Archive for ‘Suffering’

October 12, 2016

Your Blest Grief Now (1 Peter 4:12-14)

Robert Mossotti

Mr. Robert Mossotti, OPC Licentiate

On Sunday, September 25, 2016, Mr. Robert Mossotti preached “Your Blest Grief Now” from 1 Peter 4:12-14.

1. Trials Are Certain—Suffering goes with faith because belief in Christ unites one to Christ, who first endured the cross before he won the crown.

2. Trials Are Fiery—Fiery trials test us. For the lost, they lead to destruction; for believers they lead to blessing and sanctification.

3. Trials Are Blessings—Christian sufferings are the birth pangs of the new creation; the Lord is purging sin from the universe—in part during this present age, and in full in the age to come.

Listen to “Your Blest Grief Now” (1 Peter 4:12-14) at mcopc.org.

October 5, 2016

Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century

christianity-in-crisis-21st-century-coverStatus: Checked Out

Book Description:

Nearly two decades ago Hank Hanegraaff’s award-winning Christianity in Crisis alerted the world to the dangers of a cultic movement within Christianity that threatened to undermine the very foundation of biblical faith. But in the 21st century, there are new dangers—new teachers who threaten to do more damage than the last.

These are not obscure teachers that Hanegraaff unmasks. We know their names. We have seen their faces, sat in their churches, and heard them shamelessly preach and promote the false pretexts of a give-to-get gospel. They are virtual rock stars who command the attention of presidential candidates and media moguls. Through make-believe miracles, urban legends, counterfeit Christs, and twisted theological reasoning, they peddle an occult brand of metaphysics that continues to shipwreck the faith of millions around the globe:

“God cannot do anything in this earthly realm unless we give Him permission.”

“Keep saying it—‘I have equality with God’—talk yourself into it.”

“Being poor is a sin.”

“The Jews were not rejecting Jesus as Messiah; it was Jesus who was refusing to be the Messiah to the Jews!”

“You create your own world the same way God creates His. He speaks, and things happen; you speak, and they happen.”

Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century exposes darkness to light, pointing us back to a Christianity centered in Christ.

From the Preface:

“Having lost the ability to think biblically, postmodern Christians are being transformed from cultural change agents and initiators into cultural conformists and imitators. Pop culture beckons, and postmodern Christians have taken the bait. As a result, the biblical model of faith has given way to an increasingly bizarre array of fads and formulas.”

hank-hanegraaffAbout the Author:

Hank Hanegraaff is host of The Bible Answer Man, heard daily throughout the United States and Canada. He is president of the Christian Research Institute and author of many bestselling books, including The Prayer of Jesus and The Apocalypse Code

Pages: 432
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: March 3, 2009
ISBN: 0849900069

Library patrons who have read this book are invited to share their comments, reviews, questions or criticisms for discussion in the comments below this post.

November 19, 2015

For God’s Glory, and for Our Good (John 11:1-16)

Sermons JohnOn Sunday, November 8, 2015, Pastor Joe Troutman preached “For God’s Glory and For Our Good” from John 11:1-16.

Lazarus’s deliverance from death was, and your salvation from eternal damnation is, accomplished by Jesus Christ for the glory of the Triune God.

1. Expression of Love—Because of his love for Mary, Martha and Lazarus, Jesus stayed two days longer upon reports that Lazarus was ill. They benefited more by his delay than if he had healed Lazarus immediately.

2. Walking in the Day—Jesus knows there’s no safer plae for him to be than right where the Father planned for him to be. The divine nature of Jesus knows his Father’s secret will. There was still time for Jesus to work.

3. For Your Sake, For God’s Glory—Jesus wants his disciples to have true faith in him. His delay in going to Lazarus was for their spiritual good. Sometimes for the sake of God’s glory, people must endure suffering.

Listen to “For God’s Glory and For Our Good” (John 11:1-16) at mcopc.org.

July 23, 2015

When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty

When God Weeps CoverStatus: Checked Out

Publisher’s Description

If God is loving, why is there suffering?
What’s the difference between permitting something and ordaining it?
When bad things happen, who’s behind them–God or the devil?

When suffering touches our lives, questions like these suddenly demand an answer. From our perspective, suffering doesn’t make sense, especially when we believe in a loving and just God.

After more than thirty years in a wheelchair, Joni Eareckson Tada’s intimate experience with suffering gives her a special understanding of God’s intentions for us in our pain. In When God Weeps, she and lifelong friend Steven Estes probe beyond glib answers that fail us in our time of deepest need. Instead, with firmness and compassion, they reveal a God big enough to understand our suffering, wise enough to allow it—and powerful enough to use it for a greater good than we can ever imagine.

About the Authors

Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni Eareckson Tada is founder and CEO of Joni and Friends, an organization that accelerates Christian outreach in the disability community. Joni and Friends provides practical support and spiritual help to special needs families worldwide, and equips thousands of churches in developing disability ministry. Joni is the author of numerous best-selling books, including Diamonds in the Dust, A Lifetime of Wisdom, and A Step Further. Joni and her husband, Ken, have been married for over 30 years. For more information on Joni and Friends, visit www.joniandfriends.org

Steve Estes

Steve Estes

Steven Estes holds Masters of Divinity and Masters of Theology degrees from Westminster Theological Seminary and Columbia Bible College. He is the senior pastor of Community Evangelical Church in Elverson, Pennsylvania. With Joni Tada, he co-authored A Step Further and also wrote Called to Die, the biography of slain missionary linguist Chet Bitterman.

Book Details

256 Pages
Publisher: Zondervan
Publication Date: September 2000
ISBN 10: 0310238358
ISBN 13: 9780310238355

Source: WTS Books

Library patrons who have read this book are invited to share their comments, reviews, questions or criticisms for discussion in the comments below this post.