What We Believe

We rejoice in the fact that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16; Acts 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 Peter 3:18).
 
We believe this salvation is a gift of God’s grace, appropriated through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ.  This faith is a gift of divine grace, and is not simply knowledge of Jesus Christ, but is an act of personal trust accompanied by the miracles of regeneration and justification, leading to sanctification and glorification.
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Sunday Morning Sermon:

Message: The Seventh Trumpet
Scripture: Revelation 11: 15-19
Posted: 5/2/21

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Sunday Night Theology Class:

Message: The Second Encounter
Scripture: Exodus 7: 8-13
Posted: 5/2/21

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Wednesday Special:

The Lord Stood With Me
2 Timothy 4: 9-18
Posted: 2/15/21

Weekly Pastor's Pen:

The Night Visit, Part Two
John 3:1-3

Nicodemus, verse 1 says, was “a ruler of the Jews.”  That is, he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the governing council of Israel.  Government was controlled by Rome.  But under the Romans, the Sanhedrin exercised a wide-range of power in civil, criminal, and religious matters. 
 
The Sanhedrin had the authority to make arrests (Matthew 26:47, 57; Acts 4:1-3; 5:17-18) and the authority to conduct trials (Matthew 26:57; Acts 5:27).  But the Sanhedrin did not have the power to carry out capital punishment (John 18:31).  The right of capital punishment was reserved for Rome alone.
 
Due to the fact that Nicodemus was a member of this elite group of seventy-one men means that he was an outstanding person in the religion of the Jews.  In fact, Jesus called him “a master of Israel.”  This statement made by Jesus, was a statement that calls our attention to the fact that Nicodemus was considered “the teacher of Israel.”  He was above reproach.  He was highly educated.  His reputation was well known.  He was a leader of men. 
 
And according to John 7:51, he believed in dealing honestly with the plain facts.  In John 7:51 the colleagues of Nicodemus had already set in judgment on Jesus, but Nicodemus said to them, “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?”  Nicodemus was this type of man, he was not controlled by prejudice, but he was controlled by truth.
 
Nicodemus had all that any man would want.  But the all that he had was not enough.  There was still something troubling him.  His soul was hungry and thirsty, and this had troubled him for years. 
 
When he heard Jesus speak and when he saw the miracles that Jesus did, he had to know more.  He wanted to know more about this Teacher whom he had seen in Jerusalem.  He knew that there was something different about Jesus.  He knew that no mere mortal could have performed the things that he had seen Jesus do.
 
So Nicodemus takes a big risk in verse 2, he came to see Jesus.  Verse 2 says, he “came to Jesus by night.” 
 
The Scripture does not tell us why Nicodemus chose a night visit.  There are three basic reasons given by some Bible scholars as to why Nicodemus came to Jesus by night.  First, he did not want his coming to imply the approval of the entire Sanhedrin.  Second, he did not want to risk incurring the disfavor of his colleagues.  Third, nighttime would be more convenient because it would allow more time for conversation.
 
All three reasons are good reasons for the night visit by Nicodemus.  But reason two best fits the text.  He came by night because he did not want to risk incurring the disfavor of his colleagues.  This I think best fits the text.  The important point, however, is not when Nicodemus came, but that he came at all.  Knowing his status, and his high rank within the Sanhedrin, this is rather amazing. 
 
He was willing to risk all in order to have a conversation with Jesus.  This is amazing.  But not only is this amazing, it is important, because it show us the depth of Nicodemus’ anxiety.  He was deeply troubled about something, or he would not have risk all to see Jesus.
 
But what was it that troubled him so deeply?  Some have thought that God had convicted him that he was not ready for death.  He was unprepared to meet God and he had sensed that for years – even though he was a good moral man and a good religious man, he feared death – he knew he was not ready to meet God.  Now to some extent that is true, but I think with Nicodemus it goes much deeper than a fear of death
 
After all, he was the best man (morally speaking) that religion could produce.  He was the best man that education could produce.  And he was the best man that culture could produce.  No, I really don’t think that Nicodemus feared death, even though he should have.  I think that the text would have us to believe that Nicodemus felt very secure in his religion.  And the thing that troubled him was the truth about Jesus – was Jesus the promised Messiah.
 
Jerry W. Arnold
All Rights Reserved
Updated: 5/2/21

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Weekly Bible Study Sermon:
St. John Chapter 12

Judas Furious with Jesus Part 2
John 12: 1-11
Posted: 5/2/21

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Our Kid's Corner:

BIBLE STORIES:
"Esther Confounding Haman"

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CHILDREN'S CHURCH:
​"Fearfully & Wonderfully Made"

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VISIT OUR ACTIVITIES PAGE

Our Q&A:

"How Do You Build a Strong Marriage?"

CLICK HERE​ to find out the answer to this question as well as many others!

"The Sin Against the Holy Spirit"

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God's Simple Plan of Salvation
(A Message from Lifegate)

My Friend: I am asking you the most important question of life. Your joy or your sorrow for all eternity depends upon your answer. The question is: Are you saved? It is not a question of how good you are, nor if you are a church member, but are you saved? Are you sure you will go to Heaven when you die?

God says in order to go to Heaven, you must be born again. In John 3:7, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.”

In the Bible God gives us the plan of how to be born again which means to be saved. His plan is simple! You can be saved today. How?

First, my friend, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Because you are a sinner, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). This includes eternal separation from God in Hell.

“ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

But God loved you so much He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. “ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus had to shed His blood and die. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22).

“ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Although we cannot understand how, God said my sins and your sins were laid upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie.

My friend, “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). This repentance is a change of mind that agrees with God that one is a sinner, and also agrees with what Jesus did for us on the Cross.

In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asked Paul and Silas: “ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”

Simply believe on Him as the one who bore your sin, died in your place, was buried, and whom God resurrected. His resurrection powerfully assures that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior.

“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 1:12).

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
Whosoever includes you. Shall be saved means not maybe, nor can, but shall be saved.
Surely, you realize you are a sinner. Right now, wherever you are, repenting, lift your heart to God in prayer.

In Luke 18:13, the sinner prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: “Oh God, I know I am a sinner. I believe Jesus was my substitute when He died on the Cross. I believe His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection were for me. I now receive Him as my Savior. I thank You for the forgiveness of my sins, the gift of salvation and everlasting life, because of Your merciful grace. Amen.”

Just take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No church, no lodge, no good works can save you. Remember, God does the saving. All of it!

God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus Who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. If you believe on Him as your crucified, buried, and risen Savior, you receive forgiveness for all of your sins and His gift of eternal salvation by faith.

You say, “Surely, it cannot be that simple.” Yes, that simple! It is scriptural. It is God’s plan. My friend, believe on Jesus and receive Him as Savior today.

If His plan is not perfectly clear, read this tract over and over, without laying it down, until you understand it. Your soul is worth more than all the world.

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
Be sure you are saved. If you lose your soul, you miss Heaven and lose all. Please! Let God save you this very moment.

God’s power will save you, keep you saved, and enable you to live a victorious Christian life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Do not trust your feelings. They change. Stand on God’s promises. They never change. After you are saved, there are three things to practice daily for spiritual growth:

• Pray -- you talk to God.
• Read your Bible -- God talks to you.
• Witness -- you talk for God.
  

You should be baptized in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ as a public testimony of your salvation, and then unite with a Bible-believing church without delay. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . . .” (2 Timothy 1:8)

“Whosoever therefore shall confess [testify of] Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).

Copyright: Robert Ford Porter, 1991

PRINTABLE COPY

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.  All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.                                                                                                          John 10:7-11

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