Date: 5/12/2014  តើអ្នកណាជាអ្នកបង្កើតមនុស្សមក?  ប្រសិនបើយើងឆ្លើយថា ឱពុកមា្ដយបង្កើត យើងនោះវាមានបញ្ហាខ្លះ ដូចជា សំនួរសួរថា តើអ្នកណា ជាអ្នកបង្កើត ឱពុកមា្ដយ ដើមគេបង្អស់នោះ? ។ ម្យ៉ាងទៀត មានឱពុកមា្ដយខ្លះ ចង់បានកូននិងគេ តែឥតមានកូនទេ បើឱពុកមា្ដយ ចេះបង្កើតកូនមែននោះ គួរតែបង្កើតឱ្យបានគ្រប់គ្នា ចំណែកអ្នកខ្លះទៀត ឥតចង់បានកូនទេ តែកូនចេះ កើតមកបន្ដគ្នា បញ្ឈប់មិនបាន។ ម៉្យាងទៀតឱពុកមា្ដយ មិនចេះ ដាក់ដៃជើង, ភ្នែកច្រមុះ, ខួរក្បាល និងប្រព័ន្ធ សរសៃ បា្រសាទ បេះដូង សរសៃឈាម និងអវៈយវៈ ប្រទាក់គ្នា រវីមរវាម តែមានសណ្ដាប់ធ្នាប់យ៉ាងអស្ចារ្យ បើនិយាយពី ឱពុកម្ដាយវិញ គាត់មិនបានដឹងថា ខ្លួនធ្វើអ្វីទេ (បើអ្នកដែលជា ឱពុកម្ដាយ ទើបដឹង ការនេះ ពិតប្រាកដ)។ ដូច្នេះគឺព្រះទេ ជាអ្នកធ្វើឱយការ ទាំងអស់ នេះបានកើតឡើង ព្រះបង្កើតរបស់មក ឱយរបស់នោះ បង្កើត កូនចៅវា     បន្ដទៀត ទាំងមនុស្ស សត្វ ព្រមទាំង រុក្ខជាតិ ផងទាំងពួង យើងដឹងការ ទាំងអស់នេះបាន ដោយសារ ព្រះបន្ទូល នៅក្នុងព្រះគម្ពីរ របស់គ្រិស្ទាន។ ចំណេះចេះដឹង របស់មនុស្ស មានកម្រិត ទៅតាម ការខំប្រឹងរបស់ខ្លួន និងទៅតាមខួរ ដែលព្រះ បានកម្រិតឱយ។ បើមនុស្ស រៀនបើកឡាន នោះចេះតែបើកទេ បើមនុស្ស ចង់ចេះ ជួសជុលឡាន ត្រូវរៀន ពីសៀវភៅ ដែល ប្រាប់ពីគ្រឿង ម៉ាស៊ីន និងរបៀប វាទាក់ទងគ្នា និងដើរយ៉ាង ដូចម្ដេច? បើចង់ដឹងពីជីវិត ឱយច្បាស់ មនុស្សត្រូវតែរៀន បន្ថែម ដែលមានកត់ត្រាទុក ក្នុងព្រះគម្ពីរ ដោយព្រះដែល បានបង្កើតមនុស្សមក។ បើមនុស្ស មិនស្គាល់ជិវិតខ្លួន ឱយច្បាស់ទេ នោះមនុស្ស មានអាយុខ្លីណាស់ គឺយ៉ាងចើ្រនបាន ១២០ឆ្នាំប៉ុណ្ណោះដោយឥតប្រកែកបានទេ ដូចអ្នក ដែលចេះបើកបរ ឡាន តែមិនចេះ ជួសជុលដូច្នោះដែរ តែឡានខូចហើយ គឺធ្វើអ្វី ក៏មិនកើតដែរ សូម្បីតែ ចុះរុញវា ឱយទៅមុខបាន ក៏គ្មានន័យ អ្វីដែរ។ ការស្គាល់ព្រះ ដែលបង្កើតខ្លួន ជាការសំខាន់ជាងអ្វី ទាំងអស់ ក្នុងជីវិតមនុស្សម្នាក់ៗ។  កាលពីជាង៣០ឆ្នាំមុន ខ្ញុំបានច្រឡំថា ហេតុដូចម្ដចបានជាថា ព្រះយេស៊ូវជាព្រះ បើព្រះយេស៊ូកើតក្រោយព្រះពុទ្ធ ដល់ទៅ ជាង៥០០ឆ្នាំ ឯប៉ុណ្ណោះនោះ?។ តែតាមពិតព្រះ យេស៊ូវ មានតាំងពីមុន កំណើតផែនដីម្លេះ ព្រោះទ្រង់ហើយ ជាអ្នកបង្កើតផ្ទៃមេឃ ផែនដី និងរបស់ សព្វសារពើរលើផែនដីផង។ ទ្រង់បានយាងចុះ ពីស្កានសួគ៌ មកកើតលើផែនដី ក្នុងសម័យគ្រិសករាជ (កាលពី២០០០ឆ្នាំមុន)នេះ គឺដើម្បី ពន្យល់មនុស្ស ឱយបានយល់ពីនគរព្រះ បង្ហាញថា ទ្រង់ជាព្រះដ៏ពិត ព្រោះគ្រប់ ទាំងព្រះបន្ទូលទ្រង់ គឺពិតទាំងអស់, មួយទៀតគឺទ្រង់យាង មកដើម្បីសុគត ជំនួសបាបរបស់មនុស្ស ដែលនាំឱ្យស្លាប់ តែមនុស្សណា ដែលចង់រស់ នោះគឺត្រូវតែជឿ ដល់ព្រះយេស៊ូវ ព្រោះទ្រង់ ជាព្រះ ដែលបានសុគត ជួសមនុស្ស ឱ្យរួចពីបាប។ ប៉ុន្ដែមនុស្សគ្រប់គ្នាក៏នៅតែមាន សេរីភាពរបស់ខ្លួន ក្នុងការជ្រើសរើស ផ្លូវរបស់ខ្លួន ទៅអនាគតជាតិ ប៉ុន្ដែមានតែផ្លូវ របស់ព្រះទេ ដែលពិតប្រាកដ ព្រោះមានភ័ស្ដតាងត្រឹមត្រូវ ក្រៅពីនេះ គឺគ្រាន់តែជាយោបល់ របស់មនុស្ស ដើម្បីកំសាន្ដចិត្ដគ្នាប៉ុណ្ណោះ ព្រោះគ្មានភ័ស្ដតាងណាមួយបញ្ជាក់ឱ្យច្បាស់ទាល់តែសោះ។   មនុស្សគួរ តែស្វែងយល់ បន្ថែមអំពីព្រះ ដើម្បីឱយ បានយល់អំពីជីវិតរបស់ខ្លួនដែលមានតម្លៃហួសប្រមាណ ហើយដែលអាចរស់នៅ អស់កល្បជានិច្ចផង។ កុំជឿ លើការបង្រៀន របស់មនុស្សដូចគ្នាឡើយ ព្រោះគេមិនស្គាល់ ជីវិតមនុស្ស ដូចជាព្រះទេ ដែលទ្រង់ បានបង្កើតមនុស្សមក នោះឡើយ ព្រោះទ្រង់ ដឹងគ្រប់ទាំងសរសៃសក់ នៅលើក្បាល របស់ មនុស្សមា្នក់ៗ។ នៅក្នុងព្រះគម្ពីរ លោកុប្បត្ដ ១៖២៦ ទ្រង់​ក៏​មាន​ព្រះបន្ទូល​ថា ចូរ​យើង​ធ្វើ​មនុស្សឲ្យ​ដូច​ជា​រូប​យើង ឲ្យ​មាន​ភាព​ដូច​យើង ហើយ​ឲ្យ​មាន​អំណាច​លើ​ត្រី​សមុទ្រ សត្វ​ហើរ​លើ​អាកាស និង​សត្វ​ជើង​៤​ដែល​នៅ​លើ​ផែនដី​ទាំង​មូល ព្រម​ទាំង​សត្វ​លូន​វារ​ដែល​វារ​នៅ​លើ​ផែនដី​ផង  យើងខ្ញុំនិងមានអំណរណាស់ ដើម្បីជួយពន្យល់ បងប្អូនអំពីព្រះ បើបងប្អូន មានសំនួរ  ព្រោះរឿងជីវិតនិងរឿងព្រះជារឿងអាថ៎កំបាំងណាស់។ សូមព្រះទ្រង់ប្រទានពរ... www.cambodiancc.org  

 Date: 10/28/14                                                                        ល្បោយជីវិត                      ពាក្យចាស់ពោលថា នំបញ្ចុក ឆ្ងាញ់នឹងល្បោយ ចំណែកជីវិតមនុស្ស ក៏មានល្បោយ របស់វាដែរ ប៉ុន្ដែអ្នកខ្លះ ដាក់ល្បោយច្រើនហួស នាំឱ្យឈឺពោះ រាករូសស្លាប់ក៏មាន។ អ្នកមានច្រើនណាស់ដែល មានបញ្ហាជីវិតដោយសារ តែល្បោយជីវិត សប្បាយហួស របស់ ខ្លួន ចំណែកឯអ្នកក្រខ្លះវិញ រកតែទឹកសម្ល ស្រូបនំបញ្ចុកមិនបានផង បាននំខ្វះទឹក បានទឹកខ្វះនំ ក៏ចេះតែរស់ទាំងត្រដរទៅ។ តែរឿងមួយដែលដូចគ្នា នោះគឺ ទាំងអ្នកដែល មានល្បោយ នឹងអ្នកអត់ល្បោយ ទទួលទានយូរៗទៅ ស្បែកជ្រួញដូចគ្នា ហើយក៏ឈឺស្លាប់ទៅដូចគ្នា ហើយខ្ញុំក៏ជឿប្រាកដថា ដូច្នេះមែនដែរ។  តែម្យ៉ាងទៀត ខ្ញុំឮគេថា បើជឿព្រះយេស៊ូវ នោះនឹងបានរស់ឡើងវិញ ហើយបានឡើង ទៅស្ថានសួគ៍ផង។ នៅពេលដែល ខ្ញុំបានអានព្រះគម្ពីរ ព្រះយេស៊ូវ ក៏មានព្រះបន្ទូលថា ដូច្នេះដែរ ទ្រង់ក៏ជាសេចក្ដីរស់ឡើងវិញ ផងដែរ។ លើសពីនេះ ទ្រង់ក៏បានមានបន្ទូលមកក្នុងចិត្ដ ដ៏ពិតប្រាកដផងដែរ ដូច្នេះហើយ ខ្ញុំត្រូវតែខំជឿ ពីការនេះ ឱ្យអស់អំពីចិត្ដ ព្រោះដូចជា គ្មានផ្លូវណាទៀតសោះ អ្នកខ្លះគេថា ខ្ញុំឆ្កួត តែថា គ៏ថាចុះ ព្រោះខ្ញុំខ្លាចស្លាប់ ខ្លាចខ្មោច ខ្លាចក្លាយជាប្រែត ហើយក៏ខ្លាចស្ថាន នរកខ្លាំងណាស់ ផង។ ដូច្នេះទោះ អ្នកណាថា អីក៏ថាចុះ ឱ្យតែខ្ញុំបាន រស់ឡើងវិញ ទៅស្ថានសួគឺ នោះខ្ញុំលែងខ្វល់ហើយ ម្យ៉ាងទៀតខ្ញុំ ក៏ឥតមានខាតអ្វីសោះផងដែរ។ ប៉ុន្ដែបើបងប្អូនណា មានផ្លូវប្រសើរជាងនេះ សូមបា្រប់ខ្ញុំផង តើបងប្អូនដឹងថា យើងត្រូវ ទៅទីណាទៀតទេ ក្រោយពីស្លាប់ពី ផែនដីនេះទៅ? ប៉ុន្ដែបើ បងប្អូន គ្មានផ្លូវទេ ហើយខ្លាចស្លាប់ដូចខ្ញុំដែរ គួរតែមកតាមខ្ញុំ គ្រាន់បានជាគ្នា។ ខ្ញុំគ្រាន់ តែដឹងថា ស្ថាន នរក មិនមែនជារឿងប្រឌិត រឿងកំប្លែងទេ។ បងប្អូនអើយ សូមកុំបង្អង់ នាំឱ្យហួសពេល។ បងប្អូនអើយ ទោះតែបងប្អូន ជ្រើសរើសមិន ទទួលជឿទ្រង់ ក៏គ្មានអ្វីផ្លាស់ប្តូរ សំរាប់ទ្រង់ឡើយ គឺទ្រង់នៅតែព្រះដដែល តែបងប្អូន ទេ ដែលត្រូវផ្លាស់ប្ដូរ គឺទ្រង់នឹងប្រទានសិទ្ធ ឱ្យបានជាកូនព្រះដើម្បី គឺបានក្លាយ ជាពូជសាសន៍នៃស្ថានសួគ៍ ពេលស្លាប់ពីផែនទៅ នោះនឹងមានសិទ្ធចូល ស្ថានសួគ៍។ សូមព្រះទ្រង់ប្រទានពរ។

  អត្ថបទព្រះបន្ទូល  4/19/2013                                                      អ្វីទៅដែលហៅថាសេរីភាពពិតប្រាកដ? ពាក្យថា សេរីភាពនេះ អ្នកណាក៏ធ្លាប់ ឮដែរ ព្រោះមនុស្សមា្នក់ៗ ចង់បាន សេរីភាពនេះណាស់។ ប្រសិនណា បើយើងលើកសំនួរមួយថា តើអ្វីទៅដែលហៅថា សេរីភាព? តើមនុស្សដែលរស់ក្នុង ពិភព លោកសេរីភាព មានសេរីភាព ឬទេ? អ្នកដែលរស់នៅក្នុង ប្រទេសលោកសេរី គេបាននិយាយថា "រដ្ឋាភិបាល របស់គេ ឆក់លុយរាស្រ្ដ មិនចាំបាច់ ប្រាប់មុនទេ ហើយមិនចាំបាច់ ទាំងលូកហោប៉ៅ រាស្រ្ដផង គឹគេស្កាត់ ហូតពន្ធ មុនលុយ ដល់ដៃ កម្មករ គឺគេកាត់តាក់ រាស្ដ្រពីថៅកែតែម្ដង រាស្រ្ដគ្មានសិទ្ធតវ៉ាទេ នេះជាសេរីភាពឬ? ឬមួយម្យ៉ាងទៀត តើមនុស្ស ដែលមាន សេរីភាព អាចចេះ តែធ្វើអ្វី តាមតែចិត្ដ ខ្លួនទៅឬ? ប្រសិនបើ ដូច្នោះមែន នោះប្រាកដ ជាបង្កើន ការ ច្របូកច្របល់ ជាងសព្វថ្ថៃនេះ ទៅទៀត។ ដូច្នេះសេរីភាព នេះ ប្រាកដជាមាន ព្រំដែន របស់វា។ និយមន័យមួយបាន និយាយថាសេរីភាព របស់មនុស្សម្នាក់ គឺគេអាច លើកដៃ ទាំងពីរ របស់គេ សន្ធឹង ហើយបង្វិល ជុំវិញខ្លួនគេ រហូតទៅទល់ នឹងចុង ម្រាមដៃ មនុស្សម្នាក់ ទៀតក្នុងបំណង ដូចគ្នាគឺចង់និយាយថា សេរីភាព នោះមានព្រំដែន កុំអោយប៉ះ សិទ្ធសេរីភាព អ្នកជិតខាង។ ទំនាស់, ជម្លោះ, សង្រ្គាម គឺកើតមក តែពីការ ឈ្លានពាន ព្រំដែន នៃសេរីភាព នេះឯង ទោះដោយ ចេតនា ឬអចេតនាក្ដី។ បក្សា បក្សីវាមាន គ្រប់ទាំង សេរីភាព ហើរលើអាកាស ក៏ពិតមែន តែវាមិនអាច ហើរចូលផ្ទះ ព្រានព្រៃ បានឡើយ។ ចំណែកឯត្រីក្រឹម ដែលចិញ្ចឹម ក្នុងផ្ទះវិញ ក៏មានសេរីភាព របស់វា តែក្នុងធុង កញ្ចក់ ប៉ុណ្ណោះ បើវាចង់លោត ចេញក្រៅ មកលេង ជាមួយឆ្មារ ខាងក្រៅ នោះប្រាកដ ជាអន្តរាយ ជីវិត មិនខាន ឡើយ។ដូច្នេះសេរីភាព ពិតប្រាកដ គឺសេរីភាពមួយ ដែលធ្វើអ្វីៗបាន ដោយអំណរ ក្នុងរង្វង់ ការពារធានា សន្តិសុខ ដល់ជីវិត របស់យើង។ព្រះដែលបង្កើតមនុស្សមក បានផ្តល់នូវ សេរីភាព មួយដ៏ ពេញលេញ ដល់មនុស្ស ដោយគូររង្វង់ព្រំដែន សន្តិសុខ អោយមនុស្ស ជ្រើសរើស រស់ក្នុង រង្វង់នោះ ឬមួយ ក៏ហួស រង្វង់នេះ គឺ ឬមួយរស់ អស់កល្បក្នុងសេរីភាព ដោយ ស្តាប់ បង្គាប់ទ្រង់ ឬមួយចង់រស់ក្នុងសេរីភាព ដែលគ្មាន ព្រំដែន គឺដោយតំរេះ បា្រជ្ញាខ្លួនឯង ដោយបដិសេដ្ឋទ្រង់ ហើយអន្ដរាយ ដល់ជីវិត? ដូចបាន ចែងទុកក្នុង ព្រះគម្ពីរ លោកុប្បត្តិ ជំពូក ២ "៩ ព្រះយេហូវ៉ា​ដ៏​ជា​ព្រះ​ទ្រង់​ក៏​ធ្វើ​ឲ្យ​ដី​ដុះ​គ្រប់​អស់​ទាំង ​ដើម​ឈើ​ដែល​ គួរ​ពិចពិលរមឹលមើលហើយ​សំរាប់ ​ជា​អាហារ​ផងក៏​ដាំ​ដើម​ជីវិត​នឹង​ដើម​សំរាប់​ដឹង​ខុស​ត្រូវនៅ​កណ្តាល ​សួនច្បារ​នោះ​ដែរ។ ១៦ ព្រះយេហូវ៉ា​ដ៏​ជា​ព្រះ​ទ្រង់​បង្គាប់​ទៅ​អ័ដាម​ថាឯង​នឹង​ស៊ី​ផ្លែ​ទាំង​អស់​ក្នុង​សួនច្បារ​នេះ​បាន​តាម​ចិត្ត ១៧ តែ​ឯ​ត្រង់​ដើម​ដឹង​ខុស​ត្រូវនោះ​មិន​ត្រូវ​ឲ្យ​ឯង​ស៊ី​ផល​ឡើយ ដ្បិត​នៅ​ថ្ងៃ​ណា​ដែល​ឯង​ស៊ីនោះ​នឹង​ត្រូវ​ស្លាប់​ជា​មិន​ខាន។"ព្រះទ្រង់ត្រឹមគ្រាន់ហាមប៉ុណ្ណោះទេ ទ្រង់ថែមទាំងប្រាប់ ពីផលវិបាក នៃការ មិនស្ដាប់បង្គាប់ នោះផង។ មនុស្សដំបូង បានជ្រើសរើស យកសេរីភាព ដោយពឹងផ្អែក លើប្រាជ្ញា របស់ខ្លួន មិនចាំបាច់ ស្ដាប់បង្គាប់ព្រះឡើយ ដូច្នេះហើយបាន ជាមនុស្ស ត្រូវស្លាប់ ក្នុងសេរីភាព របស់ខ្លួន តែសេចក្ដី ស្លាប់ នោះព្រះយេស៊ូវ ទ្រង់បាន សុគតជំនួសរួចហើយ ដើម្បីអោយមនុស្ស មាន ជម្រើស សេរីភាពនេះ ជាថ្មីទៀត តើគួរជឿ ដល់ព្រះយេស៊ូវគ្រិស្ទ ជាព្រះដ៏ពិត ដែលសុគតជួស បាបយើងដើម្បី អោយជីវិតរស់ អស់កល្ប ឬមួយបន្ដសេរីភាព ក្នុងសេចក្ដីស្លាប់ នេះ តទៅទៀត? មើល៍ សព្វថ្ងៃនេះ មនុស្សបាន រស់ក្នុងសេរីភាព ឥតព្រំដែន អ្នកខ្លាំងរស់ ហើយឡើង ធ្វើធំ ឬស្ដេច ចំណែក ឯអ្នកខ្សោយ ហើយចាញ់ត្រូវតែរស់ នៅក្រោមចំណុះគេ។ លោក ឆល៍ ដរ៍វិន ជាអ្នកបង្កើត ទ្រិស្ដី មហាបន្ទុះ (The Big Bang Theory) មានម្ដងលោកបាន និយាយថា៖ "ផែនដីនេះ បង្កើតឡើង សម្រាប់ អ្នកខ្លាំងហើយឈ្នះ បើខ្សោយ ហើយចាញ់គេ ត្រូវរស់នៅជាឈ្លើយ ឬខ្ញុំកញ្ជះគេ។" ដូច្នេះហើយបាន ជាមនុស្ស រស់ទាំងខំប្រឹង ត្រដរ ដើម្បី ឈ្នះ ឬបានជោគជ័យ តែជាអកុសល ទាំងអ្នកឈ្នះ នឹងអ្នកចាញ់ផង ត្រូវរស់ក្នុងសេចក្ដី អន្ដរធានជា យថាហេតុ គឺជីវិត នេះត្រូវវិនាសបង់ ជាស្ថាបពរ បើមិនស្គាល់ សេចក្ដីពិត គឺការស្ដាប់បង្គាប់ព្រះ ទេនោះ ។ ក្នុងព្រះគម្ពីរយ៉ូហាន ជំពូក៨ បាននិយាយថា៖ "៣១ នោះ​ព្រះយេស៊ូវ ​មាន​ព្រះបន្ទូល ទៅ​ពួក​សាសន៍ ​យូដា​ដែល​ជឿ​ ដល់​ទ្រង់​ថា បើ​អ្នក​រាល់​គ្នា ​នៅ​ជាប់​ក្នុង ​ពាក្យ​ខ្ញុំនោះ​អ្នក​រាល់​គ្នា​ជា​សិស្ស​ខ្ញុំ​មែន ៣២ អ្នក​រាល់​គ្នា​នឹង​ស្គាល់​សេចក្តី​ពិតហើយ​សេចក្តី​ពិត​នោះ​នឹង​ប្រោស ​ឲ្យ​អ្នក​រាល់​គ្នា ​បាន​រួច"។ បានរួចនេះ គឺរួចពីសេចក្ដីស្លាប់ សេចក្ដីពិត គឺតួអង្គ ព្រះយេស៊ូវគ្រិស្ទ ជាព្រះដ៏ពិតដែលអាច ប្រោស យើង អោយរស់ មានជីវិតដ៏នូវអស់កល្បជានិច្ច។ ទ្រង់បានមានបន្ទូលក្នុងព្រះគម្ពីរ យ៉ួហានជំពូក១៤ ថា " ៦ ព្រះយេស៊ូវ​មាន​ព្រះបន្ទូល​ទៅ​គាត់​ថា ខ្ញុំ​ជា​ផ្លូវ ជា​សេចក្តី​ពិតហើយ​ជា​ជីវិត បើ​មិន​មក​តាម​ខ្ញុំ នោះ​គ្មាន​អ្នក​ណា​ទៅ​ឯ​ព្រះវរបិតា ​បាន​ឡើយ។ គួរតែសម្រេចចិត្តអោយហើយ ទាន់ឱកាស នៅមាន ការសម្រេចចិត្ដនេះ ជាសេរីភាព របស់បងប្អូនហើយ។ ព្រះទ្រង់ សព្វព្រះហឬទ័យ អោយមនុស្ស ចូលនគរ ស្ថានសួគ៍ របស់ទ្រង់ដោយឥត បង្ខំគឺ ដោយសេរី នេះឯង។ សូមសេចក្ដីពិត អំពីព្រះយេស៊ូវគ្រិស្ទ បានប្រទានពរដល់ អស់លោកបងប្អូន អោយបានស្គាល់ នូវជីវិត ដ៏អស់កល្បជានិច្ច។  

សួរស្តីបងប្អូនក្នុងព្រះគ្រីស្ទ!​​ ខ្ញុំកំពុងតែរៀបលក្ខនិ្តក:ក្រុមជំនុំម។​​​​ តើមានអ្នកណាមានការចាប់អារម្មណ៍ជួយរៀបចំកម្មវីធីនេះឬទេ? លក្ខនិ្តក: ក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទ ប្រវត្តិក្រុមជំនុំ គោលនៃសេចក្តីជំនឿ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា ព្រះដ៏ពិតមានតែមួយគត់ ព្រះនោះជាព្រះដែលបានបង្កើតពិភពលោកនេះ ។ យើងជឿថាទ្រង់បានបង្ហាញ មនុស្សអំពីការឋិតថេរ និងលក្ខណៈសម្បត្តិរបស់ទ្រង់ តាមរយៈសកលលោកដែលព្រះបានបង្កើតនេះ ព្រមទាំងសេចក្តីពិតដែលមានកត់ទុកនៅក្នុងព្រះគម្ពីរព្រះយេស៊ូវ ។ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា មនុស្សលោកបានប្រព្រឹត្តបាប ប្រឆាំងនឹងព្រះ ។ មនុស្សជាតិរាល់ថ្ងៃ មិនគោរពថ្វាយបង្គំ ហើយបំរើព្រះអង្គទេ ។មនុស្សលោកទាំងអស់គ្នា មិនបានស្តាប់បង្គាប់បញ្ញាត្តិរបស់ទ្រង់ទេ ។ ដូច្នេះហើយយើងទាំងអស់គ្នាសមនឹងទទួលការរងទុក្ខវេទនារៀងរហូត បន្ទាប់ពីយើងចូលមរណៈភាព។ ការឈឺចាប់ និងសេចក្តីស្លាប់ទាំងអស់ដែលមានរាល់ថ្ងៃជាលទ្ធផលបាបមនុស្សលោក។ ចាប់ទាំងពីគ្រាដំបូងមនុស្សតែងតែបង្ខូចពិភពលោក ដែលព្រះបានបង្កើតនេះ ហើយចេះតែគោរពវិញ្ញាណអាក្រក់ និងព្រះផ្សេងទៀត មិនព្រមគោរពព្រះដ៏ពិតនោះទេ។ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា មនុស្សជាតិសង្គ្រោះខ្លួនឯងមិនបានទេ ។ គ្មានបុគ្គលម្នាក់សង្រ្គោះខ្លួនអោយ រួចពីការរងទុក្ខវេទនាដែលសមនឹងទទួលនោះបានទ្បើយ ។ គ្មានផ្លូវសាសនា ឬទស្សនៈវិជ្ជាណារបស់មនុស្សដែលជួយសង្រ្គោះ ឲ្យរួចពីការកាត់ទោសនោះបានទេ ។ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា ព្រះដ៏ពិត ពេញដោយភាពមេត្តា និងសេចក្តីស្រទ្បាញ ដល់ម្ល៉េះ បានជាព្រះអង្គប្រទានព្រះរាជបុត្រាតែមួយ អោយយាងចុះពីស្ថានសួគ៌ចាប់កំណើតជាមនុស្សដើម្បីបើកផ្លូវសង្រ្គោះរួចពីទោសបាបអោយយើង ។ ព្រះយេស៊ូវគ្រីស្ទជាព្រះរាជបុត្រានោះឯង ។ ទ្រង់ប្រសូត្រមកក្នុងភាពបរិសុទ្ធ បានគោរពអស់ទាំងបញ្ញាត្តិ របស់ទ្រង់ក្នុងភាពជាមនុស្ស ហើយបានផ្ទុកបាបរបស់យើង ក្នុងរូបកាយរបស់ព្រះអង្គនៅលើឈើឆ្កាង ។ គឺតាមរយៈព្រះយេស៊ូវទេ ដែលយើងផ្សះផ្សាជាមួយនឹងទ្រង់បាន ។ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា នៅថ្ងៃទី៣ ព្រះយេស៊ូវរស់ពីស្លាប់ទ្បើងវិញ ទាំងរូបកាយ ។នៅពេលនោះទ្រង់សំដែងអោយយើងឃើញជ័យជំនះរបស់ទ្រង់ទៅលើអំពើបាប និងសេចក្តីស្លាប់ ។ ព្រះអង្គបានទ្បើងស្ថានសួគ៌វិញ នៅទីនោះទ្រង់រងចាំលើកលែងទោសអោយអស់អ្នកណាដែលដឹងខ្លួន លូនតួរបាបហើយស្រែកហៅទ្រង់ ដើម្បីសង្គ្រោះពួកគេ ។ អ្នកណាដែលកែប្រែចិត្តទទួលជឿព្រះយេស៊ូវ ព្រះអង្គពិតជាអត់ទោសបាបអោយ និង ប្រទានមរដកនៅស្ថានសួគ៌ផងដែរ ។ នៅពេលឥទ្បូវនេះ នៅពេលដែលយើងទើបជឿ ព្រះអង្គប្រទានពរ អោយព្រះវិញ្ញាណបរិសុទ្ធមកសន្ថិតនៅក្នុងយើង ។ នៅពេលអ្នកជឿចូលមរណៈភាពវិញគាត់ទ្បើងទៅស្ថានសួគ៌នៅជាមួយព្រះ ។ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា ព្រះយេស៊ូវ ជាព្រះអង្គសង្រ្គោះរបស់ខ្លួនរួចទៅហើយ ។យើងឈប់ថ្វាយបង្គំ ឬ គោរពព្រះឯទៀតហើយ ។ យើងយល់ហើយថា ដើរផ្លូវពីរក្នុងពេលតែមួយមិនបានទេ ។ យើងបានទទួលពិធីជ្រមុជទឹកដើម្បីបង្ហាញអ្នកដ៏ទៃទៀតថា យើងបានសម្រេចចិត្តជឿលើព្រះយេស៊ូវរួចហើយ ។ ពិធីនោះបញ្ជាក់ថា យើងមានបំណងដើរតាមព្រះអង្គ ហើយមានចិត្តអោយស្មោះត្រង់ នឹងទ្រង់រហូតដល់ស្លាប់ ឬព្រះអង្គយាងមកម្តងទៀតមុន ។ សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា ព្រះយេស៊ូវបានសង្រោះយើង ហើយរាប់យើងជាកូនរបស់ព្រះអង្គ លទ្ធផលយើងដឹងគុណដល់ទ្រង់វិញ ដោយសេចក្តីស្រទ្បាញ់ និងការបំរើដល់ព្រះ ។ ព្រះបានប្រទានអំណោយទានមួយដ៏ពិសេសដល់យើង ដើម្បីជួយយើងលូតលាស់ហើយមានជំនឿរឹងមាំ ។ អំណោយទាននោះគឺក្រុមជំនុំនៃអ្នកជឿតាមតំបន់ ។ ព្រះមិនចង់អោយអ្នកជឿខំដើរតាមព្រះម្នាក់ឯងទេ ប៉ុន្តែបើសិនជាមានគ្នាក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំ យើងជួយពង្រឹងជំនឿគ្នាទៅវិញទៅមកបាន ។ ព្រះហឬទ័យទ្រង់គឺ អោយអ្នកជឿលើព្រះតាមតំបន់ព្រមព្រៀងគ្នាដើរតាមទ្រង់ ។ ________________________________________ I. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទយល់ថា ភាពជាសមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមានតំលៃ ហើយមានន័យជ្រៅ ។ មានតែអ្នកជឿលើព្រះយេស៊ូវពិតដែលបានទទួលពិធីជ្រមុជទឹកនោះ អាចក្លាយជាសមាជិកក្រុមជំនុំបាន (កិច្ចការ ២:៤១-៤២) ។ មានតែអ្នកណាមានចិត្តដើរតាមព្រះយេស៊ូវដែលគួរតែមានភាពជាសមាជិកក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំតាមតំបន់ ។ អ្នកដែលបែរទៅរកផ្លូវបាបនៃជីវិតចាស់មិនអាចមានភាពជាសមាជិកក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំបន្តទៅទៀតបានទេ ។ II. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទចង់ដើរតាមព្រះយេស៊ូវក្នុងភាពជាសមាជិកនូវក្រុមជំនុំនេះ ។ ដូច្នេះ យើងព្រមព្រៀងនាំគ្នា ស្រទ្បាញ់ព្រះ និងអ្នកដ៏ទៃ ។ បញ្ញាត្តិរបស់ព្រះដែលសំខាន់ជាងគេគឺ ស្រទ្បាញ់ព្រះអម្ចាស់អស់ពីចិត្ត។ បញ្ញាត្តិរបស់ទ្រង់សំខាន់ជាងគេទី២គឺ ស្រទ្បាញ់អ្នកជិតខាងដូចជាខ្លួនឯង (ម៉ាថាយ ២២:៣៤-៣៩) ។ សេចក្តីស្រលាញ់ជាមូលដ្ឋានគ្រឹះសំរាប់ក្រុមជំនុំ (យ៉ូហានទី១ ៣:១១-១៨)។ III. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទព្រមព្រៀងនាំគ្នាសម្លាប់និស្ស័យសាច់ឈាម គឺជាអំពើបាបដែលយើងធ្លាប់ប្រព្រឹត្តក្នុងជីវិតចាស់ ។ យើងរាល់គ្នាត្រូវចាត់ទុកថា ខ្លួនបានស្លាប់រួចផុតពីអំណាចបាបហើយ(រ៉ូម ៦:១០-១៩) ដូច្នេះហើយយើងខ្ញុំមានឆន្ទ:ផ្លាស់ចេញពីផ្លូវបាបដូចជា : អំពើអសីលធម៌ខាងផ្លូវភេទ សេចក្តីស្មោកគ្រោក ការថ្វាយបង្គំរូបព្រះ មន្តអាគម សេចក្តីសំអប់ ការឈ្លោះប្រកែក សេចក្តីច្រណែន កំហឹង ការប្រឆាំង ការបែកបាក់ បក្សពួកនិយម ស៊ីផឹកអ៊ូអែ សេចក្តីភូតភរ ការលួច ការលេងល្បែងស៊ីសង ។ ល។ (អេភេស៊ូរ ៤:១៧-៥:៦, កាទ្បាទី ៥:១៩-២១) ។ យើងដឹងថាអ្នកណាដែលបន្តរស់នៅក្នុងផ្លូវបាបទាំងនេះ នឹងគ្មានចំណែកនៅក្នុងនគររបស់ព្រះទេ (កូរិនថូសទី១ ៦:៩-១១; កាទ្បាទី ៥:២១; អេភេស៊ូរ ៥:៥-៧) ។ • ឥឡូវនេះយើងទាំងអស់គ្នាជាគ្រីស្ទានត្រូវជាព្រះវិហាររបស់ព្រះវិញាណបរិសុទ្ធ ដូច្នេះយើងមិនត្រូវខ្លាចព្រះណាឬអំណាចណាទៀតឡើយ (កូរិនថូសទី១ ៣:១៦¬-១៧; ៦:១៩-២០; យ៉ូហានទី១ ៤:៤;៥:១៨-២១)។ពីមុនយើងរាល់គ្នាបរិភោគម្ហូបសែន តែឥឡូវនេះយើងបរិភោគនំបុ័ងនៃព្រះយេស៊ូវគ្រីស្ទវិញ(កូរិនថូសទី១ ១០:១៤-២២)។ IV. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទយល់ព្រមថា ជាការចាំបាច់ដែលអ្នកជឿលើព្រះអង្គមិនគួរតែផឹកឬប៉:ពាល់ដល់គ្រឿងស្រវឹង ពីព្រោះការផឹកស្រាជាការគ្រោះថ្នាក់មួយដែលអារក្សសាតាំងតែងតែប្រើប្រាស់ដើម្បីបំផ្លាញ់មនុស្ស។ យើងព្រមគ្នាក្នុងព្រះនាមព្រះយេស៊ូវផ្ដាច់ស្រាពីព្រោះយើងកោតខ្លាចទ្រង់ (សុភាសិត ២៣:២៩-៣៥; កាឡាទី ៥:១៩-២១)។ យើងផ្ដាច់ស្រា ដើម្បីសំដែងសេចក្តីស្រឡាញ់ក្នុងព្រះទៅកាន់អ្នកជឿថ្មី ក្រែងលោគំរូមិនល្អរបស់ យើងនាំគេ ទៅផឹកហើយធ្វើបាប(រ៉ូម ១៤; កូរិនថូសទី១ ៨-១០)។ មួយទៀត យើងមិនផឹកស៊ីជាមួយគេដើម្បីកុំឲ្យបង្ខូច កិត្តិនាមរបស់ព្រះអង្គនូវចំពោះលោកីយ (ពេទ្រុសទី១ ២:៩-១៧)។ V. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទជឿថា យើងត្រូវនាំគ្នារស់នៅជាមនុស្សថ្មីដែលមានសេក្តីសុចរិត និងសេចក្តីបរិសុទ្ធរបស់សេចក្តីពិត ។ ជីវិតថ្មីក្នុងព្រះអង្គមានន័យថា យើងត្រូវរៀន អោយដើរបែបគួរនឹងទ្រង់ ។សេចក្តីស្រទ្បាញ់ អំណរ សេចក្តីសុខសាន្ត សេចក្តីអត់ធ្មត់ ចិត្តស្លូតបូត និងភាពស្មោះត្រង់ ។ល។ ជាគោលបំណងរបស់យើង។ ផ្លូវរបស់ព្រះយេស៊ូវជាផ្លូវនៃសេចក្តីពិត ការឥតទោស ភាពបរិសុទ្ធ និងការអាណិតអាសូរ ។ នៅពេលដែលព្រះផ្តល់ជីវិតថ្មីអោយយើង ទ្រង់ចាត់ព្រះវិញ្ញាណបរិសុទ្ធមកគង់នៅក្នុងយើងម្នាក់ៗ ដើម្បីជួយយើងអោយមានការផ្លាស់ប្រែ ប្រយោជន៍អោយមានភាពបរិសុទ្ធកាន់តែច្រើនទ្បើងៗក្នុងការប្រព្រឹត្ត (កាឡាទី ៥:២២-២៤; អេភេសូរ ៤:២៥-៣២; កូឡូស ៣:៥-១៥)។ VI. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទទទួលស្គាល់ថា សេចក្តីប្រកបគ្នាក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំសំខាន់ណាស់ពីព្រោះនៅពេលដែលយើងប្រជុំគ្នា យើងយកចិត្តទុកដាក់ចំពោះគ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក ដើម្បីលើកទឹកចិត្តអោយមានសេចក្តីស្រទ្បាញ់ និងការប្រព្រឹត្តល្អ (ហេព្រើរ ១០:២៤-២៥)។ ដូច្នេះយើងស្រុះស្រួលដោយស្មោះត្រង់ចូលរួម តាមពេលវេលាដែលក្រុមជំនុំញែកប្រជុំគ្នានោះ ។ អ្នកដ៏ទៃខ្លះប្រហែលស្អប់យើងដោយព្រោះជំនឿជឿលើព្រះយេស៊ូវ ប៉ុន្តែយើងដឹងថាក្រុមជំនុំតាមតំបនគឺជាគ្រួសារថ្មីមួយសំរាប់យើងដែរ (យ៉ូហានទី១ ៣:១-៣;១៣-១៤; ៥:១-៣)។ កិច្ចការចំបាច់របស់ក្រុមជំនុំគឺ រៀនព្រះគម្ពីរ ប្រកបគ្នា រួមគ្នាពិសារពិធីលៀងព្រះអម្ចាស់ ហើយអធិស្ថានជាមួយគ្នាជាក្រុម (កិច្ចការ ២:៤២)។ • សមាជិក ក្រុមជំនុំនរណាម្នាក់ដែលមើលងាយ ដល់តំលៃនៃសមាជិកភាព ដោយមិនចូលរួមយូៗទៅ អ្នកនោះនឹងត្រូវបំបាត់សមាជិកភាពក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំ(យ៉ូហានទី១ ២:១៩)។ អ្នកណាដែលទៅនៅឆ្ងាយពីក្រុមជំនុំលែងមានសមាជិកភាព ពីព្រោះអ្នកនោះត្រូវការចូល ជាសមាជិកនូវក្រុមជំនុំមួយទៀតតាមតំបន់ដែលគាត់រស់នៅរាល់ថ្ងៃវិញ។ បើសិនជាគាត់ទ្រលប់មកនៅ ជិតយើងវិញ នោះគាត់អាចទទូលសមាជិភាពក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំយើងឡើងវិញបានដែរ។ VII. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទយល់ព្រមថា ត្រូវជួយដាស់តឿនហើយកែតម្រង់គ្នាទៅវិញទៅមក (កាឡាទី ៦:១-២) ។ បើសិនជាមានអ្នកជឿមួយចាប់ផ្តើមប្រព្រឹត្តតាមផ្លូវនៃអំពើបាបពីជីវិតចាស់របស់ខ្លួន ដូចជាអំពើបាបដែលត្រូវមានកត់ទុកនៅឃ្លាខាងលើនោះ អ្នកនោះត្រូវតែប្រែចិត្តប្រព្រឹត្តតាមព្រះអម្ចាស់វិញ។ បើមិនដូច្នេះទេ ក្រុមជំនុំនឹងធ្វើតាម ម៉ាថាយ១៨:១៥-២០ ដើម្បីនាំ គាត់កែខ្លួន។ បើអ្នកនោះមិនកែខ្លួនតាមទេ គាត់លែងជាសមាជិកភាពរបស់ក្រុមជំនុំរហូតដល់អ្នកនោះ បន្ទាបខ្លួនចំពោះព្រះអង្គវិញ(កូរិនថូសទី១ ៥:១៩-២៣; ថែស្សាលូនីចទី១ ៣:១៣-១៥)។ ដូចគ្នាដែរនូវចំពោះអ្នកណាដែលនាំមេរៀនមិនពិតចូលមកក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំ។ ក្រុមជំនុំមិនអាចប្រកបជាមួយគ្រូខុសឆ្គងបានដែរ ពីព្រោះក្រុមជំនុំជាសសរទ្រូង និងជាគ្រឹះនៃសេចក្តីពិត (យ៉ូហានទី២ខ៧-១១; រ៉ូម ១៦:១៧-១៨; ទីតុស ៣:១០-១១)។ VIII. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទត្រូវទទួលការណែរនាំពីអ្នកដឹកនាំ ដែលក្រុមជំនុំ បានតាំងទ្បើងអោយនាំ (ហេព្រើរ ១៣:១៧)។ គ្រូគង្វាលជាអ្នកដែលព្រះអង្គបានតាំងទ្បើងដើម្បីបង្រៀន ហើយមើលថែព្រលឹងរបស់យើងរាល់គ្នា ។ ដូច្នេះសមាជិកក្រុមជំនុំម្នាក់ៗត្រូវចុះចូល នឺងអ្នកទាំងអស់នោះ (អេភេសូរ ៤:១១-១៦; ពេទ្រុសទី១ ៥:១)។ បើគ្រូណែនាំតាមព្រះគម្ពីរ យើងត្រូវតាមលោក ប៉ុន្តែបើសិនជាលោកណែនាំផ្សេងៗពីព្រះគម្ពីរ ក្រុមជំនុំមិនគួរតាមគាត់ទេ ។ IX. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទយល់ដឹងថា ជាការចាំបាច់ដែលយើងអោយកូនយើងក្នុងក្រុមជំនុំទៅរៀបការជាមួយតែអ្នកជឿលើព្រះដូចគ្នាទេ ដើម្បីគោរពទ្រង់ ហើយថែរក្សាជំនឿរបស់កូនខ្លួនយើង (កូរិនថូសទី១ ៦:១៤-១៦; ៧:១៩)។ X. សមាជិកនៃក្រុមជំនុំមរដកនៃព្រះគ្រីស្ទយល់ថា គ្មានសមាជិកម្នាក់ណាដែលមានសិទិ្ធប្រើការប្រជុំ ជាកាល:ទេស:ដើម្បីផ្សាយឬបង្ខំគេអំពីនយោបាយបានទេ។ ក្រុមជំនុំត្រូវការពារសិទិ្ធសមាជិក ជាពលរដ្ឋុ។ អ្នកជឿលើព្រះអង្គត្រូវនាំគ្នាគោរពរដ្ឋាភិបាល (រ៉ូម ១៣:១-៧) យើងទាំងអស់គ្នា ជាសមាជិកក្រុមជំនុំព្រះយេស៊ូវ ព្រមព្រៀងគ្នាឲ្យដើរតាមលក្ខនិ្តក:នេះក្នុងព្រះជាម្ចាស់។

We just launched a website in order to make the available Christian resources in the Khmer language more easily accessible. For those of you who live in Cambodia or know someone who does, please spread the word and share this website with your friends. And if you know of additional resources – register to add them! Visit the Cambodian Christian Resources website here!

ព្រះគម្ពីរខែ្មរ​អាចអានបាន បើកុំព្យូទ័រអ្នកមាន ខ្មែរយ៉ូនីកូតសូមមើលទីនេះ       http://biblecambodia.org/khov54/          http://biblecambodia.org/khsv/​​​  (new version)  

Fix Our Eyes on Jesus Hebrews 12:2 “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).   The Prayer of Jabez This little book of Bruce Wilkinson is all about a forgotten man of the Bible named Jabez and his amazing prayer. In a very few pages Bruce Wilkinson explains how to pray this prayer and unleash the power of God’s blessing in your life. I can testify that no book I’ve read in recent years has been so helpful in my own prayer life. I believe every person in our congregation would benefit by reading it. I believe it because I started to pray that prayer in the 90s and you all can see what is now to our congregation: a beautiful facility here and many churches in Cambodia.   I also believe that God has important things for us to do in the days ahead. As I have sought the Lord on behalf of our church, I have felt impressed that we should expand our ministry in the coming years.   I. Our Focus “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2a). The word “fix” comes from a Greek word that has the idea of concentrating your gaze. It means to look away from other things so that you can focus all your attention on one object. It is the picture of a lost child walking alone down a carnival midway, enthralled by the lights and sounds and smells. Her eyes flit this way and that. She doesn’t even realize that she is danger. Suddenly through the din she hears her mother’s voice. Looking up, she sees her mother calling for her to come. With her eyes now fixed on her mother, she walks straight ahead, ignoring everything else. Soon she is safe by her mother’s side. In the same way a coach will tell his runners, “When the gun sounds, start running as hard as you can. Don’t look back. Don’t look around. Keep your eyes on the finish line and keep on running.”   To fix our eyes on Jesus requires a holy habit of soul. It demands a continuous and sustained action, like a mariner in rough seas watching his compass to make sure he stays on course. This touches all that we do and asks us to consider how we use our time. What fills your gaze? Is it Jesus? How could it be anything else?   Illustration: Many years ago a woman climbed to the top of Angkor Wat. When she tried to come down she realized the stair way is too steep and she got scared. Looking down, she felt her head growing faint and her knees beginning to buckle. At that moment, I walked in front of her asked her hold the rail and climbed down backward. I told her, “Do not look down. Keep your eyes on the step and know that I am right ahead of you to catch you in case when you fall.” The woman did as she was instructed and soon she got down all the way safe. This is good advice for the beginning of a new year. No one knows what lies ahead for any of us. We all have our plans and dreams but the times and seasons of life are in God’s hands. Sooner or later we will all come to a dangerous pass where the way ahead seems to be washed out. At that moment we can panic and fall into terrible trouble. Or we can fix our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ and mark carefully his steps before us. If we will follow him, we will find at the end of this year that we have been kept safe by his amazing grace.   Our text gives us wonderful motivation when it says that Christ is the “author and perfecter of our faith.” This means at least three things: 1. First, he laid the foundation for our faith by his death and resurrection. He made our salvation possible. 2. Second, he provided the perfect example to follow in that he trusted God perfectly. Even when he was sorely tempted in the wilderness, he did not give in. And in the Garden of Gethsemane, he yielded up his human will to the perfect will of his Heavenly Father. No one was ever tested like Jesus and no one ever passed the test like he did. 3. Third, he gives us the faith we need when we feel like quitting. All true faith comes from him because faith itself is a gift from God. In Christ we find everything we need, always.   II. Our Example “Who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2b). Mark two words in this phrase: “joy” and “cross.” Those two words don’t seem to go together. The cross speaks of pain, suffering, shame, ridicule, rejection, and ultimate public humiliation. Crucifixion meant a slow, agonizing death that often lasted for several days. There was nothing beautiful or humane about death on a cross. It was the worst kind of torture, reserved for the very worst criminals. Where is the joy in that kind of death? The answer is that there is no joy in death by crucifixion, but Jesus went to the cross and endured the pain and despised the shame that he might obtain the joy that would be his afterward.   Did Jesus enjoy the cross? No, but he endured it for what would come later. Did Jesus enjoy the shame? No, but he scorned it for what would come from it. In this phrase there is a reference to the joy of obedience to his Father’s will and the joy of completing the work of redemption and the joy of bringing great glory to his Father and the joy of triumphing over death and hell. These joys were his but they came at the cost of a cruel Roman cross.   Illustration: There is a higher level of delayed gratification that involves enduring pain to receive a reward. This is why high school athletes lift weights at 6:00 a.m. when their friends are still in bed. They give up sleep in order to win the championship next year. And this is why aspiring pianists practice for hours when they might be watching TV or playing video games. They put in the hours in the hope that some day they may play for thousands. And in a different way this is why cancer patients endure the rigors of chemotherapy. They take the potent chemicals into their body hoping that one day the cancer will be gone. And this is why our young people keep themselves pure. They want to enter marriage someday with joy and with no regrets. And in yet another realm, this is why families leave their loved ones and travel to the ends of the earth. They want the joy of seeing the nations come to Christ. In all these things there is pain involved, but it is pain endured for the sake of the joy that comes when the goal is finally reached.   Jesus said, “Follow me” and he went to the cross. Are you willing to follow him even to the cross? Are you willing to endure pain and difficulty in order to know the joy of fulfilling God’s will for your life?   If we take this phrase and put it in words that Jesus might have said, it looks something like this: “I want the joy of seeing my Father’s house in heaven filled with his redeemed children. Therefore, I am willing to suffer the pain and shame of a brutal death on a cross.”   No pain, no gain. No suffering, no glory. No cross, no crown. No tears, no joy. Keep your eye on the prize. We all like the empty tomb. But you have to die before you can rise again.   III. Our Hope “And sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2c). Jesus sat down because his work was finished. In the Old Testament the priests on duty could never sit down because their work of offering sacrifices for sin was never done. But once Christ had offered himself as the final sacrifice for sin, no other offering could be made and no other offering would be accepted. That’s why theologians speak of the “finished work” of Jesus Christ. It means that the work of redemption is now complete.   He sat down at God’s right hand, the place of supreme honor in the universe. There was no higher place or position for the Lord Jesus Christ in all the universe. Therefore, to him belongs all praise and majesty. He must have the preeminence in our lives because God has given him a name that is above every name. And when we pray to him, we are praying to One who has been exalted to the highest place of honor, which means that we have a Friend in high places who can help us in our time of need.   IV. Running the Race   Let’s stand back for a moment and ask how this great text can help us in the coming year. Three simple thoughts come to mind:   1) The only way to win the race is to keep your eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 12:1 tells us to run with patience the race that is set before us. We have everything we need to help us along the way. We have the testimony of the saints who have gone before us, we have the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have the promise of coming glory when we finish our earthly course. So keep your eyes on Jesus. Don’t be turned aside or distracted by the things of the world. Keep running. Don’t look back. Fix your eyes on Jesus and run with all your might for the finish line.   2) When hard times come, don’t start with your circumstances and try to find Jesus. Start with Jesus and then go back to your circumstances. This is a profoundly important principle. Hard times often trip us up because we can’t understand how or why God would allow certain things to happen to us. But you will never find Jesus by rummaging around in your tattered circumstances. If you start with your problems, it will be nearly impossible to find the Lord. Start with Jesus. Go back to the Bible. Review what you know about our Lord—his mercy, his grace, his kindness, his power, and his wisdom.   3) When you feel like giving up, remember that in God’s eyes you are already a winner. Recall that even now you are seated with Christ in heaven. In God’s eyes the outcome has already been determined. Even though the score may seem stacked against you, if you know Jesus, his victory is yours. And one day you will openly share in his triumph. Let those who name the name of the Lord rejoice in him. Remember who you are and whose you are. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of love and power and a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). Let that truth of God give you strength when you feel like you cannot go on.   Conclusion: A Christian man was asked a few hours before his death, “Is your faith strong,”. “No, but my Jesus is.” It does not matter whether your faith is strong or weak today. During the year to come your faith will rise and fall according to the varying seasons and tides of life. But do not worry if your faith does not seem strong. We are not saved by faith in Christ but by Christ who saves by faith. Even faith like a mustard seed is honored by God.

I Can Do All Things In 2012 Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Happy New Year! I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas season and a grand New Year’s Day. I hope that you are as excited about 2012 as I am. I’m wondering how many of us have made New Year’s resolutions yet? Most of us, I suppose, use January 1 as a place to begin making some changes in life. Perhaps by now you don’t write them down; perhaps you don’t share them with anyone else. The specifics don’t matter. Most of us plan to lose weight, or to start saving money, or to call our parents, or to have a daily quiet time, or to break some stubborn habit. How are you doing so far? This is January 8th. Anyone broken a resolution yet? I thought so. That, of course, is the discouraging side of resolution-making. They are easy to make and hard to keep—even for 1 week! That’s why so many of us are so hesitant to make a new start. Sometimes it’s easier not to try than to try knowing you will certainly fail. However, there is a biblical perspective we need to remember at the beginning of a new year. It’s a perspective that’s wrapped up in one simple word. If you remember not to use this particular word this year, your chances of succeeding are going to go through the roof.   The word is can't. That’s right. The one word you shouldn’t say in 2012 is the little word cannot. We use it all the time, don’t we? We say, “I can’t lose weight.” “I just can’t seem to save money.” “I try and try but I can’t find the time to read the Bible.” “After what she did, I can’t forgive her.” “No matter how hard I try, I can’t change.” The Most Destructive Word On and on it goes. In fact, I think you can make a persuasive case that “can’t” is the single most destructive word in the English language. * It destroys motivation. * It shifts responsibility. * It denies reality. When you say “can’t"—especially with reference to the problems of life—you are simply giving up without a fight. My whole goal in this sermon is to convince you that you can. I firmly believe that this year you can do everything God intends for you to do. No matter how hard, no matter how difficult, no matter how impossible things may seem right now. If God wants you to do it, in 2012 you can!   Five Versions of One Verse My text is only one verse of Scripture. You’ve heard it, you’ve read it, and most of you have memorized it. The verse is Philippians 4:13. It reads like this in the familiar King James Version: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The NIV says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”The Living Bible expands the text this way: “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me strength and power.”J.B. Phillips gave us this colorful rendering: “I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me.”Finally, here is the unique translation of the Twentieth Century New Testament: “Nothing is beyond my power in the strength of him who makes me strong!” No matter what version you use, Philippians 4:13 is a verse of unlimited possibility. We have the power of Creator in us to do all good things with Him. For most of you, Philippians 4:13 is an old friend. The Bible says that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. “All things.” Can you really do “all things” through Christ? Is that just wishful thinking, just another piece of hopeful religious propaganda? Or is it literally true? Can you do “all things” in 2012? I am going to give you four answers to that question. These four answers, taken together with the four principles, make up what I call “’I can Christianity.”   I. You Can If You Want To. I call this the principle of Personal Desire. Before you can, you must want to. Before the deed, there must be the desire. In order to accomplish your goals in 2012, you’ve got to decide what it is you truly want to do. If you want it badly enough, you have a fighting chance of getting it. If both of spouses want to be together, nothing can separate the. But if want start the desire for divorce it won't be long. If you don’t really care, then it probably won’t happen. So many people who say they want to do things really don’t want to. Won’t Versus Can’t Through the years I have learned this much: If you’ve got a problem in your life, you’re going to get better faster if you stop saying “can’t” and start saying “won’t.” Once you start saying “won’t” you’ve put the matter in the right framework. We say, “I can’t lose weight.” For most of us that really means, “I won’t lose weight.” We say, “I can’t forgive.” For most of us that means, “I won’t forgive.” We say, “I can’t find time to read the Bible.” For most of us that means, “I won’t find time to read the Bible.” When you say “won’t” instead of “can’t,” you have started to tell the truth. For most of us “can’t” is simply a convenient excuse. Is it possible for you to do “all things” this year? Yes it is. But you must want to. That’s step number one, the principle of Personal Desire.   II. You Can If God Wants You To. This is the principle of Divine Direction. It’s crucial for you to understand this second answer because it is clearly stated in the text. “I can do all things through Christ.” This verse is not a blank check. It’s not as if Paul is saying, “I can do anything I can dream up.” No. If you read the context, he is speaking about the varying and sometimes difficult circumstances of life. Verse 11, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” Verse 12—"Sometimes I find myself with plenty of food and sometimes I have nothing to eat. Sometimes I have a roof over my head and sometimes I don’t.” “I know what it is to have money in the bank and I know what it is to be flat broke. And I’ve learned to be content no matter what my situation might be.” Then verse 13, "I have learned through the power of Jesus Christ that I can face whatever comes my way.” If it’s good, I can enjoy it. If it’s not so good, I can deal with it. Why? Because I have access to the everlasting strength of Jesus Christ. Let me share a simple phrase with you: “If God is in it, you can do it.” That brings it all together, doesn’t it? If God is in your difficulty, you can face it. If God is somehow in your failure, you can overcome it. Here is what God wants you to do: "For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." Phil. 2:13 If God is in your dreams, your dreams will come to pass. If God is in your goals, you can achieve every single one of them. If God is in your prayers, he will not only hear them, he will also answer them   III. You Can If You Rely on Jesus Christ. This is the principle of Divine Enablement. We come now to the heart of the verse: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” In the Greek, the word itself means “to pour strength into.” It’s like pouring milk into a pitcher or water into a glass or coffee into a cup. It’s the picture of something empty that is filled by an outside source. It’s the picture of a believer facing the problems of life, hopeless and helpless, and in that situation, Jesus Christ pours his strength into the believer’s life. He strengthens us, he pours his strength into us. You’ve got to have Jesus Christ on the inside. Are we who believe better than other people? No. Are we stronger? No. Are we spared the problems of life? No. Are we tougher than others? No. Does God give us a free pass so that what happens to others doesn’t happen to us? No. Are we wiser than others? No. What makes the difference? Only one thing. Jesus Christ within. We have the power of the indwelling Christ and that makes all the difference in the world. Not on your own strength, not on your own power, not on your own wisdom, and not on your own ability to figure things out. But if you will say, “Lord Jesus, this year I’m relying on you,” you can do all things through Christ.   IV. You Can If You Start Today and Don’t Look Back. This is the principle of the Personal Choice. One question: Which way are you going this year? Are you going backwards into 2011 or are you going forward into 2012? Your answer makes all the difference. Let me put it all together. Can you really do “all things” in 2012? Yes, you can. Here are the four principles: *Personal Desire *Divine Direction *Divine Enablement *Personal Choice Notice that the first one is personal, the next two are divine, and the last one is personal. There’s perfect balance here. Two depend on you, two depend on God. Does it depend on you? Yes. Does it depend on God? Yes. Think of the verse this way: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” It begins with I, ends with me, and Jesus Christ is in the middle. When you come to the end of this year, you’ll say, “I thought I could.” Right now it’s only, “I think I can.” But remember, through Jesus Christ you can.   In our life journey we often say, “I think I can.” But Paul was saying, “I know I can.” What makes the difference? We are relying on own power to get over the problem. But we have available to us the resources of an infinite God. That’s the difference between “I think” and “I know.” Conclusion: Can you really do “all things” in 2012? Through Christ you can. So it is time for you to resign now: During Christmas time I like what God told us through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 9:6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Illustration: A manager ran YMCA and he worked very hard 80 hrs a week to get the operation going. But there were many problems that he could not handle. He visited a therapist who warned him he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Somehow he needed to let go and let God take charge of his problems. But how do you do something like that? The breakthrough came one day when he took a notebook and ventured into a forest not far from where he lived. He took out his notebook and decided to let go of the burdens of his life. He wrote God a letter that simply said, “Dear God, Today I hereby resign as general manager of the universe. Love,.” Looking back on that moment, he reflected with a twinkle in his eye, “And wonder of wonders, God accepted my resignation.”   Without Christ, we cannot do all things. When you let Jesus run your life's operation you can do all things through Him. Amen

Let's Press On Philippians 3:12-14   An article from a newspaper says that 2012 could be “the most frightening year in living memory.” The article mentions the possible collapse of the Euro, trouble in the Middle East, the rise of China, and the possibility of a global recession. “In the Middle East, the excitement of the Arab Spring has long since curdled into sectarian tension and fears of Islamic fundamentalism.” In America, worry has become part of our national culture. You could write on countless American gravestones the epitaph: “Hurried, Worried, Buried.” We can’t blame anyone for feeling a bit worried right now. Even though the Bible says “Do not be anxious about anything” (Philippians 4:6), most of us are anxious about something. One writer said that worry is “the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.” Surely that stands as a good description for the fear that grips many hearts around the world. Against the prevailing uncertainty in these early days of 2012, we have a clear reminder from our Lord in Matthew 6:27, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”  Think about it. Can you add an hour to your life by your worry? No, but your worry may actually shorten your life by causing so much stress that your health breaks down. Jesus gave us this practical admonition that seems well-suited for these days: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34).   You’ve got plenty of trouble right now. Why borrow trouble from tomorrow? There are at least seven reasons why worry is counterproductive: It wastes time that could be spent in better ways. It focuses on the problem, not the solution. It causes us to assume responsibility that belongs only to God. It paralyzes us with fear. It saps our joy. It drains our energy. It keeps us sidetracked when we could be doing God’s will. If we want to get off to a good start this year, we need to begin in the right place. Our text helps us at the level of personal motivation by revealing the heart of our faith. It begins with a very frank admission.        I.  Life Humble Evaluation                           “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect“ (v. 12a). There is a refreshing honesty about these words. If anyone had reason to brag about his accomplishments, you would think it would be the Apostle Paul. But he doesn’t do that. Despite having met the Lord on the Damascus Road, despite having preached across the eastern Mediterranean region, despite being an apostle called by God, despite writing letters inspired by the Holy Spirit, despite all that he had endured, he does not brag about anything he has said or done. None of that matters to him.   He knows that he is a sinner saved by grace. In another place he even calls himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Despite all that he had done, he makes no claim of being perfect or having arrived in his own spiritual journey. There is no perfection in this life. That fact is hard for some people to grasp. Whenever we face a difficulty in life, we must begin by saying, “It is what it is." My co-worker said when his daughter is on drug but then he said nothing he can do now.  Often we would rather play games, make excuses, cover up, pretend, ignore the obvious, and live in fantasy land. You can’t get better until you come to grips with reality. “It is what it is”. It’s hard to admit your marriage is in trouble. It’s hard to admit your career is on the rocks. It’s hard to admit your dreams are smashed. It’s hard to admit your children are struggling. It’s hard to admit you’re broke. It’s hard to admit you have a problem with alcohol. It’s hard to admit you’ve got a critical spirit. It’s hard to admit you’re filled with anger. But there is no getting better until you say, “It is what it is.” So it is with all the trials of life. First we begin by saying, “It is what it is.” And then by God’s grace we move on from there. Notice that Paul plainly says, “I have not yet obtained.” One translation says, “I do not claim that I have already succeeded.” J. B. Phillips renders it in very pithy English: “I do not consider myself to have ‘arrived’, spiritually." That’s always a danger, especially for those who have been Christians for a long time. It’s easy to become such a “professional Christian” that you look down your nose at the struggles of others and go, “I thank you, Lord, that I am not like that man.” It’s easy to become insensitive to sin because you think you are above it. Martin Luther remarked that pride is so deep within us that we must “repent of our repentance,” by which he meant that even our repenting is tinged with pride, per example, “Look at me! I’m honest enough to repent of my sins. I’m not like you. I don’t cover things up.” Sin is so much with us that even our confession contains within it the seeds of our next transgression. Were it not for grace, none of us could ever stand before the Lord. Good thought to start the year . . . I’m not as strong or as wise as I think I am, but God is stronger and wiser than I can imagine. We’re not as smart as we think we are. We’re not as clever as we think we are. We’re not as wise as we think we are. We’re not as good as we think we are. We’re not as strong as we think we are. The only thing that keeps us going is this. Jesus is a wonderful Savior, and he is everything we are not. He is strong. He is wise. He is good. He is holy. He is righteous. He is loving. He is merciful. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And he is all these things all the time far more than we can imagine.   II. A Divine Aspiration                                 “But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (v. 12b). Pause for a moment over that last phrase: “Christ Jesus took hold of me." The whole Christian life can be found in those words.  Christ found me. Christ saved me. Christ has a purpose for my life. The supreme purpose of my life is to discover His purpose for me! It takes a lifetime. It involves hard work and concentration (I press on....). It leads to progressive growth in grace. It develops the character of Christ in me.   III. A Forward Determination                     “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead" (v. 13).  Note the fierce concentration implicit in the words “one thing I do.” Here is a secret that applies across the board. To excel in any area of life, a person must say, “This one thing I do,” not “These 20 things I do.” A single-minded focus in any endeavor generally wins a great reward. Greatness in any arena comes to those who can say with the Apostle Paul, “One thing I do.” In his case, it meant looking to the heavenly goal of winning the prize. That phrase covers all that God has for us when we finally stand before Jesus Christ and hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord." (Matt. 25:21) Paul clarifies his purpose with two key phrases:  A.  Forgetting What Lies Behind Illustration: During a time after the Civil War Confederate General Robert E. Lee visited a woman who showed him the remains of a grand old tree in front of her home. There she cried bitterly that its limbs and trunk had been destroyed by Union artillery fire. She waited for Lee to condemn the North or at least sympathize with her loss. Lee paused and then said, “Cut it down, my dear madam, and forget it." Surely this is a good word for a new year. What are we to forget? Our worries. Our fears. Our failures. Our victories. Our defeats. The attacks of our enemies. The praise of our friends. Let us lay aside even the accomplishments of the past year, our claim to fame, our name in the lights, the good things we think we have done, the stuff we do to make the world glad that we get out of bed in the morning, all the things we brag about, all the medals and honors and all the awards. B. Pressing on to What Lies Ahead Illustration: Several days ago I watched a football game in which a key play near the end involved a runner stretching out for the goal line. As the opposing team gang-tackled him, he stretched the ball out as far as he could. Did the ball in fact break the plane of the goal line before he fell to the ground? At first it was hard to tell in the pile of players. But one replay showed that just barely, by a matter of inches, he had pushed the ball across the goal line. That’s the sort of effort that wins in football and in the Christian life.   IV. A Heavenly Bound                                                 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (v. 14). In the spiritual life, direction makes all the difference. True believers aren’t in heaven yet, but they aim their steps in that direction. In Paul’s case that involved both a sanctified forgetting and a resolute pushing forward. Paul said, “I haven’t arrived yet, but I’m still climbing!” If he were here today, he would say, “Press on!!!!” It’s not enough to start well. You also have to end well. Someone has commented that the chief problem of the church today is that we have too many “amateur Christians." I think he meant that we have too many who just dabble at their faith. They are like the man who jumped on his horse and rode furiously in all directions. Let me pose three questions for you to consider: 1. What is the goal of your life? 2. Why do you get up in the morning? 3. Why are you still here?  No one can say with certainty what the New Year will bring or if we will even be here twelve months from now. But that thought should not alarm us in any way. To all our worries the Lord says quite simply: "Fear not.” Will things get worse? Fear not. Will I lose my health?  Fear not. Will I get cancer?  Fear not. Will I keep my job?  Fear not. Will my loved ones undergo hardship?  Fear not. Will my investments collapse?  Fear not. Will I run out of money this year?  Fear not. Will others ridicule my faith? Fear not. Will my cherished plans come to nothing? Fear not. Will my dreams turn to ashes? Fear not. Will I face death this year? Fear not. We of all people ought to be optimistic as we face a new year. We have a great future because we have a great God.  So chin up, child of God. Stop staring in the soup. Pull those shoulders back. Put a smile on your face. Take your troubles, wrap them up, and give them all to the Lord.    Conclusion: Illustration: The heart was being transported by private jet and helicopter to reach the intended recipient in Mexico City. As the medics departed the helicopter and were transporting the organ in a wheeled container, one of the two medics tripped, and the heart, wrapped in a polyethylene bag, rolled out of the container and onto the street. The medic quickly recovered the heart and the group continued rushing into the hospital. Mexico's Department of Health confirmed that the heart did indeed reach the hospital, and AP reported the transplant operation was successful. Don’t look back. Press on.   When we look at the world economy teetering on the brink of collapse, there are reasons for all of us to be concerned. But is it any worse for us than it was for the Apostle Paul in the first century? Living under a pagan Roman emperor whose values were far from Christian, Paul nevertheless found many reasons to press on for Jesus. So we launch out with great faith into the New Year. We’ll have our share of hard times, but overriding it all is the promise of God who said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)     Fear not and Press on!  Amen.

Five Dollars of God Revelation 3:14-20 Are you moderate Christian? Here is the example of a moderate Christian’s way of life: Wilbur Rees describes this person perfectly: I would like to buy $5 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack.   The moderate Christian has a moderate Christ who makes moderate demands. He keeps Jesus at arm’s length lest this “religion thing” get out of hand. That’s exactly what happened at a place called Laodicea.   Outwardly the church in Laodicea appeared to be strong and prosperous. Clearly the people who worshiped there considered themselves happy and blessed. They lived in a town others envied. It seems that this church drew some of its members from the wealthy families in Laodicea. Unlike Smyrna, there seems to have been no persecution, and unlike Pergamum, no false doctrine. We find nothing corresponding to the gross immorality of Jezebel and her corrupt legions in Thyatira. Laodicea was a comfortable place to live and a comfortable place to go to church. Let’s take a look at Christ’s message to a church filled with “moderate Christians” who had settled for $5 worth of God that we can learn from that.   I. Jesus’ Identity A. His Word is True.        "These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness" (v. 14a). “Amen” is usually the final word of a prayer. It means much more than “I’m finished” or “Let’s eat.” “Amen” is a sign of agreement. When I preached at a church in Cambodia, the pastor sat on the front row with a beautiful smile on his face. From time to time, he would lift his hands and say, “Amen!” It was his way of saying, “Yes, I agree with the preacher. What he said is true."   Here Jesus calls himself the “Amen.”  Jesus Christ is indeed the last word. The last word in human history. The last word in your personal life and mine. Jesus is the last word. Not cancer. Not divorce. Not bankruptcy. Not death. Not hell. Jesus and Jesus alone, is the last word in your life and mine, and he will have the last word in your life and mine   Jesus is the final Amen to all that God has said. Because he is the “faithful and true witness,” we can trust him completely. For the church at Laodicea it means that when Christ issues his scathing denunciation, they can’t escape it by saying, “That’s just his opinion.” No, that’s the word of the Son of God who is faithful and true in all that he says. When Jesus speaks, the church must listen because he speaks only the truth.   B. His Word is Authoritative.       “These are the words of . . . the ruler of God’s creation” (v.14b). This phrase means that all creation comes from his hand. He was there in the beginning, and before there was a beginning, he was always there. The whole universe owes its existence to his mighty power. He is sovereign over every bird that flies, every fish that swims, every flower that blooms, and every rabbit that hops through the forest. Not only is he sovereign, but he is the glue of the universe. If he stopped holding it together, the universe itself would fly apart. Do you enjoy breathing? I hope you do. You breathe because Jesus gives you life and breath. We owe everything to him. When he speaks, his word is true and absolutely authoritative.   II. His Indictment A.   You Are Indifferent.  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth” (vv. 15-16). I puzzled over the meaning of these words because I wondered why Jesus said, “I wish you were either hot or cold.” Then a thought came to me that made it plain. What’s another word for “lukewarm” water? Room temperature. What do you need to do to make water room temperature? Nothing. Leave water alone and it will become room temperature. Suppose you want hot water. You’ve got to do something to make it hot. You’ve got to put it in a pot on the stove or put it in the microwave. Hot water never becomes hot on its own. Suppose you want cold water. You’ve got to do something to make it cold. You’ve got to put it in the refrigerator or put ice cubes in the water. Under normal circumstances, water will never become cold if left to itself.   So here is the indictment. The Laodiceans were not guilty of some intentional sin, such as committing immorality, sleeping around, promoting false doctrine, or welcoming false prophets. In order to be guilty of those things, you’ve got to do something. You must make some sort of decision to move in that direction. How do you become lukewarm? Just do nothing, and that’s what you will become. A lukewarm Christian is no thing more than a “room temperature” Christian who has become just like his environment. Rather than changing the world around him, he has slowly let the world change him. When confronted with eternal riches in Christ, the Laodiceans had settled for $3 worth of God. And to make matters worse, they were happy about it.   Illustration: In India, in a Muslim town, you could see the green flags flying indicating that Muslim families lived there. Because of ongoing tension, few Christians live in the city. But there one church with a cross on it. What church is that? How could such a church survive in a Muslim town? The Muslims leave them alone because they never evangelize. If you never tell anyone about your faith, you are unlikely to be bothered. The pastor said, “When they have attacked our workers, the Muslims say, ‘It is because you try to get people to convert to Christianity.’"   The church at Laodicea had become like that church in the Muslim town. They followed the old saying, “Go along to get along.” That’s the very definition of moderate Christianity. Why does Christ hate lukewarmness so much? Mostly because a person in this condition doesn’t even know it. He slips into a state of such total indifference that he doesn’t care about his own spiritual condition . Nothing matters to him. After all, by definition “room temperature” is comfortable. It feels right. He’s the same as everyone else around him. Not too hot. Not too cold.   So Christ spits him out of his mouth. That will get our attention in a hurry. Nothing like this was said to the compromising church at Pergamum or even to the morally corrupt church at Thyatira. In some ways, they were more reachable than the comfortable Laodiceans. At least they could see the error of their ways because it was definite and clear.   Not so with lukewarmness. As I pondered this, it occurred to me that this sin is especially likely among long-time churchgoers. After all, once you’ve been in church for a few years, you “know the ropes,” so to speak. You know how the system works, how to get along in a worship service, and you know how the machinery of the church works. What once seemed new and exciting now is old hat to you. It becomes as comfortable as an old shoe.   I realize that I am as prone to lukewarmness as anyone listen to my sermon. I’ve been a Christian so long that it’s easy to take it all for granted. What amazes new believers may not amaze me at all. So I pray as I write these words, “Lord, show me the truth about myself. Scrape away the build-up of indifference that blocks the work of your Spirit in my life lest having preached to others, I might find myself spit out by Jesus.”   B.  You Are Arrogant. “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (v. 17). Here Christ reveals that the heart of the problem is in the heart. And until the heart is changed, nothing can change. Note that little phrase, “You say." I am rich! I am clothed! I can see! Arrogance had blinded them to their true spiritual condition. Money has a way of doing that to all of us. Money is almost hypnotic. We can’t take our eyes off it. We love money because with money we can buy whatever we want. Money does crazy things to people, even to really nice Christian people. It makes us think we’re doing better than we really are. It insulates us against the pain of the world. It gives us proof that we must be doing something right.   Let’s be clear on one point. Money is not the problem. Those bills I held up were just little pieces of paper covered with green and black ink. It’s not money but the love of money that gets us into trouble. We are the problem. I don’t doubt that the church at Laodicea was doing well compared to the other churches of Revelation 2-3. But the very thing that gave them prosperity sent a wasting disease to their souls. They would have been better off to be poor like Smyrna and to know God’s blessing than to be rich and rejected by Jesus.   III. His Invitation Wake up!       “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent” (vv. 18-19). I am struck by the personal nature of Christ’s appeal. If someone said to me, “You make me want to vomit,” I would hardly expect that same person to say, “I love you more than you know.” But when you love someone, you can hate what is destroying them and love them all the more. Parents do this all the time. If they see their child embarking on a path of self-destruction, they won’t stand idly by and do nothing. They will say something, even if they know what they say will make their child angry. So it is with our Lord. He loves us so much that he won’t let us stay the way we are. The way forward is to wake up and admit your need. Until you do that, you can never get better. Open Up!       “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (v.20). Here the appeal becomes extremely personal. It’s as if Jesus turns from the church as a whole and focuses on just one person. Jesus is knocking, always knocking. He waits for someone to come to the door. I find great encouragement in this thought. Though others may ignore Jesus, you can still open the door. Your husband or wife may have no use for Jesus, but you can open the door. Your friends may be so enamored with the world that the call of Christ means nothing to them. But you can open the door. He wants to come in. He waits to come in. Isn’t it amazing that the worst church gets the best invitation? Isn’t that just like Jesus? After exposing their indifference, he offers them himself.   I urge you to heed the voice of Jesus, open the door, and say, “Lord Jesus, you are welcome in my life today.” Get more than $5 worth of God. Your life worth of God.