Sermon preached by Dr. Porter on the occasion of his fifteenth anniversary as Assistant and Associate Pastor of The Moody Church.
When I came to The Moody Church fifteen years ago, I received a lot of interesting advice. Quite a list of names was suggested of people to be avoided or “watched.” Would it not be interesting to publish this list? There is no danger, however, and I can testify that they have all proven to be true children of God, in spite of their faults, and mine! Another advised me to listen to everyone—get all the advice I could …
Shall we now turn to the 28th chapter of the book of Acts. This last chapter of our book may well be divided into five distinct sections. In verses one to ten we have the account of Paul and his companions at Melita, or as we now say, Malta, an island that has been very much to the front in these last few months because of the heroic defense of its garrison and the men of the navy and the air force there at the present time. The General who just recently retired from the governorship of Malta, General Dobbie, …
The Rev. R.H. Smith, who gave several informative messages on India at our last Foreign Missionary Rally, tells of his exciting experiences returning to the field, where he intends to resume teaching in the short term Bible Schools of the Christian and Missionary Alliance.
From heaven did the Lord behold the earth…to loose those that are appointed to death—Psalm 102:19, 20
We bear witness to the truth of the words of this Psalm as experienced in the past months on our journey to India. After postponements and cancellations of sailing, we finally embarked on a Dutch steamer from San Francisco, …
“Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the Grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.”—Acts 11:22-23
I don’t know how many of you have clearly in mind the background of these verses but some years had elapsed since the glorious Pentecostal outpouring when the work of grace began in the city of Jerusalem. Our blessed Lord had instructed …
“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord …
“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2).
It is an interesting fact that immediately following the great resurrection chapter in this first epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle gives instruction to the saints concerning the use of their money. With many this is always a touchy question, and yet he who sings from the heart, “Naught that I have my own I’ll call: I hold it for the Giver: My heart, my strength, my life, my all Are His and His forever,” …
I shall read the first five verses of [Acts] chapter 15, but I want to consider with you verses 1 to 35. We shall not read it all at one time.
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
Almost every day we learn of failures in the lives of people round about us. These failures lead to broken homes and no end of misery. I trust it will be profitable for us to think, for a few moments, of some of the greatest blessings which God has for us.
It is a peculiar thing, but contrary to ordinary human judgment, that Scriptures would seem to teach that man is most liable to fall, not at his weakest point, but rather at his strongest. We have all heard the statement that a chain is no stronger than its weakest …
This sixth chapter of John’s Gospel with its seventy-seven verses is the longest chapter in this marvelous book telling of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. Someone has called John’s Gospel the most wonderful book in the world and perhaps this is its most wonderful chapter. It would have been more helpful if we could have taken the whole chapter at once but there is so much in it that it is impossible to do it in thirty-five or forty minutes so we have had to break it up. But I hope that this will not result …
Great truths that are stumbling-blocks to the natural man are nevertheless the very foundations upon which the confidence of the spiritual man is built, for “faith gives the assurance of that for which we hope, and convinces us of the reality of the unseen.” Of course, this is only true when our hopes are based upon the testimony of the Word of God.
That Word is forever settled in heaven, and, like God who gave it, the Word is unshakable. Men may cavil or quibble regarding its teachings, but “what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the …
