The Christian faith has stood the test of time. It has its adherents all over the world. All classes of people acknowledge that the Lord Jesus Christ is the key to life. The basic teachings of the Christian faith always need to be considered. What is Christianity? Is there any intellectual justification for holding these beliefs today? How should Christians live now that we have reached the twenty first century? If you live in the Greensboro area, or are visiting, you are invited to come along to the Sunday meetings here at Shannon Hills Bible Chapel and hear Biblical answers to these and many other vital questions.
When you face Crises, Anxiety, Fear, Guilt, Poverty, Homelessness, Hunger, Old Age, Divorce, Wars, Sickness, Alcoholism, Drugs, or Problems in general …
· To whom shall we go when we are in a crisis situation?
· To whom we shall go when troubled by guilt?
· To whom shall we go when we are worried about evils that prevail in our nation?
· To whom shall we go when our marriage is on the rocks?
· To whom shall we go when all alone?
· To whom shall we go if our home is destroyed by flood or fire?
· To whom shall we go first in every crisis, in every need, material or spiritual?
Jesus tells us: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:25
Go to Him!
Go to Him whatever the dilemma. Go to Him for forgiveness. Go to Him for protection of every thing that is yours. Go to Him for He has all the resources of heaven and earth at His command. Go to Him for He is accessible always. Wherever and whenever you need Him He is there. “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee” He says. He is indifferent to our condition, never annoyed that we are troubling Him again, never untouched by our pain and never preoccupied with other things. He won’t mock us, nor turn us away. Instead, He invites us to come to Him, and He promises us rest. Go then, to Him. To whom else can we go?
When someone says: "You must be ‘Born Again’", what do they mean?
This statement refers us to John chapter 3 where Jesus Christ declares that the only way to “see the kingdom of God” is to be “born again” (John 3:3). He makes it clear that He is speaking of a spiritual birth—a birth that is brought about by the Holy Spirit…a birth into a new spiritual life (John 3:6-7). The word “again” translated, can also be rendered “from above”, which would point to the Source of this supernatural change in the life of a person who experiences spiritual birth. Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden resulted in the spiritual death of all humans who would follow him (Romans 5:12)—a spiritual separation from God that ultimately leads to an eternal and irreversible separation (1 Thessalonians 1:9). No longer did God’s human creations have a spiritual connection with God—as well as beginning to die physically, they also died spiritually. Though alive physically, we enter the world “dead in transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth that we might be spiritually reborn. This rebirth results in a life that is in relationship with God, is never-ending, and is more abundant than anything we could ever imagine (John 10:10,28). Interestingly, this new spiritual life from above was made possible for us through the death of the only One who was not under death’s curse…Christ died for our sins and then rose again to new life (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) that we might be declared right before God (Romans 4:25), be forgiven of our sins (Ephesians 1:7), be birthed into the family of God (John 1:12), receive a new nature (Colossians 3:10), have an anticipation for the future that is secure (1 Peter 1:3), and “see the kingdom of God” (understand and enjoy God’s rightful rule now and forever). Later in John chapter 3, the Lord Jesus reveals that it is faith in Him alone, not confidence in ourselves, that is the key to salvation and that brings us into the experience of this new life (John 3:16). This spiritual birth is not something visible to the human eye. But new life in Christ, like the wind which is also unseen, has effects that are visible (John 3:8)—we are “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17). To ever see God’s kingdom, you must be spiritually alive…to be spiritually alive, you must be born again!
In verse 3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:3-8 AV)
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3 AV)
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” (1 Peter 1:23 AV)
If we wanted to learn about something that we didn't
even know the basics about, where would most people look? Today people choose the internet
to research a subject and they usually get multiple answers and a wide
variety of in-depth research data on their subject with countless hours of
reading. Point given, if you want to know the answer to your question, you will
go to a source that will have the answer. Does heaven and hell really
exist? The answer to this question was given many, many times over, many years ago
through the recorded Word of God. Jesus told us about the existence of both of
these places, what they are like and that there will be a judgment day. (Matthew
5:22) The concept of heaven and hell is not new
and people have always been curious about their existence. There are those that
say that hell couldn't exist because a good and just God wouldn't allow anyone
to suffer the torment of hell for eternity. The inerrant Word of God says that
we all will be held accountable for everything we say and do while here on this
earth and will have a judgment passed upon us to decide our eternal fate
(Matthew 12:36) no matter whether we believe heaven and hell
exists or not. Despite our beliefs one way or another, Judgment Day is still going to take place.
In the ordinary events of life, most everyone wants and expects
justice to be served no matter how old they are. If a younger
brother sees that his older brother received discipline from Dad, for an
aggressive act he committed against the younger brother, then the younger
brother will know that he would receive the same discipline from Dad if he
commits a similar act against his older brother. Likewise, if you get a
speeding ticket with your son in the car then your son will know that he should
expect the same result should he exceed the speed limit while driving. If an
elderly person is being abused by an employee of a nursing facility behind the
backs of the family, that elderly person (let's say it was you) would want
someone to assert their authority over that abusing employee to make them stop
the evil deeds they are doing, wouldn't you agree? We all are held accountable
to the authorities over us (state & local governments, the company we work for,
an organization we belong to) for our actions in just about everything we do
each and every day of our lives. Our lives are no different. Why would a person
think that they can go through life as they please and not be held accountable
to someone? God is a "just" God and will hold
every person accountable for their actions and will dispense
justice in His time. The consequences of their actions will
eventually result in them being rewarded with heaven or condemned to hell. It's
their choice on how to conduct their own life while upon this earth,
but the outcome of their actions will be determined by God.
Most people seem to ask themselves this question at some
point and time in their life. What am I going to do now? Where am I going to go
after all this is over? Why did this happen to me? Am I suppose to take my
parents advice now that I am on my own? These type of questions we may ask ourselves
when maybe we are about to embark on a new journey in life or have had some
unexpected news thrust upon us and don't know where to turn. Or maybe when we are
facing some traumatic decisions and are expected by others to make the right
choice. Life can be
difficult at times and may make us question: "What's it all about?" God
has a plan for each and every one of our lives. We need to be in tune to Him,
like tuning into a radio station in order to hear clearly and not ignore Him
when He is talking to us. Yes, I said talking to us. God does talk to His people all of the
time to let them know what He wants for them. But in order to hear Him we need
to know how to listen and it is then we will know what we are to do. God created
us for one reason and He put a model in place for us to follow. We are to follow
the example of Jesus' life, His only begotten son. To live a life free of sin, filled
with inner peace, love for others and gratitude to God. We are His creation and He is
concerned for our well-being just as a loving parent would be for their own
child's life. He gave us a free will to choose what we do with our lives,
He doesn't demand that we come to Him, He wants us to turn our hearts to Him of our own
free will. When we do, it is only then that our lives will take on a true
direction, on firm ground and guided by a loving hand.
In the bible read: Psalm 9:10, 16:1, 31:3, 32:8, 73:24....Isaiah 58:11....Matthew
20:34, then place your trust in Him.
The bible contains thousands of years of history and is not mythological literature. It is a historical record of events that reveals what Gods wants for His people and is filled with a multitude of prophecies. Prophecies that span thousands of years at which were given to show us that God's plans will always be completed. If someone told you when you were 15 years old that you would fall and break your arm on your 21st birthday and then it turned out to happen exactly as that person predicted, I would imagine that you would give that person more of your attention should he make another prediction concerning you. God has made predictions using His prophets that are undeniable and irrefutable. The bible contains extensive prophecies dealing with individuals, nations, cities and with history in general, all of which have been fulfilled. J. Barton Payne’s, Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy (New York: Harper & Row, 1973) lists 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament, and 578 prophecies in the New Testament, for a total of 1,817. More than 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Jesus Himself. The bible was written by men and divinely inspired by God. God cannot make mistakes therefore what is written throughout the bible can be taken as absolute truth and with no possibility of error.
Let's start out by saying who Jesus "is not."
Jesus is not and never was a political Messiah/Leader. The Jewish people of
Jesus' time were anticipating a Messiah to come and deliver them from the
oppression of the Romans, rebuild the nation of Israel and bring world peace by
restoring the Davidic Kingdom, destroy the wicked and ultimately judge the whole
world. The deliverance Jesus offered them and offers us today is spiritual
deliverance from sin and to be reconciled to God. (Matthew 11:27) He
was/is not a political figure.
From the book by: Philip Schaff, The Person of Christ.
New York:
American Tract Society, 1913, 94-95).....How, in the name of logic, common
sense, and experience, could an impostor -- that is a deceitful, selfish,
depraved man -- have invented and consistently maintained from the beginning to
end, the purest and noblest character known in history with the most perfect air
of truth and reality? How could He have conceived and successfully carried out a
plan of unparalleled beneficence, moral magnitude, and sublimity, and sacrificed
His own life for it, in the face of the strongest prejudices of His people and
age?
Jesus Himself, wanted to know who
the people thought He was. He asked His disciples and they told Him:
Some say you are John
the Baptist. Others say you are Elijah, and still others say you are Jeremiah or
one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked His disciples, “And
who do you say I am?” Simon
Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered,
“Blessed art thou, Simon son of
Jonah, because no person has revealed that to you. It was my Father in heaven
that has showed you who I am.” (Matthew 16:13-17)
God today will reveal who Jesus is to those who seek Him with an earnest heart.
The answers to this age old question can be found
throughout the bible. Through the prophecies foretelling His coming found in the
Old Testament, from the Good News found in the four gospels written about Him
(Matthew, Mark, Luke, John),
from the words out of his own mouth about who He was and
His purpose while here on earth
and throughout the books of the New Testament. Jesus did not
desire a position of authority or to rule by the sword with a mighty hand.
But humbly came and desired for the people then and for us today, to have a
personal relationship with Him and His Father in Heaven. The best answer to this
question can be answered by you, after you come to know Him. It is only then,
you will have the true answer.
The answer is short and easy but requires a person to believe in
the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ and that it is only
through the blood He shed for them on the cross at Calvary that has cleansed
them from their sins. Also to repent of their sins, trust in the name of Jesus
and accept Him as Lord and Savior of their life. The moment they do, they are
considered "born again," and become a member of His Church. (John
3:3)
Once they have committed their life to Jesus Christ; it was Jesus in His own
words who said:
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they
shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand."
You will go to heaven!
In the bible read: Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 1:7, 1 John 5:13, Luke 24:27,
Acts 2:47, John 3:1-7, John 6:37-40
This is a very good question. Not only a question that
may come from a new believer but comes from many believers at one time or
another during their Christian lifetime. A new Christian is such as a babe in
their faith. They should not expect to know and understand everything about
their newly found self. They are babes in Christ and need guidance in order to
have knowledge and understanding about their faith. They will gain understanding
after being baptized and receiving the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus Christ.
Once baptized, the
Holy Spirit will now be their advocate and guide through life, along with other
believers. All believers need to gather together to celebrate as one, to love
and help one another. It is the Church, the Body of Christ here on earth and is
an integral part of a Christians life. It doesn't matter how long a person has
been a believer, at some point they will have doubts. Usually at a point in life
when they are faced with a crisis such as a marriage falling apart, the loss
of income and finances, or the death of a loved one. We are human, we have
doubts, struggles and fears that result in questioning the unknown. Just because
a Christian experiences doubt does not mean they are not a Christian. These
experiences of life are a challenge to any person. To a Christian, it helps them
to grow in their faith, to learn how to trust in God and His word. In the bible:
(1 John 3:19-24) it tells a Christian what to do during those times of doubt
and self condemnation and reassures them that they are in the truth (they are
Christians) when they keep God's commandments and do those things that are
pleasing in His sight. On the other hand, if a Christian does not do the things
that are pleasing in His sight and still claims to be a Christian, then they are
liars. (1 John 2:4-6)
They call themselves Christians but are truly not, they are doing so, by
name only and are deceiving themselves. A Christian is to model their life after
the life of Jesus Christ.
If a Christian has placed their trust in Jesus Christ and lives their life in a
manner that is pleasing to God, no matter what trials they face in life, God's
word, His promises and the Church (the Body of Believers) will be their source
of strength at all times. And if they have truly trusted Jesus as Lord and
Savior of their life, they can be assured by the promises of God. Jesus Himself
said: All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is
the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I
should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is
the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth
on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
(John 6:37-40) This should reassure any Christian.
Read an article by John Fischer:
It's not about being a good Christian
How does someone know they are saved?
The answer to this question can be found
by listening to one of the sermons by Charles Crawford. Mr. Crawford is one of
the elders at Shannon Hills Bible Chapel and gives us an answer.
Click here to listen
The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him. Isaiah. 56:8