Archive
Christ Preaching His Kingdom (with audio)
Christ Preaching His Kingdom
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” – Matthew 4:23
There are three actions words that stick out. They are: teaching, preaching, and healing. These three actions are different and yet they purposely come together in the Kingdom ministry of Jesus Christ.
First, teaching. The Jewish synagogue was the central place for the community to worship God and to teach about God. The synagogue is where King Jesus showed up to teach about His Kingdom.
Next, King Jesus went about preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom outside of the synagogue. Preaching is different from teaching. Preaching is declaring abroad what has already been taught. Teaching passes on information about God, while preaching proclaims God with an impassioned cry out to the people declaring God’s truth – whether people want to believe it or not. Understand that King Jesus is the example that there is never preaching without teaching and there is never teaching without preaching. That’s why the churches who do both are usually fewer in number. Obviously, we can get a large numbers of people in church buildings with games, give-aways, programs, pot-luck dinners, and music-laser shows. However, if you follow the simple example of Jesus and teach and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom sadly there is little interest.
Lastly, we read that King Jesus came healing every kind of sickness and disease. Obviously He had compassion upon the people. However, the healings first of all confirmed that His message of the Gospel of the Kingdom has come down from heaven. The healings were signs proving that what He was teaching and preaching was true, and that He is the King of this Kingdom. Understand that miraculous healings are not everyday occurrences. That’s what makes it a miracle. Yet we have these self-proclaimed healers taking the name of God in vain. If they were authentic then why don’t they walk the halls of the nursing homes and the children’s cancer ward? Why don’t they go out into the community like Jesus did teaching, preaching, and healing? Only God heals, if He chooses to do so, but it is not in the quality and quantity as in the first century, and there is a reason. It is because those were signs for that day confirming the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Understand that teaching is true information about the Kingdom. Preaching is the true declaration about the Kingdom. Healings are the true evidence that the Kingdom has come (Matthew 12:28). King Jesus’ message was and is very simple. In His Kingdom, there is forgiveness of sin, salvation from hell, mercy for the guilty, grace for the needy, hope for the hopeless, and love for the unlovely, and that He takes the guilty, needy, hopeless, and unlovely sinner and makes them a beautiful child of the Majestic God (1 John 3:2). Yes, He makes the believer royalty (1 Peter 2:9).
David C. Hale, pastor
Published in the Marshall County Tribune, Lewisburg, TN
Christ Preaching His Kingdom (Audio)
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
YES – I’m not an Optimist!
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38,39
“Rock-water”
“Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it that the people may drink.” Exodus 17:6
Many times in our Christian walk God leads us into difficult situations for us to depend upon Him. In Exodus 17 Israel was led into a desert by God for them to demonstrate their faith. Instead, they murmured and rebelled. They sinned before God, but what did God do? God said to Moses, “I will stand before thee there upon the rock.” What an astonishing statement! God by His free will stood upon the rock identifying with the rock that was to be smitten, which also meant that God identified with these rebellious sinners. Instead of smiting the rebels, the LORD instructs Moses to smite the rock. If the LORD justly smote the rebels there would be a river of blood in the desert, but rather the LORD God condescended to show grace and love toward His people. As Moses lifts the rod of judgment and strikes the rock, water came out for the people to drink. God stood upon the rock to take the judgment for His people so that a river of life-giving water would flow out to them.
It’s truly a miracle for water to come out of a rock. Going to a rock for water is not natural. Marshall County is full of rock, but you cannot find one rock giving water. You may find some wet rocks around Rock Creek, but not a life-giving rock producing water. What a miracle! No one would expect water from a dry desert rock.
This miracle had even a greater meaning because it is an object lesson pre-figuring the Christ who would identify Himself with sinners by being smitten upon the cross in their place. Can you see Christ in this account? Clearly, the Old Testament and the New Testament are all about Christ if we have the spiritual eyes to see it. There are bloodstained pages from Genesis to Revelation, and the blood is the blood of Christ. When we miss Christ, we miss the message. The apostle Paul makes this clear when he comments on Exodus 17. Paul said that Israel “drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” 1 Corinthians 10:4.
Dear child of God, Christ did much more than just pay for your sins at Calvary? When He was smitten upon the cross, a river of free grace flowed out of Him and it continues to flow in order to cleanse you, and to refresh you as you walk in this filthy world. That is why Christ our “Rock-water” miraculously revives, rejuvenates, regenerates, and refreshes the soul now and eternally. Are you thirsty? Come to the Rock! – (Printed in the Marshall County Tribune)
David C. Hale, pastor
New Life Community Church
Lewisburg, TN
REASONS 4 BELIEVING 