Tag: Jesus Christ

THE TRUMPET CALL OF GOD

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Shelby G. Floyd

In an hour of seeming defeat, Christ promised his disciples that one day he would come back from heaven to take them home to be with him.

“In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3).

Jesus Christ spoke these words in the last hours before he died on the cross. From a human standpoint his campaign was a failure. His little army was frustrated and discouraged as their hopes of the victorious Christ were shattered by his cruel death on the cross of Calvary. But then Jesus encouraged them with his promise, “I will come again.” Continue reading “THE TRUMPET CALL OF GOD” →

HAVE FAITH IN GOD

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Shelby G. Floyd

Good morning, we are glad that we can all be together and worship God from our own homes. The New Testament church had to worship from their homes because of persecution. And we are worshiping from our home because we are being persecuted by a virus. We will all survive this and we thank God that he has protected us.

Today I am speaking to you because of a picture I recently noticed of a little girl. On this picture the little girl said, “Give it to God and have faith.” Sometimes little children handle difficult things a lot better than the adults do. They have great faith in their parents and they have great faith in God. It is like one of my little great granddaughters said, “Covid 19, Covid 19, we are all in this together.” Therefore we must trust God that he will bring all of us through this safe and sound. Continue reading “HAVE FAITH IN GOD” →

THE ROCK OF OFFENSE

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Shelby G. Floyd

No one wishes to be boorish in manners, rude in speech or ugly in spirit; but the most courteous and amiable of persons will find it necessary in their pursuit of truth and righteousness to be offensive to some people.

Christ Was a Rock of Offense

Our Lord Jesus Christ was no exception. Approximately 700 years before his advent to our world, the prophet Isaiah stated that Jesus Christ would be a rock of offense to both of the houses of Israel:

Isaiah 8:14
He will be as a sanctuary,
But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense
To both the houses of Israel,
As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
NKJV

Continue reading “THE ROCK OF OFFENSE” →

THEWISDOM FROM ABOVE

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(James 1:5; 3:13-18)
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Shelby G. Floyd

Credit: Google Images

Previously we have studied about the wisdom that “is not from above.” In James 3:13-18, two different kinds of wisdom were contrasted—the wisdom from above and the wisdom from below. James is fond of asking questions and making contrasts. In James 1: 5 he asked, “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God?” If we need wisdom we are to go to God in prayer and the word of God. That is where it is to be found. Pray and then do everything you can through the means that God has given you to acquire wisdom.

In James 3: 13 he asked, “Is there any among you who has wisdom and understanding, let him show it by his good deeds done in humility and meekness of wisdom?” Continue reading “THEWISDOM FROM ABOVE” →

THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE

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Shelby G. Floyd

In the New Testament Christ is pictured as a Living Stone in God’s spiritual building:

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious…Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “ Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:4, 6).

Continue reading “THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE” →

BE RECONCILED TO GOD

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Shelby G. Floyd

We’re glad to announce today that little Scotty Doss is a year old, and he’s a mighty fine-looking boy. In fact, he’s a big boy for a year old. A lot bigger than I thought he’d ever be, from the way that he started out in that incubator for so long in the hospital. We’re proud of him, and hope all of you will take a look at him on his first birthday this morning (April 23, 1978, SGF).

Every person is accountable for their actions and needs to be reconciled unto God. This is because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

In 2 Corinthians chapter 5, the apostle Paul declared,

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:17-20 KJV).

From that reading you will notice that the words “reconciled,” and “reconciliation,” are used several times. Our topic this morning is “Be Reconciled To God.” Continue reading “BE RECONCILED TO GOD” →

CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE CHURCH

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Shelby G. Floyd

In Ephesians 5:22-33, the apostle Paul sets forth the nature of the church and its relationship to Christ. He says in one place,

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:32).

What did Paul mean when he said, “I speak concerning Christ and the church”? Continue reading “CONCERNING CHRIST AND THE CHURCH” →

TEST THE SPIRITS

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Shelby G. Floyd

The author of the letter to the church at Ephesus is Jesus Christ (Revelation 2:1-3). This letter is a part of the Revelation which God gave to Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ gave to an Angel, and the Angel signified it to John, John wrote it down in a book and sent it to the churches (Revelation 1:1-2). A great blessing is pronounced upon those who read (aloud), hear and keep those things which are written in the last book of the Bible (Revelation 1:3). John received this wonderful disclosure while he was on the Isle of Patmos. He heard a great voice behind him as the voice of a trumpet, loud, distinct and clear. When he turned to see who was speaking, he saw seven Golden candlesticks; and in the midst of those Golden candlesticks he saw the glorified Christ, like unto the Son of Man, and he had in his right hand seven stars (Revelation 1:9-19). Continue reading “TEST THE SPIRITS” →

THANKSGIVING

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Shelby G. Floyd

happy-thanksgiving-2016

The exhortation of the apostle Paul to the church at Colossae is also pertinent today for churches, families and the country:

Colossians 3:14-16
But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
NKJV

God wants all people and especially those who belong to Christ, to know the peace of God, to be thankful and to express our gratitude through joyful songs of praise and instruction. We are to be thankful every day and this spirit is symbolized in our national day of gratitude for our blessings vouchsafed to us by our forefathers.

This Thursday we will observe one of our best American holidays—Thanksgiving. It is rooted in our history and our best traditions. Indeed we have a lot to be thankful for in spite of the economic turmoil. But with all of our bounty many people have negative attitudes, and are not thankful for what we do have. Briefly we shall look at three different attitudes from the story Jesus described in the Gospel of Luke—The Ten Lepers. Continue reading “THANKSGIVING” →

JOINING THE DISCIPLES (CHURCH)

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Shelby G. Floyd

handshake-clipart

What a blessing it is for all of us to come together and worship God. In a congregation where I preached there was a man that visited from time to time. He would fill out a visitor’s card, and on it he would write, “I am a member of the church of Christ at large.” All of us are members of the church of Christ at large. But are we all members of the church of Christ at small? Today I am speaking on the topic of “Joining the Church.” I have never preached on this topic in over 54 years of ministry. All of my life I have heard that you do not join the church. Is it true that we do not join the church? The answer is both yes and no. There is a sense in which we do not join the church. And there is a sense in which we do join the church. Therefore we can have it both ways. Continue reading “JOINING THE DISCIPLES (CHURCH)” →