THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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In the early 1200's AD, two prisoners were shackled hand and foot in a locked jail cell.
One turned to the other and said, "Ok! Here's my PLAN!"
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Philem 1-3
1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,
2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:
3 Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV
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Our dearly loved and deceased friend in Christ, J. Vernon McGee once said that many people tried to explain away Paul's statement in Philemon 1:1. They have tried to say that Paul meant he was in jail because of preaching the gospel. But Paul meant exactly what he said. Jesus Christ made Paul to be a prisoner!
Yes, Paul was in jail because of preaching the Gospel. But Christ is the One who PUT Paul there! Paul was acknowledging that NOTHING happens without God's foreknowledge, and Christ is totally in charge of the Christian's life.
Could you go to jail for preaching the Gospel? In a very close neighboring country, a preacher (in the church pulpit) was arrested for preaching against homosexuality. This may be coming soon to America as part of the "Hate Crimes Bill."
If that happens, I will, more than likely, be put in jail. But it won't be the government or police that put me there. It'll will be our Lord, Jesus Christ Who puts me there.
I cannot impart the "grace" and "peace" of our Lord, Jesus Christ, unless I stand firm upon the principles of faith with which He endows us in His Holy Word.
Homosexuality is clearly stated in the Bible to be an "abomination" to God (see Leviticus 18:22, and Romans 1:24-27, for instance).
God can, and will, FORGIVE the sin, and heal the sinner from the abomination. But a person must surrender to the Lord, Jesus Christ as the WHOLE AUTHORITY of His life.
And a Christian cannot TELL others that Christ is the WHOLE AUTHORITY in his life, unless he LIVES it.
And there is the whole point. To impart "grace" and "peace" from Christ, one must live IN Christ!
The only plan a Christian has for overcoming the world (and jails of the world) is to give Christ FULL AUTHORITY in his/her life.
READ the Word.
HEED the Word.
LIVE the Word!
Love ya,
Bruce
mcge3582@bellsouth.net
http://www.linktojesus.org
"Whatever's down in the well, will surely come up in the bucket!"
((Jack Daniels, Evangelist))