To Be Saved …, Evans Olang

Acts 17:30-31, “30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Paul in one occasion brought the gospel to the Athenians in Acts 17, very religious people. They believed that there was a force, a being beyond their ability to understand who made all things. In their state, they lacked understanding of who God truly was (is) though they were very religious. Paul says to them vs. 22 “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; 23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD”.

All Begins With Foundation, Evans Olang

2Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (NIV)

The builders have stumbled upon on a biblical principle called foundation, they know that foundation is everything. Every building must or should have a foundation. Foundation is the basis on which a thing stands, is founded upon, or is supported. In a building, foundation is a structure that transfers loads to the earth. Foundation is not on top, it’s at the bottom holding the weight of what is to be built on it. Strong and deeper foundation goes down past the weaker upper layer of soil to reach the concrete.

Give Me Or Make Me, Part 2of3, Evans Olang

Luke 15:11-31, “21 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood… 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

While we know the story of the prodigal son having taken his inheritance and gone to a far country and wasted it all, I would like to dwell on his coming back home because it’s a powerful message most churches have forgotten. Repentance is the forgotten doctrine in most churches, foreign to many coming to God, no wonder General William Booth the founder of Salvation Army said, “The Chief danger of Christianity in 20th century will be…Religion without the Holy Ghost; Christianity without Christ; Forgiveness without repentance; Salvation without regeneration; Politics without God; And heaven without hell”.

Submitting To God’s Righteousness, Part 7of10, Evans Olang

Romans 10:3, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”

God forgave David and he truly appreciated it as demonstrated by his sacrifice to the Lord. He refused to offer God what cost him nothing. It cost God a lot to bring him out of his sin, he also understood that it will cost him a lot to live for Him. Isaiah’s lips were touched with alive coal of fire and his sins departed, he then heard the Lord say, “who shall go for us”, Isaiah was quick to say, “Here I am Oh Lord send me”. In other words, if you could do this for me by giving the very best, I will do anything for You. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” and because of that, I will serve You for the rest of my life. I will be a living witness of Your saving grace. I will stand like Isaiah and say, “Here I am Oh Lord send me”. I will offer sacrifices that will cost me. I will not give you what cost me nothing. I will delight to do thy will. The gratitude I may not express in words, I will express in works. I will give you what is RIGHT not what is LEFT. I HAVE SEEN THE COST TO APPRECIATE THE SACRIFICE.

He Has Magnified His Word, Evans Olang

Psalm 138:2, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your loving kindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”

I am drawn to hymns primarily for their packed theology. Read the lyrics of many of our songs today and compare to the lyrics of some of the old hymns, you find a huge difference. The hymns are so rich in God’s Word transcending feelings, they are grounded in truth. For the last few years I have had the privilege of tapping into teachings by some long gone preachers and I find again that their preaching and teachings are far different from many of the preaching and teaching we hear today. Their messages just like in the hymns were packed with theology. Oh I praise God for the age of technology (internet) giving us the ability to find materials lost over the years.

Christless Christianity, Pastor Phil Sessa and Pastor Dave

Colossians 2:6,8,9,”As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And you are complete in Him”

The title of this devotion almost doesn’t make sense. How can you have Christianity without Christ. That is like having the sun without light. Yet listen to the words of General William Booth Founder Salvation Army as he stated “The chief danger of the 20th century will be…