To good to be true [part 2]

Luke, the author of these words, addressed them to a certain “Theophilus.” We are first introduced to Theophilus in Luke 1. Theophilus is a Greek name meaning “lover of God” or “dear one to God.” Scholars aren’t sure who he was. He may have been a benefactor sponsoring the publication of both volumes, the Gospel of Luke and Acts. Or Theophilus may have simply been a symbolic name for any Christ-follower who would read these words. Perhaps you and I, and every other saint, are Theophilus – lovers of God and ones who are dear to God. Surely we are. Luke wrote about everything Jesus did from the beginning of His public ministry until His glorious ascension. That formal accounting is found in Luke 3:21-24:53.

Luke told Theophilus that after the resurrection, Jesus used “many convincing proofs…” (v. 3a). That seems a bit odd to me. Does it to you? Many convincing proofs? What were they and why were they needed? The words translated, “convincing proofs” are from one Greek word, tekmerion, which means “a sure sign.” Of course in its plural form, here in Acts 1:3, it means “sure signs.” So what were the “many convincing proofs?” Two signs were presented many times over the course of 40 days: His bodily appearance and His speaking about the Kingdom of God. In Luke 24, vividly convincing proofs were offered: on the Emmaus Road (vv. 13-32); to Peter (v. 34); and to the disciples (vv. 36-43). Each time during those 40 days, the resurrected Jesus’ appearances and speeches seemed too good to be true. But they were. The more He appeared and spoke to them, the more convinced they became.

Some years after the resurrection of Christ, Paul, in writing to the church in Corinth, offered the very first written word about resurrection – several years before the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John accounts were written. Paul announced by way of 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”

Many convincing proofs. Seems too good to be true. But it is true. Jesus is alive. It really is true. He is alive this very day. It is proven by your presence this morning. If you didn’t believe He was alive, I’m not sure you would be here. I am fully aware that is somewhat of a naive thing to say. I’m quiet certain some of us just show up out of habit – not that there is anything wrong with being in the habit of showing up for Sunday study and worship. Unfortunately, the habit of showing up can become nothing more than just that: the habit of showing up. We may show up with no desire for anything to happen, let alone to think of anything happening, that can be attributed only to the supernatural and overwhelming Presence of the Holy God.

Sadly the aliveness of Jesus doesn’t affect some of us very much anymore. We have become so accustomed to the clichés and God-talk that the reality of Jesus’ presence doesn’t do much to us. Even when another is speaking on behalf of Christ and the words are true, there is, for some of us, a mental block that prevents us from hearing, because we are too familiar, or we’ve not taken seriously the abiding of presence of Christ. Unfortunately, the convincing proofs just aren’t very convincing anymore.

Yet, I want to believe, so I maintain my ideal and offer the benefit of the doubt that our presence in this room is a sure sign, a convincing proof that He is alive. It may seem too good to be true, but I believe it is. This is why I invite you to believe it with me and commit to seeing Jesus alive and hearing Him in what might be considered unlikely places and people.

Pope Benedict XVI recently gave his first papal visit to the United States. The Pope blessed a group of children with disabilities and told them it was a special joy to spend time with them. He spoke at Saint Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, just a few miles north of New York. “Sometimes, it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured,” the Pope told the children and their caregivers. “God has blessed you with life, differing talents, and gifts. Through these, you are able to serve Him and society in various ways.” He shook hands with and touched the faces of the children, many of whom were in wheelchairs. Another one of those convincing proofs, one of those sure signs, don’t you think?

Jesus in the faces and lives of disabled people, whatever their challenge may? Seems too good to be true, but it is. Here’s another. How about the Pope himself? Could Jesus be presenting Himself alive to us in Benedict XVI through Benedict’s appearance and speaking? Here’s a better one. How about you and me? Could Jesus be presenting Himself alive to me in you, and could He be presenting Himself alive to you in me? Too good to be true? Oh, but it is true. Jesus is alive in you and me and the Pope and those children. Jesus still is presenting Himself alive by many convincing proofs. All we have to do is be observant – to watch and listen.

Our son, Nicholas, just turned 18. It is hard to imagine him being that age. I pondered his birth and rehearsed the memory early Friday as I always do on that date. That day in 1990 became today in 2008 all too quickly. It seems too good to be true, but it is true. I looked at a collage of pictures hanging in my office that Jackie arranged for me and presented on Father’s Day 1991. I looked at the aliveness of my son through snapshots of those first 14 months of life. Then I remembered another snapshot, another proof of his aliveness: his baptism on Easter 1998 after he prayed to receive Christ a few weeks prior. Now I look at him and see an even great aliveness than I did when he was born on Wednesday, April 18, 1990, in Owensboro, Ken., and even when he was born again on Sunday, March 22, 1998, in Springfield, Tenn. I see a convincing proof that Jesus is alive. He still is appearing and speaking through Nicholas. It seems too good to be true, but it is!

He is appearing and speaking through our students, our senior adults, our middle aged adults, and our children. He is appearing and speaking through all who’ve made the good confession. If you are having trouble believing, I invite you to look around you. Jesus still is appearing and speaking, showing His aliveness with many convincing proofs.

Seems too good to be true, but it is. He really is appearing and speaking through you and me. So, let us present ourselves alive with many convincing proofs to one another and the world. The world needs an appearance of Jesus and a word from Him. Will it come from you and me? Of course it will. Seems too good to be true, but it is.
Written by Jim Gentry , thank you this was very interesring

Too Good to be True [ part 1 ]

There’s an old saying: “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t true.” There are some things that are so farfetched that their veracity is questioned at every turn.

A few Thursdays ago, I was watching 20/20 on ABC. One of their segments devoted itself to one of the current fads: detoxification of the body. The segment’s specific focus was on a brand of Detox Foot Pads. For $19.99 your can purchase a two-week supply that is guaranteed to rid your body of all those horrible toxins. All you have to do is put a pad on the bottom of each foot when you go to bed and the next morning remove them to discover, with sight and smell, all those toxins that deplete your body of necessary energy. Improve your health and wellness for only $19.99, plus shipping and handling.

But wait! There’s more. As an extra bonus for purchasing the Detox Foot Pads, you’ll receive, at no additional cost, a set of Detox Eye Patches designed to remove the appearance of dark circles, crow’s feet, and puffy eyes. 20/20 did their usual investigation and interviewed some folks who tried the footpads only to discover there was no change in the way they felt. While leaving it up to the viewer, 20/20 concluded consumers are just wasting their money if buying those pads. It’s just one of those things that seem too good to be true and in all likelihood is not true.

There are many “seems too good to be true” things in life. Those “seems too good to be true” things have been around forever I suppose. It is possible to detect them even in the resurrection of Jesus of from the dead. Have you ever thought about resurrection being something that seems too good to be true?

In Acts 1 there is a hint it was. Please hear these words from verses 1-5. “In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This,’ he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’”

Joy of a Lifetime

Joy of a Lifetime


The joy of a lifetime
Is the success one makes of life.
Success is the result of handwork and luck.
Three stages there are in life.
Comes first the prime of life,
When on bubble with life and enthusiasm.
And boils with youthful exuberance..
Next comes mid age, age for reasoning,
When one through life is half spent.
Last comes old age, age of experience,
When one is close to the grave.
Success can be attained at anytime.
But nothing can equal he prime of life,
When one still has so many years ahead.
And when at this time success smiles on you,
Then to the Almighty be the glory,
The gratitude and appreciation,
For a life well spent and full of success.

A new life !!

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

--1 Peter 1:3

Maybe today, you or someone you know is facing stress, anxiety, or a sense of defeat and despair. And if this feeling is making you want to give up on your life or trade it in for a new one, I want to you to know this: You don’t need a new start, you need a new heart!

Jesus came to earth to deliver you and me from our sins. He died and rose again to give you a brand new life! The power and passion of Jesus Christ is your hope! You can have a fresh start and a new day through Him!

According to our verse today, 1 Peter 1:3, we are “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

Born again? In John 3:7, Jesus said we “must be born again” to begin living in this new hope. Life in Christ is such a radical transformation that it’s like being born all over again.

When you go to the cross, it is more than a new start… it is a new life!

Jesus Christ, the living Savior, can take men and women discouraged by the world around them and give them not only hope now, but hope forever. It’s a hope that dawns in the hearts of those who have been born again.

So if you would like to be born again today by the power of the resurrection of Jesus, why don’t you say this simple prayer?

Dear Lord, I know I am a sinner born into a world of sin. But I want to be born again through Jesus Christ! Please forgive me through Christ’s sacrifice and give me a new start. I accept your gift of hope and grace. Amen.

If you have prayed these words… and meant it in your heart… it is the dawn of a new day of hope in your life! And I want to be the first to welcome you into God’s family!

A Supernatural Faith

"The God hypothesis is no longer necessary to explain the origin of the universe or the development of human life." This assertion was at the very heart of the movement that took place in the eighteenth century that we call the Enlightenment. God's existence was seen as no longer necessary because He had been supplanted by the "science" of that period that explained the universe in terms of spontaneous generation. Here we see an example of pseudoscience supplanting sound philosophy and theology.

Added to this, we have the agnosticism of the titanic philosopher Immanuel Kant, who argued that it is impossible for science or philosophy to acquire knowledge of the metaphysical realm of God. It was declared that all knowledge must be restricted to the realm of the natural. With the combination of Kant's agnosticism and the hypothesis of the Enlightenment, the door was open wide to a thorough going philosophy of naturalism. This philosophy captured in its wake the academic theologians of Europe in the nineteenth century.

Out of this came nineteenth-century liberalism with its militant anti-supernatural perspective. The liberalism of that era denied all of the supernatural elements of the Christian faith, including the virgin birth of Jesus, His miracles, His atoning death, and His resurrection.

The impact of liberalism and neo-liberalism on the church left it basically as a worldly, nature-bound religion that sought refuge in a humanitarian social agenda. This is the approach to Christianity that has all but completely captured many of today's mainline churches throughout the world.

However, in the last few decades, we have witnessed a comeback of sorts of the supernatural. Yet this increasing interest in the supernatural has been driven in large measure by a fascination with the occult. People are now interested in demons, witches, spiritualists, and other occultic phenomena.

The Christianity of the Bible is a religion that is uncompromisingly supernatural. If we take away the supernatural, we take away Christianity. At the heart of the worldview of both Testaments is the idea that the realm of nature is created by One who transcends that nature.

With the renewed interest in the supernatural that comes with the occult, we must be ever vigilant to make sure that whatever understanding we have of the supernatural is an understanding that is informed by the Bible and not by paganism. Sheer naturalism is paganism with a vengeance, but so is the occult. What we need is an understanding of the supernatural that comes to us from the supernatural, from the Author of the supernatural, who reveals to us in His Word the content of the supernatural realm - so that our understanding of angels, or demons, or of spiritual beings comes from God's self-revelation and not from human speculation, neo-gnostic magic, or other forms of pagan intrusions. Again, we must insist that without the supernatural, Christianity loses its very heart, and this writer cannot understand why anybody would attach any great significance to Christianity at all once it's been stripped of its supernatural elements.

He Walked A Mile

He Walked A Mile

Before the threads of time began was pre-ordained a mighty plan that is should walk with Him alone the chords of trust unbroken but the fate foresaw my wander in eye that none could yet restrain to violate the friendship I would cause so much pain chorus And every time I close my eyes I see the nail,I hear the cries He did not keep Himself away He was no stranger to my pain He walked a mile in my shoes He walked a mile feet so dusty cracked with heat but carried on by love's heartbeat a man of sorrows filled with grief Forgiveness was His anthem No feeble blow from tongue or pen could ever sway my love for Him Across the echoed hills He trod and reached into my world
chorus

Bring life to 08 sermons with illustrations

ACCOMPLISHMENT -- One person can
Think that one person can't make a difference in the world? Harriet Beecher Stowe was one person, but her book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, transformed American attitudes toward slavery. For months after its publication, three presses ran around the clock to keep up with the demand. Her work touched millions of lives. Suppose she had said, "I can't make a difference," and never wrote?
ATTITUDE -- Importance of
Robert L. Whiteside describes a drama instructor who would, in a close audition, give the part to the person with a happier expression, knowing that the more optimistic person will be easier to live with when unexpected delays occur in rehearsal. "Watch, and you will notice that the person with the upturned lips just naturally expects things to work out all right in the long run." (Face Language)
CHANGE - Necessary
"The world hates change, yet it is the only thing that has brought progress." (Charles F. Kettering)
CHURCH -- Called to go to world
"This sanctuary can be a salt-shaker. You can come in here once a week, have a lot of fellowship with all the other salt and think your job is accomplished. Instead, God wants to pick up this sanctuary and shake you out all over this city. He has brought you together as His salt only to scatter you. He wants you to be an influence for Jesus." (John A. Huffman, Jr.)
COMMITMENT -- Abandon old life
The US Congress adopted a plan to put our country on the metric system, which is already used in most of the world. And it is a more logical system, since everything is based on multiples of 10, rather than the odd collection of weights and measures we have now--12 inches to a foot, 5280 feet to a mile, and so on.
Yet it hasn't worked, has it? Most of us know very little about the metric system, because as long as the old system is still visible, we rely on it--no matter how superior the new may be.
So it is with the Christian life. We must eliminate, abandon the old life when we take on the new life in Christ. Otherwise we continue to fall back on the old.
EVANGELISM -- Is our business
Stephen Brown tells the story of Uncle John, who went to a lady who was a member of Boston's affluent society, and asked her if she was a Christian. When she got home that day, she found her husband reading the Wall Street Journal. "You'll never believe what happened to me today," she recalled. "A man came up to me and asked if I was a Christian."
"If I'd been there, I'd have told him to mind his own business," said the husband, to which the woman replied, "Honey, if you'd been there you'd have realized it was his business."


EXCELLENCE -- Christians called to
The former chaplain of the Boston Red Sox counseled a young player who was constantly quoting Scripture: "Son, don't quote Scripture until you hit home runs."
When we publicly profess our faith in Christ and then offer shabby performance in our work or other pursuits, we offer a poor witness to the Lord we claim to serve.
FAMILY -- One-parent homes growing
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one in every four American families with children under 18 is a one-parent family. That was 26 percent in 1985, compared to 22 percent in 1980 and 13 percent in 1970. Nine of every ten single-parent families is headed by a woman, and they are disproportionately black and poor. (Light)
LEADERSHIP
A man observed a fellow driving a group of sheep across a field, beating the stick and urging them forward. "I thought shepherds led their sheep," said the man. The answer came: "I'm not the shepherd; I'm the butcher."
LOVE - Persistent
For more than 40 years, a shy Welshman went to his neighbor's door each week and slipped a love letter underneath. Because of an argument they'd had years before, she refused to speak to him through the years. Finally, after writing 2,184 love letters with no response of any kind, the 74-year-old man went to the door, knocked on it, and asked the 74-year-old woman to marry him. Much to his surprise, she said yes and they soon tied the knot. (Richard Armstrong, Make (Your Life Worthwhile)
Love is like that. It keeps on trying, even when it faces rejection. And the ultimate example of the persistence of love is God.
HUMILITY -- Need for
In his Lectures on Preaching, Phillips Brooks reminded his audience of ministerial students of the man hired by Philip of Macedon to remind him each day, "Philip, remember thou art mortal." That is a reminder each of us needs daily.
MOTIVATION -- Produces results
A factory foreman called an employee into his office. This worker was the only one in the entire factory who hadn't pledged in (the United Way drive.
"Now son, if you don't participate, you're not going to be working here much longer," said the foreman. The young worker replied, "Why, I believe I'd like to give. Nobody ever explained it to me that way before!"
If people are properly motivated, they'll act!
MORAL ISSUES -- Teen pregnancy rises
According to a recent study, more than a million American teenagers become pregnant each year, and four out of every five are unmarried. Many become pregnant in their early to mid-teens; some 30,000 are under the age of 15.
Time magazine points out (12/9/85) that teenaged mothers are "many times as likely as other women with young children to live below the poverty level. According to one study, only half of those who give birth before age 18 complete high school (as compared with 96% of those who postpone childbearing). On average, they earn half as much money and are far more likely to be dependent on welfare."
PURPOSE -- We all have
John Henry Newman pointed out the meaning each of us has:
"God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission ...
"I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught ... Therefore, I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away ... He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about."
RESPONSIBILITY
"Don't be misled into believing that somehow the world owes you a living. The boy who believes that his parents, or the government, or anyone else owes him his livelihood and that he can collect it without labor will wake up one day and find himself working for another boy who did not have that belief." (David Sarnoff)
SERVANTHOOD -- Doesn't claim credit
There is an old folk tale of the man who took his ox for a day in the fields. All day long a flea sat on the ox's nose. At day's end, as the farmer led the ox through town on the way home, the flea grandly proclaimed to the townspeople: "We've been plowing!"
The servant of Christ recognizes that it is He who produces the result. We are given the privilege of participating in the journey.
STRESS
Every day Americans consume 28 tons of aspirins, tranquilizers and sleeping pills. Stress is big business.
WARNINGS -- Not always heeded
The little boy went to the store and asked the clerk for a box of Duz detergent. "What do you need that for?" asked the clerk, and the boy answered, "To wash my dog."
"That's pretty strong stuff for washing a dog," warned the clerk, but the boy insisted that Duz was what he wanted, so the clerk sold it to him, reminding, "Now be careful when you wash your dog. That detergent is strong, and could kill him."
A week later the boy came in the store again and the clerk asked, "How's your dog?" The boy explained that the dog was dead. The clerk said, "I'm sorry, but I tried to warn you that Duz was too strong."
The little boy shook his head and said, "I don't think it was the Duz that did it. I think it was the rinse cycle that got him."

When We Doubt

When We Doubt

“Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. . . .” (1 Corinthians 13:12a)

Oswald Chambers said, “Doubt is not always a sign that a man is wrong. It may be a sign that he is thinking.”

There is a difference between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is a matter of the mind. Unbelief is a matter of the heart. Doubt is when we cannot understand what God is doing and why He is doing it. Unbelief is when we refuse to believe God’s Word and do what He tells us to do.

We must not confuse the two.

Remember the discouraged disciples on the Emmaus road? In their minds, Jesus had failed in His mission and had been crucified. Jesus joined them on that road and began to speak with them.

In the end, they said, “Didn’t our hearts feel strangely warm as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32).

God dealt with their doubt through His Word. And God will deal with your doubt through His Word. When you are facing doubt, that is not the time to close the Bible. That is the time to open it and let God speak to you.

Maybe you have been doubting God’s ways in your life. Maybe you have been asking “why” a lot lately. Maybe His timing doesn’t seem to make any sense.

The Bible says, “All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now” (1 Corinthians 13:12b).

It all will be resolved in that final day when we stand before God. God doesn’t ask us to understand everything. He asks us to trust Him and follow Him.

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace


Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was blind but now am found
Was blind but now I see

It was grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
’tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home

How sweet the name of jesus sounds
In a believer’s ear
It soothes his sorrows, heals the wounds
And drives away his fear

Must jesus bear the cross alone
And all the world go free
No, there’s a cross for ev’ry one
And there’s a cross for me