Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 10, 2019 at 03:15AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2WvmY8p
via IFTTT "I am of " is a dangerous phrase if it ends in anything but Jesus. I am Catholic. I am Baptist. I am Lutheran. I am Episcopalian. I am ... The list is long and distinguished. Why does man feel the need to identify with individuals and organizations of his own making? Is this not the sin first indulged in back within the garden. "I will become good MY way". The "forbidden fruit" that makes one wise, like God. Sound extreme? Well, what does Paul say? Was Paul crucified? Martin Luther? John the Baptist? Mary? The Pope? That favorite TV preacher? Of course not. Only Jesus. THE church is HIS church. The people involved are nothing. Jesus is everything. If He is everything, EVERY thing.... Then there is nothing left to share in the glory. It's all Him. We need to keep our favorite personality or group in the proper perspective. Don't let pride and judgementalism allow us to create idols of man. No preacher, no group can take any credit for... Well... Anything. If all good is from God, if none are good but God, then how can we raise anyone above anyone else? How can we identify with anyone but Jesus? In fact, that is the question raised in this scripture. Where is your identity? Is it your career? Is it your school? Is it your church? STOP! All of that is nothing, filthy rags of imperfection. We find our true value in Christ and Him alone. Our identity is in Him. After all, WE died and HE lives in us. Our prior identity was rooted in man and man's organizations, but as a new creature in Christ, we live in and through Him. Who are you? A child of God, washed in the blood of Jesus, baptized into His name, who happens to attend xyz church. Where you go to church has no bearing on your salvation (or the lack there of). Did the church "save you"? Did the church conquer evil and pay the price for your sins? Of course not. It is nothing in respect to your salvation. Nothing. It's all about Jesus and only Jesus. Any group, church or secular, that claims to own you, or that claims they have the only path to heaven, or claims any measure of control over your salvation, is flat wrong. They have become evil by placing themselves on the place of saviour. They have cheapened the marvelous work of the cross and resurrection by inserting themselves into the path between you and God. You are not saved because you go to xyz church , you go there because you are saved and looking to serve. Let us keep in perspective the value of the cross and empty tomb. We are not "of" anything but Christ.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 07, 2019 at 03:15AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2I33gIo
via IFTTT You were called into fellowship with God's only begotten son. Fellowship. With Jesus. Strong's exhaustive concordance, one of the most time honored and respected studies of Greek language that this epistle was written in, has this to say of fellowship: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance fellowship; contribution From koinonos; partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction -- (to) communicate(-ation), communion, (contri-)distribution, fellowship Have you fellowshipped with someone? Spent time sharing back and forth. Sharing stories, thoughts, feelings. Listening and talking, intimately becoming partners through communication? This is how friendships grow deep. Marriage is the ultimate fellowship, truly partnering and becoming one with another person, becoming inseparable through the deep sharing of all that is life. Well, have you fellowshipped with Jesus? Have you shared your inner heart with Him? Have you poured out your emotions openly and fully, holding nothing back. Then have you listened to Him do the same? Have you heard from His heart how He feels, what He sees? Have you become partners in life? Inseparable? Paul makes it clear, that God has called you to into this very sort of relationship. This is not ceremony, this is not rules and commands. This is not reward and punishment. We are talking about an active and constant communication, back and forth, where two hearts touch and merge. This is a true relationship. Prayer is not about telling God what He must do for you, what you need. That's just silly. He made you, does He not already know what you need? Of course He does! Prayer is not about pleading with God to do something, change something. It not about asking at all. Prayer is about communion, fellowship, sharing. Have you listened to Jesus? Have you waited and sought that quiet voice of ultimate authority? Have you felt his arms around you when you are hurting , holding you in a tight hug close to His heart? Have you ask how He feels about that thing in your life? Fellowship is a two way street of sharing. Impossible? No! Is Good dead? He spoke to Moses. He spoke to Elijah, Elisha, Paul, John, Abraham, Jacob, ... The list is long. Jesus rose from the dead, He never returned to the grave and promised that He would be with us always. Why would it seem odd to directly communicate with Him? You are called into fellowship. Will you come? Will you listen to Jesus as His heart breaks over a lost and rebellious generation? A nation that seeks pleasure and prosperity over fellowship with their creator. A nation where families are broken, children are killed and abused, neglected and enslaved for financial gain? A nation where God's laws are mocked and the desires of the flesh are praised. Jesus sees and feels deeper than we do. He sees the depravity in the hearts of men. He aches for the abused poor, the abused children, the lost and blinded walking around in fear. Have you heard His joy over a newborn baby entering the world, an extension of His marvelous creation that has kept going for thousands of years from just the authority of His words? Have you felt the love of His heart to those who turn to Him? Have you baked in the warmth of His stories, marveled at His parables, how life demonstrates life, all interconnected and woven into a huge intricate fabric of existence? Called into fellowship, with Jesus. There is no greater blessing, nor higher calling. Will you get alone with Him now, seek to hear and share hearts? Will you put all aside and answer that call? He stands at the door and knocks. The door of your heart. Open and invite Him in to fellowship. Life will never be the same.

Pleasant Grove Baptist Church June 03, 2019 at 03:35AM

from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church http://bit.ly/2KnvFKH
via IFTTT Repentance. True repentance. Turning away and going in a new direction. True repentance is beyond being sorry, beyond feelings, beyond regret. True repentance means doing whatever is necessary to take a new path. Literally turning you back on what you repent of. The people in this scripture did just this. They repented. In that repentance they brought all the tools and all that represented their previous life to be burned. They did this willingly because they realized how wrong it all was. Their hearts turned to Jesus and they desired to put aside all of their past. Today the message of repentance is often watered down, softened to make it easier to claim to repent and to make it easier to bring larger numbers into the church. But it is not real. True repentance means destroying the artifacts of our previous life. Think through the things of the world. Entertainment, wealth, pleasure, power, etc. Things of the world, not God. these things have no place in the life of the Christian. Repentance in a biblical sense means we bring all those things to the fire to be destroyed. Why? So we will not be tempted. Addicted to moves and entertainment? Destroy the TV. Addicted to substances, trash them. Addicted to self help books? Burn them. Whatever is necessary to rid ourselves of our old life Now, this does not mean that pleasure, entertainment, etc are inherently evil. Of course not. The evil is in living for them making these things the center of our life. God made things to he enjoyed, bit not focused on. Our life focuses on serving God, not pleasing self. America needs true repentance. Many feel sorry but do not repent. They do not walk away. They do not burn their past. They do not die to self on the cross and give their life to Jesus. They may be in church every Sunday, but have never repented. They keep both feet on both sides. Repent of anything that stands between you and God. Anything. Rid yourself and your life of all those artifacts, tools. Do everything possible to turn your back on the old you and rise up clean and purged, not dirty and blind. Repentance is the key