This is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International with the Whyte House Family Devotional Reading of Charles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening podcast. This is Episode #23.

Charles Spurgeon was a prominent English Particular Baptist preacher. He was very influential among the Christians of various denominations during his age and even today, and is commonly called the “Prince of Preachers”. After some time of alternately searching for God and running from God, he had a powerful encounter which led him to give his life to Christ. Spurgeon was only 16 when he preached his first sermon and he began publishing books shortly afterward. At the time of his death, he had preached nearly 3,600 sermons and published 49 volumes of commentaries, sayings, anecdotes, illustrations and devotions. Spurgeon said, “encouraging thoughts are like honey to the heart”, and wrote this devotional in hopes that its uplifting messages for each day of the year would bring comfort and refreshment to our walk with God. He was inspired by Isaiah 50:4 which reads, “He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned” and Psalm 63:5-6 which says, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.”

1 Corinthians 3:23 reads: “And ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.”

“Ye are Christ’s.” You are his by donation, for the Father gave you to the Son; his by his bloody purchase, for he counted down the price for your redemption; his by dedication, for you have consecrated yourself to him; his by relation, for you are named by his name, and made one of his brethren and joint-heirs. Labour practically to show the world that you are the servant, the friend, the bride of Jesus. When tempted to sin, reply, “I cannot do this great wickedness, for I am Christ’s.” Immortal principles forbid the friend of Christ to sin. When wealth is before you to be won by sin, say that you are Christ’s, and touch it not. Are you exposed to difficulties and dangers? Stand fast in the evil day, remembering that you are Christ’s. Are you placed where others are sitting down idly, doing nothing? Rise to the work with all your powers; and when the sweat stands upon your brow, and you are tempted to loiter, cry, “No, I cannot stop, for I am Christ’s. If I were not purchased by blood, I might be like Issachar, crouching between two burdens; but I am Christ’s, and cannot loiter.” When the siren song of pleasure would tempt you from the path of right, reply, “Thy music cannot charm me; I am Christ’s.” When the cause of God invites thee, give thy goods and thyself away, for thou art Christ’s. Never belie thy profession. Be thou ever one of those whose manners are Christian, whose speech is like the Nazarene, whose conduct and conversation are so redolent of heaven, that all who see you may know that you are the Saviour’s, recognizing in you his features of love and his countenance of holiness. “I am a Roman!” was of old a reason for integrity; far more, then, let it be your argument for holiness, “I am Christ’s!”

PRAY.

Thank you for listening to the Morning and Evening podcast. If you do not know the Lord as your Savior, here is how you can be saved from Hell and walk with the Lord morning and evening until you go to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

Larger churches will have a more difficult time staying larger.

At least, that is my postulate according to our early research.  And to be clear, I am defining a larger church by the size of its largest worship service, not by its total attendance. It looks like churches that are intentional about moving to more services, more venues, and more sites can indeed get larger.

This research is based on the attendance size of an individual service, not on the cumulative size of a church’s combined services. In simple terms, it will become increasingly difficult for a church to replace lost attendees at large worship gatherings.

Here are some of my thoughts:

SOURCE: Christian Post, Thom S. Rainer

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The children want to learn. The teachers want to teach. But neither the school in the Peruvian jungle village nor the schoolkids have enough money for school supplies like notebooks.

“Children go to school without notebooks, and teachers cannot do their job,” the leader of a native ministry said.

A young boy in one village told his mother, an ethnic tribal Christian, that he could not remember anything the teacher said, and that his teacher could not give him assignments because he had no notebook. His mother replied, “Let’s pray to God to provide.”

She had no idea how they might obtain paper, pencils and the backpacks for little ones to transport them over rough, uneven paths, but hours away by motorcycle native missionaries were preparing to bring school supplies.

She had no idea how they might obtain paper, pencils and the backpacks for little ones to transport them over rough, uneven paths.

“When the boy saw our ministry distributing school supplies at his village,” ministry leader said, “he ran toward his mother and said loudly, “God has answered us, Mom!”

In another remote, ethnic village, teachers had given native missionaries a list of needed school supplies. The team arrived to deliver the exact items needed as well as new clothes for children 3 to 5 years old, the age group most lacking, the ministry leader said.

“The teachers thanked us, saying, ‘God really thought of us, because many of the children come to school from far away, walking and without school supplies. Now we will be able to work!’” he said.

On one three-hour trip to deliver school supplies to 250 ethnic Ashaninka schoolchildren, the ministry team had to fight through fierce rains.

“The rain was so strong that it was impossible to move towards their destination,” the leader said. “They arrived very wet to the jungle village where the parents with their children were waiting for them to receive the school supplies that had been offered.”

The students ranged from kindergarten to high school.

“On that cold and rainy morning, approximately 250 school-age children were able to receive school supplies,” the leader said. “After they shared the Gospel, they began to distribute the school supplies grade by grade. Upon completion, the parents and authorities of the tribal village thanked our team for this selfless gesture towards them. Finally, we distributed Bibles among the local teachers and village authorities.”

SOURCE: Christian Aid Mission

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When Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic, spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., last week, she prayed for the persecuted, listing religious persecution around the world, but did not specifically mention Christians.

“Oh, Lord, we thank all gathered at this prayer breakfast for lifting our voices for the poor and the persecuted, the millions who are missing or murdered because of their faith,” Pelosi prayed at the event Thursday, according to The Daily Signal. “Let us pray for the Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan Buddhists imprisoned in China or missing for following their faith,” she continued.

The House speaker also prayed for the “1 to 3 million Uighurs in China forced from their homes and incarcerated in camps,” as well as for “Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia and for all the writers and religious free thinkers imprisoned for speaking their minds.”

Pelosi then prayed for “priests, rabbis, pastors, and religious leaders around the world whose freedoms have been stolen because of what they believe … countless Muslims and other religious minorities, often unseen and unnamed, who have been abducted, oppressed, and abused because of who they are and what they believe, their faith.”

In its 2020 World Watch List, leading Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors USA released its annual data report, saying this year highlights a drastic increase in attacks against Christian buildings and the imprisonment of Christians.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

As political and ideological divisions in our nation become more polarized, it seems religious intolerance has become a tool of choice for many waging war on traditional American values. 

Why? Because faith brings values, principles and morals. None of these comport with hedonism, socialism or narcissism.

The first task for the Founding Fathers was to codify the roles and responsibilities of all branches of government, state and federal, in the U.S. Constitution. After ratifying the document in 1788, some Founders were concerned there was not quite enough law to ensure the heavy hand of government would not encroach on individual liberty. James Madison then drafted the Bill of Rights and it was ratified in 1791.

It was no accident that religious freedom was in the first amendment. The Founders sought to protect people from government limiting faith. What they never saw coming was religious oppression from one group of “We the People” to another.

Technology and media have lifted the veil on cultural declinists who depend on the removal of God from the public square. Public figures embrace hypocrisy, and the entertainment industry mocks values and celebrates immorality as recently demonstrated in the Super Bowl halftime show.

The Trump Administration has made religious freedom a central issue. President Trump has issued strong statements embracing religious liberty, released guidance protecting prayer, and made a powerful United Nations speech calling for global religious freedom.

It is, ironically, possible that this embrace of existing religious freedom by the President and by newly-emboldened Americans of every faith is further inciting morally rudderless relativists and secularists to push their oppressive anti-faith agenda. Freedom, Godliness and the rule of law is the natural enemy of progressive values.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Ken Blackwell

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

Ninety believers opened their hymnals. The pianist began the familiar chords of “It Is Well with My Soul.” Everyone in the room opened their mouths and sang with deep wells of emotion on their faces. But they sang softly, remaining seated and hesitant to let their voices ring.

Why? The pastor explained: “If we sing too loudly, the other tenants of this building will call the police on us. The authorities will close down our meeting, take me in for questioning, and possibly worse.”

This scene took place in an unregistered church in a nation that forbids Christians from assembling together. The congregation loves to sing. But they are longing for a better country, a heavenly worship gathering where they will be able to raise their voices without fear.

All of this raises the question: how are churches in the West, where we have considerably more freedom, doing at congregational singing? In contexts where we can praise Christ as enthusiastically as we’d like, is our singing as strong as it could be?

God himself sings over his people (Zeph 3:17), and he has created us in his image. We are compelled to sing by the glory and majesty of God. Scripture commands us to fulfill the delightful privilege of singing together when the local church gathers (Col 3:16). Christ has redeemed us, causing praise and gratitude to well up in our hearts. All of this means singing should be as natural to us as breathing. And yet, this side of eternity, no church sings perfectly. We’ve all got room to grow. And the decisions pastors and musicians make will either help or hinder their flocks in this vital aspect of the church’s life.

With all of that in mind, we’d like to offer four suggestions for how churches can improve their congregational singing, along with four pitfalls to avoid.

Suggestion #1: Begin with the pastor.

God’s Word calls pastors to set an example for the flock (1 Pet 5:3). If a pastor walks into the service late, reads over his sermon notes during the singing, and looks disengaged, it conveys to the congregation that singing doesn’t matter. On the other hand, when a pastor delights to praise Christ in song, his joy transfers to the whole church. No matter who may lead the singing, the pastor himself is also a “worship leader.” What a delightful privilege!

Corporate worship is a feast on the Word of God. Paul tells us that we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly through the songs we sing (Col 3:16). That means that pastors should see the church’s songs as an extension of their teaching ministry. You’re placing words on the lips of the congregation, and they’re likely to remember these words longer than they remember your sermon! The congregation sits at the banquet table of the King; don’t serve them junk food.

Pitfall #1: Don’t abdicate; collaborate.

We fear that the ministry of song and sermon are functionally separate in too many church services today. It’s easy to let the musical folks plan the worship through singing, while the pastor prepares his message. But this drives a wedge through the service, separating what God intends for us to keep together. Every moment of the church’s gathering is both an expression of worship to God and a ministry from God to us through his Word. Singing the Word, praying the Word, reading the Word, preaching the Word, seeing the Word summarized in baptism and the Lord’s Supper—all of it is doxology.

This means that pastors should collaborate with their musical staff and volunteers rather than abdicate their responsibility. Pastors (those who are “able to teach,” according to 1 Tim 3:2) ought to exercise some form of oversight over the whole gathering, since every aspect of the service teaches and shapes the congregation. But don’t do this alone. Include and involve the musical staff and/or volunteers with which the Lord has blessed you. There are a thousand ways that pastors, worship leaders, and musicians can work together.

So, pastors, steward your relationship well with those who give leadership to music. Empower and equip them. Let them know that they have your support and trust. Don’t lord it over them, but listen to their input.

Likewise, worship leaders and musical volunteers, foster a thriving relationship with your pastor. Pray for him. Be patient if he doesn’t understand music well. Seek to learn from him about theology even while you try to teach him about music.

Suggestion #2: Sing great songs.

If congregational singing is a holy act, and if we are what we sing, then we can’t be lazy in selecting hymns. We must choose great songs—songs that artfully exult Christ with deeply meaningful lyrics and melodies we can’t wait to sing. Better to have a small repertoire of excellent songs you sing well than an ever-growing list of the “latest and greatest” material that the congregation barely knows. Our folks can only internalize a limited number of songs deep down in their hearts. Like a museum curator who selects only the best works of art to display, we must take care to pick songs of the highest quality.

Strive for songs that aren’t just theologically true, but that declare the truth in soul-stirring poetry. Choose melodies that aren’t just singable for your church, but that enhance the meaning of the words through their compelling beauty. Just as a master chef selects ingredients that are at the same time nutritious, aromatic, and flavorful, we should prioritize songs of substance that seem to get richer the more deeply you plumb their meaning.

Great songs have stood the test of time. Our ancestors have entrusted us with them, and we should pass them along to our children. Assemble any Christian group, and practically everyone can join you in singing “Amazing Grace” confidently and passionately. We’re drawn to sing great music, much like we’re drawn to stand in awe of a beautiful painting.

There are great new songs too. They breathe fresh air into our singing and help connect age-old truth with modern sounds. These are appropriate, too, though harder to find.

Pitfall #2: Don’t settle for a song simply because it checks a box.

Sometimes churches select songs that herald robust theology but are too difficult to sing. This can discourage church members, making them feel that they need to be “musical” in order to participate, when Scripture commands the whole church to join in.

On the other hand, some songs have melodies that sing incredibly well, but their words are vague spiritual clichés. Again, hymns like this will ironically discourage a singing culture in your church, because over time the lyrics will not dig deep roots into believers’ hearts.

The connection between song selection and your church’s culture of singing usually takes years to develop. It’s not the type of thing you can change in a week or a month. But with patience, prayer, and perseverance, careful pruning of your song list can engender real growth in the congregation’s joy in song.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Keith and Kristyn Getty

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Evangelist Franklin Graham has said in a media interview that he’s surprised to see all the confirmed venues in the United Kingdom pulling out due to his views on homosexuality, even as his supporters have started an online petition calling it “bullying” and a “hate crime.”

“I have been surprised… I’m not coming to speak against anybody and I don’t name any groups of people,” Graham, the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, told Christian Today, based in the U.K., in an interview. “I’m coming to tell people how they can have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.”

Graham plans to tour the U.K. with eight stops starting in May, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which he heads, says more than 1,800 churches across the United Kingdom are cooperating with it “to share the Gospel in multiple cities this spring.”

Currently, he and his team are searching for other venues after all the original locations canceled despite having signed contracts and received deposits.

What he’s most concerned about is the stifling of free speech for churches.

“… If we don’t stand up for the right to free speech and freedom of religion, there are lots of churches in this country that meet in public who are at risk,” he told Christian Today. “They could be kicked out, they could be forced to go somewhere else, just because of their faith.

“We haven’t broken any laws and I think it’s important for the church that we resolve this matter so that it protects them,” he said of possibly pursuing legal action.

This isn’t the first time the evangelist met opposition from LGBT groups. In 2018, bus ads for his 2018 evangelistic festival were pulled following outcry from LGBT groups.

Graham believes that the need for preaching the Gospel in the U.K. is “greater than ever.”

He wants people “to know that we are all sinners and our sins separate us from God.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Anugrah Kumar

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This is Daniel Whyte III with The Scripture & The Sense Podcast #408, where I read the Word of God and give the sense of it based on an authoritative commentary source such as the Bible Knowledge Commentary. This podcast is based upon Nehemiah 8:8 where it says Ezra and the Levites “read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” The aim of this podcast is that through the simple reading of the Word of God and the giving of the sense of it, the church would be revived and the world would be awakened.

Today we are reading Amos 1:4-5.

4 But I will send a fire into the house of Hazael, which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad.

5 I will break also the bar of Damascus, and cut off the inhabitant from the plain of Aven, and him that holdeth the sceptre from the house of Eden: and the people of Syria shall go into captivity unto Kir, saith the Lord.

________

That was Amos 1:4-5. Now here is the sense of it.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary reads:

In the judgment on each of the first seven nations God is pictured as a suzerain Lord who has brought his armies to punish a vassal city for its revolt. The attack begins in each case with a fire that would eventually consume the walls and/or fortresses of the city and leave it a smoldering ruin. In punishing Damascus God declared He would smash the bar of the city gate and break down the gate, stripping the city of its defenses. He would destroy the rebel king who reigned over the wicked and proud nations. Valley of Aven and Beth Eden may refer to other regions of Aram, Baal-bek and Bit-A-di-ni. More likely, they are derogatory references to the area and palace of Damascus, meaning “Valley of Wickedness” and “House of Pleasure.” The house (dynasty) of Haz-a-el would be terminated, and the A-ra-me-ans would be exiled back to their place of origin, a Mesopotamian site called Kir. In essence, this punishment would be a complete reversal of Aram’s proud history. God, who had originally brought them out of Kir ), would send them back, after obliterating all they had achieved. This judgment was carried out by the Assyrians under Tig-lath-Pi-le-ser III in 732 b.c.

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Thank you for listening to the Scripture & The Sense Podcast. Remember to read the Word of God each and every day and pray without ceasing to God for wisdom to understand it and apply it to your life. Most importantly, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. Please stay tuned for a complete presentation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ so that you can get your soul saved from Hell to that wonderful place called Heaven when you die. May God bless you and keep you is my prayer.

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Many reports on Mission Network News describe how God is moving in the Muslim world. Today, a Deaf believer describes how God’s Spirit is stirring Deaf Muslim hearts.

A believer we’ll call “Zed” was born Deaf to Muslim parents in Central Asia. Through an interpreter, Zed describes how coming to Christ created both friction and Gospel opportunity in his Deaf community at college.

“The Deaf world, as you might know, is so small,” he begins. “Word got around rather quickly that I was saved. So, many of these Deaf Muslims were coming to me and [asking], ‘Why did you convert to Christianity?’”

Read Zed’s full testimony here.

When Zed became a believer, he shared his testimony with members of his Deaf community and patiently answered their questions. Unfortunately, many people returned Zed’s kindness with evasion; some even turned hostile, he says.

“One of my friends… he straight up told me he wanted to kill me.”

When Zed learned of his friend’s anger, he extended forgiveness and love. “My friend was like, ‘No, you have this seething rage towards me. You have to have it’,” Zed says.

SOURCE: Mission Network News, Katey Hearth

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