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 JESUS CAME TO SAVE SINNERS. Luke 5: 30,32 As Jesus and His disciples walked toward Jerusalem for the final Passover before He completed His earthly ministry, Jesus was not concentrating on what He would suffer but He was still ministering to the physical needs of others and still seeking the lost. Dr. John R.Ricewrote, "The dearest thing to Christ's heart is soul winning". Jesus explained why He loved and sought Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector, in Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost". When the Pharisees asked Jesus, "Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners?", Jesus answered,"I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance". Luke 5:30,32. One can never finish tracing the influence of Christ upon the laws of our nation, moral standards, the poor, the sick, women and the homeless. These are but by-products of His impact on human society. Jesus came to keep people out of hell ! The saving of a soul is the one purpose that brought Jesus to the world, the one cause for which He was willing to suffer the cross and the abuse and hatred of men. Jesus gave the disciples the "Great Commission", the basic plan for Christian work for all centuries to come. " Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and,lo,I am with you always, even unto the end o the world". Matthew 28:18-20. The Great Commission is saying the Gospel is to be preached in all nations: those saved are to be baptized as a public profession of their faith,so marking them as Christians; the new converts are to be taught how to live the Christian life and that Jesus promises to never leave them,but be with them unto the end of the world. Do we really know and love the Lord Jesus, if we never have a tear for the unsaved, if we are only occupied with ordinary matters and never concerned about the supreme matter? God help us share the gospel (the good news) of salvation ! The artwork "Jesus" |
 "LET US BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT" By Pastor Gary Henson Helena First Baptist Church Helena, Arkansas, USA 9/26/07 Ephesians 5:18 "And be not drunk with wine,wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." God is comparing being filled with God's Spirit to how people act when they have had too much wine. 1. A person is brave. 2. A person is happy. 3. A person is talkative. 4. A person is generous 5. A person is not overly worried about tomorrow. Being God intoxicated brings about these attiributes and leaves you with no regrets for your actions nor headaches the next day. How do we become God intoxicated? It begins with faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior, at which time the Holy Spirit comes to reside within you. I Corn.3:16: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" Stay close to God in prayer Acts 4:31,"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they assembled and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost". Obey and serve Him Acts 5:32, "And we are His witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey Him". Artwork by G.HARVEY |
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 JESUS‚’ POWER TO MEET NEEDS' Luke 8:22-56 He stills the storm, heals the demoniac, raises Jairus’ daughter, and heals a woman. We find here that CHRIST can control evil. He made this man whole and He can daily conquer sin in us, with our permission. When we face Death, will we be able to call on the power of JESUS to meet that need? Evangelist Billy Sunday described it something like this: One day there will come a knock on your door. You will say: Who is there? The voice will say: I am Death. Death,I did not send for you. No, nobody sends for me. But, O Death, I’m not ready. What, not ready,after all those sermons? After all those prayers offered for you? No, Death,I’m not ready. Take my money, Take my home,take all I have, but not me. I have come for you. I have held a Mortgage on your soul for 20, 30, 40, 50+years, and I have come to foreclose. O Death, if I must go, give me a year to get ready; give me a month, a week. I’ll give you a minute, thirty seconds, twenty, ten….I’ll count them for you... one,two,three,four,five,six,seven, eight ,nine,ten. O hush that footstep, pull down those blinds. Let the tears fall. You’re gone! My friend, I ask you in God’s name, where will you go? Artwork "Be Not Afraid" |
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 THE FRUIT OF A CHRISTIAN.......IS ANOTHER CHRISTIAN The Barren Fig Tree Luke 13:6-9 When we do not participate in some activities or conversations, we find the Christian committment causes division. As soon as we accept the inevitability of this division, God will give us the grace to live confidently with it. Our way of measuring success or failure are not God's way. Earthly prosperity does not indicate godly character; earhtly tragedy does not indicate hidden sin. We are to live repentant lives, knowing that good and bad come to everyone. God's patience has a limit. The fig tree had four seasons to bear fruit, but finally it was cut down. God looks for the fruit of our service, and though His patience is long, it is not limitless. The fruit of a Christian is....another Christian. AMAZING GRACE - John Newton was an infidel and a libertine. His mother died when he was seven. He attended school for two years,then went with his father to sail the seven seas which he did for eighteen years. For six years he captianed a slave ship and once unloaded a cargo of slaves at Charleston, South Carolina. He was wicked and blasphemous. When making a return voyage from Brazil to England, John Newton read "Imitation of Christ" by Thomas a'Kempis. A terrible storm came up and all hope was lost that the ship would survive. During that storm John Newton turned to Christ. When the crew reached England, John resigned as a sailor and began a study that continued for sixteen years. After his study, he was ordained as a Baptist minister and preached the gospel into his eighties. While he was a pastor in Olney, England, he wrote: Amazing Grace, how the sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear The hour I first believed. by Greg Olsen |
 THREE THINGS WE DON'T LIKE ABOUT JESUS Notes taken from a Sermon by Pastor Chris Treat Delta Fellowship Church West Helena, AR 4/1/07 1. JESUS DID NOT COME TO MAKE US HAPPY, BUT CAME TO OFFER US PEACE WITH GOD. 2. JESUS IS NOT IMPRESSED WITH US. WE SHOULD NOT BE IMPRESSED WITH OURSELVES OR OTHERS, BUT ONLY WITH CHRIST. 3. WE DO NOT LIKE THAT JESUS IDENTIFIED WITH PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM US. |
 HAPPY HEARTS CLASS NOTES HELENA FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HELENA, ARKANSAS, USA July 2009 A.D. BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT. (what we are made of) Galatians 5:16-26 THEBODY (OUR FLESH) AND SOUL(OUR MIND, WILL & EMOTIONS) IS WHERE SIN FINDS OPPORTUNITY. OUR SPIRIT, WHERE GOD’S SPIRIT RESIDES AFTER WE BECOME A CHRISTIAN. WE RECOGNIZE THE SPIRIT AND FLESH ARE NATURALLY OPPOSED TO EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURE: THE WAYS OF THE FLESH ARE: SEXUAL SINS, RELIGIOUS SINS AND SOCIAL SINS. (see details Gal 5:19-21) THE WAYS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT ARE: SPIRITUAL GRACES, SOCIAL GRACES AND PERSONAL GRACES. (see details Gal 5:22-23) WE DO NOT DEFEAT THE POWER OF THE FLESH IN OUR OWN STRENGTH BUT BY HIS POWER, THOUGH GOD DOES REQUIRE OUR PARTICIPATION. HE IS LOOKING FOR A HEART THAT IS COMMITTED TO HIM AND HIS LEADERSHIP, NOT PERFECTION. READ PROVERBS CHAPTER 3 TO SEE THE EXCELLENCY AND BENEFITS OF GOD’S WISDOM. * There are 31 Chapters in Proverbs- read one a day WE PRAY FOR GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE & JOY FOR EVERYONE. by John Weiss |
 HAPPY HEARTS CLASS NOTES HELENA FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH HELENA, ARKANSAS, USA AUGUST, 2009 A.D. “SILENCE” CAN BE A SIGN OF WISDOM James 1: 19-27 VS 19-20; “BE QUICK TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK AND SLOW TO ANGER, FOR MAN’S ANGER DOES NOT ACCOMPLISH GOD’S RIGHEOUSNESS”. AN ONGOING STATE OF ANGER IS HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE TO OUR OWN SPIRIT. WE CAN ENCOURAGE OTHERS WITH OUR WORDS OR SAY THINGS THAT WOUND, WHICH MAY NEVER HEAL. PRESIDENT LINCOLN SAID, “BETTER REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT A FOOL THAN TO SPEAK AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT”. VS 22-25; “BE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY”. WE ARE TO LIVE OUT OUR BELIEF IN CHRIST BY HIS EXAMPLE. HE WAS NOT ONLY GOOD BUT DID GOOD. IF WE LOOK INTENTLY INTO HIS WORD AND BECOME A DOER, WE WILL FIND WHAT WE REALLY WANT AND NEED IN LIFE. VS 26-27; “IF ANYONE THINKS HE IS RELIGIOUS, WITHOUT CONTROLLING HIS TONGUE, DECEIVES HIS HEART, HIS RELIGION IS USELESS”. JAMES SUGGESTS HERE THAT A GOSSIPY CHRISTIAN WORSHIPS GOSSIP MORE THAN CHRIST AND THEIR INFLUENCE FOR THE KINGDOM IS FUTILE OR USELESS. HOWEVER, A PERSON HAVING GENIUNE RELIGION WILL CONTROLL WHAT THEY SAY, HELP THOSE THAT CANNOT HELP THEMSELVES AND DEMONSTRATE PURITY IN HOW THEY LIVE. CHRIST, HELP US SEARCH OUR HEARTS AND ASK FORGIVENESS FOR WORDS WE HAVE SPOKEN IN HAST OR ANGER AND ASK THOSE WE HAVE HURT TO FORGIVE US. HELP US TO HAVE GENUINE CONCERN FOR OTHERS AND NOT DISMISS THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SIN OF “GOSSIP” and “HARSH WORDS”. by Nita Engles |
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