TEXT: “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12 ESV) “From where, then, does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:20 ESV)

INTRODUCTION: Those who suffer personally can struggle to understand why they are suffering and they may feel that they have no access to God to plead their case. This was the experience of Job revealed in the Biblical book by his name, Job. We certainly have gained a fuller understanding of suffering through our Suffering Savior and His Cross and Resurrection.  But, there is still the need for wisdom as we live in this world filled with suffering. Indeed, it is after addressing the issue of trials that James instructs and encourages his readers with these words: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God…….” (James 1:5). Ultimately, as we will see, Job 28 will point us in the same direction.

The 28^th chapter of Job contains a poem on...

Greetings in Jesus’ Name!

I hope you are staying well. Thank you for your interest in O.M.I. It means a lot to us. We appreciate your fellowship, and we hope that our ministry is a blessing to you.

We are in serious danger as the people of God if we think that the passing on of Biblical truth from one generation to the next is an automatic process. 

Generations can come up “who [do] not know the Lord, nor …. the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10), and now for us in Christ!! God has ordained that His great plan of redemption and salvation is to be communicated (passed on) so that His truth can be embraced with faith and obedience (2 Timothy 2:1-2). Matthew 28:18-20, and Acts 1:8 are still mandates to follow along with 2 Timothy 4:2. So, the truth of God’s Word must be proclaimed and taught. 

We (as a ministry) seek to be a small part of the great “passing on” project which spreads the Word of God not only...

TEXT: “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them,…….. “ (Matthew 9:35-36a, Read Matthew 9:35-10:5a)

INTRODUCTION: The mission of Jesus continues today. The Book of Acts records the start of the mission to the nations as it spread outward from Jerusalem to Rome, but in this text, the mission is restricted to Israel. So, we are seeing Jesus in action and on mission in Israel. But, this text gives us a pattern to follow and principles to apply as we are on mission with Jesus today by the power of the Holy Spirit. To be fully involved in Jesus’ Mission today:

 1. We Must Grasp the Nature of Jesus’ Ministry (verse 35)

 a) Jesus’ ministry was incarnational - “And Jesus went throughout the cities and villages…”

Verse 35 is a summary...

Greetings to you!

We are finishing our study of Luke 17:11-19 this week. We saw our Lord’s mercy and cleansing last week, and now we will focus on the worthiness of our Lord to receive sincere worship and genuine faith. Praise His Name!

The Lord is also worthy of His gospel being preached faithfully with integrity, clarity, and boldness. We need to be aware of subtle ways that we can compromise the gospel.

I have been looking back through an incredibly insightful book that I read years ago. The book is called, The Gravedigger File*, written by Os Guinness. It was first published in 1983. Os Guinness is exposing subtle challenges (and some less than subtle) to genuine Christian discipleship and especially the Western Church as a whole. The book is written as if it contains secret papers presenting “a sinister design to sabotage Western Christianity,” a plot titled, “Operation Gravedigger.” What Os Guinness presented in 1983 still has relevance today.

...

TEXT: Then, one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:15, Reading Luke 17:11-19 ESV)

INTRODUCTION: As we walk through this miracle account, we are fixing our eyes on Jesus to see why we ought to be at His feet as well - offering Him praise and thanksgiving.  We ought to be at Jesus’ feet not only because Jesus’ Extends Divine Mercy (17:11-14a), and because Jesus Provides Total Cleansing (17:14b-15a), and because Jesus Receives Sincere Gratitude (17:15b-18), but also and lastly because Jesus Affirms Saving Faith (17:19)

The Samaritan had already offered his sacrifice of praise for his cleansing at the feet of Jesus. Whether he would go to a priest later does not seem to be clear from the end of the account. Jesus tells the man to “rise and go your way.” Then there are these important words, “your faith has made you...

TEXT: Then, one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:15, Reading Luke 17:11-19)

INTRODUCTION: As we walk through this miracle account, we are fixing our eyes on Jesus to see why we ought to be at His feet as well - offering Him praise and thanksgiving.  We ought to be at Jesus’ feet not only because Jesus’ Extends Divine Mercy (17:11-14a), and because Jesus Provides Total Cleansing (17:14b-15a), but also because Jesus Receives Sincere Gratitude (17:15b-18).

The one formerly leprous man who returned was so moved by what Jesus did for him that he glorified God “with a loud voice.” He was filled with praise and thanksgiving. It is interesting that in Luke’s account of Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem it is said of the people that they “began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they...

TEXT: Then, one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:15, Reading Luke 17:11-19)

INTRODUCTION: As we walk through this miracle account, I want us to fix our eyes on Jesus and to see why we ought to be at His feet as well - offering Him praise and thanksgiving.  We ought to be at Jesus’ feet not only because 1) Jesus’ Extends Divine Mercy (17:11-14a), but because 2) Jesus Provides Total Cleansing (17:14b-15a).

“And as they went they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14b). Like the cleansing of Naaman of old, these ten men were cleansed at a distance. Jesus did not touch them as part of their healing. Jesus just gave them an instruction that they could have dismissed or ignored. Evidently, they responded obediently to Jesus’ words. The implication is that they were heading to the priests as Jesus had directed them to do, and as they...

TEXT: Then, one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (Luke 17:15, Reading Luke 17:11-19)

INTRODUCTION: As we walk through this miracle account, I want us to fix our eyes on Jesus and to see why we ought to be at His feet as well - offering Him praise and thanksgiving.  We ought to be at Jesus’ feet first of all because Jesus’ Extends Divine Mercy (in Response to Desperate Need.) (17:11-14a)

1. The Cry for Mercy (Luke 17:11-13)

As Jesus entered the village, he was met by ten needy men. It is interesting to note a few things about these people in need of mercy. You see in the text that although they met Jesus, they kept their distance. This is what the Law required, and was the culture and expectation of the day. These men were alienated from other people and from religious life. They were alienated, isolated, and despised.

Second, they seemed...

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings to you!

Over the next two weeks, we are looking at one passage of Scripture, Luke 17:11-19.

I really encourage you to think about this passage of Scripture in relation to what is happening in our world right now. The message in its original form was written before the Pandemic and before the events of the last few days here in the USA.

This passage of Scripture illustrates our Lord’s merciful response to the cry of needy people. It, also, illustrates His power to bring cleansing and healing. We need to look to Him and to depend upon Him. We have a Savior who hears our cries and has the power to bring change both for this life and for eternity. And He went all the way to the cross to bring about the salvation that we experience if we trust in Him.

When crises arise, we must not abandon the basic truths about our Lord or the truths taught by our Lord that give us direction, stability, hope, and indeed give us life. He is our source of truth,...

OPENING REMARKS: It has been a blessing to see so many acts of love during this Covid-19 Pandemic season. Indeed, without such acts of sacrificial love our communities would be in much greater danger and experiencing much more suffering. It can be seen on a daily basis that the “true love” is the excellent response to the present crisis.

One of the most descriptive and challenging statements concerning the nature of true God-enabled love is written by the Apostle Paul.

TEXT:  “…..But the greatest of these is love. Pursue love……” (1 Cor. 13:13b-14:1a, 13: 4-7 NKJV)

INTRODUCTION: The “love” chapter, often read at wedding ceremonies, was not written originally for such an occasion. The Apostle Paul is writing to a gifted church struggling with many issues.

In chapters 12-14, the Apostle addresses issues related to the use of spiritual gifts in corporate gatherings. Paul gets to the heart of the matter when he calls the...