Why Is the World Divided?

“Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division.” (Luke 12:51)

There has never been a time on this earth when there was more division and strife than at this present time. As we look at the daily headlines, our world is full of war, divisions and terrorism. They call it Jihad, or Holy War, and that is exactly what it is. It’s a spiritual battle that has been waging since the beginning of time, but as we draw closer to the end of the age, to the day of the last great battle, this division becomes even greater. The Jihadists declare that they will not stop until Israel and the Great Satan (America) is no longer in existence. We somehow think that this is a new battle and has only been taking place over the last 20 years or so, but Jesus declared this war as He walked upon this earth nearly 2000 years ago. And not only that, but He also told us that He is the very reason for this war.

Being Confronted With Truth

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’.” (John 8:31-32)

It has been said that people cannot change truth, but truth can change people. Truth remains steadfast, in spite of opposition, general opinion and even persecution. When all is said and done, the truth will always, always prevail.

Discerning Counterfeits

The Holy Spirit is saying in these last days that we must be careful of who we align ourselves with, who we form close associations with, for everything and everybody which calls itself Christian is not of Christ. Just because a minister or ministry carries the name of pastor or minister or teacher does not make it so. Jesus told us, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (Matthew 7:15) It is essential that we learn to discern what is true from what is false...we must know the difference! I want to share with you a few signs that we can look for that will help us to know the true from the false:

Reclaiming Your Joy

Do you remember how happy you were when you first came to Christ? You couldn’t wait to tell others about Jesus. You felt a joy and an enthusiasm that you had never experienced before. That is the way God intends for us to live all the time. Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (John 15:11) Has something happened along the way to steal that joy? Has something robbed you of the excitement you once experienced as a Christian? Wouldn’t it be great to have that joy, that enthusiasm back in your Christian life again? I’d like to share some steps with you that God gives us in His Word which we can apply to our lives to help us regain that joy. But first, we need to find out what joy really is. 

We sometimes interchange the words “joy” and “happiness”, and we assume they have the same meaning. That is far from the truth. So before we find out how to get our joy back, we will look at what gives us joy and what gives us happiness.

Following the Leader

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

The strange thing about human nature is that everyone wants to be in control. You see it in business, you see it in families, and unfortunately, sometimes you even see it in the Body of Christ. I think again it has to do with that sinful nature that we were born with. It all boils down to the fact that everybody wants to have it their own way…their individual personal preferences. And the truth is that most of our problems at work, at home and our church stems from that very desire. We fail to recognize that God has created a world that is based on order and structure. 

When Christians Compromise

“It’s just a small little sin, a tiny compromise ...actually no one will know and everything will be fine.” Though we probably don’t even think along those terms, it happens every day. A little “white lie”, a flirtatious wink at the girl down the hall, a quick look at that porno site, borrowing ten dollars out of petty cash…no one will miss it. Christians do stuff like that all the time in their homes, in their businesses and workplaces, and in the marketplace …small little compromises. And then, they will excuse their compromise by saying things like “Well, I’m only human” or “Men can’t help it, we are made this way” and “It’s not as bad as other people”. But the problem is that one small compromise leads to another larger compromise, which leads to another compromise and the next thing you know, for the person who thought they could handle it, their life becomes chaotic, out of control, and trouble begins to press in on all sides, until the results of the sin comes to a climax, and finally that person’s life comes crashing down around them…and Satan wins again. 

Vindicating Peter

I’ve been a Christian for quite a while, and over the years I’ve heard a lot of sermons and teaching lessons. I’ve read the gospels numerous times and often imagined what it would have been like to be able to walk and talk with Jesus every day. I’ve pictured myself having the kind of friendship with Him that the disciples had, so that if I had a question, all I would need to do was ask and Jesus would answer my concerns instantly…just like that. Of course I realize that even though their questions were answered on the spot, still, the disciples often didn’t understand what He was teaching them right away. I’ve thought about what it would be like to watch Him calm the storm, heal the sick, cast out demons and raise the dead. The miracles alone would have kept me amazed and intrigued for the rest of my life, not to mention the mysteries He often spoke of concerning the Kingdom of God, and the fact that He would soon be going away. I’m not sure that I would have understood His answers any more than they did. Being on this side of the cross and looking back, I still don’t understand all of His teachings, and it’s even harder when I try to apply them to my life. So, when I read the gospels and I think about the disciples and their personalities, I picture myself to be most like Peter…curious, impetuous …sometimes a little strong-willed. In fact, if I were to choose one disciple that I would consider my “hero” it would have to be Peter.

But some of the sermons I’ve heard about Peter were not very positive, and I’m not quite sure that I totally agree with them. In fact, if the truth were known, I think we would be better off if there were more church members who were more like Peter. Yes, it would get a little crazy sometimes, but think about it, if more Christians were more like Peter, they would probably shake up our world a little bit. And wouldn’t that be a good thing?

Jesus is Truly Worthy!

As I share the Word of God with you today, I want to focus on one thing…and one thing only. I want to focus on Jesus! I want to emphasize the fact that Jesus ALONE is worthy! He is worthy Church! Jesus is worthy of all praise…He is worthy of all glory…He is worthy of all honor…He is worthy of all power! And most importantly, He is worthy of everything that you may have in your life that is of any value to you. Jesus Christ IS worthy Church!

As we read in the book of Revelation, when the Apostle John was exiled on the Isle of Patmos, he was being persecuted for his faith in Christ. Now John had been with Jesus from the beginning and John was His “Beloved Disciple” as he so often referred to himself during His earthly ministry. So John knew Jesus intimately. He had been with the Lord during all the miracles that Jesus performed. He had been with Jesus when He fed the 5000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes. He had seen Jesus cast out demons and heal the sick. He had watched as Jesus raised the dead, and John knew that Jesus was Worthy of everything. John was the one who was there watching as they crucified His Lord…and it was to John that Jesus had entrusted the care of His own dear mother.

Seizing the Opportunity

I want to share a Bible story with you that is as up to date as today’s headlines. You see it all the time…and so do I. You stop at a store and you see someone there who has a need…they’re acting like they don’t feel well…they may seem depressed, or they may be hungry or in some kind of need. Really it can happen anywhere…on your way to church, while you are at work, in the grocery store, in a restaurant…in reality there are sick and discouraged people everywhere you look. And each one of them is a person who needs a touch from Jesus. Let’s look at this story and I will show you what I mean…the scripture is found in the book of Acts chapter 3, verses 1-10:

The Prodigal's Brother

“Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9)

In this message I want to focus on the question of our responsibility toward others, our duty to those whose lives are of greatest concern to the heart of our Father in Heaven.

The central theme of the teachings of Jesus Christ was about love. He spoke of loving God, loving our enemies, and loving one another. He taught about it and He demonstrated in His life. He even proclaimed this very truth as being the fulfillment of the entire law of God and the prophets (Matthew 22:37-40). In order to more fully understand the message of this God-kind of love, I'd like look at the well-known parable as found in Luke 15:11-32 usually referred to as "The Prodigal Son". But this time, I'd like for us to think for a few moments about the older brother of this rebellious young man. Read with me if you would: