What is in a name?

I am always saying this Hebrew or Greek word means this or that.  Then we read  scripture with the word's definitions in place and it can mind blowing what the Bible is saying when we look at it that way!  The stories we read seem to come into a new light when we look at what each word means!  If you don’t know what I mean about the Bible stories being in a new light I encourage you to make a true attempt to study with this in mind.

I have been recently studying church doctrines of several denominations and how these denominations are named after MEN!  IF YOU HAVE A FRIEND THAT ATTENDS A DENOMINATIONAL CHURCH AND YOU HAVEN’T TOLD THEM THE TRUTH, SHAME ON YOU.  You are 1 of 3 things: ashamed of the word, afraid of what they will think of you, or weak in doctrine and don’t put God first.  Forgetting that denominations are NOT God’s plan.  You could also be considered a bad friend because you have a friend that is in trouble and is probably forfeiting their opportunity at eternity with God and YOU ARE JUST SITTING BACK AND WATCHING!  Tonight’s message is all about a name.

      Some names are famous- ABRAHAM LINCOLN!  Some names are notorious OSAMA BIN LADEN!  Let's look at the name "Jesus Christ" and the things we have in that name.

(Acts 4:12)

I. SALVATION IN THE NAME OF CHRIST.

From the previous read scripture we know there is no name that men by which we must be saved!  NOT THE POPE,  LUTHER, WESLEY(Methodist), SMYTHE(Baptist), SEYMORE(Pentecostal), or CALVIN(Presbyterian)!  It is that reason that I prefer the name CHURCH OF CHRIST as opposed to Christian Church!

          A. REMISSION of sins.      (Acts 2:38)

Without Christ we are not forgiven of our sins.  We can see the purpose of baptism.  Those men who teach salvation without baptism are ignorant! 

ASK THESE QUESTIONS:

1.  IF YOU ARE NOT BAPTIZED HOW DO YOU GET FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SINS?

 The will say through Christ’s sacrifice or through the blood of Christ!

2.   ARE YOU REALLY TRYING TO CLAIM THE BLOOD OF CHRIST OR HIS SACRIFICE BUT REFUSE TO COME INTO CONTACT WITH THAT BLOOD THROUGH BAPTISM, AND IGNORE WHAT IS COMMEMORATED TO RESEMBLE THAT BLOOD IN THE LORD’S SUPPER?

At this point they will either get upset or change the subject because you just put a whole in their beliefs!

         

B. ETERNAL life in heaven.

Without Christ we are hopelessly headed for eternal damnation!  Acts 4:12  said there is no salvation in any other name.  NOT, ALA, MOHAMMED, BUDDHA, OR ANY OTHER IDOL YOU CAN THINK OF!  We can’t get to the Father without Christ!  

(Jn 10:9; Jn 14:6)

II.  PRAYER IN THE NAME OF CHRIST

Where do we get the teaching of praying in his name?  

(Jn 14:13,14)

(Jn 15:16)

(Jn 16:23,24)

(Jn16:26)

A. GOD ALWAYS ANSWERS PRAYERS OF HIS CHILDREN!

Notice I said his children. 

(Pr 28:9)

(Acts 10:31)

God has 3 answers to our prayers:  YES       NO        NOT RIGHT NOW!

The answers we get are based on a few other conditions:

1. Faith of the one in prayer!    (Cornelius as opposed to unbeliever)

2. Willingness of to do God’s will of the one in prayer.

God gave us his very best when he sent Jesus.  We need to repay him by living obedient lives.  God Bless

Have a red a letter day,

Chad

Living Inside Out

     Today’s post is from what is commonly called “The Eight Woes.”  This would be the 5^th Woe.  I personally find this to be among some of the most serious scriptures in God’s Word.  I put this up there with (Eze 3:18-21; 2Pe 2:20,21) I’m not saying one verse is more important than another; those are just some that seem very sobering to me! 

    In today's text, Jesus is referring to the Pharisees doing what they can to appear clean to men (outside), but their hearts were extremely unclean(inside).  Looking at several translations I found a lot of words here from rapine, intemperance, injustice, uncleanness, covetousness, and iniquity to describe the Pharisees.  Putting them all together really shows what Jesus thought of the Pharisees.      

     Today, we will try to learn how to live inside out.  The goal is not be hypocritical or be called by any of the aforementioned words!  Christianity starts on the inside.  That is when we receive the Holy Spirit.  Until that point we are not a part of the Lord’s Church.  (Mt 23:25,26)

I.  LIFE IS ABOUT PERSONAL CHOICES

We are faced with decisions from the time we get out of bed until we go to sleep.  The choices we make, say everything about the person we are.  We can talk and appear one way on the outside, but the choices we make says who we are.  Aristotle said "We are what we do repeatedly.  Therefore, excellence is not an act, but a habit!"

There are two types of people in the world.  REACTIVE AND ACTIVE!

The first is:      

A. REACTIVE PEOPLE

     A reactive person lets everything around them dictate their actions and decisions.  These people tend to “follow the crowd” so to speak. (Mk 7:15)

     Reactive people let the outside control the inside!  Reactive people let others shape and form their decisions.  Reactive people live outside in!  Reactive people don’t have a foundation to support them. (Mt 7:26-27)

   Jesus must be the foundation we all are supported by.  In order to have Jesus as our foundation we must “act on his words!”  Having a personal relationship with Christ is far deeper than mere believing he exists!  Did you notice that some people heard the words but they lacked action?  THEY ARE FOOLS!  Many people from the “Stained Glass Crowd” are reactive people.  Reactive people are often happy on the outside and miserable on the inside.  That’s because all their decisions are based on what others say and do!    

B. ACTIVE PEOPLE

     An active person doesn’t allow their decisions to be affected by outside sources.  These people tend to “set the pace” they “march to the beat of a different drum” so to speak.  They have goals and nothing or no one will keep them from achieving that goal.  WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?  It may be financial independence, if such a thing exists.  Me personally, I want to hear these words, “WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!”  

     It’s not what you know; it’s who you know!  Many people today who are driven by possessions get those very things.  Their focus is in worldly things.  Those people don’t know Christ!  They claim to know him, but they really don’t.  They may even know the Word of God.  There is a big difference in knowing the Word of God and applying the Word of God!  (1Jn 1:4; 2Th 1:8)

We must have a personal goal of intimately knowing Christ! 

II.  Life is about personal goals.

     Your goals will dictate the fruit your life will produce! Wolfgang Von Goethe said, “The things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least”  (2Pe 2:19)   Your personal goals are what control you.  They influence your thoughts and actions.

 A. PROIORITIZE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS

      Therefore, you are a slave to your personal goals.  Life breaks down into two main sections.

SPIRITUAL (we aren’t just flesh & bones) AND PHYSICAL.  Now physical can be divided into 2 sub-

parts.  FAMILY and OCCUPATION.  We must choose which ones to put first!  That is how we 

formulate and prioritize our personal goals.  People today, often put physical before spiritual.  Yet, 

they claim to be a “BROTHER” to Christ!   (Mt 12:50)

QUESTION: What is your main goal in life?

If you thought “A house that’s paid for and meeting the Old Timers every morning at the Coffee 

Shop!”  YOU ARE PHYSICAL MINDED PERSON!

If you thought “To be with my Lord in Heaven for Eternity”  YOU ARE A SPIRITUAL MINDED PERSON!

(Mt 6:33)

     To reach these goals we must live inside out!  We cannot be REACTIVE letting the outside dictate 

the inside!  We must be active.  That is letting what is inside dictate what comes out!  We can only 

be active in accomplishing our goals if we BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND!      

WRITE DOWN YOUR GOALS AND LOOK AT THEM EVERYDAY!

     Prioritize your goals with the end in mind.  Spiritual, Family, and then Occupation or whatever 

order yours maybe . You must work DAILY to achieve your goals.  When decisions in life come up.  

Make them according to your personal goals.  “WILL DOING THIS keep me from achieving goal #1? 

NO, Good.  #2, NO, Good.  #3 YES.  I have no reason to do that activity then!    

B. DEFINE YOUR PERSONAL GOALS   

   To assist you in defining personal goals let’s do this.  IMAGINE YOU ARE AT 

YOUR OWN FUNERAL. The following people are going to speak at your funeral.  1. Close Family 

Member 2. Close Personal Friend 3. Close personal Co-worker 4. Close Church Member.  Take time to 

think what you would like those people to say!  Then write them down and look at them everyday as 

well. That will tell you what you feel a successful life is.  

     Don’t be reactive and let someone else define what success means to you!  When we are living a 

life that is obedient to the commands of our Father in Heaven, that is productive in the home 

with our family, and also paying the bills we will find that is living inside out.  Living inside out 

will provide much more happiness for us since we are accomplishing and doing things that are 

meaningful to us and not to society as a whole.  Our first goal must be a spiritual goal. 

If we are to be obedient to our Father in Heaven, we must be obedient to all his Word and not just 

parts we want to pick and choose.  

It starts with belief and faith. (Heb 11:6; Jn 3:16)  

How do we get faith? (Rom 10:17)

Then we must repent of our sins.  (Lk 13:3)

Repenting is more than saying I’m sorry.  It’s a change of life!

Then we must confess. Rom 10:9; Mt 10:32)

Then we must be  BIBLICALLY baptized by immersion.  (Mk 16:16; 1Pe 3:21; Ac 22:16)

Why are we baptized? (Acts 2:38)  Not to join a church; that’s not Biblical

If you weren’t Baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and to receive the Holy Spirit.  You weren’t 

BIBLICALLY BAPTIZED

Finally, we must live a faithful life.  (Rev 2:10; Acts 14:22) 

Have a red letter day,

Chad