I am sure that some have been wondering if I am going to comment on the tragedy to our nation and particularly to the Gulf States.
There are those who have already stated unequivocally that it is all a judgment by God. Personally, I have no way of knowing whether or not this is true. What I do know for sure is, that as the coming of Christ for His people draws nearer, such events will increase in frequency and severity. Judgment? I don’t know. What I do know is that God is trying to get man’s attention. All that happens from now until the time of the rapture, are but precursors of things far worse which will occur during the Tribulation Period which follows.
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Along with the rest of the world, I have been awe-stricken at the devastation and human suffering in the past few months. As I view it all daily on my TV, I am constantly reminded of this Biblical fact; The worst is yet to come! Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Several years ago I preached a message I called ‘Tribulation is Coming - I’m Leaving!" I praise God for this promise; Rom 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
When His judgment is poured out on this earth, I don’t expect to be here, but will be present with the Lord. How about you?
When He comes will you be ready to go?
freddie
1.9.05
AN EVERYDAY CHRIST
John 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
John 21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
John 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
John 21:13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
How very typical of Christ that He should meet his disciples in such a prosaic setting. While they are engaged in the everyday activity of earning a living, they enjoy the fellowship of meeting and even dining with Christ! He is still to be found among the common things of life.
I. They knew not that it was Jesus. John 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
They hadn’t expected to find him here.
A. Perhaps they had expected Him to wait for them in the garden of prayer.
B. Maybe they were expecting another ‘upper room’ experience.
C. Many today long to go back to ‘the old home church’ and find Christ waiting for them.
You’ll enjoy the presence of Christ in your present, everyday activities or not at all!
D. Remembering His promise to someday appear in clouds of great glory, they might have been scanning the eastern sky. If you can’t enjoy the presence of Christ in your everyday labors, why yearn for His Glorious Appearing, at which you will be judged for your shortcomings?
E. In the everyday surroundings, Christ speaks. John 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat?[are you having any success?] They answered him, No. Christ is concerned with our mundane lives. They had not included Jesus in their endeavors and were not successful until they did.
II. Throughout His earthly ministry, He was associated with the commonplace.
A. In His birth: Not in a palace with a queen for a mother. Circumstances low enough that even shepherds could be comfortable in his presence and marvel.
B. In His upbringing: Not the finest tutors and universities, but a carpenter's home in a wicked little town. John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?
C. His earthly ministry begins at an ordinary human function.
John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. [If you can't feel free to invite Christ to the wedding, how can you expect Him to bless the marriage?]
D. He demonstrated the fact that real dignity is not to be found in regal bearing nor fine dress and riches, but rather in the the inner man. SIN is the only real indignity to the human race!
III. In His teachings He always used the common things; the trees; a sower; the vine; fig tree; a flock and shepherd; the little child. Why? John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
IV. John 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
John 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Christ knows more about your job and daily life than you do!!
Therefore; Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Prov 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
A. All of our struggles and labors without Christ will always ultimately bring the same answer, "NO. We have accomplished nothing, We are empty." Solomon found this to be vanity. Eccl 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Eccl 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
B. As fishers of men, we will have a good catch when we obey the Master Fisherman. He knows the need of men and to what they will respond. "Preach the Word!"
V. John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.
They feasted. Not on the bounty of their catch, but on that which the Lord supplied. Our spiritual needs do not depend on human supply,
VI. Conclusion; Christ waits now among the common things of your daily life to direct and to bless.
He waits with a simple plan of salvation, to give eternal life to the lost. Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
We Walk Not Yet In Heaven’s Halls
What matters it if future things
lie far beyond our ken?
We trod not yet in heaven’s halls,
but in common paths of men.
Our ears have not yet heard the praise
of heaven’s angel host.
They must be fitted first to hear
the pleadings of the lost.
Our lips cannot, in present state,
sing that final victory song
in glorious words and harmony
with raptured, risen throng.
But we can sing, "Amazing Grace
that saved a wretch like me;"
And we can tell men how He came
and died to set men free!
Let us then, while waiting,
hearts fixed on things above,
learn to serve Him ‘here and now’
telling of His love.
fcc
John 21:9 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread.
John 21:10 Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught.
John 21:11 Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord.
John 21:13 Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
How very typical of Christ that He should meet his disciples in such a prosaic setting. While they are engaged in the everyday activity of earning a living, they enjoy the fellowship of meeting and even dining with Christ! He is still to be found among the common things of life.
I. They knew not that it was Jesus. John 21:4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
They hadn’t expected to find him here.
A. Perhaps they had expected Him to wait for them in the garden of prayer.
B. Maybe they were expecting another ‘upper room’ experience.
C. Many today long to go back to ‘the old home church’ and find Christ waiting for them.
You’ll enjoy the presence of Christ in your present, everyday activities or not at all!
D. Remembering His promise to someday appear in clouds of great glory, they might have been scanning the eastern sky. If you can’t enjoy the presence of Christ in your everyday labors, why yearn for His Glorious Appearing, at which you will be judged for your shortcomings?
E. In the everyday surroundings, Christ speaks. John 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat?[are you having any success?] They answered him, No. Christ is concerned with our mundane lives. They had not included Jesus in their endeavors and were not successful until they did.
II. Throughout His earthly ministry, He was associated with the commonplace.
A. In His birth: Not in a palace with a queen for a mother. Circumstances low enough that even shepherds could be comfortable in his presence and marvel.
B. In His upbringing: Not the finest tutors and universities, but a carpenter's home in a wicked little town. John 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?
C. His earthly ministry begins at an ordinary human function.
John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. [If you can't feel free to invite Christ to the wedding, how can you expect Him to bless the marriage?]
D. He demonstrated the fact that real dignity is not to be found in regal bearing nor fine dress and riches, but rather in the the inner man. SIN is the only real indignity to the human race!
III. In His teachings He always used the common things; the trees; a sower; the vine; fig tree; a flock and shepherd; the little child. Why? John 17:11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
IV. John 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.
John 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.
Christ knows more about your job and daily life than you do!!
Therefore; Psa 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Prov 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
A. All of our struggles and labors without Christ will always ultimately bring the same answer, "NO. We have accomplished nothing, We are empty." Solomon found this to be vanity. Eccl 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Eccl 12:14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
B. As fishers of men, we will have a good catch when we obey the Master Fisherman. He knows the need of men and to what they will respond. "Preach the Word!"
V. John 21:12 Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine.
They feasted. Not on the bounty of their catch, but on that which the Lord supplied. Our spiritual needs do not depend on human supply,
VI. Conclusion; Christ waits now among the common things of your daily life to direct and to bless.
He waits with a simple plan of salvation, to give eternal life to the lost. Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
We Walk Not Yet In Heaven’s Halls
What matters it if future things
lie far beyond our ken?
We trod not yet in heaven’s halls,
but in common paths of men.
Our ears have not yet heard the praise
of heaven’s angel host.
They must be fitted first to hear
the pleadings of the lost.
Our lips cannot, in present state,
sing that final victory song
in glorious words and harmony
with raptured, risen throng.
But we can sing, "Amazing Grace
that saved a wretch like me;"
And we can tell men how He came
and died to set men free!
Let us then, while waiting,
hearts fixed on things above,
learn to serve Him ‘here and now’
telling of His love.
fcc
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