The Weekly Sermon » New Years

Keep ON, Keeping ON!

Pastor David Miklas — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:03:07 +0000

Volume No. 2011 Issue No. 02 Date: January 15, 2012

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

In Proverbs 24:16 we read, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again…” The best people are those who are always beginning again. Disappointment, upsets, reverses, losses and defeats cannot quell their courageous, determined spirits.The real test of a man is not his ability to go to the top, but his ability to be knocked off the top, strike rock bottom and go to the top the second time. Anyone can listlessly lie on the bottom and cry, "Foul play!" Anyone can blame fate, enemies, politics or environment for failure. Anyone can grow bitter, cynical, morose, caustic and sarcastic at things and persons. But it is the sterling soul of eighteen-carat quality that can get up from the ground, brush himself off, smile and start for the mountaintop again.

Remember it is never too late to begin again! It is always too soon to quit. In life it is not the man who fails repeatedly who ultimately loses; it is the man who fails to try again who is the final failure.

Keep trying. It is never too late to begin again.

Keep climbing. Don't let temporary rebuffs stop you.
Keep coming. Someday you'll break through.

Don't let trouble, misfortune, opposition, misunderstandings, sorrows, trials or disappointments keep you down. If you fall, get up and keep your face set toward God's plan for your life. If you fail, keep trying; victory will come. If you are defeated on one battlefield, remember it is not the loss of a battle but the winning of the war that counts.

Jesus Himself was rejected, despised, rebuffed, beaten and crucified. But He is the all-conquering Victor over temptation, sin and death. To be temporarily set back, to be down, to be defeated need not mean final loss. It is never too late to begin again. An unknown author wrote “Get Up, By God’s Grace, Get Up.”

God, I failed you. Just one mistake after another! It's no use; I'm a lost cause, stumbling along.

I don't know which way to turn – the ground seems so dirty, so cold and so big, when you are facedown.

Sin found me again. Am I really sincere? I gave up without a fight,

in spite of Your love, Your grace – the great joy of having seen Your face.

I did not want to do wrong. I despise sin. I loathe it! Now I loathe myself.

I am ugly, God; what makes me so ugly? I tried.

You know I tried! It seems the more I try, the worse I become.

I can't lift my head. How can I look at my family, my beloved wife, my sweet innocent children?

The darkness is so heavy; blackness is all around. There is no star, no light on any horizon.

What am I to do? Where am I to go? To whom am I to turn? Then I heard His voice say,

So you've fallen! It is not the first time, nor will it be the last,

unless you lie there, buried in the darkness of your own self-pity.

What a shame! You tried to lift yourself with your own bootstraps.

You didn't save yourself. What made you think you could lift yourself?

I loved you when you were loveless, And you are still unlovable at times- Especially now.

So you have fallen on your face! Get up – be a man. Find My grace."

May God’s blessing be upon you this week as you read and meditate on the message from
Romans 14:10-12, “Give an account of your stewardship.”

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: As we have repeatedly said, we will not charge for sending the Weekly SERMON. However there are expenses associated with doing what we do. If possible during 2012, would you please consider helping us in this faith ministry? Your donation will help us to continue to “stand in the gap” in “teaching others also.” After you have given your tithes to your church and taken care of your pastor, would you consider giving either a yearly gift, or a monthly offering? Remember, for the purposes of financial accountability, we have placed this ministry under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. Checks made out to Green Street Baptist Chapel, memo to the Bible Baptist ministry and mailed to Bible Baptist Ministry 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706 will be applied to this ministry.

In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMXII/02/

Give an Account of your Stewardship

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 01:05:19 +0000

Sunday January 15, 2012	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: Give an Account of your Stewardship	Text: Luke 16: 1-2 & Romans 14:10-12

"Give an Account of your Stewardship"

Introduction: On this third Sunday of 2012, I want to pause and have us do some soul searching as we prepare for this year ahead.

In Romans 14:12 we read, "Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God."

In Luke 16:2 we have these words given to an “Unjust Steward” in a parable: "Give an account of thy stewardship; for thou may no longer be steward."

These are very sobering words. Here, you are moving through life day after day, and then all of a sudden without warning the God of the universe says to you: "STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. TIME IS UP. IT’S NOW TIME TO GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF THY STEWARDSHIP!”

"Give an account of thy stewardship," is a command that will be addressed to the unsaved when they one day stand at the GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT found in Revelation 20:11-15. Here, God will say to them, "Depart from me you worker of iniquity." Then He will cast them into the Lake of Fire which burneth forever and forever.

"Give an account of thy stewardship," is a command that will be applied to the Child of God one day, when he or she stands at the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. For in II Corinthians 5:10 we read, "For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done…"

At this point, you may be asking: “Pastor, on what is God going to judge the believer?” Well, in I Corinthians 4:2 we read, “Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” When God judges our stewardship, He is looking for FAITHFULNESS. Will God find us faithful? Let’s take an inventory as we step into the year 2012.

First: God calls us to GIVE an account of our TIME. Time is a very precious commodity God has given to us, and He is going to hold us accountable as to how we have used it.

Someone said, "There is a gift which comes to us from a royal source each day of our lives, BRIGHT and SPARKLING, absolutely untouched and unspoiled. What is that gift, you ask? It is the priceless gift of time. Each day we receive a fresh new supply, 24 hours, 1440 minutes and 86,400 seconds. This is 24 hours we have never lived before and 24 hours we shall never live again."

Psalm 90:12, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom…"

Psalm 39:4, "Lord make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days what it is…"

Psalm 89:47, "Remember how short my time is…"

Ephesians 5:16, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."

Another said, "Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is uncertain. Therefore, it behooves us to spend every moment we have in our life in the right place doing the right thing for JESUS.”

We must redeem our time for God.

We must redeem our time for our family.

We must redeem our time for our church.

We must redeem our time with eternal values.

If God were to say today, "Give an account of your Time," would it be time well spent or wasted? Think about it, how did you use your time yesterday? You will be accountable for every minute God has given you. (Talk about priorities and consistency.)

Second: God calls us to GIVE account of our TALENTS. In Matthew 25 we have the parable of the TALENTS. God has given each of us gifts, abilities and talents, some of which are deeply buried in our lives. Follow me as I read verses 14-19, “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. (16) Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. (17) And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. (18) But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.”

The message of this parable from Matthew 25 is CRUCIAL for our day. The greatest problem we face in our generation in the church is a personnel problem. We are suffering in our churches from a severe case of unemployment.

"A handful of people are doing the MAJORITY of the work while the MAJORITY of the people just sit by, not so much in CRITICISM as in INDIFFERENCE."

Many are SITTING and WATCHING instead of WORKING. Many just slide into church and then slide right on out of church.

What will be your excuse before the Lord at the day when you have been called to give an account of your talents?

I am TOO OLD, or TOO YOUNG.

I do not have ENOUGH TIME.

I HAVE DONE MY SHARE OVER THE YEARS.

I AM NOT A MEMBER.

Folks, I believe God is looking for ACTION, not EXCUSES. I believe either you use what God has given to you for His service, or you will lose it. One day God will say, "Give an account of your stewardship concerning your gifts, abilities, and talents."

Third: God calls us to GIVE an account of our TREASURE: Someone said, "The value system of your heart is expressed by your relationship to material things, in most cases that of money." Please notice what the Lord said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: (20) But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

When we talk about our treasure, we would include in that our TITHES and OFFERING unto the Lord.

Remember from Leviticus 27:30, "the Tithe is holy unto the Lord," and in I Corinthians 16:2, “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.” The store being the church house.

Did you Tithe or did you withhold your tithe during 2011?

Will you tithe or withhold your tithe during 2012?

In the day of accounting, will God have found you FAITHFUL in giving "upon the first day of the week as you gave from the heart, not grudgingly, but willingly," of your tithes and offering?

Fourth: God calls us to GIVE an account of our WORDS: In Matthew 12:36-37 we read, “But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, he shall give an account of it in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

Folks I have to be honest with you. There is far too much lying and story embellishing going on, even in the Christian world. Oh, be careful what you say. How would you muster at the judgment seat TODAY if you were called to account for your words just this past year?

Fifth: God calls us to give an account of our THOUGHTS: In Proverbs 23:7 we read, "as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he."

Behind every wicked deed is a process of wicked thinking. The person who cannot control his thoughts, cannot control his behavior.

The evil idea starts in the HEAD, goes to the HEART, and finally into the HAND.

God will judge us according to what we really are, not what we seem to be.

Remember that man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

It is said, "a man's REPUTATION is what people THINK about him; his CHARACTER is what God KNOWS about him."

What are you like when the bark is peeled off, with the Holy Eyes of God looking straight into your soul?

Ecclesiastes 12:14 tells us, "For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil." If God should call you to report for an accounting of your life, what will be revealed about your thought life?

Sixth: God calls us to GIVE an account as to the stewardship of our INFORMATION: In II Timothy 2:1-2 we read, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2) And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Here we are told that what we learn from others we are then to pass on to others. We are the stewards of information. You are the steward of every TRUTH you learn in Sunday School or from preaching.

Let me illustrate this in a practical way using myself. Do you realize that I am using my stewardship of information as I preach and Pastor? During my up-bringing:

My Dad and Mom taught me spiritual truth.

My Sunday School teachers taught me spiritual truth.

My youth leaders taught me spiritual truth.

My college professors taught me spiritual truth.

My pastor's taught me spiritual truth.

They taught me convictions.

They taught me standards.

They taught me how to love the Bible.

They taught me how to pray.

They taught me how to live for Christ daily.

Sometimes, I am criticized for passing on to you my life experiences, but I am only doing so in order to relate to you what God said and how those words have affected my life.

You must realize that God expects you to be a steward of every GOOD and WHOLESOME TRUTH anybody has ever taught you. You owe it to them, and you owe it to God to pass it on.

Romans 14:11-12, “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. (12) So then, every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

It did not say give an account of OTHERS’ stewardship.

It did not say give account of the PASTOR’S stewardship

It did not say we are to give an account of your WIFE’S actions.

It did not say we are to give an account of your HUSBAND’S actions.

At the Judgment Seat of Christ, we “shall give an account of ourselves, not to one another but to God.

Forget for a moment that there are any other people in the world, and YOU stand individually and separately before those piercing eyes which are searching you, through and through. For God will judge YOU as if there were no others to judge, and examine your innermost heart as if He had no other object to look upon.

Let me remind you, the Year of our Lord 2012 has already begun. It seems most suitable as we step into another year of grace that we should in our heart and consciousness STOP to take stock of our STEWARDSHIP.

As we begin this year, it might be well to take to heart David's words in Psalm 139:23-24, "Search me O God, and know MY heart; Try ME and know MY thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in ME, and lead ME in the way everlasting."

As we begin this year, it might be well to take to heart what the Apostle Paul said as he examined his past in Philippians 3:13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have arrived; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I PRESS toward the MARK of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

I am sure that if we would honestly search our heart we would be driven to our knees. There is enough in the history of one week, let alone in one year, to make us see our sinfulness and praise more than ever our REDEEMER who can pardon us from our sin.

Go again to the cross where the burden of sin and the failure of our lives came upon Him and CONFESS, REPENT and SEEK FORGIVENESS where we have faltered in the past in our areas of accountability.

Return one more time to Luke 16:2 and notice the very last phrase, "…for thou mayest be no longer steward." Think about those solemn words. If you don’t use what God has given unto you for His Glory, you could lose it. Think about these words of a song,

Only to be what He wants me to be every moment of every day

Yielded completely to Jesus alone, every step of this pilgrim way

Just to be clay in the Potters hand, ready to do what His words command

Only to be what He wants me to be every moment of every day.

Live for Jesus TODAY. Serve Jesus TODAY. Use your TIME, TALENT, TREASURE, INFLUENCE and WORDS for God TODAY, for it may be tomorrow that:

Your ministry is taken away;

Your child or spouse is swept away;

Your class is scattered;

Your wealth and possessions are stripped from you;

Your ministry and witness has ended.

Let each golden moment have its pressing service rendered unto God, lest it be said to thee, "Thou mayest be no longer steward."

The hour may come before this year is finished that you will pass on to glory. We have this as a constant reminder even in this congregation. It may happen even in the full strength of life that we will be called upon to give an account of our stewardship.

Can you say at this very moment, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day…?"

Can you say "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith?"

Can you say, "As a steward I have been faithful?"

Will you be hearing the Lord say, "Well done, thou good and FAITHFUL servant, enter into the JOY of the Lord?"

The Brevity of life should cause us to,REFORM our PERSPECTIVES.

The Brevity of life should cause us to REORDER our PROPRIETIES.

The Brevity of life should cause us to REEVALUATE our LIVES.

As a result we will:

REST in God more CONFIDENTLY,

LOVE the Lord more EARNESTLY,

SERVE our generation more INTENSELY,

LIVE by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT,

FULFILL our appointed places as God shall help us,

Be more CONCERNED for SINNERS, and

Be more LOVING toward the SAINTS.

It may be that you are listening to this message and you do not have the hope of Heaven, or the assurance of eternal life. One day, and it may be before this year is concluded, the death angel will come and close up shop for you. Then you must give "an account of your stewardship. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH JESUS CHRIST?"

I plead with you, one more time, to “Put your faith in JESUS who was crucified for you and whose blood was shed to cover your sins before the eyes of a Holy God.”

You will be called to give an account of your life. Determine in your heart to make it before the Judgment Seat of Christ with other believers, rather than before the Great White Throne Judgment with all the unbelievers.

**********************************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon, "Give an Account of Your Stewardship" then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: “I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know. Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

In His Amazing Grace,

David Miklas" src="http://theweeklysermon.com/images/Pastor_David_Miklas.gif" />
PS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Microsoft Word 2007 document (DOCX), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/……/MMXII/02/

New Year’s Challenge

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 00:37:49 +0000

Sunday January 8, 2012	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: A New Year’s Challenge for 2012	Text: Psalm 121:1-8

“A New Year’s Challenge for 2012”

In Psalm 121:1-8 we read, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (3) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (5) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. (6) The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (7) The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. (8) The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

It’s hard to believe that 2011 has become history. What awaits us during this coming year of 2012, in our personal lives, in our families, in our church, in our nation as well as on the international scene, only God knows. However it is good that we take heed to His instructions “To occupy until he comes.” Therefore, I do pray that the Lord will be at the center of all you do.

Whether your feet be mired in the mud of some unexpected valley or scaling the precipitous heights of some great mountain, whether you are in the brightness of noonday or in the darkness of midnight, whether in sickness or in health, whether you have much or little, my prayer for you is to stay true, stay on track, stay excited, and stay at the task God has given to you. Honor Him, walk with Him, and serve Him every day.

As usual, for the first week of the year, we set aside the Weekly SERMON to give you a challenge for the coming year. For the next few minutes would you please put aside what you are doing, pull up a chair, and focus on these TWELVE New Year's suggestions:

First: Search the Scriptures daily. Read them systematically and devotionally.

In Acts 17:11, we read of the people at Thessalonica that they "…received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so."

In Psalm 119:105 we read, "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." The Word of God provides a guide to our daily walk of life. The Word of God stabilizes our walk though life.

In Psalm 119:11 we read, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." One can not live victoriously in the Christian life without reading the Word of God. You must read it, study it, search it, and memorize it to keep you from sin. If you choose to neglect those activities, then sin will keep you from the Word of God.

Throughout 2012, the challenge is to read your Bible daily and then get down on your knees and search your heart. I remind you of Psalms 119:165, "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend thee." Jesus said in John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me."

Second: Pray a lot! Pray and expect to get answers from God.

Jeremiah 33:3 is perhaps one of the most challenging verses in the Bible on the subject of prayer, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knoweth not."

Then in Ephesians 3:20 we read, "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…"

Finally in I Thessalonians 5:17 we read, "Pray without ceasing."

There ought to be DAILY prayer on the part of each and every believer. Praying is a full time job. We ought to pray, and in our prayers expect to get answers from God. May I challenge you during 2012 to have a daily prayer life! There is so much to pray for – yourself, your family, your church, lost souls, missionaries and the ministry.

Third: Witness every day and try to win the ones to whom you witness. You can win souls if you work at it.

In Mark 15:16 Jesus commanded us to "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Soul winning is every Christian’s responsibility, every day, in every situation. It is also the primary responsibility of the church.

For in Acts 2:47 we read, "And the Lord added to the church DAILY such as should be saved."

Then in Acts 5:42 the principle of visitation is established, "And DAILY in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

Oh, we must witness as never before. We must reach out and win souls. There are literally thousands of people who are dying and going to hell without any gospel witness.

Fourth: Make church the hub of your life. Have your family in church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night and allow nothing and nobody to discourage you from doing so. In Hebrews 10:24-25 we read, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Fifth: Tithe! Give the Lord His portion of your income! You cannot out give Him. So be obedient in your stewardship. In I Corinthians 16:1-2 we read, “Now concerning the collection for the saints…. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

Six: Believe God about everything. Have faith in Him; trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Seven: Keep a good spirit in you. Rejoice! Let the joy of the Lord dominate your countenance. In Philippians 4:4 we read, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE." Spend a little time each day rejoicing in the Lord. Praise the Lord for the BIG things, and even the little blessings in life, that He so graciously gives to you.

Eight: Serve! Find a place to plug your talent into the Lord's work. Do something in which you invest yourself in the Lord's work.

Nine: Keep short accounts with God. Stay in good relationship with Him. Use I John 1:8-10 as often as necessary, but keep things right. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Ten: Build strong relationships with strong Christians. Run with the right crowd and learn from them. Don't imitate weakness; let strength be your model.

Eleven: Find a mentor. Find someone to whom you can be accountable and who will help you grow in your walk with the Lord. I'm not talking about hero worship, but a mentor of stature whose track record is well established, clean, and obviously faithful.

Twelve: Keep looking expectantly to the sky. Maranatha! Indeed, the Lord is coming. When, we do not know, but it could be sometime soon! With both hands on the plow (at work), keep one eye glancing upward in anticipation of His promised coming. Even though the following passages about the second coming of Jesus are in the revelation for Israel at the end of the tribulation, they can also apply to us.

In Matthew 24:26 we read, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."

And then in Matthew 24:44 Jesus says, "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." Live every day, literally live every hour, as if Jesus would come at that moment.

May these suggestions become a full agenda and a fruitful plan for all of us in 2012?

********************************************************************

If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “A New Year’s Challenge for 2012”then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

The “Weekly SERMON” was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party.

Copy write permission: Because the “Weekly SERMON” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in its original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/……/MMXII/02/

Standing in the Gap

Pastor David Miklas — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:06:21 +0000

Volume No. 2011 Issue No. 01 Date: January 2, 2011

Publication of the BIBLE BAPTIST MINISTRY, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706

Phone: 570.829.5216 pdmikBBM@aol.com pastormiklas@aol.com

“May you have a blessed New Year in 2011”

Starting January 16^th we will begin a revised 14 part series of Weekly SERMONS on the “Family of God.” Here are the dates and Weekly SERMON titles for this series.

January 16 How to Treat One Another in the Family of God Romans 12:10

January 23 How to Treat the Broken Hearted in the Family of God Psalm 34:19

January 30 How to Treat the Fallen Brother in the Family of God Galatians 6:1-5

February 13 Bearing with Irritating Qualities in the Family of God Ephesians 4:1-3

February 20 How to Treat Our Enemies in the Family of God Matthew 43-47

February 27 How to Handle Strife in the Family of God I Corinthians 12:12

March 6 How to Comfort One Another in the Family of God Colossians 2:1-2, 4:4

March 20 How to Pray for One Another in the family of God James 5:16

March 27 How to Pray for Your Pastor in the Family of God Acts 6:1-6

April 3 How to Forgive One Another in the Family of God Ephesians 4:31-32

May 8 How to Serve One Another in the Family of God Matthew 20:20-28

May 15 The Scarlet Sin of the Church – Fault Finding Matthew 7:1-6

May 22 How to Love One Another in the Family of God – Part -1 John 13:34-35

May 29 How to Love One Another in the Family of God – Part -2 I Corinthians 13:1-13

This series will eventually become the material for our eleventh book of sermons. Lord willing, we anticipate starting to offer several of the first ten volumes during 2011 as soon as we complete the final proof and editing process.

In the seven years of this ministry our Weekly SERMONS have gone to over 120 countries. In those years we have e-mailed over 236,300 Weekly SERMONS not counting those forwarded by others, and still others copied and handed out to others. Approximately 125 of the Weekly SERMONS have been reformatted with 8 additional features including preaching and teaching outlines as well as power point suggestions. These 125 Weekly SERMONS are ready to publish in 9 books of sermons. Lord willing, in the next few years, we will complete enough Weekly SERMONS to produce 10 more volumes of sermons.

As we have repeatedly said we will not charge for sending the Weekly SERMON. However there are expenses to doing what we do. During this recession year, we came up short by $2,180.00 in meeting our 2010 budget. Perhaps there are those who have been blessed by this ministry and can help us make up this short fall. This is God’s work and what He gives through His saints we gratefully receive with thanksgiving.

color:black;"> mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">If possible during 2011, would you please consider helping us in this faith ministry? Your donation will help us to continue to “stand in the gap” in “teaching others also.” After you have given your tithes to your church and taken care of your pastor, would you please consider giving either a yearly gift, or a monthly offering? Remember for the purposes of financial accountability, we have placed this ministry under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. Checks made out to Green Street Baptist Chapel, memo to the Bible Baptist ministry and mailed to color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:
AR-SA"> mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Bible Baptist Ministry 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706 color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:
AR-SA"> mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;
mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">will be applied to this ministry.

In His Amazing Grace,

PS: We do not, nor will we charge for the Weekly SERMON, however if these have been a blessing to you and you can help with the COST of this endeavor for the Lord, we appreciate and thank you for your prayers and FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Yes, at times I need to extend my hand in order to give you an opportunity to extend your hand financially to enable this ministry to continue to extend the Word of God to others. For financial accountability we are handling all ministry funds under the Green Street Baptist Chapel of Edwardsville, PA. (Mailing address: Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd, Hanover Township, PA 18706) Checks made out to them and memo to Bible Baptist Ministry will be tax deductible for you and placed in the account for this ministry.

PPS: In order to access the Weekly SERMON, please click the link to Weekly Sermon Library, where you will be able to choose: Plain Text (TXT), Microsoft Word document (DOC), Rich Text (RTF), Web Page (HTML) or PDF (Portable Document Format), any of the format(s) you desire. After you decide on the appropriate format(s) you may then print a copy of the Weekly SERMON, save it to a file on your computer, or download it and save it to a disk for future use. Your use of this material is meant to be flexible.

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/../MMXI/01

New Year’s Message – 2011

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 19:55:52 +0000

Sunday January 2, 2011	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: New Year’s Message – 2011	Text:Psalm 121:1-8

“A New Year’s Challenge for 2011”

Psalm 121:1-8

In Psalm 121:1-8 we read,

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. (2) My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. (3) He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. (4) Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. (5) The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. (6) The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. (7) The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. (8) The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”

It’s hard to believe that the year of our Lord 2010 is now history. What awaits us, during this coming year of 2011, in our personal lives, in our families, in our church, and in our nation as well as on the international scene, only God knows. However it is good that we take heed to His instructions “To occupy until he comes.” That is to continue to do His business until Jesus Returns. Therefore I do hope and pray that the lord will be at the center of all you do. Honor Him, walk with Him and serve Him – every day.

Whether your feet be mired in the mud of some unexpected valley or scaling the heights of some great mountain, whether it be in the brightness of noonday or in the darkness of midnight, whether in sickness or in health, whether you have much or little – stay true, stay on track, stay excited, and stay at the task God has given to you.

Here is a challenge for a fresh start in the New Year. “Get Up; Get Going; Run the Race that is set before us.” The challenge is given to us in Hebrews 12:1,2,

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before himendured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Having digested those words, may these TWELVE goals serve all of us in the days ahead during 2011!

First: Read your Bible daily, systematically and devotionally. We ought to search the Scriptures daily.

In Acts 17:11, we read of the people at Thessalonica that they "…received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so."

In Psalm 119:11 we read, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee." One cannot live victoriously in the Christian life without reading the Word of God. You must read it, study it, search it, and memorize it to keep you from sin. If you neglect it, then sin will keep you from the Word of God.

Throughout 2011 every believer OUGHT to make it a challenge and obligation to read their Bible daily. Read your Bible daily and then get down on your knees and let it search your heart.

I remind you of Psalms 119:165, "Great peace have they which love thy law, and nothing shall offend thee." Jesus said in John 5:39 "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are that which testify of me."

Second: Pray a lot! Pray and expect to get answers from God.

Jeremiah 33:3 is perhaps one of the most challenging verses in the Bible on the subject of prayer, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knoweth not."

Then in Ephesians 3:20 we read, "Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…"

Finally in I Thessalonians 5:17 we read, "Pray without ceasing."

There OUGHT to be daily prayer on the part of each and every believer. Praying is a full time job. We ought to pray and in our prayers expect to get answers from God. May I challenge you during 2011 to have a daily prayer life! There is so much to pray for – your person, family, church souls, missionaries and the ministry.

Someone said, "Where there is no effective prayer life, the heart of religion has ceased to beat and … becomes a dead body of forms and customs and dogmas." He goes on to say, "If I were to put my finger on the greatest lack in American Christianity, I would unhesitantly point to the need for an effective prayer life among laity and ministers. Why, because our greatest lack is that we do not know how to pray."

Andrew Murray so succinctly wrote, “The place and power of prayer in the Christian life is too little understood. When we learn to regard it as the highest part of the work entrusted to us – the root and strength of all other work – we will see that there is nothing we need to study and practice more than the art of praying.”

Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, said, “The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. The prayer meeting ought to be a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if He be not there, one of the first tokens of his absence will be slothfulness in prayer."

Someone said, "Prayer is so big, so meaningful, it calls for every power of a human soul, and anything which does not do this is unworthy to be called prayer."

Another said, “No solid growth can take place in the Christian life unless there is prayer growth. No prayer growth occurs until we realize that effective prayer is hard work, and we are willing to work hard.”

Evangelist Dr. Tom Williams has often said, "Many people have a prayer time; few people have a prayer life."

Caution, “It is very important to understand that prayer is not so much a request for God to change circumstances, as it is a request to reveal His intentions, His will and His plans in and for our lives.”

Third: Witness every day and try to win the ones to whom you witness. You can win souls if you work at it. In Mark 15:16 Jesus commanded us "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Soul winning is every Christian’s responsibility, every day in every situation. It is the church's primary responsibility for in Acts 2:47 we read, "And the Lord added to the church DAILY such as should be saved." Then in Acts 5:42 we read, "And DAILY in the temple, and in every house (there is your visitation ), they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ."

Oh, we must witness as never before. We must reach out and win souls. There are literally thousands of people who are dying and going to hell without any gospel witness in this valley. Let me challenge each and every family of our church during 2011 to be responsible for WINNING, BAPTIZING, and HELPING to mature in the faith at least one other family in our neighborhood during 2011. That would literally DOUBLE our ministry. And then plan to do the same the following year. What an impact that would have for the cause of Christ in this area.

Fourth: Make church the hub of your life. Have your family in church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night and let nothing and nobody discourage you from doing so.

In Hebrews 10:24-25, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: (25) Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Fifth: Tithe! Give the Lord His portion of your income! You cannot out-give Him. So be obedient in your stewardship.

In Malachi 3:10-12 we read, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. (11) And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. (12) And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.”

I Corinthians 16:1-2, “Now concerning the collection for the saints…. (2) Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.”

Six: Believe God about everything. Have faith in Him; trust Him. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Seven: Keep a good spirit in you. Rejoice! Let the joy of the Lord dominate your countenance. In Philippians 4:4 we read, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say REJOICE." Spend a little time each day rejoicing in the Lord, praising the Lord for the BIG things and even the little blessings in life that He so graciously gives to you.

Eight: Serve! Find a place to plug yourself into the Lord's work. Do something that allows you to invest yourself in the Lord's work.

In Romans 12:5-8 we read, “So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. (6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; (7) Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; (8) Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Nine: Keep short accounts with God. Stay in good relationship. Use I John 1:7-10 as often as necessary, but keep things right.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

Ten: Build strong relationships with strong Christians. Run with the right crowd and learn from them. Don't imitate weakness; let strength be your model.

Eleven: Find a mentor. Find someone who you can be accountable to and who will help you grow in your walk with the Lord. I'm not talking about hero worship, but a mentor of stature whose track record is well established, clean and obviously faithful.

Twelve: Keep looking expectantly to the sky! Maranatha, indeed, the lord is coming – when, we do not know, but it could be sometime soon! With both hands on the plow (at work), keep one eye glancing upward in anticipation of His promised coming! I know these passages are in the context of Jesus coming in the revelation for Israel at the end of the tribulation, but nevertheless they can apply to us for in Matthew 24:26 we read, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." And then in Matthew 24:44 Jesus says, "Therefore be ye also ready; for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." Live every day, literally live every hour, as if Jesus would come at that moment.

I trust those above goals will serve you in the days ahead during 2011. So:

If you are a Christian,tie yourself to your local church. Be there Sunday morning, Sunday evening and at the midweek service. Go soul-winning sometime every week. Tithe! Enjoy the fellowship! Pay attention to what's coming from the pulpit!

If you are a Husband or a Wife,tie yourself to your spouse. Love! Give! Be tender! Serve each other!"For better or for worse,"pull together. Remember the words found in Ephesians 5, “(22) Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. (25) Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

If you are a Young Person,love your family. Yield yourself in obedience to your parents and to your pastor and teachers. Don't wait until you are grown to do right; do it now!

If you are a Pastor,give it your best today. Preach! Love your people! Win souls! Take"the oversight" I Pet. 5:2, and be the best pastor they've ever had.

If you are a Missionary, stay close to the Lord. Being so far from home, it is even more necessary for you. Give yourself lovingly and compassionately to the people in the place where the Lord has sent you. Keep the scriptural mandates ahead of relating to the culture. Remember why you are there!

If you are a Christian Educator, a Sunday School Teacher, a Child or Youth worker, you are training young people, many of whom will be future leaders in the Lord’s work. Remember, it is not just the subject matter that is to be taught. You are training your students. Your demeanor, your attitude, your spirit, your relation to the authorities over you, and even your dress will shape and mold many of your students. You are a major player in their lives. Please give it your best!

If you are a Prayer Warrior,give yourself to praying, praying for those in your circle of family, friends, and ministry. We need God’s people who will take up the challenge of what Paul said in Colossians 4:2-4,“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (3) Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:”

So, what is to be done? I do hope you will rewind the clock, recharge your batteries and turn yourself loose with renewed dedication and fervent energy. There’s much to be done, and somehow I can’t find anything legitimate about a halfhearted effort or a pessimistic approach.

As we draw this first letter from the Bible Baptist Ministry Weekly SERMON to a close, I call your attention to I Corinthians 16:22 where we read,“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”Let me remind you that the real issue is not coming to church and singing hymns or doing volunteer work. It isn’t even knowing the Bible;IT IS KNOWING JESUS CHRIST. It is having a personal relationship to Him who said,“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon “A New Year’s Challenge for 2011” then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikBBM@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life.

background:white;">Copy write permission background:white;">: Because the “Weekly SERMONS” will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The “Weekly SERMON” in it’s original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the “Weekly SERMON” must set forth in full the heading that is given before each “Weekly SERMON.” Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikBBM@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216.

In His Amazing Grace,

http://BibleBaptistMinistry.org/…/MMXI/

God’s GRACE, MERCY and PEACE

Pastor David Miklas — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 06:23:06 +0000

Sunday December 21, 2008	Phone: 570.829.5216
Pastor David Miklas	e-mail pdmikBBM@aol.com
Message: "New Year 2008"	Text: Psalm 136:1-22

"God’s GRACE, MERCY and PEACE"

Introduction: There are times in the ministry during which the saints of God need to be refreshed in soul. Therefore, today we are going to engage in little Bible study that I trust will not only be a blessing to you, but to me as well.

Besides the Lord Jesus Christ, three men in the New Testament stand out like the pyramids above all others mentioned. For the most part, I believe we would agree that Peter, Paul and John are those three men. So what was so unique about these men?

In the book of Acts three men permeate its pages:

Peter and John in the early chapters;

Peter and Paul in the middle chapters; and

Paul stood out by himself in the later chapters.

There is something else unique about these three men. In their writings, they spoke about three words: GRACE, MERCY AND PEACE. Sometimes they would combine all three words and at other times they would use only the words GRACE and PEACE.

For example, in I Corinthians 1:3, Paul said, "Grace be unto you, and peace from God, our father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul used these same words in the opening verses of II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians. All these books were written to churches.

However, in the books he wrote to preachers, I & II Timothy and Titus, Paul added the word MERCY to GRACE andPEACE. In these books, as we see in I Timothy 1:2, Paul wrote, "Grace, mercy and peace be unto you." To the churches Paul wrote "Grace and Peace," but to the individuals Paul wrote, "Grace, Mercy and Peace." It appears that individuals, not the churches, needed the MERCY.

Now when we come to the Apostle John, it appears that He used these three words together only one time in II John verse 3 where he writes "Grace be with you, Mercy and Peace from God, the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ…"

Finally, while looking at the writings of the Apostle Peter, He speaks of these three words, but not all together in one place.

In I Peter 1:3 we read "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His Mercy…"

In II Peter 1:2 we read "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus, our Lord."

Now, what does this frequent repetition of “GRACE, PEACE and MERCY” mean?

MERCY is God’s “DIVINE RELIEF” through theprovision of a Saviour for sinful mankind.

GRACE is God’s “DIVINE GIFT” at Christ’s expense given to mankind without any strings attached.

PEACE is God’s “DIVINE COMFORT.” Praise God that in this world of tumult and heartache filled with sorrow and uncertainty we can have peace in our soul.

We can have PEACE WITH GOD as we read in Romans 5:1, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

We can have the PEACE OF GOD as we read in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

There is no peace apart from God, who is the author of peace. It is He who will keep us in perfect peace if our mind is stayed on Jesus. There is much more to be said about “Peace.” But for the sake of this message, let’s concentrate on “GRACE and MERCY.”

I. Peter, Paul and John spoke of GRACE. There is no subject in the Bible as great as the grace of God. The very simplest definition of this beautiful attribute of God is “His unmerited favor toward us.” Even in His grace God invites us to come to Him. Hebrews 4:16 tells us, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of GRACE, that we may obtain MERCY, and find GRACE to help in time of need.”

There is an uniqueness common to all three men, in that each completed his ministry with words regarding GRACE.

Paul spent his last years in Rome and there died a martyr death around 65 AD. Just before He died he wrote in II Timothy 4:22 "The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy Spirit. Grace be with you. Amen."

Peter spent his last years in Babylon and he too was martyred around 80 AD. Peter looked back over his life and said in the closing words of II Peter 3:18, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

John the beloved apostle spent his last days on the Isle of Patmos and died in Ephesus around 95 AD. Think of all he had seen in the glories of the revelation that God showed him. John had written FIVE New Testament books; the Gospel of John, I, II, and III John and the Revelation of Jesus Christ. After writing all five books, John closed his writings by simply saying in Revelation 22:21, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all."

It is interesting to note that in spite of

The variety of their ministries,

The location of their ministries, and

The length of time between their deaths,

Each finished his writings by saying something about grace. Even though each spoke of grace; each showed a different aspect of this work of grace.

A. When Paul spoke of GRACE, he mentioned the Grace of God in Salvation. Paul emphasized "GRACE SAVES YOU."

Titus 2:14 "… The grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men."

Ephesians 2:8, "For by grace are you saved through faith…"

Over and over Paul mentions the grace of God in salvation.

Nobody is saved because of what they do, for by grace are we saved.

Nobody is saved by belonging to a church, or being baptized, or

By participating in the Lord’s Supper, for by grace are we saved.

Nobody gets to heaven because they help their neighbor, turn over a new leaf, or are good in many ways, for by grace are we saved.

Paul in his dying words said, "Grace is what brings salvation to all men." I believe His favorite stanza to the hymn "Amazing Grace" would have been the first one,

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound,

That saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

B. When Peter spoke of GRACE, he mentioned the Grace of God in suffering and trials. Peter emphasized"GRACE KEEPS YOU." When Peter came to write his last verse found in I Peter 3:18, he did not speak about the grace of salvation. Rather, Peter said, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." You see, Peter wrote to people who were suffering for Jesus. He was writing to people with trials, people with burdens, people who were facing death, as it were, for their stand for the Gospel. Peter is saying that “this grace will take you through trials."

Peter looked down and saw you facing surgery and the pain of it. Peter saw you at the cemetery looking at the casket containing the remains of your loved one for the last time.

Peter looked down and saw some of you burdened with heartaches and heavy loads to carry.

Peter saw those of you who are facing the sunset years of life with pain, doubts, wonder, apprehension and fears.

Peter looked down the corridor of time and saw the persecution of believers around the world suffering for their faith in the Jesus Christ.

Now just as Paul would say, "Don’t forget, you are saved by grace," Peter said, "Don’t forget, you are kept through trial and sorrow by grace also."

I believe Peter’s favorite stanza of the hymn "Amazing Grace" written by John Newton, who in life endured many trials, would have been:

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come:

Tis grace hath bro’t me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

C. When John spoke of GRACE, he mentioned the Grace of God in the future glorification of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. John did not look back to salvation as did Paul. Nor did he look in front of him to inevitable trials as did Peter. John looked into the future and saw the glories of God’s heaven. JOHN emphasized "GRACE WILL TAKE YOU HOME."

He saw the second coming of Christ, the rapture of the church, the resurrection of the body, the millennium, and the new Jerusalem and said, "Grace will take you through them too. Grace will be there when you die."

I believe, John’s favorite stanza of the hymn "Amazing Grace" would have been:

"When we’ve been there ten thousands years,

Bright shining as the sun,

We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise

Than when we first begun."

Each of these three spoke about GRACE.

It was Paul who mentioned the Grace of God in Salvation, GRACE WILL SAVE YOU.

It was Peter who mentioned the Grace of God in suffering and trials, GRACE WILL KEEP YOU.

It was John who mentioned the grace of God in the future, GRACE WILL TAKE YOU HOME.

II. Peter, Paul and John spoke of MERCY. Each of these writers also spoke of Mercy.

Paul did in I & II Timothy and Titus. For example in I Timothy 1:2, Paul wrote "Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord."

Peter did in I Peter 1:3 where he wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His Mercy…"

John did in II John verse 3 where he wrote, "Grace be with you, Mercy and Peace from God, the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ…"

Mercy is God’s compassion for the sinner, in not giving us what we deserve. Mercy means:

to be gracious,

to show kindness,

to have pity in action.

Mercy is God’s DIVINE RELIEF. In Micah 7:18 we read, “who is a God like thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not His anger forever, because he delighted in MERCY.”

A young man had committed a misdemeanor and was appearing before a judge for the first time. He was fidgety and nervous. The judge, in an effort to settle him down, said, "Son, don’t be nervous. I’ll see that you get justice." The young man nervously replied, "Yes, sir, Mr. Judge. That’s what I’m afraid of, but please, could you throw in a little mercy on the side?"

In the shepherd’s Psalm 23 verse 6 we read, "Surely goodness and MERCY shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

In Psalms 57:9-10 we read, "I will praise thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy MERCY is great unto the heavens…"

In Psalm 89:1-2 we read, “I will sing of the MERCIES of the Lord forever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up forever…”

Would you please turn with me to Psalm 136 where we find in these verses 26 times the phrase, "For His MERCY endureth forever." Follow me as I read verses 1-9 and verses 23-26. The words "Endureth forever" means nothing can stop His MERCY.

In Lamentations 3:22, 23 we read, "It is because of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassion’s fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." Praise God for His MERCY and not his JUSTICE.

In I Chronicles 16:41 we read, "His mercy endureth forever." For years the Ark of the Covenant had been removed from Israel. Now it was being returned to Jerusalem. And when it arrived, they shouted, “His mercy endureth forever."

In II Chronicles 5:13 Solomon has finished building the Temple. It is time to dedicate it. The Ark of the Covenant is brought in, singers begin to sing, instruments begin to play, and when the king stands to pray the dedicatory prayer, he says, "His mercy endureth forever." God blessed them by giving the SHEKINAH glory in the Holy of Holies.

When we recall our past blessings, the present and future possibilities, and the faithfulness of God in this ministry, I believe every one of us ought to stand up and exclaim, "Blessed be God! His mercy endureth forever." God hath done great things, has He not? I know we are not shouting Pentecostal’s, but we could be SHOUTING BELIEVERS!

When a Hymn of praise is sung by the congregation or a special number blesses your heart, there is nothing wrong with saying "Praise God! His mercy endureth forever."

When something in a message blesses your heart or strikes a cord in agreement, there is nothing wrong with saying, "Praise the Lord! His mercy endureth forever."

When someone’s testimony blesses you, there is nothing wrong with saying, "Glory to God! His mercy endureth forever."

When God answers a prayer and by it your soul is blessed, there is nothing wrong with saying as we lift up our praise, "Glory to God! His mercy endureth forever."

In Ezra 3:1 we again find, "His mercy endureth forever." The temple had been destroyed; the Israelites had been led away into captivity to Babylon. For 70 homesick, lonely years they lived away from home. The Israelites sat down and wept by the river Chebar in Babylon. They would not play their harps, nor sing the psalms of joy

One day God burdened Zerubbabel to return to Israel and rebuild the Temple. God’s people came away from their captivity and laid the foundation for the rebuilding of God’s house. The people were happy. The Bible says the singers sang, and shouted, "His mercy endureth forever."

Stop and think how sinful you were this past week.

Stop and think of the wrong attitudes you have had this week.

Stop and remember the things you have done that you should not have done this past week.

Yet your dear Lord looks down from Heaven and "His mercy endureth forever."

Psalm 106:1 tells us, "His mercy endureth for ever."

Psalm 107:1 tells us, "His mercy endureth for ever."

Psalm 118:1 tells us, "His mercy endureth for ever."

In theses psalms David remembers the blessings of the past, as he does in Psalm 136 over and over again, for "His mercy endureth for ever." Praise the Lord!

That God put us with people l the blessings of the past ike us. "His mercy endureth for ever."

That God uses people like us."His mercy endureth for ever."

That God forgives people like us. "His mercy endureth for ever."

That God loves people like us, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When young people become adults, "the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever."

When middle age people move toward the senior years, "the mercy

of the Lord will still endure for ever."

You dear people in your 70′s, and 80′s, when most of life is over and you wonder about death and what it is like, "the mercy of the Lord will still endure."

When you walk in the valley of trials, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When your body is eaten up with cancer, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When you walk in the path of much illness, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When you cross the great divide into the presence of the Lord, "His mercy endureth for ever."

No matter what happens, God’s mercy is there and will always be there.

It may be that God will allow pressures to come in your life, "His mercy endureth for ever."

It may be that you will go into the depth of sin, "His mercy endureth for ever."

If you can see, or if you can’t see, "His mercy endureth for ever."

If you can hear, or if you can’t hear, "His mercy endureth for ever."

If you can walk, or if you can’t walk, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When dictators have waged their wicked battles for the last time, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When the sun refuses to shine and the moon has tuned as black as sackcloth of hair, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When the shoulders shall stoop; brows wrinkle, and faces become furrowed, "His mercy endureth for ever."

When all of us awake in His likeness to live forever around His throne, "His mercy endureth for ever."

In Ephesians 2:4 we read, "God, who is rich in mercy…" His mercy reaches out to all of us in this service. BLESSED BE GOD! HIS MERCY ENDURETH FOREVER! The song writer proclaimed in that beloved hymn,

O for a thousand tongues to sing, My great Redeemer’s praise,

The glories of my God and King, the triumphs of His GRACE.

Hear Him, ye deaf; His praise, ye dumb, Your loosened tongues employ;

Ye blind, behold your Saviour come: And leap, ye lame, for joy.

As we close this service, we do so with one of Fanny Crosby’s hymns of praise, “Be Thou Exalted”

Be Thou exalted, for ever and ever,

God of eternity, The Ancient of days!

Wondrous in Majesty, so mighty in wisdom,

perfect in holiness, and worthy of praise.

Be Thou exalted, O Son of the Highest

Gracious Redeemer Our Saviour and King!

One with the Father, co-equal in glory,

Here at Thy foot -stool our homage we bring.

Be Thou exalted, O Spirit eternal!

Dwell in our hearts, keep us Holy within;

Feed us each day with Thy Heavenly Manna,

“Healer of wounded hearts” Thy praise we sing.

Be thou exalted by seraphs and angels,

Be thou exalted with harp and with song;

Saints in their anthems of rapture adore thee,

Thine be the glory forever Amen!

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If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon on "God’s GRACE, MERCY and PEACE," then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you.

Acts 16:31, “…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…”

Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

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