Christ

The Meaning Of Christ

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Photo by Vaishakh pillai on Unsplash

The Meaning of Christ

Do you know the meaning of Christ? You’ve heard of Jesus Christ. People say it like Christ is Jesus’ last name. Others say Jesus Christ emphatically like a curse word. They may not even realize what they are really saying, but they are still blaspheming Jesus’ Holy name just the same. People say Jesus Christ, but what is the meaning of Christ?

Again, Christ is not Jesus’ last name. Christ is a title. Like King Jesus or Lord Jesus. Christ means Messiah. The Messiah was the one prophesied about in the Old Testament – the Messiah, the Anointed One. The promised Christ or Messiah is a Deliverer of His people. Christ is a savior. Not just any savior, but the Savior of His people.

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She Saw God

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She Saw God

Ministry Update February 19, 2023

My Christian friends are going to see this headline and think this is a good thing. But unfortunately, it isn’t. I was open-air preaching at Missouri State University on Wednesday when two students stopped to listen. The guy and the girl both recorded a little bit, but then the woman handed her phone to her friend so he could record what she was about to say and it was offensive. She yelled, “I f____d a girl so hard last night that she saw God.”

As the young woman walked off, I told her that she isn’t mocking me. No, she’s mocking God and God will not be mocked. She is sowing the wind and she will reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). I pleaded with her to repent and surrender her life to Jesus. I also told her that if she dies in her sins, she will face Jesus on Judgment Day and after she bows her knee and confesses that Jesus is Lord, He will have His servants cast her into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matthew 13:41-42). I pleaded with her to turn from her sins and turn to Christ. After the message, I handed out tracts before I had to go back to work.

A Student Listened To Part Of The Message

 

Lydia And Joshua Handing Out Tracts

Exile At The Gillioz Theatre

Friday night Joshua, Lydia and I got downtown before Michael joined us, so I brought a short message and Lydia and Joshua handed out tracts. There were people walking past us who were going to see Exile at the Gillioz Theatre. The band had the hit Kiss You All Over back in the 70s. I only had one mocker while open-air preaching. Michael joined us about the time I finished the message and the concert must have been starting because suddenly there weren’t any people going into the show. So we walked around downtown. It was really cold and there weren’t many people out and about. We handed out a few tracts and Joshua tried to get into a conversation, but the person wouldn’t stick around and talk. Even though it was a slow night, we had a great time of fellowship. I truly enjoy the fellowship with the saints as much as I enjoy witnessing to lost souls.

(These updates are provided to encourage Christians to share the Gospel with others)

I’m Good

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I’m Good

My brother who lives out of state, recently came to visit me. He stayed at my house for a few days and we had great time visiting. Being a good host, I frequently asked my brother if he wanted some tea, or soda or water to drink and most of the time he’d reply, “I’m good.” He’d say I’m good. Then I would politely tell my brother that none of us are good. Jesus said there’s none good, but God (Mark 10:18). [Read more…]

Homeless Guy Asked For A Bible

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Homeless Guy Asked For A Bible

Ministry Update November 1, 2020

The weather was great Friday night. Conner and I both brought messages and Keven joined us later to help hand out Gospel tracts. I don’t remember having any mockers. Conner had a couple of them. It was great having Keven join us. He handed out tracts caddie-corner from Conner and I. While Conner was open-air preaching, a homeless guy came up to me and asked for a Bible. I gladly handed him one. Conner, Keven and I had a great time visiting when we weren’t handing out tracts.

One Bicycle Mocker On A Rainy Day

It wasn’t raining when I drove to Missouri State University on Wednesday and didn’t start raining until I started open-air preaching. The wind was cold and students didn’t want to stop and talk. So I just brought a message that day. About half-way through a student rode by on is bicycle and mouthed off as he went by. I was pleading with students to turn from their sins and turn to Christ. So I just continued pleading with students and said, “Don’t continue mocking God whether you do so verbally out loud like the guy on the bicycle just did or if you are mocking God with your life – by your words and your actions.” Also pleaded with students to not reject such a great salvation. The salvation that is found in Jesus Christ alone.

(These updates are given to encourage Christians to share their faith in Jesus with others. The results are up to God. Salvation is of the Lord. He calls us to share the Gospel with others. Jesus told us to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature – Mark 16:15. Yes, all believers are to share the Gospel. Christian are you being obedient to Christ? Don’t know what to say or do? Buy some Gospel tracts. I recommend Living Waters and Chapel Library. Just walk up to someone offer a tract and say, “Did you get one of these?” By not asking a yes or no question, you have a better chance of someone actually taking one. But whether they accept or reject, salvation is of the Lord. Keep offering tracts, no matter how many rejections you receive. May Jesus Christ our Lord be glorified above all else.)

Read Ephesians Thirteen Four

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Read Ephesians Thirteen Four

Ministry Update July 19, 2020

A passenger in a car pulling out of the parking lot across from us yelled at Conner “Read Ephesians 13:4, Read Ephesians 13:4.” Conner looked over at him and replied, “There is no such verse. There are only six chapters in the book of Ephesians.” We don’t really know if the young man was just trying to see if Conner would try to look up something that wasn’t in the Bible or if the young man was confused and really meant Exodus 3:14. [Read more…]

Are Deathbed Confessions Real?

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Are Deathbed Confessions Real?

Over the past 10 years or so, I have debated with several friends over the question: Are deathbed confessions real? I must confess that I have tended to lean toward the idea that you can’t wait until the end and be saved at the last minute. I love listening to an old-time preacher named Rolfe Barnard and he used to say something along the lines that you can’t blow the smoke of your rebellion in God’s face and then have God receive you at the last minute. Some Bible verses that back up this position would be that God will not always strive with man (Genesis 6:3) and Romans 1:28 where it says that God turns some people over to a reprobate mind. You run so far, so long and so hard away from God and He allows you to continue to reprobation – basically to a point of no return. [Read more…]

Excessive Violence

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Excessive Violence

Many parents monitor their kids as far as the video games, TV shows, movies and books that their children watch and read; and rightly so. Parents have to worry about inappropriate sexual content, language and violence. Excessive violence is a real concern with many popular movies, shows, video games and books. What I’m about to say next may surprise you, but the Bible also contains excessive violence. Please note that I’m not talking about gratuitous violence, but excessive violence. No, I’m not really talking about how God judged the Canaanites and commanded the Israelites to kill every man, woman and child (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). (God did so out of righteous judgment against the nations in Canaan.) I’m not even talking about when God judged the whole world and condemned the whole world to death except for the eight souls that were spared on the ark (Genesis 7:7-23). [Read more…]

Do You Believe This?

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Do You Believe This?

Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Lord talked to Lazarus’ sister Martha. Basically, Martha told Jesus that if He had been there, she knew that Jesus would have healed him and her brother wouldn’t have died. She was lamenting the fact that Jesus didn’t get there in time to heal her brother. Martha and her sister Mary were heartbroken over the death of their brother. [Read more…]

What Church?

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What Church?
Ministry Update November 24, 2019

The older Asian gentleman walking toward me had taken a Gospel tract the week before at MSU, so I really didn’t think he would take another one. But to my surprise, he did. He actually stopped when I handed him the Chapel Library Tract Coming To Christ, by Thomas Willcox. Since he stopped and looked at it, I asked him if Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior. He didn’t answer, but kept looking at the tract and asked, “What church?” [Read more…]

Is Social Justice The Gospel?

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Is Social Justice The Gospel?

We keep hearing about social justice in the mass media. It appears that many liberal churches are concerned about social justice too. I’m more concerned about churches than the mass media. The liberal church that I mentioned last week talked about social justice under their about tab on their website. So it begs the question: Is social justice the Gospel? [Read more…]