With this goal in mind, I would encourage you to read through this sermon by C.H. Spurgeon.

We all think that we understand what it means to “read the Bible,” but I especially appreciated Spurgeon’s remarks about the way we read:

“But, now, beloved, our point is that much apparent Bible reading is not Bible reading at all. The verses pass under the eye, and the sentences glide over the mind, but there is no true reading. An old preacher used to say, the Word has mighty free course among many nowadays, for it goes in at one of their ears and out at the other; so it seems to be with some readers—they can read a very great deal, because they do not read anything. The eye glances but the mind never rests. The soul does not light upon the truth and stay there. It flits over the landscape as a bird might do, but it builds no nest there, and finds no rest for the sole of its foot. Such reading is not reading. Understanding the metering is the essence of true reading. Reading has a kernel to it, and the mere shed is little worth. In prayer there is such a thing as praying in prayer—a praying that is in the bowels of the prayer. So in praise there is a praising in song, an inward fire of intense devotion which is the life of the hallelujah. It is so in fasting: there is a fasting which is not fasting, and there is an inward fasting, a fasting of the soul, which is the soul of fasting. It is even so with the reading of the Scriptures. There is an interior reading, a kernel reading—a true and living reading of the Word. This is the soul of reading; and, if it be not there, the reading is a mechanical exercise, and profits nothing. “

You can read Spurgeon’s entire sermon by clicking here.

Roll Call!

I think we all agree that our nation is in a desperate and dangerous condition. Throughout its history, God-fearing believers have turned to the Lord to ask Him for deliverance.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

Let’s turn the Congressional roll call into a call to the righteous to pray! Several votes will occur when the House and Senate are in session. During breaks and holidays, please use the rosters available on this page and pray for these representatives by name.

Will you join us in this project? Intercessory prayer will accomplish far more than your

Pray for the U.S. Senate

political indignation.

Through C-SPAN on cable and via the internet, we have a wonderful window on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. The name of each elected official is read by the clerk as his or her vote is recorded.

Rather than sit through these roll calls mindlessly, why don’t we engage our minds and hearts in the great battles before our nation? Pray for our leaders! And send them a quick email to tell them that you are praying for them.

Even if no roll call is being taken, pray for the speaker or speakers at the lectern. Their names will be flashed on the screen as they speak.

Click on the icons in this post to be directed to a House or Senate session, and pray for the people involved. Or click on these links to see a complete list of these leaders. Make a special effort to pray for the people named in each roll call. At times, international conferences are featured on these links. On these occasions, use the Scriptures to pray for international leaders as well.

Here’s the idea:

Using the Scriptures (including the suggestions below), pray for each elected official as his or her name is called. By doing so, we can begin a series of national daily prayer meetings — uniting our souls in intercession for the individuals who lead our government.

Why Should We Do This?

The Scriptures remind us that it is especially important to pray for our national leaders:

“Therefore, I exhort first of all

that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

Powerful Fuel for Faithful Prayer:

The Lord Jesus reminded us in John 15:7 that if we would abide in Him and His Words would abide in us, we should ask what we desire and it shall be done. Why not take this promise of answered prayer to heart? Use the Scriptures to pray.

Rather than merely praying, “Lord, bless them,” and “Lord, be with them” why not use the Words of the Scripture as a powerful fuel for more meaningful and more faithful prayer?

With your Bible open (see ideas below), meditate upon that verse in its context; savor it, and use it to begin a conversation with the Lord, interceding for our country. Then, unite these verses with their votes: crying out to the Lord for their souls and the spiritual state of our nation. Perhaps someone who is reading this could set up a means by which we could receive alerts when roll calls will be made.

What Should We Pray?

Verses to use to pray for our elected representatives. As each official’s name is called, use a verse to intercede with the Lord for that elected representative. Here are a few ideas:

2 Samuel 23:3 “The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: ‘He who rules over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God.’”

Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, Also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”

Psalm 9:20 “Put them in fear, O LORD, That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah”

Psalm 80:19 “Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved!”

Psalm 85:6 “Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You?”

1 Samuel 12:23 “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.”

Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

To encourage your heart in the Lord, read through or sing through this Adaptation of Psalm 124, to the tune of “Now Thank We All Our God” and this Adaptation of Psalm 123 to the tune of  “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

Answers to Prayer

After you pray for these leaders, would you follow the news to see how the Lord is answering your prayer? Use that answered prayer as a time to rejoice over the fact that God answers prayer and thank Him for the verse that He gave you as powerful fuel for faithful prayer.

If you would like to correspond with me about this project, or receive this project by email, drop me a note at

info [at] cbcfindlay.org

Sincerely, for nationwide revival,

Pastor Gordon Dickson

To hear a message on what the Scriptures show us about the desperate state of our nation, please click here.

Sufficient Sweetness

That’s right. This is a sermon about “sufficient sweetness.” What do you do when your body sends you the “full” signal? Keep right on eating or call a halt? Part of the problem is that we have come to think of eating as a way to be entertained. Now it is clear in Scripture that good food is a wonderful way to have great fellowship with others. The problem is that we allow ourselves to think of eating primarily as entertainment rather than nourishment. When you view it this way, munching becomes a way to change your moods; cooking becomes your source of comfort.

Those Basic Assumptions

When our most basic assumptions about eating are out of whack, we can’t really expect to draw the right conclusions.

For instance, one summer evening several years ago, my family was enjoying a wonderful campout near Cincinnati. The children were asleep and my wife and I were reading under the dining canopy we had set up. In a short while, I read 50 pages of 1776 by David McCullough, and almost the entire time, I was munching away on pistachios. Those wonderful, salty nuts added real zest to the occasion and I thoughtlessly downed them while I was reading. Suddenly, in a start, I sat up and looked wide-eyed at my wife.

She asked, “what is wrong?”

I replied, “the Lord just spoke to me!”

She responded, “Well, what did He say?”

I answered by quoting Proverbs 25:16!

“Have you found honey? Eat only so much as is sufficient for you, lest you be filled therewith and vomit it up.”

You see, I was just reading a terrific book about the American Revolution, and suddenly the Lord spoke to me through the Scriptures. That kind of thing has happened to me frequently. On this occasion, it brought me up short and I pushed away the bag of pistachios.

What stopped my snacking?

So what was it about Proverbs 25:16 that stopped my snacking?

I was crunching away for contentment. I felt as if pistachios were giving me peace! And in a moment’s time, the Word of God helped me to arrest my impulses. My faith interrupted my feelings. Proverbs 25:16 emphasizes “sufficiency” instead of saturation. When I reach “full,” there is no need to go farther. Now if you begin to think in these terms, you will begin to re-interpret the signals your body sends you. You can begin to discern the difference between “hunger pings” and “hunger pangs.” But, as the verse warns, if you snack right on past sufficiency, be prepared to feel sick. I recommend that you memorize this proverb to see if the Lord doesn’t bring it to your mind as well. God’s Word has a marvelous ability to reign in our feelings and impulses.

In this proverb, honey can represent any and all food. (Have you found pizza??) We were created by God to live for His Glory and enjoy His Creation. We were not created to sicken ourselves with a saturation of sweetness.

So ends this sermon on “sufficient sweetness.” Hope you enjoyed this “Honey Homily.”

–Pastor Gordon Dickson, Calvary Baptist Church, Findlay, Ohio

www.cbcfindlay.org

www.glimpsesofcalvary.com

If you would like to download a copy of this prayer sheet, complete with a map of the nations within the 10/40 Window, the names of the countries within this window and some information about each country, please click the map below. If we really “L.O.V.E.” others, we ought to pray the way the Lord taught us to pray.

In this glorious doxology (an expression of consummate praise to God), the Apostle Paul expressed the simple, yet profound premise that “God is Able!”

As I tried to demonstrate in this message, every true believer must begin with this simple, powerful concept. Click here to listen to this message.

Here is the message outline with some passages for additional study:

Praise and Exalt the God . . . Who is able.

This is the potential aspect – God’s capacity.

-         to do infinitely more

o       than we ask

o       than we think

Who is at work in us.

This is the practical aspect – God’s conducting

of His Work through us.

-         According to God’s Power

-         Presently working in us

Additional Study: Note the appeals for extravagant blessings: Philippians 1:9; 4:19, Colossians 1:9-11, 1 Thessalonians 3:11-12, 2 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Corinthians 1:4-5

God is Able!

Matthew 10:28, Acts 20:32, Romans 4:20-22, 2 Cor. 9:8, Philippians 3:21, 2 Timothy 1:12, Hebrews 2:18; 7:25

Before you stand a big Hittite and a little Hittite. The little Hittite is the big Hittite’s son, but the big Hittite is not the little Hittite’s father. Who is the big Hittite?

Re-read the puzzle to be sure that you understood it and while you are thinking about it, I would like to help you with your problem-solving skills.

The Problem with Assumptions

So many of life’s puzzles are difficulties that we impose upon ourselves. Seriously. For instance, the puzzle above is a puzzle only because we make certain assumptions. It’s one thing to wrestle with the puzzle like the one above; it is quite another to wrestle with
life’s puzzles and problems.

Changing Your Assumptions

When you understand this, you understand why the Bible puts such an emphasis on the renewal of the mind. “Renewing the mind” helps you to challenge the assumptions that you have made or that have been forced upon you. Part of the problem of evil is that our lusts are “deceitful lusts.” That means that our hearts are perfectly capable of fooling us and frequently do so. As you know, the enigma of evil harbors horrible consequences for you and for all humanity. And the reason that we seem to bumble and fumble our way back into the same problem is that our assumptions lead us to do so.
So how do you learn to “think outside the box?” The whole world system is trying to force you into its mold – including its assumptions. Isn’t it time to break out? Isn’t it time to go back to “square one” and take a new look at some old assumptions?

Three Steps to Permanent Change

I’ve answered the “Hittite puzzle” for you in an audio file (click on the link at left). In this audio file, I will teach you Three Important Steps to Personal Change. Ephesians 4:21-24 has changed my life and I’m confident that it can do the same for you. Be prepared to challenge some of your most basic assumptions.

Saturday, August 21 , 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

City Mission Clinic

The doctor told me that I had Multiple Myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow.  How could this be? I was physically active, reasonably athletic and fairly strong.

Since I had seen my sister die from this very same cancer some ten years earlier, I thought that in a matter of months, I would die also. This is my story…

Read Bill’s story and listen to his interviews here.

Our Ministry of Music

The December 2009 edition of the Calvary Baptist Church newsletter, Glimpses of Calvary, describes important aspects of our church music ministry.

Looking Through Windows into the Ministry of Music Gene Trantham

The Servant-Leader Accompanist Harriet Dickson

Serving the Lord as Choir Librarian, Teacher, and Ensemble Member Karen Frost

Christmas Caroling and Hymn Caroling Cathy Gons

Praising Him in the Church Orchestra Brad Yoder

Singing in the Choir Tim Hoag

Musing with One Mind and One Mouth Laura Lindwall

To download this edition, click here.

In this audio message, delivered on Sunday, January 24, Pastor Dickson examines Ephesians 5:16-24 to find the answer to that question.

In Scripture, we learn what to do, why to do it and Who gets the praise for what we do (Matthew 5:16).  It’s important that we connect what we do (practice) to why we do it (principles); it’s even more important that we determine Who is really getting the praise for our lives: Who is the person behind it all?

By looking at this text in this way, we can learn a lot about marriage. There are a lot of good reasons for marriage, but what is God’s highest and greatest purpose?

Click here to listen to this message.

To listen to Spirit-Filled Marriage, Part 1, click here.

Why? And how can this change?

In this new series entitled, “Spirit-filled Marriage,” Pastor Gordon Dickson  will examine marriage from Ephesians chapter 5.

As this first message demonstrates, God is able to work in your marriage in a way that is infinitely beyond what you could ask or think.

Believers are given the privilege of being filled with all the fulness of God. With this kind of power, Spirit-filled believers can fulfill

the Biblical purpose for marriage and find great joy in their marriages.

To listen to this message, click here.

To listen to Spirit-Filled Marriage, Part 2, click here.

Without God on our Side

Psalm 124

to the tune of “Now Thank We All Our God”

Without God on our side, (say all the people with us)

Without God on our side, the floods would have engulfed us.

For angry men rose up and like a swelling tide

They would have swallowed us, but God was on our side.

. . . . .

We praise and bless the Lord, our Wonderful Defender

Who kept us from the snare from being torn asunder

For they would tear our flesh and swallow us alive

But God protected us in Him we live and thrive.

. . . . .

Now thank we all our God, the Lord Christ, our Creator

Who made the heav’n and earth and came as our Redeemer

He still defends today, our blessed Lord and Guide

Now let the people say, “The Lord is on our side.”

Adapted from Psalm 124 by Gordon Dickson

One of our members, Anna Dickson, a 2005 graduate of Heritage Christian School, will be performing with this group. Also performing with this group is Mr. Arnold Alier, who has accompanied some of our Calvary Baptist Church mission teams into Mexico.

The public is invited. Please join us for this performance.

1. How do you recognize an idol? That question was answered in the audio link posted yesterday in “American Idol: Food?!?” Part 1

1. 2. How do you resist idolatry? That question is answered in another message posted here. If food has become your idol, there is real help here.

Tomorrow, I will be posting a message that outlines 3 Steps to Personal Change. It is not enough to restrain a bad habit. You have to learn how to reinforce that restraint and replace that habit. The Bible lays out this exciting pattern for personal change and I will discuss this in that upcoming post. In the meantime, listen to this message from James chapter 1.

You probably don’t have an idol in your backyard. You don’t gather your children around and bow down to a statute or picture, do you? It would be easy for you to conclude that you don’t practice idolatry. But what if idols are much more subtle than that? What if idolatry is, first and foremost, something in your heart? This is precisely what is described in Ezekiel 14:3. Idols begin in your heart.

What if your “diet” problem is really an “idol” problem?

It would be easy for you and me to dismiss this notion completely. Sounds ridiculous, right? But your “inability” to turn away from certain foods or portions begins right here. If food is indeed your idol, you are going to need an ally to overturn it. Read the online discussions about “comfort food” and you will begin to see the problem. I read somewhere that macaroni and cheese was the #1 comfort food after 9/11. What if you are turning to food for comfort instead of turning to the God of All Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)?

An Audio Discussion

At this link, you will find a Biblical discussion of idolatry. I encourage you to sit down with a copy of the Scriptures to work through this message. Here you will discover that you can make an idol out of almost anything, especially food. When you begin here, you begin at “square one” in dieting and personal fitness. If your very best efforts to “fix this problem” haven’t worked, why not step back to see where the real problem is? Recognizing your use of food, and calling it what it is, makes all the difference. Here is a question for you to consider while that link is loading:

Do you eat to live or live to eat?

But if you live to eat, how can you stop?

Be Prepared

Please come prepared to take notes that evening. Pastor Arrowood has been carefully reviewing the notes he has made over this last year. Since he has documented his own journey, he will be prepared to give you practical advice for your next steps. Pastor Arrowood is the pastor of Troy Baptist Temple, in Troy, Ohio.

If you have any questions about this meeting, please call Angie at the church office at 419.422.6842.  As the “Be Healthy Now” campaign continues, we will be using this blog to pass along more practical advice. Many studies have proven that a steady, sensible approach –leading to a genuine change in lifestyle — is the key to personal fitness and weight loss.

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