (Jeremiah 31:15-17
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4. Jesus: the Rest for the Weary (Matthew 11:28-30
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2. A PLACE OF BLESSING
1. The Loss of All (Ruth 1:1-5
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2. The Return in Sorrow (Ruth 1:19-22
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3. The Blessing for Ruth (Ruth 2:1-12
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4. The Kinsman- Redeemer (Ruth 4:9-11
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5. Jesus: Making Us the Sons of God (John 1:10-13
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3. A PLACE OF ANOINTING
1. The Choice of a King (1 Samuel 16:1-3
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2. The Choice Not Expected (1 Samuel 16:6-13
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3. The Promise of a Seed (2 Samuel 7:8-13
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4. Jesus: the Son of David (Matthew 1:1
   ; Luke 1:31-32
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5. God’s Choice Today (1 Corinthians 1:26-29
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4. A PLACE OF REFRESHMENT
1. The Thirsty Soul (2 Samuel 23:14-15
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2. The Three Mighty Men (2 Samuel 23:16
   ); as the Trinity
3. Jesus: the Source of Water (John 4:10-14
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5. A PLACE OF SALVATION
1. A Place of Taxation (Luke 2:1-7
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2. The Birth of the Saviour (Luke 2:8-11
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3. Jesus: the Saviour of the World (John 4:42
   ; 1 Timothy 4:10
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CONCLUSION:

Are you weeping? Are you heavy?

Are you burdened down with sin?

Come to the town of Bethlehem

And let the Christ child in.

Are you thirsty? Are you hungry?

Seeking bread that satisfies?

Come to the town of Bethlehem

To Christ—the One who died.

Seeking purpose and direction;

Are you wandering in a maze?

Come to the town of Bethlehem

And let Christ show the way.

Have your dreams gone up in smoke?

Have you lost a loved one dear?

Come to the town of Bethlehem

Where Christ will make things clear.


by David F. Reagan

David Reagan

http://www.learnthebible.org/sermon-outlines/bethlehem-the-house-of-bread.html