A Christian Defined – Page 10

God’s Purposes for taking His children through grief, loss, darkness…. Pastor Patrick Hines

1 Jan 2023 Michael A

The video in this post is a podcast of Pastor Patrick Hines wherein he addresses Christian suffering. He used the text of 1 Peter 1:3-9 and after a brief intro, talked about a Christian pastor who committed suicide, and near the end, he discussed a man who was tortured by Vladimir Lenin’s officers and imprisoned for more than a decade. The latter, grew immeasurably from his ordeal and was more used by God…. Much was said about each man and his response / reaction to afflictions sent by our Sovereign God. You can learn something from Pastor Hines teaching to deal with the afflictions God sends into your life. He discusses a couple of useful books in the podcast.

Repent or Perish! – A. W. Pink

27 Dec 2022 Michael A

The following 5-minute devotional says much about repentance and the hindrances to it. The chief obstacle is self, which he addresses in a succinct but thorough manner. [One big problem of the Christian walk is learning to deny self. This culture has made that a huge problem because we are taught from childhood, by TV ads and by observing what the people around us value, that self-gratification is the height of personal freedom.] Sermon highlights precede the 5-minute video

Heaven Taken By Storm, an excerpt – Thomas Watson

8 Dec 2022 Michael A

There are two brief videos in this post; they are excerpts from Puritan Thomas Watson’s book, Heaven Taken by Storm. The first, 3 ½ minutes, is about sin and how to fight it; the second, 4 ½ minutes, is about the word and its benefits. There is a link to the 27-minute video from which I took these excerpts. Watson’s scriptural text is Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.

Prison Ministry of John MacArthur – Reaching The Lost When They’ve Hit Bottom

27 Nov 2022 Michael A

The title of this post does not mean that all prisoners have hit bottom, many will get released and continue in a life of crime; but MacArthur’s church ministry makes literature and ministry available for those who realize they are at a very low point in their lives. Part of the discussion focuses on the need of Christians to be able to present the biblical gospel message of hope to people, also non-prisoners, who are in dire need of it. In these days of mass deception (as evidenced in recent posts herein on the Covid 19 vax), and rapid moral disintegration of our world, everyone needs to be ready to meet God. Christians need to be able to witness Christ and His gospel message to lost family members and neighbors….

You Must Be Born Again – John MacArthur

27 Nov 2022 Michael A

The John MacArthur message in this post is divided into two parts, a 22-minute portion on being born again and a 6-minute portion of the prison ministry of MacArthur’s church wherein a prison official and 2 former prisoners discuss how they came to faith and what role the prison ministry had in that transformation. This post will help Christian readers understand that our time is a perfect time to bring the gospel message, as many are at very low points in their lives. The most recent posts in this blog were about the Covid 19 Vax crime against humanity which has killed many and is not done wreaking havoc in the world. Everyone needs to prepare to meet their God….

Hebrews 13:13 – Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.

20 Nov 2022 Michael A

The following brief commentary is on Hebrews 13:13 – “Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.” Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp – As if we were going forth with him when he was led away to be crucified. He was put to death as a malefactor. He was the object of contempt and scorn. He was held up to derision, and was taunted and reviled on his way to the place of death, and even on the cross. To be identified with him there; to follow him; to sympathize with him; to be regarded as his friend, would have subjected one to similar shame and reproach…. [This intro is most of Barnes’ commentary; John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible is also included in this post. Together, they provide better understanding]

Pastor Confronts Phoenix Mayor and City Council

16 Nov 2022 Michael A

In the 2-minute, 30-second video of this post, Pastor Jeff Durbin of Apologia Church was confronting Phoenix mayor and city council about their session wherein they sought to ignore a law calling for the protection of the unborn. Durbin compared their actions to those who opposed the Christian abolitionists because they couldn’t give up slavery, therefore, not wanting to offer “our Black brothers and sisters” protection under the law – this is a sterling example for all Christians about standing for Christ regarding issues currently on the forefront of the culture wars

Saving Faith – Counterfeits By A. W. Pink

16 Nov 2022 Michael A

There is a faith that seems genuine but that has no saving power. This post contains an 8-minute excerpt of a 32-minute A W Pink which provides some specific points that may help you ascertain the quality of your own faith. Since evangelism has been fairly corrupted the past 200 years, with many false gospels and methods of evangelism being foisted upon potential converts, ascertaining whether your faith is genuine or not is an important matter. The 32-minute reading is also included, as well as highlight points on the 8-minute excerpt.

Trendy Christians Err Greatly

11 Nov 2022 Michael A

This post contains the Evening portion of C H Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Thoughts for November 10. His words are very needful to the contemporary church because these words reveal their betrayal of Him, whom they falsely profess to be their Master. If you are struggling to carry your cross because it is so difficult due to the maltreatment from the world, then Spurgeon’s words will encourage and comfort you, as this message is woven throughout the Bible. Jesus stated it often, see John 15:18-27 for one example, other texts referenced in the post.

The Conditions of Power in Prayer – Charles Spurgeon

10 Nov 2022 Michael A

This post contains a C H Spurgeon sermon on prayer: there is a 14-minute excerpt on a sermon point that will give you insight into the quality of your own faith regarding prayer. Spurgeon talked about prayer in terms of the relationship of a child to his earthly father; his examples were the best I’ve heard in terms of revealing one’s faith. If you desire to have answered prayers…and to grow in faith and love of God, then you will certainly benefit from hearing what he said. The entire sermon is also posted herein, and I highly recommend it, as the excerpt only covers one sermon point.

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