Young Mr. Spurgeon

• Matthew 5:1-48

How Would This Innovator Be Received Today?

By the middle of 1852, a young minister serving in the quaint and pastoral village of Waterbeach, located just a few miles from Cambridge, England, was becoming a minor local celebrity—a prologue to a much bigger story to come. There was a chapel in another hamlet not far away, overseen by a faithful servant of God who was well more than 80 years old. The congregants purposed to have a special service to mark their pastor's anniversary at their church.

Who better to invite to speak on the important occasion than the popular young preacher?

The old pastor never had met the guest minister; and he paced the floor before the appointed hour, waiting for him to arrive. He barely noticed when a round-faced lad of 17 came through the door. "Surely this can't be the preacher," he thought. When it was confirmed to him this was indeed the person tasked with delivering the homily that special day, the old man did not try all that hard to hide his disdain bordering on disgust. He muttered something about young boys who began preaching, "Before their mother's milk was well out of their mouths." In fact, he was somewhat embarrassed to attend the service; but he did, dutifully.

The young preacher took the shoddy treatment in stride. He already had developed a bit of a thick skin, tending not to shy away from responding to those who despised him because of his youth. Wise beyond his years, he began his address with some careful remarks about the local pastor and the "hoary head" being a "crown of glory." The octogenarian was moved by this and soon warmed up to the younger man. Then he actually found himself impressed. When the sermon was done, he remarked to the young preacher: "You are the sauciest dog that ever barked in a pulpit!" ------

READ THE FULL ARTICLE NOW ATPREACHING.COM --- here's the direct link:http://www.preaching.com/resources/articles/11645824/

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What???

This weekend, the Memorial DrivePresbyterian Church in Houston along with Christian communities in Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit will initiate a series of sermons that have been designed to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between Christianity and Islam.
In addition to the sermons, the Sunday school lessons will center on the inspired teachings of the Prophet Mohammad.
Qurans will be placed in the pews next to the Bibles.
The concept of Chrislam, now embraced by such preachers as Rick Warren and Robert Schuller, appears to have emerged from a program on the meaning of "love your neighbor" at Grace Fellowship Church inAtlanta, Georgia
http://thelastcrusade.org/2010/11/04/chrislam-spreads-throughout-america/


Just recently, Rick Warren, founder and pastor of Saddleback Community Churchin Orange County California, addressed the convention of the Islamic Society of North America. Warren stated that Muslims and Christians must work together to combat stereotypes, promote peace and freedom, and solve global problems. Christians and Moslems – faith mates, soul mates and now work mates! Chrislam!
http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=1366


The off-base Emerging Church is encouraging pastors to embrace an ecumenical concept of combining Christianity and Islam, actually partnering with Islam, to launch a new religion called…Chrislam—which would combine the two. So far, they have managed to gather 130 Christian leaders who collectively state that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. No they do not!
Brian McLaren , the leader of the Emerging Church Movement wrote on his five-part blog entry why Christians should join with Muslims in the Ramadan fast. As to be expected, another leader in that Emerging Churchmovement is Dr. Tony Campolo. Campolo says he is not convinced that Jesus lives only in Christians. In his distorted view, an Islamic "brother" who has fed the hungry and clothed the naked clearly has a personal relationship with Christ, only he doesn't know it.  How's that again?
http://www.cc.org/print/6430

Dr. Jon

Touching Hearts,

Increasing Hope

Going Out In Style

Unable to attend the funeral after his father died, a son who lived far away called his brother and told him, "Do something nice for Dad and send me the bill." 

Later, he got a bill for $200.00, which he paid. The next month, he got another bill for $200.00, which he also paid, figuring it was some incidental expense. 

Bills for $200.00 kept arriving every month, and finally the man called his brother again to find out what was going on. 

"Well," said the other brother, "you said to do something nice for Dad. So I rented him a tuxedo."

Dr. Jon

Touching Hearts,

Increasing Hope