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Our Resurrection Testimony

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”Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).



The Apostle Paul was preaching to the men of Athens on Mars Hill. He was explaining that their “unknown” god could in fact be known. That He is the God who created everything and had determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation. Most importantly, all people everywhere should repent. A day of judgment is coming. To furish proof to man, God raised His Son from the dead. Paul admonishes the Athenians to serve the living God and not idols of stone.

In our everyday life we don’t see the dead being raised to life from the grave. Yet the Bible tells us this will happen to the dead on that “appointed day”. God raised Jesus from the dead as a firstfruit, a demonstration of assurance for us.

Let all rejoice in this Resurrection! Religious leaders and the Old Testament priests are dead, but our Savior is alive. Because of this we do not need to fear the troubles of the world around us. This present world will fade away and God will create the new heaven and new earth.

In closing, a phrase made famous by Abraham Lincoln which is always true, “This too, shall pass away.”

Making Resolutions Realities

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This month millions of people have made resolutions, but sadly most resolutions are abandoned within two weeks.  How can we make our resolutions our realities?  Philippians 3:12-14 gives insight about reaching these goals.

  1. Fully Confess Your Shortcomings (v. 12a) - Paul confessed he had not yet "arrived."  He still needed to grow.  In what areas do you most need improvement?
  2. Find Your Destiny (vv.12, 14) - Paul pressed n to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of him.  Do you have a driving agenda in life, given to you by Christ?
  3. Forget the Past (v. 13) - When Paul said he was forgetting what lay behind him, he was referring to past accomplishments.  Don't rest on your past deeds or be hindered by failures.  Put it all behind you and under the blood of Christ.
  4. Focus Your Aim (v. 13) - "One thing I do."  What does God want you to do in the coming year?
  5. Forcibly Pursue Your Goal (v. 14) - Paul's imagery of "pressing on" is of a runner straining for the tape (Heb. 12:1-2).
May I encourage you to prayerfully set goals for the New Year, write them down, share them with someone, and devote the next 365 days to fulfilling them for the glory of God.

Should I Give to the Church??

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I stumbled across this tract from The Tract League and thought it would be a good post and reminder for all of us.

I always thought that what I did with my money and my time was my own business. Then I happened to read a passage in the Bible and realized I had forgotten about God.
But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth... Deuteronomy 8:18
I studied some more and discovered that in the Old Testament, God used the 10% rule (commonly know as the tithe) to fund the work of service and worship. It was a law, and every follower of God was required to set aside 10% of all income for the work of the Lord. That 10% was so important to God that those who used it on themselves were actually stealing from God.
And all the tithe of the land , whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's: it is holy unto the Lord. Leviticus 27:30
When I searched the New Testament about giving I discovered that the rule of law was replaced by a rule of gratitude.
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him... I Corinthians 16:2
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: For God loveth a cheerful giver. II Corinthians 9:7
I discovered that in God's economy, He wants eveery believer to take part in advancing his kingdom.
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33
So I tried it, and discovered that giving time and money to the church was good for me - I was never happier than when I was involved in doing what I could to help the church. I learned that God delights to use my gifts to cause his kingdom to grow. I discovered that by giving both money and time, I received so much more than I ever gave. Then I found out why. I was on the receiving end of another one of God's great promises.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10