THE STORY OF JESUS

Selected & Edited

Let's face it, Jesus was a trouble­maker. He caused such an uproar when He was born, that King Herod slaughtered a lot of innocent chil­dren trying to kill Him. King Herod's ram­page caused His parents so much stress that they fled to Egypt to save His life.

Later Jesus was scolded by His mother for being unruly and disobedient.

Across the years, people who followed Jesus were always in trouble. John the Bap­tist was beheaded for hanging out with Him.

There was the time that Jesus burst into the Temple and started a row and raised havoc with the moneychangers. Jesus was constantly arguing with the rulers and teachers. He got into trouble with the law and was arrested. He was tried, convicted and crucified.

People who joined His crowd were all the time in difficulty. He ruined Saul's military career. Paul and Silas, two of His followers, were jailed for causing an uproar. John was exiled to Patmos for being faithful to Him.

He has been run out of courthouses, schools and other public places. He causes trouble in politics and government. People have been thrown to lions, burned at the stake, boiled in oil, beheaded and hung for following Him. Even today people who join His group and proclaim His message are subject to get into trouble.

In spite of all of this, one author de­scribes the life of Jesus this way:

"He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty years old. Then for three years He was a poor itinerant preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held public office. He never had a family nor owned a house. He never went to college. He never traveled more than 200 miles from the place where He was born.

"Jesus did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no cre­dentials but Himself. He was only thirty-three when public opinion turned against Him. His friends deserted Him.

"He was turned over to His enemies and went through a mock trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. When He was dying, His executioners gambled for His clothing, the only property He had on earth.

"When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed tomb because of the pity of a friend.

"Two thousand years have passed, and today He is still the central figure of the human race. He still will not be relegated to a particular niche of our experience nor will He compromise His principals for the sake of political correctness. All the ar­mies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put to­gether, have not affected the life of man on earth as much as that one solitary Life."

He is Immanuel, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. He is the Plumb Line, the Rock of Ages, the Lily of the Valley, and the Bright and Morning Star.

Jesus' followers have a long history of standing up and speaking out and talking back.

"Then they called them (Peter and John) in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John replied, 'Judge  for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" Acts 4:18-20.

Today Jesus will come into our lives through obedience to His gospel for the purpose of saving us from the power of sin and evil. He is the Light of the world that will never be extinguished. &

"I Conferred Not with Flesh and Blood"

By Robert Waters

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the hea­then; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and re­turned again unto Damascus. (Gal. 1:14-17)

Evangelists who teach the gospel to the lost may do an excellent job in their efforts, yet many times fail to see their prospects obey the gospel. One of the reasons we fail might be [that] we do not emphasize that what they have heard (that we have shown them), and which they clearly understand, has come from the Bible that God has given us so that we might hear what He wants us to know (Rom. 10:17). This means that we do not need to "confer" with our friends, fam­ily or religious leader to find out what they think about Jesus and His plan of salva­tion. This is the lesson that we should get from the text provided above and be­low (Gal. 1:11-17). Paul did not even con­fer with the apostles—he recognized that the message was from God and that was all he needed.

Paul also warned about false messages coming from people other than God. He said, (Gal. 1:8) "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gos­pel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed." Therefore, anyone who seeks the truth and wants to go to heaven must hear God and be careful that he does not allow men, who are not preaching the gospel, to de­rail his efforts. This is a lesson that evan­gelists need to present to their prospects, and it needs to be done as a warning of what their denominational preacher will likely try to do if they "confer" with them and seek their counsel. Paul emphasized (verse 12) that he was not taught by man but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. When we teach people properly, from the word of God, what they are being taught and are receiving is "by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Furthermore, we should teach our prospective converts that Paul did not seek to please men. He emphasized that to do so one "should not be a servant of Christ."

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. (Gal. 1:10-11) &

The Emphasis of the Social Gospel

By Jackie Prince

Those who preach the “social gos­pel” stress man’s material, rather than his spiritual, well being. Ac­cording to the June 16^th, 2007, Arkan­sas Democrat, a state­wide paper, the following events are scheduled in central Arkansas.

Comedian Charles Marshall will perform at First Baptist, the Cowboy church band will play at the Hot Springs church, there will be a guitar concert at Bethany Baptist, food and games at Ivy Chapel, a Health Fair at St. Stephen Baptist, an Anniversary celebration at Mount Pleasant, a youth per­formance at Quapaw Quarter Methodist, a Commu­nity Fest at Mount Olive, a Car­nival at Second Baptist and cook­out/fundraiser at United Method­ist. This is a purely social emphasis!

From various church web sites, we learn of a “Silver Wings” dinner, a resource room party, game night, family picnic, ladies’ craft night, “crazy bridge” night, salad bar, drink and dessert, a golf classic, and a Christmas musical. Again, a purely social emphasis!

Churches that preach the real gospel, on the other hand, will emphasize the truth and the kingdom of God.

Mt. 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Jn. 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The social gospel has caused otherwise intelligent, well-intentioned people to:

1.  serve the wrong purpose,

2.  adopt the wrong method,

3.  extend the wrong motivation,

4.  use the wrong standard,

5.   and emphasize the wrong side of man’s nature.&