A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for Me;      I was ready to be found by those who did not seek Me. I said, “Here am I, here am I,”      to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day      to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good,      following their own devices; a people who provoke Me      to My face continually, sacrificing in gardens      and making offerings on bricks; who sit in tombs,      and spend the night in secret places; who eat pig’s flesh,      and broth of tainted meat is in their vessels; who say, “Keep to Yourself,      do not come near me, for I am too holy for You” (Isaiah 65:1-5a). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! In the two chapt...

Click here to listen to this sermon. "The Swine Driven into the Sea" by James Tissot

"Swine Driven into the Sea" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. “The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you’” (Luke 8:38-39). Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! On February 18, 1546, Martin Luther died in Eiselben, Germany. The accounts of his last few days are fascinating. Despite very poor health, Luther was at work to the very end, preaching, administering the Sacrament, ordaining two ministers, and settling a dispute between three feuding Lutheran princes. As he lay on his death bed, Luther’s friend, Jonas, asked, “Reverend Father, are you ready to die trusting in your Lord Jesus Christ and to confess the doctrine which you have taught in His name?” Luther responded with a clear “Yes” and fell asleep. Upon his death, a scrap of paper was found in Luther’s pocket, which turns out to be...

Click here to listen to this sermon. The text for today is our Gospel, Luke 8:26-39, which has already been read. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. "My Name Is Legion" by James I. Tissot For most people today, demon possession brings up memories of The Exorcist or pictures of mental illness or hallucinogenic drug use.   But for the people of Jesus’ time—indeed, for Jesus Himself—demon possession was a present reality.   A fellow pastor once remarked that in lands where the devil is taken seriously, he shows himself even more seriously.   Take Haiti as an example.   There are all kinds of weird stories told by our missionaries in this country where voodoo is alive and well.   In places where the devil isn’t taken very seriously, he shows himself even less serious.   The Halloween kind of devil.   Horns, tail, red suit.   Funny.   Comical.   But either way, the devil and his demons are seri...

Click here for an audio version of this sermon for The Transfiguration of Our Lord, Luke 9:28-36.   Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “There are three things that you need to know about real estate: location, location, location.”   It emphasizes the importance of one factor—location—when it comes to assigning value to real estate.   There is a similar three-fold principle for correctly understanding the Bible: context, context, context.   The interpretation of every word and passage of Scripture must be in agreement with its context.   This includes the historical context—the circumstances of the world in which it was written; and the immediate context—the verses preceding and following the passage in question. This is especially true with regard to our text for today, Luke 9:28-36.   Luke carefully links his account to the previous exchange between Jesus and His disciples:...