Ecclesiastes 12:10

 ( From time to time most preachers will preach someone else’s sermon. While its uncouth to do so too often, it can be very effective to take another’s sermon and re-work it till it fits you and your audience. That is what I have done here and I hope it is true to the original lesson {Acts 17:22-34}) Men of Hope,  I noticed that this is a very religious community. As you walk around the streets, you don’t have to go far to see many different churches each claiming to worship God but in very different ways. It seems that we might not exactly know how he wants us to worship him. But there is a right way. Let me tell you what I’ve learned about from His own Word.        The One True God, is a creator, a designer, Designers have plans for what they want in their creation. If he designed the world that way, you better believe he has a design for his Church.  He has made everything just how he wants it and just how it needs to be. He doesn’t ...

  In Acts 18, Paul is following his customary approach of teaching in the synagogue about Jesus as the Christ.  Even after Silas and Timothy arrive allowing him to solely focus on preaching; he runs into a brick wall in form of the stubborn Jews. He’s so fed up he shakes off his garment and vows to go to Gentiles instead and let their “ blood be on your own heads ”!   So instead of preaching in the Jewish synagogue, he moves next door to the house of a man named Titius Justus, who is described as a worshiper of God.  We don’t know much about him but we can assume from his name he was a Roman and he was wealthy enough to own a home that could serve as a place of assembly.   Now here is where it gets interesting. After this we read that Crispus, a leader of the synagogue, believes and is baptized along with entire household.  Right after Paul vows to go to the Gentiles, one of the most prominent Jews is converted.  It seems an odd time for hi...

  It is greater than God yet also more evil than the devil. The poor have it, and the rich don’t want it. If you wear it you show everything, if you speak it you remain quiet and it you buy it you save money. The blind man sees it, the deaf man hears it but if you eat it, you’ll die.    What is it?   Nothing   Nothing doesn’t sound like it is much of anything but in reality it is something. Doing nothing can get you fired. Saying nothing can help you out of trouble. Seeing nothing make you look ignorant but revealing nothing can make you seem wise.      Some folks believe when Jesus says nothing about a subject means he’s saying he approves of it even though He has said nothing at all. Likewise there are some that believe in doing nothing wrong they have done enough to “ hear well done good and faithful servant ”.     Yet the scriptures are clear nothing is a very dangerous thing.  In the three parables of Mat...

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12   There is a war on against Christianity. Not one in the media or even from any political or national source. It is the one that has been going on from the beginning lead by the Devil.  It is a battle for the hearts and minds of every soul on this planet (2 Corinthians 10:3 -5). The devil uses any means to create doubt, cause delay and get us to ignore the truth of God word.  Let’s examine some of those he uses to do just that: Private I nterpretation This lowly one may not seem like he couldn’t do much damage, but looks can be deceiving. When private interpretation comes into play he causes the authority of God’s Word to come into question.  What is clearly said in the text can be twisted into what I think it says.  Since there ar...