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Thanksgiving: The Antidote to Pernicious Creeping Materialism |
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Written by Dr. Harold McNabb
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Saturday, 08 October 2005 16:00 |
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.
He threw himself at Jesus? feet and thanked him?and he was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, ?Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Luke 17:11-19
Dr. Erin Beck is well known for his depression scale. It is the questionaire that is given to people suffering from depression.. He published some research on suicide in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Among other factors, he found that your risk of killing yourself rises with your income. A different study says, "subtract two years from your life if your income is over $40,000" That is US, so maybe $50,000 Canadian. With affluence, anxiety goes up, contentment goes down.
Next time you ask for a raise, your boss may say, "No, we can?t afford to put your life at risk."
Be forewarned.
There is no glory in poverty, but chasing after money and stuff money buys obviously does not bring happiness either.
John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in California says,
A study of thirty plus denominations points out that although income after taxes and inflation, increased 31% in the last 17 years, giving has gone down 8.5% in the same . . .
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Written by Rev. Spence Laycock
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Thursday, 06 October 2005 16:00 |
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Some of the most profound and familiar images in the Bible have to do with water. Noah and the flood of the whole earth, Moses and opening up of the Red Sea, Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee, water being turned into wine, the pool of Siloam and the healing that Jesus did there, the drying up of the Euphrates river in days yet future, all are miraculous events that have to do with water. So this morning we also look at how God used water to proclaim His present and future sovereignty, when He again overruled the laws of matter and nature to proclaim His glory. As we read Joshua chapter three we?ll examine it in three sections, each section calling us, as it did the Hebrews, to prepare ourselves for what God is about to do.
I. Before You Begin To Step In, Wipe Your Heart Clean. (vs 1-5)
Consider the first five verses ofJoshua 3. The nation of Israel was brought to the edge of the Jordanand there they waited for three days. It was a time of preparation not delay. They were told to do three things, 1. When you see the ark of the covenant being lifted up and carried by the priests, follow it. 2. When you follow it be careful to keep your distance, stay back 3000 feet so that you can see it, for where it leads is where you have never been before 3. Consecrate yourselves for what comes next requires a readied heart. We are about to follow the Word of God here this morning, we are about to move in obedience to what Jesus specifically instructed all His disciples to do as . . .
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Written by Dr. Harold McNabb
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Monday, 03 October 2005 17:51 |
The late Bishop Edwin Hughes once delivered a rousing sermon on "God?s Ownership" that put a rich parishioner?s nose out-of-joint. The wealthy man took the Bishop off for lunch, and then walked him through his elaborate gardens, woodlands, and farm. "Now are you going to tell me," he demanded when the tour was completed, "that all this land does not belong to me?" Bishop Hughes smiled and suggested, "Ask me that same question a hundred years from now."1
Over the next five weeks I am going to preach on the topic of stewardship.
This morning as we celebrate the Lord?s Supper, I am going to begin at the basis of our stewardship:
We give because God first gave to us.
On the surface, that statement seems simple enough, but our hearts are not simple.
We may understand that with our head, but our emotions may be working at cross-purposes.
Fear and unbelief betray our . . .
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Last Updated on Monday, 03 October 2005 17:54 |
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Trusting In Mercy - For Those Who Knock and For Those Who Answer |
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Written by Rev. Spence Laycock
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Saturday, 01 October 2005 16:00 |
Can you think of the last time when someone was merciful to you? This will be different than another person showing you a random act of kindness, for we often mistake grace for mercy. When someone has given you something good which you know you do not deserve, that would be grace. You?ll see gracious people everywhere if you care to look. But what about merciful people, have you experienced someone not giving you something negative or condemning when in fact you did deserve it? That would be what mercy looks like. There is an intriguing story before us this morning that has a double edge of mercy, mercy for the one who knocks and mercy for the one who answers the knock. Turn with me to Joshua chapter 2.
Let?s think for a moment about the characters that are set before us.
There are the two spies, apparently novices at this trade. I?m not sure if they were wearing plaid shirts and spandex shorts, but what is clear is that they weren?t very good at being secret spies. It appears their ?cover? was blown the minute they entered Jericho, the king knew about . . .
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