This is the story of Frank Jenner - "George Street Evangelist"
For a MP3 or written copy go to http://personaltract.com/Downloads.asp
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Captain's meditation on John 6:25-40
This wasn't in my daily rations (my daily scripture reading) but I was led hear while studying other things... so today for the blog - just a quick look at this scripture and my notes to meditate on while I go about my day today...
John 6... After feeding the 5,000 and walking an the water, the crowd shows us for another meal and what Jesus can do for them we read... 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. (What are you working for and working on today - what is "eating up" your time. Are you focused on things that will spoil or will have eternal consequences, like saving souls and striving for holiness, and things that will glorify God). On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (It's not "works" that gets you saved, the work is believing is believing on Jesus alone for our salvation - so I remember it's not really "my faith" that saves me - it is Jesus that saves me - but I claim it and seek Him and call on Him and give my life to Him by faith) 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? (don't seek God for what He can do for me today, but for who He is - the bread of heaven) 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. (don't look to men or things by which the blessing comes, but look to God alone who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, everything is from His hand.) 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (Am I relying only on Jesus to satisfy me) 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (If I have a need today, God has placed everything I need in Jesus, but my requirement is that I must come to Him) 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. (My example is to put the will of God above all things) 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (For those who put their trust in Jesus for their salvation - we have assurance of heaven - I know today that the fate of everyone else, is eternal damnation forever separated from the presence of God in hell. How can I be so selfish and uncaring as to not proclaim to the world that the most expensive gift in the world - salvation purchased by the perfect blood of God's only son for our salvation - is now offered to us freely if we will just accept it by faith, repent of our sins, and now live under His perfect guidance out of gratitude for what He has done for us).
God thank you for your Holy Word today...
Live holy, preach Jesus!
John 6... After feeding the 5,000 and walking an the water, the crowd shows us for another meal and what Jesus can do for them we read... 25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. (What are you working for and working on today - what is "eating up" your time. Are you focused on things that will spoil or will have eternal consequences, like saving souls and striving for holiness, and things that will glorify God). On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28 Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29 Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (It's not "works" that gets you saved, the work is believing is believing on Jesus alone for our salvation - so I remember it's not really "my faith" that saves me - it is Jesus that saves me - but I claim it and seek Him and call on Him and give my life to Him by faith) 30 So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? (don't seek God for what He can do for me today, but for who He is - the bread of heaven) 31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" 32 Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. (don't look to men or things by which the blessing comes, but look to God alone who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, everything is from His hand.) 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." 34 "Sir," they said, "from now on give us this bread." 35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (Am I relying only on Jesus to satisfy me) 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. (If I have a need today, God has placed everything I need in Jesus, but my requirement is that I must come to Him) 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. (My example is to put the will of God above all things) 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." (For those who put their trust in Jesus for their salvation - we have assurance of heaven - I know today that the fate of everyone else, is eternal damnation forever separated from the presence of God in hell. How can I be so selfish and uncaring as to not proclaim to the world that the most expensive gift in the world - salvation purchased by the perfect blood of God's only son for our salvation - is now offered to us freely if we will just accept it by faith, repent of our sins, and now live under His perfect guidance out of gratitude for what He has done for us).
God thank you for your Holy Word today...
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Quote from William Booth...
Today I just have a quote from William Booth and a question from our Wednesday Night study on evangelism (we're working through Mark Cahill's book "One thing you can't do in heaven").
William Booth said (speaking about the call to evangelise)... "Not called!" did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.
Mark Cahill's Action Item... This week, either "look Christ in the face" and tell Him you will refuse to obey His call, or commit in your heart to follow Him and bring His good news to the lost. If you choose the latter, know that He will help you every step of the way.
Jesus said, "follow me and I will make you fishers of men".... so if you aren't fishing, you aren't following.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
William Booth said (speaking about the call to evangelise)... "Not called!" did you say? 'Not heard the call,' I think you should say. Put your ear down to the Bible, and hear him bid you go and pull sinners out of the fire of sin. Put your ear down to the burdened, agonized heart of humanity, and listen to its pitiful wail for help. Go stand by the gates of hell, and hear the damned entreat you to go to their father’s house and bid their brothers and sisters, and servants and masters not to come there. And then look Christ in the face, whose mercy you have professed to obey, and tell him whether you will join heart and soul and body and circumstances in the march to publish his mercy to the world.
Mark Cahill's Action Item... This week, either "look Christ in the face" and tell Him you will refuse to obey His call, or commit in your heart to follow Him and bring His good news to the lost. If you choose the latter, know that He will help you every step of the way.
Jesus said, "follow me and I will make you fishers of men".... so if you aren't fishing, you aren't following.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Dinner table talk? Feasting on the Word - Captain's meditation on verses in Timothy
I was just moved to ask what you talk about around your dinner table?
I admit I haven't always done all I could or should have in bringing up my children, but as the chaos of the varying schedule of summer is now gone, and the routine of the school year settles in, make sure you set aside time around the dinner table, and then claim that time for Jesus.
Our children are bombarded by the world all day long (yes at school, not counting TV, Internet, music, and on and on). If you, like me, have your child in public school, please remember you are their primary teacher (if not in math and reading) definitely in The Word. God bless sunday school teachers, clubs programs, youth directors and pastors, but you are responsible to train your children up in the faith, so use your table time.
Make sure you set a time and place to discuss God's Word, Heaven, Hell, and Salvation only available through a relationship with Jesus. Please discuss the things of sin, judgment, deliverance and holiness. Certainly talk about preaching and persecution.
We have done things like memorize scriptures and pick a bible book to read through, a chapter a night after the meal, and discuss what we've read. If you are faithful to systematically go through God's Holy Word, every topic under the sun will come up.
Just so you can glace at our table time from last night, we read from some of our upcoming Sunday School lesson in 2 Timothy 3 & 4 and saw these words....
2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,...
2 Timothy 4:1-3 1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
In just a few quick verses we were reminded and talk with our girls (6 & 10 years old) about being persecuted for faith in Jesus, the only 2 times we need to preach the word (Both in and out of season - all the time), and what it is to have "itching ears".
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Why not feast on God's Word at your dinner table tonight.
PS. To all the young people out there, if your parent's don't bring it up, you can certainly read your bible and bring up what you read at the table too.
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
I admit I haven't always done all I could or should have in bringing up my children, but as the chaos of the varying schedule of summer is now gone, and the routine of the school year settles in, make sure you set aside time around the dinner table, and then claim that time for Jesus.
Our children are bombarded by the world all day long (yes at school, not counting TV, Internet, music, and on and on). If you, like me, have your child in public school, please remember you are their primary teacher (if not in math and reading) definitely in The Word. God bless sunday school teachers, clubs programs, youth directors and pastors, but you are responsible to train your children up in the faith, so use your table time.
Make sure you set a time and place to discuss God's Word, Heaven, Hell, and Salvation only available through a relationship with Jesus. Please discuss the things of sin, judgment, deliverance and holiness. Certainly talk about preaching and persecution.
We have done things like memorize scriptures and pick a bible book to read through, a chapter a night after the meal, and discuss what we've read. If you are faithful to systematically go through God's Holy Word, every topic under the sun will come up.
Just so you can glace at our table time from last night, we read from some of our upcoming Sunday School lesson in 2 Timothy 3 & 4 and saw these words....
2 Timothy 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,...
2 Timothy 4:1-3 1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
In just a few quick verses we were reminded and talk with our girls (6 & 10 years old) about being persecuted for faith in Jesus, the only 2 times we need to preach the word (Both in and out of season - all the time), and what it is to have "itching ears".
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Why not feast on God's Word at your dinner table tonight.
PS. To all the young people out there, if your parent's don't bring it up, you can certainly read your bible and bring up what you read at the table too.
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Getting more of God?
Hello Soldiers, Fellow followers of Jesus, and friends,
Just so you know that not everything I say from the pulpit is perfect???... (as if you thought that). Someone came up to me after service Sunday (the sermon I just posted) and said they didn't think that you could "Get more of God", I think the point being that He is 100% there for you all the time, or maybe they meant you can't just take the pieces of Him you want - FOR THE RECORD, I completely agree. I do however believe that we can open ourselves up to receive more of Him (or more from Him - whichever you find most doctrinally "semantically" correct). I believe that not only can God completely fill us today, and re-fill us tomorrow, but that he can also increase my ability to receive more tomorrow. (Not just fill my cup Lord, but fill me to overflowing today, and then give me a bigger cup tomorrow, that I might know more of You, be more in tune with You, better resemble Your likeness, to better glorify Your Name and move others to do the same).
No matter if you would call it "more" of a relationship with God, or more knowledge to better grasp Him, or if it's that you call it reaching a place where you want "less" of you, my prayer is you just seek a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
I think General Bramwell Tillsley said it this way... "You cannot get more and more of the Holy Spirit. You have all of the Holy Spirit from the very beginning. It's not a case of getting more and more of the Holy Spirit, It's a matter of the Holy Spirit getting more and more of you." AMEN.
So anyway, for the record, as I've prayed before - Dear Heavenly Father, if anything from the pulpit or my lips is perfect, empowering, life changing, working salvation, and God glorifying, then please let everyone know it is from You alone, by Your Holy Spirit, and or from Your Holy Word... and Lord if anything from the pulpit or my lips is ever (heaven forbid) wrong, incomplete, or powerless, may everyone know they were spoken through my inadequate humanness.
I leave you with a scripture and something to pray about...
Here is the Word of God, and how Paul described his desire to know His Savior more...
Philippians 3:10-16 (Amplified Bible) 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. 15 So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.
Now something to pray about... I'm not saying this to take a jab in anyway, I couldn't mean this in a more genuine honest way... If you want a better pastor - please pray for the one you have. I guarantee you, whether I'm your pastor or not, they covet your prayers just like I do.
God's richest blessings to all you fellow officers, soldiers, local officers, pastors, church members, and lay leaders in every church and movement for the cause of Christ, may we all strive to KNOW HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Just so you know that not everything I say from the pulpit is perfect???... (as if you thought that). Someone came up to me after service Sunday (the sermon I just posted) and said they didn't think that you could "Get more of God", I think the point being that He is 100% there for you all the time, or maybe they meant you can't just take the pieces of Him you want - FOR THE RECORD, I completely agree. I do however believe that we can open ourselves up to receive more of Him (or more from Him - whichever you find most doctrinally "semantically" correct). I believe that not only can God completely fill us today, and re-fill us tomorrow, but that he can also increase my ability to receive more tomorrow. (Not just fill my cup Lord, but fill me to overflowing today, and then give me a bigger cup tomorrow, that I might know more of You, be more in tune with You, better resemble Your likeness, to better glorify Your Name and move others to do the same).
No matter if you would call it "more" of a relationship with God, or more knowledge to better grasp Him, or if it's that you call it reaching a place where you want "less" of you, my prayer is you just seek a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
I think General Bramwell Tillsley said it this way... "You cannot get more and more of the Holy Spirit. You have all of the Holy Spirit from the very beginning. It's not a case of getting more and more of the Holy Spirit, It's a matter of the Holy Spirit getting more and more of you." AMEN.
So anyway, for the record, as I've prayed before - Dear Heavenly Father, if anything from the pulpit or my lips is perfect, empowering, life changing, working salvation, and God glorifying, then please let everyone know it is from You alone, by Your Holy Spirit, and or from Your Holy Word... and Lord if anything from the pulpit or my lips is ever (heaven forbid) wrong, incomplete, or powerless, may everyone know they were spoken through my inadequate humanness.
I leave you with a scripture and something to pray about...
Here is the Word of God, and how Paul described his desire to know His Savior more...
Philippians 3:10-16 (Amplified Bible) 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward. 15 So let those [of us] who are spiritually mature and full-grown have this mind and hold these convictions; and if in any respect you have a different attitude of mind, God will make that clear to you also. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have already attained and walk and order our lives by that.
Now something to pray about... I'm not saying this to take a jab in anyway, I couldn't mean this in a more genuine honest way... If you want a better pastor - please pray for the one you have. I guarantee you, whether I'm your pastor or not, they covet your prayers just like I do.
God's richest blessings to all you fellow officers, soldiers, local officers, pastors, church members, and lay leaders in every church and movement for the cause of Christ, may we all strive to KNOW HIM AND MAKE HIM KNOWN.
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Sunday's Sermon - How you should stand firm in the Lord
To listen to Sunday's sermon now, just click the play arrow here.
For a simple outline of this message, download, or sharing options, click the menu button at the right of this square and choose your option.
For past sermons or podcasting options see the full size sermon player at the very bottom of this blog page OR you can always access my sermon player site (and countless other preachers) at http://sermon.net/The_Salvation_Army_Homer
God bless your study!
Live holy, preach Jesus!
For a simple outline of this message, download, or sharing options, click the menu button at the right of this square and choose your option.
For past sermons or podcasting options see the full size sermon player at the very bottom of this blog page OR you can always access my sermon player site (and countless other preachers) at http://sermon.net/The_Salvation_Army_Homer
God bless your study!
Live holy, preach Jesus!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Have a blessed Sunday! Here's another great songbook song & scripture...
418: Have you on the Lord believed
Philip Paul Bliss (1838-76)
1.Have you on the Lord believed? Still there's more to follow;
Of his grace have you received? Still there's more to follow.
More and more, more and more, Always more to follow;
O his matchless, boundless love! Still there's more to follow.
2.Have you felt the Saviour near? Still there's more to follow;
Does his blessed presence cheer? Still there's more to follow.
3.O the grace the Father shows! Still there's more to follow;
Freely he his grace bestows,Still there's more to follow.
--------------
In Philippians, Paul expresses some Holy and Sanctified dissatisfaction in his walk with Jesus... NOT that it was inadequate, quite the contrary Paul said Christ was his very life, and all through the book Paul gives more and more evidence that he rejoices and is content no matter what life brings as long as he knows Christ. Despite all this he had a continual (never satisfied) desire, a hunger, to know Jesus more.
Listen to how it is expressed in the Amplified bible...
Philippians 3:10-16 (Amplified Bible) 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
No matter how close you are to Jesus, there is always more to follow... strain forward, press on, and seek after Him and His will for every area of your life.
Live holy, preach Jesus.
Philip Paul Bliss (1838-76)
1.Have you on the Lord believed? Still there's more to follow;
Of his grace have you received? Still there's more to follow.
More and more, more and more, Always more to follow;
O his matchless, boundless love! Still there's more to follow.
2.Have you felt the Saviour near? Still there's more to follow;
Does his blessed presence cheer? Still there's more to follow.
3.O the grace the Father shows! Still there's more to follow;
Freely he his grace bestows,Still there's more to follow.
--------------
In Philippians, Paul expresses some Holy and Sanctified dissatisfaction in his walk with Jesus... NOT that it was inadequate, quite the contrary Paul said Christ was his very life, and all through the book Paul gives more and more evidence that he rejoices and is content no matter what life brings as long as he knows Christ. Despite all this he had a continual (never satisfied) desire, a hunger, to know Jesus more.
Listen to how it is expressed in the Amplified bible...
Philippians 3:10-16 (Amplified Bible) 10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope] 11 That if possible I may attain to the [spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]. 12 Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. 13 I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.
No matter how close you are to Jesus, there is always more to follow... strain forward, press on, and seek after Him and His will for every area of your life.
Live holy, preach Jesus.
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