Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

The Cultivation of Gideon | Judges 6:25-32 | J. Allen Mashburn

In our last study, we met a man named Gideon. He was the man God chose to deliver Israel from the bondage of their enemies.
Gideon does not appear to be a likely candidate to be the deliverer of the nation. When Gideon appears, he is hiding from the Midianites to prevent them from taking the small amount of grain he possesses.
When the Lord comes to Gideon, He tells him that he is to be the deliver of Israel. Gideon, like most people, immediately tells God why He is wrong. After losing the argument with Deity, Gideon finds himself worshiping the Lord and waiting for his orders.
As we continue to look at the story of Gideon, we will watch as the Lord prepares him for the mission that lies ahead. God brings Gideon along in a series of small, specific steps that will lead to Gideon achieving big things for the glory of God.
In this passage we will watch Gideon take his first step of faith. We will watch him take a stand against false the false religion that held his village and his family in spiritual bondage.
As we consider how God develops Gideon, we need to take a moment to consider our own lives. The Lord is in the business of developing us as well. In fact, the Lord’s intention in our lives is to transform us from lost sinners into the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Call of Gideon | Judges 6:11-24 | J. Allen Mashburn

Over the next few weeks we will be introduced to a remarkable judge by the name of Gideon. Gideon is a study in contrasts. One the one hand he was a man who led a handful of warriors against a far larger army and won a great victory. On the other hand, Gideon was filled with doubts, fears and questions. He was a man who questioned God’s plan, yet he did God’s will.
Gideon was called to be a judge during a time of intense trouble in Israel. The nation was suffering under the grip of Midianite oppression. They watched helplessly as their land was stripped, their homes and villages were destroyed, and their lives endangered. Their condition is summed up in verse 6 where the Bible says they were “impoverished”. This word literally means that they were at the “end of their rope”. The people of Israel felt as though their nation was destroyed and their lives were over.
Israel’s main problem was that they counted God out. They cried out to Him, but they probably did not believe that He was listening, or that He was able to do anything to help them. But, God always has a message. In vv. 7-10, God sent them a prophet to remind them of the Lord’s grace in their lives and to call them to a place of repentance.
Not only does God have a message, He always has a man as well. In the passage before us, we will meet the man God chose to save Israel. We will meet a man called Gideon, his name means, “He who cuts down”. While Gideon does not look like he has much to offer at the time he was called, in the end, he would be responsible for cutting down the enemies of God’s people.
Let’s take some time to meet this man God chose to be deliver His people. In Gideon, I see a little bit of myself. Perhaps you will see yourself in this passage as well. Let’s examine The Call Of Gideon together today. I want to share a few insights from the text as we begin to study a man called Gideon.

Reaching Out to the Dead | Ezekiel 37:1-14 | J. Allen Mashburn

Ezekiel, a 25 year old priest from the family of Zadok, when he, along with the king and 10,000 Jews were taken to Babylon in  598 BC. Five years later, in 593 BC, Ezekiel was third when he was called into the ministry. Ezekiel’s name means “Strengthened By God,” and there can be little doubt that the visions he was given during his 20 plus years of faithful ministry were used to challenge and strengthen his fellow exiles.
 
The ministry of Ezekiel was marked by a series of visions. One of those visions will be the focus of our time together today.
 
The “Vision of the Valley of the Dry Bones,” is a very familiar passage of Scripture. I have heard it used to preach about the need for revival in the church. That is a valid use of this passage. Yet, we need to remember that God is not speaking to the church in those verses. He is speaking to the nation of Israel, v. 11. He sees them as a dead nation. He promises this dead nation that a day will come when He will raise them from the dead and use them again for His glory.
 
When Ezekiel received this vision, he found himself surrounded by the bones of the dead. Everywhere he looked he saw dead people. He was commanded to preach to them. And, he was commanded to pray over them. When he obeyed the Lord’s command, Ezekiel saw those dead bodies brought back to life. He saw the Lord’s grave on display in that graveyard, and that is the thought I want to magnify for a while today.
 
Like Ezekiel, we are surrounded by the dead. Everywhere we look there is evidence of the spiritual death that dominates our world. And, like Ezekiel, we have been given sent out to tell the dead that they can live.
 
From where Ezekiel stood that day, his task must have seemed impossible. Yet, he obeyed God and the Lord blessed his efforts. From where we stand today, the task of reaching those who are dead in sin also seems like and impossible task. If we will do as the Lord has commanded us, we will also see Him bless our efforts.

The Invitation to Completion | Revelation 22:20 | J. Allen Mashburn

While this precious verse may be short in length, it is long in content. It serves as a worthy rearguard to the book of Revelation and to the entire Word of God. This verse contains within its sixteen verses both the last promise and the last prayer in the Bible.
In these words, we have our Lord’s clear, powerful promise that He will come again. We also have the prayer of John the Beloved disciple as he invites the Lord to do just that. In John’s words, we can hear the echo of the heart cry of every saint of God down through the ages. There is a desire within the heart of every child of God to leave this world to be with the Lord Jesus. There is a hunger within our hearts for the Lord Jesus to come again, so that we can leave this world of tears, death, sickness and pain to go to Heaven where none of those things will ever be found.
Before I was saved, I used to hear people and preachers talk about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. In those days, thinking about His return filled my heart with fear. I knew I was lost and I knew that I would be in serious trouble if the Lord came with me in that condition. Then, one day, the Lord saved my soul. When He did, He changed my thinking regarding His return. Instead of dreading it, I began to anticipate it. Instead of it filling my heart with fear, it fills my heart with joy. Now, I do not look upon His return with fear, I look upon His return with great excitement! I know that when He returns to this world I will be leaving with Him. I know that Heaven will be my destination and I am excited about that!
Apparently, John was excited about that thought as well. When Jesus Christ makes His promise to come again, John immediately extends and invitation to the Lord to come. John says, “Amen!” John says, “Even so”, which means “Yes!” John is looking and longing for Jesus to return. So am I! If you are saved, I sure you are too.

The Invitation of Conversion | Revelation 22:17 | J. Allen Mashburn

Beginning in Genesis 7:1 with God’s invitation for Noah and his family to “come” in to the Ark, the Bible is literally filled with invitations for people to come to God. It would seem from this evidence that God is interested in calling people to come to Him.
Even on the last page of the last chapter in the last book of the Bible, God is still inviting men, women, boys and girls to come to Him. In this verse the Spirit of God takes one last opportunity to swing open the door of salvation so that He might invite lost people to enter.
You see, God is interested in your salvation. He cares about you and where you will spend eternity. How do we know God cares? We know God cares because of His Words – John 3:16. We also know God cares because of His Works – Rom. 5:8. God proved His love for you and me when He sent His Son Jesus into this world to die for us on the cross.
But, God knows that just because He cares does not mean that you will be saved. He knows that you must respond to Him by repenting of your sins and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the cross to pay for man’s sin. He rose from the dead to guarantee us everlasting life. He even went back to Heaven to pray for you. But, if you refuse the Lord’s invitation to come to God, you will still not be saved.
This invitation is vitally important. In the words of our text we have one of the clearest calls to salvation that can be found anywhere in the word of God. I would like to take the time today to look into the words of this text and point out a few details of The Invitation Of Conversion.

The Conclusion of the Book | Revelation 22:6-21 | J. Allen Mashburn

Our study of the book of the Revelation has taken us from the days of the early church in the past all the way into eternity in the future. John has been faithfully fulfilling the divine purpose he shared in the first verse of the book, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John,” Rev. 1:1.
John has been used of the Lord to reveal to God’s people the God’s plan for the future. We have seen the words of Rev. 1:19, where it says, “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter,” fulfilled in the pages of this amazing book.
The Lord has shown us how the church age will end. It will end with the church in apostasy, cold and dead, with Jesus on the outside. We are steadily moving in that direction today.
He has shown us what will follow after the church is removed from the world. There will be a terrible tribulation period that will engulf the world. Billions will die from war, disease and the tragedy of divine judgment. This age will also end with the Antichrist and Satan judged and sentenced to an eternity in the Lake of Fire.
We have even been given a glimpse of our own future. We have seen a place called Heaven, where death, disease, sin and Satan will be prohibited. We have been given a small foretaste of that wonderful place we will call home some day.
In our text today, we have arrived at the end of the book. The verses we have read today serve as the Lord’s conclusion to the book of Revelation. So, let’s move through these verses together and bring to a close our study of the book of Revelation.

Some Call It Heaven, But I Call It Home | Revelation 21:5–22:5 | J. Allen Mashburn

In our last study we began a survey of a place called Heaven. Of course, we all know that Heaven is more than just a place. Heaven is the home of Almighty God. It is the home of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the glorious land where the redeemed of the ages spend eternity. It is the place where we all long to go.
        Of course, if you listen to most folks talk, you will find that we aren’t as anxious to get to Heaven as we sometimes claim. When sickness comes, we try everything we can to stay here as long as we can. We call on the doctor. We call on the church to pray. We call on the Lord to help us get better. We love this life and we want to stay here. That is understandable but Heaven will be beyond our wildest dreams!

Our Future Home & Things That Can’t Follow Us There | Revelation 21:1-8 | J. Allen Mashburn

Join us as we explore our future home and the things that can never invade that glorious place!