Archive for August 14th, 2008
The Plight Of The Fool! by Gene McGuire Friday, August 22, 2008
“The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’.” (Psalm 14:1)COMMENTS: Dear Saint, I imagine that, because I talk about going to Gold’s Gym so often, some of you who don’t know me personally might expect to see the second coming of Charles Atlas when we meet. Well, just let me lower those expectations.However, I would like to relate to you one of the most interesting and disturbing encounters I have ever had at that facility. During the week before Easter I saw a gentleman wearing a tee shirt with the following emblazoned on the front and back: JESUS ISN’T THE NICE GUY THE FALSE PROPHETS SAY HE IS! Below that statement he had Scripture verses. I saw a woman in a deep conversation with that person as I wrote down some of the Scriptures that were on his back. She beckoned to me to join the conversation, but I declined. A person who would blatantly put down Christ in such a public place was just after attention and I was determined not to give it to him. However I did pray for him. Evidently he saw me writing down some of the Scriptures because he later came to me and asked me if I wanted to copy down those written on the front. I declined the offer. I misplaced the verses I had written, but you and I both know that when you take things out of context, you can make a case for anything. That is the reason why we Christians must be continually vigilant to protect ourselves from “deceivers”. There are people who will knock on your door and show you a bunch of verses to prove their flawed theology. Many are misled by these charlatans and allow them to come to their homes on a regular basis and “pollute” their minds with junk. We all need to be “pro-active” about what we allow to rule and reign in our lives.
SCRIPTURE STUDY: Ephesians 4:14, 2 Timothy 3:13 and 2 John 7WISE SAYING: SUFFERING FROM TRUTH DECAY? BRUSH UP ON YOUR BIBLE!Just a thought, not a sermon.
Anybody Can Pray by Gene McGuire Thursday, August 21, 2008
“For this reason I am telly you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. (Mark 11:24 Amp. Bible)
COMMENT: I don’t think it is scripturally sound to continue to pray for something after you have made your initial petition. 1 John 5:14,15 buttress my contention”…If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us, whatever we ask, we know we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” Am I suggesting that we should pray one time and then just forget about it? Emphatically NO!!!!!! Let me give you an example. Suppose I have prayed for the salvation of my son. According to the two Scriptures above, it is already a “done deal”. The answer exists in the spiritual realm, but not in the natural as yet. So my continual prayer may go something like this. “Heavenly Father, according to your Word, I believe that I have been granted what I have prayed for. It is your desire that none should perish. I thank you that my son is saved. I have faith that I will soon see this manifested before my very eyes.”
SCRIPTURE STUDY: Psalm 102:17, James 5:16
WISE SAYING: WHEN YOU PRAY FOR ANYTHING ACCORDING TO GOD’S WILL, KNOW IN YOUR HEART THAT IT’S A “DONE DEAL” (gene mcguire).
A SILLY SAYING: IF YOU ARE HARD OF HEARING, USE THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE!
The Sin that Grew by Gene McGuire Wednesday, August 20, 2008
“Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him (Jesus) to you?’ And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.” (Matthew 26:14,15)
COMMENT: This is just my opinion, but I don’t believe that Judas, when he decided to become an apostle and follow Jesus, said to himself: “One day I am going to make a “bundle” by turning in Jesus.” After he was chosen to be the treasurer, he probably started making small dishonest withdrawals which became bigger and bigger as time passed. In John 12 we find Judas scolding Mary for anointing the feet of Jesus with a pound of fragrant oil that could have been sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor. (John 12:5)
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He wasn’t worried about the poor, he was thinking about the big “cut” he could take from the pot. When we continue in sin with no restraints, the trespasses can go from small to gigantic. One area of failure can be transformed into another area of failure. Judas went from thief to traitor.
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SCRIPTURE STUDY: Song of Solomon 2:15, James 1:12,13 and 14, 1 Peter 5:8,9 and 2 Peter 2:9
WISE SAYING: THINGS OF THE FLESH, ESPECIALLY WICKED THINGS, CAN DESTROY YOU OVER A PERIOD OF TIME IF THEY CONTINUE TO RULE AND REIGN IN YOUR LIFE. (Creflo Dollar)
WISE SAYING: SOW A THOUGHT, REAP A HABIT, SOW A HABIT, REAP A LIFESTYLE, SOW A LIFESTYLE, REAP A DESTINY!
Make Your Way Back! by Gene McGuire Monday, August 18, 2008
“Now when he was in affliction, he (Manassah) implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.” (2 Chronicles 33:12)
COMMENT: There is an old bromide that goes this way: “The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree”. Well, as you know, that doesn’t always happen. Manassah, son of king Hezikiah was a blatant exception. As you know, the kingdom of Judah see-sawed between loyalty and disloyalty to God. When Hezikiah became king, he became a reformer. He cleansed the Temple, restored Temple worship, kept the Passover and removed the altars devoted to other gods. After that reformer died, 12 year old Manassah became king. Evidently he got some really bad advice because “he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” (2 Chron. 33:2) As a result of his actions, the Lord allowed the army of Assyria to capture and carry off the offending king to Babylon. The errant monarch then humbled himself and prayed fervently unto the Lord. The Lord showed him mercy and made a way for him to return to Jerusalem. Manassah was so grateful that he finally followed the footsteps of his father and made reforms that brought his kingdom back into the good graces of God. Finally, that “apple” made its way back toward the “tree” that produced it.
SCRIPTURE STUDY: Numbers 14:18, Psalm 52:8 and Ephesians 2:4,5
WISE SAYING: NO MATTER WHAT IS HAPPENING IN YOUR LIFE, KNOW THAT GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU WITH OPENED ARMS.
Are You A Pharisee? by Gene McGuire Sunday, August 17, 2008
“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” (Luke 7:47)
COMMENT:
In our Lead Scripture, Jesus is talking about the woman, portrayed as a sinner, who washed His feet with her tears. The Pharisees were upset that the Lord would allow this evil person to even touch Him. Looking at this scripture at face value, one could come to the conclusion that people who receive Jesus at a later age will love Him more than those who come to the Lord early in life. That would mean that I, having become a Christian at the late age of 46, would automatically love God more than someone who was converted as a teenager. I don’t agree with that conclusion.
I believe that Jesus was talking about the self-righteous Pharisees who thought that they were “all that” because they “kept the law”. They felt that they had no need for a savior because of their excellent morality. The majority of them rejected the baptism of repentance advocated by John the Baptist. The woman realized that she had led a sinful life and was in dire need of redemption. In addition, she was constantly reminded of her transgressions by her community.
That reminds me of the years I ministered in the prisons. We had no problem convincing the inmates that they had sin in their lives because of where they were residing. Unfortunately, there are many people walking the streets who are similar to the Pharisees, erroneously believing that good, moral persons of high-standing like them will get to Heaven because of their “good works”.
Their PRIDE keeps them from the saving grace of our Heavenly Father. Sometime ago I mentioned an encounter I had with a gentleman at Gold’s Gym. He is a perfect example of what we have been discussing. After observing him over a period of time, I concluded that Jim exhibited admirable traits; so I asked him if he were a Christian. He told me: “No I am not a Christian, but I live a very moral life.” He became very irritated when I gave him a Christian tract to read.
SCRIPTURE STUDY: Luke 19:10, John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:4,5
WISE SAYING: ALL ROADS MAY LEAD TO ROME, BUT JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN. (gene mcguire)
