Scriptures Weekly 64 - Do Christians Pray for Forgiveness?

1 John 1:7,

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Does this mean the Christian doesn’t need to pray for forgiveness? Someone may say – “God already knows my heart and needs, why do I need to pray. And forgiveness, He has already forgiven me and he cleanses my sins 24 hours a day anyway, why should I pray for forgiveness?”

My question to this immature attitude toward God is – “What about your thankfulness for the incredible gift of forgiveness?” I think people even in the church forget, Jesus didn’t have to die on the cross for sinful man, He doesn’t need us, even you and me. But He desires us, and left us to make our decision by our free will to obey or disobey the Gospel. He made a conscious decision to submit to Gods will on that terrible cross because he loved us and for no other reason, this should be a reason to continue praying and thanking Him for His sacrifice.

You may have a strong or a weak prayer life, but remember, the Spirit intercedes to help us pray (Romans 8:26-27) even when we know not what to pray for. In fact, the Spirit makes our feeble prayers perfect before the Father as we struggle voicing them. See our lesson on Holy Spirit Intercession for more on prayer.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that you Christian, have two advocates to the Father? Them being Jesus, and the Spirit when we pray!

Here is a video lesson that addresses the question, “Should I Pray for Forgiveness?"

For further study of  1 John 1:7 on "Walking in the Light” click this LINK.

The ONE Sermon...

Hi Christians and Seekers,

I would like to introduce you to our church home Preacher and dear brother in Christ, Brother David has blessed us and now you with a 4 part lesson series on probably the most important character trait any Christian ought to practice every day and in any circumstance. This learned character trait is supremely demonstrated probably every minute of our Lord Jesus’ life on earth, even unto death on the cross. And before the Father right now in service to Him 24 hours a day! The trait I am speaking about is - Submission.

Please click this LINK to listen to these great lessons and learn to develop Submission like Jesus in your life. Stay tuned for more of Gods Word delivered by Preacher David in the coming months.

Blessings to you…

Scriptures Weekly 63 - Cost of Discipleship

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."   Luke 9:23-24

“Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”     Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1942

But, I thought grace came from God?

"Indeed it does. Bonhoeffer's point is that grace does not dismiss human responsibility for making a commitment to God and His ways. To accept His grace without accepting His will is a contradiction."     Doug Downs, 2014


Dietrich Bonhoeffer fulfilled Luke 9:23-24 in his life for Christ... Will you or I?

“For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”   Mark 8:35

Baptism in water for the remission of sins is the culminating obedient act of faith to the gospel where he or she dies to self in the burial. This sacred covenant with Jesus puts one into Christ and His church, and occurs only once in life. Then as we are raised from the watery grave, we have fellowship with Christ as Dietrich Bonhoeffer so eloquently reminds us in his writings, and life…  Oh what a blessing it is!

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“Jesus himself did not try to convert the two thieves on the cross; he waited until one of them turned to him.”

“Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will.”

Chart courtesy Barnes Bible Charts

The Lords Supper Memorial

Since the very first day of the birth of the Lords church nearly 2000 years ago, Christians have been observing the Lords Supper as commanded by Christ Himself on the Lords Day - Sunday. This memorial was instituted in order to remember Him for His broken body and shed blood of the new covenant on behalf of mankind for the remission of sins to those who would obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Matt 26:27-28).

Unfortunately due to a lackadaisical attitude of human convenience, the weekly observance of the Lords Supper on the Lords Day is greatly neglected. This lesson will help the bible student see how God designed the Saviors remembrance and the significance of the weekly memorial.

            

Charts courtesy Barnes Bible Charts

What is the church of Christ

Hello friend. On this Lords day, we would like to share with you what the New Testament of Gods Word in the Bible describes as the church He established by His son Jesus Christ death and resurrection nearly 2000 years ago. This brief introduction will be helpful in guiding the seeker and skeptic to identify Jesus' one church in today's overcrowded population of church and religious movements. This presentation doesn't cover every aspect of the Lord's church but it does cover the essentials to get one started on the road to true worship and fellowship with God and His disciples as we read in the New Testament.

For more details and information, this web-space has within it numerous lessons to help one learn about the global church of Christ. Simply review and select from the many "Quik-Links" we have provided for your education and edification...

                 

Video Lesson

               

"Acts 13 podcast on the Purpose of the Church - click"

Charts courtesy Barnes Bible Charts

The Apostles of Jesus Christ

We are excited to bring you an in depth and easy to understand study of the 12 Apostles of Jesus Christ. The study is in 3 parts including,

1) Apostleship Design by Jesus

2) Apostolic Teaching with Authority, Infallibility & Finality

3) Apostle Paul's final words to Timothy and all of us!

The lessons are packed full with insights from Jesus and facts about the office and purpose of apostleship and its messengers of the Gospel after Jesus ascension into heaven. It promises to be worth the time for your learning and edification.

Please click this LINK to begin your journey into the mission of these 12 great and humble servants of the Lord Jesus Christ that established the church with love and power through the preaching of the Gospel.

Blessings

Scriptures Weekly 62 - Gods Special People

A visiting gentleman approached me at church a few Sunday's ago and asked me, "Is God everywhere?" I briefly explained to him that yes, Gods Spirit is everywhere in the world 24 hours a day, but He isn't abiding within every person. He only resides with His special people who have obeyed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live a life honoring Him, 24 hours a day. The gentleman scratched his head in disbelief walking away wondering how such a loving God would reject some and not others.

This is a common misunderstanding of Gods nature, that He will just accept everyone no matter what lifestyle they live. He desires that everyone be saved but, He is a "Just & Holy God" with conditions we must meet to be His. This lesson will help bear these truths out. 

Titus 2:11-14,

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works."

Click scripture lesson links in italics to read:

I. Self-improvement books abound. People constantly look for means wherein they can make themselves better.

A. “Better” in most people’s books means - Happiness.

B. Ingrid Law captured the idea when she wrote, “You can’t get rid of a part that makes you you and be happy.”

C. But compare this to what Christ said - Matthew 16:24-27

                        1. To gain heaven, you have to deny yourself.

                        2. You can gain the whole world and it isn’t as valuable as your own soul.

D. Daniel W. Blair said, “Man in his spiritual pride has exchanged God’s method of self-denial for Satan’s plan of self–improvement.”

II.        Self denial is not deciding to give up something

A.        Catholics practice self-denial each spring in giving up something they like for lent.

B.        Priest give up marriage - Despite Paul’s statement- 1 Timothy 4:1-3

C.        Monks give up contact with the world, though Jesus says - John 17:15

D.       Each is a denial of something from self, but each is a self-imposed denial - Colossians 2:20-23

                        1. A denial of religion

                        2. A denial of pride

                        3. A denial of physical needs

                        4. It sounds good, but the problem is that man makes the demands, not God.

III.       God’s grace teaches us - Titus 2:11-12

A.        The same grace that brought us salvation - 1 Timothy 2:4

B.        The same grace that appears to everyone - Luke 3:6

C.        God’s grace teaches us (paideuousa)

                        1. It means to train, teach, correct, or to chastise

                        2. It includes the hard things in life - Hebrews 12:6-7; Revelation 3:19

                        3. Not a judgment, but a developing and refining of the character.

D.        It is God’s grace that teaches us to deny ungodliness

                        1. Finding out what God wants - Ephesians 5:8-10

                        2. Self denial is living for God - 1 Peter 4:2

                        3. It is a focus on doing the will of someone higher and greater - 2 Timothy 2:4

                        4. It is a denial of what I want or desire because what God wants is more important - Romans 6:19

Leonard Bernstein, the celebrated orchestra conductor, was asked, what is the hardest instrument to play. He replied without hesitation: "Second fiddle. I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm or second French horn or second flute, now that's a problem. And yet if no one plays second, we have no harmony."

                        5. Being a Christian is choosing to be second fiddle to God.

E.        God’s grace teaches us to deny worldly lusts

                        1. The world is under Satan’s control - 1 John 5:19

                        2. We are not to love this world - 1 John 2:15-16

                        3. Not conformed to former lusts - 1 Peter 1:14-15

                        4. Self denial is not following after the lusts we once chased - Ephesians 2:1-3

                        5. God called us to be holy - 1 Thessalonians 4:7

                        6. Put to death the members on earth - Colossians 3:5-7

IV.      It isn’t just giving things up, God’s grace teaches us - Titus 2:12

A.        To live soberly (sophronos) - having a sound mind, prudent, sensible

                        1. This is service to ourselves.

                        2. Yes, ironically, self denial leads to serving yourself in a beneficial way.

                        3. For men and women - Titus 2:1-3

                        4. The best thing you can do for yourself is to keep your mind clear and reasonable

B.        To live righteously (dikalos) - being just and fair

                        1. This is service to those around us, our neighbors

                        2. Being upright with others - 1 Thessalonians 2:10

                        3. Wronging no one - 2 Corinthians 7:2

                        4. Being an example - Titus 2:7-8

C.        To live godly (eusebos) - It means to fall before out of fear and respect

                        1. This is service to God - Hebrews 12:28

V.        So many problems come from an inability to deny oneself

A.        “God wants me to be happy!” Being the reason for continuing sin

B.        Why self-control needs to be one of the first lessons taught - Acts 24:25

C.        We have to be willing to leave all for Christ - Matthew 19:2

Podcast of this lesson: click LINK

Feel Good Christianity - Path of 'Least Obedience'

There is no doubt that, to attract new members, churches today will try all kinds of gimmicks. A sign may read, “Are you looking for a Spirit-filled church?” Or, “The Spirit is here. You’ll never be bored.” Or, “Worship without solemnity. Come and clap your hands and join our party for the Lord!” A person can be led to believe that the church is peddling entertainment, and not the worship of God!

Well, unfortunately this form of religious practice has permeated and blended the lines of true worship of the Lord. Feel Good Christianity is fast becoming a deceptive norm, widening the gate to destruction at an alarming rate. (Matthew 7:13) God is not pleased!

Click this LINK to review a lesson I have put together for your consideration to help you identify these feel-good practices in the church today by comparing them to Gods specific and perfect Word. The contrast is striking as you learn more about how to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

As our precious Lord admonished,

“Enter the narrow gate and the difficult path that leads to life eternal.” (Matthew 7:14)

Scriptures Weekly 61 - Everybody Thinks they are Going to Heaven

2 Corinthians 5:1-5,

"For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee."

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Belief in life after death, like the existence of God, is widely embraced: 8 out of 10 Americans (81%) believe in an afterlife of some sort. Another 9% said life after death may exist, but they were not certain. Just one out of every ten adults (10%) contend that there is no form of life after one dies on earth. Moreover, a large majority of Americans (79%) agreed with the statement "every person has a soul that will live forever, either in God’s presence or absence."

Christians, (ages 58 and older) are the most likely segments to embrace the idea of life after death. Atheists and agnostics, those associated with a faith other than Christianity, and unchurched adults - although more than two-thirds of each of these groups accept the existence of an afterlife.

For reasons that may be connected to our country being founded on God of the Bible, there is a general consensus among Americans based on polls taken that 68% believe they are going to Heaven. From Gods perspective is this a factual number?

Put on your headphones and listen to this lesson to help understand Gods perspective on the question - Are all people going to Heaven?

Scriptures Weekly 60 - Can Christians be Depressed?

The words of David in Psalm 39:12-13,

“Hear my prayer, O Lord,

And give ear to my cry;

Do not be silent at my tears;

For I am a stranger with You,
A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

Remove Your gaze from me, that I may regain strength, 
Before I go away and am no more.”

As a people of faith, Christians often gauge everything they do through the lens of scripture to try and please God. But as David so openly admits his crying anguish here with a sense of the end, how does he and we deal with the bottoming out of our lives during the really tough times? What should we do if we feel depressed. As our presenter states in this podcast lesson, is it OK for a Christian, a person of faith armed with the power of the Holy Spirit to take medication while clinically depressed?

When we see our brother or sister in the Lord struggling with depression, maybe even seriously depressed to the point of the anguish of David, we want to help them out. How do we do that? Do we tell them to get over it, or, should we be so cruel as to tell them, "Well you just don't have enough faith! Some even go as far to say, a Christian with depression is a contradiction.

Is depression a faith problem?

Is depression a sin issue?

Do you just need to believe more?

Are these loving responses? Matthew 7:1-5 addresses this,

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Also, read a servant of God's experience with depression in Job 10:18-22,

“Why then have You brought me out of the womb?

Oh, that I had perished and no eye had seen me!

I would have been as though I had not been.

I would have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few?

Cease! Leave me alone, that I may take a little comfort,

Before I go to the place from which I shall not return,

To the land of darkness and the shadow of death,

A land as dark as darkness itself,

As the shadow of death, without any order,

Where even the light is like darkness.”

Do you think Job ever had a problem with faith and high self esteem?

Before you make a judgment about others depression and maybe even your own struggle with it, click this LINK to hear a revealing lesson from brother Mark out of Gods Word on how the Lord desires his children to face this difficult malady.

Many blessings to you as you explore more of the mind of Christ in your studies.