Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

Are You for Sale? | 1 Kings 21:1-4 | J. Allen Mashburn

A man named Naboth, whose name means “fruit”, lived in Jezreel. Naboth owned a vineyard that was situated beside the summer palace of the Ahab, the king of Israel, v. 1. Verse 2 tells us that Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard and offered to trade him a better vineyard, or to pay him cash for his land. It seems like a reasonable offer on the surface. The king apparently was a gardener and wanted this patch of ground close to his palace to raise himself a vegetable garden.  But, Naboth refuses the king’s offer.

I want to look at Naboth’s refusal today. I want to talk about the reasons why Naboth said “No!” to Ahab. I want to talk about what this passage has to say to us today. There are some folks in our world that would try to take away what we have been given by the Lord. When they come to us with their plans and ideas we need to be able to say “It’s Not For Sale!”

Godly Manhood - My How We Need It! --- Allen Mashburn

Join Pastor Mashburn as he preaches from the Scripture the need for godly manhood.

Christ Died for the Ungodly | Romans 5 | J. Allen Mashburn

Join Pastor Mashburn as he expounds the Scriptures concerning Christ and how He died for the ungodly. 

The Crucifixion of the King | Matthew 27:27-54 | J. Allen Mashburn

The day before us in our text today has the distinction of being both a day of intense evil and a day which witnessed the triumph of good over evil. There is no other day in history that rises to the level of the day The King Was Crucified! It was an infamous day because it shows man at the height of his sinfulness. It was infamous because He came unto His Own and His Own received Him not. It was infamous because the Creator is put to death by His creatures! 

 

However, it was a famous day in the annals of history because sin was defeated; the power of Satan was forever broken; and because the black halls of death were invaded by the Prince of Life!

I would like for us to travel back to that day 2000 years ago and watch as the King of glory is crucified at Calvary. I pray the significance of that day will be made clear to our hearts and minds. Let's witness together The Crucifixion Of The King.

Judah Grows Up | Genesis 43:1-10 | J. Allen Mashburn

It has been a while since we looked in on Joseph and his family. If you will remember the story, you know that Joseph’s brothers sold him in to Egyptian slavery, and they told their father that he was dead. As far as they were concerned, Joseph was dead! They went on with their lives as though they would never see their brother again, because they never expected to!

God had other plans! While they are living their lives in Canaan, God is working in Egypt! While Jacob’s heart is broken through mourning Joseph, God is working in Egypt. 

Down in Egypt, Joseph is sold as a slave. He works for a man named Potiphar, who is Pharaoh’s chief executioner. Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce Joseph, but he rebuffs her advances. She lies to her husband telling him that Joseph tried to rape her. Potiphar has Joseph thrown into prison. After a number of years, Joseph is brought to Pharaoh’s attention. God uses Joseph to help Pharaoh, and to make a long story short, Joseph is taken out of the prison and made the Prime Minister of Egypt.

A famine arises in the land, but Joseph has developed a plan to store us grain for the lean years ahead. When the famine comes, it affects all the countries of the countries of the earth, even the land of Canaan, where Joseph’s brothers and father dwell.

Joseph’s brothers make a trip to Egypt to but grain to eat and they meet the brother they sold as a slave some 20 years before. He recognizes them, but they do not recognize him. God uses Joseph to awaken the dead consciences of his brothers. Joseph wants them to think about what they have done, so he accuses them of being spies and throws Simeon into prison until the other brothers return home and get their youngest brother Benjamin. They told Joseph about him and Joseph uses this as a tool to get them to return with his brother.

The brothers return home with their grain, but no Simeon. Jacob again grieves and refuses to allow the boys to take Benjamin back with them into Egypt. 

After a while, the grain runs out and they are forced to get more. That is where our text begins today.

In this passage, we see a discussion between Judah the fourth oldest of Jacob’s sons and Jacob himself. In this conversation, Judah is trying to convince his father that they have no choice but to return to Egypt, with Benjamin, to get grain. Otherwise, they will all starve to death. That is the gist of what is taking place here. But, as is so often true in the Bible, there is more here than meets the eye.

What we see in these verses is a rebellious man demonstrating the fact that he is beginning to grow us. What we see in these verses is how God used the events of Judah’s life to bring him to maturity. God uses these events to shape Judah into the leader he will one day become.

A Morning Like No Other | Luke 24:1-12; 36-48 | J. Allen Mashburn

Our Bibles are filled with statements about the morning. We are told that our Savior prayed early in the morning. Joshua, in the Old Testament, is pictured as a man who rose up early in the morning. Think of that morning in Gen. 22 when Abraham rose up early and took Isaac to Mt. Moriah to sacrifice him. What a morning it was for Jacob when he awakened from sleep in the morning and set up a pillar of stones in honor of God at Bethel. It must have been a glorious morning for Daniel when the first rays of sunshine lit up the city of Babylon after that night in the lions den. Imagine how beautiful was the morning for the disciples after they spent that terrible night on the Sea of Galilee in that storm. Yes, all of these were great mornings. However none of them can compare to the morning that is discussed in the passage we have read this morning.

I would like for us to spend some time today looking at that great morning when our Lord, Jesus Christ, conquered death, Hell and the grave forever. There has never been a morning like that before, nor shall there ever be one like it hereafter. Oh what a morning it was when Jesus rose again! Oh what a morning it was when He pulled the stinger from death and gave life eternal to all those who will place their faith in Him. Oh, what a morning that was! Now, please understand that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus has effects that reach down to this very day. You see: HE IS ALIVE this morning! Please join me for a few minutes as we journey through these verses and think on the thought: Oh, What A Morning!

Resurrection of a Seared Conscience | Genesis 41:54-42:8 | J. Allen Mashburn

Some 21 years have passed since Joseph was sold by his own brothers into slavery. Much has happened in Joseph’s life since that time.

There have been many valleys and trials. There have been many mountain tops and victories as well. The boy has become a man. The slave has become Prime Minister.

The passage we have before us today allows us to see many of the events of this man’s life come full circle. Joseph sees his brothers again after 21 years. The last time they met, Joseph was the one at a disadvantage. His brother treated him roughly and cast him into a pit. 

This time, the shoe is on the other foot! This time, they are treated roughly and they are thrown into prison.

When Joseph’s brothers see him after all that time, they do not recognize him. Joseph, however, recognizes them. God uses this encounter to work in the lives of these ten brothers of Joseph. God uses these events to resurrect the conscience they silenced many years ago.

Today, I want to take this passage and preach a message I am calling Resurrecting A Dead Conscience. I want us to learn what the conscience is, want it does, and how it can be protected. I want to show you, from these verses, How The Conscience Is Seared; How The Conscience Is Stirred and finally, How The Conscience Is Saved. 

Joseph’s Gentile Bride | Genesis 41:45-57 | J. Allen Mashburn

The life of Joseph is an amazing story of the providence and power of Almighty God. The Bible tells us of the favorite son of Jacob as he is betrayed by his own brothers and sold into slavery. As a slave, Joseph demonstrates a godly testimony in the face of tragedy and temptation. Then Joseph is falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison. Even in that Egyptian prison, Joseph displays a clear, consistent testimony of faith.

As Joseph languishes in that prison, up in the palace, Pharaoh has a dream he could not interpret. Joseph is remembered and released from the prison. He interprets Pharaoh’s dream and Pharaoh elevates Joseph. 

He removes him from the prison and makes him Prime Minister of Egypt. When we arrive at our text, Joseph has just been exalted to a position of great power and authority. He has been given Pharaoh’s ring. He has been dressed in the finest cloths in the land. He has been given an expensive gold chain. Everywhere he goes; the Egyptian people bow before Joseph and honor him for his position and his power. The slave has become a sovereign ruler, and all this took place in his life because of the Unseen Hand of divine providence.

Our text tells us that immediately after Joseph was exalted to his new position he was given a bride. Soon after that a family was born to Joseph there in Egypt.

I want to take our time today to consider Joseph’s Gentile Bride. In the woman that was given to Joseph I see a wonderful picture of the Bride of Christ.

From the Prison to the Palace | Genesis 41:1-44 | J. Allen Mashburn

When we last saw Joseph, he was languishing in an Egyptian prison. He was in prison, but he had broken no laws. He was in prison because he had done the right thing and honored God in his life. He was in the prison because he had refused the advances of a wicked woman.

When we last saw Joseph, he was in a place of hardship, but he was still faithfully serving the Lord. He was a man who had his priorities in order. Wherever Joseph was, he could be counted on to be faithful.

When we last saw Joseph, he was waiting for a visit from the outside. In 40:9-13, Joseph had interested a dream from Pharaoh’s chief butler. When Joseph told the butler the interpretation of his dream, he asked for the butler’s help in securing his release from prison, 40:14-15. But, when the butler was released from prison, he immediately forgot all about Joseph, 40:23.

In our text today, we are going to watch as Joseph is delivered from the prison and promoted to the palace. We are going to see the unseen hand of God at work in this man’s life. We are also going to see that what the Lord did for Joseph, He can do for you and me. 

He knows where we are, and in His time, He knows how to bring us out of our prisons and place us in the palace.

The Power of a Faithful Life | Genesis 39:7-23 | J. Allen Mashburn

In this passage, we are allowed to see the faithfulness of Joseph very clearly. He remains faithful to His God, and to himself, in the face of some problems that would cause many others to fail.

Of course, there is a word here for our lives today. As we pass through this life many situations will arise that have the potential to throw us off course. The world, the flesh and the devil will all conspire to get us to quit on God. They will do everything in their power to cause us to drop out or to fall far short of our potential.

God wants us to be faithful. He wants us to stay the course and run the race for His glory until He calls us home. Joseph teaches us how to be faithful in spite of what we may face in this life.