James Baer Archives - GospelBillboards.org

Surrendering to the Cross

June 25, 2019 Good Morning Fellow Travelers, Read: Matthew 26:36-56 “Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.” Hebrews 5:7-8 The battle that our Lord faced over the cross was won in Gethsemane. Hallelujah! There He sweat, as it were, drops of blood as He struggled through to a full surrender to His Father’s will. Ponder the struggle He faced there, and the agony He bore to face the cross for…

Knowing the Father Is Eternal Life

June 18, 2019 Good Morning Fellow Travelers, Read: John 14:1-21 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” John 17:3 The words of Christ in His prayer to His Father are profound in every respect. He answers a question here that has plagued man since the beginning, “How can I know God?” This question is supremely important because of the words in our text verse. Eternal life is in knowing God as Father, and in knowing Jesus Christ. I want eternal life more than anything else on the earth, or in heaven. To live eternally with God in His eternal abode, to…

Look to Jesus

Do you have unforgiven sin? Look to Jesus. Do you struggle to resign yourself to the circumstances of life? Look to Jesus. Does the burden seem too hard to bear? Look to Jesus. Does sin easily beset you? Look to Jesus!

Lovest Thou Me More Than These?

The truth is loud and clear: the Lord will not take second place. Many bite their tongues on this teaching of Jesus. What could He mean that is consistent with His other teachings?

Men Love Darkness

Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world, but rather He came to save the world by bringing light into it. Men hate the light of truth because it reveals their true nature.

Much Required

We have been given so much. When we take the time to count our blessings and really understand where we come in the worldwide average of wealth and prosperity, we must bow before the Giver. We must bow in recognition of the fact that we have failed.

Self-Examination

At least twice, the apostle Paul encouraged the Corinthian people to examine themselves. In II Corinthian 13:5, he calls for self-examination, to determine whether they were even in the faith.

Promises, Promises, Promises

If we would take the time to list every promise that God made to mankind in His Word, we would marvel at the consolations. He has promised to meet our needs in many wonderful ways.

Standing in the Gap

The devil has it too easy in your community. God uses men and women of faith to intercede for sinners before God. In such a way, we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

Worthy of God’s Signature

We were once led by the prince of darkness, But that all changed when God, full of mercy and love, saved us by grace.

Lessons from Suffering

What are the benefits of suffering, for the Christian? It makes us more sensitive to life… it draws us to heaven… it deepens our perception of obedience… we become more thankful… and more.

True Piety

Are you a man who is faithful to Christ, to His Word, to His principles? Are you humble and free of self-conceit and of proclaiming yourself good?

Unconditional Love

God loves us with an unconditional love. This means that His love for us did not depend on us first meeting His standard of holiness. So if you are a sinner, His unconditional love is for you.

Is Your Talent Buried?

Christ has given spiritual gifts unto men. He furnishes the church with the necessary tools “for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” The gifts are varied and many.

Why I Love the Bible

I love the Bible . . . because it is the Word of God . . . for its unity and cohesion . . . because it is strictly honest . . . because the Holy Spirit speaks through it . . . for its consolations, confirmations and conciliation

Is God on Trial?

God is not the originator of evil. That is the devil’s domain. He, together with the evil men and women he has seduced to sin, creates the suffering that goes on in the world today. The broken homes, the abused children, the adulterous relationships, the killing of untold millions of the unborn, are all testimony of man out of control . . .

Give Up Now

“He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Proverbs 29:1 A hardened neck is the result of a hardened heart…

Forgiveness Brings Hope

People live with a lot of bitterness today. Many go around for years carrying grudges and hate toward others. Every time they think of someone or some experience, they are bitter. Maybe you are filled with bitterness. But you can be set free…

Fear God, Not Man

The fear of man is a trap, and it imprisons and paralyzes us. It overpowers the fear of God in our life and keeps us from pleasing Him.

Fall on This Stone

Our surrender to the lordship of Christ is essential to our salvation. As the text says, we either fall on Christ and are broken, or He falls on us in judgment. He calls us to a life of self-denial that leads us into a life the flesh would never want to live.

Drenched in Joy

We are drenched with joy as our guilt is removed. We are drenched with joy in the fellowship of Christians who have faced the same things we have. We get soaked in the blessings of worship and praise….

Do Not Lose Your Childlikeness

When He wants us to be men of God, Christ calls us to be children. God calculates greatness on a different scale than we do. We cannot continue with earthly notions about greatness. Instead, we need to be converted and become as little children.

Cooperating with the Inevitable

There are many things in our life that we cannot change. We cannot change where we were born, nor the family we were born into, nor the color of our skin. We do not choose which disease we get, nor even the time of our death. There is much in life that is inevitable. We love our families, our wives and children, our grandchildren. But brace yourself for the inevitable….

Comfortable or Good?

… making a man comfortable does not make him good. The opposite is true. God knows that with the sinful nature of man, given to choose the flesh over the more noble spirit, we will persistently follow selfish inclinations and destroy ourselves.

Changes Coming

… change is inevitable. We may be enjoying good times or facing hard times. Whichever it is, things will change, as Christ warned His disciples. This too will pass, for better or for worse.

Can Good Morals Save Us?

We can be the best moral man in the world, and still be lost. If our thoughts are not pure, or our motives are not pure, we are still sinners. You may never commit adultery, but if your mind is there, you are an adulterer just the same. You may never commit murder, but if you are murdering your brother daily in your mind, you are a murderer just the same.

Are You Afraid?

Fear comes in many forms and it may become a real hindrance to our faith and trust in God. It seems that life brings continuing reasons to fear, as our situations change. We all experience those times when we are afraid. But God does not want us to live in fear.

A Time to Keep Silent

The strength of the Gospel is its valid claim to change a man or woman from a loud and boisterous sinner into a quiet, confident saint. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” As the Way, He shows us how to walk, and where to walk. As the Truth, He give us a correct worldview. As the Life, He shows us how to live.

A Serious Mistake

Why would a way seem right when it is not right? Are there things about this way that show us it is wrong? Is it possible we are deluded? Let’s think about some things that would help us avoid a way that only seems right.

A Right Way to Die

If we want to die the death of the righteous, we need to live the life of the righteous. In order to live the life of the righteous, we need to allow God to make us righteous. This is where Baalam failed the test.