dknappen

We cannot grow as Christians in the faith if our minds are filled with worldly thoughts. Paul instructs us in Philippians 4:8-9 to dwell on virtues that uplift us and draw us closer to Christ.

Real Joy seems to be in short supply these days for everyone. I can understand the unbelievers being in short supply, but Christians? Why? We have the storehouses of heaven at our disposal and so very, very much more. Paul commands us (so does Jesus) to rejoice. Listen in to learn how.

The enemy of Christ is always on the lookout to find ways to destroy churches who are in the battle for souls. Division seems to be his favorite weapon of choice. An alert church will address this before it is too late. Listen to what the Apostle Paul has to say about this from Philippians 4:2-3.

The main point of this message is this: Citizens of heaven live under the Lord’s edicts and look forward to His coming. In this message I also share Paul's description of and markers of false teachers. This should make it easy for people to spot them when they see them, or listen to them.

Do you think wishing to die by crucifixion borders on insanity? Not for the Apostle Paul who truly desired to die like Christ. Whether or not that would be the mode of his death, he did not know, but he really wanted to be a martyr for Christ so that he could receive a better resurrection. Sounds strange? It is all in today's passage from Philippians.

The Christian Life is not a solo affair. It requires a team and as much as Paul needed Timothy to stay with him in Rome the Philippians needed Epaphroditus to return to Philippi as Paul's ambassador to them. In this journey we need one another to inspire, to encourage, to witness without fear and to grow into Christ-likeness.

Imagine for a second having all the glory of heaven and all the attributes of Godness within you for all eternity past and choosing to shed all of that in order to rescue sinful souls such as us. Yes, that is exactly what Jesus did, and even though we can comprehend only about .01% of that, nevertheless we are told to ponder it and model this humility for ourselves towards one another.

Remember the TV series Cheers? Remember the theme song? "Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name". Great lyrics right? That is because lonely people are looking for a place where they feel safe and accepted. My observation: Bars excel where churches fail. Unacceptable. Paul challenges the church in Philippi to make sure they are a fellowship where people are loved and welcomed into the family. And loved enough not to leave them in their sin but to see them transformed by the power of the gospel.

Just as the title says, pastors, get engaged in the cultural battles raging around us. Let's not be like the 12,000 pastors in Germany who stood on the sidelines and let the Nazis murder millions of innocents!

Pietism, the heretical doctrine that taught Christians should stay out of politics (Just preach the gospel we hear again and again) has infiltrated our churches along with a faulty interpretation of Romans 13:1-7. Eric Metaxes is doing all he can in his book and movie by the same name to get pastors in the fight against the evils in our nation today. Here is more biblical support for that call to action.

Do you vacillate between staying on earth to do more for God's Kingdom and at the same time desiring to be in heaven with the King and all His glory? Well then, you are a mature believer like Paul who could not decide between the two. He is our example.

According to the Bible, is abortion murder? If so, should the ones who get an abortion be considered murderers? And if so, ought they to be criminalized for murdering infants in the womb? Tough questions right? This sermon answers these questions from God's point of view. This is Sanctity of Life Sunday. Share this sermon with others if you agree with what the Bible says.

Isaac showed great faith in obeying God's command to stay in the land during a famine instead of heading for greener pastures in Egypt. But as soon as he made that decision he tells Rebekah to pretend to be his sister so that the men of Gerar will not be tempted to kill him and take her as their own. How typical of all of us. Two steps forward in spiritual growth and one step back. At least the direction is upward.

The Good News the angel spoke of was that Yeshua Meshiach (Jesus Christ in Hebrew) came to defeat sin and death and the devil. All of us battle these three every day. If he is your Saviour, you can live in his victory. He paid it for you in full.

When Abraham took his final breath, there was a smile on his face. The specific word in Hebrew is Sabea, meaning total contentment at the moment of his death. This should be every believer's goal - that at the end of life, we leave with a smile on our face knowing we have fulfilled God's destiny for our lives. Listen in to see how Abraham pulled it off.

I can't imagine how many marriages would have lasted longer if they had just listened to the Lord's wisdom regarding marriage and how to choose a life partner. Listen in as we take principles from Genesis 24 on how to make important decisions God's way.

Do churches and Christians have a role in politics? Should churches be speaking to politicians on moral issues? Absolutely. The Bible clearly teaches that it is our duty.

In this first-person narrative sermon, I explore the thoughts and emotions of Abraham as Yahweh commanded him to sacrifice Isaac on a hill in the land of Moriah. I cannot think of any test more difficult and painful than this one. Yet, the Lord's expectations remain the same then as now. We are to love God more than we love family. Hard? Yes. But well worth the ordeal.

Be honest, if you are as old as I am or even half my age, you know that God has saved your life or answered a big prayer request just in time when you needed Him to come through. Those moments are burned into your memory as markers you will never forget. Use those markers to remind you that if he did it before, he will do it again.

Ever been tempted to tell God to "Hurry up" when you think He is late answering and fulfilling His promises? I admit, not speaking it out loud, but certainly feeling it. I bet you have too. The point is, Yahweh is never late. His timing is perfect. So are His plans. Was it His will for me to injure my knew big time coming out of a deer stand? Just like what happened to Job (only a million times less) there is always more than one entity at work and nothing passes through God's sovereign will without His approval. You can take that to the bank and all the way to Heaven!