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OUR SABBATH REST
“Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest…rest unto your souls.” – Matthew 11:28,29b
OUR FORGOTTEN CREATOR
“Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth…” Ecclesiastes 12:1
We live in a day where so many people are quick to have opinions. These opinions fill the airwaves with pop psychologists who try to analyze all the trouble and turmoil in the world. Yet, their analysis rarely comes from the authority of our Creator. We can be quick to put all the blame upon political correctness for denying our Creator, but that is not totally accurate. The obscure or little known truth of this denial is because previous generations have replaced our Creator with a man-made “theory.” Therefore this evolutionary idea that we all ascended from mud, molecules, and monkeys has actually taken full effect upon our recent generation. When young children are taught that they just came from a lower form of animals, why are we so surprised when we see them acting like animals without a convicted conscious? “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” Proverbs 23:7. So if they actually believe in animalistic evolution in their heart then they will naturally act according to what they have been taught.
We have a generation that has forgotten that God is our Creator and that everyone is responsible to Him. This generation is so far separate from our Creator that they don’t know Him so as to listen to Him. Therefore we need God to come in a miraculous way to modify the minds and hearts of multitudes.
When I was a little boy around the age of ten, I was given a cheap set of walkie-talkies. Something I enjoyed. Then one day I removed the battery and took a 9-volt electrical hook up from a cassette tape player and connected it to one of the walkie-talkies. Also the antenna was broke in half, so I took an old fashion metal coat hanger and attached it to what was left of the antenna with some aluminum foil. When these modifications were made, this cheap walkie-talkie was amplified to where I could pick up a CB transmission. The signal was weak, but if I listened closely I could hear the truckers talking their CB jargon.
The world is loud about prosperity and pleasure, while the devil softly strokes our pride with the thought of “You deserve it!” As a result we have a, “I want mine” society and they are blind to the fact that we are now reaping “survival of the fittest.” All of our social, moral, and spiritual ills are all wrapped up in the philosophical lie of evolution.
As Christians we have been modified to listen to God our Creator. Therefore, we must pray and engage this generation and the generation to follow so that they would be purged from every other voice and give our Creator a hearing. Only then will their walkie-talkie be modified to hear and remember their Creator in the days of their youth.
(Published in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
1001 Easy Street
Lewisburg TN 37091
Just a Finger of Influence
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:1
We all heard the old saying, “do as I say and not like I do,” but the apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians is saying follow what I do, as I follow what Christ did. Paul’s desire for these Christians was not for them to follow his philosophical ideology, but rather follow Christ. Paul not only preached Christ, but he led such a life so as the people around him would imitate Christ. Christ was Paul’s example and model in all things. Paul denied himself, just as Christ denied Himself. Paul showed no prejudice between Jew and Gentile, just as Christ showed no prejudice between Jew and Gentile. If Paul could influence these Christians to follow him as he followed Christ then Paul was actually influencing them to follow Christ.
Believers are not only to be a witness to the world, but also an encouragement within the Church so that other believers would follow Christ through their example. For someone to have influence it must first come by example. Is it not true that actions speak louder than words?
There was a man who worked in a steel mill who was a rough gambler. One day as hot molten iron was being poured from a furnace, he gathered a group of men and bet each one of them ten dollars that he could take his finger and whip it rapidly through the inch-thick stream of fiery glowing iron. They all covered his bet. He stooped down and took up a handful of the powdery dust from the floor and used it to dry all the oil from his finger. Coating his finger with this dry dust, he thrust it at the liquid iron and caused sparks to fly in many directions with no harm. Another workman watched from a distance, and he went to another place in the mill where a similar stream of iron was flowing. He also bet a group of men that he could whip his finger through the molten metal without harm. As he whipped his finger through the stream of hot liquid metal, he did not know the secret of removing the body oil from his finger with dust. They took this man to the first-aid station where a surgeon removed his entire finger. The first man’s influence caused the loss of his co-workers finger.
As Christians within the body of Christ, we can either be an influence for good or for ill. Oh how important it is for Christians to imitate Christ! When we do, we have in mind the welfare of our fellow believers to influence them unto “love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). So when we follow Christ, we are influencing others to be like Christ. There is no better example! – (Published in the Marshal County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
Lewisburg, TN 37091
The Faithful Donkey
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham… So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Galatians 3:7,9
Paul writing to Christians encourages them that they are the children of Abraham, blessed with faithful Abraham. Being blessed by God means that God has said a good word about us and that nothing and no one can curse what God has blessed.
Being blessed reminds me of Numbers chapters 22-24. In this account Moab was afraid of Israel, and their king named Balak knew that Israel was too mighty for them. Instead of reaching out in peace he decides to curse Israel by a false prophet named Balaam. However, God gave a clear command to Balaam “Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people: for they are blessed.” Nevertheless, king Balak promised Balaam money and honor if he would curse Israel. Instead of turning away, Balaam saddled his donkey and went to Moab. That angered the LORD! As Balaam was riding his donkey, two times the donkey saw the LORD and turned aside, but Balaam’s greedy heart blinded him. He could only see a stubborn donkey and so he struck her. Then the donkey saw the LORD a third time, so she lay down. Balaam in anger struck the donkey again. At that point the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Balaam immediately replies to the donkey, “Because you have abused me. I wish there were a sword in my hand, for now I would kill you!” How astonishing! Balaam does not blink an eye. He responds right back to the donkey leading to a conversation. Finally, the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the LORD with his sword and he bowed down, and the LORD told him how this faithful donkey saved his life. God then allowed Balaam to go to Moab and told him that he would speak a blessing. Balaam tried three times to curse God’s people but each time God put blessings upon his lips which infuriated king Balak.
Understand child of God that the enemies of this world are not smart as a donkey when they come up against God’s people. No one can curse what God has blessed and as believers in Christ, WE – “the Church” are the children of Abraham by faith. The Church is blessed with faithful Abraham, which means that no “Balaam-like-spirit” can ever curse us no matter what. God can use a fearful king, a dumb false prophet, and a faithful donkey to demonstrate His sovereign power, to fulfill His will, and also to bless His people – the Church. Is that not good news! – (Published in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
Lewisburg, TN
Why is the world full of immorality, violence, hatred, war, terrorism, pain, suffering, disease, and death?
This question in the eyes of many people is an enormous question to ask. The answers given can be anywhere from, “it could be the environment that a person was raised in” or “it was the parents fault due to the lack of attention given the child.” These answers still does not give us the reason “WHY?” These answers and many others are just symptoms of a much larger problem. Yet, the Bible calls such acts as the sinful “works of the flesh” which proceed out of the “heart of men” (Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 3:10-19; Mark 7:21-23). Evolution, and New Age philosophy explain such things, including death, as the “natural process” of life. In Genesis chapter 3, Satan, or the Devil, comes as a serpent to tempt man to sin against God. As a result of Satan’s work, sin was introduced to mankind. This power of sin brought with it d
isobedience, which in turn effected broken fellowship with God. Thus, through the power of sin, the human race and God’s perfect creation were corrupted (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:17-19,24). The world one sees today with all the violence, hatred, wars, and immorality is a result of SIN in the heart of man. Yes, the world in all its grandure and beauty still reflects, to a small extent, God’s original creation, but it has been corrupted by SIN. This power of SIN is so dominate that it is passed down from generation to generation. Simply put, due to Adam’s sin, all of his descendants, including you and me, “were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19) KJV
Genesis 6:11 states that, “the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.” The reason immorality, violence, hatred, war, terrorism, pain, suffering, disease, and death comes upon us is because of SIN! This is not a popular answer nor is it a pretty picture, but there is no other reasonable explanation. All other explanations are just symptoms of a much deeper issue. The root cause is SIN in the deep dark corners of the heart of all mankind, and if man is left to himself all these sinful evils will come out and express itself in one corrupt sin or another.
The truth is that we live in a sinful world, and the power of sin has “reigned unto death” (Romans 5:21). Common sense tells us that life and death are exact opposites, not the “natural processes” of life. In fact, the Bible specifically calls death the “last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death is a constant reminder that “all have sinned” and are in need of God’s grace in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-26). As long as one is in this world, there will be sin related miseries. The only way one can escape these miseries is to run to the One who is life eternal, Jesus Christ (John 1:4; 3:36; 6:35; 11:25; 14:6).
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36) KJV
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6) KJV
REASONS 4 BELIEVING 