It may not sound like much to you, or you may have never considered it before. Well, we would likefor you to consider it right now with the message we are about to share with you. It is wrong to address preachers as "Reverend". The reason it is wrong is because that term translated in the Bible, means awesome, great, terrible, magnificent. This is a term to express the powerful presence and nature of the Almight. No man is fit to be addressed by such credentials. In the King James Version of the Bible, the term appears once and it is found in Psalm 119, "Holy and Reverend is his name." The true meaning of the word is further seen in such Bible passages as Gen. 28:17, Joel 2:31. Mal. 4:5, Judges 13:6, Deut. 28:58, Psalms 99:3, Mal. 1:14, Psa. 96:4, 1 Chron. 16:25, Psa. 130:4, Deut. 7:21, Deut. 10:17, Neh. 1:5, Neh. 4:14, Neh. 9:32.
Now, what about those preachers who encourage the use of the term to be applied to members of the clergy? Well, maybe they don't know it is wrong. Or maybe they just don't care. And of course the same could be said of people who address religious leaders in such a manner. Study this information for yourself and share it with whomever. Any questions? Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. Hard headed high school kids are everywhere these days. These teenagers don't listen to their parents because they think they know it all. However, for as much as they claim to know, none of them seem to know enough to begin putting food on the table and paying the mortgage. They always want to use the car from their not "hipped" parents, but yet, they still don't seem to know enough to fill the car up with gas when done, or pay for repairs when the car breaks down. But, they are quick to let it be known that they still know more than their parents. These same teenagers who claim to know what is good for them in life, still rely on their inferior parents, to provide health insurance and bed care for them when they get sick. Teenagers listen to the words of your Creator.
"Children obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. That it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth." Any questions? Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. God said, "be ready." So, are you ready? God teaches in the Bible that all men must die and then be judged for how they lived (Heb. 9:27, 2 Cor. 5:10). Jesus warns repeatedly that he will come back unexpectedly and that will be the end of the world (Rev. 22:12, 2 Peter 3:9-13). On that day, the righteous and wicked will be separated with one group going to hell and the other going to heaven (Matt. 25:31-46).
So, are you ready? You are supposed to be ready (Luke 12:35-48). There will be no excuse on the Judgment Day, if one isn't ready, because God will give no mercy on that day (Acts 17:30-31, 2 Thess. 1:6-10). The end could happen at any time, no one knows when the Lord will return, but we do know that he told us to "be ready," (Matt 24:35-51). Jesus taught in Matt 25:1-13 that the mystery of His coming is liken to ten virgins waiting for the arrival of the groom in order to go to a wedding. We learn from Jesus that those who were unprepared got left behind, and such will be the case with people today if they fail to be ready (Luke 13:22-27). So are you ready? Jesus has said, "be ready." Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. One day in the forest, three animals were contending among themselves as to who is the most powerful. "I am," said the hawk, "because I can quickly fly and swoop down forcefully at my prey and gobble him up in a heartbeat."
"Aw, that's nothing," said the mountain lion, "I not only have four big awesome feet, but I have powerful razor sharp teeth and claws, which can rip the flesh off my victim before you can even get your bony claws attached to your prey." "The both of you are full of hot air," said the skunk. "I am the most powerful because with a flick of my beautiful black and 666666 tail, I can drive off the two of you. I don't need teeth, claws or big stupid feet to win my battles, everyone already knows what I can do, and only a fool would try to mess with me." At that point a huge grizzly bear who had been standing near by listening, had his fill of the boasting. He thundered out of the forest and settled the debate by eathing them all. Proverbs 27:2: "Let another man praise thee, and not with thy own mouth; a stranger and not thy own lips." 1 Cor. 8:2: "If any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know." Mark 10:43-44: "But so shall it not be among you; but whoever will be great among you shall be your minister. And whosoever will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all." Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. Many are they who would look to the success and power of men of distinction as gems to be desired. However, they fail to consider the means by which those gems were obtained (Prov. 3:31-32). Some of the world's leaders commanded armies and conquered civilizations; they obtained wealth and women, fame, and glory; yet these were the most oppressive and evil men the world has ever know (Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, etc).
People are not willing to look beyond the things these people possess to see what they compromised to obtain them. There are young kids fascinated by the kind of dress and conduct these people show. The kids dress like them, talk like them, act like them, etc. Why? Because these people have fame, fortune, and sex. Solomon knew the vanity of pursuing these things more than anyone else. He knew that the pursuit of righteousness with God is really all that men should consider. He said, "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all," (Eccl. 12:13). Do not think that he who has the most things is happiest. Those who have achieved these things through wicked means, God will judge. Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. During these times of trouble, we want you to consider these facts about Jesus.
Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. About 35 years ago, a cigarette company had a slogan, "Our smokers would rather fight than switch." The same exists today when it concerns people making change.
The Bible teaches that repentance isn't saying, "I'm sorry," because such doesn't mean one has changed Luke 13:3, Acts 3:19, Acts 17:29-30. When people are faced with what the Bible teaches, they are suppose to stop doing evil deeds. However, many will prefer to fight the truth, Acts 18:6. For example, the word of God teaches that Christ established only one church with one faith, Matt. 16:18, Eph. 4:4-6, Col. 1:18, Rom. 12:4-5, 1 Cor. 12:12-27, 1 Cor. 1:10. Rather than accept this truth when it is taught, some will fight to remain in a church or way of life that is wrong. They say things like, "I've been a member of this church for 30 years!" Or, "You can't tell me my church is wrong!" "I will live my life like I want!" Etc. So that's the problem with the world today. We would rather fight than switch. I don't know why we think the Bible can't guide us. We reject just about everything God has told us to do. But, let's not forget the warning of the Lord, for Christ said, "He who rejects the word would be judged by the same word on that day," John 12:48. Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. Many people say they want to go to Heaven, but they don't have the slightest idea of what it takes to get there. First of all, being a good person will not get you to Heaven because the Bible teaches that being good alone won't save you. In order to make it to Heaven man must be obedient to Christ and that is only accomplished by studying His word to know what one must render obedience to, John 5:39, Matt. 7:21, Heb. 5:8-9.
Also, Jesus said if we die in our sins we won't go to Heaven, so getting out of our sins is important in order to enter Heaven, John 8:21-24, Col. 1:12-14, 1 John 1:6-10, Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Gal 3:27. And last of all, being a part of the church, the family of God, is important. For Christ has only one true church and only the saved can be found within its borders. Yes, being in Christ's church is just as important as being in the ark during Noah's day, 1 Cor 12:13, Eph. 4:4, Eph. 5:23, Acts 2:47, John 10:9, Matt. 15:13-14. Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. When man is ignorant of God's word, that lack of knowledge will cause him to believe things that he shouldn't or lead him into something worse like destruction Isa 9:16. Hos 4:6. Acts 4:36. 2 Pt. 2:2
Man cannot go through life doing what he wants or believing what he pleases, for not even Jesus Christ did so, for man is supposed to live by following the word of the Lord, Matt 4:4, John 8:29, John 6:38. John 5:30. With that being said, we want you to apply such information to halloween since it is almost upon us and some people are beginning to think about ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. A ghost is the soul of the dead who has departed from this earth into the hands of God. Matt 27:50, Luke 8"55, Eccl. 12:7, James 2:26, Eccl. 3:19-21, Eccl. 8:8. Another fact about dead people is they have no more a part of anything that is done under the sun, Heb 9:27, Eccl. 9:4-10, Psalm 49:16-19, 2 Sam. 12:23, Job 7:6-10, Luke 16:25-26. Ghosts don't walk the earth or haunt houses and cemeteries. No one can contact a dead person and neither can they contact you, so don't waste your time and money on people who claim to have any connection to the great beyond. Let God be true and every man a liar, Rom. 3:4. If you want to study this subject further, contact us. Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. In Dan. 4:32, King Nebuchadnezzar of the Babylonian empire had to learn the truth the hard way. What the King learned was, God has a hand in every government on Earth; and even though God may not be pleased with rulers because of the wickedness of their reign, God is still in control. From Daniel's account, God forced Nebuchadnezzar out of the palace, and he lived in the wilderness for a selected period of time until he learned God places men in power and removes men at the time of His wise providence (vs 29-37).
Today, the USA has been bombed and many people are too scared to do much of anything. Many are asking, "why did this have to happen and where is God?" God is where He has always been; He hasn't gone anywhere. Thing is, mankind went somewhere by serving sin; then God no longer protects a nation from attack. God is still in control today. There is nothing too great for Him and nothing hidden from His all-seeing eyes. Proverbs 15:3. Luke 1:37. God knows who is behind the bombing of the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, and God will help man locate and capture the evildoers if man will repent and cleanse himself of sin. By repenting, a person will be in position to pray and get results because God will not act upon requests if a person isn't living right. John 9:31. Isa 59:1-21. Jonah 3:5-10. James 4:6-10. 1 Peter 5:6-8. Psa. 34:15-22. God is here, and He will help the countries of the world and bless them, but those countries must serve Him. Psalms 33:12, Proverbs 11:11. Proverbs 14:34. Matt. 6:33. Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. |
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