Some quotes on suffering
“A nominal Christian often discovers in suffering that his faith has been in his church, denomination, or family tradition, but not Christ. As he faces evil and suffering, he may lose his faith. But that’s actually a good thing. I have sympathy for people who lose their faith, but any faith lost in suffering wasn’t a faith worth keeping.” Randy Alcorn
“Wimpy worldviews make wimpy Christians. And wimpy Christians won’t survive the days ahead.” John Piper
“Just as the small fire is extinguished by the storm whereas a large fire is enhanced by it, likewise a weak faith is weakened by predicaments and catastrophes whereas a strong faith is strengthened by them.” Viktor Frankl, Auschwitz survivor
“During an early interrogation I had told an officer who was threatening to kill me, ‘Sir, let me explain how I see this issue. Your supreme weapon is killing. My supreme weapon is dying.’
‘Here is how it works. You know that my sermons on tape have spread all over the country. If you kill me, those sermons will be sprinkled with my blood. Everyone will know I died for my preaching. And everyone who has a tape will pick it up and say, ‘I’d better listen again to what this man preached, because he really meant it; he sealed it with his life.’
‘So, sir, my sermons will speak ten times louder than before. I will actually rejoice in this supreme victory if you kill me.’
After I said this, the interrogator sent me home.
Another officer who was interrogating a pastor friend of mind told him, ‘We know that Mr. Tson would love to be a martyr, but we are not that foolish to fulfill his wish.’ I stopped to consider the meaning of that statement. I remembered how for many years, I had been afraid of dying. I had kept a low profile. Because I wanted badly to live, I had wasted my life in inactivity. But now that I had placed my life on the altar and decided I was ready to die for the Gospel, they were telling me they would not kill me! I could go wherever I wanted in the country and preach whatever I wanted, knowing I was safe. As long as I tried to save my life, I was losing it. Now that I was willing to lose it, I found it.” Josef Tson
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sermon of April 22, 2012 - Audio and notes
Sunday, April 22, 2012 I continued the series on "The Church" with a message "The Church is Built on the Gospel - Illustrated through Baptism" from Matthew 3: 1-6, 13-17. This is the second of three messages on Baptism to be followed by three on the Lord's Supper.
The notes of the sermon are here.
Here is the audio of the sermon.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
A Prayer for a Lukewarm Heart by Jon Bloom
O Infinitely Passionate Father,
You have created me with the capacity for deep affections — to love, to loathe, to desire, to delight, to excite, to grieve, to laugh, to enjoy, to fear, to be depressed, to be thankful. And you made me this way that I may glorify you by finding you my Supreme Satisfaction and the Fountain of everything delightful.
But I confess that my affections for you are often grievously tepid while my selfish interests steam.
I am bold to defend my own honor and reputation and often timid to defend yours.
I am quick to satisfy my bodily appetites and often slow to feed my soul with the Bread of Life.
I squander moments devoted to communing with you while carefully protecting moments devoted to banal entertainment.
I am distracted from speaking with you by books that need straightening, email that needs answering, and a bald spot in the yard that needs seeding.
I am easily and foolishly concerned with worldly success and prosperity while languid and unmoved about the greater things of another world!
And I know that my errant affections are most offensive to you when I hear of the infinite height, depth, and length, and breadth of your love for me in Christ Jesus,
Of your giving your infinitely dear Son to be offered up a sacrifice for my sins,
Of the unparalleled love of the innocent, holy, and tender Lamb of God, manifested in his dying agonies, bloody sweat, loud and bitter cries, and bleeding heart,
And all this to redeem an enemy like me from deserved, eternal burnings, and give to me unspeakable and everlasting joy and glory,
And my response is cool, lethargic, and indifferent.
O gracious Father, thank you that your Son’s great sacrifice is so great and so sufficient that it pays even for such sins of erroneous affections!
But, my affectionate Father, I am humbled to the dust that I am not more affected at what affects you! I repent of being “slothful in zeal”! No more, Father! Make me boil in spirit as I serve you (Romans 12:11)! To be moved by your glorious gospel and precious promises (2 Peter 1:4) is why you gave me affections! Nothing in earth or heaven is greater or more important.
Today, I take to heart your Son’s warning: “Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm… I will spit you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15–16). Merciful Father, make me hot! Whatever it takes, whatever it costs me, give me the Spirit-salve for my heart-eyes (Revelation 3:18) so that I may see what is Real, believe what is True, treasure what is Valuable, and forsake what is worthless.
In the name of Jesus, your glorious Son, the Pearl of Great Price, amen.
This prayer was inspired by and adapted from a portion of Jonathan Edwards’s book, Religious Affections (the last three paragraphs of Part 1).
________
Thursday, April 19, 2012
"What a Meeting in the Air"
I'm glad that when the Holy Spirit fills me that I don't have to choose between styles of music. I still love this!!!!!!!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Additional writings on Baptism
I began a three-part series on "Baptism - The Gospel Illustrated" on Sunday, April 15. In addition to the notes of the sermons, (which you can view here), I am putting further notes and evidences of Scriptural baptism here.
The word baptizō means to completely “immerse" an object into another substance. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gives the meaning as "to make whelmed, i.e., fully wet" or "to cover wholly with a fluid." A standard Greek lexicon defines baptize and its cognates as "dip, immerse, ...plunge, sink, drench, overwhelm."
In his study of the word, George Beasley-Murray gives the meaning of baptize as "dip, immerse, submerge" and observes, "Despite assertions to the contrary, it seems that baptize, both in Jewish and Christian contexts, normally meant 'immerse' and that even when it became a technical term for baptism, the thought of immersion remains."
John Chrysostom, Martin Luther, and John Calvin all argue that the word means "immerse." Luther states, "I would have those who are to be baptized completely immersed in the water, as the word says and as they mystery indicates...This is doubtless the way it which it was instituted by Christ.
Calvin writes, "The word baptize means to immerse, and it is clear that the rite of immersion was observed in the ancient church," but "the details of mode are of no importance."
Interestingly, both Luther and Calvin believing what true baptism was still held over the Roman Catholitic view of baptizing infants.
There is strong and conclusive evidence showing that the ancient Jews and the 1st and 2nd century Christian Gentiles all practiced baptism by full immersion. Even pagans understood in the early years that Christians were immersed in water, professing their faith in Christ' death, burial and resurrection from the dead. The Roman Emperor Constantine, after allegedly converting to Christianity in the 4th century, falsely believed that the Christian rite of baptism washed away one's personal sins. Because of this belief, Constantine waited until shortly before his death to be baptized in order to avoid dying with any unwashed sin. He was baptized by immersion (Eusebius, The Life of Constantine, Chapter 62). A disagreement arose in the Roman Catholic Church after Constantine's death over the timing of baptism. Many Roman Catholic theologians argued that infants needed baptism to wash away original sin lest they die in their infancy unbaptized. Infant baptism became a widespread occurance in the Roman Catholic church throughout the middle ages (AD 500 to AD 1500).
Even AFTER the Reformation in 1517, Christians in those groups that split from Roman Catholicism (i.e. Anglicans, Puritans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc...) continued the practice of infant baptism.
Wade Burleson recently wrote: There are some Christians who have always resisted infant baptism, even throughout the Middle Ages. These Christians were persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for being traitors to the state. Likewise, after the Reformation, Christians who resisted infant baptism were persecuted by Protestant AND Catholics and were given the epitath "ana-baptists" for being traitors to the state! The Holy Roman Empire throughout the Middle Ages had kings who came to Rome to receive God's blessings to rule a portion of the empire. Church and state were united. When the Reformation came, England split from Rome, but England still kept a state church--the Anglican Church. Germany split from Rome and still kept a state church--the Lutheran Church. Scotland split from Rome and still kept a state church--the Presbyterian Church. I could go on and on. Taxes paid pastors salaries in Protestant and Catholic countries. Kings appointed the pastors (bishops) in Protestant countries and served as head of both the church and the state. The Pope continued to appoint bishops and kings in Catholic countries. Those Christians in Protestant England, Protestant Europe states and Roman Catholic states who refused to baptize their children in infancy eventually became known as Baptists. The Baptists in England and Europe, like their ana-baptist forefathers, were persecuted for being traitors to the states in which they lived. For over a millenia, Christian names and state citizenship had been bestowed on children at their baptisms--the rite which came to be called christening. Baptists refusing to baptize their infant children were deemed traitors to their respective states. Some Baptists were tortured and others were put to death by their governments. Some sought to escape persecution by coming to the newly discovered land of America.
The word baptizō means to completely “immerse" an object into another substance. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gives the meaning as "to make whelmed, i.e., fully wet" or "to cover wholly with a fluid." A standard Greek lexicon defines baptize and its cognates as "dip, immerse, ...plunge, sink, drench, overwhelm."
In his study of the word, George Beasley-Murray gives the meaning of baptize as "dip, immerse, submerge" and observes, "Despite assertions to the contrary, it seems that baptize, both in Jewish and Christian contexts, normally meant 'immerse' and that even when it became a technical term for baptism, the thought of immersion remains."
John Chrysostom, Martin Luther, and John Calvin all argue that the word means "immerse." Luther states, "I would have those who are to be baptized completely immersed in the water, as the word says and as they mystery indicates...This is doubtless the way it which it was instituted by Christ.
Calvin writes, "The word baptize means to immerse, and it is clear that the rite of immersion was observed in the ancient church," but "the details of mode are of no importance."
Interestingly, both Luther and Calvin believing what true baptism was still held over the Roman Catholitic view of baptizing infants.
There is strong and conclusive evidence showing that the ancient Jews and the 1st and 2nd century Christian Gentiles all practiced baptism by full immersion. Even pagans understood in the early years that Christians were immersed in water, professing their faith in Christ' death, burial and resurrection from the dead. The Roman Emperor Constantine, after allegedly converting to Christianity in the 4th century, falsely believed that the Christian rite of baptism washed away one's personal sins. Because of this belief, Constantine waited until shortly before his death to be baptized in order to avoid dying with any unwashed sin. He was baptized by immersion (Eusebius, The Life of Constantine, Chapter 62). A disagreement arose in the Roman Catholic Church after Constantine's death over the timing of baptism. Many Roman Catholic theologians argued that infants needed baptism to wash away original sin lest they die in their infancy unbaptized. Infant baptism became a widespread occurance in the Roman Catholic church throughout the middle ages (AD 500 to AD 1500).
Even AFTER the Reformation in 1517, Christians in those groups that split from Roman Catholicism (i.e. Anglicans, Puritans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc...) continued the practice of infant baptism.
Wade Burleson recently wrote: There are some Christians who have always resisted infant baptism, even throughout the Middle Ages. These Christians were persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church for being traitors to the state. Likewise, after the Reformation, Christians who resisted infant baptism were persecuted by Protestant AND Catholics and were given the epitath "ana-baptists" for being traitors to the state! The Holy Roman Empire throughout the Middle Ages had kings who came to Rome to receive God's blessings to rule a portion of the empire. Church and state were united. When the Reformation came, England split from Rome, but England still kept a state church--the Anglican Church. Germany split from Rome and still kept a state church--the Lutheran Church. Scotland split from Rome and still kept a state church--the Presbyterian Church. I could go on and on. Taxes paid pastors salaries in Protestant and Catholic countries. Kings appointed the pastors (bishops) in Protestant countries and served as head of both the church and the state. The Pope continued to appoint bishops and kings in Catholic countries. Those Christians in Protestant England, Protestant Europe states and Roman Catholic states who refused to baptize their children in infancy eventually became known as Baptists. The Baptists in England and Europe, like their ana-baptist forefathers, were persecuted for being traitors to the states in which they lived. For over a millenia, Christian names and state citizenship had been bestowed on children at their baptisms--the rite which came to be called christening. Baptists refusing to baptize their infant children were deemed traitors to their respective states. Some Baptists were tortured and others were put to death by their governments. Some sought to escape persecution by coming to the newly discovered land of America.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sermon from Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012 I continued the series on "The Church" with a message "The Church is Built on the Gospel - Illustrated through Baptism" from Mark 8:38. This is the first of three messages on Baptism to be followed by three on the Lord's Supper. Here is the audio of Sunday's message.
The notes for the message can be found here.
The notes for the message can be found here.
April 15: A Day of Fasting and Prayer for North Korea
by Randy Alcorn
Believers around the world are setting aside this Sunday, April 15, as a day of prayer and fasting for the country of North Korea and the believers who live there. The situation in North Korea is increasingly problematic with the country facing its worst food shortage in a decade. (Millions are at risk and according to UNICEF, 80% of North Korean children are malnourished.)
For believers, the difficulty is compounded since North Korea is still the most hostile place in the world to be a Christian. Open Doors USA shared the following:
On April 15 all of North Korea will celebrate the “Day of the Sun” in honor of Kim Il-Sung’s 100th birthday. To the outside world, the picture will be one of prosperity and wealth; that North Korea is a great place to live under their caring leaders. But outside of the media’s eye the vast majority will continue to quietly suffer extreme poverty and starvation.
For Christians, as the birthday celebration draws near, their fear has increased as their actions are watched closer than before. They know that outwardly they must participate in the nationwide celebrations to avoid arrest …but in their hearts they will be celebrating the true “Son” Jesus Christ.
North Korea is the most hostile country in the world to live and practice the Christian faith. Estimates report that 25 percent of the Christian population is suffering in labor camps for their refusal to worship founder Kim Il-Sung’s cult religion called Juche. Enormous statues of the “Great Leader” are prominently displayed throughout the country. Kim Il-Sung is exalted and revered as a god to be followed with obedience. Citizens are required to bow down to pay their respects, wear a lapel pin with his image on it and prominently display photos of both Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il (both deceased).
As North Korea celebrates the “Day of the Sun” let us unite our efforts by drawing on the power of the Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Show your solidarity on April 15 by praying for believers in North Korea and taking a day off of food – or perhaps one meal – to remember the suffering of the North Korean people.
Prayer isn’t passive, it’s active. It’s really doing something. Prayer isn’t the least we can do, it’s the most. We pray now in faith, believing our prayers are making an eternal difference; we anticipate Heaven, where we’ll learn God’s breath-taking answers to our prayers, including many that seemed unheard and ignored.
To register to receive information on how to pray for North Korea, sign up at the Open Doors website. (On April 15 they will be posting hourly updates from their Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep you engaged in prayer.)
Believers around the world are setting aside this Sunday, April 15, as a day of prayer and fasting for the country of North Korea and the believers who live there. The situation in North Korea is increasingly problematic with the country facing its worst food shortage in a decade. (Millions are at risk and according to UNICEF, 80% of North Korean children are malnourished.)
For believers, the difficulty is compounded since North Korea is still the most hostile place in the world to be a Christian. Open Doors USA shared the following:
On April 15 all of North Korea will celebrate the “Day of the Sun” in honor of Kim Il-Sung’s 100th birthday. To the outside world, the picture will be one of prosperity and wealth; that North Korea is a great place to live under their caring leaders. But outside of the media’s eye the vast majority will continue to quietly suffer extreme poverty and starvation.
For Christians, as the birthday celebration draws near, their fear has increased as their actions are watched closer than before. They know that outwardly they must participate in the nationwide celebrations to avoid arrest …but in their hearts they will be celebrating the true “Son” Jesus Christ.
North Korea is the most hostile country in the world to live and practice the Christian faith. Estimates report that 25 percent of the Christian population is suffering in labor camps for their refusal to worship founder Kim Il-Sung’s cult religion called Juche. Enormous statues of the “Great Leader” are prominently displayed throughout the country. Kim Il-Sung is exalted and revered as a god to be followed with obedience. Citizens are required to bow down to pay their respects, wear a lapel pin with his image on it and prominently display photos of both Kim Il-Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il (both deceased).
As North Korea celebrates the “Day of the Sun” let us unite our efforts by drawing on the power of the Holy Son, Jesus Christ. Show your solidarity on April 15 by praying for believers in North Korea and taking a day off of food – or perhaps one meal – to remember the suffering of the North Korean people.
Prayer isn’t passive, it’s active. It’s really doing something. Prayer isn’t the least we can do, it’s the most. We pray now in faith, believing our prayers are making an eternal difference; we anticipate Heaven, where we’ll learn God’s breath-taking answers to our prayers, including many that seemed unheard and ignored.
To register to receive information on how to pray for North Korea, sign up at the Open Doors website. (On April 15 they will be posting hourly updates from their Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep you engaged in prayer.)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Easter Sunday Sermon 4-8-12
Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012 I continued the series on "The Church" with a message "The Church is Built on the Gospel" from Romans 1:16. This will also introduce a six-Sunday series on "The Gospel Illustrated" with three upcoming messages on baptism and three on the Lord's Supper. Here is the audio of Sunday's message.
The notes for the message are in the media device below. Click on Menu (far right) and you will be able to download the Notes.
The notes for the message are in the media device below. Click on Menu (far right) and you will be able to download the Notes.
Friday, April 6, 2012
The Gospel revealed at the Cross
“He stripped off first one robe of honor and then another until, naked, He was fastened to the cross. There He emptied His inmost self, pouring out His lifeblood, giving Himself for all of us. Finally, they laid Him in a borrowed grave. How low was our dear Redeemer brought! How then, can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross and count the scarlet drops by which you have been cleansed. See the thorny crown and His scourged shoulders still gushing with the crimson flow of blood. See His hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and His whole self mocked and scorned. See the bitterness, the pangs, and the throes of inward grief show themselves in His outward frame. Hear the chilling shriek, ‘My God, How We Must Come..-3 -my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matthew 27:46).
If you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know Him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son. As Jesus stooped for you, bow in humility at His feet. A realization of Christ’s amazing love has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson. Then let us rise and carry it into practice.” Charles Spurgeon
“The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day evangelist. He announces a Savior from Hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness.” Arthur W. Pink
If you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know Him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son. As Jesus stooped for you, bow in humility at His feet. A realization of Christ’s amazing love has a greater tendency to humble us than even a consciousness of our own guilt. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson. Then let us rise and carry it into practice.” Charles Spurgeon
“The nature of Christ’s salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day evangelist. He announces a Savior from Hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness.” Arthur W. Pink
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Ed Lacy's sermon April 4, 2012 6:30
Evangelist Ed Lacy concluded his preaching this week at CrossRoads Baptist Church last night, Wednesday night, April 4, 2012. His message was "The Call of Grace" from Ezekiel 16:1-6. Here is the audio recording of that message. The recording begins with him singing.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Ed Lacy's sermon April 3, 2012 6:30
Evangelist Ed Lacy is preaching this week at CrossRoads Baptist Church. Tuesday night, April 3, 2012 he preached "Holy Mourning at the Cross" from Zechariah 12:10-13:1. Here is the audio recording of that message. The recording begins with him singing.
Ed Lacy's sermon April 2, 2012 6:30
Evangelist Ed Lacy is preaching this week at CrossRoads Baptist Church. Monday night, April 2, 2012 he preached "Sign Posts That You May Know You are Converted" from I John 5:13. Here is the audio recording of that message. The recording begins with him singing.
Monday, April 2, 2012
Ed Lacy's sermon April 1, 2012 6:00
Evangelist Ed Lacy is preaching this week at CrossRoads Baptist Church. Sunday night, April 1, 2012 he preached "The Narrow Way" from Matthew 7:13-14. Here is the audio recording of that message. The recording begins with him singing "My Chains Are Gone"
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Ed Lacy's sermon April 1, 2012 10:15
Evangelist Ed Lacy is preaching this week at CrossRoads Baptist Church. Sunday morning, April 1, 2012 he preached "The Gospel: Good News and Bad News" from II Corinthians 5: 20-21. Here is the audio recording of that message. The recording begins with him singing.
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