Oliver Bates:
CLASS OF 1972
North High SchoolClass of 1972
Columbus, OH
Oliver's Story
I am married to Peggy Bates for 40 years. We are soon relocating to Foley, Alabama, ten miles North of Orange Beach! Please pray for our move if you’re Christian!
Hallelujah praise the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus Christ is greater than any name. Philippians 2:9
All ye children of the Lord come bless the Lord. Lift up your hands in his holy place.
We have so much to be grateful for as saints of God. God has placed us on the earth in this precise time to glorify His Son, Jesus Christ.
He has chosen us to preach the gospel to an unbelieving world. Most of the world's citizenry is lost. Oh God give us more desire to pull men from the flames of the fire of hell by sharing Jesus with them. We preach the gospel and the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, and the people ask, What shall I do to be saved?
Acts2: 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I encourage everyone to be a faithful servant of God that puts first the Kingdom of God in their life. We need to make sure that we have not put other priorities in this life above loving Jesus Christ and obeying God's Holy word that he has written on our hearts.
We must not be Double-minded in our thinking. We must not compromise the word of God, willfully sinning. Our faith is proven and perfected when we obey Jesus Christ commandments!
Father, I have a burden for all those that are sick and need your touch of healing whether physical or mental. May they be healed Lord Jesus as you healed everyone that came to you and called you Lord, Master, and Rabbi. Even those who touched a portion of your garment was healed. They were healed because they believed in you that you would heal them. Oh God, we believe in Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, and Master over our lives.
Father, I ask for your great compassion and your perfect will for our lives. I ask for comfort of thy Holy Spirit for those who suffer from disease and infirmities. I ask that you heal children of their sicknesses that are common. Little children often teach adults so much about how to die when you chose to not heal them of deadly cancers. What a Great God that you're!
Father, I ask that you bless our walk with Christ the Lord. We desire to please you and to do your will. I pray that we are obedient, loving, humble, sincere, sober, hospitable to the Brethren, lodge the Saints and give to drink and to feed those that are hungry.
I pray that men teach the truth of the gospel taught to them by thy Holy Spirit. I pray that lost sinners hearing the word will repent and believe the gospel for the salvation of their souls.
I pray that the gospel is preached in truth and sincerity. I ask that the gospel not be watered down and that men will not preach for gain. May the gospel of truth prick the hearts of the people to lead them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
I ask that you Bless every ministry that serves in the name of Jesus Christ. Give thy direction and resources to every ministry that has a calling to glorify Christ wherever you send them. I ask for financial resources for all that travel afar to bring the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
I was blessed that God granted me repentance and gave me his promised Holy Spirit. I would have died in my sins, otherwise. For the wages of my sins surely would have brought spiritual death to me unless God would have granted me repentance by his goodness.
The Lord in his everlasting mercy brought me to an end of myself and the love of my sin to cause my sin to become utterly sinful to me. Thank you, God, for your mercy and grace.
After a person receives the Holy Ghost, Joel's prophecy is fulfilled in his life. God has made all the inward changes in our lives and he has given us his Holy Spirit so that we are sealed for the Day of Redemption. The Gift of the Holy Spirit is poured out liberally to all people.
I Will Pour Out My Spirit
(John 14:15-26; John 16:5-16; Acts 2:1-13; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-7)
Joel 2
28And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14
Encouragement: Consecrate our hearts unto the Lord for he is always with us. The Holy Spirit of God leads us and protects us and gives us peace and joy. The World's pleasures can not compare to experiencing the Presence of God blessing us with tears of joy.
He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. Surely the goodness of the Lord will follow me all the days of my life. Those that put their trust in God will never be disappointed. Those who are made righteous by Jesus' precious blood have hope that is never gained by the world. Those who abide in Jesus Christ bear fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentlenesses, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
If a Born Again Saint keeps in step with the Spirit he will not become conceited, nor provoke and envy each other. They will love one another and consider others in higher esteem than themselves. Our dwelling place is the New Jerusalem. Let's not love the world!
I ask Father, that you speak to our hearts daily through the Scriptures. Bring Encouragement to us through thy word.
I pray that you answer our prayers. Give us the fruit of patience to wait on you and your answers and cause us to do your will.
I ask that you Cause us to walk in thy Holy Spirit unto all truth and righteousness for thy name's sake and glory. We are living in a very dark world among a dark generation.
Though I walk through the shadow of death I will fear no evil for the rod and thy staff they comfort me. You will cause all your children to lie down in green pastures and to fear no evil. Truly, Jesus you intercede on our behalf. May your love abound in our hearts so that we bear the fruit of gentleness and kindness.
May our lives be a living testimony for Jesus Christ in our neighborhoods. May our neighbors see Jesus Christ in us. May we be a testimony of Jesus Christ living in us. May your will be done in our lives and I pray that the Brethren experience much joy in the Holy Spirit.
In Jesus Name, Amen
Without repentance and baptism, there is no remission of sins; a man will remain dead in his sins. Peter further said, "Repent . . . and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out" (Acts 3:19). We cannot be "converted" unless we repent. God Himself "commands all men everywhere [leaving no exceptions] to repent" (Acts 17:30).
If repentance wasn’t necessary for salvation, why then did Jesus command that repentance is preached to all nations (Luke 24:47)?
For genuine conversion to take hold in your life Jesus said, you must come to God as little children to inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore we are to come to God with childlike faith, believing God's word, and through the Holy Ghost obeying it. We need to come with deep godly sorrow recognizing our total depravity before God asking Him to save us and deliver us through Jesus Christ.
Encouragement:
Galatians 5:1
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Imagine God praying His will for your life!!!!
Jesus intercedes for us. Jesus is our defender. The Holy Spirit prays the will of God in us. The devil is a constant accuser of the saints. Jesus defends against the devil's accusations. Encouragement: Walk in the Holy Spirit so that we do not give the devil more things to accuse us about.
Romans 8
34Who is there to condemn us? (For Christ Jesus, who died, and more than that was raised to life, is at the right hand of God — and He is interceding for us.)
The Supremacy of Christ:
Colossians 1:17 in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him, all things hold together. 18And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have the preeminence.Heaven and Earth and everything in it were created by God through Jesus Christ.
God's thoughts are his will.
Ephesians 1
4 According to as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and wit...Expand for more
hout blame before him in love:
If you are in Jesus Christ this is the perfect will of God. To understand God we need to know His Love, attributes, and character. Jesus was sent to lay His life down to save Lost sinners. This is love, not that we loved God, but He first loved us.
God's Will is either permissive or perfect will. All people are born into the world and have a sin nature. Our sins separate us from a Holy God. This is why Jesus died on a cross for us. Jesus' blood that He shed on His cross is payment for our sin.
Hebrews 10:14because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are sanctified.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
God knows all things about you and me. He knows every hair on our heads. God knows his own. Those in Jesus Christ are God's purchased possession.
The war that is taking place is a Spiritual Battle between God and Satan. Since we are God's children Satan engages in battle against us. God permits Satan to tempt us. When we are victorious over sin through the power of the Holy Ghost this brings glory to God.
God permits Satan to do evil. the Word of God says, Revelation 12: Satan Thrown Out of Heaven
7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they [a]did not prevail, nor was a place found for [b]them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.,
All sins may be forgiven by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The unpardonable sin is unbelief in Christ Jesus because this is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin.
Unbelief in Jesus Christ can not be forgiven it must be corrected through repentance and genuine heart faith in Jesus Christ. Without repentance no one will see the kingdom of God.Romans 1:26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them.
What is our response when we experience afflictions and persecutions and sorrows in this life? Do we run away from God or do we run towards him casting all our cares upon him? When the Lord closes a door do we give up or do we wait patiently for a better door to open unto us?
Will we commit everything to God in prayer? Will we ask the saints of God to stand with us in prayer? Will we disbelieve God or will we believe all the more His promises in scripture? The things noted are frequent occurrences in the lives of God’s Children.
The thing that we need to remember in times of testing, in times of difficulty, in times of change, in times of closed doors, in times of losing a loved one that we will miss dearly is, the Lord God is in control of our life.
There is much uncertainty in the world but we are not of this world. We are here on earth to be Christ ambassadors to preach the gospel to implore all people to be reconciled to God. We are on the earth to have a family and to teach our children to repent and to believe in Jesus Christ and to model godly ways unto them.
We are given the opportunity to-be used by God in Christ Kingdom for His glory and honor. We are here on the earth to be a light, a city on a hill among a very dark generation. We are here to uphold the integrity of God's Word. We are here to be the salt of the earth. Things will often go array. Seldom do things go as planned, but we can always take comfort in God and his Holy Word to settle us.
Proverbs 16
9The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.
Psalm 37:23
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.
Proverbs 16:1
The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD.
Proverbs 19
20Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days. 21Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand. 22What is desirable in a man is his kindness, And it is better to be a poor man than a liar.
Father, I am praying for everyone who needs to repent to believe in Jesus Christ to be saved by your mercy and grace. Jesus, you stand at the door of their hearts knocking, if anyone hears your voice and opens the door you will come in and sup with them and them with you.
Oh God, cause the lost sinner to see the wretchedness of his flesh. Cause them to cry out to you and ask you to save them and to receive thy Holy Spirit!
Many too have believed for a while and have fallen away. I pray that you bring them back unto you. Father, I ask that you Bless Christian families with everyone being saved and none to be lost to Satan.
Oh God, how gracious and loving and caring you are. Cause every wayward child to return to you. Reveal to the Body of Jesus Christ that we are not a hospital of sinners rather Blood bought Saints a purchased possession. Give them thy Holy Ghost to live a holy life being obedient to the scriptures.
Through repentance, I pray that you graft back into the Vine of Christ those who have returned to the world to serve Satan.
Lord, you're patient not wanting anyone to perish. I pray this hour for many to call out to you while they still have time to be saved! Give them godly sorrow for their sin and unbelief. Enlarge our hearts for you. Enlarge our hearts to love the Brethren more. Bless us to walk in newness of life. May we takeoff the flesh and put on Christ our Savior and Lord!
In Jesus name, Amen.
To know what love is we must first discern what love isn’t!
Love may include a (feeling our emotion) but it is not the predominant factor, feelings and emotions often change influenced by many factors.
(Worldly love is defined by feelings and emotions).
To find (perfect love) God must call us and choose us to become Born Again.
Once conversion takes place our hearts are changed forever.
Among the lost sinners, (Feelings and emotions) are often turned on and off like a water spigot.
Love is reciprocal:
We understand what love is when we are giving, expressing love to others. We feel love when others return love unto us!
So we can not say that love doesn’t have anything to do with feeling but in truth, the greatest part of love is (action) oriented.
Love is a verb (what you do) more than a noun (a feeling).
1 John 3: 18 Dear children, let us (not) love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
God’s Agape Love for humanity is what I want us to focus on today.
it is the highest level of love. It's so much more than we could ever dream or imagine.
Agape love is selfless, a sacrificial love. Agape love is spoken of over 200 times in the Bible.
The cross was God’s way of expressing His perfect, unconditional love for us.
Remember, Love is an action word. Jesus Christ, while we were yet sinners died for us. He took our place for the sin.
2 Corinthians 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Romans 5: 5And (hope) does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
Romans 5: 8But God (proves) His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!
Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus showed His love for others by blessing and serving the poor, the sick, and the distressed.
Jesus taught us in the scriptures how to love others.
Jesus himself said, “Love the Lord (your) God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.
The Agape love of God saves and (restores,(reconciles) humanity back unto God sparing us from sin and death.
John 3:16 (For God so loved the world), that he (gave) his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
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