Tag believe that Jesus is the Christ

Bible Reading Plan for 2022

The Preacher 14 Comments

One of the difficulties in reading the Bible is confusion over the how each book fits in with the chronology of the other books. This is especially true with the Old Testament prophets.

This Bible Reading plan will include a list for each book in chronological order (or at least in order of its period in the Old Testament).

It is still possible to read the whole bible in about one year, just 15 – 20 minutes per day.

“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)” [Eph 3:4] “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” [Rom 10:17]

These bookmarks will help you to know how each of the books of the Old Testament and the Prophets fit into the narrative. The book of Job fits in the Patriarchal period. The Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, & Song of Songs fit into the time of the United Kingdom under David & Solomon.

Here is a chart showing you how much time it takes to read the Whole Bible in 1 year or years, or multiple times in a year.

May God bless our efforts to know more of His word.

     — spencer

Spencer is an evangelist for the Franklin & Juniper St church of Christ in Borger Texas. If you live in the Borger area and would like a personal bible study, please reach out & let us know how we can help.

Seven Musts of Salvation #2, BELIEVE

The Preacher Leave a comment
The Holy Spirit uses the Word for His work

“She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” [John 11:27]

Almost no one would deny that believing in Jesus as the Christ is essential to salvation. Except those who practice infant baptism, universalism, Joel Osteen or any other who thinks that just because you are a decent, non-murderous person you will go to heaven.

Belief is a work. “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” [John 6:29; cr. 1Thess 1:3; 2Thess 1:11]

#2, we must BELIEVE:

Some have the false impression that we in the churches of Christ lack faith. This is far from the truth. We BELIEVE, and we know it is essential to salvation. What do the Scriptures teach about what we are to believe?

We believe that Jesus was BORN in the flesh. “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:” [1John 4:2]

Verse 2 says, “and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist,” Thus, we believe that EMMANUEL, God is with us. [Isaiah 7:14]

We believe that faith must be a LIVING, working faith. “Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself… Ye see that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith.” [James 2:17, 24]

We believe that Jesus IS the Christ, the Son of the Living God. “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” [Acts 8:37; Mt 16:16; Acts 8:37; Joh 6:69; 9:35,38; 11:27; Ac 9:20; 1Jo 4:15; 5:5,13]

We believe that ETERNAL life is only through Jesus. He is the way the truth and the life. [John 14:6]

We believe that Jesus is without sin and that He has VICTORY over death. “But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?” [1Cor 15:54-57; cr. 1Pet 2:22; Acts 2:24]

We believe in the EXISTENCE of God and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. [Heb 11:1,6]. We believe that without faith it is impossible to please Him. We seek to do those things He has commanded to be found well pleasing to him. [Gal 1:10; 1Thess 2:4; Jas 4:4;]

We BELIEVE, do you?

Spencer

1. All quotation are from the ASV

Watching the Son

The Preacher 1 Comment

…while they looked stedfastly toward heaven…

On August 21st millions of Americans will be gazing into heaven as North America experiences a Total Solar Eclipse that crosses the U.S. in a way that hasn’t occurred since 1918. Everyone in the contiguous United States will experience at least a partial eclipse, with totality being along a 70 mile wide path from Lincoln Beach, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. The window of opportunity to view the eclipse will be about two minutes and 40 seconds, a very narrow window indeed.

Looking directly at the sun, as we’ve all learned, can be extremely harmful to your eyes. You must never look directly into the sun without ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses.

There is a word of warning, without the ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses, you will permanently damage your eyes. Some may say, “I have some really dark sunglasses.” These simply won’t do. You must have the official ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses.

There are also fake solar eclipse glasses being sold as authentic ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses. The problem is so bad, that Amazon has issued warnings regarding the false claims of some vendors.  Attempting to view the eclipse through these non ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses will also cause you to lose your eyesight.

BUY YOUR GLASSES TODAY

There’s one more problem. If you wait until the eclipse begins, and you don’t already own a pair of these ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses, there will be no opportunity to buy them. At the time of this writing (1 week before the eclipse), the ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses are already sold out online. If they were available online, the ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses would never arrive on time. By the time the Total Solar Eclipse begins locally, the retail shops will also be sold out. IT WILL BE TOO LATE. Even if there are a few ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses, a 2 minute window is not enough tme to go and buy them. You must have your ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse viewing glasses now.

I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE ECLIPSE

You may be saying to yourself, “self, why is Spencer taking so much bulletin space to tell us about the eclipse and why isn’t he telling us something pertinent to our salvation?” I hope you realize by now, though I find the Total Solar Eclipse interesting, I’m using this phenomenon as an opportunity to warn everyone.

You see, one day the SON will return to earth from Heaven. This is a promise that the Apostles heard as the stood gazing into the sky when Jesus rose into heaven. “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” [Acts 1:11]

If we have not already ‘purchased’ CERTIFIED access to the Kingdom of Heaven, when He returns, IT WILL BE TOO LATE!. [cr. Mat 13:44-46] This same Jesus, for whom we gaze into the sky, said it this way in Matthew 24:1-13…

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”

Jesus said, “no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” [John 14:6]. He then said in vs 15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Further on He said, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” [John 15:14] Then, before He went into heaven, He told us what to do to prepare BEFORE His return…

“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:16

Mary, Did You Know?

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THERE’S A POPULAR SONG that is played this time of year which asks the question, “Mary, did you know?” It’s a good question, for Mary, the mother of Jesus, had been keeping things in her heart, “Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart” [Luke 2:51]. Then, in John 2, she is the one who prompts Our Lord to perform the first recorded miracle. This song examines the question, what did she know?

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day walk on water?

Mt 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would save our sons and daughters?

Ac 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Did you know that your Baby Boy has come to make you new?
This Child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Ro 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

2Ti 4:18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy will give sight to a blind man?

Lu 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, [Isa 61:1]

Mary, did you know that your baby boy will calm the storm with His hand?

Mt 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.

Did you know that your Baby Boy has walked where angels trod?
When you kiss your little Baby you kiss the face of God?

Joh 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.

Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Mary, did you know… Mary, did you know…

The blind will see. Lu 7:21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.

The deaf will hear. Mr 7:35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

The dead will live again. Joh 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

The lame will leap. Joh 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

The dumb will speak. Mr 7:35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

The praises of The Lamb. Mr 7:36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy is Lord of all creation?

John 1:1; Joh 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy would one day rule the nations?

Lu 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Did you know that your Baby Boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?

The sleeping Child you’re holding is the Great, I Am.

Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

(insert your name), Did YOU know?

In John’s account of the life of Jesus, he points to the miracles and says, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” [John 20:31]. Do we know these things about Our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ?

(originally by Mark Lowry (lyrics) and Buddy Greene (melody))