I will, if God Will – Acts 18:19-21

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

I would like to pick up a couple of Biblical themes from Acts 18 before we move on. I thought seriously about a message on “the way of God” – verse 26, but I preached on that theme a year ago, when we first came to it in Acts 9, so we’ll skip it this time....

You might be a Gospel Missionary if: – Acts 18:22-23

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

In these two verses, we begin to see Paul’s Third Missionary Journey. So I thought that it might be a good time to review his first two evangelistic trips. And then we’ll close with a dozen or so general observations. Ideally, you should be able to anticipate just...

The Neglected Deity – Acts 19:1-7

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

There was a little, three-year-old boy who had been sick for a week with a cold and a cough. The cough was persistent and little guy was getting obviously weaker, so his mother took him to the doctor. The little fella was brought into a strange examining room, filled...

Paul and the Baptism of John – Acts 18:24-19:7

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

We’ve used a number of different teaching and preaching styles thus far in our studies in Acts. We’ve had three-point gospel sermons and five-point sermons on various aspects on Christian living We’ve had Biblical expositions. We’ve had historical and geographical...

The Mission Work in Ephesus – Acts 19:1-20

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

If we can use the length of time that Paul spent in various cities as a judge of the importance the mission work there, then Ephesus was one of the most important places of his entire ministry. At least as far as what took place in his three missionary journeys, Paul...

The Ministry of John the Baptist – Acts 19:1-7

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

Years ago, while I was still in Calgary, I had a pastor-friend who I was trying to encourage in Baptist doctrine. We heard about a Baptist church over British Columbia’s Okanagan valley which was having a fellowship meeting, and my friend said that he would like to...

Ephesian Tongues – Acts 19:1-7

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

As I said last week, I think that this passage of scripture is the most mysterious and controversial in Acts. There is very intriguing material for the Christian to study, but then there isn’t enough information to enable us to be really dogmatic. HOWEVER, dogmatism...

The First Baptist Church of Ephesus – Acts 19:8-10

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

When Judy and I first moved to Calgary, it was to work with Missionary Ken Johnson and his wife. A mission had already been started in the city, and it was then meeting in its second location. Both Brother Johnson and I received criticism from people who didn’t...

Synonyms and Euphemisms – Acts 19:7-10

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

The other day, Judy told me that she had been looking at our church web-site, and she spotted a mis-spelling. On the opening page, which has been floating around cyberspace for several years; In the left column, where people can click to other pages, I had mis-spelled...

Ephesian Miracles – Acts 19:11-16

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

  When two powerful armies, of equal strength, face each other, generally speaking, victory is achieved through the skill of the soldiers or the genius of the generals. The satellite images may reveal something in the geography of the enemy position, or the...

Chapter Eighteen – John 17:26

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Lord's Prayer

From “Studies in the Lord’s Prayer,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield John 17:26 John 14 begins with one of the sweetest and most comforting passages in all of the scriptures. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me....

Introduction – And Jesus Wept

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

And Jesus Wept A Pastor’s Look at Pain By Pastor K. David Oldfield Copyright 2001 by CBM Publications 100 West 12th Street Post Falls, ID 83854 Introduction Why is it that modern life has such a numbing effect on people? Ask the average person what he did on...

Chapter One – The Perplexity of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield Boy, am I Konfused If it wasn’t for the great mysteries of life this would be a very dull universe. It is mystery that keeps the astronomer probing the sky for black holes, quasars and pulsars....

Chapter Two – The Prediction of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield Thus Saith the Lord The first direct reference to pain in the Bible, as well as the first in human history, is found in the form of a prediction. The book of beginnings, Genesis, which lays the corner-stone for the...

Chapter Three – The Producer of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield Labor Versus Management It was a hot Canadian afternoon at Shouldice Park on the banks of the Bow River. My sister and I were permitted to wade along the edge of the river. Off came the shoes followed by the socks. Up...

Chapter Four – The Peril of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield Clear and Present Danger This Autumn story is a familiar one in the Western mountains: The scarlet-clad hunter found some fresh deer tracks in the snow and began to follow them, hoping for the first kill of the new...

Chapter Five – The Praise of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield To God be the Glory The Being that we call “God” is made up of many attributes and characteristics. For example, Jehovah can be said to be omnipresent and omniscient, which mean that He always knows the...

Chapter Six – The Partnership of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield And They Twain Shall be One Flesh This is a world of interwoven relationships. For example, mankind cannot be separated from his environment, such as, from the things that he eats. Then too, as much as we try, we...

Chapter Seven – The Perversion of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield Twisted Sister Children have special tools for coping with the problems of their surprisingly complex worlds. For example, a child lacking the ability to make friends easily may become a show-off or a bully in order...

Chapter Eight – The Purpose and Plan of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield One Plus One is Two; Two Plus Two is Four Perhaps it is not the greatest or most important question ever asked, but the certainly the toughest is the one screamed from the sick bed or mortuary chapel: “Why? Why,...

Chapter Nine – The Perfection of Pain

Jan 20, 2015 | Books, Jesus Wept

From “And Jesus Wept,” by Pastor K. David Oldfield A Perfect Ten I must assume that most of us have never been criminals, so we can’t speak with authority in this area, but it’s reasonable to assume that even thieves want to be the very best that they can...

Wandering Jews – Acts 19:13-17

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

Sunday evening I asked: “Why did the Holy Spirit tell us about Paul’s miracles in Ephesus?” My two suggested answers were: This was a special case, and the Lord granted miracles here where He didn’t in other communities, Or we are told about this case...

Jesus and the Demons – Acts 19:11-15

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

In verse 12 we read that Paul exorcized demons during his Ephesian evangelistic campaign. Verse 13 suggests that Paul carried on that work through the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul may have been smart, eloquent, bold, and any number of other wonderful...

Sceva, a Jew – Acts 19:14

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

The title to last Wednesday’s lesson was: “Wandering Jew.” I tried to explain that that was the meaning of the Biblical statement: “vagabond Jews.” That message was primarily about what the sons of Sceva were trying to do when they said,...

The Fruits of Repentance – Acts 19:13-20

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

One of the saddest things about modern religion is its general lack of serious seriousness. To many people, religion is a just a waste of time – the ruin of a perfectly good Sunday. They dread the two Sundays out of the year when they are expected to be in church....

European Vacation – Acts 19:21-22

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

Has the vacation or travel bug ever bitten your heart? Sure it has. Have you ever had the opportunity to plan a truly marvelous trip to some exotic place? Maybe it was Yellowstone or Glacier; maybe it was Calgary or Washington DC; maybe it was Europe. Well then, have...

The Benefit of the Doubt – Acts 19:23-41

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

I have told you before that one of my more dangerous habits is giving people the benefit of the doubt. When someone tells me something, I am more apt to accept it as true than to reject it outright. It’s similar to being gullible, but little girls are gullible; I am...

Defense of the Vested Interest – Acts 19:23-41

Jan 20, 2015 | Acts

One of the reasons that I am enjoying our study in the Book of Acts is that it is so practical. We are looking at the work of the Lord in ways that our eyes can see, our hands can handle and our minds can grasp. Much of theology is abstract. That is not necessarily...