The prison population in our country is growing. What can we do about it?

I am asking now, “Is that a social problem or is that a spiritual problem?”

The reason for asking that question is  because someone has identified four drivers of crime:

1. Poverty,
2. Poor mental health services,
3. Poor housing,
4. Lack of educational opportunities.
   

   heart

What does the Bible say? In Matthew 15:19 the Lord Jesus Christ says,”For out of the Heart come evil thoughts, …”

It is a spiritual problem.

At the beginning I asked, “What can we do about the growing prison population?” The answer is, “We must preach the GOSPEL!”

Reading “Calling the Church to creativity” on the front page of a Christian magazine, made me look up the purpose of the Church.

A.  Ephesians 4:11-15 –

“For the perfecting of the saints, …” (Ephesians 4:12, Authorized Version) To teach the believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. To instruct believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

B.  Acts 1:8 –

“and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the world.” To witness constantly.

SALVATION ARMY: New Lynn Corps, Auckland / NZ

C.  Matthew 28:19,20 –

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them …” To evangelize the world with the Gospel.

D. Ephesians 1:4-6 –

“To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6, Authorized Version) To worship God and to glorify Hom on earth.

The purpose, GOAL, of the church is to teach and instruct the believers to witness constantly, and to evangelize the world with the Gospel., so that the whole world may worship and glorify God  on the earth.

“READY?” asks a broadband advertisement I found not long ago in our letterbox. “The Future is exciting,” it says above the question.

When I am thinking about the future the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ comes to my mind.

The Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is foretold in the Bible, but the time is unknown. That’s why the Lord Jesus Christ says in Matthew 24:44, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” And we must also have  the true Attitude concerning readyness.

Moody said, “I look upon the word as a wrecked vessel.”

In Hebrews 9:28 we read, “Unto them that look for him shall he appear a second time.” “Occupy till I come,” says our Lord  Jesus Christ in Luke 19:13. Read also Matthew 24:46

Moody said, “I look upon the world as a wrecked vessel. Its ruin gets nearer and nearer. God  said to me, ‘Moody here’s s a lifeboat. Go out and rescue as many as you can before the ship sinks.”‘

“George Whitefield, the great English Evangelist said, ‘I am daily waiting for the Son of God.’ But he did not sit down and do nothing. He burned out his life in proclaiming the Gospel of Christ.” – Billy Graham

Yes, the future is exciting for me, and I am ready for the future with the Lord Jesus Christ.

At the beach.

It must have been a verse from the Bible I saw hanging on the wall when I entered the shop a long time ago.

Encouraged by that I started talking about spiritual things to the man running the place. It is a long time ago and I don’t remember much about our conversation. I must have asked when he became a Christian, maybe I even asked when he became born again, but from what I remember him replying was that he had been a Christian all his life.

The truth is, that nobody is born a Christian, we must undergo a great change. We must be born again. Regeneration is essential. We must become a new creation.

And that affects the whole of the personality of man.

A. It affects the WILL – “…, you wholeheartedly OBEYED …” (Romans 6:17)

B. It affects the EMOTIONS – “…, you WHOLEHEARTEDLY …” (Romans 6:17)

C. It affects the MIND – “…, you wholeheartedly obeyed THE FORM OF TEACHING TO WHICH YOU WERE ENTRUSTED.” (Romans 6:17) You apprehend doctrine with your mind.

The entire personality is involved in the change, the heart is involved, the mind is involved, and the will is involved.

It must have been a verse from the Bible I saw hanging on the wall of shop, I said at the beginning. I have been in the shop since then, but I don’t see the verse from the Bible any more.

Reading “‘helping to bring a little sunshine into people’s lives,'” on both car doors this afternoon reminded me of verses in the Bible. The car was parked on our main street. (Kaitaia)

In Malachi 4:2 we read:

“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.”

The sun

“The sun of righteousness” is of course the Lord Jesus Christ. For those who love him and obey him the Lord Jesus Christ will be like the healing warmth of the sun in the day of the Lord.

And in Matthew 17:2 it says, “There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” Read also Revelation 1:16.

The Lord Jesus Christ taught about Salvation, Daily Christian Living, Heaven and Hell and more.

He told Nicodemus  that he had to be born again. You can read that in John chapter three.

In Matthew 5:33-48 he taught three things:

1. Not to swear.
2. To turn the other cheek.
3. To love enemies.

At least 70 times the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of hell in the Gospels. In Luke 16:19-31 he gives us the clearest picture of torment in hell.

There are quite a good number of hymns that talk about the Lord Jesus Christ as the sun.

One of the hymns is by Philipp Spitta, who lived from 1801-1859. He gave us the hymn: “O JESU MEINE SONNE, VOR DER DIE NACHT ENTFLEUCHT!” (“Jesus, my sun, the night is fleeing from you.”)

Another German hymn by Christian David, who lived from 1690 – 1751 begins like this: “SONNE DER GERECHTIGKEIT, GEHE AUF ZU UNSERER ZEIT.” (“Sun of righteousness rise in our time.”)

Just as there are rules for ordinary fishing, there are also rules for fishing men.

In Matthew  4:19 we read, “‘COME, FOLLOW ME,’ JESUS SAID, ‘AND I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.'”

“‘COME, FOLLOW ME,’  JESUS SAID,  ‘AND  I WILL MAKE YOU FISHERS OF MEN.'”

Here are some general rules taken from One Hundred Bible Lessons by Alban Douglas (Soul Winning).

1. Seek and pray for opportunities.
2. Our goal must be to lead the person to Christ.
3. Deal with your own age.
4. Be courteous.
5. Avoid familiarities.
6. Deal with the person alone.
7. Always keep confidences.
8. Don’t argue.
9. Don’t rely on your ability.
10. Don’t become impatient
11. Deal with sinners as if you are a fellow sinner.

Today I approached someone here on Commerce Street in Kaitaia. The young man came from Uruguay in South America and was involved with a charity looking for supporters. In the course of our conversation he mentioned that there is a Career in International Relations. That was new to me, but a wonderful opportunity to talk about a relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Billy Graham says,”If ever we are to study the Scriptures, if ever we are to spend time in prayer, IF EVER WE ARE TO WIN SOULS TO CHRIST, if ever we are to invest our finances for His kingdom – it must be now.”

And let us remember  to know the rules before we fish.

“Have your say,” it says in one of our papers, Northern Advocate, Wednesday, December 6, 2017.

Underneath are the letters to the editor. “Just a book,” writes one reader in response to “Instructions Before Leaving Earth as in the Bible,”

He replies with a poem, and the poem says at the beginning that the Bible is just a book and not worth to be looked at a second time.

For me the Bible is “The Book of Books.” The Holy Spirit is the author of the Bible

The Bible is a sword, a hammer, a seed, a mirror, a fire, the Bible is food and a lamp. In Psalm 119:105 we read: “THY WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET, AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH.”

Jeremiah 23:29: “‘IS NOT MY WORD LIKE FIRE,’ DECLARES THE LORD, …”

For many years now I have looked into the Bible every day and there was one year when I read the Bible from cover to cover twice, and every word.

Yes, we can have our say, and I still remember a time when the Bible was also for me like any other book. The Bible was for me like any other book, until I was 18 years of age. But a day came, when the Bible became alive for me.

But that happens only by revelation.

When the Lord Jesus Christ asked the disciples, “‘Who do you say I am?'” Peter answered, “‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'” And what was the reply of the Lord Jesus Christ? The Lord replied, “‘… for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.'” (Matthew 16:17)

The Cross

“The seed that fell among the thorns

Luke 8:14

Intr.:

stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by

1. life’s worries,
2. riches and
3. pleasures,

End:

and they do not mature.”