Sermon Text: John 1:14-18

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:15 John *testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’”
John 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
John 1:17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.
John 1:18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

Combined Service this Sunday

We will be joining our sister church in Manchester this coming Lord's Day.

For information, click here.

Sermon Text: John 1:9-13

John 1:9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

I can't stand the BCS, perfect illustration

This was sent to me by my brother in TX. If you have been following College Football, this will totally make sense. If not, it is very difficult to explain, but in short, a computer determines the ranking of teams, and it is a broken system.

BCS DECLARES GERMANY WINNER OF WORLD WAR II
US Ranked 4th

After determining the Big-12 championship game participants the
BCS computers were put to work on other major contests and today the BCS
declared Germany to be the winner of World War II.

"Germany put together an incredible number of victories
beginning with the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland and
continuing on into conference play with defeats of Poland,France,
Norway, Sweden,Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. Their only losses
came against the US and Russia; however considering their entire body of
work--including an incredibly tough Strength of Schedule--our computers
deemed them worthy of the #1 ranking."

Questioned about the #4 ranking of the United States the BCS
commissioner stated "The US only had two major victories--Japan and
Germany. The computer models, unlike humans, aren't influenced by
head-to-head contests--they consider each contest to be only a single,
equally-weighted event."

German Chancellor Adolph Hiter said "Yes, we lost to the US; but
we defeated #2 ranked France in only 6 weeks." Herr Hitler has been
criticized for seeking dramatic victories to earn 'style points' to
enhance Germany's rankings. Hitler protested "Our contest with Poland
was in doubt until the final day and the conditions in Norway were
incredibly challenging and demanded the application of additional
forces."

The French ranking has also come under scrutiny. The BCS
commented " France had a single loss against Germany and following a
preseason #1 ranking they only fell to #2."

Japan was ranked #3 with victories including Manchuria, Borneo
and the Philippines.

Sermon Text: John 1:3-5

John 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
John 1:5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Sermon Text: John 1:1-2

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.

This really cracked me up

I could not stop laughing, in part because my wife likes Barry Manilow.

Read this.

I can just image the look on the faces of those teenagers listening to hours of Barry Manilow. Not a pretty picture.

New Biography of Francis Schaeffer

Saw this on my Google Reader.....

Click Here to Read....

Kinda interesting to see the connection between L'Abri and OMF. Given my respect for Hudson Taylor and Francis Schaeffer, I thought that was pretty neat.

I feel a connection with these men. Schaeffer ministered less than 10 miles from my hometown, his article on infant baptism is very good. Hudson Taylor and his love for China. Great men of faith.

Anyhow, great to see Francis Schaeffer getting some recognition.

Sermon Text: John 6:1-21

ohn 6:1 After these things Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (or Tiberias).
John 6:2 A large crowd followed Him, because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick.
John 6:3 Then Jesus went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples.
John 6:4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.
John 6:5 Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?”
John 6:6 This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do.
John 6:7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little.”
John 6:8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, *said to Him,
John 6:9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?”
John 6:10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
John 6:11 Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted.
John 6:12 When they were filled, He *said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.”
John 6:13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.
John 6:14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”
John 6:15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.
John 6:16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea,
John 6:17 and after getting into a boat, they started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
John 6:18 The sea began to be stirred up because a strong wind was blowing.
John 6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they *saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near to the boat; and they were frightened.
John 6:20 But He *said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
John 6:21 So they were willing to receive Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.

Historical Sermon : Martyn Lloyd Jones

We did this once in the summer, and I got a wonderful reaction from the congregation, so I thought we would try it again.

Last time we had George Whitefield preach, but this Sunday we will hear from someone who lived through the greater part of the 20th Century.

I really enjoy his preaching and reading materials, and I hope you will too. To read a short article on Martyn Lloyd Jones, click here.

Hope to see you Sunday!

Romania Missions Trip => Spring 2009

The Presbytery of Northern New England is sponsoring a mission's trip to Romania to work with a an agency that helps care for orphans. Romania has a very high percentage of orphans.

There is a video about the trip that is quite good, and shows who we will be partnering with. I will warn you, it may make you cry.

Click on the link to download the video.

If you are interested, contact me and I will give you further information about the trip.

Unbelievable Avaition Miracle => Wow!

I thought this was a joke at first, until I saw it on BBC. I can not imagine what this man was going through. Going blind while flying, and landing safely. Incredible.

Click Here to read the Article.

Sermon Text: John 5:1-47

John 5:1 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 5:2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes.
John 5:3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters;
John 5:4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.]
John 5:5 A man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.
John 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well?”
John 5:7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”
John 5:8 Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.”
John 5:9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
¶ Now it was the Sabbath on that day.
John 5:10 So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.”
John 5:11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’”
John 5:12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?”
John 5:13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.”
John 5:15 The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.
John 5:16 For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.
John 5:17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
John 5:18 For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
John 5:19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 5:20 “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.
John 5:21 “For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.
John 5:22 “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son,
John 5:23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
John 5:25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
John 5:26 “For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself;
John 5:27 and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
John 5:28 “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice,
John 5:29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.
John 5:30 “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.
John 5:31 “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not true.
John 5:32 “There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.
John 5:33 “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.
John 5:34 “But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved.
John 5:35 “He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.
John 5:36 “But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.
John 5:37 “And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form.
John 5:38 “You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.
John 5:39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
John 5:40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
John 5:41 “I do not receive glory from men;
John 5:42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.
John 5:43 “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.
John 5:44 “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only God?
John 5:45 “Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope.
John 5:46 “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.
John 5:47 “But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Great Comment by Mark Driscoll

Read this prior to the election. I think Mark is right on about our world looking for saviors in all the wrong places. He also talks about ministers getting sidetracked. Here is a quote from his blog.

"Lastly, for those preachers who have gotten sidetracked for the cause of a false king and a false kingdom by making too much of the election and too little of Jesus, today is a good day to practice repentance in preparation to preach it on Sunday. Just give it some time. The thirst will remain that only Jesus can quench. So, we’ve still got work to do….until we see King Jesus and voting is done once and for all."

Click Here to read the entire entry.

Daylight Savings => Time to "Fall Back"

A friendly reminder, it is that time of the year to change your clocks and get an extra hour of sleep!

Sermon Text: John 4:43-54

John 4:43 After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee.
John 4:44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
John 4:45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.
John 4:46 Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.
John 4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.
John 4:48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”
John 4:49 The royal official *said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
John 4:50 Jesus *said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.
John 4:51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.
John 4:52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
John 4:53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household.
John 4:54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Rooting for the Home Team

I was disappointed with ESPN's headline yesterday, but today they fixed it. I am looking forward to the game tomorrow night, should be a good one! Go Penn State!

Sermon Text: Jn 4:1-30

John 4:1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John
John 4:2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were),
John 4:3 He left Judea and went away again into Galilee.
John 4:4 And He had to pass through Samaria.
John 4:5 So He *came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph;
John 4:6 and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
John 4:7 There *came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.”
John 4:8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
John 4:9 Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
John 4:11 She *said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water?
John 4:12 “You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?”
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again;
John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”
John 4:15 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.”
John 4:16 He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.”
John 4:17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’;
John 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”
John 4:19 The woman *said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
John 4:20 “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.”
John 4:21 Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.
John 4:22 “You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
John 4:23 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4:25 The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.”
John 4:26 Jesus *said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
John 4:27 At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?”
John 4:28 So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men,
John 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not the Christ, is it?”
John 4:30 They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

Sermon Text: John 3:1-15

John 3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
John 3:2 this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
John 3:8 “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can these things be?”
John 3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things?
John 3:11 “Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.
John 3:12 “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
John 3:13 “No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.
John 3:14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
John 3:15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.

Modern Day Nineveh no place for Christians

This was very sad to read. Click to read the article.

After spending a year preaching on Jonah & Nahum, I have an interest in Mosul, which is built on the ancient site of Nineveh.

We need to remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Mosul.