Archive for the ‘Gospel Fellowship’ Category

Study Questions Concerning The Bible Sabbath

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At the end of this post are a few related Bible Texts that will facilitate your study. By no means is this grouping complete. It is intended to get you started in pursuit of a better understanding of the topic at hand. Study God’s Word with all of your heart Jeremiah 29:13.

Also please post a comment stating your views! Comments are helpful for many individuals who visit here! Thanks!

 

I believe that the testing truth for the world in the final crisis is centered on the matter of proper worship. I also believe we are living in the very end of the time of the end Daniel 12:4.  Truly Jesus is about to come!! Revelation 1:7, Revelation 22:12,20.

 

In the end the seal of God and the mark of the beast will distinguish the two groups of worshipers in the final crisis.  Revelation 13:15-17, Revelation 7:3, Revelation 9:4, Revelation 14:1.

 

Do you believe proper worship is the final testing truth for the world? Explain.

 

 

The following questions are meant to stimulate and motivate you to have an intimate saving relationship with Jesus! John 17:3

 

1. What Day is The Sabbath? Please support your answers with Bible proof for all questions. Why is there Sunday observance?

 

 

2. Why is the Sabbath commandment mentioned in Revelation 14:6-7?  What is the importance of the Sabbath in the last days?

 

 

3. Why did God cease His creation on the 6th day and rest on the 7th day?

 

 

4. What does it mean to keep the Sabbath Holy? What do I need to do to be ready for the Sabbath each week? What are your suggestions?

 

 

5. What is the real purpose of the Sabbath? What would you tell your neighbor what that purpose is?

 

 

6. What is the point Paul is making about the Sabbath in Hebrews 4: 4-10?

 

 

7. What is good Sabbath Behavior? How does our behavior play a role in proper Sabbath observance?

 

 

8. How carefully was the Sabbath observed during the time Jesus was here?

 

Bible Texts To Get You Started With Your Studies. Strong’s Concordance is an excellent source locating lots of additional Bible Texts:

 

Genesis 2:1-3, Exodus 20:10, Hebrews 4:4,9-10, Ezekiel 20:12,20, Daniel 7:25, Daniel 3:5-7, Revelation 14:7, Isaiah 43:1,7, Isaiah 58:13-14, Luke 13:14, Isaiah 49:15-16, 1John 4:8, 1John 1:1-4, Colossians 1:16-17, Revelation 1:10, Mark 2:27-28, Romans 10:9, Ephesians 3:18, 1John 4: 16, 2Corinthians 5:14,18, John 3:16-17, 1Corinthians 13:5. Mark 12:29-31, John 14:15, Ezekiel 36:26-27.

The rest of the Sabbath is God’s love!! Hebrews 4:4,9-10,14-16,  Jeremiah 31:3.

God’s rich blessing as you study His Holy Word!! 2Timothy 3:16-17.

 

 

 

 

Knowing Scripture

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan 2 Comments

This Post by R.C. Sproul

Renewing Your Mind

It has often been charged that the Bible can’t be trusted because people can make it say anything they want it to say. This charge would be true if the Bible were not the objective Word of God, if it were simply a wax nose, able to be shaped, twisted, and distorted to teach one’s own precepts. The charge would be true if it were not an offense to God the Holy Spirit to read into sacred Scripture what is not there. However, the idea that the Bible can teach anything we want it to is not true if we approach the Scriptures humbly, trying to hear what the Bible says for itself.

Sometimes systematic theology is rejected because it is seen as an unwarranted imposition of a philosophical system on the Scriptures. It is seen as a preconceived system, a Procrustean bed into which the Scriptures must be forced by hacking off limbs and appendages to make it fit. However, the appropriate approach to systematic theology recognizes that the Bible itself contains a system of truth, and it is the task of the theologian not to impose a system upon the Bible, but to build a theology by understanding the system that the Bible teaches.

At the time of the Reformation, to stop unbridled, speculative, and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, the Reformers set forth the fundamental axiom that should govern all biblical interpretation. It is called the analogy of faith, which basically means that Holy Scripture is its own interpreter. In other words, we are to interpret Scripture according to Scripture. That is, the supreme arbiter in interpreting the meaning of a particular verse in Scripture is the overall teaching of the Bible.

Behind the principle of the analogy of faith is the prior confidence that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. If it is the Word of God, it must therefore be consistent and coherent. Cynics, however, say that consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. If that were true, then we would have to say that the smallest mind of all is the mind of God. But there is nothing inherently small or weak to be found in consistency. If it is the Word of God, one may justly expect the entire Bible to be coherent, intelligible, and unified. Our assumption is that God, because of His omniscience, would never be guilty of contradicting Himself. It is therefore slanderous to the Holy Spirit to choose an interpretation of a particular passage that unnecessarily brings that passage into conflict with that which He has revealed elsewhere. So the governing principle of Reformed hermeneutics or interpretation is the analogy of faith.

A second principle that governs an objective interpretation of Scripture is called the sensus literalis. Many times people have said to me, incredulously, “You don’t interpret the Bible literally, do you?” I never answer the question by saying, “Yes,” nor do I ever answer the question by saying, “No.” I always answer the question by saying, “Of course, what other way is there to interpret the Bible?” What is meant by sensus literalis is not that every text in the Scriptures is given a “woodenly literal” interpretation, but rather that we must interpret the Bible in the sense in which it is written. Parables are interpreted as parables, symbols as symbols, poetry as poetry, didactic literature as didactic literature, historical narrative as historical narrative, occasional letters as occasional letters. That principle of literal interpretation is the same principle we use to interpret any written source responsibly.

The principle of literal interpretation gives us another rule, namely that the Bible in one sense is to be read like any other book. Though the Bible is not like any other book in that it carries with it the authority of divine inspiration, nevertheless, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit over a written text does not turn verbs into nouns or nouns into verbs. No special, secret, arcane, esoteric meaning is poured into a text simply because it’s divinely inspired. Nor is there any such mystical ability we call “Holy Ghost Greek.” No, the Bible is to be interpreted according to the ordinary rules of language.

Closely related to this point is the principle that the implicit must be interpreted by the explicit, rather than the explicit interpreted by the implicit. This particular rule of interpretation is violated constantly. For example, we read in John 3:16 that “whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,” and many of us conclude that since the Bible teaches that anyone who believes shall be saved, it therefore implies that anyone can, without the prior regenerative work of the Holy Spirit, exercise belief. That is, since the call to believe is given to everyone, it implies that everyone has the natural ability to fulfill the call. Yet the same gospel writer has Jesus explaining to us three chapters later that no one can come to Jesus unless it is given to him of the Father (John 6:65). That is, our moral ability to come to Christ is explicitly and specifically taught to be lacking apart from the sovereign grace of God. Therefore, all of the implications that suggest otherwise must be subsumed under the explicit teaching, rather than forcing the explicit teaching into conformity to implications that we draw from the text.

Finally, it is always important to interpret obscure passages by those that are clear. Though we affirm the basic clarity of sacred Scripture, we do not at the same time say that all passages are equally clear. Numerous heresies have developed when people have forced conformity to the obscure passages rather than to the clear passages, distorting the whole message of Scripture. If something is unclear in one part of Scripture, it probably is made clear elsewhere in Scripture. When we have two passages in Scripture that we can interpret in various ways, we want always to interpret the Bible in such a way as to not violate the basic principle of Scripture’s unity and integrity.

These are simply a few of the basic, practical principles of biblical interpretation that I set forth years ago in my book Knowing Scripture. I mention that here because so many people have expressed to me how helpful it has been to guide them into a responsible practice of biblical interpretation. Learning the principles of interpretation is exceedingly helpful to guide us in our own study.

From Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul. © Tabletalk magazine. Website: www.ligonier.org/tabletalk. Email: tabletalk@ligonier.org. Toll free: 1-800-435-4343.

 


Dreams Fulfilled

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan No Comments

This post by: Vanessa Sanders Pham

You may contact Vanessa on Facebook: Vanessa Sanders Pham

Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” ~Psalm 37:4

For so long I interpreted this verse as, “If I please the Lord God, then He will grant me my desires.” But really, what I think this verse means is if I take delight in the Lord – in knowing Him and following Him. If I’m happy and delighted in knowing God, then God will fulfill my desires and dreams, which He has done for me.

Here are some examples. I always wanted to be a missionary. I’m working in the mission field. I always wanted to be a published writer. I’ve had over 20 articles and columns published. I always wanted to have a husband. I’m married. In my heart (I didn’t always know it) I always wanted a daughter. I have a daughter. I always wanted to explore and live in different places. Been there, done that, doing that still (and there are many more places I’d like to go!). I always wanted to perform by singing. I’ve been singing in churches since I was little and still am. I always wanted to live in a quaint neighborhood with lots of green, in an old house with character. I’m here now! And here’s a new one. I secretly always wanted to lead a church congregation in singing. I never told this to a soul, not even my husband, because I thought it impossible because I don’t have the credentials. I can’t even sight read. Well, now I’m doing it! And here’s a little thing: Just a couple weeks ago I began desiring company, and we got a surprise visit from my in-laws!

The blessings never stop. I owe all these dreams fulfilled to God. Along the way, I’ve realized that I haven’t had to work much to achieve these dreams – I only had to follow God, and He carried me to them; however, once these dreams are attained, then the work and toil set in, and it’s no picnic. For example, I got my little dream home and dream location (at least for now), but we’ve had to do so much work on this house. We’ve had to add a door, fix a door (which still isn’t completely fixed), seal windows, add shelving, add a cabinet, and I still have painting to do. All of these things come with their effort, responsibilities and challenges. To whom much is given, much is expected, right?

But God is good – He has brought these dreams to fruition. Most of them were not planned or intentional but seemed to come about by accident! But really they were no accident. God’s providential hand has always led me to these things.

So often when obstacles surface in the midst of these dreams, I complain about these very things God has blessed me with – about the very things I wished for. I realize that I’m very good at complaining, if not aloud, then in my thoughts. Yet when I look back and see how God has led me and given me the desires of my heart, I feel ashamed for ever complaining. Who am I to complain about the gifts God has given? Especially the gifts I desired? I need to be grateful, not just sometimes but always.

So now I need to use these gifts for His glory, to honor God with them, and to keep dreaming. What else might God bless me with? What do I wish for? Because if I’m faithful to Him and continue to follow Him – to delight in Him – based on past experience, I have no doubt He will continue to pave the way for my little dreams to become reality.

Contact Vanessa on Facebook:Vanessa Sanders Pham

The Secret To Happiness

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan No Comments

The Secret

One day, one friend asked another,
‘ How is it that you are always so happy?
You have so much energy, and you never seem to get down. ‘

With her eyes smiling, she said,
‘ I know the Secret! ‘
‘ What secret is that? ‘
To which she replied,
‘ I’ll tell you all about it,
but you have to promise to
share the Secret with others. ‘

‘ The Secret is this:
I have learned there is little I can do
in my life that will make me truly happy.
I must depend on God to make
me happy and to meet my needs.
When a need arises in my life,
I have to trust God to supply
according to HIS riches.
I have learned most of the time
I don’t need half of what I think I do..
He has never let me down.
Since I learned that ‘Secret ‘, I am happy.’

The questioner’s first thought was,
‘That’s too simple!’
But upon reflecting over her own life
she recalled how she thought a bigger house
would make her happy, but it didn’t!
She thought a better paying job
would make her happy, but it hadn’t.
When did she realize her greatest happiness?
Sitting on the floor with her grandchildren,
playing games, eating pizza or reading a story,
a simple gift from God.

Now you know it too!
We can’ t depend on people to make us happy.
Only GOD in His infinite wisdom can do that.
Trust In Jesus With Your Life!

Psalm 37:3-8, 103:1-14   Matthew 6:25-34,   Romans 3:26.

Unconditional Love!! An Amazing Story!!

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan 5 Comments


By   Mihaela Uritean

A story is told about a soldier who was finally coming home after having fought in Vietnam. He called his parents from San Francisco.

“Mom and Dad, I’m coming home, but I’ve a favor to ask. I have a friend I’d like to bring home with me.”

“Sure,” they replied, “we’d love to meet him.”

“There’s something you should know the son continued, “he was hurt pretty badly in the fighting. He stepped on a land mine and lost an arm and a leg. He has nowhere else to go, and I want him to come live with us.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, son. Maybe we can help him find somewhere to live.”

“No, Mom and Dad, I want him to live with us.”

“Son,” said the father, “you don’t know what you’re asking. Someone with such a handicap would be a terrible burden on us. We have our own lives to live, and we can’t let something like this interfere with our lives. I think you should just come home and forget about this guy. He’ll find a way to live on his own.”

At that point, the son hung up the phone. The parents heard nothing more from him. A few days later, however, they received a call from the San Francisco police. Their son had died after falling from a building, they were told. The police believed it was suicide. The grief-stricken parents flew to San Francisco and were taken to the city morgue to identify the body of their son. They recognized him, but to their horror they also discovered something they didn’t know, their son had only one arm and one leg.

The parents in this story are like many of us. We find it easy to love those who are good-looking or fun to have around, but we don’t like people who inconvenience us or make us feel uncomfortable. We would rather stay away from people who aren’t as healthy, beautiful, or smart as we are. Thankfully, there’s someone who won’t treat us that way. Someone who loves us with an unconditional love that welcomes us into the forever family, regardless of how messed up we are.

Tonight, before you tuck yourself in for the night, say a little prayer that God will give you the strength you need to accept people as they are, and to help us all be more understanding of those who are different from us!!!

There’s a miracle called Friendship That dwells in the heart You don’t know how it happens Or when it gets started But you know the special lift It always brings And you realize that Friendship Is God’s most precious gift!

Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed They lend an ear, they share a word of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Our Awesome Creator At Work!

   For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.  And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist(Are Held Together). Colossians 1:16-17.

Shabbat Shalom! A Brief Bible Study

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan 3 Comments

The Sabbath is here!! Praise God!!

This is the day the LORD has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24.

The Sabbath is a sign of my relationship with Jesus! It indicates that I am giving Jesus permission to save me!!

Please Listen To This Great Pillars Music Video! 

I Will Give You Rest

12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.

20 hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’ Ezekiel 20:12,20.

The Sabbath is made just for Us! How wonderful is that?


And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  Mark 2:27.

The Sabbath is a delight!

12 Those from among you
Shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
13 “ If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the LORD honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the LORD;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the LORD has spoken.”  Isaiah 58:12-14.

And Jesus is Lord of The Sabbath Too!!

And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28.

Now if Jesus is Lord of The Sabbath, which He is, Then the Lord’s Day mentioned in,Revelation 1:10,is The Bible Sabbath!

The Sabbath is not legalism any more than not stealing from my neighbor is legalistic!

The Apostle Paul addresses the issue in Hebrews 4:3-4,10-11. Paul is simply saying I can stop trying to save myself —– Jesus will save me. The Sabbath is a symbol that Jesus  in fact saves me!! And it’s His creative Power that does just that! Praise God that I can cease from any attempt to save myself!  Romans 1:16-17,19-20.

I repeat, I can’t save myself but Jesus can!! Makes me want to jump for joy when I realize that Jesus would have died just to save me!! John 3:16-17,36.

We will celebrate God’s Sabbath in the Earth Made New!

22 “ For as the new heavens and the new earth
Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the LORD,

“ So shall your descendants and your name remain.
23 And it shall come to pass
That from one New Moon to another,
And from one Sabbath to another,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says the LORD.        Isaiah 66: 22-23.

Let me say it again,It makes me want to jump for joy when I realize that Jesus would have died to save just me!!

Shabbat Shalom–Happy Sabbath!

Just Like Jesus! Does This Mean Sinless Perfection?

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan 6 Comments

Please leave a comment at the end of this blog post! Tell me your opinion? Do you agree or disagree? It would really be  helpful. Thanks!!

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. See 1 John 3:1-3. Matthew 5:48

Have you ever wondered who God is? God is love! 1 John 4:8, 16. God designed everything He created to operate in harmony with His law of Love which is His creation freely giving to others. In other words the very basis of God is Love! You can’t say that God has a characteristic that’s called love. He is in fact Love!! God’s Agape Love is defined as “Giving”! Period! This love does not seek its own good at all, but rather the good of others.1Corinthians 10:24 1Corinthians 13:5. Certainly The Law of Love can be seen in nature. Romans 1:19-20. But the most powerful demonstration of God’s love is the Cross of Jesus. For God so loved that “He gave for His entire creation”. See John 3:16.

Now then, who is man? We are all sinners who are selfish through and through to the very core. Jeremiah says our heart is “deceitful and desperately wicked and who can know it”? Jeremiah 17:9-10. I know that sounds awful but unfortunately it’s what Adam chose for all of us.  Romans 3:9-12, 23. Through the blood line of Adam, we all have inherited this virus called “selfishness”.  It’s natural for us to look out for number one instead of serving others. See Isaiah 14:12-15 .   In other words, Sinning is simply the natural thing to do, the easy thing to do! And that includes all of us!! Psalm 51:4-5.

So Sinner’s sin! Right? I wonder why we are so shocked, and ready to condemn, when we see sinner’s doing what they do best? Any ideas?

But praise God that through another man, Jesus Christ, all are made righteous. Romans 5:12-19. And thankfully, where sin abounds Grace abounds much more! Romans 5:20-21.

What does it mean to be just like Jesus?  1John 3:2. Does Jesus mean sinless perfection?

If God is defined as love, (1John 4:8,16) which He is, then it seems to me we must be like Him in love! We are to love as God loves!

Just how does God love? Matthew 5:43-48 has the answer.

First right out of the gate, Jesus is not talking about sinless perfection in verse 48. So just what is it that Jesus means? How do I become perfect?

Jesus says, in verses 43-45: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;

Wow!! How simple is that!! You mean you are to Love those who hate you? Those Who use you, who persecute you and who curse you? And you will be perfect if you love like that? Exactly!!! Now that’s getting a little more difficult huh. Thankfully that’s how God Loves us!

It’s really easy to love all those who come to Church or Gospel Fellowship! Right? Not hard at all!! But Jesus says what virtue is that?

Sticking to the context of these verses we must agree that Jesus is saying  “when you love like me”, you are perfect or simply stated “MATURE”

In fact my good friend, The Apostle Paul, says that loving my neighbor fulfills all of the law!! Romans 13: 8-10, Galatians 5:13-14. Further, John argues that we know God through loving one another! 1 John 4:7-11.

Being just like Jesus then, (1John 3:2) is not complicated, as we often make it! It simply is loving like Jesus loves! Let me put it this way! I need to spend time with Jesus so He can teach me how to love just like Him! Jesus craves a relationship with you!  John 17:3,26.

Being perfect or mature is the process by which all those who, Trust Jesus with their lives,(Romans 3:26) will progressively become more and more loving! This is truly being “Just Like Jesus”!! This process is also known as Sanctification , becoming more and more loving ,which is becoming  more and more”like Jesus” and ready for His soon coming. It’s “in His Love” that Jesus makes us just like Him! Ephesians 1:4 It’s God’s Love that causes us to trust Him and walk the walk with Him! Ephesians 1:12-14, 2:4-10. Ephesians 5:2.

Here is how Dr Timothy Jenkins puts it:

“God’s Love Heals. Jesus desires to live inside us through The Holy Spirit, who daily will make me progressively more and more loving.  God’s plan is to take humanity, damaged by sin, born with natural inclinations toward self-seeking, infected with the law of selfishness, and restore in us His law of love and liberty.  The Lord does not want simply to put His law in the mind as an idea to be believed, but rather to re-create us in the fullness of His image as living conduits of His Love. His law of love will permeate our entire being and become the wellspring of all action.  He seeks to elevate us from our fallen state of selfishness with its slavery to fear, insecurity, and feelings, so that we will once again occupy our noble station in God’s order.  Removing the selfishness from our minds, He will restore in us the living law of love and liberty.  Then we will once again stand as intelligent, self-governed, self-sacrificing friends of God—as the living repositories of His great law of love and liberty”.

“Courtesy Dr. Tim Jennings and ComeAndReason.com”

But when do we reach sinless perfection?

Again quoting my friend The Apostle Paul with his simple answer: “In a moment of the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet sound”. This is when Jesus appears for the second time! Facts are Jesus is about to come! 1Corinthians 15:51-54. So when this great cosmic event occurs “we shall all be changed” and never ever have to worry about sin again! Ever!! Nahum 1:9 Isaiah 11:9 Revelation  21:4 . Praise God!! And all of this is a free gift from Jesus to you and me!! Alleluia!!

So what are we waiting for? Now is the time for me to be more and  more loving and hence more just like Jesus!! Its a free gift too!! Ephesians 2:8-9

Its really great news that Jesus will save me if I simply allow Him to come inside me through the Holy Spirit and completely change me , making me just like Him!! My assurance of Salvation is “in Jesus”. 1 John 5:11-13.

In the end it’s all about Jesus!1Corinthians 1:29-31. He is my victory and everything to me! He patches up my broken relationship  (1Corinthians 5:17-21) with Him and makes me just like Jesus! 2 Corinthians 3:18. He will then live out His life inside me, through The Holy Spirit, (Romans 8:2-4, 9-11) making me more and more loving and ready to live forever and ever with Him! This is really great news!! This is The Gospel!!

Listen my friend why not let Jesus cleanse you, transform you, set your relationship with  right with Him, and fill you with His Holy Spirit. He will save you completely!  He will finish the good work in you which He has begun! Praise God! Philippians 1:6.

Now this very moment is the time to accept Salvation from Jesus! “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of Salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2.

When Jesus comes, He will be looking for those who have trusted Him with their lives! Period!  Romans 3:26. Romans 1:16-17.

What must I do? Simply accept Jesus and trust Him with your life! Period!  Acts 16:30-31, Romans 10:9-10. He will even draw you to Himself and save you!! “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” John 12:32. John 6:40, 47.

So I ask again, What are you waiting for? Why not accept Jesus right now!! He longs for you to come to Him just like you are!!          Revelation 22:7,12,17,20

He only is my rock and my salvation;
He is my defense;
I shall not be moved.
In God is my salvation and my glory;
The rock of my strength,
And my refuge, is in God. Psalm 62:6-7.

Let your face shine on your servant;
save me in your unfailing love. Psalm 31:16 NIV.

Jesus is coming quickly!! Revelation 22:20-21.

Future blog discussions will include: 1. The concept of sin. What is sin? (John 16:8-9) How do you define sin? 2. What does it mean to overcome? What is your belief about overcoming? What does it mean to overcome as mentioned in Revelation 2:10-11, 3:21? 3.What does it mean to be transformed into the image of Jesus? What does Jesus transform in the process? 2Corthians 3:18.

Please leave your questions and join the discussion.

Thank you and may the Love and Peace of Jesus calm you in these troubled times!! Zephaniah 3:17. John 14:27.

God’s Amazing Grace! A Must Read Story

Posted on: by Wayne Bolan 4 Comments

Ephesians 2:8-9.

Hope you are all as blessed as I was by this story.

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak….

I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright.

I stopped the lad and asked, “What do you have there, son?”

“Just some old birds,” came the reply.

“What are you going to do with them?” I asked.

“Take ‘em home and have fun with ‘em,” he answered. “I’m gonna tease ‘em and pull out their feathers to make ‘em fight. I’m gonna have a real good time.”

“But you’ll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do then?”

“Oh, I got some cats,” said the little boy. “They like birds. I’ll take ‘em to them.”

The pastor was silent for a moment. “How much do you want for those birds, son?”

“Huh??!!! Why, you don’t want them birds, mister. They’re just plain old field birds. They don’t sing. They ain’t even pretty!”

“How much?” the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, “$10?”

The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy’s hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story:

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. “Yes, sir, I just caught a world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn’t resist. Got ‘em all!”

“What are you going to do with them?” Jesus asked.

Satan replied, “Oh, I’m gonna have fun! I’m gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I’m gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I’m really gonna have fun!”

“And what will you do when you are done with them?” Jesus asked.

“Oh, I’ll kill ‘em,” Satan glared proudly.

“How much do you want for them?” Jesus asked.

“Oh, you don’t want those people. They ain’t no good. Why, you’ll take them and they’ll just hate you. They’ll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don’t want those people!!”

“How much?” He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, “All your blood, tears and your life.”

Jesus said, “DONE!” Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage and walked from the pulpit.
I thank God every day for my blessed life. I’m not rich, don’t live in a mansion and don’t have the nicest of material things, but I’m healthy, have a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on my table, a family that loves me and lifelong friends to get me through. I’d say I have a lot to be thankful for.

Ephesians 3:14-20

Isaiah 49:15-16

Gospel Fellowship Study Assignment-1

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Please take a moment to express your view concerning the following by leaving a comment! It will be very helpful indeed.Thank you for your participation.

1. Please explain Daniel 12:1. What is this awful trouble mentioned?

2. What is Jacob’s Trouble? See Genesis 32:22-30, Jeremiah 30: 5-7.

3. What does it mean to “Overcome”? See Revelation 2:10-11, 3:21. John 16:33

4. In Colossians 1:17 define “consist”.

5. In 2Corinthians 5:14 define “constraineth” (KJV) or “compels” (NKJV).

6. Define the 3 Angel’s message of Revelation 14:6-12 in one sentence?

7. Revelation 10:7 What is the Mystery of God mentioned in this text?

8. Does this Mystery of God fit into Revelation 14:14-16?

This Story Will Touch Your Heart

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Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts.

This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring rain.

The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said, ‘OK, dad, I’m ready.’

His Pastor dad asked, ‘Ready for what?’

‘Dad, it’s time we gather our tracts together and go out.’

Dad responds, ‘Son, it’s very cold outside and it’s pouring rain.’

The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, ‘But Dad, aren’t people still going to Hell, even though it’s raining?’

Dad answers, ‘Son, I am not going out in this weather.’

Despondently, the boy asks, ‘Dad, can I go? Please?’

His father hesitated for a moment then said, ‘Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son..’

‘Thanks Dad!’

And with that, he was off and out into the rain.. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract .

After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.

Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered.

He rang it again and again, but still no one answered. He waited but still no answer.

Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him.

Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there on the front porch!

He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.

Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked, ‘What can I do for you, son?’ With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said, ‘Ma’am, I’m sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that * JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU * and I came
to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE.’

With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.

She called to him as he departed. ‘Thank you, son! And God Bless You!’

Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, ‘Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?’

Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet.

As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, ‘No one in this church knows me. I’ve never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live.

So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and broken-hearted I was about to leap off, when
suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, ‘I’ll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away.’

I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly…

I thought to myself again, ‘Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me.’ I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder.

When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you!

The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, ‘Ma’am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU.’ Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand…

As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn’t be needing them anymore.

You see— I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come here to personally say THANK YOU to God’s little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from hell.’

There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated….

He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son…. Except for One.

SPRING IS HERE!! AMEN TO SPRING!!

Shabbat Shalom!

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I invite you take time to read this wonderful story from Scripture!!

A Spirit of Infirmity

10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him. Luke 13:10-17.



SHABBAT SHALOM TO YOU!!