by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Spiritual Gifts
Prophecy, The New Testament Gift
Picture in your mind several years of giving to your loved ones everything they need to function and survive in an hostile world. How would you feel after finding out the family you would give your life for are now held in bondage, unable to achieve their goals and accomplish their daily task for living a fulfilled life. You make your way to their place of residents and find that everything you have given them to survive and function effectively with had been carelessly thrown into an old shed, collecting dust, rusting and decaying away.
I would propose to you that God the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit has gifts to empower the church of Christ, enabling her to accomplishing everything He has called her to do in a sin cursed world. Yet most of those gifts have been in a sense placed where they are not being used. Much of His church are in some kind of bondage, unable to achieve their goals and accomplish their task at making disciples for Christ.
When I graduated from high school my father made sure I had what I needed to attend and graduate from Oklahoma Farrier’s College. While attending that college the instructors handed me a book written by a master farrier. That book taught me how to properly trim and shod horses. It taught me to do corrective shoeing, which enabled lame horses to become sound so they can complete their daily task.
God has handed us a Book, the Bible. The Bible is God’s revelation to mankind. When read under the leading of the Holy Spirit we find correction for our wrong motives and thoughts, thus the spiritually lame become sound so they can achieve their daily task of living for Christ Jesus.
As I mentioned just a moment ago, the Holy Spirit has gifts for the church of Jesus Christ. Can you name them? Can you identify them as they are exercised in your church? Are you prepared to teach about them?
The high charge to the church is to have people who can “Preach the Word…” People who are able “with great patience” through “careful instruction” teach the counsel of God. A mature church is able to teach and prepare you to enjoy the Holy Spirit gift of prophecy. Those who exercise this gift are able to strengthen, encourage, and comfort others. (1 Corinthians 14:3) The person with the gift of “prophecy” (προφητεύω prophēteúō) has the ability to speak out the counsel of God with the clearness, energy, and authority which spring from the consciousness of speaking in God’s name and having received a message from Him to deliver. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament)
The people of God has been given every good gift they need to function as a unified Body of believers for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7) All we need to do is seek out those with this gift so we can gain understanding of the Lords purpose for us.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
Jesus’ Command
Jesus said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) All true born again Christians understand, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” In keeping with the key truths spoken by Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we grasp the meaning of “sinners” and “repentance.”
“Sinners” (ἁμαρτωλός hamartōlós) are people who miss the mark in living the life God intends for them to live. Therefore, sinners are people who live as they choose, without regard to God’s will. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament) “Repentance” (μετάνοια metánoia) is a change of mind, leading away from evil to righteousness, from good to striving towards God’s best for us. (Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 509). New York: United Bible Societies.) “Repentance” is a profound change of mind involving the change of direction of life from that of self-centeredness or sin-centeredness to God or Christ-centeredness. God’s forgiveness is available only to those who are repentant, for only they can receive it.” (The New International Dictionary of the Bible)
All of us, need to repent! Rather Your Are: A Hypocrite (ὑποκριτής hupokritḗs) a pretender, one who preaches God’s Word, yet, his way of living reveals the counterfeit he really is. (Matthew 23:25-31; Romans 9:4-8) Rather Your Are: Sexually immoral, an idolater, one who hates others, one who brings discord into the family or the work place, one who practices witchcraft, one who is a jealous person, one who exhibits fits of rage or has selfish ambitions. (Galatians 5:19-20) The call is to repent. Rather Your Are: a person who exchanges the truth about God for a lie, one who has unnatural or shameful lust for one another, one who is greedy, a murderer, a gossip, one who disobedient to parents, has no fidelity, a God-hater, one who insolent and arrogant. (Romans 1:18-32) Jesus’ command is to repent. Rather Your Are: an adulterer, a thief, a slanderer, a swindler or involved in homosexuality. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) It is the Lord’s will, “…all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) All sins are manifestations of a life needing to come to true repentance, put right with God.
Many spend their time pointing out the sins of others while overlooking their own sin, others justify or proclaim them as given at birth. The Bible says sin come from a depraved mind, the results from not thinking it worthwhile to retain or seek the knowledge of God. (Romans 1:28) The Bible says “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” (Acts 3:19) John the Baptist has a message for us all, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Jesus gives us this powerful exhortation, “…I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
There is a God who created us, Jesus Christ died for us, and the Holy Spirit longs to empower us to live a life of repentance, one that is pleasing to the Lord. Were is our hearts in regard to repentance? Jesus is not influenced by the conjecture of men, only by the will of His Father in heaven. In a day were many are proclaiming tolerance, Jesus proclaims repent.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Patriotism
Statesmen Who Fear God
The children of God can most certainly desire godly leaders and call out to the Lord for those who walk in the fear of the Lord. The last words of King David in 2 Samuel give us this truth, “The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.’” (2 Samuel 23:3-4)
Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, gave some great advice that we as Christians need to heed, “…select capable men from all the people–men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain–and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens… If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” (Exodus. 18:21,23)
Our founding fathers knew the truth in these Scriptures. Noah Webster wrote, “When you become entitled to exercise the right of voting for public offices let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose as rulers men who rule in the fear of God. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect this duty and place unprincipled men in office the government will soon be corrupted.”
God has raised up at least two colleges that are prayerfully training Christian men and women to become national leaders who will have an influence on our culture with timeless Biblical values. They are Patrick Henry College and Focus On the Family Institute.
Exercise Your Biblical Rights. Pray for Statesmen Who Fear God!
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Patriotism
Pray for Those In Authority
1 Timothy 2:1-4, “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone — for kings and all those in authority… This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
Our key text today instructs us to pray particularly for those in authority. Those in authority are there because God put them there. In Daniel 2:21 we read that God “…changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” Romans 13:1 says; “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
The Holy Spirit had given Daniel understanding, it is the God of providence, by whom kings reign and princes decree justice. It is the inspiration of the Almighty God that gives men understanding, He enables them to acquire knowledge and use that knowledge in a right and humble manner.
This truth is so powerfully displayed as we take time to consider the purpose of the writings of First and Second Kings. These two Books of Scripture record the history of kingdom rulers, some were of noble God fearing character, most misruled and expressed a willful unrepentant heart in their failure to follow God’s commandments.
Obedience is met with blessing, and disobedience with punishment and chastening. Throughout the times of the kings and judges when God wanted to bless His people He raised up righteous leaders. On the other hand, when God wanted to bring chastisements, He raised up a wicked leader, either from among His people or from another nation to take them into oppression.
Christian intercessors, with the same illumination as Daniel, will ask the Lord to raise up leaders like Hezekiah. This leader, “trusted the Lord… he kept the commands of the Lord. …the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.” (2 Kings 18:5-7) Pray for those in Authority!
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Patriotism
Recognize You Have Sinned
Biblically examining the rule of kings who oversaw the nations of Judah and Israel reveals the truth, God blesses obedience and He chastens for disobedience. Instead of hanging onto this world’s view, Christians can come to understand the Lord’s view of the reign of kings by reading the two Books of Chronicles. 2 Chronicles 17-20 reveals God’s view on the reign of Jehoshaphat. Understanding how God worked in the life of Jehoshaphat helps us understand how the Lord wants to work in America.
Jehoshaphat’s leadership had brought great blessings to Judah and like most in leadership, his leadership had moments that brought severe consequences to the spiritual, social and political life of Judah. Jehoshaphat allied himself with the wicked king Ahab whose policies brought the people of God to mix true worship with false worship. Jehoshaphat’s alliances in war and business nearly cost him his life and he put the nation of Judah at great risk.
Our national leaders, especially our founding fathers made Biblical choices that enabled America to enjoy the Lord’s blessings. However, many leaders today have allied themselves with organizations, opinions and are on friendly terms with those whom the Bible says, do evil in the eyes of the Lord. Our Biblical-Anemic preaching churches have failed to produce enough men and women who are statesmen who can overrule decisions made by politicians who are more concerned with party rule than with what is right before the eyes of God. Our nation and many of her churches find themselves afflicted with several of the curses written about in Deuteronomy 28:15-51. The wrath of God that is clearly spelled out in Romans 1: 18-32 is powerfully being experienced all through America. Medicine for America Begins With Recognition of Sin
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