Monday, October 30, 2006

Why The Bible?


Why The Bible?
Brad Reiches
Oct 30 2006 12:20AM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org  to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE.  You may also go to the Apple iTunes  Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE! 


Monday, October 30, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"Why The Bible?"
NOTES FROM YESERDAY'S SERMON
Yesterday, we continued our studies in 2 Peter 1:4,

"For by these He has granted to us
His precious and magnificent promises,
so that by them you may become partakers
of His divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world by lust."

Indeed, this is a wonderful and extremely important resouce for us.  I'm guessing that many of us are prepared to answer the question, "What is the Bible?"  Something along the lines of, "The Bible is God's revelation to mankind."  Or perhaps, "As originally given, the Bible is the inspired, 'God-breathed,' inerrant word of God" (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

However, the answer to the question, "Why did God give us the Bible?" is not as well known or easily defined.  Thanks be to God for giving us a clear answer in 2 Peter 1:4.

REASON #1.  So that we "may become partakers of His divine nature."  A "partaker" is a "sharer" or "partner."  "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).  God has given us His word in order that we might understand how to enter into a right relationship with Him.  God created us for fellowship with Him and the Bible is our "instruction manual" for such a relationship.  Moreover, it is our instruction manual for "Everything pertaining to life and godliness" (see 2 Peter 1:3).

REASON #2.  So that we can escape "the corruption that is in the world by lust."  "Your faith should not rest on the wisdom of man, but on the power of God" ( 1 Corinthians 2:5).  Indeed, our hope is in Jesus Christ alone.  "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). We find out everything we need to know about our Lord through the Word He has given us.

Wow!  Delivered from the sin that so easily entangles us and eternal destruction (see Hebrews 12:1-4).  And saved into the abundant life and eternal well-being of God's original intent (see John 10:10; Psalm 25:12-14; Matthew 25:46).  Peter describes the Bible as "precious" and "magnificent."  Here, the term "precious" literally means "EXTREMELY VALUABLE!"

I tend to agree.


Is Belief in God Enough?


Is Belief in God Enough?
Brad Reiches
Oct 30 2006 09:48PM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org  to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE.  You may also go to the Apple iTunes  Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE! 




Tuesday, October 31, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"Is Belief in God Enough?"

"For God so love the world that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes
in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16

 
Well? What do you think?  Is it?  Is belief in God...enough?  Is it enough to get you into Heaven?  What do you think?  What does the Bible say?  It certainly appears so.  The most well known and most beloved of all Bible verses (see above) certainly seems to indicate as much.  It clearly states, "whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."  Does it not?

And how 'bout the preceeding verse, "Whoever believes will in Him have eternal life"  (John 3:15).  And, then, for good measure, throw in the very words of Jesus Himself in John 6:47,
"Truly, truly, I say to you,
He who believes has eternal life."
John 6:47


On the surface it definitely appears that it is.  It appears that belief in God, IS ENOUGH, it would seem, to get you into Heaven.  In fact, it doesn't even appear to be a "surface" issue.  No less than three different times, Jesus Himself clearly indicates that "belief" is all that is needed (see above verses).  However, there's a problem...AND IT'S A BIG ONE! 
"The demons also believe..."
James 2:19
Hmmm...we'll talk more about this tommorrow.
 

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

The Way It Is! Introduction


The Way It Is! Introduction
Brad Reiches
Oct 25 2006 12:37AM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org  to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE.  You may also go to the Apple iTunes  Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE! 


Wednesday, October 25, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"THE WAY IT IS!"
ONE OF SATAN'S BEST KEPT SECRETS

Introduction

"There is a reward for the righteous."
Psalm 58:11

One of my great joys in life is teaching my children, "How it is."  "How it is," I tell them, "will not change."  In God's perfect sovereignty, He has set certain universal, immutable and irrefutable  principles at work in the world, and it is our job to find out what they are and work within them.  Those who learn to do so are often rewarded with phenomenal success and achievement in virtually every walk of life, while those who refuse to accept "the way it is," are often left defeated, discouraged and dissallusioned.

For many of us, more than a few such individuals come immediately to mind.

For example, those who refuse to accept the unchanging principle of gravity, do so at their own perile.  Summer follows Spring regardless of personal preference and, God Himself declared, "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease" (Genesis 8:22).  Indeed, there are certain things in this life that we cannot, and God WILL NOT change.

Perhaps the most practical example of "the way it is" is the classic principle of "sowing and reaping."  Philosophers throughout the centuries have coined their own terminology to describe it, nonetheless, the principle is timeless and unchanging.  Obadiah put it this way, "As you have done it will be done to you.  Your dealings will return on your own head" (Obadiah 1:15).  Luke phrased it similarly, "Give and it will be given to you...For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (Luke: 6:38).  And my own personal favorite description was spoken by the great apostle Paul,

"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked;
for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap."
Galatians 6:7

Tommorrow I want to share with you AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT element of "The way it is" that somehow got lost, or stolen from the Church some time back.  In fact, this "hidden treasure" is of such value and significance that, if it is not recovered soon, it will mark the end of The United States of America.
 



The Way It Is! Conclusion


The Way It Is! Conclusion
Brad Reiches
Oct 25 2006 10:57PM

Please visit our website at www.godthoughts.org, or www.willowspringchurch.org  to download today's audio version of GodThoughts Wired!, music, sermons, sermonettes, the Bible Says Series, and The Lifestyle of the Disciple Series...ALL FOR FREE.  You may also go to the Apple iTunes  Music Store on the web and search the podcast directory for Willow Spring Church and/or GodThoughts. Subscribe there for automatic updates and download the daily GodThoughts podcast directly to your i-pod...ALL FOR FREE! 


Thursday, October 26, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!

"THE WAY IT IS!"
ONE OF SATAN'S BEST KEPT SECRETS

Conclusion

"Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people."
Proverbs 14:34

 
"Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast in his might, and let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boast, boast in this; that he knows Me (God)..." (see Jeremiah 9:23-24).    The Bible teaches us that "the way it is" for every individual and/or country is that our destiny is determined by our relationship with God.  Hope in military might is false hope.  Dependence upon human wisdom is folly.  Trust in our own abilities is temporal at best.

The "Way It Is" is that righteousness exalts a nation.  "Righteousness" as defined by a right relationship with God.  "Right," according to the Bible.  Such was the case for the first several decades of America.  "The Way It Is" is that The United States of America was "Built and established in righteousness," and, as such, it became the greatest, most successful and prosperous nation the world has ever known.  "The righteous will be rewarded with prosperity" (Proverbs 13:21). 

"The Way It Is" is that "A throne is established on righteousness...Loyalty and truth preserve the king, and he upholds his throne by righteousness" (see Proverbs 16:12: 20:28; see also 25:5).  But it's not just kings and countries that we're talking about here.  "The Way It Is" is that,

"In righteousness YOU! will be established."
Isaiah 54:14 (caps & emphasis, mine)

 You see, the problem with America is not the sad reality that, many years ago, prayer was taken out of schools. 
 
The problem with America is that
righteousness is being taken out of churches!

How did this happen?  Why is this happening?  It is precisely as the Bible warned so many years ago, "Certain persons have crept in unnoticed...ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ" (Jude 4).

Nonetheless, our Bible remains unchanging, "The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous" (1 Peter 3:12).  WITHOUT RIGHTEOUSNESS NO ONE WILL SEE THE LORD! (see Hebrews 12:14).

Denying "the way it is" will NEVER CHANGE...

The way it is.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

America's Only Hope!: Part 3


America's Only Hope!: Part 3
Brad Reiches
Oct 24 2006 01:56AM



October 24, 2006
GodThoughtsWired!
The following series of messages is based on George Barna's most recent research on the American Church:  "The State of the Church:  2006, A Report from George Barna."  All statistical data has been taken from this 62 page report, available to the public at www.barna.org.

"America's Only Hope..."

THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY
INTO THE AMERICAN CHURCH

PART 3
The final statistic that Barna's research provides us reveals that, at best, only 9% of today's self-defined Christians are going to Heaven...AT BEST!  Put another way, only 9% have a set of beliefs and values that are consistent with biblical definitions, commonly referred to as biblical Christianity.  In his survey, Barna set forth a Bible-based, nine-fold definition of an Evangelical, born again Christian.  This definition included the following:

  • A personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
  • The belief that after death they will go to Heaven based upon their confession of sins and acceptance of Jesus as Savior.
  • Strong agreement that the Bible is totally accurate.
  • Strong agreement that they have a strong responsibility to share their faith.
  • Strong agreement that their faith is a very important part of their life.
  • Strong agreement that Satan is a living being.
  • Strong disagreement that Heaven can be earned through good works.
  • Strong agreement that Jesus, while on earth, lived a sinless life.
  • Belief that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe.
While "The Barna Group definition of evangelicals is radically different from the loose terminology utilized by the media to describe some ill-defined segment of Christians," nonetheless, as defined here (with the very strong backing of scripture to affirm and confirm such definitions as biblically based and correct), among the 84% of self-defined Christians in 2006, only 9% (less than 1 out of every 10), at best, have the biblical assurance that they are what the Bible calls "Born again Christians," fully assured of eternal salvation when they die, as opposed to the eternal separation from God that Jesus warned against (see Matthew 25:41,46).

A FINAL INTRODUCTORY NOTE:  According to the statistical data, "there has been no significant change in the percentage of unchurched adults during the past decade" (page 36).  While, "Prolific growth has...occurred among those who are associated with non-Christian faith groups, escalating from less than half to about six out of ten in the past decade," no significant evangelistic inroads have been made in the United States of America.  And even if the statistics indicated otherwise, of what value would this kind of church growth suggest.  Is it not as A.W. Tozer suggested more than fifty years ago?

 
"It is my considered opinion that under the present circumstances
we do not want revival at all.  A widespread revival of the kind of
Christianity we know today in America might prove to be a moral
tragedy from which we would not recover in a hundred years."
"Keys to the Deeper Life," A.W. Tozer, p.19

 
Are we not currently experiencing the "moral tragedy" that Tozer spoke of right here, right now in The United States of America?  And is it not true, do the statistics in this survey not confirm that Tozer's voice spoken more than half a century ago, was indeed, spoken under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit that annointed countless prophets before him, "There is little doubt that the teaching of salvation without repentance has lowered the moral standards of the Church and produced a multitude of deceived religious professors who erroneously believe themselves to be saved when in fact they are not.... ("The Root of the Righteous," p. 44).

Brothers and sisters, if the United States of America has any hope of escaping judgement in the Twenty-First Century...NO, let me re-state that, IF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA HAS ANY HOPE OF ESCAPING UTTER AND ABSOLUTE OBLITERATION AND ANNIHILATION, then the American Church must, once again, be evangelized.  BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY must be re-introduced to the American Church if the American people are to have any hope.   Brothers and sisters, The apostle Peter once said, "It is time for judgement to begin in the household of God" (1 Peter 4:17).

Just in case you haven't picked up on it yet...JUDGEMENT HAS ALREADY BEGUN!