Gospel Dynamite with J. Allen Mashburn

The Price of Freedom | Hebrews 9:11-22 | J. Allen Mashburn

The Freedom that we enjoy is never free.  There has always been and always will be a price of freedom.  We in America take for granted so often that even though we are born free, we never stop to think that somewhere someone paid a price so that you could exercise your “so-called” right to freedom!  The fact of the matter is that freedom is not a right as the secular humanistic world would have you be taught, rather freedom is a privilege given to everyone named an American; and that freedom was purchased with the toil, labor, sacrifice, and yes, blood of many men & women!  We as a people owe a debt of gratitude to all the men & women wearing a uniform who fight, protect, & defend our freedom, whether it be in the desert sands of Afghanistan & Iraq or the darkest street in the smallest town in America…thank God for our men & women who fight for us, protect us and yes die for us on the battlefield so that my children can run and play with freedom!   
Our nation was formed with the blood of those that wanted to be independent from England.  In 1776, our forefather drafted a document that is revered as one of our most precious national treasures, the Declaration of Independence.  You can read through it in about 8 minutes.  Many of these men were considered traitors and wanted for treason.  John Hancock, the largest signature of document had a bounty on his head of 500 English pounds.  These men endangered all they had to form a new nation, called the United States of America.  When John Hancock signed this document, he signed his name so big that the King would not have any trouble seeing his name!  These men were considered renegades, rebel-rousers!  God give us more like them!  They formed a new nation!  Many lives were given so that you and I can sit here this morning and enjoy what we have!  Blood had to be shed for the freedom we have in this land!  America was formed with and by the blood of those who fought for it and America remains free by the blood of those that fight for it!  
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
 
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
 
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. 
For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. 
 
These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British.
We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!
 
Some 2000 years ago on a hill outside of Jerusalem, freedom was purchased as well.  As our brave men and women lay everything they have on the line day after day to allow us to enjoy what we have, Jesus laid His life down so that our soul could be free eternally.  This freedom as with all freedom had a price; that price was the blood of the spotless life lived by the spotless Lamb of God!  Freedom has a price my friend…blood!  I want you to consider several items this morning about the price of freedom that you have and enjoy or the freedom you do not have, but can have before you leave this service this morning!  You can have true freedom, but first you must understand the price of true freedom.  
Freedom of your soul from your sin takes a spotless Lamb.  God had the only spotless Lamb available in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Gospel Dynamite Radio Message by Lt. Governor Mark Robinson

Sunday, June 6th, we were privileged to have the Lieutenant Governor of the Great State of North Carolina with us in our services.  We thank God for him, his wife, and family.  Their stand for Christ is outstanding.  Today, you will hear this message on our radio ministry.

A Household of Faith | Romans 16:3-5 | J. Allen Mashburn

A person cannot read through the Bible without encountering several wonderful families mentioned in its pages. There is that little family in Bethany made up of Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. They were a great blessing to the Lord Jesus. There is Timothy's mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois and the great impact they made on young Timothy. There is the family of Mary and Joseph where the Lord Jesus grew up and lived out His early years. What a family that must have been!
In this passage we are invited to inspect another great family. So far as we know, this family was made up of just a husband and a wife. There names were Aquila and Priscilla. This couple is one of the greatest families recorded in the Word of God. The folks are mentioned 6 times in 4 books of the Bible. Each time, they are mentioned by Paul himself and this indicates that they were special to his life and ministry.
If we will but take the time to investigate the passages dedicated to this special household of faith, we will see the attributes that make them stand out among the families of their time.

The Case for Godly Manhood | Ephesians 5 | J. Allen Mashburn

When you study the Scriptures, you will find that God puts the primary responsibility for having a godly, biblical family on the man. I think that may be why men and husbands and fathers have been under such severe attack in American culture. Very often, in the media, the husband and the father is portrayed as some kind of bumbling, stumbling fool.
We are aware that men are going through all kinds of pressures in our society. Men have tremendous job pressures today. The economy is tight, and there is more pressure than ever upon men to provide for those they love.
Men face tremendous temptations in our society today. There is the temptation of pornography. There is the temptation of alcohol. There is the temptation to cut corners in order to make more money. All these pressures and many more, are against men today.
Join us as we look in the Word of God to see how we are to be men, leaders in our home.

Heaven: I Call it Home | Revelation 21:1-7 | J. Allen Mashburn

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.
Paul wrote to the Church of Philippi, “For me to live, is Christ — but to die is gain.”
Well, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am looking forward to going home. So, let’s take our journey into our future today. Let’s try to wrap our minds around what the Bible has to say about a place called Heaven. As we do, let’s remember that while we may call it Heaven right now, one day, we will call it home. That is the thought I want to magnify today.

Lt. Governor Mark Robinson | June 6, 2021 | Asbury Baptist Church

On June 6, 2021, we were privileged to have our Lt. Governor, Mark Robinson and his wife, Yolanda in our services.  Lt. Governor Robinson brought a stirring message and closed with an invitation for people to follow Jesus Christ.
 
You can fire the service here: https://youtu.be/8dHUeVSfo0c
 
Thank you for following this ministry.  

Will You Pray for Me? | Romans 15:30-33 | J. Allen Mashburn

Paul was without a doubt one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Christian who has ever lived. He was a man of power who was used of God in some very magnificent ways. He saw the Lord work more miracles and save more souls that you and I would probably see in several lifetimes. You would think a man of his stature would have needed no one or nothing. However, such is not the case. Several times in the writing of Paul, 1 Thes. 5:25; 2 Thes. 3:1; Heb. 13:18, he is found asking the people of God to pray for him. Here is a man who is on top of the heap spiritually speaking, yet he feels the need to have God's children battling for him in prayer. Yet, here is a man who is keenly aware of the benefit of having the saints of God lift you up in prayer.
As Paul is asking the question, "Who will pray for me?", he is also illustrating for us one of the greatest privileges that is ours as believers. We have the privilege of being part of the ministry and work of others. When we pray for them and carry them and their needs before the Lord, we have a part in their ministry. So, while Paul is asking for people to lift him up, he is also inviting them to join him as he serves the Lord!
You see, down through the years, God has given us some great spiritual giants. However, behind every one of them were people who prayed and touched heaven on their behalf. The names of the prayer partners may not be remembered here, but when the rewards are handed out at the Judgment Seat of Christ, those who labored in the closets will receive as much as those who labored in the field! Let's look at Paul's closing plea to the Roman Christians. He seems to be asking "Who will pray for me?"
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Jacob's Trouble | Matthew 24:1-31 | J. Allen Mashburn

Today, we will be looking at a period of time known in the Bible as "The Time Of Jacob's Trouble."
This phrase is found in Jeremiah 30:6-7. In these verses, Jacob, or the nation of Israel, is portrayed like a man who is about to give birth. This man is suffering great pains and is bowed in agony. The Bible tells us that there are no days to compare with those that Israel must endure. However, verse 7 shows us that Israel will be saved out of those days.
By way of introduction, I would like to share two major reasons for this time known as the Tribulation. 
There are many more reasons that could be stated, but these seem to stand out to me as some of the more crucial.
 
1. To Punish The Gentile Nations - Rom. 1:18; 2 Thes. 2:12-13; Rev. 19:15. For many thousands of years men have spurned the call of God to repentance and salvation. During the Tribulation Period, God will visit wicked humanity with the fruits of their sin: divine judgment!
2. To Purge The People Of Israel - Eze. 20:37-38; Zech. 13:8-9; Mal. 3:3. The Nation of Israel is guilty of rejecting the Messiah and of having a part in His death. However, God will use the terrors of the Tribulation to prepare Israel for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus returns to the earth in power and glory, He will be met by a believing remnant of the Jewish people.
For some, this material can come across as frightening, however, we need to hear these things because there may be those people here who have never repented of their sins and believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. These people, if Jesus returns in their lifetime, will face many of the things we will discuss during the course of this message.
Those of us who are saved will not be here for even one minute of the Tribulation, but we too need to hear about these things. We need our hearts stirred about what the lost of this world are going to face. We need to realize that the responsibility of reaching this world before the Tribulation is on the shoulders of the redeemed people of God. May the Lord use these truths to stir the hearts of His children to action!