The Elder Brother has accepted the Father’s invitation and gone in to the party celebrating his younger brother’s return. This is my imagining:
IMMEDIATELY I notice this is a REALLY FESTIVE party. You can not imagine the feast that our Father has prepared. Really HUGE! My younger brother is the center of attention. He looks totally transformed by what [...]
October 9, 2009
Categories: Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, Prayer, Prodigal God . Tags: Banquet, Brothers United, Elder Brother, Father, fattened calf, Feast, Forgiveness, Friend of Publicans, Friend of Sinners, Heaven, Jesus, Prodigal, Prodigal Son, Watchman Nee, younger brother . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: Leave a Comment
The Father pleaded (’parakaleo’) with the Elder Brother to come in and enjoy the feast with his brother. It was a call to fellowship, it was a call to relationship, it was a call to repentance from his selfish and unloving ways. Much the same way our paraclete (Holy Spirit) comes alongside us each and [...]
October 7, 2009
Categories: Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, Prodigal God . Tags: But I say unto you, ears, Elder Brother, Father, Grace, He that has ears to hear, Isaiah 50:4, Law, Life, Listen, Obey, Prodigal Son, Sermon on Mount . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: Leave a Comment
John the Baptist was an only child. His parents were very old when he was born, and he may have been orphaned at an early age. We don’t know much about John except he was STRANGE! Funny clothes, funny food, he was an outcast in hygiene conscious Israel. There was something about his message though. [...]
September 29, 2009
Categories: Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Prodigal God . Tags: Jesus, Elder Brother, Prodigal, Lord, John the Baptist, Imprison, doubts, depressed, purpose, failure, task, Offended . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: Leave a Comment
Jesus warned His followers to NOT be like the hypocrites. (Matthew 6:5) He didn’t name names, but I think everyone knew He was pointing at the religious leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees).
Anyone who has ever been in a foreign country with different language and customs can relate to what Jesus was talking about. When you go to [...]
September 15, 2009
Categories: Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, Prodigal God, god . Tags: Jesus, god, Prodigal Son, Elder Brother, Parable, Prodigal, Hypocrite, Pharisee, Sadducee, Matthew 6:5, Journey . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: Leave a Comment
We are starting “The Prodigal God” series at church tomorrow. I still remember hearing a preacher from Great Britain proclaim “God’s Chief Delight is to Give” as he spoke from this parable in chapel at Baptist Bible College. I have had to remind myself of that constantly in life, especially when things were looking [...]
September 12, 2009
Categories: Jesus Christ, Prodigal God, Uncategorized . Tags: Drugs, Elder Brother, Forgive, Give, Homeless, John Tompkins, Love, Meth, Parable, Prodigal God, Prodigal Son . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: 1 Comment
Why is this important? Just as Joshua led his people to affirm their following God’s Word, so I believe church’s should regularly affirm their allegiance to their Church Covenant. I believe a church should periodically have a Covenant Service. I believe it should be read at every communion service. The Covenant should be the binding and empowering force of every church.
September 8, 2009
Categories: Abundant Life, Church, Church Leaders, Church Strategy, Commands of Christ, Commitment, Covenant, God's Kingdom, Gospel of Christ, Holy Spirit Power, In Christ, Jesus Christ, Joshua, Justice, Kingdom of God, Lord, Love, Obedience, Pleasant Prairie Baptist, Relationship with God, Word of Life, World, Worldliness, Worship, god, witness . Tags: Bailout, Barna Group, behavior clause, Bible, Biblical Worldview, Captive Christian, Casual Christian, Christian, church covenant, Commit, Covenant Marriage, Executive Compensation, George Barna, Heart Belief, Heaven, Hell, Joshua, Love, Manny Ramirez, Michael Phelps, Moral Outrage, Morals, Morals clause, Mosaics, Prairie Baptist Church, Regenerate Membership, Renew Covenant, Seven Faith Tribes, Transformed Lives, worldview . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: 1 Comment
I had a call this week from the daughter of a couple that lives near our church. Many of you would recognize her parents name. Seems her parents have been living together the last 20 years or so and never got married. Now they are thinking about making it legal and are looking into having [...]
August 31, 2009
Categories: Church, Church Leaders, Clare Tompkins, Covenant, God's Kingdom, Gospel of Christ, Grace, In Christ, Jesus Christ, Power of God, Seeker Church, god, witness . Tags: Altar, Baptism, Church, church covenant, church membership, covenant relationship, Holy of Holies, Jesus Christ. petros, Jim Clare Tompkins, join church, lively stones, Matthew 16:18, Peter, petras, Pleasant Prairie Baptist Church, power, power of church . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: 2 Comments
Congratulations! You have made a life-changing decision! Perhaps you are asking, “Now what? How do I begin my journey with God?” The Six steps mentioned below will give you direction from the Bible.
1. Make sure you understand salvation.
1 John 5:13 tells us, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of [...]
August 25, 2009
Categories: Abide, Abundant Life, Commitment, Confidence in God, Conviction, Cross, Gospel, Gospel of Christ, Holy Spirit Power, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus is My Life, Life, Power of God, Power of Holy Spirit, Power of the Holy Spirit, Prayer, Relationship with God, Revival, Salvation, Sin, Trials, Victory, World, Worship, light, power . Tags: repentance, Prayer, Faith, Holy Spirit, Christian, Salvation, Path, Christian Life, Carnal, New Believer, Born Again, Bible Study, Church, Baptism, Follow Christ, Growth, Spiritual Growth, Trials, Temptations, Forgiveness, Testing, Gold, power, Walk . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: 2 Comments
Today I want to open the Word of God and answer Four Hard Questions that I believe God wants us to ask ourselves.
How Do We Deny Jesus Christ?
How Do We Become Vessels of Honor?
How Do We become Ensnared by the Devil?
How Do We Worship a god of our own making?
The answers that we discover are [...]
August 17, 2009
Categories: AntiChrist, Church, Commitment, Conviction, Cross, Devil, Divine Revelation, Faith, Fear of God, Hell, Jesus Christ, Life, Power of God, Revelation, Revival, god . Tags: god, Hell, Jesus Christ, John, Honor, AntiChrist, Satan, Devil, Repent, Hard Questions, Deny Jesus, Idols, False God, Impotent God, 2 Timothy 2, 2 Timothy 3, Great House, Vessels of Honor, Vessels of Dishonor, Dishonor, Revival, Good Works, Eph 2:10, Flee Youthful Lusts, Ensnare, slain in the spirit, Patmos, last days, revive, revivere, comatose, drunken stupor, 2 Tim 2:26, form of godliness . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: 2 Comments
A man loved a woman. As is common, he wooed her and courted her. During their courtship, on occasion, he met with her after she supped with her father & family on liver and onions. On these occasions, though he loved her dearly, even the scent of her breath repulsed him. He [...]
August 17, 2009
Categories: Abundant Life, Bride of Christ, Jesus Christ, Jesus is My Life, Love . Tags: Bride of Christ, Contrition, Gomer, Heart Love, Liver and Onions, Obedience, Pretent-Love, rebellion, Robert Kent Reed, Ruth, Sin, Stench . Author: mudpreacher . Comments: Leave a Comment
