March 2008 Archives

        MAN'S WAY OUT OF REAL SLAVERY

As one honestly observes mankind, he is aware of

the many  vices and corruption that bring suffering

and unhappiness to  many individuals. In view

of what the Bible teaches, we conclude that they

find themselves enslaved to sin, which 

begins as Satan takes control of their life.

There is good news.  There is a way to get out of

being controled by the devil. Man has access to

ONE who can free him from this slavery. Jesus

offers himself as a deliverer for those who

are willing to accept Him as God's Son.

In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the 

truth and the life, no man comes to the Father 

except by me.

" God's love for all men, and His

 sending Jesus into the world to redeem man 

from slavery to Satan, should motivate a  

thinking person to seek and accept the freedom

Jesus makes possible for all men to have. 

Byrl Brockman  

               THE GRACE OF GOD

Paul, the apostle, wrote the following to Titus

thr young evangelist. "For the grace of God

that brings salvation, has appeared

 to alll men, teaching us that denying

 ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should

live soberly, righteously. and godly in this

present world;..." (Titus 2:11-12)

Many have the idea that man can live as he

pleases and still have an eternal abiding

place in heaven.

The scripture above clearly explains

God's grace.

1.  It is available to all mankind.

2.  God's grace teaches us that we should

      deny ungodliness, and worldly lusts.

3.  God's grace teaches us that we should

      live lives of godliness and righteousness.

It is by the grace of God that man is told

that all have sinned and fallen short of the

glory of God.

Acts 2:38-39 states, "Repent, and be baptised,

each one of you, in the name of Jesus

Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will

receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For to

you is the promise and to your children,

and to all who are afar off, as many as

the Lord our God may call."

God's grace provides man with the plan of

salvation through Christ Jesus.

Byrl Brockman

    WHAT SIN DOES IN OUR WORLD

The sin of Adam and Eve was the beginning

of misery for all who live in sin.

Sin is a form of slavery that holds man

captive and deprives him  the joy of

being in a happy relationship with God.

View the broken hearted husband as he

follows the corpse of his wife to the grave;

the mother as she touches her lips to the

brow of her babe on the embrace of

death,  or hear her cry as she sees her

son march off to prison;  see the pain,

sickness, heartaches, tears and sorrows

of earth, and know that they are the result

of sin. Pick a beautiful rose and feel the

scratch of the thorns, and know that the

scratch and pain are the result of sin.

Sin is often described in the Bible as

darkness. Some men love darkness rather

than light because their deeds are evil.  Most

sins are committed at night in dark

and secret places. Germs and vermin of

all kinds thrive in the darkness-- they

cannot thrive in the sunlight. Neither can

 sin stay in your heart, if you allow

God's word to give light to it. Why will man

continue to sin when the end will be

fatal? 

Let our choice be patterened after that of

Joshua as he made this statement; "Choose

you this day who you will serve, but as for me

and my house, we will serve Jehovah."

In Christ Jesus, you can escape the bondage

of sin. Believe in Him as God's Son. Let this

belief lead you to repent and confess your belief

in Him as God's Son; then accept baptism, a

burial in water, in the name of the Father,

Son and Holy Spirit, as the final act of faith

that will place you into the family of God and

will allow you to enjoy the peace that only

God can give us.

Byrl Brockman

      LAY UP YOUR TREASURE

We live in a society where  our

value is based on material things.

Jesus stresses the danger of placing our con-

fidence in things of material value, neglecting

our spiritual needs.

In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says, "Do not

lay up for yourselves treasures on earth,

where moth and rust destroy and where

thieves break in and steal: but lay up for

yourselves treasures in heaven, where

neither moth nor rust destroy and where

thieves do not break in and steal." "For

where your treasure is, there your HEART

will be also."

Jesus is telling us that things of a material

nature are only temporal, and some day

will vanish away.

We all have our material  needs but it is

very  important that we do not  conduct

our lives in such a way that we miss 

living eternally with God in heaven.

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world,

that He gave His only begotten Son, that

whosoever believes in Him, should not per-

ish, but have everlasting life."

We sing a song which says, "Careless soul,

why will you linger wandering from the

the fold of God? O hear you the invita-

tion of God, prepare to meet your

GOD!"

Let God's great love for the world

move you to surrender to His will and

be ready to meet Him in the Judgement.

Byrl Brockman

             A THREEFOLD INVITATION

In our society there are many invitations given

to visit friends or  public places. We all have

accepted these invitations and found them to be

enjoyable events.

Jesus offered an invitation, many years ago, that

is greater than any invitation we will ever be offered.

This invitatiton is given to all who will accept it.

In Matthew ll:28-30, Jesus gives the invitation.

"Come unto me all of you that labor and are

heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my

yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek

and lowly in heart; and you shall find rest for

your soul; For my yoke is easy and my burden

is light."

Jesus' invitation is an invitation to rest

from a miserable life of sin and find a

better life; letting Jesus be the Lord of

our daily decisions and OUR life.

Ths invitation is an invitation to willingly

submit to the will of Christ. The thought

of taking on the yoke of Jesus teaches us

that He will be at our side to help  pull us

thru the loads and struggles of life.

We are invited to learn of Him. His origin,

His purpose of becomming a man. and the

help He offers His followers, who remain

faithful to the promise they make when

they become Christians.

It is my prayer that all men everywhere

will give serious thought to the great

invitation of our loving Lord.

Byrl Brockman

                   DESPISING GOD'S WAYS

We live in the world where the majority of mankind rejects

God's will and lives as though He does not exist.

Solomon, the man of God, wrote many years ago, "But he

that despiseth His ways shall die".  You and I have this

same God who is not willing that any should perish, but

that all men, everywhere, should repent.

Paul, the apostle, was on Mars Hill addressing a pagan

audience, who were ignorant of the existence of the One and

Only true God. He had observed many monuments devoted

to their false gods. Paul reminds the crowd that the true God

is not displayed on a material monument made of stone.

He, then, declares,"The times of this ignorance God winked

at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will

judge the world in righteousness by that man who He has

ordained...." (Acts 17:30-31)

Friend, this is just one of the many Bible references that

remind us that each of us  some day will stand in the

presence of God and give account of how we have

lived  this life.  Paul makes a statement in his letter

to the Galatians; "Be not deceived; God is not mocked:

for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap

corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the

Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8) 

It is very important that we recognize that GOD  is and

that He is a Rewarder of those who sincerely SEEK

HIM!

Byrl Brockman

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