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Articles from Pastor Jon's Blog

Matthew 24:29-31 2007-03-17 00:00:00 Matthew 24 - Jesus? Olivet Discourse 4. (29-31) On the heels of great tribulation: the return of Jesus Christ. "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." a. The sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light: Several prophetic passages describe the cosmic disturbances that will precede and surround the return of Jesus (Joel 2:10, Revelation 6:12-14, Isaiah 34:4). b. Cryptically, Jesus says that the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven. It is difficult to say e ...

Matthew 24:21-28 2007-03-16 00:00:00 Matthew 24 - Jesus? Olivet Discourse 3. (21-28) Coming on the heels of the abomination of desolation: great tribulation. "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect?s sake those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, ?Look, here is the Christ!? or ?There!? do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore if they say to you, ?Look, He is in the desert!? do not go out; or ?Look, He is in the inner rooms!? do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together." a. Great tribulation, such as has not been since the ...

Slow Me Down Lord 2007-03-15 00:00:00 Slow Me Down Lord    Slow me down, Lord    Ease the pounding of my heart    by the quieting of my mind.    Steady my hurried pace with a vision    of the eternal reach of time.    Give me, amid the confusion of the day,    the calmness of the everlasting hills.    Break the tensions of my nerves and muscles    with the soothing music of the    singing streams that live in my memory.    Help me to know the magical, restoring    power of sleep.    Teach me the art of taking minute vacations,    of slowing down to look at a flower,    to chat with a friend,    to pat a dog,    to read a few lines from a good book.    Slow me down, Lord, and inspire me to    send my roots deep into the soil of life's    enduring values that I many grow    toward the stars of my greater destiny. & ...

Romans 5:3-4 2007-03-14 00:00:00 Romans 5 - Benefits of Being Justified through Faith ?In the whole Bible there is hardly another chapter which can equal this triumphant text.? (Martin Luther) 2. (3-4) The promise of glory is also for the present time. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. a. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations: Paul anticipates the accusation that he is too ?pie in the sky,? that glory for the Christian only applies to the sweet bye-and-bye. Paul replies, ?I know we have many tribulations now but we glory in those also.? i. Paul isn?t simply spinning out spiritual platitudes. First, he uses strong words. Tribulations is "a strong term. It does not refer to minor inconveniences, but to real hardships" (Morris). Second, Paul lived a life full of tribulation. If this is true Paul knew it better than anyone. b. Knowing that tribulation produces persevera ...

I NEED YOUR INPUT!!! PLEASE!!!! 2007-03-13 07:56:33 Dan Edelen at Cerulean Sanctum has a great post entitled ChridtianCon Con. It is very thought provoking. This is a subject that is close to my heart as I labor in the Lord as He builds His Church. What is the matter with the church? Very obviously it is broken, at least in America. And since the church is a fellowship of Christians, it can only be as strong as the Christians who attend. Therefore, what is wrong with the practice of Christianity in America today? Later this week, I will begin to post a series on this subject. I would appreciate your input. This is a subject that should concern us all. Let me know what you think. You can post a comment or e-mail me at pastorjon7@gmail.com. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! <:))))><< ...

When We Were Lost 2007-03-13 07:34:25 Dr. Leighton Ford tells the story of when his young daughter got lost years ago. "I was minding the children while my wife was shopping. Debbie Jean had returned from school and was playing with her four-year-old brother in the back yard. When I called them to come in, Debbie Jean was missing. "I walked up and down the street calling her name?fearing the silence. "Later (after she was found) I reflected on the incident. During the nearly two hours that Debbie Jean was missing, nothing else mattered. In my study were books to be read, letters to be answered, articles to be written, planning to be done?but it was all forgotten. I could think of only one thing: my little girl was lost. "I had only one prayer and I prayed it a thousand times: 'O God, help me to find her.' "'How often,' I ask myself, had I felt that same terrible urgency about people who were lost from God?" And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the ...

Romans 5:1-2, Part 2 2007-03-13 00:00:00 Romans 5 - Benefits of Being Justified through Faith ?In the whole Bible there is hardly another chapter which can equal this triumphant text.? (Martin Luther) 1. (1-2) Peace and a standing of grace.Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. c. Into this grace in which we stand: Second, we have a standing in grace - in God?s unmerited favor. This grace is given through Jesus and gained by faith. i. Grace (God?s undeserved favor towards us) is not only the means by which we are saved, it is also a description of our present standing before God. It is not only the beginning principle of the Christian life it is also the continuing principle of the Christian life. "We stand translates a perfect tense, used in this sense of the present, and with the thought of a continuing attitude." (Morris) ii. Many Chr ...

Romans 5:1-2, Part 1 2007-03-12 00:00:00 Romans 5 - Benefits of Being Justified through Faith ?In the whole Bible there is hardly another chapter which can equal this triumphant text.? (Martin Luther) A. The benefits of believing. 1. (1-2) Peace and a standing of grace. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. a. Therefore, having been justified by faith: To this point in the Book of Romans, Paul has convinced us all that the only way of salvation is to be justified by grace, through faith. Now he will tell us what the practical benefits of this are, explaining that it is more than an interesting idea. i. Justified by faith speaks of a legal decree. Romans 1:18-3:20 found us guilty before the courts of God?s law, God?s glory, and our own conscience. Then Paul explained how because of what Jesus did for us, the righteousness of God is given to all w ...

Sunday Quotes 03.11.07 2007-03-11 05:00:00 We lie the loudest when we lie to ourselves. -- Unknown The smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention. -- Unknown The 10 commandments are not multiple choice. ? Unknown God will not judge you for what you have done but for what you have refused to do. -- Unknown The real strength of a man is not physical but moral and spiritual. -- Unknown Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried. -- Unknown One of the pastor?s problems is to decide when a church member is dead enough for burying. -- Unknown ...

Topical Study Of Romans 5:1 2007-03-11 00:00:00 The Proper Attitude of Man under Grace (William Newell) To believe, and consent to be loved while unworthy, is the great secret To refuse to make ?resolutions? and ?vows?; for that is to trust in the flesh To expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more lack of worth To testify of God?s goodness, at all times To be certain of God?s future favor; yet to be ever more tender in conscience toward Him To rely on God?s chastening hand as a mark of His kindness A man under grace, if like Paul, has no burdens regarding himself; but many about others. <:))))><< ...

Topical Study Of John 1:1 2007-03-10 00:00:00 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God: What about the Watchtower?s New World Translation here? This Jehovah?s Witness translation reads like this: "In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god." Their translation is used to deny the teaching that Jesus is God. Is it a correct translation? The claim of the Watchtower defending their translation of John 1:1-2 is that because before the second time "God" is used in the passage, no article appears (it is written "God" and not "the God"). In answer to this approach to Greek grammar and translation, we can only refer to the multitude of other times in the New Testament where "God" appears without the article. If the Watchtower were honest and consistent, they would translate "God" as "god" every place it appears without the article. But it seems that this grammatical rule only applies when it s ...

John 1:1-2 2007-03-09 00:00:00 John 1 - The Word and the Witness B. Prologue to the Gospel of John. This remarkable, profound portion is not merely a preface or an introduction. It is a summation of the entire book. The remainder of John?s gospel will deal with the themes introduced here: the identity of the Word, life, light, regeneration, grace, truth, and the revelation of God the Father in Jesus the Son. 1. (1-2) The origin of the Word (Logos). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. a. In the beginning refers to the timeless eternity of Genesis 1:1: In the beginning, God created the heavens and earth. John essentially says, "When the beginning began, the Word was already there." That is, that the Word predates time or creation. i. John makes it clear that the Word is not just the beginning, but the beginning of the beginning. He was there in the beginning, before anything was. b. In the beginning was the Word: Word trans ...

John - Introduction 2007-03-08 00:00:00 John 1 - The Word and the Witness A. John: The Fourth Gospel. 1. Why are there four gospels? The ancient Christian writer Origen (185-254 a.d.) gave a good answer: there are not four gospels, but one four-fold gospel. Each gospel presents a different perspective on the life of Jesus, and we need all four to get the full picture. a. John was probably the last gospel written, and written in view of what the previous three had already said. This is one reason why John is so different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. b. There are significant events in the ministry of Jesus that Matthew, Mark, and Luke include that John leaves out, including Jesus? birth, baptism, temptation in the wilderness, the Last Supper, the agony in Gethsemane, the Ascension, demonic confrontations, and parables. c. The first three gospels center on Jesus? ministry in Galilee. John centers his gospel on what Jesus said and did in Jerusalem. d. Each of the gospels emphasizes a different origin of Jesus. i. Matthew ...

Romans 4:23-25 2007-03-07 00:00:00 Romans 4 - Abraham and David Demonstrate Righteousness Apart from Works 4. (23-25) Abraham?s justification and our own. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. a. It was not written for his sake alone: It wasn?t only for Abraham?s benefit that God declared him righteous through faith; he is an example that we are invited to follow - it is also for us. Paul?s confidence is glorious: It shall be imputed to us who believe; this wasn?t just for Abraham, but for us also. b. Who believe in Him who raised up Jesus: When we talk about faith and saving faith in Jesus, it is important to emphasize that we mean believing that His work on the cross (delivered up because of our offenses) and triumph over sin and death (raised because of our justification) is what saves u ...

Romans 4:19-22 2007-03-06 00:00:00 Romans 4 - Abraham and David Demonstrate Righteousness Apart from Works 3. (19-22) The character of Abraham?s faith. And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah?s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore ?it was accounted to him for righteousness.? a. Not being weak in faith: Abraham?s faith was strong but it was also strengthened. He was strengthened in faith. i. The idea seems to be that Abraham was strengthened in his faith; but Paul could also mean that Abraham was strengthened by his faith - certainly both were true. ii. How we need to be strengthened in faith! ?Dear brother, little faith will save thee if it be true faith, but there are many reasons why you should seek an increase of it.? ( ...