For God So Loved the World that He Gave

After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the church's pastor slowly stood up and walked over to the pulpit.  Before he gave his sermon for the evening, he briefly introduced a guest minister who was in the service.

In the introduction the pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends. He wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service.


With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.


"A father, his son, and a friend of his son were sailing off the Pacific coast," he began.  "When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to the shore.  The waves were so high; even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright.  The three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized."

The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.  The aged minister continued with his story. "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life, which boy would he throw the other end of the life line?  He only had seconds to make the decision.  The father knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was not.  The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of the waves."


"As the father yelled out, 'I love you son!' He threw out the life line to his son's friend.  By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of night.  His body was never recovered."

By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister's mouth.

"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend stepping into an eternity without Jesus.  Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save the son's friend."


"How great is the love of God that He should do the same for us.  Our Heavenly Father sacrificed His only begotten Son so that we could be saved.  I urge you to accept his offer to rescue you and take a hold of the life line he is throwing out to you in this service."  With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room.

The pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon with an invitation at the end.  However, no one responded to the appeal.

Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man's side.  "That was a nice story," politely stated one of them, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give up his only son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."


"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied, glancing down at his worn Bible.  A big smile broadened his narrow face.  He once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic is it?  I'm standing here today to tell you that story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me."

"You see, I was that father and your pastor is my son's friend."

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124


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by Tony V. Hammack

Be Thankful for the Unshakable Kingdom

by Tony V. Hammack

These notes are best utilized when used in conjunction with the audio or video.  Click here for the audio.  Click here for the video.


Hebrews 12:28
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,


1.  We are receiving a Kingdom that cannot be shaken!

54 of 65 references to the “Kingdom of God” refer to a present or relative to our time, past kingdom. 11 times when the term Kingdom of God is used in the New Testament it’s referring to a future or coming kingdom.

The Internal Kingdom of God
Where did Jesus tell us the kingdom of God would be?
Luke 17:20,21
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."

Expressions of the Kingdom of God
A. Power
1 Corinthians 4:20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

B. Deliverance
Matthew 12:28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Matthew 17:14-21
The Healing of a Boy With a Demon
14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.  16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."  17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.  19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" 20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.“ 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.

C. Healing
Luke 9:2 and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

D. Preaching
Luke 4:43 But he said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."
Mark 16:20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Acts 14:3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

E. An expanded home and family after sacrifice
Luke 18:29,30
29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.“

Whatever we give up for the Lord he will return to us expanded.
Luke 6:38
³⁸Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

F. Fruit Production
Matthew 21:43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

2 Types of Fruit

 1.  Internal Fruit – When the internal fruit is in place, via abiding in the presence of Jesus, the external fruit will manifest.  The internal fruits of God's spirit abiding in a person are
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-Control

 2.  External Fruit
Converts, Disciples, Kingdom Influence, Fruit Bearing followers.

2. Be Thankful
Thankfulness illustrates a person’s appreciation for someone else’s work or something else someone has done. This appreciation equates to understanding the sacrifice that was made, the skill possessed or the dedication of another and can equate to like behavior from the thankful party.
People who have an, “I deserve it” mentality usually never figure out how to provide for themselves what is being given to them as a gift.

Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

The Ten Lepers - A Story about Thankfulness

Luke 17:11-19
11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"  14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.  15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."

Your Faith has made you well.
His faith had added to it another grace, that of love. His faith had not only saved his body, but he had been born to the new life, his soul was saved.
This passage states the fact that Jesus offers this leper more than the other nine. They all received physical healing, but this Samaritan receives a deeper salvation in addition. His faith prompted by revelation knowledge drives him to return to the feet of Jesus in thanks, and that personal contact, that personal submission signifies a soul healing that is more than skin deep.  Jesus tells him he's sozo.

3. Worship God with Reverence and Awe

Reverence – profound adoring awed respect with caution. Included in the Greek word eulabeia are the concepts of fear, fearful, fearfulness.

Awe - an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime with a modesty which is rooted in the character.

Reverence and Awe come as a result of revelation knowledge.
When we know who Jesus is and who we are, we have to feel reverence and awe!

The Kind of worshipers the Father is seeking.
John 4:23,24
23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Spirit of faith - believing that God is who he says he is and he’s worthy of our time and focus.
Truth - understanding predominantly who He is and to a much lesser degree who we are. We walk in the truth as we worship.

In conclusion

1. We are receiving an unshakable kingdom.
2. We should be thankful.
3. We should worship with reverence and awe.

Lord, help us to see what you’ve prepared for us in your kingdom. Give us the faith and grace we need to become the people of thankfulness you’ve called us to become. Reveal yourself to us in such a way that causes awe and reverence to rise up in our hearts.

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124


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by Tony V. Hammack

Who's Your Daddy?

A seminary professor was vacationing with his wife in Gatlinburg , TN. One morning, they were eating breakfast at a little restaurant, hoping to enjoy a quiet, family meal. While they were waiting for their food, they noticed a distinguished looking, white-haired man moving from table to table, visiting with the guests. The professor leaned over and whispered to his wife, 'I hope he doesn't come over here.' But sure enough, the man did come over to their table.  'Where are you folks from?' he asked in a friendly voice.  'Oklahoma ,' they answered.  'Great to have you here in Tennessee ,' the stranger said.. 'What do you do for a living?'  'I teach at a seminary,' he replied.

'Oh, so you teach preachers how to preach, do you? Well, I've got a really great story for you.' And with that, the gentleman pulled up a chair and sat down at the table with the couple.  The professor groaned and thought to himself, 'Great .. Just what I need ....another preacher story!'

The man started, 'See that mountain over there? (pointing out the restaurant window). Not far from the base of that mountain, there was a boy born to an unwed mother. He had a hard time growing up, because every place he went, he was always asked the same question, 'Hey boy, Who's your daddy?' Whether he was at school, in the grocery store or drug store, people would ask the same question, 'Who's your daddy?'

He would hide at recess and lunch time from other students. He would avoid going in to stores because that question hurt him so bad. 'When he was about 12 years old, a new preacher came to his church. He would always go in late and slip out early to avoid hearing the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

But one day, the new preacher said the benediction so fast that he got caught and had to walk out with the crowd.

Just about the time he got to the back door, the new preacher, not knowing anything about him, put his hand on his shoulder and asked him, 'Son, who's your daddy?'

The whole church got deathly quiet. He could feel every eye in the church looking at him Now everyone would finally know the answer to the question, 'Who's your daddy?'

'This new preacher, though, sensed the situation around him and using discernment that only the Holy Spirit could give, said the following to that scared little boy.. 'Wait a minute! I know who you are! I see the family resemblance now, You are a child of God.'

With that he patted the boy on his shoulder and said, 'Boy, you've got a great inheritance. Go and claim it.'  'With that, the boy smiled for the first time in a long time and walked out the door a changed person.. He was never the same again. Whenever anybody asked him, 'Who's your Daddy?' he'd just tell them , 'I'm a Child of God..''

The distinguished gentleman got up from the table and said, 'Isn't that a great story?'  The professor responded that it really was a great story!

As the man turned to leave, he said, 'You know, if that new preacher hadn't told me that I was one of God's children, I probably never would have amounted to anything!' And he walked away..



The seminary professor and his wife were stunned.. He called the waitress over &; asked her, 'Do you know who that man was -- the one who just left that was sitting at our table?'

The waitress grinned and said, 'Of course. Everybody here knows him. That's Ben Hooper. He's governor of Tennessee !'

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124


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by Tony V. Hammack

Jesus Didn’t Pray for Sick People (Part 5)

A Chronological look at the Healing Ministry of Jesus Christ
These notes are best utilized when combined with the audio or video of this message.  We had some technical problems with our Sunday video but here is our Wednesday night discussion.  You can get the audio if you CLICK HERE.

Introduction
Fullness of Christ
Ephesians 4:11-13
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Fullness in Christ
Colossians 2:9,10
 9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Prayer
Talking to God

Body
Jesus Heals the Blind
Matthew 9:27-31
27As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!"  28When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"       "Yes, Lord," they replied. 29Then he touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith will it be done to you"; 30and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, "See that no one knows about this." 31But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

1.  Son of David 
2 Samuel 7:15,16  15 But my love will never be taken away from him,(David) as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "

Seventeen verses in the New Testament describe Jesus as the "son of David."
From the line of David will come an everlasting kingdom. Calling Jesus the Son of David is a way of saying, “You are the messiah.”
It references his kingly identity as well.

Matthew 1 gives the genealogical proof that Jesus, in His humanity, was a direct descendant of Abraham and David through Joseph, Jesus' legal father. The genealogy in Luke chapter 3 gives Jesus' lineage through His mother, Mary. Jesus is a descendant of David, by adoption through Joseph, and by blood through Mary. Primarily though, when Christ was referred to as the Son of David, it was meant to refer to His Messianic title as the Old Testament prophesied concerning Him.

Jesus Christ, the only son of God and the only means of salvation for the world, is also the son of David, both in a physical sense and a spiritual sense.

2.  Jesus keeps on Walking
The blind men call to Jesus while he is walking and he keeps on walking. Then when he gets indoors the blind men keep following him. How long did this happen? It’s impossible to tell but we can see that Jesus isn’t caught up in the urgency of the moment.

3. No offence
The blind men don’t get offended at Jesus for walking away from them.

4. A question & an Answer
Jesus then asks the two blind men, “Do you believe I am able to do this?”
The men answer in the affirmative.

5. A touch
Jesus touched their eyes.

6. A phrase
According to your faith will it be done to you.
Jesus gives the faith of the blind men as the reason for their healing.

7. The Results
Their sight was restored

8. The Focus of Jesus
Jesus had his focus on his 12 disciples. He’s not trying to build a big following. If he was he would’ve told the blind men to spread the news far and wide. But he instead told them sternly not to tell what had happened.

Jesus heals the Mute
Matthew 9:32-34
32While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel."
34But the Pharisees said, "It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons."

1. The Symptoms
Can’t talk

2. The source of the problem
A Demon

3. The Solution
Jesus drives out the demon.

4. The Crowd
Amazed

Conclusion
Let’s walk in the God ordained and deputized authority we’ve been given in Christ. As we operate in this authority via revelation knowledge I believe, according to the authority of the scriptures, we’ll see healings and deliverances like we’ve never seen before.
This healing and deliverance will facilitate evangelism and we won’t have enough room to contain the people.

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124

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by Tony V. Hammack

Pray Like Jesus

Luke 5:16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

This Bible study can be found at www.tonyvhammack.com along with several other studies.
 
These notes are best utilized when used in conjunction with the audio or video of this message.  CLICK HERE for the audio (.mp3) file or CLICK HERE for the video.
 
Some Scriptures on Prayer

Matthew 5:44
But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Matthew 6:5-8
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.  7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6:9-13
9"This, then, is how you should pray:  " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,  10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  11Give us today our daily bread.  12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

 Points to consider in light of the above scriptures

1. Pray for those who persecute you  
2. Hypocrites pray to be noticed by men. 
1. There is nothing wrong with public prayer as long as you are praying for an audience of One
2. Don't show off.
3. Pray to your Father who is unseen and he will reward you. 
1. Luke 12:3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. 
4. Prayer is more about quality than quantity. Pray like God already knows what you are going to say before you say it. (because He does) Pagans pray with many words.
5. Recognize God for who He is.  When we pray it’s good to address and recognize the Father like nature and heart of God.  God is a good and loving Father.
6. Give him adoration for who he is Holy, consecrated, unique, wonderful, sacred and revered.
7. God’s kingdom to be established
1. The rule and reign of Jesus Christ in the hearts of men, women youth and children.
2. Romans 14:17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
8. God’s will to be established
1. The same way on the Earth as it is in Heaven
2. Revelation 21:4He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  In Heaven there is...
1. No sickness or pain. Rev. 21:4
2. No sorrow, or crying, or mourning. Rev 7:17 Rev. 21:4
3. No violence or wars, but only perfect peace and rest. Job 3:17 2 Thess. 1:7
4. No more death. Luke 20:36 Rev. 21:4  
5. No more hunger or thirst. Rev 7:16-17
   
9. Take care of our natural needs.  
1. God knows what we need and is a good Father. 
2. He can provide for us and give us daily sustenance.
10. Forgive our debts and release those who owe us.  
1. It’s important that we treat others the way we want to be treated. 
2. We should be merciful because the same measure of mercy we extend to others will be extended to us by God.
1. Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
2. James 2:13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!
11. Help us avoid temptation.  Don’t put yourself into situations where you are going to be tempted.
1. Temptation is from the Devil
1. Overcoming temptation - no growth
   
2. Tests come from the Lord
1. Overcoming a Test - Promotion
3. Mark 14:38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
4. 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
12. Deliver us from the Devil
1. We need protection from the outside as well as possible renovation on the inside.
2. The devil can have access to people via legal and illegal entry points.

Let’s pray like Jesus prayed. If we can pray like Jesus prayed we’ll live more and more like Jesus did doing the things he did and even greater things because He is now with our Heavenly Father.

If you'd like to learn more about becoming a Christian please click here.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:00 AM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM Central Standard Time U.S.A. or via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124


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Tony V. Hammack Ministries