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Jim_Alaska

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Sermon Comments posted by Jim_Alaska

  1. Thanks for your attempt Bro. Jerry. In an attempt to resolve this, as well as defend my position and lesson; I would suggest that you once again go over what I wrote in that lesson in regard to its restrictions. I would point you specifically to the restriction indicated by who sat at the first Lord's Supper. It was only the twelve. There were many other disciples, possibly thousands. But only those that comprised the first church (The Apostles) ate.

    To me, this is instruction by example, and instituted by none other than The Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

  2. Bro. West, my lesson did not indicate anything like what you posted r.e.  "It almost sounds like Baptist Bride. Catholics call (yummy, yummy, yummy I got God in my tummy) a sacrament and not an ordinance there is a big difference. The one is scriptural the other is blasphemy. We are not speaking of a wafer and wine (cannibals' and vampires)"

    There is also nothing in it to indicate Universal Church; in fact I state in that lesson that it is just the opposite. This is speaking of local church, but what you are advocating certainly speaks to Universal Church.

    Read the Scripture, only the Apostles were at the first Lord's Supper. not even Mary or Lazarus were there. Only the members of the first church were there, indicating, as I said, Closed Communion.

  3. Yes, individuals need to examine themselves. But there is also a church responsibility to make sure that those that partake of the Lord's table are worthy to do so. This is what Paul taught.

    1 Corinthians 5:11 (KJV) But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

    As a church, we cannot make that determination of another churches members. The Lord's Supper is a church ordinance. If you believe in Universal Church, then you might partake, as Catholics do. But if you believe in local visible church and you are not a member, what right do you have to partake of another churches ordinance?

    Fruit in the Life of Joseph

    An excellent devotion Bro. Alan. All that you brought out regarding fruit in the life of Joseph rings true. I have heard and taught on the life of Joseph and especially on Joseph as a type of Christ, but had never considered the fruits he bore as such.

    Thank you for a wonderful blessing in posting this devotion.

  4. A wonderful devotion and commentary of Joseph Bro. Alan. I have always loved the story of Joseph, not just for the story, but also for the inspiration his life is in so many ways. It is not limited to simply old testament history, but gives us today the inspiration to overcome under even the most adverse of life's situations.

    While Joseph is certainly a type of Christ, when viewed in this capacity he exhibits the power and determination to use his life situations for God's glory as well as the saving of his people. He used the adversity for good even while experiencing the heart wrenching things he went through.

    Like Christ, he was forsaken of his own brethren and yet was able to use his affliction for the salvation of his own, as well as the countries surrounding Egypt. Although God had, in Pharaoh's dream, pronounced judgement upon the nation Egypt, He also made a way of escape in the person of Joseph. We find this parallel in the very person of Jesus Christ, which Joseph is a type of. Jesus has been forsaken of his own, sold out and abandoned and yet has been appointed by God as the savior of not only his own, but also of all who will come to him for council in faith. 

    The LORD was with Joseph

    Thank you Alan, this was a blessing to me. In reading this devotion I was drawn to contemplate the exact opposite of the character that Joseph showed throughout his life. To the wise Christian Joseph's life and upright lifestyle are much more than examples of how a Christian should live; they should also serve as examples to those who may have a tendency to let their feet slip just a little. Those who do so forget that it is not man they deal with, but they are dealing with an Omniscient God who sees and knows and justly rewards everything.

    There are extremely negative consequences for an unjust steward that could follow him his entire life and negate any work attempted for The Lord:  Num. 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.

     Luke. 16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own? 

  5. If all of that is contained in the characters of what we would call one "word", what a wonderful language it must be. The lesson, as you have laid it out is the heart and core of the Gospel message to all mankind, regardless of race or language. Thank  you for using this wonderful example to teach of the perfect sacrifice of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Your post reminded me of what I write below, which I consider a high point in my life.

    Twenty years ago I had the privilege of working with a brilliant Chinese scientist who had been a professor of Plasma Physics at the University of Beijing. His name was Wu Cheng and we became very close during the time he and I worked together at a remote research site in Alaska. His English was poor and he felt a need to learn the language better so that he could communicate better with our staff and researchers. This resulted in my offering to teach him English and he, in return would teach me Chinese. lol...the result was a 50% success rate, he learned English and I failed in Chinese miserably.

    But through our friendship we became close friends, with him visiting my house for dinners and casual conversation about each others lives. He was able to teach me many things in regard to Chinese culture and I was able to do the same for him. I have had very few friends in this life that were as close as he and I became. This friendship and mutual sharing of cultural differences and similarities led him to become extremely interested in my life as a Christian and Christianity in general. He attended church with me on Sundays as well as mid-week services.

    In our time together we had many many opportunities to not only talk about my faith, but to actually hold Bible studies, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Before long his interest in my religion and walk with our Lord bore fruit. Our friendship, his keen interest in Christianity, as well as his professional thirst for truth as a scientist, was the mechanism that God used to bring him to Christ. His conversion was very obvious to me; he developed an insatiable thirst for God's Word as well as a burning desire to be able to take God's word to the Chinese people once he returned to China. He spent a lot of time devising ways to be able to bring Bibles back with him when he finally had to return to China.

    I thank God for the opportunity to use a working environment to develop a friendship resulting in the salvation of a soul that had never heard the Gospel message. Wu Cheng went to be with our Lord shortly after his return to China. I will miss him here, but rejoice that our parting is but for a short time. We will renew our friendship and fellowship once again in the land that is fairer than day, for death has given way to victory. 

    Joseph and his Jewish Dreams

    Thank you for your thoughts in this excellent devotional Alan. I find it extremely interesting that Joseph's brothers could not overcome their envy and hatred even when family and brotherly love should have intervened. And so it is with the Christian; the world will hate the truth and the bearer of that truth. The truth has cost millions of Christians their very lives in the past, and will do so again during the persecutions of the tribulation period.

    xie xie again Bro. Alan, a very thought provoking devotional. May God richly bless you as you serve Him in that far away land.

  6. Bro. Alan, I hope I did not mess anything up since i was able to edit your original work. It looks right to me, but you will have to check it on your computer.

    After the last time I edited a post that was not mine and messed it up, I am reluctant to try it again.

  7. Wretched,

    I have to wonder just what kind of Independent Baptist Church you attend. Independent Baptists have, always denied the existence of a universal church.

    I don't appreciate you putting words in my mouth; I have never believed in a universal church, no such church is mentioned in Scripture.

    You deny almost every point I made, but provide no scripture to back your claims.

    Two or three gathered together is not a church. Jesus did promise to be in their midst, but this is not teaching that they were a church. You and I can gather together for something such as prayer or soul winning, this does not make us a church. We would even be from different churches, so this is not (A) church.

    I stand by every point in my devotion and have taught this for almost forty years in different Independent Baptist Churches.

  8. Pentecost was the empowering of the already existing church. The disciples were instructed to wait for this empowering. The church was already in existence at pentecost.

    The following are some scriptural evidences that the Church did not begin in the days of Abraham, or on the day of Pentecost, but rather during Christ's earthly ministry. The Church clearly existed before the day of Pentecost.

    1. Jesus Christ said, "I will build my church" (Matt. 16:18) which He did during His earthly ministry.

    2. The authority of disciples was placed in the church during Christ's earthly ministry (Matt. 18:15-19).

    3. Jesus sang the praises of God "in the midst of the church" (Heb. 2:12; Matt. 26:30).

    4. They had a commission to preach the Gospel before Pentecost (Matt. 10:5-7).

    5. They had "the keys of the kingdom of heaven", and these were given to His church (Matt. 16:18-19).

    6. They were baptized believers before Pentecost (Matt. 3:5-6; Jn. 4:1).

    7. They had authority to baptize before Pentecost (Jn. 4:1; Matt. 28:18-20).

    8. There was an ordination service before Pentecost (Mk. 3:13-14).

    9. There were apostles before Pentecost; and the office of apostle was a church office (Eph. 4:11; I Cor. 12:28; Lk. 6:12-13).

    10. They had a church roll of 120 members before Pentecost (Acts 1:15).

    11. They had the Great Commission before Pentecost (Matt. 28:18-20).

    12. About 3000 were added unto His church roll on the day of Pentecost; You cannot add to something that does not already exist Acts 2:41).

    13. They had a business meeting before Pentecost (Acts 1:23-26).

    14. They had a church treasurer before Pentecost (Jn. 13:29).

    15. The ordinance of the Lord's Supper was instituted and observed before Pentecost (Matt. 26:26-30).

     

    "... that he went into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day he called unto him his disciples and of them he chose twelve whom he named apostles. --- Luke 6:12-13.

    "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles. --- I Corinthians 12:28.

  9. Swath, Paul the Apostle plainly said that Apostles were placed in the church first.  1Cor. 12:28  

    We see this when Jesus chose the twelve:  Lu 6:13 And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles;

    I believe I know what you are thinking, but if you could provide scripture showing these two comprising the church it would help

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