SOUL WINNING 101

TITLE: SOUL WINNING 101
TEXT: MARK 4:1-25

Jesus tells us in verse 13 of the Parable of the Sower (or Seed) that if we do not understand this parable then we will never understand any of the other things that He teaches us in His other parables. It is like buttoning a shirt, if you don’t get the first button right, the rest of the buttons are unable to line up.

1. The Sower is Jesus and those who share the Word of God
2. The Seed is the Word of God the Sower Broadcasts
3. The Soils represent the hearts of mankind and their different responses to the Word of God

I. THE HEARTS WHICH the SOWER WILL ENCOUNTER (Mark 2-9; 14-20)

A.The Calloused Heart (4:3;13)

Those who absolutely no interest or appreciation for the Word of God

B. The Casual Heart (4:4; 16,17)

Those who show interest in the message, but are not serious or truly repentant.

C. The Cluttered heart (4:7; 18,19)

Like the Casual Heart, these are the people who give lip service to Jesus, but have never truly repented and who still have their hearts filled with self interests that compete with the Word of God and leave no place for the Word of God in their lives.

D. The Committed Heart (4:8; 20)

These are those whom the Word of God has enlightened to see the reality who Jesus is, their spiritual condition, the choice of eternities. These are those who truly repent and commit their heart to Jesus and their lives to following Him and obeying His Word.

II. THE HEARTS WHICH the SEED WILL ENLIGHTEN (4:5-8; 16-20)

You will notice that it was only the Calloused Heart (wayside soil) that showed no understanding and appreciation for the Word of God. Even though the Causal Heart and the Cluttered Heart were not serious, they did show an initial understanding and appreciation of the Word of God, just as the Committed Heart did.

III. THE HEART to WHICH the SEED WILL BECOME an ENIGMA
(4:4; 12; 14)

What had happened to make the Calloused Heart so hardened  that it had no ability to understand the Word of God? What happened to the Calloused Heart that it no longer had any interest in hearing the Word of God?  What happened to the Calloused Heart that it had even become antagonistic towards Word of God? What happened to the Calloused Heart that he now said to himself that the Word of God was for the birds?

The answer is simple, like Pharaoh hardened his heart by continually rejecting the commands of God which Moses delivered, so has this person done and as the Lord finally and deliberately hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would never be able to repent and be saved, so does the Lord warn that He will do to all of those who follow in his steps.

“And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind” [John 9:39]

John 9:39 tells us that when a person willfully rejects the Word of God a judicial blindness begins to take place, where it gets more difficult from then on to be capable of recognizing and responding to truth, until you finally come to the point where you will become totally blind to truth. That is the person with the calloused heart.

I have heard many commentators talk about how the hardened heart needs to be softened, but there is little doubt that the hard heart that Jesus is speaking of here had at one time been the Casual or Cluttered heart who had made a shallow decision for Jesus, but became hardened as they took offense that Jesus would allow suffering to enter their life, or as in the case of the Cluttered Heart, they became hardened by the constant competition between obeying their flesh or the Word of God. Taking offense towards Jesus and constantly denying the Word of God to gratify their flesh had hardened their hearts to the point that they finally totally rejected Jesus and any desire to obey His Word. They finally came to the point that the Lord knew that they had become so hardened that they were never going to be willing to be saved. Just as the wayside soil became hardened by months and years of people walking upon it, so had their hearts become hardened by months and years of their trampling upon the Word of God.

CONCLUSION:

Too often the modern day sowers of the Word are guilty of telling their hearers that there is nothing they can do that will cause God to stop loving them, leaving them with the impression that there is no danger in their continual rejection of Jesus and the message of the Gospel; there will always be time and space to repent when they come to that point, not realizing that every time they reject Jesus the chances lessen that they will ever come to that point.

There is grave danger in willful rejection of Jesus and I think as we see the hardness towards the Word of God of generations of once enlightened Americans, we must conclude that it is quite probable that Jesus has purposely and permanently hardened their hearts and blinded their eyes to truth and abandoned them to judgment.

The Word of God has become a Enigma (unable to understand) to much of America. There is a hardness and hostility in our nation towards the Word of God that I have never before seen in my 36 years of preaching th Gospel.

The Church and especially her preachers need to go back to Soul Winning 101 and get a grip on what we are seeing in our nation. We need to once again declare the Grace of God that leaves a sinner at the mercy of God and stop giving the sinner the impression that they have God at their mercy.

We need to redouble our efforts to reach a generation that is still tender and open to receiving the Gospel and yes, we must be realistic, millions of Americans have now SINNED AWAY THEIR DAY OF GRACE.

Maybe this should be the next sermon you preach to your people. It would do them no harm to put the fear of God in their hearts once again; God help the preacher who fails to do so!
~Jack Woodard

WHEN JESUS SEES YOUR FAITH IN HIM

Jesus heals a paralytic man lowered from the roof Mark 2:1-12

WHEN JESUS SEES YOUR FAITH IN HIM

“When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins are forgiven you.” [Mark 2:5]

1. CHRISTIAN FRIENDS

This poor paralytic was fortunate to have four Christian friends who really believed in Jesus. It seems clear from Jesus’ response that He knew the four were not only burdened about this man’s physical condition, but they were mostly interested in seeing him saved and having his sins forgiven. To them, as it was with Jesus, it was first things first, salvation of the soul and then the healing of the body.

Jesus saw “their” faith in Him, not just the four, but the paralytic’s four friends had convinced him that Jesus was the Savior and that he needed to have Jesus to forgive him for his sins and save him and now he was willing to be, if they would just help him get to Jesus. That’s what it is to be a soul winner, convincing the lost that they are a sinner in need of Jesus and doing whatever it takes to bring them to Jesus.

11. CHRISTIAN FRUIT

This is not only an example of a soul winner, but soul winning is itself an example of truly having faith in Jesus. – “YE SHALL KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS”  (Matthew 7:16) .  How can one claim he is a believer and not do all they can to bring their poor lost friends and family to Jesus.

The amazing thing is that the very trouble they went through to get to Jesus was all the evidence that Jesus needed to convince Him that they were placing their faith in Him and Him alone for salvation and whatever He would choose to do about the man’s affliction.

Are any of your friends and family still unbelievers in Jesus because you have not attempted to convince them that they are lost and in need of Jesus to save them?

Are they still lost because you have done little, or nothing to bring them to Jesus? Do they see you putting forth any effort and sacrifice if they believe it will help you to come to Jesus. It’s easier to make a believer if they can see that you love and care enough for them that you a willing to make any sacrifice to help them come to Jesus for salvation..

When Jesus looks at their unbelief does He also see your unbelief? If you would begin to demonstrate your faith in Jesus, He may see these lost friends and family members come to Him in faith for salvation and as sure as Jesus forgave and saved the paralytic, so would He save them. Maybe it’s your unbelief that is the stumbling block to the lost around you! When was the last time you attempted to lead a soul to Jesus? We have a nation of lost souls, just pick one and go to work and why not do it today!
~Jack Woodard

THE LAST DAYS and the WORD of GOD

TITLE: THE LAST DAYS and THE WORD OF GOD
TEXT: 2 TIMOTHY 3:1-17

INTRODUCTION
A man’s last words are always interesting to hear and often times it is important that those to whom they are spoken listen and heed them. That is certainly true of the Apostle Paul’s last words to Timothy and to every Christian in every generation.
As the Apostle Paul faced what he knew would be his final days upon the earth he chose to write about THE LAST DAYS and the BIBLE. He describes those days and the importance that the Word of God was to play in the life of the Christian as they faced those trying times.
As we look at the Apostle Paul’s description of those days, we can’t help but to conclude that this generation of Christians may be the last generation, the generation that are living in perilous times and to no other generation may Paul’s last words be more meaningful.

1. THE LAST DAYS WILL BE DAYS OF MORAL DETERIORATION
(2 Tm 3:1;13)

2. THE LAST DAYS WILL BE DAYS OF MUCH DIFFICULTY (2 Tm 3:1; 8; 12)

A. The Perilous Times (v.v.1;12)
B. The People’s Traits (v.v.)

i. Their Loves (v.v.2;4)

a. Their Own Selves (v.2)
b. Material Wealth (v. 2 covetous)
c. Worldly Pleasures (v.4)

ii. Their Lifestyles (v.v.2-5)

3. THE LAST DAYS WILL BE DAYS OF MANY DECEIVERS
(2 Tm 3:6-13; Matthew 24:4,5)

A. The Origin of These Deceivers (v.6; 2 Tm 4:3,4) “For of this sort…”

Spiritual leaders will be chosen from among the type of people that the Apostle Paul has just warned us about. These are the types of people that the nations will follow in these last days. Holy men will be rejected in favor of their own kind.

B. The Operation of These Deceivers (v.6) “Creep into houses…”

As Satan by-passed Adam (God’s established authority) and went after Eve (Genesis 3:1; 1 Timothy 2:13,14), who was more easily deceived, likewise shall Satan’s servants work in these days and no doubt what passes for Christian Television will be a main tool to reach those women who reject God’s Word and are attempting to clear a guilty conscience apart from repentance and trusting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The most dangerous TV today is Christian TV and that should not surprise us. If Satan wanted to lead people astray, would not his easiest target be those who are searching for spiritual contentment and would not they be more likely to be watching Christian TV more than any other in their quest?

The less this world becomes a man’s world and the more it becomes a woman’s world, the easier it will become for Satan to deceive and like Eve, use the deceived to seduce the masses and even their own mates.

C. The Objects of These Deceivers (v.6) “…silly women”
(Refer to the Operation of These Deceivers)

D. The Opposition of These Deceivers (v.8)

Deceivers always reject and oppose the Word of God and those men of God who faithfully preach the Truth of God’s Word. The Word of God and those who preach it will be the main objects of these deceiver’s attacks. Preachers today are finding the opposition to them and the Word of God increasing daily.

E. The Outcome of These Deceivers (v.9)
God’s Word cannot be bound and every tongue that rises up against the prophets of God are destined to be brought down in judgment (Isaiah 54:17), just as was were those who opposed Moses.

F. The Overcoming of These Days and Deceivers (v.v.14-16)

i. Stay with the Word of God (v.14) “…continue…”
ii. Study the Word of God (v.v. 15, 16) “…make thee wise…” “…profitable…”
iii. Share the Word of God (v. 17) “…furnished unto all good works…”

IS THERE NOT A CAUSE? GOD CAN STILL SLAY GIANTS

TITLE: IS THERE NOT A CAUSE? GOD CAN STILL SLAY GIANTS
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 17:17-29

INTRODUCTION:

These are the events which led up to David’s battle with the giant, Goliath. It was a battle to remove the reproach to the Lord that was upon His people. It was a battle to restore the Lord’s glory within the land. It was a battle to save a nation for the Lord.
That is how David looked at the present situation. That is the Cause David felt so strong about. That is the Cause facing the people of God today in America. The Church has allowed the enemy and the cause to grow into a gigantic force and actually most of the Church, like David’s brothers and their nation, feel defeated and hopeless. They feel as if there is no choice left, but to surrender our nation to the enemies of the Lord and just get by the best we can till we die or until Jesus returns for His Church.

David didn’t share their fears and hopelessness. David rejected such hopelessness. David refused to live in such a nation. David believed there was a cause and if God be for us, who can be against us. Let’s take a David and his battle with the giant, Goliath and let it restore hope in our discouraged hearts and the Lord back to His rightful place in our nation.

I. THE CRISIS OF THE DAY

David’s nation was facing a crisis moment. Their future was hanging in the balance at this time in their history. They were on the verge of losing their nation to the enemies of the Lord, or on the other hand, as only the little lad David saw, this could be a great moment of victory, a moment which the nation could return to its former glory.

A. The Location of the Enemy (17:1, 16)

We are told in 17:1 that the Philistines and their army had advanced to E’ phes-dammin, which was only about 16 miles southwest of Jerusalem, the nation’s capital.

The Philistines had flowed across the nation’s border without opposition and had now advanced to the very heartland of the nation.

In the mid to late 80’s I was pastoring a Church in my home State of Missouri, the very heartland of America. I took my family on a vacation to California and Disney Land. I will never forget driving into Hollywood and seeing a banner hung across a street promoting the upcoming Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade. As a young man who had grown up in the heartland of America, I could not believe what I was seeing, but I remember sharing the incident with my Church when I returned and warning them that what starts in Hollywood has a way of eventually finding its way into mid-America. I now realize how true that statement would turn out being.

The perversion of San Francisco has now spread into the very heartland of America and has done so almost without any opposition from the Lord’s Church, His very army upon the earth.

Our nation has now been overrun with evil and perversion. Evil and perversion is now ingrained into our laws. It certainly seems as if the Church is down for the count. It seems as if the powers now against us are so gigantic that the situation is now hopeless, except for one fact and that is how the Lord has a history of giving His people victory over their foes when the situation had grown so large that it seemed insurmountable, just as with the case of Goliath.

Faith in a big God makes every crisis and every foe shrink to a size that is easily overcome.

B. The Listlessness of the People (17: 11, 24)

The Lord’s people now stood face to face with the enemies of the Lord, right in the very heartland of their nation. Their advance had been so swift and complete that they were now facing a giant. The people were now paralyzed by fear, unbelief and a sense of hopelessness. Their fear and unbelief had made them listless. It had defeated and disabled them. There was no longer any will, energy, or fight left in them.

The Lord’s Church has been intimidated by the taunting and terror tactics of the foes of the Lord, the same tactics used by Goliath. The Lord’s Church has been fearful of offending the Lord’s foes, when she should have been more concerned about stopping them from conquering our nation and generations of our young. Now homosexual marriage is legal in every State in our nation.

Now we find ourselves in a nation in which the Lord’s foes have now conquered the land and are now arrayed against the Church – their last unconquered foe – with the intention of defeating and destroying her. The enemy is bold and marching on the people of God.

II. THE CONCERN OF DAVID (17:22 , 26, 29, 30)

When David arrived at the camp of the Lord’s army he saw that the armies were already faced off against one another. He heard the taunting of Goliath and saw the fear and hopelessness that was paralyzing the people of God.

David was a young lad, not even a member of the army, nothing was expected of him, but he refused to remain safely in the rear, or a silent observer. He was not hindered by the same infirmities of his brothers. His zeal for the Lord’s glory compelled him to action. He did all he could do to embolden his people and to rally the troops, but when those efforts failed, David decided that it was now just up to him and the Lord if the nation was to be saved.

David was like so many young men and women in America who dropped everything in their lives and ran to sign up for the military after 9/11. These young American’s were not fearful, but offended that a foe would attack us on our own homeland and they were determined to destroy them for doing so. Like David, they strongly believed there was a Cause.

A. His Family Was at Stake (17:17, 18)

David was fighting to save his loved ones. May the Church see that their families makes this battle a cause worth fighting.

B. His Freedoms Were at Stake (17:9)

To yield the war to the enemy would mean that Israel would become the slaves and servant of the Lord’s bitter foes. Freedom was a right that was not up for negotiation. Never would he surrender and forfeit his freedoms. He had grown up a free man in a free state and for him it was, “Give me liberty or give me death”.

The Church has many freedoms to lose if we now surrender to the foes of Christ. We will lose our Freedoms of religion and speech. We will even eventually lose our freedom to assemble. We will be an outlawed faith, driven underground.

C. His Flocks Were at Stake (17:20a)

To lose the battle was surrender his flocks and all other possessions to the enemy. David was not willing to do that without a fight. We are already seeing Christians being drug into court and having to surrender their hard earned money to pay the unjust fines that are being imposed upon them. We see Christians being forced to go out of business, or violate their faith and conscience. David saw this would be his same lot in life if he surrendered to the foes of the Lord. He was not willing to give to the devil what the Lord had given to him and his family and what had been passed down to him from his Godly ancestors.

D. His Faith Was at Stake (17:32-37; 45,46)

David explained to King Saul that his courage was not built upon immature foolishness, but upon his history with the Lord. His courage was a demonstration of his faith in God that had been built upon prior crisis moments in his life.

To David his faith was as important as his freedoms. To walk away would mean he would surrender to unbelief. Nothing is more tormenting to a soul than to be overcome with unbelief and nothing is more precious in this turbulent world to the Child of God than their faith in Jesus. Compromise and surrendering to fear would destroy the faith in the Lord that it had taken years of struggles to build. David refused to do so. That was a cause woth fighting for.

E. His Father’s Glory Was at Stake (17:26b, 45-47)

For David, the greatest cause was the Glory of the Lord. This fear and defeat of God’s people at the hand of the Lord’s foes was most of all, a reproach upon the Lord. The Philistines were really fighting the Lord and as the battle went, so went the people’s view of the Lord. To be defeated would mean David’s God would be mocked and ridiculed by His enemies. To be defeated would be dethroning God in His own land. David had a zeal for the Lord’s glory and that would not be allowed to happen upon his watch.

We are seeing our courts ordering the removal of Crosses, the Ten Commandments, Nativities, Prayer, and the Bible throughout the land, but what we are actually seeing is the impression being made to the people in our land that Jesus is not the Almighty, worthy of praise and honor. He is so weak and insignificant that He is certainly not worthy of our Faith in Him, or a commitment of our lives to Him. The Lord’s glory was a cause David felt was worth fighting for.

III. THE CONTRAST of DAVID (17:31)

When word got back to King Saul of the words of David, that they were in such contrast to the defeatist voices of the day, that he demanded David be brought to him immediately, he had to see this brave young man who was the only ray of sunshine and hope in this dark and hopeless hour of crisis.

A. David Was Concerned (17:20a)

Saul was leading an army where little to no concern for victory was being demonstrated or declared. David must have been a breath of fresh air to Saul.

As I have watched the crisis in America grow I have watched the concern of the Lord’s people for the cause wain to nearly now being nonexistent. We are a Care-less Church. Every radical group in America can muster an army of opposition to righteousness at the drop of a hat, but attempt to rally the Lord’s Church to defend the Lord’s glory and you couldn’t get enough to show up to fill the choir loft. We have lost the battle mainly through default. We have not been concerned enough to even show up for the battle. On any average Sunday Morning on any average Sunday, half of the Church will be absent and in the world giving aid and comfort to the Lord’s enemies. During a time of war giving aid and comfort to the enemy is the very definition of treason. Sunday Morning you will find half of the Church committing HIGH TREASON against heaven.

B. David Was Committed (17:32)

David was committed to the Lord when he showed up and the giant had not diminished his commitment in the least.

Daniel had already purposed in his heart not to defile himself before the temptation came to do otherwise. Daniel and David were close to the same age when they made their unwavering stand for the Lord.

We need more Daniels and David’s who have come to some conclusions in their lives and refused to be moved. No of these things moved David.

C. David Was Confident (17:26, 37)

David had an unshakable confidence in the Lord. His faith in the Lord for victory was unwavering.

1. Confidence built upon his past experiences with the Lord
(17:34-37)

2. Confidence built upon his past victories with the Lord (17:37)

3. Confidence built upon his knowledge of the past victories that the Lord had given his nation throughout her history.

From the very conception of the nation God’s people had always had her foes and the Lord had never failed to give them the victory. They were His people. If God be for them, who could be against them?

The Bible records these victories from history to give encouragement and hope to this generation of Christians. (Romans 15:4)
America’s History is replete with hours of crisis where the Lord made the difference and gave us the victory. Jesus is the same yesterday, and today, and forever. Let the Church arise and go forward against the giants we face with the same confidence in the Lord.

To refuse to fight the good fight in this crisis hour, is not only an action unconcern, it is an act of unbelief in the Lord Jesus. It is a denial of the Lord’s history of being for His people.

IV. THE CONQUERING OF DAVID (17:48-54)

In the end, it was David who handed Goliath his own head on a platter. For David, the outcome was never in doubt and nor should it be for this generation of Christians either. The Lord of Host will go before us if we will just go after our foes armed with Faith in God.

CONCLUSION:

The Church in America today have set idle and allowed the enemies of the Lord to cross our borders and sweep through our nation like leaven. The heartland used to be called the Bible Belt, but even the heartland is now in danger of being conquered by the enemies of the Lord.

Their victory seems almost complete. They no longer look like a small, insignificant bunch of radicals, they now look like a giant, compared to a small band of true believers, but the hour is not too late, nor the enemy too big for the Lord. The real challenge is, can the Lord find a man, a man willing to fight the Lord’s battles. A man who refuses to believe the Lord has done all of this for our nation and His people, just to see us surrender it the His Foes.

THERE IS a CAUSE and the LORD CAN STILL SLAY the GIANTS.

Be the David Jesus uses to save His nation.

As we fight the good fight, let’s not forget that the Gospel is the real Power of God. When the Gospel is preached with boldness, it can show a sinner that not only is he Hell bound, but that he is also loved of Jesus. He would rather win them than destroy them. Calvary proves His love and provides for his salvation, if they will repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ!
~Jack Woodard

UNDERSTANDING REAL SAVING FAITH

TEXT: EPHESIANS 2:8-10
TITLE: UNDERSTANDING REAL SAVING FAITH

INTRODUCTION:

If there is one word that could accurately describe the average American’s understanding of the Christian Faith, it would have to be either IGNORANCE or CONFUSION. The Church is as ignorant and confused as the world around them. Relativism and Pluralism has engulfed the land and left us in a state of confusion.
There is confusion in the areas of:

1. Becoming a Christian

The views on how one really becomes a Christian ranges from, being good, being baptized, being a member of a particular Church, to just being willing to call yourself a Christian. Confusion abounds and true converts are becoming more rare.

2. Believing as a Christian

It is alarming to see the increasing numbers of people who call themselves a Christian which do not believe in Absolute Truth. To believe in the Authority of the Word of God and the fact that there are Fundamentals of the Faith one must believe and hold to, to be able to truly be a Christian, is seen as folly and fool hearted.

3. Behaving as a Christian

We not only live in a day where a man can call himself a Christian and Believe anything he chooses, but we also live in a day where you can call yourself a Christian and Behave any way you want to as well. “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power if it…” [2 Timothy 3:5] describes us perfectly. We say we are Christians, but do not believe in Repentance and the Life Changing power of the Gospel.

4. Benefiting from being a Christian

Again many are so confused that they see no Benefit in being a Christian, either in this life or the life hereafter. Jesus is someone of little relevance to their lives or eternity.
Most of our confusion stems from the fact that we are confused on what the Bible means when it says that:
“For by grace are ye saved through faith…” [Ephesians 2:8] What does the Bible mean when it says that we are saved through faith? What does Saving Faith really look like? Let’s let the Bible help us to understand what it means by “Saving Faith.” Let me give you a Biblical explanation of Saving Faith by using five words that fully explain Saving Faith to us. Let each examine their Faith to see if it is really Saving Faith.

I. THE ORIGIN of SAVING FAITH [Ephesians 2:8; John 16:7-11]
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” [Ephesians 2:8]

Does this Scripture say that Salvation is a gift of God or is Saving Faith the Gift of God? It has to be both. If Salvation is a gift of God then everything pertaining to it must also be a gift. Therefore, if anyone is truly saved it all originated with God. “Salvation is of the Lord.” [Jonah 2:9]
Let me explain. John 16: 7-11 tells us that a sinner’s first encounter with the Lord is when the Holy Spirit, in a sovereign act, begins to awaken the spiritually dead and blind sinner to the fact that they are a condemned sinner and that Jesus and His shed blood on Calvary is the only thing that can keep you out of H-E-L-L.

I recall my salvation; one day I had no thoughts of my soul, my salvation, my eternity, or the Lord Jesus. Then like a sudden and mysterious wind, the Holy Spirit began to move upon me in conviction. It was He that CONVINCED me that I was a H-E-L-L bound sinner and Jesus was my only hope. The Holy Spirit made a believer out of me and if you have every been truly saved you too have to say that your Faith in Jesus ORIGINATED from the Lord Himself.

II. THE ORGAN of SAVING FAITH [Romans 10:10; James 2:19]

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness…” [Romans 10:10]
An ORGAN is a part of a body that has a specific function. I use the term here to speak metaphorically of the spiritual heart of a man that Romans 10:10 speaks of. All of us know what it is to just give a mental assent to a belief, without being sincere about it. Many come to the wedding altar and say “I DO”, but in their heart of hearts they really do not mean it, they are not sincere about the commitment that they gave mental assent and lip service to.

We find Jesus encountering such people in John 2:23-25. We are told that; “…many believed in His Name, when they saw the miracles which He did.” [John 2:23]They knew by His miracles that He was the Messiah, God in flesh, but in verse 24 we read of the strange response Jesus gave to their belief. It says; “But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” [John 2”24]

The reason Jesus did not make a commitment to them was because as God, He could see their Hearts, and He saw that they were not sincere. Sure they believed about Him, but not in Him.

These are the people who make a profession of faith and later on fall away, claiming it never worked for them. Their problem was that they never truly believed in Jesus from their heart, they never were sincere. They really never believed in Jesus. Saving Faith must be from the heart. Believing about Jesus is not enough, Saving Faith believes in Jesus. Did you really mean it when you confessed Christ? Were you sincere? If you were, you can be assured Jesus honored His Word and your faith in Him. If you did not really mean it, you can be sure that Jesus did not save you.

III. THE OBJECT of SAVING FAITH [John 3:16, 18, 36; 14:6; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Ephesians 2:10]

The Object of Saving Faith is as important and inseparable for real salvation as is the Origin and Organ of Salvation. Many sincere people have believed with all their heart, but their problem is that they have sincerely believed in the wrong object. The Object of their Faith has been wrong; they have a misplaced faith. Many have trusted in their Baptism, their Church Affiliation, their Religious Rituals they faithfully observe, their good lifestyle and works, etc. Proverbs 16:25 tells us that; “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is death.” Jesus called these many ways the “…broad…way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in that way.” [Matthew 7:14]

The verses I have listed, along with many others tell us plainly the JESUS and JESUS ALONE is the ONLY WAY of SALVATION. If you are trusting in anyone, in anything, or in Jesus plus anything else, you do not have Saving Faith.

May I also warn you not to be deceived by others into believing that ALLAH is the same God as the Christian God, just with a different name, that is pure blasphemy. That is heresy. That is a LIE. We are “…created in Christ Jesus…” [Ephesians 2:10], not Allah. “Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12]
Acts 4:12 makes it clear that we all must be saved and that we all must be saved the same way and Jesus is the only way for all men.

IV. THE OUTCOME of SAVING FAITH [Romans 1:16; 2 Corinthians 5:17]

Real Saving Faith in Jesus unleashes the Power of God in a person’s life. As the Lord tells us: “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. [2 Corinthians 5:17]

Whom the Lord chooses, He changes. We live in the day where it is popular to “Have a form a godliness, but denying the power of it…” [2 Timothy 3:5], but as someone has rightly said; “If your religion has not changed you, you need to change your religion.”

When Jesus saves a man He does not patch him up, He makes him a new man from the inside out. What he used to love he now loathes and vice-versa. Too many Church members have walked the aisle, shook the preachers hand, went under the baptismal waters, and came up the same old sinner. They drink their same beer as before, they go to the same places as before, they curse just like before, they run with the same crowd as before, the fact is, that they are the same as before. They have never been Born Again.

I have noticed that every time that the Salvation experience is spoken of in the New Testament that is described in drastic terms. From death into life; from darkness into light; a new creation, and born again, for a few examples. These describe salvation as having a dramatic Outcome on a man. A drunk finds sobriety, the immoral begin to live a pure life, the bound find freedom, the mean man becomes as gentle as a little lamb. Was that the Outcome of your faith? If not, it was not Saving Faith.

V. THE ONGOING of SAVING FAITH [Romans 1:17; 8:29; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 3:14]

If the Bible makes anything clear, it makes it clear that Saving Faith is not a ONE TIME ACT, nor a SHORT TIME ACT, nor a PART TIME ACT, but a LIFETIME ACT. It is the way of life for the true believer. The Church Rolls are full of members who walked the aisle and were baptized, but now they rarely attend and serve the Lord, or they have dropped out of Church all together, or they never returned after they were baptized. What is to be said of such people? If we say what the Bible says, we have to say that whatever faith they had, it was not Saving Faith.

Faith is a way of life for the true believer, our end has been predetermined from the beginning and the Lord does not stop what He starts until He has finished it. There will be many times in every Christian’s life where their Faith may seem to be all but lost, but just at that moment the Lord will re-ignite your Faith in Him and you are back in the race again. (1 Peter 1:5) Has your Faith been an ONGOING FAITH? If not, it was not Genuine Saving Faith from the beginning.

CONCLUSION:

I believe that many Church Members would have to admit that the Faith I have just described does not describe many of their fellow members. If that is the case, then I must tell you that many of your fellow members are not saved, and if that does not describe you, the Lord has commanded me to tell you that you too are still lost and in your sins, headed for an eternity in the “Lake of Fire burning with brimstone…” [Revelation 19:20] in which you “…shall be tormented day and night forever and ever. [Revelation 20:10]
It is not too late to come to Jesus with all of your heart and trust Him and Him alone to save you. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and sup with him, and he with Me.” [Revelation 3:20]

Today, if you hear Jesus knocking at your heart’s door, if you will open it and invite Him in, He promises to come in and save you at that very moment.
~Jack Woodard

REPENTING OF THEIR REPENTANCE – THEN and NOW

TITLE:REPENTING OF THEIR REPENTANCE – THEN and NOW
TEXT: [MARK 1:1-5] – [John 1:11,12]

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
[MARK 1:1-5]
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11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
[JOHN 1:11,12]
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The story of Jesus revealing Himself to Israel as their long awaited Messiah began with the ministry of John the Baptist preaching to prepare the people to receive Jesus when He would reveal Himself to the nation.

John Preached Repentance, a change of mind, and the people Professed to have Repented by their willingness to confess their sins and being baptized by John. Now they had taken the first steps necessary to be saved, but they still had to wait for Jesus to reveal Himself to the nation before they could take their final step needed for their salvation and that was, personally receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Up to this point all they had really done was reformed.

We see in John 1:11,12 that many of those who had professed that they had repented, for one reason or another, when it got down to it, they balked and were not willing to receive Jesus when He revealed Himself and presented Himself to them as their Lord and Savior. They would end up changing their mind once again. They repented of their repentance!

We are seeing a great falling away from Jesus today in the Church. These are the same people whom John baptized, those who have just reformed and made an insincere profession of faith. They have never went all the way in their repentance and truly received Jesus as their Lord and Savior. They are now seeing the price they are going to have to pay to follow Jesus and they too are now repenting of their initial profession of repentance. They were never really saved to begin with.

Our Churches are full of baptized pagans, but they are now quickly exiting the fellowship of the truly redeemed, to go back to their own, the family of the damned.

In days like these we need to challenge people to examine their faith, to be very sure, and to make their calling and election sure. [2 Peter 1:10] Going on with Jesus is the only evidence that you have truly repented and received Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Mark’s Gospel ends with these Words from Jesus:

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
[Mark 16:15,16]

You will notice two things in these verses:

1. Since Jesus’ first coming the Church preaches that we now know the Savior, the ONLY Savior of sinful man, is Jesus and Him alone and because of that knowledge the Church now baptizes a person AFTER that person Professes to have REPENTED and RECEIVED Jesus.
A. Preach (vs. 15)
B. Believe (vs.16)
C. Baptized (vs.16)

2. Secondly, you will notice that the unbeliever shall be damned to an eternity in Hell.
Have you ever heard the Gospel? Did you then believe upon and receive Jesus? Were you then willing to go into the baptismal waters and profess Jesus before the whole world? If not why not? If not why not do it NOW, before it is everlastingl

ABANDONED

Lot escaping Sodom as Judgment falls.”Genesis 19:23-25″

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
[Romans 1:24-28; 32]

ABANDONED

When a person who has been struggling with homosexual temptations gives up the struggle and gives himself over to that sin, we call it; “Coming Out of the Closet”, but God calls it the point at which He too gives them up and gives them over to homosexuality. (Romans 1:24, 26, 28).
Just think of the millions in America who in recent times have come out of the closet and declared their sin as did Sodom.

Just think of the many who are now coming out of the closet each day and add to that list, the majority of Americans who now approve of the homosexual lifestyle and support the homosexual and then realize that Jesus says in Romans 1:32, that He sees no difference between the homosexual and the person who supports the homosexual, and you see a nation in which a vast majority of its citizens have abandoned God and even more tragic is that we now see a nation in which the vast majority of its citizens have been abandoned by God as well.

Biblical history shows us that God never sends revival to a people in which there has already been a mutual abandonment, He sends severe judgment, which destroys the abandoned and which purges the righteous remnant, leaving God a purged remnant to work out His redemptive purposes through.

It is more likely that if the Lord chooses to clean up our nation, that it will  be through judgment, rather than through revival.

~Jack Woodard

THE BAD GUYS WHO GOT AWAY

TITLE: THE BAD GUYS WHO GOT AWAY
TITLE: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come ‘a falling away first’, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness”

INTRODUCTION:

If you have ever watched an old Western, you have certainly seen a daring bank robbery pulled off by the bad guys, followed by the Sheriff and his posse hot on their trail. Often times the Western would have the gang outrunning the posse and crossing the border into another State or into Mexico. When the Sheriff and his posse came to the border, their authority ended and they would have to give up the search and return home empty handed, with the bad guys getting away.

In the realm of God’s dealings with lost sinners there is also a line which the sinner on the run from Jesus can cross, a line which Jesus will not pass over to chase them any longer. He knows when there is no longer any use to further pursue a hardened sinner.

I remember hearing the Lord tell me the morning that I was saved, that if I didn’t come that day, he would no longer bother me about it again. I cannot describe to you how the fear I felt at that moment, the fear of being abandoned by the Lord and doomed to an eternal Hell. My world was rocked and I was quickly brought to the point of where I was finally willing to open my heart to Jesus, but I have never had a doubt that if I had not came to Jesus that morning, I would have been abandoned by the Lord forever. Through the years I have heard many others give the same testimony.

We live in a nation today where I believe we see enough evidence to believe that possibly millions of people have been so determined not to be caught by the Lord, that they have finally crossed a line which the Lord will not cross, a line which a large number have crossed and in mass has been abandoned by the Lord.
These will now be the very wicked people whom Jesus prophesied would arise to prominence and power in the end days, after which they will turn their guns upon the people of God to persecute them, throw the world into chaos and usher in the brutal rule of the Anti-Christ and the Great Tribulation Period upon the earth, in which the world will experience the Wrath of God as never seen among men before.
How are the people of God to respond to such times? What are we to do in these turbulent time?

1. Realize Jesus Is Still on the Throne. [2 Thessalonians 2:1]

The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul, beseeched the Church to stay calm, Jesus was coming again, just as He said He would. He was still on the throne.

History is unfolding just as Jesus said it would in His Word. Nothing is out of His control, He is allowing the evil to move history to His predetermined and pre-written end.

2. Renew Your Faith in the Word of God

Everything that is taking place in today’s world is exactly as the Word of God said it would be at the end of time. This should confirm your faith in Jesus and His Word. We have no sword if we have no faith in the Word of God. We are left helpless without the Sword of the Spirit. [Ephesians 6:17]

3. Rejoice That Jesus Saved You and Has Delivered You From the Wrath to Come. [1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; 2 Thessalonians 1:13-17]

As difficult as these days may be for the child of God, they will just be for a short period, followed by a reversal of circumstances. We will find rest and joy and our foes will reap what they have sown. [2 Thessalonians 1:3-9]

4. Rededicate Your Life Totally To Jesus [Romans 12:1, 2]

This is the days of a great falling away from the faith (2Ths.2:3) and increasing persecution of God’s people. You will not be able to stay true to Jesus with a half-hearted commitment to Jesus. The only safe guard to being swept up in the falling away is a whole hearted surrendering of your life to Jesus. [Romans 12:1, 2]

5. Resolve To Win the Lost While You Still Have the Opportunity to Do So. [2 Thessalonians 3:1]

The Apostle Paul followed his instructions on the end days by asking the Church to pray for Him and specifically, that the Gospel would spread rapidly and be accepted in other places he would preach the gospel, just as they had accepted Jesus upon hearing Paul preach for the first time.
We must be resolved to get about winning souls to Jesus!

A. People Will Become Less Receptive as the Days Go By.
[2 Timothy 3:1; 13; 4:1-4]

Even in our own nation, with a history of openness to the Gospel and friendliness towards the Lord’s Church, we are now seeing a turning away from the faith and the Church, a growing hardening towards the Lord and His people.

The main reason Christians have lost our nation to the heathens among us, is because we failed to win them when they were reachable. We were busy about living the good life, ignoring our mandate to win the lost, and while we were AWOL, Satan and his crowd were busy winning those we refused to win.

B. The Coming of Jesus Is Imminent [1 Thessalonians 4:15]

In his First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians, Paul spoke of the Coming of the Lord to Rapture His Church and the order of events that would take place at that time, but it is interesting to note that Paul spoke of himself as being alive when the Rapture took place (…we who are alive…), showing that Paul expected the Return of Jesus in his own lifetime. Nothing has to happen before the Rapture takes place, it is the next event on God’s calendar and it can take place at any moment and when it does, those who have heard the Gospel and have rejected Jesus will never be able to believe again, they will be blinded to Truth and open for every deception and deceiver [2 Ths.2:9-12].

There will be a great separation on that day, one taken and another left [Matthew 24:40, 41). Do not let the blood of any of those left behind on that day, be on your hands.

CONCLUSION:

One final word to you who have never repented of your sinful life of unbelief in Jesus. I understand how the Apostle Paul felt when he spoke these words in 2 Corinthians 5:11: “Knowing, therefore, the TERROR of the Lord, we pursued men…”

Paul had years earlier, meet the Lord on the Damascus Road as a lost man, that meeting was initially the most terrifying experience that Paul had ever encountered. A sinful man standing face to face with a Holy God was such a terrifying experience for Paul, that he never wanted any other person to have that experience, if he could help it.

I too implore you to flee from the wrath to come. I beseech you to consider the love the Lord has for you, love so great that He died in your place to pay for your sins. I beseech you to consider the danger your eternal soul is in every moment you remain in your sins. You may join the millions who have crossed the line of no return. You may joins the hundreds of millions who death has visited while still lost in their sins. You may join the millions who will miss the Rapture. What a terrifying thought, lost eternally, incarcerated eternally in the torments of Hell.

Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts!
~Jack Woodard

GOD’S WORD TO A REBELLIOUS NATION – WISE UP

TITLE: GOD’S WORD TO A REBELLIOUS NATION – WISE UP
TEXT: PROVERBS 1:20-33

“Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,
22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil”.

INTRODUCTION:

In these verses God pleas with His rebellious creation to yield themselves to His Lordship and find and follow His wisdom throughout their lives. That is the wisest decision that a man will make.
In His plea the Lord wants us to understand, as His creation we have an obligation to allow Him to rule our lives, He has the right to demand absolute rule of those He created. A rebellious society will not have this man to rule over them.

His desire to be our Lord is not so He can be a dictator, but so His guidance can assure us of a full and abundant life, helping us to avoid the trials and temptations in life which will eventually destroy our lives. Satan is real and he comes to steal, kill and destroy our lives. We have an adversary in Satan, but we can have a Savior and friend in Jesus if we surrender to Him, but if we refuse then He will become our enemy and our greatest threat.

We also see that the Lord will not allow His creatures to get away with thumbing their noses at Him all their lives. The creator is a jealous God, a God that is offended, a God who is angered, a God who will eventually repay a man to his face for the disrespect and defiance he has showed towards Him.
God calls a rebellious people to Wisdom. Let’s look at the Wisdom to which God calls us to.

1. WISDOM’S CHARACTER (Vs. 29)

A. Knowledge: God’s Knowledge replaces man’s ignorance

B. Fear: Taking God and His Word seriously, replaces rebellion and indifference towards God and His Word.

A rebellious nation rejects the wisdom of God for their own wisdom, they no longer take the Lord and His Word seriously. They have lost all reverence for both.
True wisdom, does just the reverse; they reject their wisdom for the wisdom of God, they take the Lord and His Word seriously. They have a holy reverance that a little child has for his father and his word.

2. WISDOM’S CRY (Vs. 20;21)

A. The Places Where Wisdom Cries

i. In the everyday challenges and complexities of life. (vs, 20,21)

(In the streets, in the chief place of concourse, in the opening of the gates, and in the city.)

B. The People To Whom Wisdom Cries (vs. 22)

i. The simple ones –

The naive and gullible, who believes anything, never thinking for themselves. (Proverbs 14:15)

ii. The scorning ones –

The know it alls, who laughs at the Word of God, mocks it as foolishness. (Proverbs 21:24)

iii. The foolish ones –

Rebellious and hardened toward God and His Word. They have a bitter hatred toward the Word of God that condemns the life they have given themselves over to.

3. WISDOM’S COMPENSATIONS (Vs, 23)

A. Jesus Gives Himself Fully To Us – “I will pour out My Spirit unto you…”

B. Jesus Gives His Wisdom Fully To Us – “I will make known My Words unto you.”

C. Jesus Gives His Full Protection to Us – (vs. 33)

4. WISDOM’S CAUTION (Vs. 24-32)

The Lord cautions us that there will be severe consequences for all who would reject his wisdom. God will not be mocked, we will reap exactly what we sow. We will reap even more than we sow (vs.31). The worse we are to the Lord, the worse the Lord will be to us. If we attempt to banish Him from our lives, He will be the one who will banish us from Himself and the life He had prepared for us.

The Lord will become our foe instead of being our friend. Our nation has foolishly attempted to evict the Lord from our nation, an impossible feat. All that our rebellion has really accomplished is to anger the Lord and to turn Him from being our greatest friend to our greatest foe. He is now our greatest threat! We see that in the following realities.

A. Outward Calamities – like the aftermath of a tornado or hurricane. (Vs. 27)

It is no coincidence that this godless and rebellious generation is experiencing one calamity and natural disaster after another!

B. Inward Confusions – “fear, distresses” (vs. 26,27)

Our nation is full of people today whose hearts are filled with fears and anxieties. Everyone seems to be popping pills for every sort, in hopes of finding peace of mind.

C Downward Corruption – “shall slay them; shall destroy them…” (vs. 32)

Psalms 9: 16,17 tells us : “The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God”.

Those who would take the call of wisdom lightly, or dare mock of it should listen carefully to these verses.

“The Lord is known by the judgment which He executeth”. The Lord has a track record, if you want to know what the Lord will do to certain people today, look what He did to the same people yesterday. He is a God who is known for judging the rebellious and godless. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah, look at Noah’s generation, look at His judgment upon King David, whom God called; a man after my own heart. Look at the nation of Israel, the very people who He called; the apple of his eye, yet when they rebelled against His Lordship the Lord judged them almost unmercifully. If God is to be consistent with His nature and those He has judged in the past, He must also execute judgment upon this evil generation as well.

God has also raised up nations and blessed them, only to destroy them when they prospered and no longer saw their need of Him. Jesus is the same yesterday, the same today, and the same tomorrow. It doesn’t take a prophet to see where this rebellious nation is headed.

CONCLUSION:

Proverbs 19:23 tells us: “The fear of the Lord tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil”.

Let me plea with you who have been your own god, never seeing the need of Jesus. There is coming a day when you will need Him. You will need Him as your Lord and Savior at the time of your death. You will need Him on the day of judgment, that is as certain as the rain falls downward, but there is a real danger of Sinning Away Your Day of Grace. There is a real danger that if you continue in your rebellion that the Lord will give up on you and when you eventually cry out to Him, He will not listen, He will not answer. That is a real possibility, or the Lord would not have warned you about it in these verses.

The Word of God tells you that you have sinned and come short of the glory of god. It says; the wages of sin is death, but it also tells us that Jesus died and shed His innocent blood to pay for your sins, was buried and rose again, ascended back to heaven and from there is speaking to you today through this simple message. That may sound foolish to you and may even offend you, but if you would be wise, you would believe it and act upon it this very hour.

The Word of God says, that today is the day of salvation, today He will hear your faintest cry. It says to call upon Him while He is near. It says; Today if you hear His voice harden not your hearts. Today is all the grace you are promised, tomorrow may be eternally too late.

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10:13), wont you call upon the name of Jesus while there is still time?
~Jack Woodard

THE FATHER BLESSING HIS CHILDREN

TITLE: THE FATHER’S BLESSING

GENESIS 27:26, 27 “…And his Father, Isaac … Blessed him (Jacob)…”
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In the Old Testament we read that within a family, as the father drew near the end of his life, he would pass on to his eldest son the family Birthright  and the Blessing. It’s is not easy to distinguish the differences between the two, or if the Blessing and the Birthright were passed on at the same time.

It may be best to see that the Birthright belonged to the eldest son, which included a double portion of the fathers accumulated wealth, along with his role as the patriarch of the family, whereas the Blessing also conferred upon the eldest son the legitimate heir as the God chosen member of the family through whom He would carry out his redemptive plan and as such, would receive the special favor of God upon himself, his family and all his endeavors in life. He would also have the special protection of God upon his life, God would watch over him to carry out His purposes that He had predetermined to accomplish through him and his lineage.

As we learn in these verses, “Issac’s BLESSING” was when he, as the father, and the rightful owner, VERBALLY TRANSFERED the Birthright and the Blessing to whom he believed to be Essau, his eldest son.

The Birthright gave the eldest son a double portion of the father’s material possessions and the responsibility of becoming the family patriarch. The Blessing also gave him a double blessing, it gave him standing with God and the favor of God upon his life.

The Blessing assured the Birthright wouldn’t be squandered. The Blessing gave the elder True Riches, not just material wealth, but a special relationship with God and all the spiritual blessing that we have in Christ.

Every Father wants to see their children succeed in life, most fathers work hard to pass on some amount material wealth to their children, but many of these same fathers fail to really Bless their children with spiritual wealth and to pass on to them a spiritual legacy. That would include leading them to a saving relationship to Jesus and attempting to transfer their legacy of faith into the hearts and minds of their children.

Today a Father would pass on his material wealth to his chosen heir through a written and signed legal document. but the greatest wealth and the greatest BLESSING still has to be  verbally transfered to his children through his WORDS. As the Great Commission states; We must “…teach them…” [Matthew 28:20] To Bless his children, to confer spiritual wealth upon his children the Father must teach his children:

I. THE CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

A. The Bible is the Word of God (3 Timothy 3:16)

B. Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God (John 1:1)

C. Jesus is the Only Way to God (John 14:6 ; Acts 4:12)

D. The TRUE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 15:1-5 ; Galatians 1:8,9)

E. The Second Coming of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

F. The Doctrines of Heaven and Hell (John 14:1-3; Luke 16:19-31)

II. THE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINES

A. Prayer (Luke 11:1)

B. Bible Study (2 Timothy 3:16,17)

C. Church Attendance (Hebrews 10:25)

D. Meditation (Psalms 1:2)

E. Tithing (Malachi 3:10; 1 Corinthians 16:2)

F. Soul Winning (Matthew 28:18-20)

III. THE CHRISTIAN’S DUTY

A. To Give Strict Obedience to Jesus and His Word (Matthew 28:20; John 14:15,23)

B. To Love (Luke 10:27; John 15:12,13 )

C. To Forgive (Luke 11:4; Romans 13:10)

D. To Witness (Acts 1:8)

E. To Grow (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18)

F. To Be an Influence For Righteousness Within Their Society (Matthew 5:13)

Any child would truly be blessed to have a Father who passes on to them such riches as the Christian Faith. To pass on ones Christian Faith is the greatest blessing that any Father could bestow upon his children.

Billy Graham once said; “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith”.

Patrick Henry said; “This is all the inheritance I can…give to my dear family. The religion of Christ can give them One (Jesus) which will make them rich indeed”.

Far too many children today are cursed with a Father who is Absent or Abusive, Avarice and even an Asterisk to their life instead of an Asset!! This is surely the main reason for America’s ever increasing prison population, as well as an American Society that is now dominated by a permissive, perverted and pantheistic population.

The Father is the only parent that carries the authority from the Lord to assure that the Lord’s Blessings will be passed on to their children. Rebekah did not have that authority from the Lord. The Mother may be a great Christian Mother and have a great spiritual influence upon her children, as did Hannah, but again, the Godly Father is the only parent with the God-given authority to assure his Christian Inheritance will be passed on. As a Pastor of more than thirty plus years I have on several occasions seen couples come to Church and during the invitation the wife would give her heart to the Lord, but was not able to influence her husband or even a child to get saved, but in the times I saw the man be the first to come and give his heart to Jesus, I never once saw the man be unable to influence his wife and children (if the couple had children), to give their hearts to Christ. The influence of a Godly Father cannot be overstated.

America’s ills can be traced to the Father. A majority of today’s Fathers are the broken link between the Lord and this generation of young adults and children, when their God-given responsibility has been to be the connecting link between the two.

No Preacher can claim to be of the lineage of John the Baptist, (who as the forerunner of Christ, was Preparing the Way for the Coming of the Lord), who does not, like John, seek to “…Turn the hearts of the fathers to the children…” (Malachi 4:6; Luke 1:17).

No Church or Nation can claim to have experienced a God-Sent Revival who has not seen the Fathers return to their role of the Spiritual Leader of their family. That is one of the main reasons why homosexual marriages, shacking up, adultery and divorce, which removes the Fathers Godly influence from the family, will eventually destroy our Nation if we fail to have a real revival in our Churches. A genuine revival is the only Hope of Restraining and even reversing the effects of these assaults on the Family.

Preachers, you must be faithful in your role of a Prophet and rebuke your slacker Fathers and exhort them to repent and return to their role as The Spiritual Leader of Their Family. Churches must once again take a strong stand for the Biblical Model of Family and take an equally strong stand against the foes of the Biblical Model of the Family. We must be unwavering in our visible and vocal stand against those who are trying to redefine marriage to be between two of the same sex, this is nothing but a vile aberration of God’s plan. We must be equally as vocal against FORNICATION, ADULTERY, MIXED-MARRIAGES WITH THE LOST and DIVORCE. These SINS can no longer be quietly and cowardly tolerated in our midst. (Malachi 2:10-17) It is only then can we expect the Lord to show up in all His Glory in our midst. If the Fathers are not faithful in Blessing their Children we cannot expect the Lord to bless our unfaithfulness. Instead, we can surely expect God’s Law of “Sowing and Reaping” (the law of consequences) to continue to allow the CORRUPTION (Galatians 6:7-9) of our families, our Churches and our society until America becomes just a rotted corpse, filling the air with the stench of God’s Judgment upon our corruption!

~Jack Woodard