Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Mormons are Christians, says Osteen

Well, I can't say that this comes as a surprise. :/

Mormons are Christians, says Osteen (OneNewsNow.com)

ICSL students, please click comments and give me your name and thoughts if you would like. It will be confidential.

Three Levels of Discipleship

Using Matthew 4:17-22 as our text once again, it says, From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (18)  As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  (19)  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (20)  At once they left their nets and followed him.  (21)  Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,  (22)  and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

This morning we look at the three levels of discipleship as found in the Bible. 
If you look closely, you can see in the Bible a a progression in the lives of these disciples (primarily Peter, James, and John) that sets up a pattern for us. We can see beginner, intermediate, and advanced discipleship.

Beginning
In John 1:40-42 we see them bringing souls to Jesus when it says, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.  (41)  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).  (42)  And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter).

Intermediate
In Matthew 4:18-22 we find them forsaking something to follow Jesus when it says As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  (19)  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (20)  At once they left their nets and followed him.  (21)  Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,  (22)  and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

A
dvanced
In Luke 5:2-11 we see them forsaking ALL to follow Jesus when it says,  he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets.  (3)  He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.  (4)  When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." (5)  Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets."  (6)  When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.  (7)  So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.  (8)  When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"  (9)  For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,  (10)  and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." (11)  So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.

Staff Photo

Here is a recent photo of our teachers, staff and their families. Our family is to the left. Look at those good-looking boys.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Disciple-Makers

In our Matthew study last night we looked at the issue of discipleship when we came to Matthew 4:17-22 which says, From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (18)  As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.  (19)  "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (20)  At once they left their nets and followed him.  (21)  Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,  (22)  and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

In this passage, we find some of the basic aspects of discipleship.
A disciple is a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine of his teacher. Therefore, in discipleship, we should expect to find a similarity in doctrine between the teacher and his student and see a similarity in their lives.

Although Jesus wasn't literally a disciple of John the Baptist, he did let John baptize him before entering the ministry.
Consequently, you would expect the gospel that Jesus preached to be the same as John preached. For example, John's first words in Matthew 3:2 was repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near and Jesus' first words after his baptism here in our text was repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.This identical preaching marks one of the basic principles of discipleship. The disciple is going to follow the preaching and teaching of the fellow that trained him.

Other examples include: Jesus taught Paul what to preach (Gal. 1:11-12); Paul taught Timothy what to preach (1 Tim 1:2-3) and Timothy taught others (2 Tim. 2:2).

Paul urged Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:14-17 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.


God has called each of us to be disciple-makers (Matt. 28:19). Who are you pouring your life into?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

What Mormons Believe

There seems to be a lot of confusion in the church today about what exactly Mormons believe. Here are some good straight forward answers. I also highly recommend the website.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Mormons.html

Friday, October 14, 2011

Hypocrites and Martyrs

"If anything is clear from the Gospels and the Acts it is that the apostles were sincere. They may have been deceived, if you like, but they were not deceivers. Hypocrites and martyrs are not made of the same stuff." - John Stott

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Beautiful Harmony

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-12 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;  (9)  persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  (10)  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.  (11)  For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  (12)  So death is at work in us, but life in you.

J Vernon McGee once said of this verse, "It was piano craftsman Theodore Steinway who said that it is the forty thousand pounds of pressure exerted on the two hundred forty-five strings of a piano that creates beautiful harmony. Sometimes, it is only the pressure, the persecution we undergo that causes a song to resonate in the hearts of those with whom we share. Paul knew this. That is why he could say, "Good things are happening even in our tribulation and difficulty, for through our hard times, Jesus shines brighter."

Monday, October 10, 2011

Definition of Cult

For those who seem to be confused about what the definition of a "cult" is, which would apparently include most of the American news media, it is any group that attempts to "deny or redefine any or all essential Christian doctrines" and also "claims to possess a new and inspired written scripture that supplements or supersedes the authority of the Bible."

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Something to Think About

"I went into church and sat on the velvet pew. I watched as the sun came shining through the stained glass windows. The minister dressed in a velvet robe opened the golden gilded Bible, marked it with a silk bookmark and said, "If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, sell what he has, give it to the poor, and follow me."

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Followers Needed

There is a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower."

Sanctified Vessels

Our verse this morning was 2 Timothy 2:22 which says, Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. In regards to this verse, Wiersbe says that in order for God to be able to use us as vessels, we must be empty, clean, and available. He will take us and fill us and use us for His glory. But if we are filled with sin or defiled by disobedience, He will first have to purge us; and that might not be an enjoyable experience. In the "great house" of the professing church, there are true believers and false. We must exercise spiritual discernment and be careful that we are vessels sanctified unto honor.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Hast Thou No Scar?

I read Matthew 5:10 in preparation for my Bible study next Sunday night and it says, Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It reminded me of what Amy Carmichael once wrote.

"Hast thou no scar?  No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?  I hear thee sung as mighty in the land, I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star, Hast thou no scar?  Hast thou no wound?  Yet I was wounded by the archers, spend, Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent, By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned: Hast thou no wound?  No wound, no scar?  Yet, as the Master shall the servant be, And, pierced are the feet that follow Me; But thine are whole: can he have followed far Who has no wounds nor scar?"
 

A Call to Ministry

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, "Mom, I've decided to become a minister when I grow up." "That's okay with us, but what made you decide that?" "Well," said the little boy, "I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, And I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen."

Monday, October 3, 2011

Universe of Nothingness

"When man makes himself and his reason, god over creation, he destroys all meaning in creation and leaves himself a chained and gibbering baboon, sitting in terror on a wired electric chair in the midst of a vast universe of nothingness." - R.J. Rushdoon