Saturday, March 30, 2013

20 Amazing Things Jesus Said 1 of 22

20 Amazing Things Jesus Said

1 of 22

During His time on Earth Jesus had an awesome perspective on life, values and what should be really important to us. Enjoy this list of 20 Amazing Things Jesus Said...

The Rapture (Part 1) -Dr. Andy Woods

The Rapture (Part 1)

By Dr. Andy Woods
Sugar Land Bible Church

I remain astonished at the number of emails I receive from individuals who do not believe that the rapture is a biblical doctrine. Such people seem to have the idea that the whole rapture concept is manufactured by popular, sensationalistic prophecy teachers in their attempt to sell books and make money. Thus, they contend that this rapture doctrine has no biblical justification whatsoever. In order to demonstrate the rapture is truly a biblical doctrine, I am commencing a series of articles on the "Doctrine of the Rapture of the Church." This series will have two major parts. First, we will focus on the "what?" question as we ask ourselves, "What is the rapture?" The two major passages we will use to answer this question will be 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. Second, we will focus on the "when?" question as we ask ourselves, "When is the rapture?" By "when?" we have no intention of assigning a date for the rapture. Such an effort would be fruitless since the Scripture fails to assign a specific date for this event. Rather, by "when?" we simply will try to answer the question "When will the rapture take place relative to the impending seven-year tribulation period?" What Is the Rapture? In order to answer this question, ten truths about this important event will be discussed. The first four truths come directly from 1 Thess. 4:13-18. These verses say:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Rapture Is an Important Doctrine First, the rapture is an important doctrine. Many give the impression that the rapture is some kind of secondary doctrine that need not be given too much attention. We are often told that we should focus on the "big ticket" theological items such as the Virgin Birth, the Vicarious Atonement, the Trinity, Salvation by Faith Alone, and the Deity of Christ. Only after these doctrines are mastered should we then consider or contemplate the doctrine of the rapture. Along these same lines, many contend that the rapture is certainly not something that a new believer should give too much time or attention to. Such thinking was foreign to the mindset of the Apostle Paul. Interestingly, the Thessalonians were new believers (1 Thess. 1:9). In fact, a very short period of time exists between Paul's planting of the Thessalonian church on his second missionary and his writing of the two epistles to them. There were no more than six months to a year between these two events. Thus, the Thessalonian epistles differ from Paul's letter to the Philippians where a little over ten years had elapsed between Paul's planting of the church at Philippi, on his second missionary journey, and when Paul finally wrote to that church during his first Roman imprisonment. The point in all of this is that although the Thessalonians were new believers, Paul never hid the doctrine of the rapture from them. On the contrary, he openly disclosed this teaching to them along with many other doctrines. In his letter to the Thessalonians, before more fully developing the doctrine of the rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Paul briefly mentioned this doctrine in 1 Thessalonians 1:10. Paul obviously believed that the rapture is a foundational doctrine because he mentioned it immediately after discussing other basic doctrines such as the Holy Spirit (1:5) and conversion (1:5, 9). He also mentions the rapture doctrine (4:13-18) just after and before discussing other basic Christian truths such as sanctification (4:3, 5:23) and the dimensions of man's nature (5:23). Evidently, in Paul's thinking, the rapture was just as important as these other truths and deserved the same level of treatment and understanding.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Love First -Then Service -Chuck Smith

Love First- Then Service
By Chuck Smith
Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa

I’ve heard people complain about the things they “have to do” for the Lord. “Oh, I suppose I have to visit Brother So-and-so,” they grumble. How sad that a believer would try to serve God out of a grumbling sense of duty rather than the fulfillment of love. Too many of us speak of heavy burdens that we must carry.

Do you realize the importance Jesus puts upon your loving Him? He accepts only the works that flow from a heart of love. He’s not at all interested in the works you might do out of a sense of obligation or responsibility. He wants your service to Him to flow out of a heart of love. It must be the overflow of love and the expression of your love for Him.

Jesus said, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). So if you discover that the burden you’re trying to carry is so heavy that it weighs you down, then you had better take a second look at that burden. It probably isn’t from Him. It may be something that you’ve taken upon yourself or allowed others to lay on you—and that can be a heavy burden.

People try to lay their burdens on me all the time.

Someone messes up his life and then comes to me and says, “Fix it, Chuck. It’s your problem.” No, it is not my problem, it’s his problem. “Don’t lay your burden on me,” I say. “The Bible says, ‘Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you’” (1 Peter 5:7). Rather than coming to me, that person needs to cast his cares on Jesus. If you try to take responsibility for lifting someone out of a hole that he’s dug for himself, that can be a terribly heavy burden on you! God allowed that burden to happen to bring that person into a closer relationship with Him—not you.

Remember that one day your works will be judged—and the only kind of works that God will accept are those motivated by love. Don’t try to serve God out of a begrudging sense of duty. Paul the apostle said, “For the love of Christ compels us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). The compelling love of Jesus Christ within works in such a way that we no longer look upon our service as a sacrifice. We look upon it as a privilege, as a joy, as a blessing. What fun to be able to do things for our Lord who loves us so much. You see, the Lord does not long for our service; He longs for a growing, loving relationship with us. God simply wants a loving relationship with you.

I love my Master.Thats why I want to serve Him

In ancient times, a man who desired to remain the property of his master would say, “I love my master. I don’t want to be free of him. I want to serve him.” The master would then take the servant to the doorpost and pin him with an awl through the lobe of his ear. Ever after, that servant would remain the master’s bondslave.

“I love my Master. That’s why I want to serve Him.” This is the only true motive for any valued service to God. You must have this motivation for whatever you do for Him. It is the only motivation the Lord will accept.

So don’t try to substitute your works for the fellowship He desires! Rather than busying yourself for Him, He would rather that you just sit, relax, and share time and love with Him. Serving the Lord always follows loving the Lord. You serve the Lord because you love Him. That is the mark of the bondslave.

- excerpted from Love The More Excellent Way by Chuck Smith

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

VIDDEVO: What Can One Man Do?

VIDDEVO

What This is about is Personal.

It is my Personal Relationship and Response to Jesus.

It is about the Way I relate to Jesus and How He Communicates to Me. It is not an uncommon experience, but it is one that is Unique and Distinctive to God because He did it. I merely responded to what He did to me. This should be common to all men and could be.

VidDevo is Testimony.

It is the personal experience of God related in an intimate and personal way about what Jesus wants to communicate to me and through me for others as well as for my self. It is life experiences. It is Testimony. It is real. It is live. None of it is exaggerated. It is my devotional life as I live it in Video: VidDevo.

VidDevo is Personal.

It is about You. It is about Me. We are relating Jesus to each other by Video but communicating to each other as the Spirit of God makes real what fits in your life the same way he does for me. And it may not be the same thing. It is God speaking. It doesn't matter how He does. It is personal to you and Him, just as it is personal to He and I. God speaks thru VidDevo to each individual person; personally.

VidDevo is Real.

It is life. It is daily. It is about what happens to me and as much as possible what affects you as I see it happening to you. It is the response of a Man of God with God in success and failure, in happiness and sorrow, in all aspects of life and living it. It is not reality video, but the reality of God manifest in the flesh, mine, as I relate to God in all I am doing. It is God in me as Jesus said He would be and is. He is real, I am not.

(more to follow...)

Last Update 10-6-2012