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It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to reprove sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is not our ministry. We are simply witnesses. A witness is not the judge or the jury. A witness simply relates what he has experienced, thereby providing evidence to the truth of something. We are to witness in word and deed, to the truth of Jesus being alive in us and let God be the one who convicts. We are simply to testify to what we have seen or to what has happened to us.
Some people in their zeal, have gone beyond the witness stage and have tried to bring people under conviction themselves. This is assuming the job that belongs to the Holy Spirit alone. This not only frustrates the witness but it drives many people away from God. We make a very poor Holy Spirit; therefore, we should...
JESUS SAID IN MATTHEW 12:50 "For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." THIS MEANS WE ARE JOINT HEIRS WITH JESUS, IF WE DO GOD'S WILL. IN FACT IT SAYS THAT IN ROMANS 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
The Greek word translated "expedient" means "to be an advantage; profitable."
How could any situation be more advantageous or profitable than having Jesus physically with you?
When Jesus walked on this earth in His physical body, He was subject to many physical limitations. For instance, He could not always be with every one of His disciples all the time. Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, He could. Instead of Satan getting rid of Jesus, 120 "little Christs" (that is literally what the word "Christian" means) came out of the upper room on the day of Pentecost.
Jesus taught His disciples as no teacher ever had, yet they had very little understanding because they were not...
This weekend (`10/26-27-28) is the last weekend for the Oct 2018 Weekend play from 3:00pm - 4:30 or so.
Next Fri-Sat-Sun will be the launch of the Nov Chart. And this one is really Special.. Something happened that has not happened in the 8 years I've been doing this chart.. so I'll Get Started with the countdown right away.. Our Monthly Artist of the Month will be Laurie Marks Vincent. she's kinda been here a few times with some reallt good songs and she was also the into artist to the joint Indie Gospel Artists "Where the River Runs"
20. Angel in the Sky Deby Kelley a new song entering the chart today
19. If You Know Him - E. Pettersen Ed has been with us and also had a song on the Sound of Hope Album and was instrumental in getting a lot done on the project.
18. Blood of Calvargy - Whayes4 great sounding group...
17. A Thorn on a Rose - Joesph Beggs .. this song was
SOME TIME BACK I TALKED ABOUT TALKING TO YOUR "MOUNTAINS". TODAY I WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT "TALKING". A LOT IS SAID IN THE BIBLE ABOUT THE TONGUE. LOOK WHAT JAMES TELLS US IN JAMES 3:2 "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body." WE TEND TO SAY THINGS WITHOUT THINKING AND THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WHEN YOU ARE TELLING THAT ILLNESS TO LEAVE YOU, THAT IS A POSITIVE WORD WHICH CAN BRING HEALING, BUT HOW MANY TIMES A DAY DO YOU SPEAK NEGATIVE WORDS. YOU SEE A WRECK AND SAY "THAT'S GOING TO BE ME ONE OF THESE DAYS THE WAY I DRIVE". SOMEONE COMES IN WITH THE FLU AND YOU SAY "WELL I GUESS I WILL HAVE THAT BEFORE LONG". SOMEONE HAS A HEART ATTACK AND YOU SAY "THAT RUNS IN MY FAMILY AND I KNOW THAT WILL BE THE WAY I GO". POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE WORDS COMING OUT OF THE SAME MOUTH.
We should not think it is strange to be persecuted. "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). We can actually rejoice because we are being persecuted for Jesus' sake, and the Lord will be with us in the midst of the persecution. When we stand before Him, there will be more than ample reward.
Persecution is a token that those persecuting you are under conviction. They realize that they are not living what your words or actions are advocating and in self defense, they attack you, who they perceive is the source of their conviction. If you understand this, it makes persecution much easier to take. They aren't just mad at you; they are convicted. When the gospel is...
HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THINKING YOU WON'T REMEMBER WHAT TO SAY WHEN SOMEONE ASKS YOU WHAT MUST THEY DO TO BE SAVED? THAT QUESTION GIVES A LOT OF CHRISTIANS TROUBLE AS THEY HAVEN'T, TO DATE, LEAD ANYONE TO JESUS. WE MUST BE PREPARED BECAUSE WE WOULD NOT WANT SOMEONE TO BE LOST BECAUSE OF US. PRACTICE IF YOU HAVE TO, BUT BE READY.
This is a profound truth, that is the key to bearing fruit, but it is so easy to forget. Because the fruit is borne on the branch, it is easy to credit the branch with the fruit, when it is the vine that drew the life from the earth and channeled it through the branch.
Likewise, since we are the branch through which the life of God flows, we sometimes think that it is our own holiness that produces the fruit. The moment we think that way, we are no longer abiding (trusting in; clinging to) in the vine and we will become fruitless if we persist in this mind set.
This is actually a great relief if the believer understands this and applies it properly. It puts all the responsibility on Jesus. Our only responsibility is to...
THE FIRST TIME JESUS MINISTERED IN JERUSALEM WAS AT THE TEMPLE RIGHT AFTER HE HAD DRIVEN OUT THE ONES WHO WERE SELLING THE SHEEP, OXEN AND DOVES FOR THE OFFERINGS. HE HAD MADE A WHIP AND DROVE THEM OUT AND TURNED OVER THEIR MONEY TABLES. HE SAID THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE HIS FATHER'S HOUSE A HOUSE OF MERCHANDISE.
This purging has been interpreted in many ways. The illustration that Jesus is using is one of pruning; therefore, some have said this purging is a very painful process where the Lord cuts and slashes us through things like sickness, death, poverty, and other forms of tragedy so that eventually we will bear more fruit. This teaching not only promotes problems as being good, but necessary, if we want to bear more fruit.
That thinking is not consistent with the rest of God's Word or even the context of this verse. The text makes it very clear that the purging that Jesus speaks of is done through the Word that He has spoken unto us.
Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that God's Word was given to us "for doctrine, for...