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The Christ Of Christmas
By Gordon
The Forces of today’s culture are attempting to remove Christ from Christmas.
They pressure us to say “Happy Holiday” instead of “Merry Christmas.”
If you believe the world’s focus should remain on Jesus Christ during this holiday season, you need to be capable of offering reason why He is worthy of that honor.
What would you say if a friend asked for your reason for worshiping Christ?
In Matthew 16v13-16, Jesus asked His disciples who the world thought He was. To this very day, the world still offer many different answers.
We should tell people that its not just this day December 25 that we give honor to Jesus Christ but through the whole year every day.
The Bible offers us a great deal of ammunition to help us tell the world who Jesus Christ really is, and why He is worthy of our worship not only at Christmas time, but during the rest of the year as well.
1. What difference does it make to believe in Jesus?
When a person places his or her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, several wonderful things will happen in there life.
1. Our Lord and Savior will mold his or her character.
2. He will impact their entire belief system.
3. He will influence the person’s life style so that it honors God in all things.
4. Christ will determine where they will spend eternity.
2. Who is Jesus?
Jesus was never born or created, but was present in the beginning with God, and He is the eternal Word of God. (John 1v1-4)
He was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and His coming into this world was announced by an angel.
3. What did Jesus claim about Himself?
1. In Luke 22v70, He admitted that He was the Son of God.
2. In John 14v9, He said that anyone who had seen Him had seen the Father, and that He and the Father are one. (John 10v30)
3. Some people claim that they like or respect Jesus while refusing to except His divinity.
4. The fact is that either Jesus Christ is all that He said He was, or He was a fraud and a liar.
5. He cannot have been simply a “good person.”
4. How did Jesus characterize Himself?
1. In the Gospel according to John, Jesus characterized Himself as the Good Shepherd, the Vine, the Bread of Life, and the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
2. He said that He is the one who can offer eternal life, and that He is the Light of the world.
3. The Bible shows us that Jesus was the omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (all-present) God, but that He was also fully human.
5. What were Jesus’s attributes?
1. Jesus made many statements to verify that He was God. He is one member of the Trinity, so that we worship one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
2. Jesus is one with the Father, and He said that no one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14v6)
3. Many people seem to believe they can earn admittance to heaven through their good works, but if that were true, it would mean that God had made a mistake in sending His Son to die for us.


6 What was Jesus’s mission?
Jesus came for a number of very important reasons.
1 He came to reveal the Father.
2 He came so that we might have an intimate relationship with the Father.
3 He came to die for our sinsand to redeem mankind, giving His life as a ransom for many.
4. He came to teach us.
5 He came to heal in order that people might understand that He was the Son of God.
6 He came to build His church, and to tell us about eternal life.
7 What is important about the name of Jesus?
The name of Jesus is the name above all names. Paul wrote in Philippians 2v10-11 that one day, at the name of Jesus, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Jesus is also given many descriptive names in the Scriptures, including the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Son of Man, and the Good Shepherd, because no one name is adequate to describe all that He means to us.
8 Jesus is extraordinary.
Jesus never wrote a book, but He is the theme of the Bible.
He never traveled even a hundred miles from His home, yet there is no place where He is not.
He never went to medical school but He is the Great Physician.
He never raised an army, yet kingdoms have fallen because of His gospel.
No one in this world has ever lived a life to compare with the life of Jesus Christ. He is extraordinary in every way!


9 Jesus is invincible.
King Herod could not kill Jesus at the time of His birth.
The devil could not get Him to sin in the wilderness.
His enemies could not keep Him in His tomb, and the grave could not hold Him.
For two thousand years, people have tried to destroy the name of Jesus, but He is invincible.
Those people are forgotten, but one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord.
10 Where is Jesus now?
The Bible tells us that Jesus ascended to heaven where He now sits at the Father’s right hand.
There He makes intercession for us, answers our prayers, convicts us of sin, and works in our lives for our good.
He is also preparing a place for you and me, because one day we will join Him there when He comes again to take us home.
Conclusion:
The Bible is not vague or uncertain when it comes to the identity of Jesus. From the first pages of Genesis to the final pages of Revelation, the Word of God boldly proclaims that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God.
Each of us must finally answer one question: How should we react in light of what we believe about Him?
To believe Him is to trust Him, to obey Him, and to follow Him.
Those actions are not enough, however. We must also proclaim Him.
Jesus has instructed us to go to the uttermost parts of the earth, tell the world about Him, baptize people in His name, and teach them.
This is why it is so important that you challenge the world when they try to take the name of our Lord and Savior from the title of His season.
When someone says, “Happy Holidays,” you can joyfully reply, “Merry Christmas!”

The Spirit of the Antichrist
By Gordon kb3aqa


Many people have the philosophy that “doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you’re sincere.” It does matter what you believe, however, because your beliefs determine your relationship to God. They determine how you relate to others, and what eternal destiny is in store for you. One day we will all stand before Almighty God to give an account of how we lived. Therefore, now is the time to be certain about what we believe and where those beliefs lead us.
What really matters is if our beliefs measure up to God’s Word, or whether we have been taken in by the spirit of the age which the Bible call “the spirit of antichrist.” Jesus said, “The world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1st John 2v17). Also in 1stJohn we are warned against the spirit of the antichrist.
What do we mean when we say “antichrist”?
When we speak of antichrist, there are three meanings. First, we refer to the spirit underlying our culture as it opposes the Lordship of Jesus Christ. We feel that spirit everywhere. Secondly, we mean those people whose lives embody that spirit of opposition to Christ. Thirdly, Antichrist is the Bible’s name for a specific individual: a powerful person who will arrive someday to bring rebellion throughout the earth against Almighty God. This study focuses on our first meaning of the word the spirit of antichrist which is do prevalent in our society.
From where does the spirit of antichrist come?
In short, the spirit of antichrist is as old as the Garden of Eden. As soon as Eve chose to rebel against the commands of God, the spirit of antichrist appeared in our world. It is the willful determination to take the place of God by making our own decisions and ignoring His wisdom and supreme power. Antichrists are those who continue to live by this delusion, and they fill our universities, our business world, and even our pulpits. The spirit of antichrist has penetrated every part of the world in which we live.
How do we respond to the spirit of antichrist?
The spirit of antichrist is so dangerous, so eternally destructive, and so prevalent that it is vitally important that we know what we believe and why we believe it. Many people are careless about that, however. If someone asked you to describe your basic spiritual belief, and then defend them, could you do it? If parents can’t present a full account of their faith, we can be certain that their children will not have that ability. Yet when those children attend our public universities, they will face the full indoctrination of the spirit of the age.
What are the beliefs of antichrist?
Jesus makes all the difference in our lives. He loves us, guides us, and protects us. Therefore He is the first point of attack for antichrist. John writes that “every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God” (1st John4v2) Any spirit opposing the Lordship of Christ is antichrist. (V3) Jesus identified Himself with God the Father many times. The spirit of antichrist denies His deity, His atoning death, and the truth of God’s Word.
What is the fatal weakness of antichrist?
When it comes to the subject of eternity, antichrist has nothing to offer us. You may live by the spirit of the age and conform yourself to this world, but as you come to the end of this life, what then? The spirit of antichrist collapses under its own inconsistent theology. It is self condemning, because it offers no eternal solutions. All it does is attack the truth that we have. For if Jesus Christ is not the Son of God, then who is? If He was just another man, what do we have? We would have no other reason to believe in God, nor would we be able to hold out the hope of salvation. There would be no redemption available to us for the problem of sin.
What do we have in Christ instead?
Let us think instead about what we can embrace rather than the hopeless spirit of antichrist. First, we have a wonderful, daily relationship with Jesus Christ. We have His friendship and guidance in every step we take in life. We have the eternal, imperishable, promise of the Son of God and of His return, as well as the comfort of the Holy Spirit within our hearts. Finally, when death approaches, we can face it boldly. It has no sting as it does for the spirit of antichrist, for we can look to an eternity in the presence of the Lord.
How do we protect ourselves from antichrist?
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1st John4v1). The Lord has given every believer the presence of the Holy Spirit, whose responsibility is to help us discern truth from error. He will guide us into all truth, protecting us from the countless delusions of the spirit of the age, which surround us all the time. Secondly, we have the Word of God, which makes our faith clear. God’s Spirit interprets it for us and condemns the spirit of antichrist. Thirdly, we have teachers and instructors, godly men and woman who keep us accountable. The Spirit of God is infinity more powerful than the spirit of any age.
What are our basic beliefs?
If we must know and defend our basic beliefs, it is important to name them. First of all, we must believe that the Bible is the Word of God. Second, Jesus is the Son of God, deity in human flesh, and He is the only way to salvation. We must believe that He died on the cross as full payment for our sins, and experienced a bodily resurrection, so that we may be forgiven and have eternal life. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and has sealed us as children of God. Finally, we believe that Jesus Christ is coming again and will take us to the eternal home He has prepared.
Conclusion:
Do you believe these things? If not, my friend, I must ask you, what do you have?
If we don’t have Jesus Christ, we have nothing. All else is vain and empty philosophy, and we might as well surrender to the spirit of antichrist, which is hollow and can offer us only death.
The truth is that we need not surrender to this deception, for Christ the Lord has risen. He is real, He is God, and He is the victor over the spirit of this or any other age. The opposition may seem powerful today, and it may seem to have won the war for our culture. Christ is still Lord of all creation, however, and he will have the final word. In the meantime, you and I must know our beliefs and know them well, so that we can communicate them to a world hungry for truth.

Repentance
By Gordon Mc Donnell
We Must Repent or Perish

In the book of Luke 13 verses 1 through 5 we find that Jesus taught that we must repent or perish . If we are not willing to turn from the way of sin and obey the gospel of Jesus Christ we are doomed to destruction from the presence of God .

The word " repentance " comes from the Greek word " meta - moeo " , which means , " to change ones mind " " to feel sorry for evil deeds done , and desire to refrain from them ". By this definition we may see what Jesus meant when he said that men must repent or perish .

If we are not willing to leave the world of sin behind and enter into a state of holiness and Godly living , then it is evident that we are not willing to repent and therefore we have no promise of receiving forgiveness .

Jesus told the story in Matthew 21 verses 28 - 31 , of a father that had two sons . He told them , " Go work today in my vineyard ". One of them said " I will not " , but later repented , and went . He is an example of repentance . The son changed his mind ; was evidently sorry for refusing his father, and then went to do his father's wishes .This is the way it is with you and me . We must repent of our unwillingness to serve our heavenly Father and then proceed to do the things he wants us to do .

Repentance is a Change of Mind Resulting in a Change of State

We find examples in the Bible where God promised destruction to certain people ; but when they repented , he changed his mind and extended to them mercy .

In the case of Nineveh , the story is found in the book of Jonah , we find that God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh and cry out against it . Though Jonah himself was rebellious , he was brought to repentance and went to cry out against the wicked city . When he did , they all repented in sackcloth and ashes and God changed his mind , deciding not to destroy the city .


The story of the prodical son is one of the loving fathers who is willing to receive the wayward son when he repents and comes back to the father . No doubt Jesus told this story to show God's love for us when we are willing to repent and return to Him . The change of mind in the case of the Ninevites and of the prodical son resulted in a change of state or position .

God Does Not Want Us To Be Lost

In the text which is wrote in the beginning of this lesson , we read that "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness ; but is longsuffering toward us , not willing that any should perish ; but that all should come to repentance ".

God desires us to be saved . Though man sinned after his creation , yet God did not simply destroy him , but rather extended His mercy to him and gave him promise of redemption if he would heed his will .

Even from Genesis 3 verse 15 , we find prophecies of the coming Messiah and Redeemer . Down through the entire Old Testament comes a chain of events showing the mercy of God to a wayward people , and one promise after another that a Savior would come . Finally , when the fulness of time had come , He sent his Son Jesus to die as a sacrifice for our sins that we through him might have life and have it more abundantly .

Even today the promise is to us ; that if we will believe in Christ and obey his will , we shall have remission of sins and can then go onward and upward to the home of the soul .

Repentance is in The Plane of Salvation

In the Gospel according to Luke 24 verses 47-48 , we read , And He said unto them, thus it is written , and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day . And that repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His name among all nations , beginning in Jerusalem . When the church was established on the day of Pentecost as is recorded in Acts 2 we find that .Peter replied to those who asked what to do :


repent and be Baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins , and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost . " In Acts 3 verse 19 , Peter again says , " Repent you there four , and be converted , that your sins might be blotted , when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord . " Paul said in his sermon in the midst of Mars Hill , Acts 17 verse 30 , And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; By these scriptures we see that repentance was preached , just as Jesus said it should be .

Repentance is Directly Connected With The Plain of Salvation

On the day of establishment of the church , Acts 2 , when the people wanted to know what to do , Peter said : Repent and be Baptized , everyone of you , in the name of Jesus Christ , for the remission of sins . " Evidently , these people understand this for we are told that : as many as gladly received his word , were baptized , and the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls . Acts 2 verse 41

Overcoming Unforgiveness
By Gordon Mc Donnell

There are three kindred spirits of the human heart , Giving , Forgiving , and Thanksgiving . And , usually where you find one , you will find the others .

What Is Forgiveness

1. FORGIVENESS IS NOT Just ignoring those who wrong us .
( A ) Now , this is fine if we are ignoring the wrong because the offender did not have a chance ; but , if we ignore it on the bases of contempt for the offender , that is a different matter .

( B ) Forgiveness is more than a refusal to strike blow for blow , tooth for tooth . One might stop himself from doing this but he may still fill bitterness and ill will .

( C ) Forgiveness is not ignoring the sin . God does not overlook sin ; nor , should man . Jesus says : rebuke , not ignore , ( Luke 17 verse 3 )

( D ) Forgiveness is not putting the offender on probation , while we discuss how wrong his behavior was , and then promising to forget it providing no other offenses are going to take place again .

2. WE CAN TELL WHAT FORGIVENESS IS BY OBSERVING WHAT GOD DOES WHEN HE FORGIVES

( A ) He removes the Sin from his record , ( Acts 3 verse 19 )
( B ) He forgets , putting it out of his memory , ( Heb . 8 verse 12 )
( C ) And He treats us just like He did before we had sinned , receiving us back wholeheartedly . ( Luke 15 verses 20-24 )

3. FORGIVENESS WHEN SEEN BY EXAMPLES IS BETTER UNDERSTOOD
Easu forgave Jacob . (Gen.33 verse 4).
Joseph forgave his brethren (Gen.45 verses 5-15 , and 50 verses 10-21).



Moses forgave Mirian and Aaron (Num.12 verses 1-13
David forgave Saul (1st Sam.24 verses 9-22).
The father forgave his wayward son (Luke 15verses11-32)


4. WE CAN TELL IF WE HAVE FORGIVEN ANOTHER BY TAKING THE
HAVE I REALLY FORGIVEN MY OFFENDER TEST

( A ) Do I secretly rejoice when I hear os some misfortune my offender has had ?
( B ) Do I purposely avoid his or her presence ?
( C ) Do I hesitate to speak to him or her and only if I have to ?
( D ) Do I vividly remember the wrong committed ?
( E ) Do I ever sit in silence and meditate and brood over the wrong done me ?
( F ) If a particular circumstance arose related to the offender demanding prayer , would I happily and anxiously go to God in his behalf ?
( G ) Have I sought an opportunity to do him or her a favor ?
The Importance and Necessity of Forgiving One Another

( 1.) It is a command . ( Mark 11 verse 25 , Col 3 verse 13 ) Now read Rev. 22 verse 14 and John 14 verse 15 .
And there are no nonessential commandments . Forgiving one another is no more nonessential than baptism and the Lord's Supper .

( 2 ) The example of Jesus Christ demands it ( Luke 23 verse 34, 1st Peter 2 verses 21-22 , Phil . 2 verse 5 ) .
We follow his example in being baptized , in eating the Lord's Supper , in attending worship service , etc. Will we not follow his example in forgiving others ?

( 3 ) The example of the early disciples teach it . ( Acts 7 verse 60 ) An atheist once said , If there be a God , why didn't he help Stephen who prayed for his enemies as they stoned him to death ? He did by giving him grace to pray for his murders , was the reply .

( 4 ) Love calls for it ( 1st Cor. 13 verse 4 , 1st Peter 4 verse 8 ) . Hate is what prevents us from forgiving .


( 5 ) Forgive because we have been forgiven ( Eph.4 verse 32 ) . The parable of the unmerciful servant illustrates this point . ( Matthew 18 verse 23-35 ).

( 6 ) In order that me might be forgiven . ( Matthew 6 verses 12-15 , Mark 11 verse 25 ) .

These verses relate one of the flattest statements in the Bible . It is a take it or leave it proposition . It is forgive and be forgiven ; or refuse forgiveness and have forgiveness refused ;

The most expensive thing in the world you can do is harbor ill will toward another . You have paid the price of the loss of heaven .

We must give mercy to receive mercy . ( Matthew 5 verse 7 , James 2 verse 13 ) . He who will not forgive brakes the bridge over which he himself must pass . If we do not forgive another , we clog the channel through which divine forgiveness flows so , let us not clog our hearts with hate , malice and ill will.

( 7 ) We must forgive to walk with God . ( Amos 3 verse 3 ) . We cannot have fellowship with someone whose entire philosophy of life differs from our own . This applies to us and God . ( 2nd John 1 verse 7 ) So , to walk with God , since He is so forgiving , we must be forgiving .

( 8 ) Forgive , for it may be later than you think , (A) Christ may come (Mark 13 verse 32 ) . And , who would want to be found at his coming (2nd Peter 3 verse 14 ) apart from his fellow man .

(B) The object of your revenge and hate may die . Two men back in the 19th century by the name of Thackeray and Dickens these two were great English literary masters but they became enemies . After several years of avoiding each other , they met accidentally in London , frigidly facing one another . On a impulse Thackeray turned back and seized the hand of Dickens who was touched by the gesture . They left smiling with the old jealousy destroyed . In just a few days Thackeray died; and , the next time Dickens saw him was when he looked
down at his farm in the grave. A writer , later recalling the story , wrote , Is it
not always well to seek forgiveness now ?



( C ) You stand on the verge of eternity , with the possibility of dying any moment .
After the death of Queen Caroline , Lord Chesterfield said a sad thing :
" An unforgiving , unforgiven dies ."

( 9 ) The parable of the unmerciful servant (Matthew 18 verses 21-35) points up to very bad things about the unforgiving man .

( A ) He is mean or wicked . ( Verse 32 ) Some may not have missed a service in thirty years , but will be called " wicked " by the Lord at judgment because their hearts were filled with ill will , resentment , and they were unforgiving .

( B ) He was on his way to torment ( verse 34 ) ; and , this though he had been previously forgiven !

Attitudes Toward Forgiveness

( 1.) " I cannot forgive " . No , God does not require the impossible ! It is rather ,
" I will not forgive ." Read ( James 2 verse 10 ) . The greatest of men have been able to forgive the severest of offenses . Joseph and Stephen are examples of this .

( 2.) I'm going to forgive you , but in the future I'm not going to have anything to do with you . We are to " forgive " as Christ " forgives " ( Eph. 4 verse 32 ) ; and , He certainly does not forgive in this manner . Do you remember the definition of forgiveness ?

( 3.) It's a favor from me to you .
Actually the reverse is true ; for the offender can be forgiven of God without my extending forgiveness , but I cannot be forgiven unless I do forgive him ! With this improper attitude toward forgiveness , the offender will usually extend forgiveness only upon certain rigid conditions . However , we must avoid putting such qualifications on our forgiveness . " Freely forgiving one another ." (Col.3 verse 13)



( 4.) " I'm going to forgive you , but I'll never forget it ."
This is like burying the hatchet with the handle sticking out . It is like sweeping
the room , but leaving the dirt behind the door . A man said , Forgive and forget ; when you bury a mad dog , don't leave his tail above ground ." We must avoid keeping a file system . God does not ( Heb. 8 verse 12 and 10 verse 17 )


How Do You Learn And Cultivate Forgiveness

( 1.) Batsell Barrett Baxter tells the story of riding on a plain next to a blind man who was an executive . Not being able to resist asking what caused his blindness , the blind man answered Brother Baxter by telling how a competitor of his hired a gangster to throw acid in his face . Brother Baxter asked if he know who he was ,
" Yes , but I could not prove it in court ," he said He asked if he felt a terrible resentment , he said " I did for years , but it dawned on me that I was doing myself the real injury . I forgave this man and actually him some favors in recent years ."

( 2.) You will find it easier to forgive when you consider how greatly you have been forgiven . The parable of the unmerciful servant portrays this . ( Matthew 18 verses 23-35 ) " Went out " ( verse 28 ) are key words in this parable . It is because we go out of the presence of God , forgetting His mercy extended to us , that we are in danger of acting as did the unmerciful servant .

( 3.) Ask for the assistance of God . But make sure you really want to be forgiving . This is the difference in saying and praying a prayer .

( 4.) Recite a portion of the disciples prayer , inserting your offenders name . Thus, you will pray , " Forgive me my trespasses as I forgive ( insert name ) his or her trespasses."

( 5.) Practice praying for your offender . Be specific and call his name . Jesus prayed for his offenders ; not for their punishment , but for forgiveness to be extended to them . ( Luke 23 verse 34 ) .


Forgiveness has to do with feelings ; and , through meaningful prayer on behalf of the offender we come to create a love and feeling that is hard to obtain otherwise .

( 6.) Speak to others in a kindly manner about the person who has done you injustice .

( 7.) Develop an understanding heart ( Prov. 8 verse 5 , 1st Kings 3 verse 9-12 ) There is usually a cause why a person acts uncourteous . He may be a victim of his own heredity or environments ; or , he may have had something misrepresented to him , resulting in his offensive behavior .


( 8.) Cultivate the grace of mercifulness and compassion . ( Matthew 5 verse 7 , James 2 verse 13 , Matthew 18 verse 33 )

How Am I To Forgive ?

( 1.) From the heart . ( Matthew 18 verse 35 ) We must avoid mere lip forgiveness
( Matthew 15 verse 8 ) , while we continue to harbor malice and ill will in our hearts .

( 2.) " As " God forgives . ( Matthew 18 verse 33 , Eph. 4 verse 32 , Col. 3 verse 13 ) The " even as " of Col.3 verse 13 means in the same manner ." God forgives
A. Freely no constraint , B. Abundantly no peace meals ; C. Immediately no time payments ; D. Finally does not bring it up again .

How Often Must We Forgive ?

Peter thought seven times was sufficient . The Rabbi said to forgive three times .
Peter doubled this and added one , thinking this would be entirely sufficient .
But Jesus said : " I say not unto thee until seven times : But , until seventy times seven ." ( Matthew 18 verse 21-22 )



Jesus is teaching us that forgiveness needs Quality and not Quantity . He is saying , do not keep a ledger ; for , forgiveness " Is not a matter of Arithmetic or of bookkeeping , but of Love ; and , Love has no limits ." Let us avoid saying "It will do no good to forgive him or her , he or she will do it again ." As long and frequently as a man or woman will turn and say , " I repent ", we are to forgive him or her ( Luke 17 verses 3-5 ).

Who Must Take The Initiative In The Matter Of Effecting
Forgiveness ?


( 1.) The offender . ( Matthew 5 verses 23-24 ) Yes , before the offender can worship scripturally , he must first get things straightened out with the offended one . So the shortest way to God may be the distance to your brother's or sister's house . If the inspired instructions of this passage were followed , a lot of worship services would be broken up . There is no use trying to talk to God if we are not on speaking terms with our brother or sister .

( 2.) The offender . ( Matthew 18 verses 15-17 ) . And , yet we often times take the attitude , " Well he sinned against me ; so let him take the initiative ." Was not the Lord the offended one ; yet , did he not leave heaven and come to seek and save the sinner ?

( 3.) Let us suppose a case : Here is Brother A. And Brother B. A sins against B. When the Bible is followed , both will take the initiative ; and will meet about halfway, and reconciliation will follow .

You Will Not Have Much To Forgive :

( 1.) If you will refuse to be thin - skinned . Love is not easily offended . ( 1st Cor . 13 verse 5 ) Little minds are wounded by little things . Avoid carrying a chip on your shoulder ; for , such indicates wood higher up . In fact , the heaviest of all loads to carry is the chip on the shoulder . If you will take
responsibility on your shoulders there will not be room enough for chips .




( 2.) If we get lost in a large , preoccupying cause . Men's lives must gravitate around some center . As long as "self" is the center , a person will be easily offended and hurt . However , if we will get lost in the work of the church of the Lord , he will have no time for petty offenses and imagined slights and insults .

CONCLUSION

A mayor in New York city was shot by a maniac and almost killed . While laying in the hospital , fighting for his life , he said , " Every night , I forgive everything and everybody." Grear ! Would you like to slip out into eternity during your sleep with a heart filled with hate , ill will , resentment and unforgiveness ?

Forsaken
By Gordon Mc Donnell


In this life, probably no one has or ever will be able to avoid the sad and lonely experience of being forsaken by someone. Yes, many living today, have as children been forsaken by either one or both of their parents. Others as parents have been forsaken by some or all of their children. Still others as husbands and wives have been forsaken by their companion. Then last but not least, there is a great multitude of people who for an innumerable number of reasons, have been forsaken by their friends. Now neither I nor any other person has the power to erase all of the past forsaking events. Neither can I assure anyone that he or she will never again be forsaken; however, beyond a doubt the scriptures say God will never under any circumstances forsake those who put their trust in him and serve him as his Book (the Bible) directs.
In 1st Samuel 12 v22 it is declared that God will not forsake his people. In Deut.31 v6 we hear Moses say to the children of Israel "He will not fail thee nor forsake the." Again in Deut.4 v31 he said unto them "He will not forsake thee" David in Psalm 27 v10 penned these words. "When my father and mother forsake me, then the lord will take me up." In Psalms 37 v25 he wrote "I have been young and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." Then in Psalms 36 v28 he declares the Lord will not forsake his saints. In 2nd Cor.4 v9 Paul speaks of his being persecuted by men but not forsaken by God. In 2nd Tim.4 he said that when he was on trial in Rome, all men, yea, even his co-laborers forsook him but not the Lord. In Heb.13 v5 we hear Paul remind the saints that God has promised to never leave or forsake them. Then in Romans 8 v38-39 he wrote "For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor power, 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."

Oh, Yes, my friends, we must face reality. Sometimes people who are near and dear unto us (for selfish reasons), forsake us. Yet, on the other hand, it is great to no that God in the above cited scriptures, has promised to never forsake us. However, let us not conclude that these scriptures teach God will not forsake us if we forsake him. No, we must not assume this because there are many other scriptures which proclaim God will forsake those who forsake him.
According to Jer.23 v39 God said to a rebellious group of his people, "I even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you." In Deut.31 v16-18 we hear God through Moses warn his people, that if they forsake him, he will hide his face from them and forsake them. In Joshua 24 v17-20 we read that God through Joshua again warned his people of being forsaken if they forsook him. In Judges 10, we hear God remind the children of Israel of all the blessing he had bestowed upon them. Then in verses 13 and 14 hear him say unto them "Yet, ye have forsaken me, and served other gods; wherefore, I will deliver you no more. Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation." In 2nd Chronicles 7 v19-20 God told these same people he would forsake them if they turned away and forsook his commandments. Isa.1 v28 says "They that forsake the Lord shall be consumed." Then in verse 30, it is said "They shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth and as a garden that hath no water." In Isa.65 v12 we hear the Lord say unto those who had forsaken their service unto him "When I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke, ye did not hear; but did evil before my mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not." Then in verse 13 we hear this, "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, behold my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry, behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed; behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit."


In the New Testament we hear many scriptures also say God will forsake us if we forsake him. In 1st Cor.10, and Heb.3-4- and 10, it is said if we follow the examples of the God forsaking people of the Old Testament times, then he will also forsake us. John 9 v31 and 1st John 3 v22 declare that God will turn a deaf ear unto our prayers if we forsake him. Heb.10 v26 and 1st John 1 v7 say God will withhold the benefits of the shed blood of his Son from those who forsake him by forsaking his commands. In Conclusion, again I say unto those of you who may have been forsaken by those whom you had not forsaken, there is nothing I can say that will do away with the fact that it did happen. Neither is it possible for me to assure that no one else will ever likewise forsake you; however, because of what is said in some of the scriptures, before presented in this writing, I can promise you if you will trust in God and serve him as his word teaches, you will never be forsaken by him. So with him who needs those selfish people who for the sake of their own personal gain will forsake anyone? Then, too, to those of you who have been forsaken by the Lord, because you first forsook him, you do know, do you not, that if you repent and pray for forgiveness he will forgive you and again take you under his wing?
I beg you to read Eze.18 v21-32, Matt.13 v45-46, Luke 13 v34, Luke 15 v11-32, Luke 16 v19-31 and Rev.3 v20.

Obedience
By Gordon Mc Donnell

Throughout the whole Bible , obedience shines as one of the desires of God . Even though there may have been times when man could not understand why God Commanded certain things , yet he has always been rewarded when he obeyed the voice of God .

We need not expect to have blessings from God unless we are willing to submit to the commands which God has given . There have been different commands given in different periods of time . It is according to who the command has been given as to the one required to obey the commands .

For example : God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of the forbidden tree .
We today have no such command , God commanded Noah to build the ark .
We today are not commanded to do so ,God commanded Moses and the Israelites to keep the Ten Commandments and the various commands given under the Old Testament Law .

We today are living under the New Covenant law which Christ died to bring , and though we have several of the commandments in this law , yet we are not required to keep those given to the Israelites .

So in whatever dispensation ( period of time ) we are living , we are required to keep the commandments given unto us . Since we are not talking about any particular commandment here we are just going to cover obedience .

One of the best examples of obedience in the Bible is that of Christ , the son of God As the first scripture states , Jesus was obedient even unto terrible sufferings for you and for me . He was willing to be obedient to His Father though it meant much humiliation and sorrow .

The writer says though He were a Son , yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered and being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him .Notice the last part of the statement , too : He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obeyed Him .

Some teach that we are saved by faith alone . The writer of Hebrews tells us that salvation is for those who " obey " Him . There four , we conclude that we must not only believe but also obey His commandments if we expect to be saved .

Paul wrote and said " And to you who are troubled rest with us , when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels , In flaming fire take vengeance on them that know not God , and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ : Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord , and from the glory of His power."2nd Thessalonians 1 verses 7-9

This passage teaches that those who " obey not the gospel " shall be punished . So obedience is necessary .

Another example which we should notice is the example of King Saul in the 15th chapter of 1st Samuel . Samuel told Saul that God wanted him to go down and utterly destroy the Amalekites ; to kill everything , Man and Woman , and child , and all the animals of the Amalekites . Saul went down and killed all the Amalekites but King Agag and part of the finest of the animals .

When he came back he was telling about doing what God told him to do and Samuel met him and asked him what the bleating of the sheep and the lowing of the cattle meant . Saul answered that they had brought them back for sacrifices .

Samuel said Hath the Lord a great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord . Behold , to obey is better than sacrifice , and to hearken than the fat of rams . 1st Samuel 15 verse 22.

God is more concerned with us obeying His commands than in trying to worship Him in an unauthorized way . Let us not presume to know the will of God . Let us study it , read the Bible much that we might be able to know that we are pleasing Him in what we do .

The Bible Teaches That

1. We Must Obey The Gospel in Order To Be Saved .

As we have studied and learned , we must be obedient to the commands of the gospel if we expect to have remission of sins . Jesus commanded : go and preach the gospel to every creature , he that believes and is baptized shall be saved .

Peter preached at Pentecost and said : Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins . Acts 2 verse 38 These are commands to be obeyed . Not all the commands but some of the commands are in order for one to become a Christian . We must obey these commands if we expect to be saved .

2. Disobedience Is A Tragic Thing

The disobedience of Adam and eve brought sin into the world and death by sin . Not only did they bring death upon themselves , but upon us , and the beginning of many sorrows for mankind .

The disobedience of the Israelites kept many of them from ever entering the land of Canaan . The disobedience of Ananas and Sopphira caused them to be stricken down dead .

Our disobedience will cause us to be lost in Hell . So , it is best for us to apply ourselves to a study of the Word of God and then obey the commands that are given to us. Let us not suppose that we can do anything to serve God just so long as we are honest and sincere . This will cause us to disobey and be lost .

Many Return To The Life Of Sin
By Gordon Mc Donnell

We know that it is possible for the children of God to return to a life of sin, if we look at the parable of the prodical son. We also know that if they do return to a life of sin, they will suffer a two fold loss.

First, they create for themselves a far worse life while here on earth. Second, they have nothing to look forward to but an eternity of torment.

You know this being so, you would think that very few people would leave the way of righteousness and return to sin; however, this is not true. No Biblical facts and our own personal observations prove otherwise.

Adam and Eve, the first two people on earth, turned away from God to sin (Genesis 3). Cain, one of the sons of Adam and Eve, turned away from righteousness to an extremely sinful life (Genesis 4).

As time went on the world found itself populated by many people. These people began to drift away from God until finally all of them except eight became so abominable in God's sight that He destroyed them with a great flood (Genesis 6 and 7 ).

Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of the people's ungodliness. And, among all that group of people there were only four who had not turned from righteousness unto sin (Genesis 18 and 19).

Later God delivered the great multitude of Israel from their Egyptian bondage (Exodus 14). These people then began their journey into the land which God had promised Abraham.

However, most of them as others before them, turned away from God to a life of sin. In speaking of these people the Apostle Paul once said "Moreover brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them; and that rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they were over thrown in the wilderness " (1st Chronicles 10v1-5).
To give you some idea as to how many of them He was displeased with, may I remind you that of the more than six hundred thousand men who were of the age for military duty, well only two of them finally made it to the promised land.

They were Joshua and Caleb. And out of all those men those two were the only ones who had not like the prodigal son turned away from God to a life of sin.

The scriptures which pertain to the children of God after they reached their promised land, reveals that many of them, from time to time, also turned away from God.

The sons of Aaron offered strange fire upon the alter and God sent out a fire which devoured them (Levitcus 10v1-2).

The sons of Eli polluted and corrupted the priesthood. Their fathers did not endorse this but did tolerate it. Consequently God destroyed all of them (2nd Samuel 3).

In Isaiah we hear Isaiah tell these people that their sins had separated them from God and closed his ears unto their prayers.

God through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 31v32 said those people would not abide by this covenant.

And, beyond a doubt, God's written record of the past two dispensations of time reveals that the majority of their subjects turned away from righteousness to unrighteousness.




And I wish I could now fill the remaining space for this writing with scriptures which would say, that by far the majority of the people of this, our dispensation of time, always has and always will follow after righteousness. However, since there are no such scriptures, this I cannot do.

Jesus said that our age, the last dispensation of time, would not be any different from those of the past. And according to Matthew 7v13-14, he said "Enter ye in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it; because straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads unto life, and few there be that find it."

I believe we found scriptures which declared that if we leave home, as did the prodigal son and die out there in our sins, we will be lost.

I find it difficult to believe that any one who believes in the inspiration of the Bible could honestly say, I believe the way of unrighteousness has more to offer me in both this life and the life which is to come. Yet there are all these scriptures which say that many, by their actions, say this is the only way to go.

Many Do Not Understand
By Gordon Mc Donnell

In previous writings, I have (I believe) proven that the scriptures say the two following things. ONE - That God has given us a book (the Bible) which we can understand. TWO - That if we are to be saved, we must come to an understanding of the teaching found in this Book.

Nevertheless, we (the religious world) must admit that all of us do not understand what is taught in the Bible. Yes, as much as we are divided into hundreds of group and since we all teach differing and contradicting doctrines, well we must admit this.

Some say "Yes, we believe and teach different doctrines; but these differences have to do with non-essentials. There four this divided state is nothing to be concerned about." My readers, Jesus thought division was something to be concerned about. According to John 17v20-21, his prayer to God was that all who became believers in him through hearing the word of the apostles, might be one even as he and God are one.

Then through his Apostle Paul, he said to those in Corinth "Now, I beseech you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and that there be no division among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."

Again, through this same apostle, he said to those in Rome, "Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like minded on toward another according to Christ Jesus, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Yes, he considered division was something to be concerned about; because he knew that God through him (Heb.1v1-2) had given unto the world a covenant (the New Testament) which contained no non-essential demands
(Deut.18v18-19, Matt.5v19-20, James 2v8-12, Rev.22v19).

My friends, if in God's book there are some demands which are essential and some which are not, I wish some one would teach me how to determine which is which. No there are no non-essential commandments in God's book. But even if there were, the religious world could not say it is only divided over the non-essentials.

You are invited to consider a few of these divisions with me.
SOME GROUPS - Teach that the only divine inspired book we have is the Old Testament.

OTHER GROUPS - contend that both the Old Testament and the New Testament writers were inspired writers of God.

SOME GROUPS - Teach that Jesus by the Spirit revealed unto the men, who wrote the New Testament, all the truth.

OTHER GROUPS - teach he only revealed unto them part of the truth and that he has continued to reveal unto others more and more.

SOME CONTEND - that the will of God is to be found in both the Bible and the law of the church.
OTHERS - say his will is found and only found in the Bible.

SOME GROUPS - Believe that some of God's will for this dispensation of time is found in the Old Testament and the rest of it in the New Testament.

OTHERS - Say no, his will for this dispensation of time is found and only found in the New Testament portion of the Bible.

So you see my readers, those who say we are not divided over essential things, do not ever agree on where the essentials are to be found.
Again though, SOME GROUPS - Teach that God has offered salvation unto the human family on a conditional basis.

TWO OTHER GROUPS - Teach that salvation is not conditional. One of these groups content that all (by God's great love) will be saved. The other group denies that salvation is conditional; because (say they), God from the beginning foreordained the ones who were to be saved and the ones who were to be lost, and that there is nothing which the lost can do to change their destiny. Therefore, it cannot even be said that the religious world agrees that there are (at least) a few essentials.

SOME GROUPS - teach that children are born guilty of the Adamic sin. These same groups also teach that those who die in the infantile stage not having been baptized will be cast into the lake of fire.

OTHERS - Deny both of these positions.

SOME GROUPS - Believe, that it is possible for children of God to sin, but that they cannot so sin as to lose their soul.

OTHERS - Believe that if a child of God goes back into a life of sin and dies without repenting and asking God's forgiveness, he will be lost.

Oh no, my friends, the religious world cannot even agree on who is and who is not lost. Even those who do agree that salvation is conditional, do not agree on what the essential conditions are. SOME - Teach that people are saved at the point of faith without any ack of obedience.

OTHERS - Say the conditions of salvation are faith plus obedience to all the commandments.

SOME - Say the Bible teaches works of righteousness have something to do with our being saved.

OTHERS - Strongly deny this. Some contend that the scriptures say one must be baptized in order to be saved.

OTHERS - Say this is not true, even the groups who agree that baptism is essential do not all agree on who should be baptized. Neither do they agree on what constitutes baptism. Some teach and practice baptism for the dead. Others who reject this doctrine say there is nothing which can be done that will change the destiny of the dead. Some believe that sinners are convicted by the direct operation of the Holy Spirit. Others say the Holy Spirit convicts sinners by the word of God which he revealed unto the apostles and prophets of Jesus.

Now, I could go on and on pointing out contradictory teaching of those who claim to be following the teachings of the Bible; however, the ones presented will do to establish that a lot of people do not understand that which is taught in the Bible. If we all truly understand the Bible, well we would all be one, even as God and Jesus are one, and we would all speak the same thing.

Is The Bible Understandable #3
By Gordon Mc Donnell


I am persuaded to believe that the evidence presented in the two previous writings proves the Bible is a book which can be understood; however, my awareness of the long and deep embedded belief of some, that this is not the case, leads me to believe I should devote one more writing to this subject.
In this writing I will cite scriptures which give examples of people who were able to understand the teachings of God's Book.
The Bible is divided into two major parts, the Old and New Testament.
Now as to the Old Testament we have many examples of its being understood.
The writer of the Book of Psalms understood God's will as recorded therein. Yes, in Psalms 119;103-106, he declares three things:
ONE, - God'S word gives me understanding.
Two, - God's word expels all darkness from the path I walk.
THREE, - I will keep the commandments of God.
If the Old Testament scriptures cannot be understood, then how, oh how, could that man have made those statements?
In Psalms 119 v127-130 the man of God penned these words, "Thy testimonies are wonderful therefore doth my soul keep them." The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple." In this passage the writer declares himself to be a faithful doer of God's testimonies. Then he writes the entrance of thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple."
In Psalms 119 v110 he proclaimed the wicked have failed in their attempt to prevent me from following God's precepts. How could he have accomplished this without an understanding of God's precepts?
In Acts 17 v10 we have Luke's written record of Paul's declaring the Old Testament scriptures unto the people of Berea. Then in verse 11 he said those people searched the scriptures so they might know if Paul was teaching the truth.
Now the fact that those people were able to do that, proves beyond a doubt they were capable of understanding the Old Testament scriptures; otherwise, how could they have compared the teachings of Paul with the teachings of the scriptures?
Then, too, the New Testament gives us many examples of those who were able to understand its teachings.
Acts 2 gives us an account of Peter's teaching the teachings of the new covenant unto a great multitude of people in Jerusalem. Acts 2 v37 says after hearing "they were pricked in their hearts." Acts 2 v41 reports that the ones who gladly received his teachings were baptized. This same verse reveals that three thousand were baptized.
Oh, Yes, here we have an example of three thousand people, who were able to understand the teachings of Jesus otherwise, why after hearing, would they have been pricked in their hearts and willing to gladly receive what they had heard?
In Acts 8 we have the account of Philip's preaching the gospel of Christ unto the people of Samaria. Verse 12 says, "But when they believed Philip's preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and woman."
The Ethiopian eunuch, the gentiles of Antioch, Lydia, the jailer in Philippi, three people in Athens and Felix and King Agrippa, are also examples of others who after having heard the teachings of Jesus, as taught by his inspired teachers became believers.
Now, all of us know that even genuine evidence which cannot be understood, will not make believers of those who hear. So, since Rom.10 v17 declares faith comes by hearing and inasmuch as all those people, after having heard believed, then it necessarily follows they understood what they had heard.
Paul in Rom.6 v17-18 said to the Roman people, you were made free from sin when you obeyed the doctrine believed unto you. How could they have obeyed that which they did not understand?
My friends, we no longer say swimming the English Channel, flying a shuttle into space and back and visiting the moon are impossible feats. Because we have examples of these things having been accomplished, even so, none of us can say God has given us a book which we cannot understand, because the scriptures provide us with examples of multitudes who were able to understand it.
Yes, my readers if we are willing to study we can understand, and this understanding will enable us to become the beneficiaries of all the wonderful promises recorded therein.

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