Thank You for 2014

Well, it is hard to believe that another year has come and gone. Tonight at midnight, 2014 will be officially "in the books." 

I wanted to take the time and thank all of you who have read, followed, and commented on this blog. Thank you very much. Each one of you means much to me and I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate each of you. The primary audience of this blog is an audience of ONE, and unto Him belong Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen (Revelation 7:12, ESV) My secondary audience is you. I do this for you!

I know that this is a "different" kind of blog. As much as I try to be upbeat and encouraging, the topics can, well, be very heavy at times. My goal is to get you to think, to think biblically, and to be a means by which the glorious nature and character of our Lord Jesus, the Christ is reflected to a lost and dying world.

I began blogging in February 2009. I was able by God's grace to blog most days in 2014. My goal and hope is to blog each day something beneficial and valuable to you in 2015, or the little bit of 2015 before retire this blog in February.

We have had some fun this year in bloggyland haven't we? Here is a little something I have written just for you!

Very often as the days progress

I find that I for one must confess;

that I fail to appreciate all of you.

Words can never say nor explain

even with a very clever refrain

but it's all I have, it will have to do!

I looked for you each day you see,

wondering what words you left for me;

hoping the post you read would bless.

I hoped to offer some encouragement

as I hit the publish button that sent

thoughts of joy, peace, and rest.

As this year comes to it's end,

I take this time for you my friend;

to give you thanks from my heart.

Please join me in the year to come

for more words of joy and fun;

Let's stick together never to part!

Have a Happy New Year!

Thank You From the Bottom of My Heart!

10 Reasons Why I Believe the Bible Is Inspired by God

1.  The character of the Scriptures - they resonate with the presence of God through His Holy Spirit. Man could not and would not have conjured up such things as the infinite holiness of God, the absolute depravity of man, or the existence of evil. The character of scripture cries out for divine inspiration.

2.  Jesus believed the Scriptures to be inspired. He quoted from and treated the Old Testament as sacred and not as a work of man.

3.  The 12 Apostles believed the scriptures to be inspired and from God.

4.  The early church and disciples of Jesus believed the Scriptures to be from God. They believed that the Old Testament was from God and accepted the New Testament books of the bible as they were written and distributed.

5.  Martyrs believed the bible to be from God. So many gave their lives for the testimony of Christ. They bled and died believing the word to be inspired.

6.  The longevity of the Bible. No book or collection of books have affected so many for so long. Great books, classic books, and masterpieces have come and gone but the bible remains and continues to work in the lives of men.

7.  The vicious attack on  the bible. No book has been hated so much and no book has had so persecution hurled against it. The bible has been hated more than it has been loved.

8.  The millions of lives that have been changed by the bible. No book, no writing, no composition has changed vile and heinous sinners into holy men and women of God.

9.  The internal witness of the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit bears witness with my spirit that I am a child of God by the work of God as He applies the work of Christ to my heart through faith, the Holy Spirit bears witness that the words of Scripture are the very words of God.

10.  The impact that the word has had on my life. I am a changed man. My affections are on things above and not on things below in this earth. My hope is in Christ and that I will be delivered from the body of this death and will live forever with Jesus the Christ.

An Old Message For A New Year

SERMON               GMT14-025

SERIES:              Topical Messages:  New Year’s Message

SETTING:          North Kelso Baptist Church

SERVICE:          Sunday AM (Dec 28, 2014)

SUBTITLE:        An Old Message for a New Year

SCRIPTURE:     Colossians 3:1-4

SUBJECT:          An old message for a new year – what is that old message?

SUMMARY:       The resurrection of the believer demands the pursuit of a new                                         perspective of heart and mind

SCHEME:           that believers change the focus of their perspective for earthly to heavenly

_____________________________________________________________

Our theme is: An old message for a new year

This is a good reminder for us all that as 2015 approaches in just 3 days that you examine the focus of your perspective making whatever changes are, in order not to lose sight of the freshness of the New Year.

 Proposition:  The resurrection of the believer demands the pursuit of a new perspective of heart and mind         

Interrogatory Sentence:  What does Paul want us to know about this new perspective that believers now have as a result of their resurrection?

Transitional Sentence: The passage before us identifies four (4) aspects of this new perspective. As we develop our theme we will clearly understand…

1.     Its foundation   

2.     It’s function

3.     It’s format
4.  It’s finish

Why didn't I think of that?

Happy Holidays!

 

To My Christian Friends - Happy Holidays

To My Jewish Friends - Happy Hanukkah

To My Atheist Friends - Good Luck!

Christmas Eve Warning 2014

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Twas the Night before Christmas

Written by Gregg Metcalf

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through heaven

Not an angel was singing, not even the one named Evan

The cherubim were all packed and were waiting to send

A multitude of heavenly hosts to a town called Bethlehem

Mary and Joseph were all snug in the manager

On this dark night nothing could ever be stranger

For the Holy Spirit of God came there to hover

As a young Jewish maiden was to become a mother

The time had now come for Mary to deliver

The child formed by the great heavenly giver

It seemed the quiet of this once silent night

Would only be broken by sounds of delight

When out in the fields there arose a heavenly host

Praising God with great words which did boast

Of his glory to the highest in all of the creation

Peace on earth and good will to every nation

The glory of the Lord shone bright around them

As the angels brought glad tidings to Bethlehem

Do not be afraid was the message they heard

All these things had been written in God’s word

The moon on the stalks of wheat in the field

Dancing along as the moonlight gave yield

When, what by the listening ear was heard

But words of comfort which were not slurred

A figure in shadows appeared so lively and quick

 The young mother sensing this might be a trick

With a message to the land this shadow came

Bringing words of joy to all the tribes by name

  

Benjamin, Ephraim, Manasseh, and Dan

Naphtali, Asher, Issachar, Judah, to the man

To Zebulon, Simeon, Reuben, Gad he spoke

The time has come to now throw off the yoke

This babe laying here in swaddling clothes

Is the sign which God himself has chose

He has come to save his people from sin

And to bring good news to all of them

When the angels returned to heaven on high

The shepherds made haste and did fly

To the town where this thing came to be

Which the Lord had allowed them to see

The shepherds found the babe in a crib

With no room at the inn they had to adlib

A pleasure it was to visit this tiny family

The shepherds worshiped in great jubilee

The babe was wrapped in swaddling tight

To keep away the chill of this night

A pillow of hay gave rest to his head

Unbecoming for a King was this bed

The baby’s eyes did twinkle and shine

He neither gave whimper nor whine

His cheeks were like roses in bloom

Since safely delivered from the womb

As the shepherds saw him they made known

Of all they knew of this blessing on loan

All who were privy they too were amazed

And with one voice their God was praised

As the shepherds prepared to depart

Mary pondered what was in her heart

They were singing filled with great joy

Having been led to see this baby boy

All these things were brought forth by God

Since he had chosen to bless this vile sod

He says to each of us with great delight

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night