Scripture Reading: Jude 1
Focus verse Jude 1:4 "Some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ." and (Acts 20:30) “From among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away [followers] after themselves”.
Some people today think that because of God's grace and forgiveness they can go and sin all they want. Some people during Jude's time also thought that was their freedom. If you call yourself a Christian (which means Christ follower) but you live in opposition to His teaching, then you are following Satan. If you continue to live in sin, knowing it's a sin, without remorse or repentance, you should consider that you may not have been born again of the Spirit and were never saved to be called a child of God. Also see John 14:15-24 , 1 John 5:3 and 1 John 3:10.
God takes sin very seriously. After all, He allowed His only Son to be murdered on a cross because of sin. In the Old Testament, God destroyed whole cities because of sin and the love of perversion. Jude warns in verse 12 that there are people coming into the churches teaching that Christians can sin all they want, because they are forgiven. Jude says they are like a reef waiting to shipwreck us. Yes God has extended grace and forgiveness to us as Christians when we stumble on the trail of following Christ. However, when you are engaged in habitual sin let's not forget what Jude said in verse 7. "Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and serve as a warning of the eternal fire of God’s judgment."
Read the Bible to know what God says so that you won't be led astray. Forgiveness gives us freedom to follow Christ and his burdens aren't heavy.
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Friday, May 30, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
God Always Answers Prayer
Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
People refuse to pray to God for many different reasons. Some think God is very distant and far away and can't possibly hear their prayers. Others think God is so busy running the universe that He doesn't have time to listen to them. Still others think it's a waste of time speaking to someone they can't even see. Can I tell you, all of these reasons are wrong. God is right here with us and wants to hear from His children who follow Him. You are the greatest part of His creation and when we take our sin, our troubles, our thanksgiving, and our requests to him, He is pleased. It is true that we can't see God, but one day our faith will be sight.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12
This week our brother Pastor Tobias Oriri was taken to the hospital with such bad swelling in his legs that he could not walk. We then saw the Body of Christ come together in prayers for his healing and wanting this to be God's will for him. I am glad to report that he has been released from the hospital and able to walk. God does not always answer "yes", but we are thankful to see this pastor restored so that he can serve God again.
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
People refuse to pray to God for many different reasons. Some think God is very distant and far away and can't possibly hear their prayers. Others think God is so busy running the universe that He doesn't have time to listen to them. Still others think it's a waste of time speaking to someone they can't even see. Can I tell you, all of these reasons are wrong. God is right here with us and wants to hear from His children who follow Him. You are the greatest part of His creation and when we take our sin, our troubles, our thanksgiving, and our requests to him, He is pleased. It is true that we can't see God, but one day our faith will be sight.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12
This week our brother Pastor Tobias Oriri was taken to the hospital with such bad swelling in his legs that he could not walk. We then saw the Body of Christ come together in prayers for his healing and wanting this to be God's will for him. I am glad to report that he has been released from the hospital and able to walk. God does not always answer "yes", but we are thankful to see this pastor restored so that he can serve God again.
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Friday, May 16, 2014
Jesus Doesn't Compromise
Scripture Reading: Mark 8:34-35 "And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, Jesus said to them, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospel's will save it."
When I share a witness for Christ and talk with them about receiving salvation, sometimes the other person will complain that the churches are full of hypocrites. Well, they are right. The church is for sinners saved by God's grace to follow Christ. I think the main reason people don't come to Christ is that they don't want to pay the price of self denial. God will not compromise or negotiate. We come by repentance and faith in Christ, or we can't come at all.
Jesus also said, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36
So if you had all the wealth in the whole world, and lost you soul, would it be worth it? Your possessions will not be with you after you die. Your soul will live forever in one of two places. The decisions that you make about Christ now, will determine where you will be one million years from now. Eternity is too long to be wrong.
He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. Proverbs 29:1
You have to be willing to tell God you are a sinner and that you are sorry for that sin. You have to be willing to turn away from that sin. This is called repentance. Then by faith you have to commit your life to Christ and make Him Lord in your life. If you have never done that, why not commit your life to Him today?
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
When I share a witness for Christ and talk with them about receiving salvation, sometimes the other person will complain that the churches are full of hypocrites. Well, they are right. The church is for sinners saved by God's grace to follow Christ. I think the main reason people don't come to Christ is that they don't want to pay the price of self denial. God will not compromise or negotiate. We come by repentance and faith in Christ, or we can't come at all.
Jesus also said, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36
So if you had all the wealth in the whole world, and lost you soul, would it be worth it? Your possessions will not be with you after you die. Your soul will live forever in one of two places. The decisions that you make about Christ now, will determine where you will be one million years from now. Eternity is too long to be wrong.
He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing. Proverbs 29:1
You have to be willing to tell God you are a sinner and that you are sorry for that sin. You have to be willing to turn away from that sin. This is called repentance. Then by faith you have to commit your life to Christ and make Him Lord in your life. If you have never done that, why not commit your life to Him today?
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Old to New
Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:1-10
Focus Verse: Matthew 18:3 Then Jesus said, "I assure you, unless you are converted and turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."
What does it mean to convert something? In America electricity is 120 volts. In Kenya electricity is 240 volts. If I want to use an appliance in Kenya that comes from America, the electricity must be converted, or changed.
Jesus said, "if you want to go to heaven, you must be converted, or changed. You cannot stay the same, there must be a change in your life. The word repent is used in the Bible over 85 times. It means to change your direction, or to turn from your sin. If you say you love God, if you say you love Jesus, then there will be a change in your life. You will begin obeying with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Does that mean when you are saved you completely stop sinning? No, but it does mean that when you stumble and fall, as children do, you repent of your sin. Christ followers will learn to love the things God loves, and you will begin to hate the things God hates. My life is different than before I turned to Christ. I am now running towards the things I used to run away from, and I'm running away from the things I used to run towards. The old has passed away, and God wants to make all things new in your life. Become followers of Christ as a small child follows a parent.
Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God."
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Focus Verse: Matthew 18:3 Then Jesus said, "I assure you, unless you are converted and turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."
What does it mean to convert something? In America electricity is 120 volts. In Kenya electricity is 240 volts. If I want to use an appliance in Kenya that comes from America, the electricity must be converted, or changed.
Jesus said, "if you want to go to heaven, you must be converted, or changed. You cannot stay the same, there must be a change in your life. The word repent is used in the Bible over 85 times. It means to change your direction, or to turn from your sin. If you say you love God, if you say you love Jesus, then there will be a change in your life. You will begin obeying with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Does that mean when you are saved you completely stop sinning? No, but it does mean that when you stumble and fall, as children do, you repent of your sin. Christ followers will learn to love the things God loves, and you will begin to hate the things God hates. My life is different than before I turned to Christ. I am now running towards the things I used to run away from, and I'm running away from the things I used to run towards. The old has passed away, and God wants to make all things new in your life. Become followers of Christ as a small child follows a parent.
Psalm 42:1 "As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God."
Bobby Johnson
Interlocking Ministries
Friday, May 2, 2014
Disciple the Children
Disciple the Children
Bible Reading: Titus 2:1-8
Focus Verse: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4
It is a clear role of the father to bring up his children in the discipline (the act of being discipled) and instruction of the Lord. Though mothers also play an important role, it is the father who represents the spiritual head of the home. If there is no father in the home, then a child may find a godly spiritual father to instruct and disciple them. I have seen men who have taken on that role for children who don't have fathers.
Spiritual lessons learned at church or a Christian school have great value, but it can never be as powerful as the faithful testimony of a godly father.
In the eyes of a child, watching a father live his life for God speaks more than words, but they still need to hear their father teach them about God. If you are a father, (or even a mother), study the Word of God and teach it to your children.
No time is wasted when you teach a child how to follow Christ.
Bible Reading: Titus 2:1-8
Focus Verse: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4
It is a clear role of the father to bring up his children in the discipline (the act of being discipled) and instruction of the Lord. Though mothers also play an important role, it is the father who represents the spiritual head of the home. If there is no father in the home, then a child may find a godly spiritual father to instruct and disciple them. I have seen men who have taken on that role for children who don't have fathers.
Spiritual lessons learned at church or a Christian school have great value, but it can never be as powerful as the faithful testimony of a godly father.
In the eyes of a child, watching a father live his life for God speaks more than words, but they still need to hear their father teach them about God. If you are a father, (or even a mother), study the Word of God and teach it to your children.
No time is wasted when you teach a child how to follow Christ.
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