Note: This daily sermon for the hearing impaired is dedicated to my good friend, David J. Bishop, who went home to be with his Lord Jesus on July 1, 2021. David was the inspiration for me to begin posting links to sermons for the hearing impaired. David's not deaf anymore. And the first words he heard were from our Lord Jesus, saying to him, "Well done, David, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord!" [Matthew 25:21]
Here is one of the last pictures David sent to me before he died. He was a big sports fan and LOVED the Seattle Seahawks! He was also a BIG baseball fan. I'm sure if David had been able to hear he would have loved the song, Take Me Out to the Ball Game! But David loved our Lord Jesus much, much, much more than any sporting event!
The text for the following sermons are found in Colossians 1:14-16: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him..."
The following Bible readings are taken from the website, Oneyearbibleonline.com. If you follow this reading plan you will read through the whole Bible in one year. I highly encourage you to do so. Also, the sermons below each section are ones that I have chosen from the website, Sermonaudio.com.
Christian's New Friends, by John Bunyan (1628-1688) Note: This is a reading of a portion of Pilgrim's Progress, one of the best selling books in the English language, right behind the Holy Bible! (The Text for this reading is Luke 14:23 & Proverbs 26:25)
So, Bob Woodward knew Joe Biden was battling dementia over a hear and a half ago but chose to hide that information until his book came out! Here is a fascinating book that questions whether Bob Woodward might have been a career intelligence officer before going into journalism: Deep Truth: The Lives of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein
Here is an excerpt from this book:
"Whenever you run a clandestine operation, you run two things at the same time: you prepare the team for the hit, and you keep it so small there's nobody to spread it all around. And across the hall is a big staff working on what we call special plans. They're preparing the cover story. The cover story is what they want people to believe and to talk about, and to argue about." - From a 1992 speech by Col. Fletcher Prouty, former chief of special operations, Joint Chief of Staff
And another related quote from David Rockefeller: "We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost 40 years......It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supernational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in past centuries.”
The text for this sermon is Jeremiah 9:9: "Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"
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In another sermon, Dr. Beeke quotes a Puritan as saying that if our biggest problem is not our indwelling sin, it might be a sign we are not even saved." Recently someone suggested that our government is somehow behind these terrible hurricanes. I don't know about that. But when you look at the follow news story from today, maybe these storms are God's judgment on America!
"It's as if the sinner should say to the Lord in the Day of Judgment, 'Have mercy on me.'
'Have mercy upon you?' says God. 'No, I will have no mercy upon you. There was a time when you might have had mercy without judgment, but now you shall have judgment without mercy. Depart! Depart!' If they should then beg and say, 'Lord, if we must depart, let it be from Thy throne of judgment, but not from Thee.' 'No,' says the Lord. 'Depart from me. Depart form my presence, which is joy. Depart, and go to hell!' 'Lord,' they say, 'seeing we must be gone, bless us before we go, that Thy blessing may be upon us.' 'Oh no,' says God, 'Go with a curse. Depart ye cursed.' 'Oh Lord, if we must go from Thee, let us not go into the place of torment, but appoint a place, if not of pleasure, then of ease.' 'No, depart into fire, burning and tormenting flames.' 'Oh Lord, if into fire, let it be only for a little while. For who can dwell in everlasting burning?' 'No! Neither you nor the fire shall know an end. Be gone into everlasting fire.' 'Lord, then let it be long before we go there.' 'No, depart immediately. The sentence shall be immediately put into execution.' 'Oh Lord, let us at least have good company who will pity us, though they cannot help us.' 'No, you shall have none but the tormenting devils. Those whom you obeyed when they were your tempters shall be with you as tormentors.' What misery sin has brought on man to bring him to hear this dreadful doom."
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were they thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible men, and to birds, and four footed beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lusts, one towards another; men with men, working that which is unseamly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity, whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
Note: This daily sermon for the hearing impaired is dedicated to my good friend, David J. Bishop, who went home to be with his Lord Jesus on July 1, 2021. David was the inspiration for me to begin posting links to sermons for the hearing impaired. David's not deaf anymore. And the first words he heard were from our Lord Jesus, saying to him, "Well done, David, thou good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of thy Lord!" [Matthew 25:21]
Here is one of the last pictures David sent to me before he died. He was a big sports fan and LOVED the Seattle Seahawks! He was also a BIG baseball fan. I'm sure if David had been able to hear he would have loved the song, Take Me Out to the Ball Game! But David loved our Lord Jesus much, much, much more than any sporting event!
The following quote is from a sermon I listened to in the early 1980s. The sermon was on Total Depravity, and the minister was Rev. Paul den Butter:
"It is commonly stated that the central doctrine of the Reformation was the doctrine of justification by faith. Now it is of course true that justification by faith was one of the major issues of the Reformation. But more basic than the justification of the ungodly by faith alone, is the doctrine of man's depravity and consequently the bondage of his will. Martin Luther, one of the great reformers, has acknowledged this fact in his discussion with the great humanist Erasmus. Erasmus was a roman catholic, though he had quite a bit of criticism of the Roman Catholic Church, he never broke ranks with the Roman Catholic Church, and he saw need for reformation, but he never broke ranks with the Roman Catholic Church. He was a defender of much of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. Well, this humanist defended the doctrine, which is still taught by Roman, namely that man is not totally depraved. But that man still has a freedom in the use of his will. And writing a treatise on the freedom of man's will Erasmus defended that Roman Catholic position of semi-pelagianism Luther replied in his famous book the bondage of the will. and in that book Luther makes the statement, 'you alone have attacked the real thing, that is, the essential issue. You have not worried me with extraneous issues about the papacy, purgatory, indulgences and such like, trifles, rather than issues, in respect of which almost all to date have sought my blood...you, and you alone, have seen the hinge on which the vital turns, and aimed for the vital spot. For that I heartily thank you, for it is more gratifying to me to deal with this issue, and the issue is 'Does man have a free will or not.' And has seen thaLuther t on this issue everything hinges. Is man totally depraved or not? Is man completely corrupt or has he still some good within. now on this question there have been 3 positions during the history of the church. There was first of all Pelagianism, let me give you a little bit of church history also tonight. There was in the first place Pelagianism, named after a British monk, Pelagius, who preached in Rome from 401 to 409. ad. and Pelagius said every man comes into this world his own Adam. every man is born in a state of innocency. and he is endowed with the full ability to make his own choice and to decide whether he will be virtuous or vicious. So, Pelagius did not believe, not at all, in man's corruption. and in man's depraved nature. man was born in a state of innocency and man could determine whether he would be a virtuous person or a vitious person. Of course, Pelagius was honest enough to admit that man was doing sin but he did not sin because the source was within his heart no, no he sinned because he imitated other people that committed sin. There is also a second position called semi-pelagianism that goes not so far as pelagianism. . Pelagius said man is innocent. man is not depraved at all. He can make himself depraved but he is not. Semi-pelagianism said sure man is depraved, but not completely depraved, man is sick but he is not dead. and if man will only use those faculties which he still has and if he moves in the direction of God then God's grace will come and he will lead him the rest of the way. Man is deformed yes, man is sick sure But man is still able to use his free will , and using his free will he must make the first move and take the first step and God will do the rest. That is Semipelagians which was adopted by the Roman Catholic Church and by Arminianism, and by much of modern evangelism. But then there is a third position which is sometimes called Augustinianism, named after Augustine, a church father, who brought out of the word of God the doctrine of original sin. and of the need of divine grace in the entire complex of Gods saving activities. Augustine showed from the word of god that man is not depraved but that man is totally depraved. And for that reason no activity of man can save him. or can make the beginning of salvation. but that grace and grace alone can save man. Well these are the three positions, and it is not difficult t determine which positions our father held when they confessed total depravity."
A. The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
Q. 77. What is required in the ninth commandment? A. The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbor’s good name, especially in witness bearing.
Q. 78. What is forbidden in the ninth commandment? A. The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbor’s good name.
Q. 79. Which is the tenth commandment? A. The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.
Q. 80. What is required in the tenth commandment? A. The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbor, and all that is his.
The following Bible readings are taken from the website, Oneyearbibleonline.com. If you follow this reading plan you will read through the whole Bible in one year. I highly encourage you to do so. Also, the sermons below each section are ones that I have chosen from the website, Sermonaudio.com.
"How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street." Dimmed Gold Precedes Desolation, by E. A. Johnston
"The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!" - Lamentations 4:2
"The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins." - Lamentations 4:22
The following sermons are on Psalm 103:8-12: "The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant of mercy. He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not delt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us for our iniquity. For as the heavens that are high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our sins from us."
Christian's New Friends, by John Bunyan (1628-1688) Note: This is a reading of a portion of Pilgrim's Progress, one of the best selling books in the English language, right behind the Holy Bible! (The Text for this reading is Luke 14:23 & Proverbs 26:25)
Here are some quotes from the late RC Sproul (1939-2017):
"While God-given, the conscience has certain limitations in its ability to discern right from wrong. To hold a razor's edge, it must constantly be informed by the Word of God."
"We often hear the question, 'What happens to the poor innocent native in Africa who never had an opportunity to hear the gospel?'...Nothing happens to the poor innocent native who never had an opportunity to hear the gospel. Innocent people don't need salvation."
"Does saving faith require a trust in the righteousness of Christ alone as the grounds of our justification? Or may a person have a different view of the gospel and still be a Christian?"
"It is to Rome's credit, in my opinion, that she placed anathema on what she believed to be a false and heretical gospel. If sola fide is a distortion of the biblical gospel, surely it deserves such anathema. If the Reformers were preaching and teaching a false gospel, then they were apostate and deserved the labels put on them by Vatican I, 'schismatics and heretics.'"
"The Reformation was waged, not over the question of justification by faith, but over the issue of justification by faith alone. It was the sola of sola fide that was the central point of dispute."
"I said that if justification by faith alone is essential for salvation, and if Rome rejects justification by faith alone, then the conclusion follows by resistless logic that Rome rejects an essential truth of Christianity. When I use the word, if, here, I do so for the sake of the present argument. In my mind, there is no if about it. I am convinced, as were the Reformers, that justification by faith alone is essential to the gospel, and that Rome clearly rejects it."
"Agreement between Rome and Evangelicals can be reached in several ways. One is for Evangelicals to abandon their historic position of sola fide. A second is for Rome to adopt sola fide as its official doctrine. The third is for agreement to be reached that sola fide is not essential to the gospel."
"To indicate that the Roman view is inadequate, or it falls short, is a gentle criticism. In my estimation, it is too gentle. One could construe this statement to mean that, though it has shortcomings and is less than adequate, the Roman 'version of the gospel' is still just that, a 'version of the gospel.' The New Testament makes it clear that there is only one gospel. An 'inadequate' gospel is not the gospel. A gospel that 'falls short' of its essence is not a true gospel and must be vigorously rejected."
"I can imagine no Reformed theologian from the 16th century to the present day suggesting that the Roman Catholic view is not a serious threat to the gospel."
"When this happens, as it is today, then to quote Eric Hoffer, 'When freedom destroys order, the yearning for order will destroy freedom.' At that point the words left or right will make no difference. They are only two roads to the same end. There is no difference between authoritarian government from the right or the left: the results are the same. An elite, an authoritarianism as such, will gradually force form on society so that it will not go on to chaos. And most people will accept it - from the desire for personal peace and affluence, from apathy, and from the yearning for order to assure the functioning of some political system, business, and the affairs of daily life. That is just what Rome did with Caesar Augustus” (Source)
