Essays
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Dear Members and Friends, Have you noticed that, with the multiplicity of choices open to them, American christians are often leaving one church and heading for another? Sometimes this is a reflection of the low level of personal commitment in our society; other times it is not. But, it is always a difficult experience for
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I suppose we have heard about the pagan origins of the Christmas celebration many times. Most Christians are not deterred from celebrating in spite of the idolatrous associations that existed long ago. Just in case you missed it, most ancient cultures had celebrations at the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. These celebrations
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When I was much younger (a long time ago) I had two experiences at Christmas time that now remind me of the importance of thanksgiving. First, there was a certain winter jacket I wanted with the great big pockets that boys love. The loving relative buying the present decided another jacket fit better. I said
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In this sinful world we have all experienced injustice and hurtful situations. It is a struggle at times to step away from our emotions and render forgiveness, especially if the offense is repeated. We overcome our hurt and frustration over one situation only to have another provocation from the same source. It is a continual
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Recently I created a stir in the congregation I serve by pointing out that the church building was not the “House of God” and that we ought to avoid this terminology. This vernacular usage has troubled me for many years. The situation that precipitated the dialogue was a common one in many churches. The congregation,
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Exodus 34:15 Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is jealous, is a jealous God. We may read this verse and congratulate ourselves that we do not worship other Gods. Let us be careful. Deuteronomy 11:16 says, Take heed to yourselves that your heart be not deceived and you turn aside,
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INTRODUCTION Isaiah preached God’s Word over 700 years before Christ was born. He is called the evangelical prophet because his writing is filled with prophecies of the coming King whom we know as Jesus Christ, our Savior. In the 16th Century John Calvin preached on the “Gospel According to Isaiah,” and in 1977 Dr. Allan
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We are making the transition again from Daylight Saving Time to Eastern Standard Time and I hope you remember to “fall back” so that you don’t show up for Sunday School or church an hour early. You wouldn’t want to give the Pastor a heart attack. For one Sunday everyone will be on time. Just
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INTRODUCTION We are faced with a challenge to our representative form of government. Can we learn to live in freedom. Is the freedom of religion a myth? There are good signs. Cf. “How a Great Nation Responds” Both Christians and Muslims have the objective of converting one another. This objective can be achieved in the
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John 19: 25,26 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear Woman, here is your Son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”
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What a silly question! Of course a revival is a blessing. It is a glorious thing that God visits us by His Spirit and brings times of conviction, confession, conversion and refreshing. But careful reflection reminds us that revivals are like everything else in this fallen world. They have the potential to be both bane
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Most of us are aware that churches vary in the frequency of the times they celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and also in the ways in which they invite people to the table of the Lord. In the former instance we have no Biblical mandate with regard to frequency, and so it is appropriate that this
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Among historic Christian communities there is no question that baptism is a requirement for entrance into the Church, the Body of Christ. We should all understand that there are two issues that confront us in baptism. One is the mode and the other is the subjects. The historic Christian communities do not agree on these.
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As they say, the characters in this story are fictional and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The exception to this is the hero Dutch, our beloved greyhound. The tale is speculation, based on my understanding of Scripture, but may bring some comfort to those dealing with the death of their
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Exodus 20: 4-6 reminds us that either God’s curse or God’s blessing comes upon succeeding generations. Yet many say that two generations in one home will not work., or we are told that a church must have a “generationally targeted audience,” in its plan. There are those who miss many blessings by this kind of
Dr. John P. Clark's Sermons & Writings 