the Pangburn Pulpit

A Great Storm Coming Over the World

Almost two thousand years ago, Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people in a desert place (see Matthew 14:14-21), and then compelled “…His disciples to get into a ship, and to go before Him to the other side [of the Sea of Galilee]…while He sent the multitudes away, He went up into the mountain apart to pray,…

Experiencing God’s Rest

Many Christians say, “I find it difficult to rest in faith in God. Why doesn’t He just let me see what He’s doing, or make it plain why He’s permitted certain things to happen to me, and what benefit He will work out from it? Then it would be a whole lot easier for me…

Doing Evil in God’s Sight

Whenever God comes against man in judgments, we can be sure it’s because of our sins. Yet we can forestall the evil of punishment concerning nations, families and individuals by being genuinely redeemed from the evil of sin. “At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and…

Prayer Requests

In challenging times like the one we live in, the essential requirement for making it through each day is to have faith in the One who hears our prayers. How does God mold the world? By prayer. How does God form our heart? By prayer. Where does our real strength lie? In prayer. God is…

A Slave of Liberty?

A Christian is someone who is willing to sacrifice his liberty for the sake of Christ and for the sake of others. In fact, a Christian really has only one true liberty—the freedom not to use his liberty if he wants to. The Apostle Paul said that he knew this, because what Christ taught had convinced him….

Taking Our Thoughts Captive to be Set Free

Does sin control our entire life so much, that its bondage has enslaved us, and we don’t know what to do? The starting place of all sin is evil thoughts which develop in the mind. But there isn’t one bad thought process or attitude that God can’t free us from (see Romans 6:3-4). The power…

A New Radiance Among Men

On the border of Bethlehem, there was an area where shepherds could be found out in their fields “keeping watch over their flocks by night” (Luke 2:8). One particular night, the glory of the Lord suddenly came and shone round about them as heavenly angelic hosts came upon them with an announcement originating from the…

War and Trouble Will Come But the End is Not Yet

“Wars and rumors of wars” have always been. Since the time of Christ, this planet has had thirteen years of war for every year of peace. As time goes on, we’re going to hear more about “wars and rumors of wars,” but we who belong to God should not allow ourselves to be excessively distressed about such news….

The Paradox of Dying With Christ

To be crucified with Christ is more than just dying with Him. It concerns the manner in which we follow the example of His death in a spiritual way. He bore our sins in His body on the Cross, so that we would not have to die for our sins ourselves. Now Christians are able, through…

The Peace of Being Blameless

How often we want to hold God responsible for our predicaments that have actually been caused by our own sins. Yet He’s not the One Who’s to blame simply because He gave us the power of choice, and we then decided to head in a dishonorable direction. It doesn’t matter how clever a defense we…