Introduction: Many Christians veer into one of two errors in their view of future history. Either they plunge into a very exciting study of the “end times” and become consumed with the book of Revelation and newspaper reports about the European Union, not to mention the killer bees, trouble in the Middle East, and so …
State of the Church 2015
Introduction: This last fall, our congregation celebrated its 40th year. God has been extraordinarily gracious to us, mostly by letting us survive, and so we naturally want to express our thanksgiving to Him. As we look forward to the next 40, at the end of which time I will be 102, we hope to be …
21 Maxims for Discouraged Pastors
1. The ministry is hard, exacting work. “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). In 2 Tim. 2:3-6, the apostle Paul compares the work of ministry to three vocations, and all of them involve a goodly …
Getting Dressed for Christmas
Introduction: Holidays are frequently times when people get trapped by the expectations game. Because everyone around you assumes that the day is going to be “really good,” “special,” or “fantastic,” and is constantly telling you to have a “merry” one, it is easy to assume that having a merry Christmas is an actual possession of …
A Voice Like Many Waters
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) “His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of …
The Meaning of Gift
Introduction: In one sense, the meaning of Christmas is about much more than “presents” or “gifts.” But in another sense, this is the only thing that Christmas means. Many Christians think they are on safe spiritual ground in sneering at all the “consumerism,” but even here, especially here, it is too easy to strain out …
In Our Midst
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) “And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and …
Joy to the World
Introduction: A few years ago I preached an annotated version of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, showing how saturated in Scripture that Christmas carol was. Well, it is not the only one, and so I thought to do the same thing with Joy to the World. While Hark was assembled out of many passages, Joy …
In the Spirit on the Lord’s Day
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto …
The Judaizers and Silver Bells
Introduction: The Christmas story is in the Bible, but there is no command given to us to make it a holiday. But now that we have made it a holiday, we have plenty of material to work with because the birth of Jesus is described in such great detail in both Matthew and Luke. But …