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A preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,
Dana Williams was born in South Charleston, West
Virginia and lived there until he was 14 years old, at
which time he moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He heard the
gospel for the first time at a little store front church
called West Side Baptist Church. He visited the church
only three times when the Holy Spirit dealt with him
concerning salvation.
He accepted the Lord on December 29,
1968. He felt the call to
preach soon after. At age 19, he moved to
Greenville, South Carolina to attend Tabernacle Baptist
Bible Institute where Dr. Harold Sightler was pastor. In
1976 Dana took his first pastorate at a little church in
the mountains of North Carolina. He was there four years
and six months. He then served as pastor of Temple
Baptist Church, Newland, North Carolina for eighteen
years. In 1999 Dana felt the call of God for full time
evangelism. He and his wife, Esther, have ministered in
churches preaching and singing in revivals, camp
meetings, and conferences all across the mid and eastern
United States. Dana and Esther reside in Wedowee,
Alabama. They have four children and eleven
grandchildren. |
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"...
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature." |
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"...
the gospel must first be published among all nations." |
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"...
The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." |
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CURRENT / UPCOMING MEETINGS |
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May 11, 2012
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO
YOU ALL
Sunday morning
we're excited to participate in the Sunday School hour at
10am, with our dear friends at the Parkway Baptist Church in
Ringgold, Georgia. At 11 o'clock we will
be with Bro. Lamar Dietz and the folks at the Gospel Way
Baptist Church in Ringgold.
Sunday evening at 6
o'clock we will be with Pastor Phil Yarber in Cornelia,
Georgia. Also, Monday through Wednesday 7
o'clock each evening we will continue the meeting there.
Come join us if you can.
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CURRENT
BIBLE STUDIES |
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THE MANY FACES OF CHRIST AT HIS RETURN
Over 2100 times Jesus' Coming is mentioned in the
Bible.
His second coming is mentioned eight times more than
His first coming is mentioned. One
out of every thirty verses in the New Testament speaks
of His second coming.
JESUS IS COMING: It is not WHEN He is
coming but it is WHO is coming that should concern us.
This series of Studies will deal with some of the
different ways Christ revealed His Coming.
He will be letting us know who to expect and how to
prepare for His coming!
JESUS IS COMING AS THE BRIDEGROOM
MATTHEW 25:1-13
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be
likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and
went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of
them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were
foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom
cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins
arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said
unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone
out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there
be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to
buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in
with him to the marriage and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying Lord, Lord
open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say
unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know
neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Here
we notice there is a wedding and the emphasis is:
GENUINE READINESS
Western civilization weddings are traditionally done with
the bride who does the beautiful march down the isle to the
groom.
In Bible times, the Scriptures show a very different
tradition or custom:
It is the Groom who does the marching and comes for the
bride!
Custom: The marriage feasts were
held at night; thus, the importance of the light and
the oil as the attendants joined the procession to go out to
meet the bridegroom on the way wedding.
This tradition in Middle Eastern
countries is still being practiced. While in Egypt,
I was privileged to witness this march or the
wedding procession.
From our text we see that there are 10 attendants ready
and waiting to follow the Bridegroom to the wedding. In our
text, all seemed to be ready for the big event, but in the
end, we are shocked to find out that five of those
attendants were not Genuinely ready.
It was an inside problem that was not detected on the
outside.
Jesus addressed this inside-outside issue on several
occasions.
Matthew 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which
indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead
men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Luke 11:39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye
Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter;
but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
They had it all on the outside, but nothing on the
inside!
Ask yourself:
Is there reality to what I possess and profess?
Is it Authenticated by the blood of Jesus Christ?
We have 2 thoughts: Alike and Unalike,
Their Comparisons and Their Contrast
THEY ARE ALIKE IN THEIR COMPARISON:
Points of likeness in the ten virgins:
They have the same name, VIRGINS
They wear the same dress
They are on the same errand
They all have lamps
They all have vessels
They have many features in common.
Man could not discern the difference, at least for the
time.
THEIR ACTIVITIES
Matthew 7:22-23, Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:
depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
There is great Danger in religious activity with no
reality.
Once, I asked a young man if he was saved and ready for
Heaven. His reply was, “Yes, I can quote the ten
commandments.” I'm sure that was not the right answer.
They not only acted ready, they appeared ready!
Their life- Morality
Their looks- Commonality
Their lamps- Formality
Their Location- Sincerity
Satan is able to turn himself into an angel of light
THEIR SEEMING AFFECTIONS AND ZEAL
Enthusiasm, emotions
A Reminder of Judas and the kiss of death
Judas was so much like a disciple
Wheat is so much like a tare
Not all that glitters is Gold or diamonds: It takes a
trained eye to tell the difference
THEY ARE UNALIKE IN THEIR CONTRAST
They are alike in activities, appearance, affections, but
sorrowfully so unalike!
It was only when the announcement came that we see how
unalike they really were!
It was not until it was too late that we know they are
not genuinely ready!
Now we really see what is on the inside!
His coming brought Transparency and Truth as to “Who was
Genuinely ready.”
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the
time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the
hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise
of God.
The announcement brought to light the fact:
They had lamps, but no light!
That which concerned them least concerned HIM most!
What they did not have they could not borrow! Nor
buy!
They looked in vain to men for that grace which God
alone can Supply!
It was that which was not on the inside that left
them on the outside of the door was shut!
They went out but they never came in!
Here we see the doom of the sinners:
Heaven will never be seen and enjoyed by those who are
not genuinely ready
Their probation is ended; their glad time is over
All the means of grace have passed away
The dispensation of the gospel is closed
All instruments employed to convert and to save will be
employed no more
The Spirit will strive no more.
Hope is forever past
If Christ is not in you there is no hope of Glory!
Romans 8:9 Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,
he is none of his.
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from
the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit
that dwelleth in you.
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God
standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that
are his.
The story has been told of the
conversion of a certain lady. She was one of those who lived only
for this world; the thoughts of her sins had never
caused her uneasiness; she neglected the one thing
needful. One night, while alone in her room, she saw
the lamp suddenly go out. Although she was alone,
she said aloud (thinking only of being left in the
dark), "There is no oil in the lamp" The words thus
spoken echoed in the room and sounded in her ears,
but with a new sense. She recalled the parable of
the five foolish virgins who had no oil, and whose
lamps had gone out at the coming of the bridegroom;
and from that moment, day and night, the word of God
remained in her soul, as an arrow remains in the
side of a deer who flies away from the hunters.
Friend,
You may have the complete dress of the saint, and yet not
be one.
You may have a good life, a sound creed, a strict
profession
You may be one who says and does many things excellent
You may be a subscriber to all the religious societies in
the land
You may be a member of all their committees
You may be a speaker at all their meetings, and supporter
of all their plans
You may profess to be looking for Christ's coming and
going forth to meet the Bridegroom, yet lack the oil which
is the Holy Spirit, who is the key to getting into the door.
BE PREPARED, FOR THE LORD IS COMING AS A
BRIDEGROOM
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