A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me’” (Matthew 11:2-6). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! There is a line of thought among some Christians that having questions about God’s dealings with the world is somehow being unfaithful or disobedient. To justify God’s action that seems arbitrary or unjust to us, we are tempted to suppress doubts and stop short of being honest with God and ourselves. This motivation, a desire to trust God no matter what, is well-intended, but the result is often a reluctance to take...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Imagine making a long drive to your favorite summer getaway in the woods, only to find that almost overnight every tree has been cut down and only the piles of dried-up branches remain. Further imagine that the cabin that had been in your family for years was burned to the ground, along with the homes of all your neighbors. The initial shock of such a loss is only the beginning. After that comes the grief that much has been taken… and the dread that more could be taken, too. Now put yourself in the shoes of the people of Judea, Isaiah’s audience as he utters his prophecy for the first time. The twelve tribes of Israel have been culled down to two. They look across the border to the northern kingdom and it’s a...

Click here to listen to this sermon. [Jesus said,] “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming ” (Matthew 24:37–42). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The last three Sundays of Pentecost, the constant theme of our Gospel lesson was that you need to be prepared at all times, because Jesus is coming in glory to judge, and He’s coming at an unexpected time. And today, as Advent begins and we look forward to the coming of Jesus at Christmas, the message of our Gospe...

"The Vision of St. Joseph" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us) (Matthew 1:22-23). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Joseph is a man who remains in the background. We rarely think of him because he never speaks; at least, none of his words are recorded in Scripture. We know him by his actions. We know him by the fruit of his faith. He’s a good man, a righteous man, a man who seeks to do God’s will. He seems to be thoughtful and merciful. He considers his situation carefully and wants to avoid putting Mary to shame. He’s the kind of man that you hope your sons will become and your daughters will marry. Oh, that we would have more men of such character! But unfortunately, Joseph’s plans have all fallen apart. He’s just found out that M...