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  • John Henson 8:52 am on May 2, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: deify, ,   

    Beware Elevating Men 

    My brethren, we must be careful to avoid elevating men to too high a status.

    Men are mortal and commit sins. If the Old Testament teaches anything, it teaches the hazard of putting men on a pedestal and glorifying them.

    An example of this is Solomon. When he was young, Solomon started life as a good person. But when he became king, he changed. He married a daughter of Pharaoh, strictly forbidden under the Mosaic law, and murdered two men, one of which had been initially pardoned by his father. After Solomon’s life was over, his nation divided and both parts were finally deported.

    Yet, to this day there are people who glorify Solomon for building a temple, something God specifically told NO ONE to do (2 Samuel 7:7).

    If we would glorify anyone who has lived on the earth, let us glorify Jesus Christ. The Lord Christ is the only person who ever lived on the planet who obeyed the whole Mosaic Law. The Lord Christ is the only person who ever lived on the planet that is worthy of praise!

    Humanism has used the educational system in the U.S. to teach people to deify people. In every school in every county of every state there are pictures of presidents and other people children are taught to revere. If the truth was taught along with the fables of these men, then children would know they are HUMANS, not gods.

    We must be the influence that teaches people to worship GOD.

     

  • John Henson 3:45 pm on April 14, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , rememeber   

    Reminders 

    My wife has decided to go into a new business. She’s going to start making memory enhancers. You know what a memory enhancer is, don’t you? It’s a piece of string tied on a finger designed to call to mind something forgotten.

     Everyone needs reminders about important things.  The apostle Paul told the young preacher Titus to remind people of a few things. In Titus 3:1-2, Paul wrote, “Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.”

     We are to be subordinate to the powers that be, according to one translation. Christians submit. That’s what we do. Jesus’ life was an example of submission to the will of God the Father. The Lord Jesus went to the cross willingly for our sins. Yes, he prayed that “this cup may pass from me” in Gethsemane, but he submitted to his Father’s will and died for us. Aren’t we glad Jesus did? Where would we be had he not bled and died to save us from sin?

    Paul wrote that Titus should remind people to be ready for every good work. To be ready means to be prepared. It does not mean that good works should be avoided. People will know us as Christians by what we do and what we don’t do (Matthew 5:16). They will either see the light from us in our good works, or they will see no light at all. We need to be reminded how important it is for us to be about our Father’s business as our Lord Jesus was.

     There is also a reminder in Paul’s letter “to speak evil of no one.” This is far from the fashion currently. People these days have so little patience with others. Many people forget we’re all human and we commit sin. Instead of condemning others by using our tongues as a viper uses its fangs, let’s remember we’re all human.The apostle wrote in Romans 3:10, “There is none righteous; no, not one.”

    Yes, there are important things for which we need reminders. Let us remember the Christian characteristics of submission, ready for every good work and to speak evil of no one. In doing these things, we’ll become more like Jesus, which is our main goal in life.

     

  • John Henson 8:19 am on March 27, 2013 Permalink | Reply  

    Evil people will go from bad to worse, but we must continue! http://www.foolforhim.wordpress.com

     

  • John Henson 9:53 am on February 16, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Legacy is defined as “an inheritance, or something that has come from a predecessor or the past.” If so, then what may a faithful Christian leave others that issues from a faithful life on earth?

    Influence is the lasting effect that can possibly change the spiritual condition of those we leave on earth. The Bible says, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’ ‘Blessed, indeed,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them,’” (Revelation 14:13 ESV).

    It is impossible in this life to know the full extent of the influence we have on others for the Lord. After we leave this life, our good Christian influence may be the powerful tool to change someone’s eternal destiny.

    My father once taught a member of a denominational church for more than 10 years, but was never able to convince him to obey the gospel. After my father died, however, the man obeyed the gospel and told others the life my father lived and the teachings of the gospel he gave were the reasons why he obeyed God.

    “For their deeds follow them.” When we are released from this life, there are people alive who may be influenced to live for Jesus. There can be no greater legacy.

     

  • John Henson 8:43 am on February 15, 2013 Permalink | Reply  

    Heaven 

    When my father was alive, he took one of his New Testament texts and underlined the description of heaven in Revelation 21.

    As a rather major rock hound, Dad loved the description of the precious and semi precious stones the Lord used to describe the foundation of heaven in Revelation 21:19-20. He knew heaven was a spiritual, not a physical place, but he loved trying to visualize it.

    But, he valued the spiritual description of heaven in Revelation 22:1-6 even more because it was closest to his heart. The text of that passage describes restored Eden and life eternal. There is a river whose source is God and his son. The river of life has no terminus. Life with God in heaven will have no terminal point.

    The passage also describes the tree of life on each side of the river. There will be plenty of food and water for God’s children, a clear reference to God’s care and love for the redeemed.

    Verses 3-5 were most heavily underlined and highlighted. I think he especially loved those verses. It tells us that the redeemed will see the face of God. That’s something no living person has seen this side of Eden.

    But, there is also something about the beauty of serving God in a place where there is endless light. Here is an opportunity to worship God eternally and to learn his great wisdom. My father often said he wanted to sit and talk with Jesus and learn as much as he could from his lips.

    But, how would a person who doesn’t attend worship services or is missing from Bible class ever appreciate heaven? It is said that everybody wants to go to heaven. Why would they, if they don’t appreciate the truth of God’s word here on earth?

    If you’ve fallen by the wayside, then it’s time you discovered how wonderful studying God’s word and serving him on earth can be. When you learn these lessons, then you’ll be ready to enjoy heaven.

    Here’s also an opportunity to learn how great service to God is. Learn to appreciate the opportunity to love and help others and teach the gospel to the lost. When you learn this lesson, serving God in heaven will be an inestimable privilege.

     

  • John Henson 10:22 am on February 9, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Elisha, Naaman   

    Naaman’s Assumptions 

    NAAMAN’S ASSUMPTIONS

    2 Kings 5

    I. Naaman assumed:

                   1. He could buy his own cure. Verses 5-6

                  2. That Jehoram would command his cure. Verses 6-7

                  3. He knew what Elisha would do. Verse 11.

                  4, The cure was dependent upon the water quality. Verse 12.

    II. People assume

                  1. The more money they give the church, the more they deserve salvation. Obedience determines salvation. Heb. 5:8-9.

                  2. They deserve a cure for sin. Titus 3:5.

                  3. They know baptism doesn’t save. 1 Peter 3:21.

                 4. They know the water is the power. Acts 22:16

    III. What do you assume?

     

  • John Henson 4:35 pm on February 8, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: redeemed, ,   

    I am a sinner but I have been… 

    I am a sinner, but I have been forgiven by one who loved me and died for me.

    There was never anything I did to deserve this. In fact, he died many hundreds of years before I was born.  Another man who lived hundreds of years before I was born told me about the one who died for me.

    The apostle Paul wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works,” (Titus 2:11-14 ESV).

    Since I have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus, then I am bound to tell others of my salvation and give thanks to God through him for what he has done for me.

    Others may not think that is who I am, but that doesn’t matter. That’s who I must be.

     

  • John Henson 12:34 pm on February 4, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Thanks for tuning in readers and welcome to… 

    Thanks for tuning in readers, and welcome to another episode of “What Requires Immediate Attention?”

    Here’s how we play: you will be given two scenarios and will choose the one that requires immediate, correct action. Right choices can lead to eternal bliss, while wrong ones may provide some earthly relief, but promise little eternal happiness.

    Okay. Here we go…

    Our first two scenarios are (choose only one): balance the bank account or obey the gospel? DING! Time’s up! What was your answer? If you chose balancing the old bank balance, you probably will avoid overdrafts, but your action probably won’t save your soul.

    Of course, what requires immediate attention is to obey the gospel. Matthew 6:33 is instructive here. Jesus said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” All the things Jesus mentions are those things we need to live in this world. There’s always plenty of time to balance the bank account, but there may not be all the time in the world to obey the gospel, right? None of us are guaranteed existence in this world tomorrow. Best obey the gospel NOW!

    All right. Hope your answer was the right one! Your soul depended on it!

     

  • John Henson 3:13 pm on January 2, 2013 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    David’s Prayer

    1 Chronicles 29:10ff

    I. David blessed the Lord V10-13

    II. Who am I that God Supplies Everything? V 14-17

    III. Prayer for the people to “fix their hearts” on God. V 18.

    IV. Our Prayer in the New Year?

     

     

     

  • John Henson 11:44 am on November 21, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    1 Peter 2:9 I A Chosen Generation II… 

    1 Peter 2:9

    I. A Chosen Generation

    II. A Royal Priesthood

    III. A Peculiar People (People of God’s Own Possession)

    IV. Who have become SHOWERS of the praises of God

     

  • John Henson 10:33 am on September 22, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD! 

    Psalm 106 describes the wonderful salvation of the Christian so well that it must be prophetic of the salvation we all share.

    Its theme statement is, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, who he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,” (Psalm 106:2). Those who have obeyed the gospel through faith, repentance, confession and baptism and remain faithful have been redeemed, or bought back, from sin.

    This is something we just can’t keep to ourselves! God has extended his lovingkindness to us by saving us from sin and spiritual death! We should extol his wonderful grace and mercy to everyone we can reach.

    The psalmist wrote an accurate picture of what the redeemed were before God made them his. “They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; they did not find a way to an inhabited city. They were hungry and thirsty,” (Psalm 106:4-5 NASB). Doesn’t this show what we were before we were saved from our sins?

    In 1988, several students and I decided to leave Tennessee and go to New Orleans, La. to find work. The stretch of interstate highway between Montgomery and Mobile, Ala. was the most uninhabited landscape I had ever seen. There might have been people there, but it didn’t look like it. There were few exits from the road, few gas stations, and few restaurants. We felt abandoned.

    Before we obeyed the gospel, we wandered in the lonely land of sin. It was like a deserted place. There might have been people with us while we were in sin, but it was a lonely existence for us, wasn’t it? There might have been places that advertised refreshment, but there was none for the soul.

    NOW, however, we have been rescued from the desert of sorrow and sin. We are refreshed (Psalm 106:8-9). We have been released from our bondage to sin (Psalm 106:13-14).

    We should offer thanksgiving for God’s wonderful salvation today, shouldn’t we? When we sing, let us lift up our voices like never before! Let us lift up our hearts in prayers of thanksgiving to God for his lovingkindness! The Psalmist wrote, “He sent his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his lovingkindness, and for his wonders to the sons of men! (Psalm 106:21).

    Amen, and may it ever be so!

     

  • John Henson 11:08 am on September 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    God Will Take Care of You 

    Walter Martin was to preach at a church near Lestershire, N.Y., but was concerned his sick wife, Civilla, needed his care.

    The couple’s son asked his father, “Don’t you think that if God wants you to preach today, that he will take care of mother?” Walter kept his preaching appointment, and when he returned home found his wife feeling better and that she had written a hymn.

    “Be not dismayed whate’er betide, God will take care of you;

    Beneath his wings of love abide, God will take care of you!

    God will take care of you. Thro’ every day, O’er all the way;

    He will take care of you, God will take care of you.”

    Civilla had heard what her son had said and wrote the words to “God Will Take Care of You.” Walter, who was also musically trained, wrote the melody.

    There is a scene in heaven of God’s care for his people. In Revelation 7:13 there is a picture of the redeemed who had suffered through tribulation on earth and are now in the care of their heavenly Father.

    “They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of them shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,” (Revelation 7:16-17 KJV).

    God is taking care of them in this passage just as he always had. This is the lesson we should heed. God is taking care of us now, and he always will. And, God will take care of you in the future. His people have nothing to worry whatever may happen.

    When dark days come and we need to be lifted up, let us remember that our God continually looks after us and cares for us. Our God will never stop loving us. Even at the hour of our departure from this earth, his care will continue eternally.

     

  • John Henson 3:26 pm on August 24, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading, “The Witness of Preaching,” by Thomas Long for a homiletics class at Heritage Christian University. I’ve two questions that may interest the preachers on this blog. In Long’s book, he characterizes preachers in three ways: herald, pastor and storyteller/poet. Which kind of preacher are you? Do you believe a preacher could be all three in some way?

     

    • Eugene Adkins 5:55 pm on August 24, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Me = Herald. Often times I feel like I play the pastor role, but herald is the most comfortable for myself. I know some preachers (one specifically) who fits all three very well, but I think it’s rare across the board because of personality traits.

      Good questions, John.

    • J. Randal Matheny 8:18 am on August 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Maybe a mix of herald and storyteller/poet? I think there’s a place for all three types as a good mix: the herald, to announce the will of the Lord; the pastor, to show concern for God’s flock; the storyteller/poet, to match the telling with the wonder and the marvel of the story.

      • John Henson 10:33 am on August 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        I agree with you both. In my first homiletics classes, preaching was defined as heralding a message for the king.That’s what I learned to do, but as you both said, there are elements of all three that I’ve noticed in my preaching. Personally, speaking only for myself, I would not wish to be pigeon-holed into just one characteristic. When I first read this in Long’s book, I thought of Stafford North’s defined, exemplified, applied type of sermon and how all three fit into that kind of sermon. Things can be defined scripturally, exemplified by stories from the Bible and applied with personal knowledge of people in the congregation (a pastoral flavor, if you will). Thanks for your viewpoints. While it may be difficult for an old man like me to keep and open mind, I’m going to try to do just that.

        • J. Randal Matheny 3:57 am on August 27, 2012 Permalink

          I like what you said here and how you interfaced it with North’s types. Very nicely done.

    • John Henson 3:28 pm on August 27, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks. I’ve had a real love-hate relationship with Long’s book, and I’m far from agreeing with him on much of what he says, but he makes some sense, too. It’s easy to throw the baby out with the bath water, but there is an opportunity to learn.

  • John Henson 11:03 am on August 11, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Son, Remember 

    After the rich man died, he opened his eyes in a place of torment and recognized Abraham. In terrible pain, the man who was rich cried out for mercy (Luke 16:24).

    Abraham said, “Son, remember…” and the rich man did remember. He remembered his life and how he had everything and Lazarus had nothing. He remembered how he failed to share anything with a needy man who sat at his gate (Luke 16:25).

    Those of us who have obeyed the gospel are rich beyond our wildest dreams. This great wealth led the Apostle Paul to write, “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift,” (2 Corinthians 9:15). In Romans 11:23, Paul extolled the “depth of the riches” of the wisdom of God. Certainly, we have been given more than tongue can tell.

    Could it be, however, that we have something in common with the rich man? Are we sharing our untold wealth of salvation and the gospel with those we know who are lost? Are there some who cannot affirmatively answer the question, “To whom have I taught the riches of salvation and eternal life?” Have you taught anyone this year? How about last year or the year before?

    Is it possible that we’ve been more like the rich man of Luke 16 than we realize? When we meet the Lord, will he say, “Son,” or “Daughter, remember?”

    A gospel hymn expresses what will happen to some in the judgment: “When in the better land before the bar we stand, how deeply grieved our souls will be; if any lost one there should cry in deep despair, ‘You never mentioned him to me.’”

    Can you imagine the sorrow and pain from hearing something like that? On a day when we will have perfect memory, will we recall days we walked among the lost and failed to tell them about the Lord who loved them and died for them? If there was just one reason for teaching others the gospel, wouldn’t that alone be compelling?

    People you know need the gospel. They are depending on you to lead them to forgiveness. Will we lead them to glory, or will the Lord Jesus say, “Son, remember…”

     

  • John Henson 11:58 am on August 7, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Inside Out and Upside Down 

    A friend recently decided to buy a car because his was wearing out. Sounds like a simple thing, but it turned him inside out and upside down.

    His problems buying the car illustrated what can happen to a person when he is consumed with the pursuit of things. He became despondent because he could not close the deal and had to leave what he desired sitting in the parking lot. His despondency turned to depression.

    Being denied the object of desire is not a feeling people like. In this age of instant gratification, having someone say no to what we want is difficult to accept. What often follows is a time-consuming attempt to fulfill our desire. When that happens, focus shifts from important things (like serving God) to useless things (like getting what is desired).

    This is one of Satan’s traps. Focus is something that must remain constant. Shifting focus away from serving God to the accumulation of things has troubled many people. Simon the Sorcerer was a person who obeyed the gospel and embarked on a life of serving God (Acts 8:13), but his focus shifted from that service to the gratification of a desire.

    Simon, who had been used to a life in which people paid attention to what he said and did, saw the apostles impart the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17). Simon offered the apostles money to be able to do the same. His focus had been shifted from the service of God to the attainment of power. He was not interested in having the gift, but to grant the gift as the apostles had (Acts 8:20). His request was met by strong condemnation from Peter. The apostle told him, “Repent, therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart be forgiven thee,” (Acts 8:22).

    To his credit, Simon realized his sin and decided to turn from it. So should all whose focus falls from God on the pursuit of things or power for personal benefit.

    Materialism is a very real trouble in our world. Because the world is composed of things, it is easy to believe things are more necessary than God. We must remember things will burn up (2 Peter 3:10). A person may find himself turned inside out and upside down by the pursuit of things that will be nothing more than ashes.

    Our eternal souls are worth more than that aren’t they?

     

  • John Henson 2:16 pm on August 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Not a Piece of Paper 

    One of our favorite wedding photographs is where Judy and I embrace and she winks while holding our wedding license on my back.

    For many years, the state’s part in a wedding has been very small: it has been confined to the issuance of a license and, later, a certificate. Now, however, the government is placed in the role of defining marriage.

    Why has the government’s role become so large? The answer is simply divorce. Once God is taken out of marriage all that is left is a civil union defined by the state and not by the word of God. Divorce is a piece of paper.

    When God is no longer associated with marriage, then it becomes something the state can begin and end with court papers. So, for many people these days, marriage is nothing more than a scrap of paper.

    The latest man-made deviation from God’s plan for marriage has been fostered by those who wish to make same-sex marriage the law of the land. Since marriage is recognized by many people as simply a civil matter, homosexuals have decided they wish to have “the right” to get married.

    All of man’s digression from God’s institution of marriage, whether it is divorce or same-sex marriage, springs from one motive: remove God from the process.

    For the joining of a man and woman to become marriage, it must of necessity include God. Marriages cannot be made without God. In the wedding ceremony, the bride and the groom are asked if they take each other and will live “after God’s own ordinance.” God’s ordinance is not man’s contract law. It is GOD’S LAW.

    Homosexuals claim they want the “right” to get married, but do not understand marriage is in accordance with God’s law, not civil law. It is not a civil contract: it is a MARRIAGE by God’s ordinance.

    If it is the case that marriage is described as only a union between a man and a woman, then it is the case that marriage is not a union God allows for homosexuals. It is the case that God designed marriage only for a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5,7). Therefore, marriage is not a union God allows for homosexuals. Instead, these are people who are only mentioned among those who will never inherit the kingdom of God and its blessings (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

    Marriage isn’t just a piece of paper signed by an official of the state. It is according to the divine ordinance of Almighty God.

     

  • John Henson 10:01 am on July 17, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Scientology,   

    Tom and Katie Filed 

    Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have filed for divorce.

    Typical, you might say, for Hollywood types, except that Cruise is a walking and talking advocate of “Dianetics,” or “Scientology,” as developed by the book’s author, L. Ron Hubbard.

    “USA Today” picked up on the news of the divorce and one of its reporters wrote, “As the public face of Scientology, Cruise had become the leading advocate of a spiritual and religious empire that claims it can make people more successful, capable and better at personal relations. The latest scrutiny over their divorce is now turning into a public spectacle in which Scientology stands as a major participant.”

    Dianetics, or Scientology, is just plain humanism. People might believe Scientology is a recent idea, but its roots spring from long, long ago. Erasmus, a philosophic contemporary of Luther, lived and preached humanism ―man is the measure― and lived from 1466-1536.

    As Dianetics proclaims the education of a person toward becoming a person in the “clear,” or a practicing Thetan, Erasmus proclaimed the education of people because, as one philosophy text says, education alone would “eventually conquer stupidity and ignorance.” Dianetics is nothing more than making man a god and educating him to understand that he is god. Dianetics is nothing more than the philosophy of Erasmus.

    As “USA Today” pointed out, Scientology has suffered through the trials, lawsuits and controversies since its “creation” in 1954. But with Cruise, we have a demonstrated logical inconsistency. If Scientology claims it is the sure-fire remedy for collapsing marriages and personal relationships, then why is Cruise and Holmes, the two greatest devotees of the “religion,” divorcing?

    Since Cruise and Holmes are “practicing Thetans,” why are they resolving their differences in a court of divorce law?

    The truth is that Scientology is neither religion nor truth. The truth is in the Bible. The teachings of Jesus are truth. Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” (John 8:32 NKJV).

    If you want the truth, then you want Jesus. You want his truth. You want to obey his will. Obey him today.

     

    • Mike Riley 4:28 pm on July 17, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Good analysis, John of Scientology. The problem with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes is simply the fact that (1) They have no spiritual commitment to stay in the marriage, (2) their egos get in the way of common sense, (3) they have far too much money (and are in always in the process of making more money). Looks like to me their daughter would be priority number one – not making more money.

  • John Henson 4:05 pm on July 4, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , Independence,   

    Thank God for His Love, Too 

    While you’re enjoying fried chicken or steak cooked in honor of the birth of the United States, think for a moment of the eternal love God showed his people.

    God preserved Israel from the sword of Egypt. Remember: Israel was in a foreign land. It was in bondage. Israel was separated from its land; the Promised Land had not yet been revealed to Israel. It was separated by a desert, the Desert of Sinai and the vast Eastern Desert. And, Israel’s return was not by its own might, but by the might of God who brought the plagues upon Egypt and parted the Red Sea.

    God preserved Judah from the sword of Babylon. Remember: Judah was in a foreign land, Babylon. It was in bondage. Israel was separated from its land, Palestine. It was separated by a vast distance, most of it desert. And, the return of a remnant of Judah was not by its own power, but by the power of God’s providence in giving Babylon into the hand of Cyrus, the Medo-Persian king.

    God, by his eternal love, preserved us from sin and death: you and me. We were in a foreign land, the land of sin. We were in bondage to sin―captive to it. We were separated from our rightful place: by the side of God who created us and thrown by our own actions into the wilderness of sin. Our return is not by our own might, but by the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8f).

    Those who are New Testament Christians know these things to be true. Shouldn’t we be thankful, then, not only for this country of freedom, but also for the freedom from sin that God gave us by the son of his love (John 3:16)?

    Don’t forget to give thanks to God for his eternal love on this Independence Day.

     

  • John Henson 10:16 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: ,   

    Take a Temperature 

    Of all the advances of medical science during the last 100 years, the most overlooked ones are those improvements in diagnosis.

    In 1912, it was difficult to catch diseases at an early stage because there was no way to see inside the human body. Currently, there are several methods: doctors can use x-rays, cat scans (computerized axial tomography) or magnetic resonance testing. In less than five minutes and without much risk to the patient, physicians can see what would have taken exploratory surgery in 1912.

    Yet, even though doctors have all these wonderful machines at their command, simple diagnostic tasks continue to be used that can reveal an amazing amount of information about a person’s illness.

    An elevated body temperature can determine if there is an infection, inflammation or other inflammatory disease inside the body. While at the time the temperature is taken, a nurse can also count respirations per minute and the pulse rate. Elevated temperatures and increased pulse rates are very suggestive of certain diseases.

    While a lower body temperature may not indicate any serious disease, a dropping temperature may signal a problem within a patient’s brain. Lower body temperatures are seen in cases of shock because of blood loss. Close to death, a person’s body temperature will drop and continue dropping. Brain tumors also cause a reduction in the ability of the body to maintain its temperature.

    So, a simple test may say just as much as some of the more complex and expensive machines.

    Want to determine the spiritual health of a church or an individual Christian? Take the temperature. In a healthy church or person, the temperature for Christ will be very high. You can see the fervor in their attitudes. In a not-so-healthy church or Christian, the fervor will be low. Such attitudes will show a lack of love, concern for the lost and a disregard for the need to teach the gospel.

    Jesus warned one church in Revelation 3:15-16 of its decreasing temperature. The Laodicean church was lukewarm; it was neither cold nor hot. It had lost its fervor for its Lord. It had fallen into a desperately ill condition. Its people had become so self-sufficient the church believed it didn’t need anything. It needed to catch fire for the Lord. It needed its temperature to rise.

    Want to find out what your spiritual condition is? All one needs to do is take a temperature.

     

    • Eugene Adkins 11:06 am on June 2, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Good post, John. Love the temperature analogy. Here with in the next month or so, I’m going to start a series on Sunday morning about having a passion for God, the gospel and the church. I guess you could say I’m going to try and hold my own revival to fan the flames.

      • John Henson 8:34 am on June 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply

        Thank you, brother! May God bring your work much good fruit is my prayer.

  • John Henson 10:48 am on April 18, 2012 Permalink | Reply  

    Any better off? 

    Appointing a king was a bad idea for Israel and God tried to explain that to them through Samuel.

    Evidently, the elders of Israel had failed to take into account what appointing a king would mean. They believed they would have more influence with a human king to change some things they didn’t like.

    Of course, what they really didn’t like was God’s rule over them. This was the controversy (1 Samuel 8:7). It was God’s way they resented. It was God’s rule they wanted to throw away.

    Think of the calamity the monarchy produced in Israel. King David, the best of the lot, was guilty of adultery and murder. The remainder of the monarchy caused Israel to divide, ultimately taken captive and transported to Assyria and Babylon.

    When people decide God shouldn’t control their lives, that’s when the problems start. It’s the same today as it was in the day Israel asked God for a human king. As the United States rules prayer in schools unconstitutional and as its people care more for alcohol than they do the worship of God has there been any good effect?

    In the late 1970s, Ronald Reagan was elected president after asking a single question in a debate with then President Jimmy Carter. He said, “Are you any better off now?” Well, are you any better off now than you were when you threw the rule of God away? Is our nation?

     

  • John Henson 11:12 am on March 22, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    Don’t Forget Your Bible 

    People going on vacation this summer will remember sun block, appropriate clothing, money for the trip, hotels, gasoline, and food.

    The most important thing to remember (and, perhaps, the one most left behind) is a Bible.

    Going on a vacation doesn’t mean one should abandon the study of the Bible. Feeding the soul is just as important as feeding oneself food. But isn’t it curious that people will seldom miss a meal, but they will leave home without their main source of spiritual food?

    Oh, and don’t forget your spiritual family. No one going on a summer trip would forget the husband, wife or children (unless you’re making a movie about leaving one of them home), but there are people who leave town forgetting the church still needs financial support. The church also needs to plan for its worship and work, so it would be a good thing if you let the elders know you’ll be away, wouldn’t it?

    Do some planning, too, before launching out. Find out where you’re going to worship God before you leave. Make sure you know the worship and Bible study times and make sure your children understand these things are as important to you as where the best surfing is (Matthew 6:33).

    Remember God in prayer, too, for you want a safe and happy journey. Remember to ask for one!

     

     

  • John Henson 10:29 am on March 8, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , mom   

    The Mom Who Loved 

    Part of the story of Stephanie Decker, and of us. Here: http://foolforhim.wordpress.com/

     

  • John Henson 10:54 am on March 7, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: cares,   

    How many times does it ever enter the minds of people that Jesus doesn’t care?

    Through sickness, marital problems, with sin wrecking their minds and their lives and it’s easy to believe the Lord just doesn’t care.

    What if it were possible to prove beyond all doubt Jesus does care? Well, it is.

    The proof is in the parallel passages of Matthew chapter eight and Mark chapter one.

    Jesus had been active. He had cured the demon-possessed man (Mark 1:21). He healed a leper and the Centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:1-5). In all there were 10 miraculous healings performed by Jesus and all on the Sabbath day.

    Why did he do this? And, why did he do all this on the Sabbath?

    Jesus was never too tired to help someone. To him, people are important. Their afflictions drew his immediate attention because he loved them. He wasn’t violating the Law of Moses ― far from it ― he was concerned about people because they are his creation (Colossians 1:15-17).

    On one occasion, Jesus told the Pharisees, “Which of you, if you have a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on the Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” (Luke 14:5 NET). They would do that for an animal, but they thought Jesus caring for his creation was wrong.

    That Jesus did all this on the Sabbath was important because as long as there were people who needed help, he would help them. Why? He would help them because he loved them. He loved them all!

    And, so the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4 is noted here: “In this way what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet was fulfilled:”He took our weaknesses and carried our diseases,” (Matthew 8:17 NET).

    So, now, do you believe Jesus cares about you? And, what about the sin that plagues your life and rips your mind in two? When your eyes are wide open at night and your heart hurts because sin has separated you from your God, did you know Jesus cares and wants to do something to help? He does.

    In 1859, William Hunter wrote the words to a great hymn: “The Great Physician:”

    “The great Physician now is near,
    The sympathizing Jesus;
    He speaks the drooping heart to cheer,
    Oh! hear the voice of Jesus.

    Sweetest note in seraph song,
    Sweetest Name on mortal tongue;
    Sweetest carol ever sung,
    Jesus, blessed Jesus.”

    All the Lord Jesus wants you to do is obey the gospel. He can help with your hurt and he can cure your sin sickness because he cares about you. He simply wants what’s best for you. Remember when he said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” (Matthew 11:28-30 KJV).

    Isn’t it time to let the Great Physician help?

     

  • John Henson 12:15 pm on March 1, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    Ask, Seek, Knock 

    Text: Matthew 7:7ff

    Introduction:

    1. We generally learn how to ask our parents for things early.

    2. Asking God requires much the same characteristics, but also MORE.

    I. The Idea Defined

    1. Ask: Present tense imperative

    a. Ordinary reference to prayer, but the meaning includes continuous action.

    b. It means we should begin asking NOW, not wait until an emergency.

    2. Seek:

    a. Colossians 3:1ff Also in the present tense, “Keep on seeking.”

    b. Imperative.

    3. Knock

    a. (Wuest) Two words for “knock” in the N.T. This one refers to a polite, continuous knocking. Not pounding.

    b. The idea of perseverance in prayer.

    II. The Idea Exemplified

    1. Matthew 15:21-28 The Canaanite woman

    2. Luke 18:1-8 The widow

    III. The Idea Applied

    1. BE PROACTIVE, not REACTIVE. Start NOW!

    2. BE CONFIDENT. Hebrews 13:6

    3. BE WILLING to humble yourself. James 4:6-10

    4. KEEP ON PRAYING!

    IV. Haven’t Prayed?

    1. Not a Christian? Become one.

    2. Haven’t been faithful? Come home!

     

  • John Henson 8:36 am on February 18, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    God Can Make You Great! 

    One of the lessons of Gideon in Judges Chapters 6-8 is that God can take a humble person and make someone great.

    In the play, “The Twelfth Night,” William Shakespeare wrote, “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them.” In fact, men are not born great. They may be born with fortunes of money, as John F. Kennedy; or they may achieve fame as did World War II hero Audie Murphy. Greatness is seldom “thrust.” God can take a lowly person and make that one great.

    Gideon was threshing wheat when God brought the news to him that he was a “mighty man of valor,” (Judges 6:11). Gideon was not ruling Israel; he was not in command of the nation’s armies, in fact it is doubtful that Israel had a standing army until after Gideon formed it. He was simply a farmer harvesting a crop.

    It was in obeying God’s commands that Gideon became great.

    Gideon is not the only example of how God took a humble person and made a great one. What about King David? David was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd discounted by his own father from being king, but God chose him (1 Samuel 16:11-13). God chose David to achieve a stature few men ever reach.

    What about Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, wrongly accused by Potiphar but rose to become a mighty man in his own right, second only to Pharaoh. God made Joseph mighty.

    It is clear from the scriptures that God takes humble people and makes them great. He can take you and make something great, too.

    Do you think you’re too old, or too insignificant, or too uneducated to make a difference in God’s kingdom and the world? Think again. If God can take these people and make them great, then he can make you great! You’re not too old. You’re not too infirm. You’re not too poor. You’re not too ugly.

    All we need to remember is to see ourselves as God sees us. He thinks you’re pretty good material. How do I know?

    Simple. He bought you with his son’s blood.

     

    • Barbara Oliver 10:29 am on February 18, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Thank you, John, for such wonderful encouragement.

  • John Henson 10:09 am on February 16, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    Create in Me a Clean Heart, Oh God 

    “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; And in the hidden part thou wilt make me to know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, And blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me,” (Psalm 51:6-10 ASV).

    King David had sinned. He had sinned by taking Bathsheba after lust found conception in his heart (James 1:14-15). He added sin to sin when he had Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, killed on the battlefield (2 Samuel 11). Then, King David lied and attempted to keep the sins concealed.

    He could not, however, conceal his sins from his own mind, neither could he conceal his sins from the people, and he certainly could not hide them from God. The text of Psalm 51 shows in graphic detail how the king’s sins had made him feel foul and loathsome because that’s what sin does.

    David asked God for a clean heart and a right spirit. Sin destroys any cleanness of a person’s conscience. As demonstrated in David’s life, sin stamps out a right spirit and, instead, replicates itself until the entire mind is enslaved to it.

    The only cure for sin is to turn from it in repentance and, as the king did in 2 Samuel 12, admit its existence in confession.

    Unless we take steps to stop it, sin will continue to create more sins, just like bacteria reproduce and infect the body until an antibiotic is found to stop the process. The antibiotic for sin is obedience to the gospel of Christ.

    The king was broken by sin, yet he was forgiven. The words of a hymn tell us, “Bring Christ your broken life, so marred by sin. He will create a new, make whole again.” This was precisely what David requested: “Create in me a clean heart, oh God; and renew a right spirit within me.”

     

  • John Henson 12:39 pm on February 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    Lessons from Gideon 

    I. God takes humble people and makes them great. Judges 6:11-12

    II. Those who chase the things of the world will be discouraged. Judges 7:20-23.

    III. We must do God’s will no matter the odds. Judges 7:7, 12, 20-21.

    IV. The Country was in Quietness for 40 years. (and Isaiah 32:17; John 14:6).

    (Yes, there are certainly more than just four points. But, aren’t they good points?)

     

  • John Henson 2:06 pm on January 31, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    A Good Idea 

    One of the great things about Jeremiah is how the Lord God instructed him to deliver lessons using everyday things.

    An example of this is Jeremiah 13. God asks Jeremiah to buy and bury a linen loincloth, remove it from its pit and show how useless it had become. By its continued sin, Judah has become useless to God. Judah had been God’s possession to show his glory, but now it had become spoiled.

    God then asks Jeremiah to tell them, “Every jug is to be filed with wine,” (Jeremiah 13:12 NASB). Judah smirked back saying, “Tell us something we don’t know.” The figure was designed to show how Judah was like stumbling, bumbling drunks who didn’t realize how foolish they were.

    God tells Judah, “’Thus says the LORD, ”Behold I am about fill all the inhabitants of this land ― the priests, the prophets and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem ― with drunkenness! I will dash them against each other both the fathers and the sons together,’ declares the LORD,” (Jeremiah 13:13-14a NASB).

    The same can be true of us if we become useless, and are not glorifying God, sharing his gospel and have turned a blind eye to sin.

    God gives all a chance to repent. Here’s a good idea: let’s take that opportunity and obey God today.

     

  • John Henson 2:47 pm on January 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , motives, Ouch   

    OUCH! 

    Early in my preaching, it was my belief that my successes should be shared with everyone. Even now, I sometimes catch myself trying to impress someone with my pride in what I’m able to do.

    Wow, what a foolish thing! The last thing I need is to justify my work by showing others how well I think I’m doing it!

    Have you ever thought that one of the things God’s word does better than anything is its ability to hold up our motives and put them on public display. All the Lord has to do is say, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves ; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others,” (Philippians 2:3-4 NASB).

    OUCH!

    Paul defines selfishness and empty conceit as the way I’m conducting myself when I try to show others what a great preacher I am. Not only has he defined my shortcoming, but he has shown how he wants me to improve. It isn’t necessary for people to get the headlines of my success. It is more important for me “to regard another as more important.”

    Shouldn’t it be enough for me to glorify God, who already knows about my successes and failures? He’s the one for whom these labors are made. We are obeying his commands.

    Besides, my reason for doing this job is not so I can become the one everybody wants to turn to and glorify. The reason is so that people will hear the gospel so that the power of God will save them. If I preach the truth, then I’ve done what God wants (Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 1:17, 18).

    Thank you, Lord God, for your word that cuts through our pretense and lays our motives bare before your eyes.

     

    • Ron Thomas 4:30 am on January 26, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Perhaps there are some, John, who can’t relate with your words. I am one of them who can. Fortunately I learned the humbling lesson about 20 years ago. I have never forgotten it.

  • John Henson 1:35 pm on January 25, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    If I knew then… 

    How many times have you ever said, “If I knew then, what I know now, I’d certainly do things differently?”

    Job is saying this in the last chapter of his book. Surely, Job regrets many of the things he said about God and is ready to repent and do those works “meet for repentance,” (Acts 26:20).

    Some of the things Job learned from his trial included:

    1. Job’s wisdom was not enough to show the patriarch what he needed to see. He needed God’s word for that, and so do we!
    2. Job understands that God never abandoned him. God has promised to always be with us (Hebrews 13:5). We should remember this whenever we’re tempted to think God doesn’t care.
    3. Job understands that God had heard him. The truly remarkable thing is that when Job was allowing his sorrow to find release through his mouth, God withheld his hand. God is giving us all the same chance.
    4. Job realized his need for repentance and confession. Job no longer made demands in this last chapter. He is ready to change and wants to be restored spiritually. Nowhere in the scripture is he demanding God restore his wealth. His most important restoration was the relationship he had with God.

    One of the significant things I learned in this study of Job was something Don Shackleford wrote in his “Truth for Today” commentary. He said Job’s office as intercessor brackets the book. God made mention of it in Job 1:5 and it is in this final chapter as Job was instructed to make sacrifices for his three friends.

    We have an intercessor, Christ the righteous, “who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” (Titus 2:14).

    Have we taken the time today to thank God for our Lord and Savior Jesus, who gave himself for us? If not, then why not take time right now?

     

  • John Henson 2:36 pm on January 16, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    A Truly Wonderful Poem 

    There aren’t that many good poets out there in our day. There are even fewer good Christian poets.

    That’s one of the reasons why I really like Randal Matheny’s poetry. You really owe it to yourself to read this one: http://alturl.com/isou4

     

     

  • John Henson 12:17 pm on January 13, 2012 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: insomnia, ,   

    According to the National Sleep Foundation more than… 

    According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than $14 billion (yep, that’s billion with a “b’”) is spent on drugs and other preparations designed to assure a good night’s sleep.

    In addition, the foundation reports 48 percent of Americans have insomnia while 22 percent experience the problem almost every night.

    Here’s the Bible’s prescription for sound sleep, and is given to you free of charge. It’s in the book of Proverbs which says, “By His knowledge the deeps were broken up and the skies drip with dew. My son, let them not vanish from your sight ; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, so they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck. Then you will walk in your way securely and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet,” (Proverbs 3:20-24).

    Obedience to the commands of the Lord will help you to have the sweetest sleep you’ve ever had. Obedience to the gospel clears the conscience and unburdens the mind.

    You may not sleep peacefully every night, for there will always be cares. But, obedience to the Lord’s commands keeps one’s heart clear of the things of this world.

    The prescription is yours. What will you do with it?

     

    • Mike Riley 6:50 pm on January 13, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Great advice, John!

    • Eugene Adkins 7:28 pm on January 13, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      I had forgotten about that verse in Proverbs! Great verse. Loved talking about it when while going through Proverbs in our adult class.

    • J. Randal Matheny 6:25 pm on January 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Great reminder, John. I’ve been a bit absent from TFR the past week, hadn’t caught this post.

    • John Henson 7:29 pm on January 15, 2012 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks, brothers. I’m humbled. Put it in the bulletin yesterday. Even a blind hog can find an acorn every once in a while.

  • John Henson 12:02 pm on January 3, 2012 Permalink | Reply
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    The Bible IS Inspired by God 

    Writers and commentators in the world often see the Bible very differently than faithful members of the Lord’s church.

    Members of the body of Christ know the Bible is inspired. They know this because the New Testament says it is inspired. The Apostle Peter said “but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost,” (2 Peter 1:21). The Apostle Paul wrote, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” (2 Timothy 3:16). As far as the apostles of Christ were concerned, the Bible was (and is) the inspired word of Almighty God.

    But many do not share the inspired apostles’ claims. J.B. Phillips, the translator of the “New Testament in Modern English” said in the foreword of his book, “For the most part, I am convinced they (the writers of the New Testament) had no idea they were writing Holy Scriptures.” Phillips also said he was an interpreter rather than a translator, saying that, at times, “he is bound, after careful consideration, to set down the most likely meaning” of a passage.

    Such an attitude reflects the view of the Bible as uninspired, for if the Bible is the inspired word of God, no one would dare tamper with its words. If the Bible is the inspired word of the Almighty Father, then all would have to honor it and obey it as it is written, instead of paraphrasing it to sound like a bedtime story.

    There is a reason, of course, why the world denies the inspiration of the Bible. If the Bible is not inspired, then it may be ignored and the individual may continue his or her life deaf to its message. To them, the Bible is just an ordinary human document, like any other book; there is no requirement to obey it or hold ones’ life accountable to it.

    But the Lord Christ promised divine inspiration while he was on earth (Matthew 10:18-20; John 16:13-14). The Lord kept his promise in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit inspired these same men to speak his word before that large crowd in Jerusalem.

    People, however, deny the inspiration of the scriptures because they deny the scriptures’ authority on how to conduct themselves. They deny the scriptures’ authority so they can commit adultery, allow themselves to be drunken with alcohol, engage in sexual immorality and allow hundreds of other sins in which they wish to engage. They wish to degrade the scriptures because they want to put God in other than first place. (Matthew 6:33).

    But the Bible is the inspired word of God. It does have the authority to regulate conduct of people on the earth, and it has that ability because it is God’s word! The Bible is the inspired word of God no matter what man may say against it.

     

  • John Henson 10:28 pm on December 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply
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    Lively night 

    This evening, a good friend of mine who lives in Seattle and I carried on a lively discussion with two or three people on Facebook who had never obeyed the gospel.

    One of our purposes was to encourage them to reduce to writing what they believed. They had an extremely difficult time doing this, but when they did we discovered some interesting things about their thinking:

    1. Proving their position was unnecessary. One of the people expressed their belief as being a necessity to “accept Jesus as their personal savior.” However, when we asked where in the New Testament this was required, the person denied needing to do this. Another person said, “One does not have to prove why they believe the way they do.” In addition to giving her 1 John 4:1 and 1 Peter 3:15, we asked if a Muslim should prove his belief. She said, “Nope.”

    2. The scriptures were not important to them. After asking one of them to provide scriptures in support for their belief as we had for ours, one said, “No you have offered Scripture not proof and that is my point.” After then offering Hebrews 11:1 and its definition of faith being “evidence of things not seen,” the person continued to deny the importance of scripture in what one believes.

    3. The scriptures do not provide real faith. One wrote, “We believe through faith not because it was proven to be real.” At that point, it seemed to me that the possibility of reaching this person was pretty close to nil. How can one deal with someone who believes this? It was clear that:

    4. These people were entrenched. This is the hardest part of trying to teach the gospel in the United States. People are so entrenched in their man-made doctrines they have no room in their minds for the truth. Yet, we must keep trying to reach them and give them an opportunity to obey the gospel.

    It was enjoyable putting the light into the darkness, even though it was clear that people “loved darkness rather than light.”

     

    • Eugene Adkins 10:49 pm on December 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Your words remind of the very things I encounter (especially point #2) when I have conversations with people on wordpress almost on a daily basis. Even though I have only been on there for about a month it absolutely amazes me how many people who write under the topic of “Christian based, Jesus believing, God loving” articles have disdaining and negative attiudes toward and about the Bible and absolute truth. I just had one right before I came here.

      It really is sad when someone wants to talk about Christianity or Jesus but they will not accept anything that the Bible says unless it supports what they believe. If it doesn’t then it “automatically” becomes “just the words of Paul” or something that another man wrote in and “not what God wanted taught.” It has really made me think about the saying, “there are none so blind as those who will not see” in a whole new light.

      • John Henson 7:09 am on December 18, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        You’re right, brother. This idea that one can believe what one wishes without even understanding it and a reluctance to accept biblical teaching as the objective word of God is becoming more widely accepted. I could not believe that one of the people we had the discussion with said it was not necessary for a Muslim to prove his assertions. That kinda got my attention.

  • John Henson 12:42 pm on December 8, 2011 Permalink | Reply
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    Good Advice 

    Almost all of the sins I commit are related to the improper use of the tongue.

    My class on the book of James was taught by Dr. Thomas Eaves at Tennessee Bible College. To keep from taking his notoriously difficult tests, he allowed the option of memorizing the book. This was a blessing for me.

    James wrote, “So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell,” (James 3:5-6 ASV).

    Memorizing this has kept me from making some really big mistakes. Forgetting it has also precipitated some of my worse gaffes.

    “The tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members.” This advice is worth its weight in gold and is certainly worth memorization.

     

  • John Henson 6:35 pm on November 29, 2011 Permalink | Reply
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    Son Honoreth His Father 

    The following is a “bare bones” outline for an exposition of Malachi 1:6-9 for you. I love expository preaching from any passage of the Bible, but the prophets are really fruitful, in my opinion. Even though it’s bare bones, it’ll preach.

    A Son Honoreth His Father

    Malachi 1:6-9

    A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honor? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 7Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. 8And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. 9And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts.

     

    1. Where is MY honor? (Verse 6a)

    2. Where is MY fear? (Verse 6b)

    3.  Where are MY sacrifices? (Verses 7-8)

    4. Then, why should I regard YOU? (Verse 9)

     

  • John Henson 12:18 pm on November 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply
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    Beware of Covetousness 

    Anyone who doesn’t believe covetousness is prevalent in today’s society only needs to look at the death toll on Black Friday.

    According to a published report, one person was shot at a Myrtle Beach Wal-Mart and several others were injured as “shoppers” ransacked store shelves of other stores in other states for bargains.

    This behavior matches Black Fridays in 2008, 2009 and 2010 when there have been injuries and fatalities because of over-zealous striving to have what they want no matter what.

    Make no mistake. This behavior is a telling symptom of covetousness. This behavior is motivated by an inordinate desire for things, which is what covetousness is.

    We have more things, yet we desire even more things than we have. Entire storage facilities are filling up with the things we have no more room to store in the face of our buying even more things.

    Read Rick Kelley’s good article about the phenomenon of covetousness at http://bulletin-digest.com/.

    Remember this: covetousness is not age specific. One may fall victim to it at any age! It does not affect just the wealthy: some of those who are overcome by covetousness are poor. Covetousness strikes regardless of race or of any other consideration.

    As children of God, we must remember what God told us in Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you,’” (Hebrews 13:5 ESV).

     

    • John Henson 2:20 pm on November 26, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      MSNBC reported today, “Family and friends were stunned by the loss of a West Virginia man who died while shopping on Black Friday as fellow bargain hunters reportedly walked around — and even over — the man’s body.”

  • John Henson 10:39 am on November 23, 2011 Permalink | Reply
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    Holiday Depression? 

    Some people fear the holidays because they believe they will suffer deep depression and may more likely commit suicide

    According to an article written in the Cleveland “Plain Dealer” newspaper, suicides are actually lower during the month of December than at any other time of the year.

    People do experience grief more acutely during the holidays mainly because there are traditions they’ve developed that strongly remind them of loved ones they’ve lost.

    An example was a woman who lost her family to a plane crash. They had always celebrated the holidays in Florida, a tradition the woman continued after her family was killed. She became distraught during the holiday, but continued to go to Florida and sat on the beach sobbing.

    One method of decreasing the depression is by changing the tradition.

    A better way is to lift oneself up with the scriptures’ teaching about resurrection and eternity. Studying the scriptures can allow one to see above the sorrow. Do you believe Jesus can help you climb above it?

    Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26 ESV).

    Obedience to Jesus allows one to see a new life, and that life in Christ never really ends..

     

     

    • Mike Riley 10:53 am on November 23, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Thanks for the good reminder, John! It’s easy to get depressed when we’re faced with the changes that the passing of time brings about. All we can do is fully trust in the One who never changes (Proverbs 3:5-6; Malachi 3:6), and then go about doing good (Acts 10:38).

    • John Henson 1:14 pm on November 23, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      Amen, brother.

  • John Henson 12:35 pm on November 19, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , ,   

    Don’t Be Fooled 

    “Don’t be fooled,” advertisers say. Don’t be taken by charlatans selling a discounted product. It may promise to be as good as the name brand, but it will never measure up!

    Judah had become ensnared by false gods that promised peace and plenty in the days of Jeremiah. They had become fooled into thinking that because the temple was still standing that God would not see how they had devoted themselves to wood and stone.

    So God said, “Don’t be fooled into thinking that you will never suffer because the Temple is here. It’s a lie!” (Jeremiah 7:8 NLT). It’s easy to get lulled into thinking something that isn’t true. Think about all those advertisers who sell everything from pet rocks to those longer-lasting light bulbs.

    God continued, “Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie, and burn incense to Baal and all those other new gods of yours, and then come here and stand before me in my Temple and chant, “We are safe!”—only to go right back to all those evils again?” (Jeremiah 7:9-10 NLT). Judah was wrong if it believed it could disobey God’s word and think it could continue to flourish.

    It’s amazing how the example of Judah is so similar to people in our day. Do we think we can expect the blessings of God to continue while we refuse to bridle our tongues, kill babies, mistreat our neighbors and commit some of the same acts for which God condemned Judah in the Old Testament.

    Don’t be fooled into thinking you will never suffer because religious freedom exists here. Don’t be fooled into thinking people in this country can engage in immoral, detestable behavior and get away with it because no one can threaten the safety of our country. Do you really think you can steal, murder, commit adultery, lie and worship other gods and not expect justice?

    Don’t be fooled.

     

    • Ken Mabry 1:30 pm on November 19, 2011 Permalink | Reply

      America is not Israel. Israel was a type of the Church. America is a secular nation were, even if people do believe in God and the Bible, they do not believe as the Church of Christ which makes them just as bad as people worshiping their football idols or celebrities. I can only do God’s Will myself what the rest of America does is what they do and we’ll suffer anyway because it rains on the just and the unjust till the end of time.

      • John Henson 2:40 pm on November 19, 2011 Permalink | Reply

        Israel showed itself to be every bit as secular as any nation around her. Frankly, I can’t understand what your comment is trying to say.

  • John Henson 9:57 am on November 17, 2011 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: automatic,   

    Devote Your Whole Heart 

    Martin Gramatica played for the National Football League as a kicker for Indianapolis, New England, Dallas and New Orleans. He was on the 2000 Pro Bowl squad and has a Super Bowl ring.

     From his college days at Kansas State University, the Argentine-American was known as ‘Automatica Gramatica’ for his superb accuracy. In his day, it seemed almost impossible for him to miss a field goal or extra point. For him, adding points to the scoreboard became almost ritualistic.

    While automatic field-goal kicking may be a desirable trait in the NFL, automatic worship to God is not. Yet, Judah had become automatic in its relationship with God. In Jeremiah 7:21-26 the Lord condemned the sacrifices Judah had been giving in almost mindless repetition.

    God told them, ‘Consider this: When I spoke to your ancestors after I brought them out of Egypt, I did not merely give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices. I also explicitly commanded them:‘Obey me. If you do, I will be your God and you will be my people. Live exactly the way I tell you and things will go well with you.’ But they did not listen to me or pay any attention to me. They followed the stubborn inclinations of their own wicked hearts. They acted worse and worse instead of better,” (Jeremiah 7:22-24 NET).

    Their worship had become about offerings and sacrifices and not about devotion from their hearts. That devotion they gave to pursuing their wealth and living.

    Are we becoming automatic in our worship? Has devotion to God been stamped out of our hearts so that we are more interested in our own pursuits? If so, we must repent and change. We must give to God our whole heart devoted only to him.

    The psalmist wrote, “How blessed are those who observe his rules, and seek him with all their heart,” (Psalm 119:2 NET).

     

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