Romans 6.20-23 "Declaration of Dependence"

“For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6.20-23 (ESV)

In 1776, our national began with the writing and signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was a brave and noble act. However, when it comes to salvation we must recognize our sinfulness and inability to win our own salvation. It requires a total trust- a dependence- in Christ for us to inherit salvation.

Slaves to Sin (v.20-21)
• God's law finds all people guilty
• Sin enslaves
• Law introduces us to knowledge of sin (GalatianComplete Song List | s 3.24: “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” [ESV])
• Free from righteousness: fruit is wrath/death

Set Free from Sin (v.22)
• Righteousness comes through Christ, not the law
• Through Christ was can be set free from sin: fruit is sanctification(process of becoming clean or holy)/salvation

Salvation in the Son (v.23)
• The previous three verses summed up in verse 23
• The point is clear: if we are independent in this regard we are bound for hell
• We must be totally dependent on Jesus for salvation

In 1776 the founding fathers declared independence from Great Britain. Today we must declare our total dependence on Jesus. There is no other way to be saved and set free from sin.

Honduran Military Action Was Not a Coup!

Despite the propaganda from Communist Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez and from democRAT wanna-be dictator Barack Obama, the Honduran military did not stage a coup.

The communist president had violated the laws and the Constitution and was ordered arrested by the Honduran Supreme Court and Congress. Furthermore, the Congress appointed Roberto Micheletti to take Zelaya's (ousted ex-president of Honduras) place according to the constitution.

There has been much reaction in the press about this. Much of the information is false. Many in the media are flat-out, bald-faced liars. One article said that the military was going to pick the new president. That was a lie. Others called it a coup. That is totally false. The military only removed the president as directed by the Supreme Court and the Honduran Congress.

Additionally, there were reports that the power and internet were cut off with a media black-out. That also was inaccurate. I have read conversations with people from Honduras and they have all their utilities.

Lastly, the Honduran military did not imprison or kill Mr. Zelaya. They sent him to Costa Rica.

Chávez may criticize this action, but he is a moron. He is a major hypocrite too. His best buddy is Castro who led a real military coup and murdered many people to achieve and keep power. Chávez has also imprisoned many and threatened many more to lock his place as the dictator-in-disguise of a false democracy.

Honduran leadership ousted Zelaya because he was working to subvert the Honduran Constitution. He was violating the separation of powers and the checks and balances of the government worked like a charm. That is why he was sent packing. Good for Honduras.

Obama needs to stay out of it and shut his yap. He is ticked because one of his communist buddies was kicked to the curb. One less far-left Central or South American fanny to kiss.

Some great articles about this event (minus the Communist slant found in the main stream/government controlled media):

Honduras Defends Its Democracy

Honduras is Still Free (Actually offers a Honduran flag that I designed to support the new president & action by their government)

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 6/28/09

It was a wonderful day to be in Dade City yesterday! We actually arrived around 9am to meet with family from Pensacola. It was a great time of fellowship and catching up. We were at the Ministry about 10:50 and most of the people were already there and ready to go.

My newly strung guitar was ready to go and we worshiped in Spanish by singing "Este es el Dia" and "Sing! Shout!" followed by "Dame/Give Me." The worship time was really good- especially with my limited abilities being used to lead the way. I did encourage the English-speaking people to try to sing along with the Spanish songs and gave a brief pronounciation lesson (some of my tiny knowledge of Spanish).

We were able to separate the languages again, so I was able to preach solely in English. However, before I did I encouraged the English speaking people to be accepting of those who spoke Spanish and told them about how there were people there in the past who were prejudice against the Hispanish part of the Ministry. I told the people that it was disgraceful to act that way and that they should not allow that to be a part of their thinking. This group seemed to be very open to what I had to say and did not seem to have a problem with the Spanish speaking part of the Ministry.

My message was on James 1.22. It was a simple outline:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. -James 1.22 ESV

Live It (Romans 12.1-2): Live a transformed life; turn from sin to God, etc.

Show It (James 2.14-23): Demonstrate faith by doing what God says (Abraham); "Faith that shows nothing is nothing"

Talk It (Ephesians 4.29-32): Our communication should reflect Christ in our lives

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 6/21/09

Arriving at the ministry at exactly 11am did not give me time to prepare; however, the ministry had another break-in and several fans were stolen along with some other items. That meant the other room- used for the services in Spanish- was unavailable. It would have reached around 100 degrees in there.

Therefore, I had to preach before the whole group and translation was provided by my wife, Loiana. She did a good job, especially since she was not planning on translating and since I had to simplify the message while preaching. It is difficult to preach with an interpreter because it interrupts the flow of the message.

All in all, the message went well- I did an extended review of the last two weeks since this was the third in a three-part series. It was pretty hot- worse than usual, because we were left with less fans.

I led worship a Capella once again, and added "Sanctuary" (or "Santuario" in Spanish) as one of the worship songs. Leading in Spanish was a challenge, but it was successful.

Finally, I met a new couple who have a little boy (about nine months old). They live in a converted bus without an air conditioner. Their generator was stolen, leaving them no way to keep the bus cool in the extreme heat. The gentleman, Mike, has a heart condition and it in poor health. Their situation broke my heart. I wished I could do something to help. He was working at SweetBay (a grocery chain) in the deli, but when he had a heart attack they fired him. Fortunately they have WIC and food stamps to keep them from starving and to keep the baby healthy, but they are in a bad situation.

Add to that the fact that another gentleman- a veteran- and his wife are being evicted because they are behind on their rent, and I was overwhelmed. The man who is behind on his rent, Edward, has been trying to work something out with unemployment and disability or to find a job that he can do without compromising his heart condition, but without success. We actually met with Edward and his wife and took time to pray with them. We shared a meal with them and we happy to finally meet his wife. She is in poor health as well. They do not have much because of the path they have been on in life- including being a military family. They were unable to have children, but would always help with children where they lived. Edward has been preaching on Thursday nights at the ministry. He had worked toward a Bachelors degree earlier.

Please, Christian brothers and sister, pray for these people and this ministry. They have not given up, but the times have been tough for them.

Mark 10.32-34 "Three Persepctives" (Pt. 3)

46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me! 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, Son of David, have mercy on me! 49 And Jesus stopped and said, Call him. And they called the blind man, saying to him, Take heart. Get up; he is calling you. 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, What do you want me to do for you? And the blind man said to him, Rabbi, let me recover my sight. 52 And Jesus said to him, Go your way; your faith has made you well. And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

Perspective of Salvation (The Blind Beggar) FREE

The Request (v.46-47)

• Bartimaeus means son of Timaeus, emphasized by repetition- probably for a reason
• Timaeus means “honor”
• CONTRAST: James and John sought honor, Jesus rejected their request; this man had no honor, despite his name, and Jesus granted his request
• James 4.6 “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (ESV); 1 Peter 5.5 “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (ESV)

The Rebuke (v.48)

• This man was mocked and rebuked by the crowd
• He was ridiculed because he was different (do we act that way?)

The Recognition (v.49-51)

• Despite his low position, Bartimaeus was called by Jesus
• Bartimaeus “sprang up” when called by Jesus
• He left behind his cloak- probably used to collect money from begging; left his old life behind not looking back
• Luke 9.62 “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (ESV)

The Reward (v.52)

• When Bartimaeus obeyed Jesus, he was healed
• Bartimaeus responded by following Jesus
• Not the trite and shallow response seen in many places today. He was hungering and thirsting for God (Psalm 42.1-2: “As a deer longs for streams of water,
  so I long for You, God. ²I thirst for God, the living God. When can I come and appear before God?” [HCSB])

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 6/14/09

We arrived about two minutes early because we stopped at WalMart for a bathroom break before going to the ministry. Keep in mind, things like this have to be planned, as there is no bathroom at the ministry. The key to this ministry is flexibility.

When we arrived on site, the doors were still locked as the people who have keys had not yet arrived. I have not yet been issued a key to the building. At about eight minutes after, I was about to being the service outdoors. However, the people with keys showed up just at that time.

The service began shortly thereafter. We prayed, read Ephesians 4 and had a Capella worship.

Finally, my wife brought the Spanish speaking people into the second room for their message and I began the message in English. I think the message went very well. It was not difficult to stick with the text and I feel like the Lord led me into a heightened understanding of His Word- things I had meditated on and studied became clearer as I was preaching. It was an exciting experience for me and I noticed that our dear friend Alice (who has been improving in health) stayed awake and alert despite working the night-shift before coming to the ministry for her fellowship and worship time. That was a good sign.

The turn-out was larger than normal despite some regular attenders being absent. In a way that is good, but I think it would be better for the people to join fellowship in a local church for the full benefit of being in the body of Christ. However, these are people who need the Word of God- for salvation or to grow in their faith. Some of them would probably find it hard to be accepted in many local churches- this is also a sad fact. That rejection makes them wary of attending any local church- though there are a number of good churches in the Dade City area.

Mark 10.35-45 "3 Perspectives" (Pt. 2)

KEY VERSE: "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10.45 ESV)

Perspective of Selfishness (The Two Disciples) FOOLISH

The Inappropriate Request (v.35-37)
• James and John (spurred on by their mother- Mt. 20.20-28) disregard the gravity of Jesus’ previous subject seeking their own honor
• James and John had the audacity to say, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”
• They wanted to sit in places of honor and glory after they heard Jesus say He was about to be delivered to die

The Illuminating Response (v.38-40)
• Jesus introduces James and John into some harsh reality
• He questions if they can stand up to what He will face
• Then He confirms that they will endure His “baptism”
• He still defers to the Father and His Father’s preparation

The Indignant Reaction (v.41-44)
• The disciples became angry and Jesus began to teach
• He described the great as those who would serve
• Leadership is not a power trip, but a place of service when done right

The Ideal Ransom (v.45)
• He described Himself as a Servant
• The Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 who would have the sins of many laid upon Him
• Jesus came to die as a “ransom for many”

Evil in Religion: Christian Man Raped, Murdered

Christian Man Raped, Murdered for Refusing to Convert to Islam, Family Says - FOXNews.com

Islam, the religion of peace according to Barack Obama, George W. Bush and many others, is once again at the heart of a brutal act. Of course, brutality is highlighted when it is a nut killing an abortionist, but where is the major story covering this (outside of Fox News)?

Islam is brutal and vengeful at its very heart and it is clear when islamic history is viewed in an honest effort to get to the truth. For more information see Don Walton's book The Truth About Islam. (<=Click for information on this great book!)

Emmanuel Ministries Notes 6/07/09

Sunday was a great day to serve the Lord. I had overcome my fever and sickness by the grace of God and was on time to the ministry to preach and lead worship.

As a group we have been reading a chapter a week and read Ephesians chapter three together in English and Spanish during the beginning of the service. From there we went into our worship time. We sang a song in English (Sing! Shout!- one I wrote with God's help) and then one in Spanish (Este es el Dia- This is the Day). After that I broke a string. So we began "Dame/Give Me" a cappella, obviously, in English and Spanish. It was the best worship we have had to this poit. Better participation by all, especially those who speak Spanish. To me it seems that the Spirit moves best when something goes wrong technically.

Finally I preached the first part of my serires "Three Perspectives on the Way to Jerusalem." I thought the message went very well. It seemed that people were attentive and afterward people addressed me while referencing some things I preached about. It was very exciting event of which I had a part.

Tiller's Death and Esther

Let'sReasonTogether
Monday, June 1, 2009

Tiller's Death and Esther
Dr. George Tiller is no stranger to violence. That was his job: to kill babies before they could be born. He was proud of that. Just watch the news clips being shown on the networks. Dr. Tiller proudly proclaimed "they will never run me out of town." The media portrays him as a Christian man just doing his job and states his wife screamed when she saw his body. God help her. She lived with a man who killed countless babies and didn't have the intestinal fortitude to challenge him. She's living off the blood of dead babies.

Abortion requires violence against the baby in the womb. Dr. Tiller killed innocent babies on a daily basis. He was proud and he made a lot of money, perhaps up to $5,000 per abortion. The murder of Dr. Tiller is inexcusable. We all know that God said "Do not murder."

For the last seven weeks I've been attending a study of Esther. Haman built a gallows to hang the Jew Mordecai but due to God's providence Haman was hung on those very same gallows. Mordecai received Haman's estate and his position in Xerxes' kingdom.

I believe those babies Dr. Tiller murdered now have a place in God's kingdom. I believe Dr. Tiller's fate is more aligned with Haman, as was his character. Haman had decreed the death of all Jews in the Persian. He was willing to kill anyone to get what he wanted. Dr. Tiller killed babies to get what he wanted.

Proverbs 26:27 says "The one one who digs a pit will fall into it, and whoever rolls a stone-it will come back on him." Dr. Tiller's stone rolled back on him!!

Let's pray for the salvation of the parties involved and that Jesus will be high and lifted up!!!

Mark 10.32-34 "Three Persepctives" (Pt. 1)

I have been sick since yesterday, so I can only offer the outline of the sermon for tomorrow. It is the first of a three-part series called "Three Perspectives on the Way to Jerusalem". I have preached this are a single sermon before, but am splitting it up for more detail and to emphasize different points for those who attend Emmanuel Ministries.

And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise. (Mark 10.32-34 ESV)

Perspective of Suffering (The Savior) FOCUSED

Anticipation (v.32a) style type="text/css">

• Jesus also explains that He will rise from the dead and He did!

• Unlike any other “religion,” or “religious leader,” Jesus’ prophecy was true and fulfilled and He did rise again

• No other would-be savior rose from the dead and lives forevermore

• On the way to Jerusalem Jesus would face two foes

  • Roman authorities

  • Jewish religious leaders

• The disciples were “amazed”- probably at the determination Jesus demonstrated in the trek to His death

• The other followers were “afraid”- probably looking to Him as a political leader with battles upcoming- ones they might be drawn into

Atonement (v.32b-34a)

• Jesus describes how He would be treated

  • Delivered to Jewish religious leaders and then Roman authorities

  • Mocked, punished and killed

• Jesus warns that He will be delivered to die in Jerusalem

• They lose faith in this later at His crucifixion

Assurance (v.34b)

• Jesus also explains that He will rise from the dead and He did!

• Unlike any other “religion,” or “religious leader,” Jesus’ prophecy was true and fulfilled and He did rise again

• No other would-be savior rose from the dead and lives forevermore

Jesus was focused as He traveled to Jerusalem. He knew the task and suffering before Him, but He knew it was necessary to bring salvation to the human race. The people around Him did not understand at this point, but some would understand eventually.

What Jesus was going to Jerusalem for was His death- the payment for the sin of those who would receive Him.

Realize we are sinful (Romans 3.23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”);
Realize that Jesus paid a death penalty on our behalf, paying the wages for our sins giving us eternal life (Romans 6.23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”);
Realize we must call on Jesus for salvation and commit our lives to Him (Romans 10.13, Philippians 3.14, “For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” and “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”)