Building Lives International
Monday, February 9, 2009
New Bible Study
I just uploaded Revelation 12:7-13:10 from tonight's class. God bless each of you. Remember that we will not be meeting for the next two weeks. Next week will be the start of the revival and the week after, I will be in Washington.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Am I Now Your Enemy?
Today, we pick up our study in Galatians 4:16 where the Apostle Paul says, “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?” He had just questioned their salvation in the proceeding verse and most likely felt compelled to do so because of their apparent eagerness to place themselves back under the Law of Moses after they had been freed from it through faith in Christ. Now, in this verse, he assumes that he had angered some of them and says, “Am I your enemy because I’m telling you the truth?”
After eighteen years in ministry, I am still absolutely amazed how quickly people can turn on you when you confront them with the truth. Years of friendship can be dismissed over one little incident. It seems like the more you’ve done for them, the faster and angrier they turn (2 Corinthians 12:15). I’ve always said, “You can pat them on the back 99 times and correct them once and they’ll hate you forever.” How sadly true. What an arrogant society in which we live in which no one can humble themselves to accept correction. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
It reminds me of that movie with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicklaus called a “Few Good Men”. In it, Cruise, as a young Navel officer, asks a seasoned old Marine played by Nicklaus for the truth. Nicklaus responds, “You can’t handle the truth!” Unfortunately, that is true for most people. One pastor friend told me once, “If you’re going to give them the truth, do it small doses.”
He goes on to say in v.17, “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.” What he is trying to say is, “The legalists are making an impression on you but they don’t want you to make an impression on them. In other words, their arguments are one sided.
Then he says in v.18, “But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” It’s not a bad thing to be “affected” by others, but just make sure that it is in something good and not what these guys (the legalists) are trying peddle off on you.
After eighteen years in ministry, I am still absolutely amazed how quickly people can turn on you when you confront them with the truth. Years of friendship can be dismissed over one little incident. It seems like the more you’ve done for them, the faster and angrier they turn (2 Corinthians 12:15). I’ve always said, “You can pat them on the back 99 times and correct them once and they’ll hate you forever.” How sadly true. What an arrogant society in which we live in which no one can humble themselves to accept correction. The Bible says in Proverbs 27:6, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”
It reminds me of that movie with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicklaus called a “Few Good Men”. In it, Cruise, as a young Navel officer, asks a seasoned old Marine played by Nicklaus for the truth. Nicklaus responds, “You can’t handle the truth!” Unfortunately, that is true for most people. One pastor friend told me once, “If you’re going to give them the truth, do it small doses.”
He goes on to say in v.17, “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.” What he is trying to say is, “The legalists are making an impression on you but they don’t want you to make an impression on them. In other words, their arguments are one sided.
Then he says in v.18, “But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” It’s not a bad thing to be “affected” by others, but just make sure that it is in something good and not what these guys (the legalists) are trying peddle off on you.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Joint Heirs with Christ
Today we pick up our study in Galatians 4:7 which says, “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” We are no more a servant because we have matured. We are no longer infants under the Law. Paul said in Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ…” In other words, we are going to share in Christ’s inheritance.
Notice vv.8-9, “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” The point is, “What are you doing?” You want to go backwards? Legalists are trying to put you back into pampers!
Notice vv.10-12, “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” He is calling their salvation into question. “Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.” In other words, let’s think alike on this subject.
Also, vv.13-15, “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” They had a wonderful relationship and he didn’t want his infirmity to come between them. This reference to the Galatians giving them their eyes speaks to the fact that Paul did indeed have an infirmity in his flesh with his eyes. As a matter of fact, Paul most likely spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 when he said, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
Notice vv.8-9, “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” The point is, “What are you doing?” You want to go backwards? Legalists are trying to put you back into pampers!
Notice vv.10-12, “Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.” He is calling their salvation into question. “Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all.” In other words, let’s think alike on this subject.
Also, vv.13-15, “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” They had a wonderful relationship and he didn’t want his infirmity to come between them. This reference to the Galatians giving them their eyes speaks to the fact that Paul did indeed have an infirmity in his flesh with his eyes. As a matter of fact, Paul most likely spoke of this in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 when he said, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”
Monday, January 26, 2009
New Recording
I have posted my Bible Study from last night at First Baptist Brownsville on Revelation 11.
Radio Station
I just put a link to the radio station of my home church and Bible College: WTBI. It has good old time preaching and singing. Try it out. It takes me home every time!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
We are Now Sons
Let’s look at Galatians 4:1-2, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.” Here Paul compares an heir to someone who is under the Law in that the heir is no different than the slave. He has no rights to speak of as a child because he is not over the estate yet. Thus, he may be “lord of all” one day, but not until he has come of age.
Notice v.3, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:” The point is that under the Law, the Jew (we) were in infancy. They were not yet mature.
Notice v.4-5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Now we see that in God’s timing, He sent Jesus to redeem us from the Law. The phrase, “made under the law”, means that Jesus was raised under the Mosaic Law.
Notice v.6, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” The proof that Jesus has done this is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us is proof of our salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…” The bottom line is that we do not have to live under the Law any longer. God has made a way through His Son for us to live free from the Law if we accept it. What a deal!
It is also proof that we are no longer servants, but sons. We have come of age. Jesus said in John 15:15, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
Notice v.3, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:” The point is that under the Law, the Jew (we) were in infancy. They were not yet mature.
Notice v.4-5, “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Now we see that in God’s timing, He sent Jesus to redeem us from the Law. The phrase, “made under the law”, means that Jesus was raised under the Mosaic Law.
Notice v.6, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.” The proof that Jesus has done this is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit within us is proof of our salvation. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession…” The bottom line is that we do not have to live under the Law any longer. God has made a way through His Son for us to live free from the Law if we accept it. What a deal!
It is also proof that we are no longer servants, but sons. We have come of age. Jesus said in John 15:15, “Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.”
Sunday, January 11, 2009
We Needed a Savior
Today, we pick up our study in Galatians 3:23-25 where it says, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” This verse is saying that the Law simply tutored us until Christ came and justified us by faith. The Law merely showed us that we needed a Savior!
I see in this that many times God does not give us things until we have learned to appreciate them. A little boy once came to his father and asked to borrow the car. The father replied that the boy could borrow the car only after he cut his long hair. The boy responded by saying that Jesus had long hair. The father responded by letting his son know that Jesus walked everywhere He went too! Things have changed. We are no longer bound by the law. Praise God!
Notice vv.26-27, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This is not referring to, as many have erroneously concluded, referring to water baptism. Instead it is referring to Spirit baptism. The act of baptism denotes dedication to the service of him whose name we are baptized. An example of this in the Old Testament is found with Moses. It says in 1 Corinthians 10:2, “…all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea…” That means that they became bound to him as their leader. We see the same thing here. It says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
Notice v.28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” We are all simply followers of Christ and are all one in Him. It says in Romans 10:12 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.” Fortunately, God is not bias like we can be.
I see in this that many times God does not give us things until we have learned to appreciate them. A little boy once came to his father and asked to borrow the car. The father replied that the boy could borrow the car only after he cut his long hair. The boy responded by saying that Jesus had long hair. The father responded by letting his son know that Jesus walked everywhere He went too! Things have changed. We are no longer bound by the law. Praise God!
Notice vv.26-27, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” This is not referring to, as many have erroneously concluded, referring to water baptism. Instead it is referring to Spirit baptism. The act of baptism denotes dedication to the service of him whose name we are baptized. An example of this in the Old Testament is found with Moses. It says in 1 Corinthians 10:2, “…all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea…” That means that they became bound to him as their leader. We see the same thing here. It says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
Notice v.28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” We are all simply followers of Christ and are all one in Him. It says in Romans 10:12 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.” Fortunately, God is not bias like we can be.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Public Schools
I think that every parent in America ought to listen to what these men are saying about our public schools. They are destroying your children. I've been in the ministry for almost eighteen years and watched Christian family after Christiam family lose their children to the world. The amazing thing is that they don't know why. The ship is sinking folks! Get your kids out. Unfortunately, talking about public-school reform is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
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