He Will Come Again

The Bible teaches that Jesus will return to this earth again. However, it will be much different from when he was born a baby in Bethlehem’s manger. With his second coming, he will destroy sin, death, and the devil. Join us this week as we talk about three situations in which death would have been a real enemy were it not for Jesus returning to this earth.


Scripture: John 8:31-32
Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”


Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon Watch and Be Ready delivered on Christian Crusaders December 2, 2001.

As we have been made ready to meet the Lord when he comes, enjoy life and serve Him. Jesus mentions Noah in our text. Noah lived in a wicked generation and was often ridiculed and made fun of as he continued to build the ark as commanded by God. But Noah was ready to meet God, and so life went on as usual. It is only when we are ready to meet the Savior, either in his second coming or in death, that we are ready to live and enjoy each day. What a comfort to know that we are ready. Our fears, though they come, are under control. Our values, though influenced by the world, are corrected as we live with the Savior and learn what is really important in life.


The Origin of Some Best-Loved Christmas Hymns
Wake, Awake
Many songs have been inspired by happy times, but this song was inspired by the worst of times. Philip Nicolai was a Lutheran pastor in Unna, a small town near Dortmund, Germany during the plague of winter 1597-1598 taking the lives of more than 1,300 people in his community. He kept busy all winter conducting funerals, as many as thirty a day, and comforting the sick and grieving. He wrote this hymn as an encouragement –– a statement of faith in the coming of the Christ who overcame death on the cross –– and who overcomes death for us as well.

Nicolai wrote both the words and the music of this hymn. When Johann Sebastian Bach came across Nicolai's hymn, he made some small changes to make it more singable. In the process, Bach also helped to popularize it.

The hymn begins with watchmen crying, "Wake, awake!" Watchmen would be on guard against disaster, such as enemy soldiers or fire or flood. In this case, however, they rejoice as they awaken the town to greet the Bridegroom –– Jesus Christ –– who has come to redeem them. The hymn pictures the hosts of heaven and earth singing to the accompaniment of harp and cymbal –– singing joyfully to welcome Jesus.

All too often, we think of the Second Coming (if we think of it at all) as the view of religious fundamentalists whose proclamation of the Second Coming casts an ominous rather than a joyful tone. To be faithful, we need to recover the joyful character of the Second Coming –– of the great banquet that Jesus has prepared for us. Joy is the true meaning of the Second Coming –– and joy is the message of this hymn.

(Written by Richard Nieli Donovan, Copyright 2007, www.lectionary.org)

Donations

As the year comes to an end, Christian Crusaders would like to thank all our listeners and donors for their prayerful and financial gifts. All donations to Christian Crusaders are completely tax-deductible. You can also make a contribution online instantly at ChristianCrusaders.org.

On the Light Side

Knock Knock

- Who's there ?
Holly
- Holly who ?
Holly-days are here again !

Knock Knock
- Who's there ?
Wayne
- Wayne who ?
Wayne in a manger!

Knock Knock
- Who's there ?
Oakham
- Oakham who ?
Oakham all ye faithful . . . !

Knock, knock.
- Who's there?
Wenceslas.
- Wenceslas who?
Wenceslas bus home on Christmas Eve?

God's Word Is Relevant in Every Day

Do you know a couple who is living together without the benefit of marriage? It happens often in today’s world, and has for many generations all the way back to the Old Testament. So if it is so common, can it really be so wrong? Join us this Sunday as we discuss the relevance of God’s Word for our day. http://www.christiancrusaders.org


Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-3
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.


Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon Culture Can Be Renewed delivered on Christian Crusaders July 10, 2005.

Our homes mold the people who live within its walls. Love, self-control, faithfulness, and thankfulness produce different kinds of people than those who are raised in an environment of hatred, fits of anger, immorality, and jealousy. In our Christian homes, there is joy and peace that is not known in the world. It is to the Christian home that God’s Word speaks telling those who are fortunate enough to live in this environment to share their values. They are contagious. People will ask what makes you so different. If they don’t ask, they will wonder what the difference is. God can use your family’s witness to build a new creation. Imagine what differences there could be in our society if the Christian home would make its witness felt. Remember, culture can be changed, and we can have a part in changing it. Isn’t that exciting and challenging?


Happy Thanksgiving
Christian Crusaders would like to wish all our listeners a very happy Thanksgiving! It is our prayer that you and your family remain safe while traveling this week and enjoy a blessed holiday, giving thanks for all God has given us.


On the Light Side
Eve: Where would you be without me?
Adam: In the Garden of Eden.

When did God create Adam?
Well, it had to be close to midday because he was created before Eve.

God made Adam and then He rested. Then he made Eve. Since then, no one’s rested!

I wonder if Adam ever said to Eve, “Watch it! There are plenty more ribs where you came from!”

Adam and Eve must have had a great marriage. Adam couldn’t talk about his mother’s cooking, and Eve couldn’t mention all the men she could/should have married.

The Door Is Open. Welcome!

The Christmas holidays are filled with thoughts of family gatherings and tradition, and we love to spend time with loved ones and those who mean the most to us. However, in this week’s sermon, we will talk about a new idea for celebrating the holidays, and how it can be used to bring real meaning to the matter of having a happy holiday.


Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-3
Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.


Renewing Reflections
It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon The Word Makes a Difference delivered on Christian Crusaders September 20, 2009.

Many people are missing out on the wisdom and understanding that our psalmist describes for us today. The Word of God will make a big difference in the lives of those who will give themselves over to the endeavor of studying it and applying it to their decision-making. We need the Word in our lives! Martin Luther wrote, “Nothing is more perilous than to be weary of the Word of God. Thinking they know enough, a person begins little by little to despise the Word until they have lost Christ and the Gospel.” Losing the Word means losing Christ entirely.


Christian Crusaders’ Blog
You can find this e-newsletter online at http://crusaderweekly.blogspot.com/. Our blog enables readers to learn about the upcoming sermon, find past e-newsletters, and leave comments on aired or upcoming Christian Crusaders sermons.


On the Light Side
You Know You Are a Missionary’s Kid When . . .

• You know there is no such thing as an international language.

• You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism.

• You realize what a small world it is, after all.

• You never take anything for granted.

• You watch a movie set in a foreign country, and you know what the nationals are really saying into the camera.

• You know how to pack.

• All preaching sounds better under a corrugated tin roof.

• Having four distinct seasons other than dry, very dry, rainy, and very rainy, is a new experience.

• After a couple of years in one spot, you’re ready to move again.

• You feel uncomfortable in school without a uniform.

• School gets cancelled due to flash flooding.

• Tropical fruits aren’t imported.

• Walking miles to and from school is normal.

• If someone asks what school you went to, you reply, “Depends on the year.”

• You are afraid to ask what you are eating, but munch away with a smile on your face.

Just a Closer Walk Means Continuing in His Word

As humans born in sin, we are trapped in patterns of thought and behavior that lead to death. Christians, however, look to Jesus for a way out of this condition. In today’s sermon, we will hear some practical advice on getting to know Jesus in a more personal and intimate way by using a single, seemingly unimportant, word found in scripture.


Scripture: John 8:31-32

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”


Renewing Reflections

It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon The Word Makes a Difference delivered on Christian Crusaders September 20, 2009

Many people are missing out on the wisdom and understanding that our psalmist describes for us today. The Word of God will make a big difference in the lives of those who will give themselves over to the endeavor of studying it and applying it to their decision-making. We need the Word in our lives! Martin Luther wrote, “Nothing is more perilous than to be weary of the Word of God. Thinking they know enough, a person begins little by little to despise the Word until they have lost Christ and the Gospel.” Losing the Word means losing Christ entirely.


From the Message

G. K. Chesterton, a well-known twentieth-century English writer, published works on philosophy, ontology, poetry, Christian apologetics, fiction, and many other subjects. He is often referred to as the “Prince of Paradox,” making his point whenever possible with popular sayings, proverbs, and allegories. While attending college to become an illustrator, he began working as a freelance art and literary critic. He later wrote a weekly opinion column in a daily newspaper and a weekly column in The Illustrated London News. Altogether, Chesterton wrote around 80 books, several hundred poems, 200 short stories, 4,000 essays, and several plays. He even wrote articles for the “Encyclopedia Britannica,” including the entry on Charles Dickens and part of the entry on Humor in the 14th edition.

As a young man, Chesterton was fascinated with the occult. As he grew older, however, he increasingly grew orthodox, using Christian themes and symbolism in much of his writings. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922, and near the end of his life was invested by Pope Pius XI as Knight Commander with Star of the Papal Order of St. Gregory the Great. Chesterton died in 1936, and the homily contained these words: “All of this generation has grown up under Chesterton’s influence so completely that we do not even know when we are thinking Chesterton.” (Parts taken from Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton)


On the Light Side

IF . . .
If April showers bring May flowers then what do May flowers bring?
Pilgrims!

If you crossed a cocker spaniel, poodle, and a rooster what would you get?
A cockapoodledoo!

If a dictionary goes from A to Z, what goes from Z to A?
A zebra

If you drop a white hat into the Red Sea, what does it become?
Wet.

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If you ate pasta and antipasta, would you still be hungry?

If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done?

Do You Have a Favorite Saint?

Do you have a favorite saint? We can describe saints in different ways, but in all cases they serve as spiritual role models in our faith walk. In this week’s sermon, we will talk about the saints who Paul mentions in his New Testament letters, as well as some modern-day saints, and how they’ve enriched our spiritual journey.

Scripture:

            Romans 1:7

“To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints . . .”

            I Corinthians 1:1

“To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout

 Achaia . . .”

Ephesians 1:1

“To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus . . .”

Philippians 1:1

“To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers

and deacons . . .”

Renewing Reflections

It is our prayer that Renewing Reflections will be a blessing in your life this coming week. This quote is taken from the sermon Our Heavenly Home delivered on Christian Crusaders November 5, 2000:

“. . . how did all these millions of people enter their heavenly home? The text tells us they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb. Christ has atoned for the sins of the world. All is now ready. Salvation is free. However, this statement tells us that those who hear the Gospel must receive Christ to be cleansed from their sin. We have to appropriate this gift which Christ offers us.”

Christian Crusaders’ Newsletter

The new issue of the Crusader, Christian Crusaders' quarterly newsletter, will soon be printed.  The theme for this issue is “Opportunity.” Contact Christian Crusaders by phone, email, or via the sign-up form on the website, to receive your copy of this special publication.

On the Light Side

A little country church received a new pastor fresh out of seminary. As was usually the case, several of the great old saints in the church waited to die until after he arrived. Consequently, in four weeks he had eight funerals.  Not having time to write his regular Sunday sermons, the new pastor used the sermon from the Sunday before – three more times.

The church council did not like this at all and complained to the Bishop that their new pastor used the same sermon four Sundays in a row. However, when the Bishop asked what the sermon was about, the council scratched their heads and hemmed and hawed, but couldn’t really remember. So the Bishop told them, “Let him use it one more time.”