Category Archives: Blogs

Blogs, Frank Becker

Christians and the Chinese virus

By Frank Becker

“Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5)

This is your first, your best, and your only hope!

10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Before you make your preparations, PRAY. As you make your preparations, PRAY. After you make your preparations, PRAY! And having done all, STAND. PRAYING...

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

“THOSE WHO HONOR ME”

Jeremy Stopford photo
Rev. Jeremy Stopford

“HONOR” SERIES, Message #1

Originally preached February 12, 2012

Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor

Today’s “Special”: “Ethel“

An elderly man lay in a hospital, with his wife of 55 years sitting at his bedside. “Is that you, Ethel, at my side again?” he whispered.

“Yes, dear,” she answered.

He softly said to her, “Remember years ago when I was in the Veteran’s Hospital? You were with me then. You were with me when we lost everything in a fire. And Ethel, when we were poor—you stuck with me then too.” The man sighed and said, “I tell you, Ethel, you are bad luck!”

INTRODUCTION

Today’s passage has a 5 letter word that we may use a lot, but may be surprised that it’s original intent, it’s highest purpose, is to be used in reference to God.

To “honor” means to give the highest respect. We call judges, “Your Honor” as a means of respect. To place high. To give the place that only they deserve. To honor.

Israel needed to learn what it means. We need to learn how to apply it to our lives.

PRAYER

I Samuel 2:27: Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and HONOR your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30 Therefore the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who HONOR Me I will HONOR, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age” (1 Samuel 2:27-33).

IT’S A FAMILY THING

a. The encouraged heritage of Aaron, vs. 27,28

b. The disgraced heritage of Eli, vs. 29-31a

c. The potential to age “gracefully”, vs. 31b-33

Gen. 21:7: “(Sarah) borne him a son in his old age.”

Gen. 24:1: “(Abraham)..old, well advanced in age, the Lord had blessed Abe)… in all things”

Gen. 25:8: “(Abe) breathed his last and died in a good old age, full of years…”

Gen. 37:3: “Israel loved Joseph…because he was the son of his old age.”

2 Sam. 19:32: “Barzillai…aged man, eighty years old, he had provided the king with supplies.”

1 Kings 15:23: “Asa…in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.”

Ps. 92:13,14: “Those who are planted in the house of the Lord…shall still bear fruit in old age…”

How about us?

II. IT’S AN HONOR THING, vs. 29-30

  1. Who did Eli honor more than God? His sons!
  2. Who will God honor if we honor Him? Us!

c. How does God like to be honored?

* By honoring our parents (Ex. 20:12)

  • By honoring the presence of the gray headed (Lev. 19:32)
  • By honoring God with our possessions and our increase (Prov. 3:9,10)
  • By exalting wisdom (Prov. 4:8)
  • By regarding a rebuke (Prov. 13:18)
  • By having mercy on the needy (Prov. 14:31)
  • By the testing of our faith (1 Pet. 1:7)

* By our singing (Ps. 66:2)

* By our worship (Rev. 5:12, 13)

* By our seeing Him in the sanctuary (Ps. 96:6)

* By extolling Him Who is clothed with HONOR (Ps.. 104:1)

* By our worship of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 2:9)

CONCLUDING ILLUSTRATION:

Eric Liddell, 1924 Olympic champion in Paris. Eric, representing Great Britain, was training for the Olympics in the 100 meter dash. When he was advised that his heats would be on Sunday at the Olympics, he withdrew even though he was the favored to win. He said, “that is the Lord’s Day – I will rest on His day.” He was ridiculed greatly throughout the world, much less his nation, for that stand. He was invited to compete in the 400 meter dash, an event for which he had never competed. Just before the race, a friend handed him a note. It read in part, “The Old Book says, ‘those who HONOR Me, I will HONOR.”

Eric ran like the wind, came in first place, setting a world record.

He later was martyred as a missionary to China.

CLOSE IN PRAYER

Blogs, John Grant

“Youthquake”

Week Thirteen, 2020

By Florida Senator John Grant, Retired

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

Love ’em or hate ’em, this much is true: one day soon, millennials will rule America. This is neither wish nor warning but fact, rooted in the physics of time and the biology of human cells.

Millennials – born between 1981 and 1996–are already the largest living generation and the largest age group in the workforce. They outnumber Gen X (born 1965–1980) and will soon outnumber baby boomers (born 1946–1964) among American voters.

Their startups have revolutionized the economy, their tastes have shifted the culture, and their enormous appetite for social media has transformed human interaction. The millennial wave is coming: the only questions are when and how fast it will arrive.

Youthquake

Time Magazine recently did an in-depth study into the changing trends in America coming from the millennials. They are reshaping our culture, even in religion in a way that is not encouraging. They have exchanged spirituality for astrology. Millennials have earned a reputation for reshaping industries and institutions — shaking up the workplace, transforming dating culture, and rethinking parenthood. They’ve also had a dramatic impact on American religious life. Four in ten millennials now say they are religiously unaffiliated, according to the Pew Research Center. In fact, millennials (those between the ages of 23 and 38) are now almost as likely to say they have no religion as they are to identify as Christian.

Any leader working with the youth of America can attest to the fact this generation is different than all others before it. Today’s youth speak in a language we don’t always understand, run circles around us with new technology, and think differently when it comes to religion and social issues.

This new generation interacts with the world very differently from previous generations, and that has spilled over into how they interact with the Bible. Even more than previous generations, Millennials desire authentic relationships and yearn for a deep sense of belonging. Younger generations desire to engage the Bible in new ways.

Some older churches and pastors are stuck in the rut of traditionalism and want to write the younger generation off if they don’t want to follow traditionalism. But I say we shouldn’t write them off…. We should write them in and welcome new ways of involvement.

I am an old traditionalist. I like to hold a hymnal in my hand and sing the hymns of yesterday. I don’t care for loud music, disco lights and fog, but I know I have to be open to newer ways that are open to younger people, just like my parent’s era had to be open to me.

The Word of God is inviolate and the message of salvation is unchanging. Within those parameters the way it is presented and the way we worship has to be relevant to the times. That’s how we have to relate spiritually to the Youthquake of today.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

ABORTIONS:

There were 862,000 abortions in the United States in 2017. This is the lowest number since abortion became legal in 1973. However, abortion remains the leading cause of death in our country: that same year, 647,457 Americans died from heart disease, the second-leading cause of death.

Worldwide, abortion is the leading cause of death as well, killing forty-two million people last year. By contrast, 8.2 million people died from cancer in 2019, thirteen million from other diseases, and 1.7 million from HIV/AIDS.

Pro-abortion forces in America are conspiring to do everything they can to protect the threat. Planned Parenthood in New York is pressuring doctors to violate their conscience by performing abortions or leave medicine. The Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) is working to fight abortion restrictions and to help states enact legislation protecting the practice.

There are two popular arguments cited by pro-choice Christians:

The first is the claim that they oppose abortion personally but are not sure they should “impose” their beliefs on others. Many pro-choice people, many Christians, believe life to begin at conception based on her understanding of Scripture. They consider this position to be their personal religious belief and have been taught by our culture that the “separation of church and state” means we should keep her religious beliefs private.

Let’s work with the logic of this position for a moment. If you believe that human life begins at conception, you will view birth as merely the movement of that life from inside the mother’s body to outside. Prior to this movement, the law allows the mother to abort the baby’s life. After it, the mother and her doctor must do all they can to protect the baby’s life.

Nothing has changed about the baby except its location. We are not “imposing our beliefs” to protect the baby after its birth. In fact, we are preventing infanticide. Why are we imposing them to protect the baby a moment before its birth?

A second assertion by some pro-choice Christians is that we cannot be sure in scientific terms when a fetus becomes a human being. They believe life begins at conception, but fear “imposing” their theological position on others. If we cannot be objectively sure when the fetus becomes a human, the abortion decision should rest with the mother rather than the state, or so they claim.

Once again, let’s consider the logic of this position. Imagine that you heard a noise outside your front door in the middle of the night. It might be a person, or it might be an animal of some kind. Would you shoot through the door before you were sure it was not a human being on the other side?

One incontrovertible fact is that every fetus, left to develop naturally to full term, will be born as what we know to be a human being. If we have to err on one side or the other, should we not err on the side of life?

Every person is a miracle. David’s testimony is ours: “You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14).

As a result, each life is a story. Perhaps the most effective way we can defend life is to tell such stories.

Let’s pray and work for the day when our nation values every life, from conception to natural death, as passionately and practically as does our Father.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Jesus’ message is both personal and present to us this day. Kelly Knouse

The Word of God is for the people of God. Max Wilkins

Takers live better, but givers sleep better. Ken Whitten

Our lives and our resources are limited—so how we spend them matters.

Rather than bringing happiness into life, possessions often distract us from it.

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

“I AM THE LIFE!”

Jeremy Stopford photo
Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor

“JESUS SAID, ‘I AM THE LIFE’” (John 14:6)

SERIES: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

Originally preached June 1, 2014

By Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor

“Jesus said…, ‘I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life; No one comes to the Father but by Me'” (John 3:16).

TODAY’S “SPECIAL: “Fun answering machine messages”

~ I can’t answer the phone now because I have amnesia and I feel stupid talking to people I don’t remember. I’d appreciate it if you could help me out by leaving my name and telling me something about myself. Thanks.

~ Hi. I’m probably around, but I’m just avoiding someone I don’t like. Leave me a message, and if I don’t call back, it’s you.

~ This is not voicemail. This is a telepathic thought-recording device. After the tone, think about your name, your reason for calling, and a number where I can reach you, and I’ll think about returning your call.

~ Roses are red, Violets are cheap, Leave your message After the beep.

INTRODUCTION

We are in the 3rd and final week of a series on the verse, John 14:6. First, Jesus said “I am THE way”. Perhaps the word “the” needs to be underscored – as the only other way, according to Scripture, is the “way of death”. Jesus is “the” way which leads to life, righteousness, faithfulness, wisdom, insight, holiness, peace, love, and truth!

Last week, we discussed Jesus being “the truth.” From the gospel of John, we learned that He is the eternal Savior Who bases His mission on the truth of the Living Word, and He encourages growth through the truth, the written Word of God.

This week we are looking at “I am the life.” And it shouldn’t surprise us that Scripture will once again help us to learn what this means, and how God intends to apply this to our life.

AND it shouldn’t surprise us that the Scriptural use of “the life” encompasses every part of the seasons of life.

PRAYER

I. PREVIOUS (before salvation)

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived” (Colossians 3:5-7).

This is a description of the life you once lived – it was the lifestyle of before you knew Jesus.

This was a lifestyle that God doesn’t want us to live anymore – the old lifestyle should not be the new lifestyle.

HOWEVER, the baggage is not lost when we find Jesus. So God says “put it off” – God can’t do that, nobody else can do that; we must do that for ourselves.

And when we focus on the new, the new will become our new lifestyle

II. PERSONAL (faith in a personal God)

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us” (1 John 1:1-2).

The life appeared. True faith is a faith in a Person, NOT in a church, a religion, a religious system.

We’ve seen it for ourselves. It is personal. The only ones who know that you have true faith is you – and God.

“The life” appears when we examine the evidence and trust what we have explored for ourselves

III. PRESENT (NOW!)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20)

Two guidelines:

#1 This is described as “the real life” (Living Bible) – some of us remember the 60’s, and those who were stoned out of their mind saying, “this is really living, man”. In contrast to what the world has to offer, the Christian life is real life!

#2 “The life you see me living is not “mine”” (The Message) The Owner of this life, today’s life, is not me. The Owner is the Lord Jesus. And the battle line of this life is over Who is the owner at this moment – Him, or me?

IV. PROSPECT (future!)

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26).

Because of this future hope, we live today with a present hope based on that future hope. Got it? And Who is the One Who has accomplished that? The Lord Jesus, our Hope!

CONCLUSION

PRACTICAL (local body that shares the life)

“During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea” (Acts 11:27-29).

ILLUSTRATION: The story of The Hedgehogs

It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold.

The hedgehogs, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions.

After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the earth.

Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive!

“The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people, but when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others an can admire the other person’s good qualities.” — Author unknown

This is called Body Life, a term coined by Pastor Ray Stedman back in the 1970’s. When the local body of believers does what God calls it to do, and cares for one another, and sees every person and every need as God’s assignment, then it is living THE LIFE that God intends us to live!

APPLICATION:

There is often a tender thread, an almost invisible “fine line” where people are trying to determine where they belong. Where do you fit in in this “body life”? Do you know that you are vitally needed? AND that you are vitally needed in this local body life?

CLOSE IN PRAYER

Blogs, John Grant

“UNCLAIMED”

Week 12, 2020

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33).

Florida has $2B in unclaimed property. Is it yours? When a bank or other financial account remains inactive long enough, the money gets turned over to the state. You might ask, who forgets about a bank account? But it happens enough that Florida is holding about $2 billion in unclaimed property, including money and items like watches, jewelry, coins, stamps and other collectibles from unused safe deposit boxes.

It is returned if and when the rightful owner comes forward and files the necessary application. Last year $213 million defaulted to the state because it was not claimed. It’s yours if you ask, but not if you don’t.

There is a spiritual parallel here. James (4:2-3) says we do not have because we do not ask God.

Salvation is a good example. Christianity is not a religion. It is a relationship, one that comes when we ask for it through the prayer of salvation.

The sinner’s prayer is a Christian term for a prayer that is said when someone wants to repent of their sin, ask God for forgiveness and state belief in the life, death, and saving resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9-10 says that “if you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Millions have come to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through church services, friends, and family leading them in a salvation prayer, but salvation is not something someone can do for you. You have to ask for it and pray it yourself.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.

Salvation? You have not because you ask not.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

China intends to rewrite the Bible to reflect its Communist ideology. The Committee for Ethnic Affairs has announced a “comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times.”

According to reports, “Jesus Christ’s parables” will have to fall “in line with the Communist Party, failing which they run the risk of being purged from the bibles [sic] available to the faithful.”

Many churches and preachers are rewriting the Bible in America these days, maybe not in writing, but in preaching and interpretation. Much of what gets preached from American pulpits is contrary to Bible teachings and that includes many mainline denominations that are Biblically and politically sliding to the left. They call it religious progressivism. I call it heresy. John Grant

— o —

Death rates are increasing for middle aged Americans of all racial and ethnic groups. Suicide, drug overdoses, and alcoholism are the main causes, but heart disease, stroke, and other medical conditions are contributors as well.

— o —

After roughly a decade of rising home prices, homeowners are flush with record amounts of home equity they can tap. But many Americans remain short on cash and are increasingly relying on debt to fund their lives.

— o —

Half of all Protestant pastors feel as though the demands of ministry are more than they can handle; 54 percent find their role to be frequently overwhelming.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Jesus’ message is both personal and preset. To us this day. Kelly Knouse

You are what you think about all day long.

Rather than bringing happiness into life, possessions often distract us from it.

The peace of God requires the power of God. Jim Denison

God does His deepest work in the deepest times of your life. Adrian Rogers

The greatest gift we can pass down to the next generation is to instill the value of giving back.

When Told Abortion Kills More Women Than Anything, Abortion Activists Say “They Don’t Count”.

***

Blogs, Jeremy Stopford

I AM THE TRUTH

Jeremy Stopford photo
Jeremy Stopford

“JESUS SAID, ‘I AM THE TRUTH’” (John 14:6)

SERIES: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

Originally Preached May 25, 2014

Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we discussed Jesus being “the way”. Scripture indicates that there are TWO ways known in the world: the first is the many other ways to God – and ultimately they are all on the “way of death.” That’s pretty simple when you think about it. All cults. All non-religions. All nice people. They are all on the way of death.

The SECOND way is the ONLY true way – the way of the Lord! It encompasses the way of life, righteousness, faithfulness, wisdom, insight, holiness, peace, love, and truth! Are you SURE you are on the way of the Lord? Aren’t you glad you are? Don’t you wish everyone would be?

TODAY we are going to look at the phrase, “the Truth”. The Lord Jesus said, “I AM the truth”. The phrase “I AM” which introduces it is a phrase marking eternity. It is identifying Himself with the God of eternity Who said to Moses, “I AM has sent you”. The God Who sent Moses, and the Lord Jesus, are One and the Same! He is eternally “the truth”.

The phrase “the truth” is found 88 times in our NIV. The first time is in Genesis 42:16 where Joseph was encountering his brothers in Egypt with “the truth”. The last usage is in 3 John 1:12 where John tells us that Demetrius is a man of “the truth”. [could John say that of us? That’s a good testimony!’].

But I found it interesting that the phrase is used 9 times in the gospel of John, 5 times in chapter 8 alone! Using only the gospel of John as our foundation, we will find that “the truth” is involved in EVERY part of the life of the believer.

Open in Prayer

Follow along in your Bibles in the Gospel of John:

THE HEART OF THE SAVIOR (John 18:33-38)

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38a)

He knew that “the truth” was His mission, and the dividing line separating all from God!

II. THE HEART OF SALVATION (John 3:16-21)

But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John 3:21

v. 16 “one and only”. When “begotten” is referring to humans = “child of the one who gave me life”; but when referring to Jesus, it is an expression of eternal Sonship!

vs. 18-21 how we respond to “the truth” is the basis of our salvation. The foundation of faith is this Book!

III. THE HEART OF SANCTIFICATION (John 17:14-19)

As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. John 17:18-19

If you were to define your mission, your one purpose in life, what would you say it is? Verse 18 is Jesus’ purpose for us.

In order to accomplish that, He prays for us concerning 2 things:

#1 our focus: not of this world

#2 our help: the Word enables us to live in accordance with God’s home and purposes

IV. THE HEART OF THE BELIEVER’S STATEMENT OF FAITH (John 19:34-36)

And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true;

and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe John 19:35

The foundation of OUR faith is the fact that there were those before us who based their testimony on “the truth”.

Now we are to live by “the truth” as giving evidence to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior and the change He can make in our hearts and in our lives.

John understood that – do we?

CONCL USION

  • Jesus mission: the truth
  • Our help: the truth
  • Salvation’s purpose: the truth
  • Our heart: the truth

Got it?

CLOSE IN PRAYER

Blogs

“I AM THE WAY”

SERIES: THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE

Preached May 18, 2014 by Rev. Jeremy Stopford, Retired Pastor

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Crossing Funny”

There’s a man trying to cross the street.  As he steps off the curb a car comes screaming around the corner and heads straight for him.  The man walks faster, trying to hurry across the street, but the car changes lanes and is still coming at him.

So the guy turns around to go back, but the car changes lanes again and is still coming at him.  By now, the car is so close and the man so scared that he just freezes and stops in the middle of the road.  The car gets real close, then swerves at the last possible moment and screeches to a halt right next him.

The driver rolls down the window.  The driver is a squirrel.  The squirrel says to the man, “See, it’s not as easy as it looks, is it?”

INTRODUCTION

“JESUS SAID, ‘I AM THE WAY’” (John 14:6).

Perhaps some day I will do a message series on “Upper Room Discourse” (John 14-16)

We now will be concentrating on The Way, The Truth, The Life.

What does it mean when Jesus says “I Am the Way”?

Is He one of many ways? Are there other ways to God?

Have you ever said, or heard it said,

“It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.”

“All roads lead to the same (G)od”

“It doesn’t matter what church or religious system you believe in, as we all worship the same (G)od” PRAYER

[I’ll print out for you the verses other than the ones in Proverbs – you can look up the ones in Proverbs!]

THE OTHER WAYS TO GOD

A. The way of death/all the earth

Joshua 23:14 “Now I [Joshua] am about to go the way of all the earth”

1 Kings 2:1,2 “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man…”

Jeremiah 21:8b “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.”

B. The way of the wicked

Psalm 1:6b “…the way of the wicked leads to destruction.”

Jeremiah 12:1 “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?”

See also: Prov. 4:19 Prov. 12:26 Prov. 15:9

C. The unfaithful: Prov. 13:15

D. Evildoers: Prov. 4:14

F. Fools: Prov. 12:15

G. The sluggard: Prov. 15:19

H. The guilty: Prov. 21:8

The only other “way” is “the way of death”, and it will NOT lead you to God.

II. THE WAYS OF DESCRIBING “GOD’S WAY”

A. The Lord

Genesis 18:19

For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.

Judges 2:22 I will use them [the nations Israel could not overcome] to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.”

Jeremiah 5:4, 5 “I thought, “These are only the poor;  they are foolish, for they do not know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God. So I will go to the leaders and speak to them; surely they know the way of the Lord, the requirements of their God.” But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke and torn off the bonds.”

Ezekiel 18:25, 29 “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, you Israelites: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? Yet the Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Are my ways unjust, people of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?”

Ezekiel 33:17, 20 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

Matthew 22:16 (see also Mk. 12:14/Luke 20:21) “They [the Pharisees] sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.”

See also: Proverbs 10:29

B. Life

Jeremiah 21:8a “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death.”

Ephesians 4:20 “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. That, however, is not the way of life you learned”

See also: Proverbs 5:6

C. Righteousness

Psalm 1:6a For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

Isaiah 26:7 The path of the righteous is level; you, the Upright One, make the way of the righteous smooth.

Matthew 21:32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

See also: Prov. 8:20 Prov. 12::28 Prov. 16:31

D. Faithfulness

Psalm 119:30 “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.”

E. Wisdom: Prov. 4:11

F. Insight: Prov. 9:6

G. Holiness

Isaiah 35:8 “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.”

H. Peace

Isaiah 59:8 (quoted in Romans 3:17) “The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks along them will know peace.”

I. Love

Ephesians 5:1, 2 “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

J. Truth

2 Peter 2:2 “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.”

This way – “the way of life” – will lead us to the cross!

III. THE JESUS WAY, AS SEEN BY THE FOLLOWERS OF “THE WAY” IN ACTS

Acts 9:2 [Saul went to the High Priest] “and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.”

Acts 19:9, 23 “But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.

Acts 24:14, 15, 22 “However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Then Felix [the governor] , who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.””

CONCLUSION:

* Jesus said, “I am the Way” – the way of life!

* Which way are you on for eternity – the way of life, or the way of death?

* Which way are you on for today? Don’t you wish everyone were on the way of life,

from the cross to Heaven!

CLOSE IN PRAYER

Blogs

Don’t blame your GrocerY Store!

Frank Becker

By Frank Becker

Americans shouldn’t criticize grocers for being unable to meet demand during this pandemic.

In 2017, the average household’s expenditure for food was $7,700, Of this total, nearly 50 percent – $3,365 – was spent on eating out.

By 2019, over half of all Americans said that they dined at a restaurant, got take out or had a meal delivered between two and three times a week. More than ten percent said they ate out between four and six times a week, and six percent said they ate out everyday.

According to CNBC, The National Restaurant Association projected overall industry sales would hit a new high of $863 billion in 2019, up 3.6% year over year. In what was a red hot economy, it was clearly destined to be more in 2020. Analysts said it was likely to continue, even if the economy went lower, as long as the job market remained steady.

They did not, of course, anticipate the Chinese Wuhan Virus of November, 2019 to ????

Where am I going with this?

With some states already requiring restaurants to close, and with consumers concerned about buying take-out or delivered meals, we can certainly expect that during 2020, anticipated sales exceeding $900 billion will easily be cut in half, for a loss of at least $450 billion in sales.

If we then assume that ingredients for these restaurant meals cost about 50% of the retail prices, or $250 billion, then we can say that restaurants would have been purchasing less ingredients each month> Calculating one twelth of the annual $250 billion reduction in food required by restaurants, we come up with a total of $20 billion per month.

So, overnight, America’s grocers had to somehow compensate for our moving from McDonald’s to the grocery store. Worse, virtually everyone suddenly wanted to stock up and even hoard food.

So, just in the past week, America’s grocers had to somehow miraculously anticipate this disaster, then increase their regular purchases from farmers and wholesalers by perhaps $20 billion above their regular commitments, then arrange transportation for the food, and retain personnel to stock the shelves and bag the goods.

Now the burden for supplying Americans with an additional $20 billion in food a month moved from the restaurants to the grocery stores, a seismic shift.

Our grocery chains have done an admirable job of trying to meet the challenge.

Blogs

Suggestions for pastors who broadcast messages

Frank Becker, 1980

The Wuhan Virus epidemic has force upon most pastors the necessity of reaching their people through the Internet or not at all.

As a retired pastor, and someone who has had some unique experiences in ministry, especially dealing with small groups, I want to offer a suggestion or two that might enhance the presentations.

In the past your congregation was seated in an auditorium, and expected to see your worship leaders, vocalists, and musicians on the platform, with you speaking from a pulpit.

But now your congregation is sitting at home, and those who minister can take advantage of a far more intimate and personal situation by changing the venue a bit.

While your congregation is viewing you from their homes, it seems a bit odd to have you, the preacher, behind a lectern. To make them feel more like you are all in the same room, perhaps you can make your side of the camera feel more like their living rooms. You might consider using some furniture to evoke a sense of your presence.

For example, those who minister could be seated on the sort of furniture people have in their living rooms at home.

The pastor might preach while seated in a fairly straight-backed easy chair (to preserve his posture and appearance). The trick there is for the camera people not to capture anyone’s extended legs, as that makes them look unusually large.

This constitutes a rare opportunity for Pastor Webb to enter every member’s living room, and to establish an intimate rapport never before possible, producing a less formal, more conversational, and perhaps less intimidating service.

People in their own homes might actually feel more free about expressing their faith. And you might even involve the head of each household to take a role in the service, leading in prayer or receiving an offering to be forwarded on to the church.

Blogs

Thoughts on the Pandemic

Frank Becker

It’s obvious that this pandemmic is very serious, and that people like me, aged 80 and above, are particularly threatened.

Nonetheless, it’s also obvious that politicians and pundits sometimes find it to their ungodly advantage to inflate and falsify the dangers .

For example, we have all see photos of people waiting peacefully in line outside grocery stores, but the pundits speak of panic and even rioting.

Yet I haven’t read a single article pointing out that the average American family formerly either dined out or ordered delivery or take out for at least one meal every day, not to speak of meals at school and work. This means that those people who once dined out must now buy the equivalent amount of groceries from a market and try to learn to cook again.

That’s a sea change in sources of food—from restaurant to grocery store— and no small amount of food either. To make matters worse, most people buy more of some items than they need, either because they are not familiar with what they need or because they are being careful to get enough. And some are hoarding.

Obviously the markets are experiencing difficulties in keeping their shelves stocked. So, be patient. Don’t buy more than you need. Give the system time to catch up.

And trust the Lord. He promised every faithful believer that he would provide our daily bread.