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THE THIRD OPTION

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By Ken Blue
“1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” John 9:1-3.

 

It is natural for us to ask “why” when tragedy or misfortune strikes. This assumption is that illness or calamities are the result of some evil action of ours. This attitude is what moved the disciples to inquire of the Lord Jesus as to why this man was born blind. In this case, it was not the fault of the parents or the blind man. It was simply a misfortune that sometimes happens at birth. It is true, some tragedies are manmade, and some are the result of a creation under the curse.
In the mind of the disciples, two options existed; it was the fault of the parents or the blind man. However, there was a third option which the disciples had not considered. God was going to be glorified in this man’s misfortune. This man’s blindness was the object lesson to open the blind eyes of many.
Have you considered that God can take all your misfortunes and use them to open your eyes and of those around you? Instead of blaming others or yourself, why not find a way to glorify God in your sickness or loss? Your response will open the eyes of others to God’s grace, or it can blind them. It is the third option and depends on you.

 

FOOT IN MOUTH

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OPEN MOUTH.  INSERT FOOT.

FOOT

By Ken Blue

We are all guilty of saying things that are just plain stupid. It is not intended, but when revealed to us, we end up being embarrassed. Recently I heard a man preach who made this blunder. I am confident he was a sincere, and a good man. I am also sure he had no idea that he “put his foot in his mouth.”

In the early part of his message, he explained why he attended a Bible preaching church for the first time and heard the gospel. The church was having some type of outreach program where those who brought the most visitors  received points. He said he attended to accommodate the young girl and help her win. It was there he heard the gospel and was saved!

However, toward the end of the message, he spoke out against programs to reach the lost or get them to church. He had just put his foot in his mouth and didn’t know it. That was how he got to church and was saved.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Many are simply parroting their peers and have no idea what they are saying.[/perfectpullquote]

He continued by saying, “If you use programs to reach people, you will have to continue the program to keep them.” BINGO! There went his foot in his mouth again. I have been in the ministry for over 40 years, and can assure you that the motivation that brings a person to church does not have to continue to keep them coming. Those who use that argument simply have not thought through what they are saying.

Pastor, let me give you a little challenge. On some Sunday, ask the congregation how many of them were saved in church. Then ask “How many of you had decided prior to attending church you were going to get saved that day?” You will be amazed. Most lost people do not come to church to get saved or hear the Word of God. Like our pastor friend, most attend for some other reason.

I went to church because it was Easter Sunday, and my girlfriend had a pretty dress. That Sunday I was saved! Secondly, It is not Easter or the pretty dress that has keep me attending church for 50 years.

So, don’t let the anti-program crowd stop you from having as many outreach programs possible. Many dear pastors are simply parroting their peers and have no idea what they are saying. Try to keep your foot out of your mouth.

DO YOU HAVE WEAPONS FOR THE BATTLE?

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ByKenBlue

One way to make people beholden to you, and keep them coming back for answers, is to frighten them of impending war, disease or natural disasters.  Keep telling people that the sky is falling, and to stay tuned to you for an update. The news media are experts in this art.

Christians should be aware of this tactic and not allow it to create fear or get their mind off winning souls, getting the saved into the membership of the church, and teaching them how to serve the Lord.

Anyone attempting to live for Christwill discover that we are in a war. However, we must know the enemy and the weapons at our disposal. “ For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”

The first thing we discover is that our battle is not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual powers. We must know the teachings that are contrary to the doctrines of God and bring them in line with the knowledge of Christand God. Our weapons are identified for us. “Wherefore 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.  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:13-18.

The believer must not be paranoid or live in fear. If we are not careful, we will be fighting the wrong enemy. We know who he is, and we have all the weapons God intended for us. With these, you can win!

 

 

 

IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMER TIME

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As many of you know, Open Door Baptist Church, led by Pastor Jason Murphy, had a total of 700 in attendance on the 4th of July weekend. There were 127 first time visitors who filled out visitor cards. In order that you might understand their work was more than a “flash in the pan,” the following was sent to me byPastorMurphy.

 

“Sunday, Aug. 7 at 4pm we held our third set of “Foundation classes” for this year. These classes help with guiding our new adults in spiritual growth and educating them as new believers and teaching them what it means to be a member of Open Door Baptist church.  In our “Membership” class we had 26 new people join the church.  And a total of 70 people went thru the discipleship classes on Aug 7th Praise the Lord!”

“Our people still take their family vacations, but the ministry moves on and people are getting saved and growing inChrist, I’m very excited for this fall we are having a Sunday school challenge – I’m challenging all our adults to try one of our 10 classes for four weeks. Sunday school was important in my spiritual growth and so I know it’s a vital thing if you want to “grow” spiritually and build relationships with other Christians.”

I challenge all the young pastors to contact Pastor Murphyand glean from his experience. Your great sermons will not increase the attendance at your church. There are key things you must also do. You can reach Pastor Murphyat: http://www.opendoorbaptist.com/.  It can be done, even in the good old summer time!

 

TO MUCH OF A GOOD THING

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ByKenBlue

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it” Proverbs 25:16.

 

One major mistake pastors make is assuming the more Scripture they can cram into the message, the more effective they are. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love honey, but too much of it will come right back up. The stomach cannot digest it.

The mind can only digest so much also. It is better to have one truth from a text or passage, and then come at it from every angle. People can understand and assimilate one truth. Sometime one verse from the chapter is all that should be preached in the sermon.

When preaching a book of the Bible, look for the paragraph divisions and then develop an outline from within the paragraph. Discover what subject the paragraph is about, and then give the sermon a title that explains the subject. Next, search for action verbs within the text and create your sub points. They too, should be a complete sentence about that portion. The sub points should state the application. Next, read the Scripture that supports the sub points.

The preacher may be impressed with how much Scripture he can put into one sermon, but that is not the point of a sermon. You should give a clear title that comes from the text. Your sub points should support the title and state the application. Remember, milk is also a type of the Word, and so is honey, but too much of either may be sickening. So, preacher, don’t attempt to give too much of a good thing