Ministry Helps

Hot coals - a new look

2010-04-30T06:51:00.000-07:00

COMMENTARY ON ROMANS 12:20,21
by Glenn Tompkins and others.

Ro 12:20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

It is most evident, from the whole connection of the place and the apostle's use of it, that the heaping of the coals of fire upon the head of the enemy is intended to produce not an evil, but the most beneficial effect; and the following verse is an additional proof of this.

Ro 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (KJV)

Some scholars take the opposite view: JFB in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head--As the heaping of "coals of fire" is in the Old Testament the figurative expression of divine vengeance (Ps 140:10; 11:6, &c.), the true sense of these words seems to be, "That will be the most effectual vengeance--a vengeance under which he will be fain to bend"

This is best understood by looking to the O.T. passage quoted. This is taken from Pr 25:21,22, which without doubt supplied the basis of those lofty precepts on that subject which form the culminating point of the Sermon on the Mount.

Pr 25:21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

In many cultures where matches are not used, the fire to cook the families food has to be kept going. If it goes out, a member of the family must go to a neighbor for hot coals.

Likewise, in many countries, bags of rice, and jars of water are carried on the head. Not all, but some places a pan of hot coals on some padding may be carrried on the head.

To heap coals on someone's head is to do good by giving a neighbor a fresh start for the family cooking fire.

Trivia about synagogues

2010-04-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

Trivia about synagogues. by Glenn Tompkins

Every synagogue in the world is built so the worshiping congregation is facing toward Jerusalem. In Bible times there was an exception. The ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum show that the congregation would be facing away from Jerusalem. Why? Because it was built by a Gentile, and given to the Jews. See Luke 7:1-10 Gentiles did not know the tradition.

What is a Christian?

2010-01-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

A basic outline

SALVATION

Ro 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Ac 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Ac 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

1Co 15:3,4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Joh 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

1Jo 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life,

CHRISTIAN LIVING

Mt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Pr 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

1Ti 5:22 keep thyself pure.

1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Ps 119:9 BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments.
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

A PRAYER FOR PURITY

Ps 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Ps 19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
(KJV)

Compiled by Glenn Tompkins for Senior Inspirations group. Sparta, TN Jan. 28, 2010

To get in touch with me

2009-12-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

You may e-mail me at magicglenn@yahoo.com or gtompkins@juno.com. Request a copy of my Christmas newsletter.

We'll understand, later.

2009-11-15T14:06:00.000-08:00

I know not now why schemes were spoiled
And lofty aspirations foiled;
Hereafter I shall know, shall see
These very things were best for me.

Thanks to Henry Palmieri

Five things that God cannot do.

2009-09-15T14:00:00.000-07:00

1. God cannot lie.
2. God cannot die.
3. God cannot fail.
4. God cannot change.
5. God cannot remember sins He has forgiven.

Thanks to Del Wilson,FCM President

TIME

2009-09-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

TIME

Proverbs 27:1
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a mystery, Today is the present, and a present is a gift to be treasured.

In August a part of my family got together and they wanted to know some family history. (2009)
I spent five hours being videotaped on everything from family history to what it was like to grow up through the depression and WWII.

Much of this was good reflections. We need to be careful of the opposite. There are some who look back, regretting their lives, or wishing to start over.

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good,
but what I do today is important
because I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes, this will be gone forever,
leaving in its place somthing that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain and not loss: good and not evil;
success and not failure; in order that I shall not
regret the price I have paid for it.

THREE ARCHES

Over the triple doorways of Milan Cathedral there
are three inscriptions spanning the arches. Above one is carved a wreath of roses, with the legend: ALL THAT PLEASES IS BUT FOR A MOMENT Over another is sculptured a cross, and under it are the words: ALL THAT TROUBLES IS BUT FOR A MOMENT And underneath the great central entrance to the main aisle is the inscription: THAT ONLY IS IMPORTANT WHICH IS ETERNAL.

The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To say just when the hands will stop;
At late, or early hour.
Now is the only time we own
To do His precious will -
Do not wait until tomorrow;
For the clock may then be still.

THOUGHTS by R. McClurkin
Life is too brief between the budding and the falling leaf.
Between the seedtime and the golden sheaf, for hate and spite.
We have no time for malice and for greed, therefore with love
Make beautiful the deed; fast speeds the night.

BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE

If you have a tender message,
Or a loving word to say,
Do not wait till you forget it,
But whisper it today;
The tender word unspoken,
The letter never sent,
The long forgotten messages,
The wealth of love unspent -
For these some hearts are breaking,
For these some loved ones wait;
So show them that you care for them
Before it is too late.
Frank Herbert Sweet

HESTEP BY STEP

He does not lead me year by year
Nor even day by day,
But step by step my path unfolds;
The Lord directs my way.

Tomorrow's plans I do not know,
I only know this minute;
But He will say "This is the way,
By faith now walk ye in it."

And I am glad that it is so,
Today's enough to bear;
And when tomorrow comes, His
Grace shall far exceed it's care.

What need to worry then or fret?
The God who gave His Son
Holds all my moments in His hand
and gives them one by one.

Author unknown

Philip. 3:13-14
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, [14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
There are things that should be forgotten. Old habits, old sins, old sinful desires, old grudges, old angers, and many more, especially old sins that have been forgiven.
day His Plan For Me
When I stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ
And He shows His plan for me,
The plan of my life as it might have been
Had He had His way - and I see
How I blocked Him here, and checked Him there,
And I would not yield my will,
Will there be grief in my Savior's eyes,
Grief though He loves me still?
Would He have me rich and I stand there poor,
Stripped of all but His grace,
While memory runs like a hunted thing,
Down the paths I cannot retrace.
Lord, of the years that are left to me
I give them to Thy hand
Take me and break me and mold me,
To the pattern that Thou hast planned!
-Author Unknown

WHAT THEN?
When the great factory-plants of our cities
Have turned-out their last finished works,
When our merchants have sold their last products,
And sent home the last of the Clerks;
When our banks have transacted their business,
And paid out the last dividend;
When the Judge of the Earth calls a reckoning,
And asks for a balance -WHAT THEN?
When the Church choir has sung its last anthem,
And the preacher has made his last prayer;
When the people have heard their last sermon,
And the sound has died out on the air;
When the Bible lies closed on the pulpit,
And the pews are all empty of men,
When each one stands facing his record,
And the Great Book is opened - WHAT THEN?
When the actors have played their last drama.
And the mimic has made his last fun,
When the film has flashed its last picture,
And the billboard displayed its last run;
When the crowds seeking pleasure have vanished,
And gone out in the darkness again,
When the trumpet of ages is sounded,
And we all stand before Him - WHAT THEN?
When the bugle-call sinks into silence,
And the long marching columns stand still;
When the captain repeats his last orders,
And they've captured the last fort and hill;
When the flag has been hauled from the mast-head,
And peace seems to reign among men,
When those who rejected the Saviour
Are asked for a reason - WHAT THEN?
Anon.

~Room at the Cross
Ira Stanphill was preaching in a revival meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.
As was his custom, he asked the people to submit suggested song titles while the congregation sang. As the choir presented their favorite selections, he would proceed to write a gospel song, using as the title one of those submitted by the audience.
On this particular Sunday morning, the people submitted about fifty ideas. Stanphill quickly thumbed through the titles and saw the words, Room at the Cross for You. They struck a responsive chord and before the service was complete, he had given to the world a memorable song to fit that title.
There’s room at the cross for you,
There’s room at the cross for you;
Though millions have come,
There’s still room or one,
Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.
Some time later, a despairing young man, bent on taking his own life, found himself walking one day near a church where service was being conducted by evangelist Willard Cantelon.
That night, Al Garr was directing the music for the service. The troubled young man had a gun in his pocket and was making his way toward a high bridge, not too far from the church. His intention was to shoot himself near the edge of the bridge, letting his body fall into the water.
As he passed the church, he heard Al Garr singing There’s Room at the Cross for You. He was so gripped by its message that he made his way into the church, postponing his mission of horror.
There he found Christ as his Savior and was rescued from personal and spiritual disaster. He later studied for the ministry and became an evangelist. ++++++++++
Room At The Cross
(1) The cross upon which Jesus died
Is a shelter on which we can hide;
And it’s grace so free is sufficient for me,
And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea.
CHORUS:
There’s room at the cross for you,
There’s room at the cross for you;
Tho millions have come,
There’s still room for one,
Yes, there’s room at the cross for you.

(2) Tho millions have found Him a friend,
And have turned from the sins they have sinned,
The Saviour still waits to open the gates,
And welcome a sinner before it’s too late.

(3) The hand of my Saviour is strong,
And the love of my Savior is long;
Through sunshine or rain Through loss or in gain,
The blood flows from Calv’ry to cleanse every stain.

MUCH OF THIS BLOG IS FROM THE BOOK "MINISTRY" BY GLENN TOMPKINS

All things new

2009-08-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

II Cor. 5:1-21 NEW THINGS WHEN YOU TRUST CHRIST

1-5 A NEW BODY - ETERNAL
6-10 A NEW HOME - HEAVEN
11-15 A NEW MASTER - CHRIST
16,17 A NEW PERSONALITY - TRANSFORMED
18-21 A NEW MINISTRY - RECONCILIATION

Studies in Second Corinthians

2009-07-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

CHOICE THOUGHTS FROM II CORINTHIANS 1
by Glenn Tompkins July 13, 2009

THE PURPOSE OF COMFORT

[3] Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; [4] Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

GOD COMFORTS US, NOT TO MAKE US COMFORTABLE, BUT TO MAKE US COMFORTERS.

VICTORY OVER DEATH

[9] But we had the sentence of death in ourselves,
that we should not trust in ourselves,
but in God which raiseth the dead:
V. 9 ALL HAVE SINNED - WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH
DON'T TRUST IN YOURSELF - SALVATION IS BY GRACE ALONE
VICTORY IS ONLY IN THE ONE WHO CAN RAISE THE DEAD.

DELIVERANCE - THREEFOLD

[10] Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

V. 10 DELIVERED - FROM PENALTY OF SIN
DELIVERED - FROM POWER OF SIN
DELIVERED - FROM PRESENCE OF SIN

FOUR THINGS GOD HAS DONE FOR THE BELIEVER

[21] Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ,
and hath anointed us, is God;
[22] Who hath also sealed us,
and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

ESTABLISHED - Salvation
Psalm 40:2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
ANNOINTED - Service
SEALED - Security
EARNEST (Greek - arabon - engagement ring) Second coming.

Comfort in time of trouble

2009-05-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

WHEN TROUBLES COME, REMEMBER THIS

There has no trial or testing come upon us but such as is common to all mankind: but God who knows our limitations, is faithful, who will not allow us to be tested beyond our endurance; but will with the testing provide an acceptable alternative, that we may be able to bear it.

1 Cor. 10:13 (A loose paraphrase by Glenn Tompkins, author of MINISTRY, a handbook for preachers and teachers.)

2009-02-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

“KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD”
My life kept for Jesus - Col. 3:3,4
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

My Time kept for Jesus - Psalm 31:15
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

My Hands kept for Jesus - Psalm 24:3,4
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? [4] He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

My feet kept for Jesus - I Samuel 2:9
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

My voice kept for Jesus - Psalm 40:3
And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

My lips kept for Jesus - Psalm 51:15
O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

My intellect kept for Jesus - Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

My Will kept for Jesus - Hebrews 13:20,21
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, [21] Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

My heart kept for Jesus - Luke 24:32
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

My Love kept for Jesus - I John 4:18-21
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. [19] We love him, because he first loved us. [20] If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? [21] And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

(Based on the hymn, “Take my Life and Let It Be” by Frances Ridley Havergal 1874)
ISN'T IT GREAT TO KNOW THAT BELIEVERS ARE KEPT BY GOD? ARE YOU?

When you think that you are important

2009-01-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

When you start thinking of yourself as important, try this. Dip your hand in a bucket of water. Pull it out, and take note of how long the impression in the water lasts. For most of us, that is about all that history will remember of us. Now get busy and do something useful whether anyone takes notice or not.

(This is not in my book, Ministry.)

How to prepare a sermon

2009-01-28T06:45:00.000-08:00

My book, Ministry, has several sections on this in chapter one, but I like the one about the old southern preacher who was asked how he prepared his sermons. He said, "I read myself full, think myself clear, pray myself hot, and I LETS GO!*

This blog will be continuing to add bits of preaching material. Here is an outline, not in my book.

1 Cor. 1:30-31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: [31] That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

Outline: Christ is our wisdom, consisting of righteousness (from salvation), sanctification (from growth), and redemption (from our homegoing). He is in charge of past, present, and future. That is why He deserves all glory.