by avministry | Nov 20, 2023 | Sermons
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[Jas 1:2-20 NKJV] My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; [he is] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. Blessed [is] the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
[Jas 5:7-14 NKJV] Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See [how] the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end [intended by] the Lord–that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and [your] “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment. Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
by avministry | Nov 12, 2023 | Sermons
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“Where Are The Nine?”
Luke 17:11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through
the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
Luke 17:12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who
were lepers, who stood afar off.
Luke 17:13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy
on us!”
Luke 17:14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to
the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
Luke 17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with
a loud voice glorified God,
Luke 17:16 And fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was
a Samaritan.
Luke 17:17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But
where are the nine?
Luke 17:18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except
this foreigner?”
Luke 17:19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
Thanksgiving has been called having an attitude of gratitude.
There is a tremendous difference between simply feeling gratitude and expressing
gratitude.
I. THE TERRIBLE CONDITION OF TEN LEPERS.
Luke 17:11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the
midst of Samaria and Galilee.
Luke 17:12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were
lepers, who stood afar off.
Isaiah 1:4 Alas, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers,
children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked
to anger the Holy One of Israel, they have turned away backward.
Isaiah 1:5 Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more.
The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints.
Isaiah 1:6 From the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it,
But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound
up, or soothed with ointment.
II. THE THUNDERING CRY OF TEN LEPERS.
Luke 17:13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy
on us!”
III. THE THOROUGH CLEANSING OF TEN LEPERS.
Luke 17:14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the
priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen.
IV. THE THANKFUL CONFESSION OF ONE LEPER.
Luke 17:15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with
a loud voice glorified God,
Luke 17:16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks …
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You
Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing
47:1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
Psalm 47:2 For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth.
Psalm 107:1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.
Psalm 107:2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has redeemed from the
hand of the enemy,
Luke 17:16 “…. And he was a Samaritan.”
No longer an outcast, a new song I sing;
From rags unto riches, from the weak to the strong,
I’m not worthy to be here, but PRAISE GOD! I belong!
V. THE THANKLESS CONSENSUS OF NINE LEPERS.
Luke 17:17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where
are the nine?
Luke 17:18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this
foreigner?”
1. Were there not ten healed? Yes.
2. Where are the other nine? Gone.
3. Is there no one here but this stranger? No one.
The central fact in a time of worship is not that we are seeking God but that God is
seeking us.
John 4:23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
Not only do we need to hear from God through His Word but God wants to hear
from us.
VI. THE TOTAL CONVERSION OF ONE FORMER LEPER.
Luke 17:19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
On the outside the ten appear identical. Yet what a difference.
One returned. Nine went on.
One was grateful. Nine were not.
One man found forgiveness. Nine did not.
One man got two miracles. Nine got one.
All ten were healed. That’s one miracle.
But the Samaritan was healed and forgiven. That’s two miracles.
Luke 12:8 (NLT) “I tell you the truth, everyone who acknowledges me publicly
here on earth, the Son of Man will also acknowledge in the presence of God’s angels.
Luke 12:9 But anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s
angels.
by avministry | Nov 5, 2023 | Sermons
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Ecclesiastes 4:1 (NLT) Again, I observed all the oppression that takes place under
the sun. I saw the tears of the oppressed, with no one to comfort them.
The oppressors have great power, and their victims are helpless.
Oppression is like a ball and chain bound to a person to tie them down, to hold them
back, to keep them in their place so they cannot rise above their circumstances
https://thecontentauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/oppression-ball-and-chain.jpg
Ecclesiastes 4:2 Therefore I praised the dead who were already dead, more than
the living who are still alive.
Ecclesiastes 4:3 Yet, better than both is he who has never existed, who has not
seen the evil work that is done under the sun.
1) JESUS CAME FOR THE OPPRESSED.
Luke 4:16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His
custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
Luke 4:17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had
opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to
preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed;
Luke 4:21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Ecclesiastes 5:8 If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent perversion of
justice and righteousness in a province, do not marvel at the matter; for high official
watches over high official, and higher officials are over them.
Luke 22:24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should
be considered the greatest.
Luke 22:25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over
them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
Luke 22:26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you,
let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves.
2) JESUS CAME TO BE OPPRESSED.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so He opened not His mouth.
Matthew 15:24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.”
Exodus 2:23 Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died.
Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out;
and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.
Exodus 3:9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me,
and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
To be a Jew means always being with the oppressed and never the oppressors.
Cornell University posting by Hamas:
… Jews are human animals and deserve a pig’s death. Liberation by any means.
From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,
3) JESUS CAME TO BRING LIBERATION FOR THE OPPRESSED.
Luke 4:18 ” … to set at liberty those who were oppressed;
Jesus the oppressed identified with those in humanity who were oppressed.
John 4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
John 4:8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
John 4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew,
ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
The oppressed Jews were clearly capable of being the oppressors themselves in
certain situations and against certain people.
John 4:16 Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her,
You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’
John 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not
your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
John 4:28 The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said
to the men,
John 4:29 “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be
the Christ?”
John 4:30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
Luke 16:19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen
and fared sumptuously every day.
Luke 16:20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was
laid at his gate,
Luke 16:21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table.
Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
Luke 16:22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s
bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
Luke 16:23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham
afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
Luke 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send
Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am
tormented in this flame.’
Luke 16:25 But Abraham said, “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received
your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you
are tormented.
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for
God was with Him.
Ultimately either in this life or the life to come, the oppressed will be blessed and
the oppressor will be cursed.
Psalm 103:6 The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
Psalm 72:4 He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children
of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor.
by avministry | Oct 31, 2023 | Sermons
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“The Haunted House”
Luke 11:24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places,
seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
Luke 11:25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.
Luke 11:26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than
the first.”
Last night I saw upon the stair a little man who wasn’t there.
He wasn’t there again today. Oh, how I wish he’d go away.
We are scared of the wrong haunted houses.
We are afraid of the supposed ghosts in wooden frames when we should be afraid
of the real demons in flesh and blood bodies.
Luke 16:26 (HCSB) Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us
and you, so that those who want to pass over from here to you cannot; neither
can those from there cross over to us.’
I. THE HAUNTED HOUSE WAS A DIRTY HOUSE.
Luke 11:24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, …
These demons do their dirty work in and through people.
Sin is the breaking of a law,
Sin is also the opening of a door.
Ephesians 4:27 Nor give place to the devil.
Luke 11:24 “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places,
seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’
II. THE HAUNTED HOUSE BECAME A CLEAN HOUSE.
Luke 11:25 And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order.
2 Timothy 3:5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such
people turn away!
(NLT) They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.
Reformation, rehabilitation, rededication, renovation, religion doesn’t change the inside.
Someone has well said, “You’ll never purify the water by painting the pump.”
III. THE HAUNTED HOUSE ENDED UP A FILTHY HOUSE.
Matthew 12:44 … And when he comes, he finds it empty …
Luke 11:26 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than
himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than
the first.”
John 8:44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.
He was a murderer from the beginning …”
Jesus said about these 8 demons, that “they enter and dwell there.”(Luke 11:26)
This is the last phase of this house:
Luke 11:26 “…and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”
Sin is more than just breaking the rules.
Sin is also choosing sides, it’s picking teams.
Luke 11:23 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with
Me scatters.
Either the Lord will come in, or the evil spirits will return.
If we just sweep out the dirt but never let Christ come in, then that is only moral
reformation without spiritual transformation.
When Christ comes in, He doesn’t come to take sides, He comes in to take over
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things
are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
by avministry | Oct 24, 2023 | Sermons
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“Israel: Past, Present and Future — As Israel Goes, So Goes the World”
(Part 2)
Revelation 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Revelation 12:4 ” … And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give
birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
Quote from “On The Jews and Their Lies” by Martin Luther
“What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews?
“I shall give you my sincere advice:
First to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury and cover with dirt
whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them.
This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom, so that God might see
that we are Christians, and do not condone or knowingly tolerate such public
lying, cursing, and blaspheming of his Son and of his Christians.
Second, I advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed….
Third, I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings, in which such
idolatry, lies, cursing and blasphemy are taught, be taken from them…
Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach henceforth on pain of loss
of life and limb…
Fifth, I advise that safeconduct on the highways be abolished completely for
the Jews. For they have no business in the countryside, since they are not lords,
officials, tradesmen, or the like. Let they stay at home.
I don’t know how they can stay home if their homes have been burned down.
Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and treasure
of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping…
Seventh, I commend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle
into the hands of young, strong Jews and Jewesses and letting them earn their
bread in the sweat of their brow …”
I. ISRAEL IS THE FAITH BASE OF THE WORLD.
II. ISRAEL IS THE BLESSING SOURCE OF THE WORLD.
III. ISRAEL IS THE PROPHETIC PROPERTY OF THE WORLD.
IV. ISRAEL IS THE SATANIC TARGET OF THE WORLD.
Revelation 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Revelation 12:4 ” … And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give
birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born.
Revelation 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron.
And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.
Deuteronomy 28:65 And among those nations you shall find no rest, nor shall the
sole of your foot have a resting place; but there the Lord will give you a trembling
heart, failing eyes, and anguish of soul.
Martin Luther King Jr. said “Never forget that everything Hitler did in Germany was legal.”
Romans 14:22 “… Blessed is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
Quran Verse (3:67) – English Translation
Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth,
a Muslim [submitting to Allah]. And he was not of the polytheists.
Another translation says:
Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in Faith, and bowed his
will to Allah’s (Which is Islam), and he joined not gods with Allah.
1 Timothy 4:1 “… giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
1 Timothy 4:2 speaking lies …”
For Islam, the world is divided into two parts: the house of peace, where Allah rules;
and the house of war, where infidels live.
It’s either peace, you succumb to Allah; or it’s war.
Convert or die.
Islam conquered by the sword.
Revelation 12:7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the
dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought,
Islam is currently the most powerful system on earth for the destruction of biblical
truth and Christianity,
Islam is the main persecutor of Christians all over the world, in the Middle East,
and in Africa.
Thousands of Christians are dying under this persecution.
V. ISRAEL IS THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF THE WORLD.
Ezekiel 5:5 “Thus says the Lord God: ‘This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst
of the nations and the countries all around her.
Ezekiel 38:12 (NASB) to capture spoils and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against
the ruins that are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the
nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who live at the center of the world.’
Israel is the center of man’s hopes and God’s purposes.
Israel is the connection between heaven and earth.
VI. ISRAEL CONTAINS THE ETERNAL CITY OF GOD.
Hebrews 11:10 for he [Abraham] waited for the city which has foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
1. GOD CHOSE JERUSALEM.
Deuteronomy 12:11 Then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses
to make His name abide …”
2 Chronicles 6:6 Yet I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name may be there, and I have
chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
2. GOD HAS BLESSED JERUSALEM.
Psalm 87:5 And of Zion it will be said, “This one and that one were born in her;
And the Most High Himself shall establish her.”
Psalm 87:6 The Lord will record, When He registers the peoples: “This one was
born there.”
3. JESUS WEPT OVER JERUSALEM.
Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones
those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together,
as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Matthew 23:38 See! Your house is left to you desolate;
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDED FIRST UPON JERUSALEM.
Acts 1:4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to
depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,”
He said, “you have heard from Me;
Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit not many days from now.”
5. THE FIRST CHURCH BEGAN IN JERUSALEM.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and
to the end of the earth.
6. THE FIRST CHURCH COUNCIL WAS HELD IN JERUSALEM.
Acts 15:4 And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the
church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God
had done with them.
7. JESUS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN FROM JERUSALEM.
Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up,
and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Acts 1:10 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold,
two men stood by them in white apparel,
Acts 1:11 who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner
as you saw Him go into heaven.”
Acts 1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is
near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.
8. JESUS WILL RETURN FROM HEAVEN TO JERUSALEM.
Zechariah 14:3 “Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He
fights in the day of battle.
Zechariah 14:4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces
Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west,
Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
and half of it toward the south.
9. JESUS WILL MAKE JERUSALEM HIS MILLENNIAL CAPITAL.
Psalm 132:13 For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place:
Psalm 132:14 “This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
10. THE CAPITAL AND ETERNAL CITY OF HEAVEN IS JERUSALEM.
Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and
the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Revelation 21:10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain,
and showed me the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
Revelation 21:11 having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone,
like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.
Revelation 21:23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for
the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.
Revelation 21:24 And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and
the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.
We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.
Looking for a city, where we’ll never die,
There the sainted millions, never say good-bye,
There we’ll meet our Savior, and our loved ones too,
Come O Holy Spirit, all our hopes renew.
Hebrews 11:10 for he [Abraham] waited for the city which has foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.
