5-7-07
Elizabeth (pictured here) and I went for a ride today. It was the only way we could look our flooded ranch over. Pictured are some trees that may be uprooted by the flooding North Fork. The Living Water, Jesus, will never uproot us if we abide by Him.
SERMON
5-6-07
Gen 1:9-13
9 Then God said,"Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
NKJV
A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE --- PEACH TREES HAVE PEACHES FOR FRUIT --- APPLE TREES HAVE APPLES AND APPLE SEEDS --- THAT PRODUCE MORE APPLE TREES --- WHAT KIND OF A TREE ARE YOU??
Matt 7:15-20
15 You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
(Matt 12:33; Luke 6:43-45)
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
NKJV
Matt 12:33
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
NKJV
Mark 11:12 THE HYPOCRITE FIG TREE
Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."
And His disciples heard it.
15 Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matt 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-22)
So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.
20 The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree
(Matt 21:20-22)
Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
NKJV
TESTIMONY OF THE NEW TREE FOUND ON OUR PROPERTY IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS
1. LEAVES INDICATE IT IS
A. BLACK LOCUST
B. BLACK WALNUT
C. BUTTERNUT (WHITE WALNUT)
2. BARK ELEMINATES THE BLACK LOCUST
3. I WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FRUIT TO DETERMINE FOR SURE IF IT IS A BLACK WALNUT OR A WHITE WALNUT --- OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE COMPUTER DIDN’T TELL ME
OUR FRUIT (WORKS) IS PROOF OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST --- PROOF OF WHAT KIND OF TREE WE REALLY ARE --- A JESUS TREE OR A DEVIL TREE
James 2:14-26
14 Faith Without Works Is Dead
(cf. Gen 22; Josh 2:1)
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
NKJV
The upper galleries at Versailles are filled with portraits, many of them extremely valuable and ancient. These are the likenesses of the greatest people of all lands and ages, drawn by the ablest artists. Yet more visitors wander through the rooms with little or no interest. In fact, after noticing one or two of the more prominent pictures, they hasten through the suite of chambers and descend to the other floors. Notice the change when the sightseers come to fine paintings like those of Horace Vernet, where the men and women are not inactive portraits but are actively engaged. There the warrior who was passed by without notice upstairs is seen hewing his way to glory over heaps of slain, or the statesman is observed delivering weighty words before an assembly of princes and peers. Not the people but their actions engross attention. Portraits have no charm when scenes of stirring interest are set in rivalry with them. After all, then, let us be who or what we may, we must push ourselves or be mere nobodies, chips in the porridge, forgotten shells on the beach. If we would impress we must act. The dignity of standing still will never win the prize; we must run for it. Our influence over our times will arise mainly from our doing and suffering the will of God, not from our office or person. Life, life in earnest, life for God--this will tell on the age. But mere orderliness and propriety, inactive and passionless, will be utterly inoperative.
n Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Ps 1
Psalms 1
1:1 The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,Nor stands in the path of sinners,Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,That brings forth its fruit in its season,Whose leaf also shall not wither;And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
NKJV
1. WE BEAR FRUIT WHEN WE REMAIN CLOSE TO THE LIVING WATER (JESUS)
2. WE BEAR FRUIT WHEN WE MEDITATE UPON HIS PRINCIPLES AND LOVE THEM
Our faith becomes practical when it is expressed in two books: the date book and the check book.
n Elton Trueblood.
John 5:31-40
31 The Fourfold Witness
"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish — the very works that I do — bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
NKJV
1. JOHN BORE WITNESS
2. HIS WORKS BORE WITNESS
3. THE FATHER BORE WITNESS
4. THE SCRIPTURES BORE WITNESS
IF JESUS WAS WITNESSED TO BY HIS WORKS --- DOESN’T IT MAKE SENSE THAT OUR WORKS ARE GOING TO BEAR WITNESS TO WHO WE ARE
A small church's most effective tool for creating a good church reputation may be its willingness to help those in need.
An illustration of the balance between faith and works lies hidden within any tree. Leaves use up nutrients in the process of photosynthesis. As the leaves consume nutrients in the sap, a suction is formed, which draws more sap from the roots. Without the sap, the leaves and branches would die. But the continual flow of this sap comes only as it is used up by the work of the leaf.
Likewise, through faith we draw life from Christ. But a continual supply of fresh spiritual nutrients depends on our willingness to "consume" the old supply through our acts of obedience, through our works.
1 Tim 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
NKJV
While serving with Operation Mobilization in India in 1967, tuberculosis forced me into a sanitarium for several months. I did not yet speak the language, but I tried to give Christian literature written in their language to the patients, doctors, and nurses. Everyone politely refused. I sensed many weren't happy about a rich American (to them all Americans are rich) being in a free, government-run sanitarium. (They didn't know I was just as broke as they were!)
The first few nights I woke around 2:00 A.M. coughing. One morning during my coughing spell, I noticed one of the older and sicker patients across the aisle trying to get out of bed. He would sit up on the edge of the bed and try to stand, but in weakness would fall back into bed. I didn't understand what he was trying to do. He finally fell back into bed exhausted. I heard him crying softly.
The next morning I realized what the man had been trying to do. He had been trying to get up and walk to the bathroom! The stench in our ward was awful. Other patients yelled insults at the man. Angry nurses moved him roughly from side to side as they cleaned up the mess. One nurse even slapped him. The old man curled into a ball and wept. The next night I again woke up coughing. I noticed the man across the aisle sit up and again try to stand. Like the night before, he fell back whimpering.
I don't like bad smells, and I didn't want to become involved, but I got out of bed and went over to him. When I touched his shoulder, his eyes opened wide with fear. I smiled, put my arms under him, and picked him up. He was very light due to old age and advanced TB. I carried him to the washroom, which was just a filthy, small room with a hole in the floor. I stood behind him with my arms under his armpits as he took care of himself. After he finished, I picked him up, and carried him back to his bed. As I laid him down, he kissed me on the cheek, smiled, and said something I couldn't understand.
The next morning another patient woke me and handed me a steaming cup of tea. He motioned with his hands that he wanted a tract. As the sun rose, other patients approached and indicated they also wanted the booklets I had tried to distribute before. Throughout the day nurses, interns, and doctors asked for literature.
Weeks later an evangelist who spoke the language visited me, and as he talked to others he discovered that several had put their trust in Christ as Savior as a result of reading the literature. What did it take to reach these people with the gospel? It wasn't health, the ability to speak their language, or a persuasive talk. I simply took a trip to the bathroom. (GOOD DEEDS AND WORKS PREPARED BEFOREHAND BY THE LORD)
-- Doug Nichols, Bothell, Washington.
5-6-07
Gen 1:9-13
9 Then God said,"Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
NKJV
A SIMPLE PRINCIPLE --- PEACH TREES HAVE PEACHES FOR FRUIT --- APPLE TREES HAVE APPLES AND APPLE SEEDS --- THAT PRODUCE MORE APPLE TREES --- WHAT KIND OF A TREE ARE YOU??
Matt 7:15-20
15 You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
(Matt 12:33; Luke 6:43-45)
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
NKJV
Matt 12:33
"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.
NKJV
Mark 11:12 THE HYPOCRITE FIG TREE
Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. 13 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 In response Jesus said to it, "Let no one eat fruit from you ever again."
And His disciples heard it.
15 Jesus Cleanses the Temple
(Matt 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-22)
So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. 16 And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. 17 Then He taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"
18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. 19 When evening had come, He went out of the city.
20 The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree
(Matt 21:20-22)
Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away."
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.
NKJV
TESTIMONY OF THE NEW TREE FOUND ON OUR PROPERTY IN THE DEEP DARK WOODS
1. LEAVES INDICATE IT IS
A. BLACK LOCUST
B. BLACK WALNUT
C. BUTTERNUT (WHITE WALNUT)
2. BARK ELEMINATES THE BLACK LOCUST
3. I WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE FRUIT TO DETERMINE FOR SURE IF IT IS A BLACK WALNUT OR A WHITE WALNUT --- OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT THE COMPUTER DIDN’T TELL ME
OUR FRUIT (WORKS) IS PROOF OF OUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST --- PROOF OF WHAT KIND OF TREE WE REALLY ARE --- A JESUS TREE OR A DEVIL TREE
James 2:14-26
14 Faith Without Works Is Dead
(cf. Gen 22; Josh 2:1)
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
18 But someone will say, "You have faith, and I have works." Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! 20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. 24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
NKJV
The upper galleries at Versailles are filled with portraits, many of them extremely valuable and ancient. These are the likenesses of the greatest people of all lands and ages, drawn by the ablest artists. Yet more visitors wander through the rooms with little or no interest. In fact, after noticing one or two of the more prominent pictures, they hasten through the suite of chambers and descend to the other floors. Notice the change when the sightseers come to fine paintings like those of Horace Vernet, where the men and women are not inactive portraits but are actively engaged. There the warrior who was passed by without notice upstairs is seen hewing his way to glory over heaps of slain, or the statesman is observed delivering weighty words before an assembly of princes and peers. Not the people but their actions engross attention. Portraits have no charm when scenes of stirring interest are set in rivalry with them. After all, then, let us be who or what we may, we must push ourselves or be mere nobodies, chips in the porridge, forgotten shells on the beach. If we would impress we must act. The dignity of standing still will never win the prize; we must run for it. Our influence over our times will arise mainly from our doing and suffering the will of God, not from our office or person. Life, life in earnest, life for God--this will tell on the age. But mere orderliness and propriety, inactive and passionless, will be utterly inoperative.
n Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Ps 1
Psalms 1
1:1 The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,Nor stands in the path of sinners,Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water,That brings forth its fruit in its season,Whose leaf also shall not wither;And whatever he does shall prosper.
4 The ungodly are not so,But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,But the way of the ungodly shall perish.
NKJV
1. WE BEAR FRUIT WHEN WE REMAIN CLOSE TO THE LIVING WATER (JESUS)
2. WE BEAR FRUIT WHEN WE MEDITATE UPON HIS PRINCIPLES AND LOVE THEM
Our faith becomes practical when it is expressed in two books: the date book and the check book.
n Elton Trueblood.
John 5:31-40
31 The Fourfold Witness
"If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish — the very works that I do — bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
NKJV
1. JOHN BORE WITNESS
2. HIS WORKS BORE WITNESS
3. THE FATHER BORE WITNESS
4. THE SCRIPTURES BORE WITNESS
IF JESUS WAS WITNESSED TO BY HIS WORKS --- DOESN’T IT MAKE SENSE THAT OUR WORKS ARE GOING TO BEAR WITNESS TO WHO WE ARE
A small church's most effective tool for creating a good church reputation may be its willingness to help those in need.
An illustration of the balance between faith and works lies hidden within any tree. Leaves use up nutrients in the process of photosynthesis. As the leaves consume nutrients in the sap, a suction is formed, which draws more sap from the roots. Without the sap, the leaves and branches would die. But the continual flow of this sap comes only as it is used up by the work of the leaf.
Likewise, through faith we draw life from Christ. But a continual supply of fresh spiritual nutrients depends on our willingness to "consume" the old supply through our acts of obedience, through our works.
1 Tim 6:17
Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.
NKJV
While serving with Operation Mobilization in India in 1967, tuberculosis forced me into a sanitarium for several months. I did not yet speak the language, but I tried to give Christian literature written in their language to the patients, doctors, and nurses. Everyone politely refused. I sensed many weren't happy about a rich American (to them all Americans are rich) being in a free, government-run sanitarium. (They didn't know I was just as broke as they were!)
The first few nights I woke around 2:00 A.M. coughing. One morning during my coughing spell, I noticed one of the older and sicker patients across the aisle trying to get out of bed. He would sit up on the edge of the bed and try to stand, but in weakness would fall back into bed. I didn't understand what he was trying to do. He finally fell back into bed exhausted. I heard him crying softly.
The next morning I realized what the man had been trying to do. He had been trying to get up and walk to the bathroom! The stench in our ward was awful. Other patients yelled insults at the man. Angry nurses moved him roughly from side to side as they cleaned up the mess. One nurse even slapped him. The old man curled into a ball and wept. The next night I again woke up coughing. I noticed the man across the aisle sit up and again try to stand. Like the night before, he fell back whimpering.
I don't like bad smells, and I didn't want to become involved, but I got out of bed and went over to him. When I touched his shoulder, his eyes opened wide with fear. I smiled, put my arms under him, and picked him up. He was very light due to old age and advanced TB. I carried him to the washroom, which was just a filthy, small room with a hole in the floor. I stood behind him with my arms under his armpits as he took care of himself. After he finished, I picked him up, and carried him back to his bed. As I laid him down, he kissed me on the cheek, smiled, and said something I couldn't understand.
The next morning another patient woke me and handed me a steaming cup of tea. He motioned with his hands that he wanted a tract. As the sun rose, other patients approached and indicated they also wanted the booklets I had tried to distribute before. Throughout the day nurses, interns, and doctors asked for literature.
Weeks later an evangelist who spoke the language visited me, and as he talked to others he discovered that several had put their trust in Christ as Savior as a result of reading the literature. What did it take to reach these people with the gospel? It wasn't health, the ability to speak their language, or a persuasive talk. I simply took a trip to the bathroom. (GOOD DEEDS AND WORKS PREPARED BEFOREHAND BY THE LORD)
-- Doug Nichols, Bothell, Washington.
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