This Sunday, May 30th, at our 10.45am service, First Assembly will be hosting a very special event for Memorial Day. We invite all veterans and current members of any branch of the military and also public service forces (Police, Fire, EMS, etc) to join us as our honored guests.

Our Special Guest speaker for the morning, Col. Joseph Batluck (US Army, Ret.), spoke to the News Times last week and said, “I am going to be calling the people to service as Americans, as patriots, and in service of God.”

Our own Bill Kanych will also be speaking. Bill is a Yonkers, NY, Rescue Firefighter who was injured in the line of duty late last year when he and two fellow firefighters had to leap from the third storey of a burning building. One of his partners was tragically killed, and the other also badly injured. Bill’s story is of God’s great faithfulness through a harrowing time.

I want to encourage all the First Assembly church family to do 3 things this week:

1. Pray for this event, especially for those who will be speaking and participating in other ways.

2. Invite a friend. (Offer to pick them up and bring them!) All are warmly welcome, and we will be especially acknowledging all who have served in the various services.

3. Come early and get to service ahead of time and be seated before 10.45am. The service will start with a great opening that you don’t want to miss.

See you there!

Phil

Iranian President Ahmadinejad told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ that his country will “definitely continue on its path” with its nuclear program despite Israeli threats of military force. “They’re finished. The Zionist regime is finished. They can’t even manage Gaza, so they want to get into a conflict with us?” he said.

The reckless contempt the Iranian President shows toward Israel seems to grow by the day. If recent regional history teaches us anything it is that an Arab leader (Sadam Hussein the most recent example) has been very willing to employ a strategy of trying to provoke Israel into a military strike knowing that such action in turn would unite the Arab world against them. The agenda of radical Islam is the annihilation of Israel.

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World news services are carrying reports that a joint team of Chinese and Turkish explorers have discovered, successfully excavated and ventured inside a large wooden structure at an elevation of more than 4,000m on Mount Ararat.

Every few years we’ve heard about different groups setting off on expeditions to try and find Noah’s Ark, but these latest reports are quite extraordinary.  Working from previous reports and stories, this team have been at work for 2 years, and claim to have not only found the structure, but have photographs and video from inside it.

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I became acquainted with Martin Murphy recently through a couple of online exchanges, including comments he left right here on this blog. Martin has more than 20 years experience as a pastor and teacher, and holds degrees in Bible and Divinity from Columbia and Reformed Theological Seminary. He and his wife live in South Alabama.

Not every competent pastor or seminary graduate can write. Martin can!

I bought a copy of his new book “The Essence of Christian Doctrine”, and as I started to leaf through it I was immediately struck by it’s style. It does not pretend to be a magnum opus on systematic theology. (We probably have enough of those.)  It is clearly written for a more popular audience, bringing a good summary of sound Christian doctrine in a thoroughly engaging and readable style.

This book would be a great introduction to theological reading for any young person, and it would make an excellent small group Bible Study curriculum. The seasoned pastor will find immensely helpful material here in preparing to preach doctrine in terms that a whole congregation can grasp quickly.

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“So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.” (John 6:19-21)

I don’t know how tired these disciples were after they had rowed a Galilean fishing boat in a storm three or four miles – but I can imagine!

Then something extraordinary happened.

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The Story of Zac Smith from NewSpring Media on Vimeo.

We have a brand new eBook available for instant download (just CLICK HERE).

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards is the most famous sermon ever preached on American soil.  We have reproduced the entire text of the sermon here in .pdf format for easy download and distribution. It includes a brand new introduction with information about Edwards, the historical setting during the Great Awakening, and what the sermon says to us today.

It will remain available here on our download page.

Phil

Each day of this past week we emailed an early morning devotional out to First Assembly from our Pastoral Team. Here is the last of them as we culminate with the wonderful message of this Resurrection Sunday.

The Power of a Promise Kept

“And the third day He will rise again.” (Luke 18:33)

March 11, 1942 was a dark, desperate day at Corregidor.  The Pacific Theatre of war was threatening and bleak.  One island after another had been buffeted into submission by the Japanese.  The enemy was now marching confidently into the Philippines and surrender was inevitable. American General, Douglas MacArthur, spoke just three words as he stepped into the escape boat destined for Australia: that now famous line, “I shall return.”

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In this very funny short clip, the old warrior Dr. W.A. Criswell was 89 years old. This was, in fact, the last time he preached (1998).

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Each day of this week, leading up to Resurrection Sunday, we are emailing an early morning devotional out to First Assembly from our Pastoral Team. You can read them all right here.

The 7th Saying of Jesus on the Cross

And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.  (Luke 23:46) Read the rest of this entry »