Church Of The Lost Sheep

"You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh,  that is,  of the heart." -Apostle Paul, writing to the 1st believers in Corinth, 1st century 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 in the King James Version [This is the  20th  lesson of  this series ] We are living in an age where everyone is skeptical, yet everyone is easily deceived at the same time. People investigate for themselves, yet they also readily believe and are even following blindly what others are saying or doing. New Testament Bible Because no one would typically say this, we need to mention that the Christian bible is a compilation of letters, letters written by followers of Christ in the 1st century. They weren't meant for the world. They were written for believers. More often than not, Jesus called people to follow Him, and those who

"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:16 in the New Living Translation Version ------ “Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven." Matthew 6:1 in the New Living Translation Version [This is the  4th  lesson of this series] This dig into the bible is about the same way as in the previous message , and almost every other criticism about the bible. If you are observant, we are not going into those digs that contrast Old Testament verses with New Testament. We have already discussed about this in other lessons. But to give a quick reason. It is because the OT is the Jewish bible, the Christian Scriptures is the NT. The OT contains the Old Covenants and the NT, the present covenant. Here is a rundown on these . Backstory Jesus was born in Judea, in a Jewish society and into the Jewish faith. In His

" For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law." Romans 3:28 in the New International Version ------ " But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" James 2:20 in the New King James Version [This is the  3r d  lesson of this series] This message is actually more important to a believer than an unbeliever, but because it is added to the long list that people hold on to, to justify their stand that the bible is unreliable, and the reason they don't believe it, we have to discuss this matter in the public square. I want to add though that I find it amusing that some unbelievers seemingly spend more time studying the bible (although more to find what's wrong with it) and talking about it than many believers. They spend more time trying to justify their unbelief than some believers do to justify their beliefs. Although I'm not raining on their parade, at the rate some of them are going,

The Birth of Jesus " Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken of the whole empire.This was the first census to take place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child." Luke 2:1-4 in the Berean Study Bible Version [This is the  2nd  lesson of this series] Most of us has heard of the biblical narrative, Jesus was born in Bethlehem .  While Mary was pregnant with Jesus, she and Joseph had to take that trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem . Both towns are in Judea . The trip would have taken them about four days, on a donkey or walking, 14-20 miles a day. For long time believers, they should already know that God will use anyone, and anything to fulfill H

"Blessed are those who endure when they are tested. When they pass the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.  When someone is tempted, he shouldn’t say that God is tempting him. God can’t be tempted by evil, and God doesn’t tempt anyone.  Everyone is tempted by his own desires as they lure him away and trap him.  Then desire becomes pregnant and gives birth to sin. When sin grows up, it gives birth to death." James 1:12-15 in the God's Word Bible Version [This is the  1st  lesson of this series] Many people have a laundry list of contradictions regarding the bible. Many of them have given up on the Good Book, yes even if they haven't even read a quarter (or even a tenth) of it. Many of these people keep on mentioning often quoted contradictions. There are so many of them that we don't even know where to begin. Of course, we just need to start somewhere. Jesus is Not God Some people point to this verse to pr

Whoever Becomes Simple Again "At about the same time, the disciples came to Jesus asking, “Who gets the highest rank in God’s kingdom?” For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me." -Jesus of Nazareth, 1st century, speaking to His disciples Matthew 18:1-5 in the Message Paraphrase Version [This is the  18th  lesson of  this series ] Scene from The Chosen GOD In our world today, we have pushed aside the concept of a Creator. We have taught science or the theory of evolution as the absolute truth. We have pitted one against the other. We were taught that the Old Testament bi

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart" Hebrews 4:12 in the English Standard Version [This is the  6th lesson of  this series ] This is real talk right here (might sting but we have to rip the bandage off at that time when we have to and it does hurt a little), Christ has not returned yet not just because of people outside the church but also because of the ones inside the church. Christ is for love and unity. And this has been a concern since the 1st church started. One of the real dangers of "preaching" online is not just hostility from non-believers but also from fellow believers. As we've mentioned before,  with brethren like these, we do not need enemies. When doctrinal battlelines are drawn out in the sand, Christians withdraw to side with their most cherished beliefs, or the ones they g