Part The Waters

The children of Israel were facing a big problem. The Jordan River God told them to cross into the promise land
was over one mile wide and two million people needed to cross. 

There wasn’t enough time or materials to build a bridge and there were no boats, so they would be sitting ducks for their enemies. The only way around their problem was to go through it.

Have you ever sized up your Jordan and concluded that there was no way around, through, over or past it? I suppose we all have.

The plan was this: God said, “When the feet of the priests enter Jordan, I am going to part the waters and lead you through on the dry ground!” 

The catch was that the waters wouldn’t part until the priests who were carrying the Ark stepped into the water. In other words, it took a step of faith,

Joshua 3:17   And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.

Too often we want the Lord just to fix everything in our lives, but most of the time God will require us to take steps of faith so that we might see our Jordan parted. 

God looks at problems and says, “Follow me, I have a plan!”

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“When I think I'm going under, part the waters, Lord. —When I feel the waves around me, calm the sea. — When I cry for help, O hear me, Lord, and hold out Your hand. — Touch my life, still the raging storm in me. 

“Knowing You love me through the burdens I must bear, — Hearing Your footsteps lets me know I'm in Your care, — And in the night of my life You bring the promise of day, — Here is my hand, show me the way. 

“Knowing You love me helps me face another day. — Hearing Your footsteps drives the clouds and fear away; — And in the tears of my life I see the sorrow You bore, — Here is my pain, heal it once more.”

          Charles F. Brown

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

Have Faith In God

Mark 11:22-23 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 

When the disciples are amazed at the withered fig tree, Jesus simply says, “Have faith in God.” 

God’s people should have a deep-settled, consistent, ongoing confidence in Who God is; what God has said; and what God will do. 

It speaks of a constant communion of prayer with God, dependence upon God, and obedience to God. 

Remember: when you pray, you’re speaking to the Creator, the Amazing God who loves you most. Have faith in God. 

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“Have faith in God when you pathway is lonely. — He sees and knows all the way you have trod. — Never alone are the least of His children, — Have faith in God, have faith in God.

“Have faith in God, He’s on His throne — Have faith in God, He watches o’er his own. — He cannot fail, He must prevail. — Have faith in God, have faith in God.

“Have faith in God when you pray'rs are unanswered; — Your earnest plea He will never forget. — Wait on the Lord, trust His Word and be patient. — Have faith in God, He'll answer yet.

“Have faith in God in your pain and your sorrow; — His heart is touched with your grief and despair; — Cast all your cares and your burdens upon Him; — And leave them there, oh, leave them there.

“Have faith in God tho' all else fail about you. — Have faith in God He provides for His own. — He cannot fail tho' all kingdoms shall perish; — He rules He reigns upon His throne.”

    B.B, McKiinne

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

Midnight Cry

The global coronavirus of 2020 has wrought panic as many people quarantine themselves at home. Empty toilet paper shelves at the store, closing of schools and restaurants and even churches act to protect the health of each other.

Some churches use their “on line” service and others (like ours) will receive the pastor’s sermon by email. The sermon always blesses me, so that is all right.

I don’t know, but tomorrow may bring death, disease and disaster or It may bring blessing, joy and happiness.

The hope of the believer is wrapped up in the second coming of Jesus Christ. 

As the Apostle Paul writes to the Christians of Thessalonica, he offers hope to a people who thought all hope was gone.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Whether I rise from my grave or I’m caught up to meet Jesus in the clouds, what a meeting that will be! I’m ready!

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“I hear the sound of a mighty rushing wind — And it's closer now than it's ever been — I can almost hear the trumpet as Gabriel sounds the call — at the midnight cry — we'll be going home.

“When Jesus steps out on a cloud to call His children. — The dead in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air. — But then those that remain — will be quickly changed — at the midnight cry — when Jesus comes again.

“I look around me, I see prophecies fulfilling,— and the signs of the times, they're appearing everywhere. — I can almost hear the Father, as He says, "Son, go get Your children," — and at the midnight cry, — the bride of Christ will rise.

“When Jesus steps out on a cloud to call His children. — The dead in Christ shall rise to meet Him in the air. — But then those that remain — will be quickly changed — at the midnight cry — when Jesus comes again.”

          Greg Day and Chuck Day

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

How Firm A Foundation

God literally “breathed” His Word through human personalities to give us an inerrant, infallible and inspired record of His revelation of Himself and of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.”

Down through the ages, there have been several efforts by pagan unbelievers to destroy the Word of God. 

In A.D. 303, the Roman emperor Diocletion ordered the confiscation and destruction of all the Christian scriptures.  Thousands of early copies and possibly some originalS were burned.  

But earnest believers hid it away in the catacombs, in caves and in graves.  Thus the Word of God survived that attack.

The French humanist Voltaire once said, "Another century and there will not be a Bible on the earth." Two centuries have gone, and the circulation of the Bible is one of the marvels of the age. 

Joseph Stalin took over all of Russia upon the death of Lenin in the late twenties. He literally attempted to wipe the Word of God and the God of the Word from the Russian people’s minds. 

Did he succeed? A recent poll taken in Russia shows that today more people than ever believe in God and His Word.

For thousands of years the enemies of truth have sought to destroy the precious Word of God.  Every attempt has failed miserably.

The Word of God is the Believer’s precious foundation of faith.

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“How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, —. Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word. — What more can He say than to you He hath said, — To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, — For I am thy God and will still give thee aid; — I'll strengthen and help thee, and cause thee to stand — Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie, — My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply; — The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design — Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus still leans for repose, — I will not, I will not desert to it's foes; — That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, ==I'll never, no never, no never forsake.”

       Anonymous 1787

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

God Leads Us Along

God reminds the Israelites that He has met their need since day one, and He pledged to continue to do just that.

Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

These circumstances refer to famous events in the their history.

1. Passed through the waters – The Red Sea – Ex. 14.

2. Passed through the river – The crossing of the Jordan – Debt. 4.

3. Walked through the fire – Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego – Daniel 3.

What does this mean for believers? Just that God has not changed. What He did for Israel, He can be counted on to do for you and me. 

As you endure the dark nights of life, remember that God is the same God now as He was then, and He will never fail you - Phil. 4:19; Matt. 6:33; Psa. 37:25.

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“In shady, green pastures, so rich and so sweet — God leads His dear children along. — Where the water's cool flow bathes the weary one's feet, — God leads His dear children along.

“Some through the waters, some through the flood — Some through the fire, but all through the blood. —Some through great sorrow, but God gives a song, — In the night season and all the day long.

“Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright — God leads His dear children along. — Sometimes in the valley, in darkest of night, — God leads His dear children along.

“Though sorrows befall us and Satan oppose — God leads His dear children along. — Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes, — God leads His dear children along.”

        G.A. Young 1903

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

The Lily Of The Valley

Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Like the sun above, the Lord is ever providing comfort for the journey. He lights our way, He warms our way and gives guidance to us along the way. 

He also provides a shield of protection for His people. The Psalmist tells us that we are protected by the Angel of the Lord, Psa. 34:7. He is above us to give us what we need, and He is all around us to protect us as we journey toward Heaven. 

We are promised His grace while we travel and His glory when we arrive home. There is help for today and hope for tomorrow.

The Lord delights in providing for the needs of His children, Luke 12:32. He will bless your life. It’s simply a matter of learning to trust Him.

Song of Songs 2:1-2 I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.  . . [2] As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

Thorns are a mark of the curse.  Lilies are a symbol of divine providence.  The believer is a living Gospel preaching to lost men the grace and goodness of God toward the fallen.

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“I have found a friend in Jesus, He's everything to me, — He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul; — The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone I see, — All I need to cleanse and make me fully whole. — “In sorrow He's my comfort, in trouble He's my stay, — He tells me every care on Him to roll; — He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, — He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

“He all my grief has taken, and all my sorrows borne; — In temptation He’s my strong and mighty tow’r; — I have all for Him forsaken and all my idols torn — From my heart and now He keeps me by His pow’r. — “Though all the world forsake me, and Satan tempt me sore, — Through Jesus I shall safely reach the goal. — He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, — He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.

“He will never, never leave me, nor yet forsake me here, — While I live by faith and do His bless'd will; — A wall of fire about me, I've nothing now to fear, — With His manna He my hungry soul shall fill. — “Then sweeping up to glory I’ll see His bless'd face, — Where the rivers of delight shall ever roll; — He's the Lily of the Valley, the Bright and Morning Star, — He's the fairest of ten thousand to my soul.”

        Charles W. Fry 1881

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit. 

Whispering Hope

Lamentations 3:24-25 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.  . . . . [25] The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

God will never fail those who place their trust in Him, Isa. 49:23; Rom. 10:11.  

Not a single Word of any of His precious promises will ever fail to be honored by Him, Matt. 5:18; Psa. 119:89-90; Isa. 40:8.  

God knows where you are and what you are going through, Job 23:10.  He will not forsake you, but He will faithfully keep you and bring you out, in His time, Psa. 34:15-22.

That gives us hope.

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“Soft as the voice of an angel —  Breathing a lesson unheard — Hope with a gentle persuasion —Whispers her comforting word.

“Wait, till the darkness is over — Wait, till the tempest is done — Hope, for the sunshine tomorrow — After the shower is gone.

“Whispering hope — Oh how welcome Thy voice — Making my heart — In it’s sorrow rejoice.

“If in the dusk of the twilight — Dim be the region afar — Will not the deepening darkness — Brighten the glimmering star.

“Then when the night is upon us — Why should the heart sink away — When the dark midnight is over — Watch for the breaking of day.”

         Alice Hawthorne

Ideas for this unprofitable blog are taken from The Sermon Notebook—Biblical resources for preachers and teachers of the word of God. They allow these sermons to be used as the Lord leads but not for profit.