I would like to have one.
November 2009
FROM THE PASTOR/TEACHER’S DESK
Sunday November 08 at Rivers of Joy Baptist Church has a special Sunday in honor of our church. In the south in my child hood these days were called HOMECOMINGS. A day that people who were and are members and friends of the church would come for a time of fellowship. Those days were fun for me as a child. Then even when as a pastor of several churches we had come great times of fellowship.
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WHAT DOES SCRIPTURE MEAN BY "BEING BORN AGAIN?"
This week on by blog I am addressing the term "Born Again" John 3:3 Jesus said "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be BORN AGAIN he cannot see the kingdom of God." The term known as "Regeneration."
Regeneration, or New Birth, or salvation is an inner re-creation of fallen human nature by the gracious sovereign action of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8)
The Word of God conceives salvation as the redemptive renewal of man on the basis of a restored relationship with God in Christ, and presents it as involving "a radical and complete transformation wrought in the soul (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23) by God the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 4:24) by virtue of which we become new men and women (Colossians 3:10) no longer conformed to this world's culture (Romans 1:22, Ephesians 4:22) but in knowledge and holiness of the truth created after the image of God (verses quote above).
Salvation is not saying words, salvation is not saying a prayer, salvation is not asking God to save you, salvation is not doing good works. Salvation is a process started in you by God the Holy Spirit.
This is why the term REGENERATION is used. It is the "birth" by which this work of new creation is begun. Like a physical birth, this new birth grows and continues in us (I Peter 2:2, 2 Peter 3:18).
Re-born, re-generation of one's self inside the heart and mind and spirit. Christ will change the disposition of our attitude toward Jesus Christ, and attitude toward God's desires (Romans3:9-18, 8:7).
The process of salvation, being born again will enlighten your blinded mind to discern spiritual truths (I Corinthians 2;14-15, 2 Corin 4:6) AND will set you free and energizes you rebellious will and you will freely obey God's will for your life (Romans 6:14, 17:22, Philippians 2:13)
http://cwhisna.blogspot.com/ Part 1,2,3,4,5,6
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SHALLOW CONVERSION
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"Though I rejoice in sudden conversions, I entertain grave suspicions of those suddenly happy people who seem never to have sorrowed over their sin. I am afraid that those who come by their religion so very lightly often lose it quite as lightly. Saul of Tarsus was converted on a sudden, but no man ever went through a greater horror of darkness than he did before Ananias came to him with the words of comfort. I like deep ploughing. Top-soil skimming is poor work; the tearing of the soil under surface is greatly needed. After all, the most lasting Christians appear to be those who have seen their inward disease to be very deeply seated and loathsome, and after awhile have been led to see the glory of the healing hand of the Lord Jesus as he stretches it out in the gospel. I am afraid that in much modern religion there is a want of depth on all points; they neither deeply tremble nor greatly rejoice, they neither much despair nor much believe. Oh, beware of pious veneering! Beware of the religion which consists in putting on a thin slice of godliness over a mass of carnality. We must have thorough going work within; the grace which reaches the core, and affects the innermost spirit is the only grace worth having.
"Though I rejoice in sudden conversions, I entertain grave suspicions of those suddenly happy people who seem never to have sorrowed over their sin. I am afraid that those who come by their religion so very lightly often lose it quite as lightly. Saul of Tarsus was converted on a sudden, but no man ever went through a greater horror of darkness than he did before Ananias came to him with the words of comfort. I like deep ploughing. Top-soil skimming is poor work; the tearing of the soil under surface is greatly needed. After all, the most lasting Christians appear to be those who have seen their inward disease to be very deeply seated and loathsome, and after awhile have been led to see the glory of the healing hand of the Lord Jesus as he stretches it out in the gospel. I am afraid that in much modern religion there is a want of depth on all points; they neither deeply tremble nor greatly rejoice, they neither much despair nor much believe. Oh, beware of pious veneering! Beware of the religion which consists in putting on a thin slice of godliness over a mass of carnality. We must have thorough going work within; the grace which reaches the core, and affects the innermost spirit is the only grace worth having.•To put all in one word, a want of the Holy Ghost is the great cause of religious instability. Beware of mistaking excitement for the Holy Ghost, or your own resolutions for the deep workings of the Spirit of God in the soul. All that ever nature paints God will burn off with hot irons. All that nature ever spins he will unravel and cast away with the rags. Ye must be born from above, ye must have a new nature wrought in you by the finger of God himself, for of all his saints it is written, "Ye are his workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus."Oh, but, everywhere I fear there is a want of the Holy Spirit! there is much getting up of a tawdry morality, barely skin deep, much crying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace, and very little deep heart-searching anxiety to be thoroughly purged from sin. Well-known and well-remembered truths are believed without an accompanying impression of their weight; hopes are flimsily formed, and confidences ill founded, and it is this which makes deceivers so plentiful, and fair shows after the flesh so common."
To put all in one word, a want of the Holy Ghost is the great cause of religious instability. Beware of mistaking excitement for the Holy Ghost, or your own resolutions for the deep workings of the Spirit of God in the soul. All that ever nature paints God will burn off with hot irons. All that nature ever spins he will unravel and cast away with the rags. Ye must be born from above, ye must have a new nature wrought in you by the finger of God himself, for of all his saints it is written, "Ye are his workmanship, created anew in Christ Jesus."Oh, but, everywhere I fear there is a want of the Holy Spirit! there is much getting up of a tawdry morality, barely skin deep, much crying "Peace, peace," where there is no peace, and very little deep heart-searching anxiety to be thoroughly purged from sin. Well-known and well-remembered truths are believed without an accompanying impression of their weight; hopes are flimsily formed, and confidences ill founded, and it is this which makes deceivers so plentiful, and fair shows after the flesh so common."I was asked today, "How do we build the church up, and get people to come to the church?" "Do we go door to door visiting?"
There was most likely few pastors who were more evangelistic as Charles Spurgeon. More people came to Christ in his church than you can believe. He totally believe in the sovereignty of God in the matter of a person being saved
WHAT IS THE GOSPEL
52.6 I Thessalonians 1:5
Pastor/Teacher Charles E. Whisnant
What is the Gospel? Just ask the typical American evangelical or fundamentalist the question? Here is what you will likely hear: “Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and you will be saved.”
NOTE SOME SCRIPTURES ON “WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?”
oMark 1:14-15 and Matthew 2:14
Mark 1:14-15 and Matthew 2:14Jesus was saying then, that the gospel is preaching the kingdom of Christ, kingdom of God which was breaking into this present world through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Messiah. The Gospel, then, is the message of the Kingdom. Repenting and believing is the means by which we are included in the gospel story of God’s work throughout history.
God is redeeming for Himself a people out of a fallen world: we enter into the gospel story by grace through faith alone.
oRomans 1:1-6
Romans 1:1-6We think of the Gospel as “the way of salvation.” There is another idea: “Redemption accomplished.” is another way of saying the same.
There is a “history of salvation:” i.e. what God has done objectively throughout Biblical history to accomplish the redemption of the world and of His people. The history of salvation is found in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. The first verse to mention the process of salvation is Genesis 3:15.
REDEMPTION APPLIED: This is how the redemption purchased by Christ becomes real in the life of the believer.
Generally, all we ever learn about the Gospel and Salvation is “to repent and believe and be baptized.” There is so much more to the process than this.
THE WORD GOSPEL MEANS ‘GOOD NEWS” Isaiah 52:7. Cf. Psa 93:1, Rom. 10:15.
MARK 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel <2098> of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
When was the beginning of the gospel? If the historical events of Jesus Christ did not happen, then Christianity does not “work”. For the good news is that God has entered the human “now” (history) with the life of the world to come.
Jesus Christ and the Gospel are the same. Jesus does not bring the gospel – He is the gospel – because the gospel is that God has broken into history and accomplished everything necessary for our salvation.
The gospel: “the gospel of the kingdom.” cf Luke 16:15, Matthew 4:23, 34:14.The gospel is the message about the Kingdom of God entering into this world through the ministry of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
THEN THE QUESTION BECOMES, HOW DOES ONE ENTER INTO THIS KINGDOM? Matthew 18:3How do I become a part of the new creation? cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17What must I do to be saved? Cf. Acts 16:30 The answer of course is:o“Repent and believe the gospel” mark 1:15
“Repent and believe the gospel” mark 1:15SO THE QUESTION WILL THEN BE: how does the gospel become real in our lives? i.e. how is redemption applied to us?
The term “redemption” is used to express how one becomes a Believer, a Christian, and is born again.
WHY IS THE GOSPEL SO IMPORTANT TO PREACH?
Because we see that all human beings are incapable of entering into the kingdom of god on their own – that is – for us it is impossible to merit our own salvation. We are wholly dependent upon the graciousness of our god for our salvation in every step along the process described in Romans 8:28-30.
PREACHING THE GOSPEL? It’s the Christian life. It is the way in which we communicate the work of Christ to others, so that the story of their life might be found within the grand story of god’s redemption.
Is your story found within the story of god’s redemption? Have you become a part of the grand narrative in which our lives tell he story of His glory and His redeption.
THE GOSPEL is, but more than “being saved” It’s redemption accomplished. The story of Jesus, is how our salvation was accomplished by the work and words of Jesus Christ. The story how God is redeeming His people for Himself to live in His New Heaven and New Earth (Heaven)
A VIEW OF A FEW BINDERS I HAVE FROM THE MY STUDY OF THE BIBLE
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Why I preach the Word
For many reasons, faithful and full proclamation of the Word is the only right way to preach.
First of all, such preaching lets God speak rather than man, because it declares God’s own Word. And it is an incredibly thrilling privilege to give voice to God!
Second, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it brings the preacher into direct contact with the mind of the Holy Spirit, the author of Scripture. It is for that reason that the preacher of the Word finds the process of study and discovery to be even more rewarding than the preaching that results from it, gratifying as that can be.
Third, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it forces the preacher to proclaim all of God’s revelation, including those truths that even many believers find hard to learn or accept.
Fourth, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it promotes biblical literacy in a congregation, not only through what is learned from the sermon itself but also through the increased desire to study Scripture more carefully and consistently on their own. The faithful pastor, and all other faithful believers, love to learn God’s Word because they love the God of the Word.
Fifth, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because it carries ultimate authority. It is the complete and perfect self-revelation of God Himself and of His divine will for mankind, which He has created in His own image.
Sixth, preaching the Word is the only right way to preach because only that kind of preaching can transform both the preacher and the congregation.
Seventh, the final and most compelling reason that preaching the Word is the only right way to preach is simply that it is His own Word, and only His own Word, that the Lord calls and commissions His preachers to proclaim.
My sister Ellen
