This sermon was addressed to a congregation who has recently called a new pastor- The focus was on the necessity of praying for him.

Jesus is at work reversing Genesis 3. We feel naked and alone because we were made for another world.

Giving is an important element in the Christian life and one evidence of the new birth. It should be done sacrificially and joyfully.

Andrew Brunson is a pastor in my denomination, and we called for a denomination wide day of prayer and fasting to overlap Andrew's trial in Turkey. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a denomination wide day of prayer and fasting for such a situation within a 24 hour period of time has taken place.----That trial was set to begin at 9-00 o'clock Monday morning in Turkey -1-00 a.m. Central Daylight Savings Time where I live-.----My sermon was a running commentary on Acts 12 with specific application to our circumstances here and in Turkey.----I began by having someone read the first two verses of Hebrews 12 and explained that the word translated -witnesses- is the Greek word transliterated as -martyr.-----Both the Apostles James and Peter were martyrs in Acts 12, but only James sealed his martyrdom with his blood.

As with Proverbs 4-18, Psalm 92-12 promises that the righteous will be firmly rooted and produce sweet fruit in old age.----Their secret is that they have been transplanted in the house of the Lord, so the outcome of their lives is very different from that of the wicked, who spring up only to wither -Psalm 92-7-.----The purpose of old age is to declare God's truth to others -Psalm 71-18-. And 2 Corinthians 4-16-18 reminds us that maturation is in the inner person, rather than the body, because the body awaits the return of Christ.

The Lord Jesus was conceived in the womb of the blessed virgin Mary by a miracle of the Holy Spirit, but 40 days after his birth, Mary had marital relations with Joseph and gave birth to other children. Had she remained a virgin, she would have lived in sin by denying her husband the obligations of marriage.----If anyone can prove from Scripture that Mary remained a virgin, I will mail him a check for -1,000.----Also, rather than being perfect, Mary sometimes struggled with her faith and only became a fully committed follower of the Lord Jesus after his death and resurrection. ----Jesus loved and honored his mother, and we should, too, but we should not worship her- We should only worship God.

It was in the darkest days of Judah and the darkest region of Israel, the God revealed that he would send his Son to sit on the throne of King David

The Lord Jesus is going to come again.

With believers being assaulted with wild predications that the world was to come to an end on September 23, I was asked what I thought. This Sunday night message was an attempt to offer a different approach to how we read the last book of the Bible