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  • One Voice, October 11, 2026

    One Voice, October 11, 2026
    2026/10/11
    One Voice with Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery Israel's War Psalm 83's Enemies, Damascus Prophecy, and the Sign That Will Bring Israel Home Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery continues his series on the war in Israel, naming the Psalm 83 nations descended from Esau and Ishmael, warning that the fall of Damascus could open the tribulation, and describing the earthquake sign he believes will finally bring the Jewish people home. Continuing the War in Israel, Looking Toward Damascus Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery opens the evening service with a light memory about a young preacher who once borrowed too much of a Charles Spurgeon sermon, then turns to the subject he began the week before: the war in Israel. He tells the congregation the conflict is nearing its end, but says one last marker stands before the tribulation can begin, the city of Damascus. He notes that the United States has already bombed Syria, though he argues Syria was not the real target, adding wryly that nobody knows what will happen 'when Barney's in charge.' He says he is saddened by how widespread antisemitism has become, admitting he knew hatred of Israel existed but never expected it to spread as far as it has. He tells the congregation that events since last week's sermon on Psalm 83 only confirm what he had already been saying. Naming the Nations of Psalm 83 Montgomery walks the congregation through Psalm 83, reading how the enemies of Israel are described lifting up their heads in a tumult of hatred. He names them one by one: the sons of Lot, Edom and Moab; the Ishmaelites, offspring of Ishmael; the Hagarenes, descended from Hagar, the woman Sarah gave to Abraham in an attempt, he says, to help God out; Gebal, whom he identifies as the Edomites; Ammon, born of an incestuous union of Lot; Amalek, the descendants of Esau; the Philistines, whom he describes as originally black-skinned migrants from Africa into Palestine; Tyre, a city he places in modern Lebanon, which he says was part of the land God gave Israel; and Assur, descendants of Shem. He marvels that nations once kindred to Israel have all turned against her, and traces the root of that hostility back to one family quarrel in Genesis. Esau's Hatred and a Spiritual Battle Montgomery turns to Genesis chapter twenty-seven, where Esau hates Jacob for stealing both his birthright and his blessing through deception. He argues that this ancient grudge is the real source of the hostility nations show Israel today, and he makes a sharp claim: anyone who hates the Jews, refuses to pray for Israel, or marches in protest against her carries a demon, because only the devil would move a person to hate God's chosen people. He widens the charge to American colleges and to Congress, saying most of what was once the Democratic Party has become communist and is overwhelmed by that same hatred. He insists the real target is not Israel but the God who chose Israel, since people cannot fight God directly and so fight God's people instead. He warns his congregation that the same ungodly spirit now rising against the Jews is already turning, just as surely, against the church. Street Signs, ETSU, and God's Chosen Montgomery tells his congregation that the hatred spreading through the streets and campuses, including nearby East Tennessee State University, is no longer hidden and no longer deniable. He points to protest signs reading 'from the river to the sea' and explains to his listeners that the phrase means driving Israel into the Mediterranean and taking her land, land he insists God showed to Moses, let Abraham walk upon, and promised to Joshua stretching all the way to the Euphrates. He reminds the congregation that they did not ask to be hated, but says God has placed both Israel and the church in the position of being chosen, and chosen people draw the same ungodly hatred. He frames the conflict as fundamentally spiritual rather than military, quoting Paul's language of powers and rulers, and tells his listeners plainly that comfortable church members should expect a real fight before Jesus returns. Damascus, Isaiah's Prophecy, and a Promise of Safety Montgomery reads Isaiah seventeen, verse one, which declares that Damascus will be taken away from being a city and become a ruinous heap, and tells the congregation that if Damascus falls, this war could be the one that leads into the tribulation. He assures his listeners that God's own children will not go through that tribulation, describing a chamber where they will be hidden until the trouble passes. He illustrates the idea with a baseball picture, a runner dashing from first to second just ahead of the throw, touching the base safely before the tag arrives. He teaches that God already knows whom He will save, so even those who have not yet repented but are destined to be saved are kept safe in the meantime, protected by ministering spirits described in the book of Hebrews. He tells the congregation this teaching unsettles many preachers, but insists it...
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    27 分
  • One Voice, October 18, 2026

    One Voice, October 18, 2026
    2026/10/18
    One Voice with Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery Israel's War: Chosen People, Esau's Hatred, and the Threshing of the Nations Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery preaches on Israel's war, tracing the conflict back to Esau's ancient hatred of Jacob and reading God's promises to his chosen people from Deuteronomy and Isaiah 41. He closes by predicting an earthquake sign that will finally bring the scattered Jewish people home. Fearful Times and the Tribulation Clock Montgomery opens the service by telling the congregation they are living in fearful times if they do not know the Lord Jesus, adding that without Christ he would go searching for someone who could lead him there. He tells listeners that Israel's prophetic time clock will restart soon, though only God knows exactly when, and that once it does the church has roughly seven years before the tribulation and before Jesus returns in power. He asks the congregation whether they are ready to go, then presses further, asking whether they truly want to go, confessing he fears many who call themselves Baptist are not eager for it because it would disrupt their plans for tomorrow. He says he has made up his mind that if Jesus came tonight he would have nothing left undone, not even shoes to straighten in a closet. He turns to Deuteronomy chapter seven, verse six, reading that God chooses a people for his own name, insisting that God is, by nature, a choosing God. Chosen People, Two Brides, and the Land Montgomery reads on in Deuteronomy seven that Israel is a holy people, not chosen for being numerous but because the Lord loved them and kept the oath sworn to their fathers, redeeming them from Pharaoh's bondage. He explains that in the Old Testament Israel is the literal wife of the Lord, often accused of spiritual adultery for chasing the gods of neighboring nations, while in the New Testament the church becomes the bride of Jesus Christ, a distinct relationship he warns listeners not to blend together. He divides humanity into three groups, the Jew, the unsaved Gentile world, and the church, and insists the Jew holds a standing promise to inherit the land now being fought over, land he says never belonged to the Palestinians and, after what he heard that day, never will again. He adds that while he opposes displacing any people from their homes, those who use a nation's hospitality to damage it from within deserve to be removed, pointing to America's open border as a parallel danger. Esau's Hatred and the Arab Confederacy Montgomery traces the roots of the current war back to Esau's hatred of Jacob, explaining that the descendants of Esau, Ishmael, and Abraham's other sons through Keturah joined over the centuries into what he calls the great Arab confederacy, a population he says is overwhelmingly Muslim. He states that the Muslim creed calls for the Jew to be eradicated from the land, and argues that the present conflict marks the beginning of that effort from the Arab side, though he is careful to note that not every Arab is radicalized. He warns his congregation directly that because America has befriended the Jewish people, Christians are hated as well, doubly so, and that the easy season the church has known is ending as satanic powers focus on destroying it. He reassures listeners by quoting Jesus's promise to Peter that the gates of hell will not prevail against the church, and extends that same promise to Israel, declaring that the forces arrayed against the Jewish people will not prevail either. Prophecy, Riots, and the Road to Damascus Montgomery tells the congregation that a true student of prophecy must stay willing to change his mind as events unfold, but says the present trajectory looks grim for the world as other nations prepare their own coalition against Israel. He counts three invasions yet to come, one already underway and two more described in Revelation chapters seventeen through nineteen and Ezekiel chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine, involving kings from the East crossing a dried Euphrates and kings from the North, both armies destroyed, one on the mountains of Israel and one by the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. He turns to the rioting filling streets around the world, calling the demonstrations what he considers them, riots, and complaining that protesters who defaced the Capitol in Washington faced no consequences while others who walked in and took pictures remain jailed for years. He then recalls Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus, where Christ tells the persecuting Saul it is hard to kick against the pricks, warning that modern protesters and politicians opposing Israel stand in that same dangerous position. Isaiah 41's Promise and a Threshing Instrument Montgomery turns to Isaiah forty-one, reading God's promise to Israel, his chosen servant and the seed of Abraham, not to fear because the Lord will strengthen, help, and uphold him. He reads on as the passage promises that everyone incensed against Israel will be ashamed and ...
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    27 分
  • One Voice, September 27, 2026

    One Voice, September 27, 2026
    2026/09/27
    One Voice with Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery 17 Providence of God Providence in the Book of Esther: Vashti's Refusal, Esther's Courage, and Haman's Own Gallows Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery continues his providence series with the Book of Esther, tracing how God works unseen through Vashti's fall, Esther's rise, Mordecai's courage, and Haman's plot against the Jews that turns back on his own gallows. Introducing The Providence Series And The Book Of Esther Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery opens the evening service by returning to his ongoing study of the providence of God, telling the congregation there is no way to come to the end of the subject because it appears in nearly every chapter of scripture. He reminds them that providence is God working out his will in the lives of his people, whether through natural or supernatural means, and that believers often praise God when providence is sweet but argue with him when it delivers a hard blow. He then turns the congregation to the Book of Esther, calling it a fantastic read that most people, even longtime believers, have never opened. He pushes back on the common assumption that the book is only about Jewish history, insisting it is really about the providence of God in the life of his people, and promises to walk through the story verse by verse to show God's hidden hand at work throughout. King Ahasuerus's Feast And Queen Vashti's Refusal Montgomery reads from the opening chapters of Esther, introducing King Ahasuerus, a ruler he identifies with the Xerxes line of the Medes and Persians who reigns over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia. He describes the king displaying the riches of his kingdom for a hundred and eighty days before throwing a seven-day feast for everyone in the palace at Shushan, and he places the story on the biblical timeline by tying it back to Nebuchadnezzar's dream in the Book of Daniel, noting that if Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom is gold, Ahasuerus now represents the silver kingdom that follows. Once the king is thoroughly drunk, he sends for Queen Vashti so he can display her beauty to his guests, but she refuses to come. Montgomery describes the king's fury and the counsel of his officials, who convince him to dethrone Vashti and search the kingdom for a new queen, setting up the search that will eventually bring Esther to the palace. Esther Rises To Queen As Mordecai Foils A Plot Montgomery describes the year of purification the candidates for queen must undergo before meeting the king, and introduces Mordecai, whom he is careful to identify as Esther's cousin rather than her uncle, since Esther, originally named Hadassah, is the daughter of Mordecai's uncle and was raised by him after her parents died. Mordecai keeps watch daily at the palace gate, gathering news, while Esther, at God's quiet direction, keeps her Jewish identity hidden. When her turn comes, she pleases the king more than any other woman brought before him, and he crowns her queen. Montgomery jokes that most very pretty women are not very smart, praising Esther as blessed with both beauty and intelligence. He then recounts Mordecai overhearing two of the king's officers plotting to assassinate him; Mordecai reports it through Esther, the plotters are hanged, and the deed is recorded in the king's chronicles, a detail Montgomery insists is no accident but God's providence quietly setting the stage for what comes next. Haman's Pride And The Plot Against The Jews Montgomery introduces Haman, a proud official exalted second in the kingdom, whose anger boils over because Mordecai, alone among the people at the gate, refuses to bow to him. Haman goes to the king with a bribe and a warning that a certain people in the kingdom are dangerous, securing an order to destroy the Jews on an appointed day throughout all the provinces. Mordecai tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, and mourns at the gate, and word reaches Esther in the palace that her people are condemned. She protests that entering the king's presence uninvited is punishable by death, even for the queen, but Mordecai answers that she may have come to the kingdom "for such a time as this." Esther resolves to go to the king anyway, declaring that if it costs her life, it costs her life, and instead of stating her request immediately she invites the king and Haman to a private banquet, buying time for God's plan to unfold. Haman's Gallows And The King's Sleepless Night Montgomery savors the reversal that follows. Haman leaves Esther's first banquet still fuming over Mordecai's refusal to bow, and on his wife's advice he builds a gallows to hang him the next morning. That same night the king cannot sleep and has the court records read to him, discovering that Mordecai was never rewarded for exposing the assassination plot. When Haman arrives at the palace to request Mordecai's execution, the king instead asks him how to honor a man the king wishes to reward, and Haman, assuming the honor is meant for...
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    30 分
  • One Voice, October 4, 2026

    One Voice, October 4, 2026
    2026/10/04
    One Voice with Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery Israel's War Psalm 83 and the Coming War Against Israel: Enemies, Election, and a Call to Revival Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery preaches on the coming war against Israel, arguing from 2 Chronicles 20 and Psalm 83 that the enemies are Islamic nations descended from Esau and Ishmael. He closes by calling his congregation to revival and to falling in love with Jesus again. Opening Words and Why This Is Not Ezekiel's War Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery opens the hour with a greeting and a confession that he is perplexed by the circumstances facing the nation, adding that his listeners should be perplexed too. He tells them they are being fed lies from every brand known to mankind. He says he is convinced that the coming conflict is not the war described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, because the enemies are different. Montgomery explains that the wars of those chapters and of Revelation involve Russia, Iran, and even Egypt, while the nations he names in the current threat are Muslim nations. He argues that Russia has shown little animosity toward Jews, apart from expelling them during the war, and that the United States has shown the same restraint until now. The difference, he says, is religion, and he claims that more than half of the Russian army is Muslim. He admits some of what he says will draw criticism, as it has before, but says he is not fearful. Jehoshaphat, the Singers, and the Echoing Valley Montgomery turns the congregation to 2 Chronicles chapter 20, where King Jehoshaphat stands before the Lord as the armies of Moab and Ammon come against Israel. He reads the king's prayer, which asks God to judge the enemy and confesses that Israel has no might against so great a company. Montgomery stresses that the king's eyes are fixed on God, and he says he wishes Israel's leadership would make that same public statement today. God's answer, as he tells it, is to send singers down into the valley ahead of the army, singing that God's mercy endures forever. Montgomery describes the song echoing off the rocks until the enemy hears what seems like millions of voices and turns on itself. He notes that no Hebrew sword is drawn and that the spoil takes several trips to carry away. He says he has been telling his wife all week that he is looking for God to work a miracle, and he expects this war to draw Israel back together. Psalm 83 and the Enemies of God Montgomery moves to Psalm 83, which he describes as a portrait of this same war, noting that the psalms are prophecy too. He reads the psalmist's cry, 'Keep not silent, O God,' and draws attention to the words 'Lo, thine enemies.' He states plainly that the armies against Israel are the enemies of God, and that the psalm describes them making a tumult and taking crafty counsel against God's hidden ones. He quotes the plot to cut Israel off from being a nation so that its name may be no more in remembrance. Montgomery says the purpose of Islam, in his view, is to eradicate Israel, because its followers hate God and anything that represents him. He reads verse five, in which the enemies consult together with one consent, and he names Edom and the Ishmaelites among them. He tells the congregation that the Arab world, for the most part, descends from Esau and Ishmael, and that this lineage is the key to the whole conflict. Esau, Ishmael, and the Chosen Seed of Jacob Montgomery presses the point that God did not choose Ishmael or Esau. He says God states plainly in Genesis, Malachi, and Romans, and hints in Hebrews, that 'Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated.' He explains that Esau is left out as far as spiritual things are concerned, though not as far as physical things, and that the one God hates becomes a hater of God. The promise, he says, runs through Jacob and the twelve tribes, leaving the other descendants of Abraham outside it. Montgomery claims God revealed himself only to the nation he chose and left the other nations in silence. He then turns to Deuteronomy 7, reading that Israel is a holy people, chosen to be a special people above all the peoples on the earth. He admits that Israel is rebellious and easily drawn into idolatry, yet insists God judges them and brings them home rejoicing. He says Israel has not known peace in the land since it was re-established. A Preacher's Question and Warnings About the Church Montgomery recounts a phone call from a preacher who asked whether the current fighting meant the battle of Armageddon and whether he was still pretribulation. Montgomery tells him it is not yet Armageddon, though this war could set the stage for it, and says the hatred of God is being uncovered both overseas and in the United States. He says that people walking the city streets, and people sitting in churches who would like to walk with them, are, in his words, children of hell. He says he told Ginger that God might open the earth and swallow these people right into hell. He says he has preached for at least ...
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    27 分
  • One Voice, September 20, 2026

    One Voice, September 20, 2026
    2026/09/20
    One Voice with Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery 16 Providence of God Providence in the Book of Job: The Blow, the Blessing, and the God Who Never Sleeps Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery continues his providence series by preaching through the Book of Job, tracing Satan's challenge in heaven, the sudden loss of Job's family and fortune, and the restoration that follows when Job prays for the friends who accused him. Introducing Job, the Greatest Man in the East Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery opens the message by turning the congregation to the Book of Job, calling it one of his favorite books in the Bible and promising to trace God's providence through it. He reads from chapter one, describing Job as a man who is "perfect," upright, and one who fears God and turns from evil. He walks through Job's family and possessions, seven sons, three daughters, seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she-asses, noting that scripture calls Job the greatest man of the east. Montgomery emphasizes that Job's children are godly, fasting and praying, and that Job regularly offers sacrifices on their behalf in case they have sinned. He holds Job up as a model of a man who honors God with what he has been given, setting the stage for a message he says will cover both "the blow" and "the blessing" of God's providence in Job's life. Satan Challenges God Over Job Montgomery moves to the heavenly scene in chapter one, where Satan comes among the sons of God to present himself before the Lord. God asks Satan where he has come from, and Satan answers that he has been going to and fro in the earth, a detail Montgomery uses to remind the congregation that the devil is never idle, comparing him to the New Testament's roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. When God asks Satan whether he has considered Job, Satan accuses God of protecting Job with a hedge, arguing that Job's faithfulness would collapse without it. God allows Satan to test Job, and Montgomery pauses to make a larger point: that Job's story matters so much to heaven that a conversation about him takes place there before anything happens to him, and that nothing can touch a believer's life except what God permits. A Nation That Has Forgotten God Before returning to Job's story, Montgomery turns his attention to the present day, arguing that Americans, like Job, have been richly blessed but increasingly fail to honor God for it. He says the country removed God from its schools and now suffers for it, declaring that anyone who holds many secular degrees but does not know Jesus Christ is, in his words, "a spiritual idiot." He warns that the pulpits themselves have become mouthpieces for another gospel and another spirit, and that the nation is already living under God's judgment. He points to politicians using climate change to strip away personal freedoms, control over food and farming, and rising taxes he believes are designed to make it impossible for ordinary people to keep their homes and land. Montgomery contrasts this drift with Job's family, who recognized "the God of glory" their parents and grandparents knew, framing America's spiritual decline as a warning before he returns to Job's unfolding trial. The Blow Falls on Job's House Montgomery returns to Job chapter one, describing the messengers who arrive in quick succession to report that Job's oxen and camels have been stolen or destroyed, and finally that all ten of his children have died together when a great wind collapsed the house they were feasting in. He marvels that Job, stripped of everything in a single breath, does not curse God but instead declares, "Naked came I out of the womb, and naked shall I return... the Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Montgomery calls this response almost unimaginable, admitting he doubts he could say the same words in Job's place. He reminds the congregation that providence, as he preached the week before, includes both light and darkness, and that Job's blessed life has now given way to devastating loss, even as heaven's earlier conversation about him continues to govern everything that happens. No Accidents in a Believer's Life Montgomery builds a theology of providence from Job's suffering, insisting that nothing happens to a believer by accident because God is of one mind and already knows and has planned the end from the beginning. He recalls telling a class of seminary students that there has never been an accident in a believer's life, watching the room go silent at the claim, and argues listeners should call their own crashes "mishaps" rather than accidents, since God's plan runs through them regardless. He shares his father's words after Montgomery survived having a car "beat out from under him": "Son, we can replace the car, but we can't replace you." He then turns to Job's three friends, who arrive claiming to comfort Job but instead accuse him of hidden sin and hypocrisy, ...
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    30 分
  • One Voice, September 13, 2026

    One Voice, September 13, 2026
    2026/09/13
    One Voice with Dr Pastor Larry Montgomery 15 Providence of God. Providence In The Storm: The Red Sea, The Cross, And A Father's Woodshed Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery preaches the fifteenth message in his series on the providence of God, tracing its mixture of good and hard moments from the parting of the Red Sea to the cross and resurrection, and closing with a personal story about discipline at his father's dinner table. Opening the Fifteenth Providence Message Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery opens the service by telling the congregation that this is the fifteenth message in his series on the providence of God, and he says he is enjoying every minute of it. He thanks the people for coming and for listening, calling it a blessing to know that the God of glory is still on the throne. He tells the congregation that God's people need to wake up and recognize that God is in control, using the image of a pilot rather than a copilot to describe God's complete charge over their lives. He turns to Romans chapter eight, verse twenty-eight, a passage he says he has preached on repeatedly, including an unplanned eight-week series, and tells the congregation he intends to use it to open and close the message. He asks them to let the verse speak for itself rather than filtering it through assumptions. Providence as a Mixture of Good and Bad Montgomery explains that the providence of God is a mixture of good and bad, not a guarantee of constant ease. He tells the congregation that if life went smoothly all the time, they would not appreciate God, and that hard times are what drive people back to prayer. He describes God's ways of getting attention, from a gentle nudge on the shoulder to a word from a friend or a preacher, insisting that God will always find a way to remind his people that he is still God. He reminds the congregation that providence means God not only creates but continues to care for everything he has made, external and internal, from the sun and stars down to each individual person. He warns that forgetting this truth invites a reminder, and that questioning God in hard circumstances amounts to blaming him, a point he repeats for emphasis before moving into examples from scripture. Creation and the Greater Act of Redemption Turning to the wonder of creation, Montgomery tells the congregation that of everything God has made, mankind stands as the greatest work, visible even against the vastness that instruments like the Hubble Telescope and newer telescopes still cannot fully capture. He pauses on a fresh thought that strikes him in the moment: that the greatest thing God has ever done is not creation itself but the redemption of mankind. He describes salvation as God rescuing people from what he calls the slave market of sin, calling it the greatest act of a holy God. The congregation responds with amens as he links this redemptive theme back to providence, arguing that God's ongoing care did not stop at creation but extends into the deliberate work of saving his people, setting up the biblical examples of providence in action that follow. The Red Sea and Pharaoh's Army Montgomery walks the congregation through Exodus chapter fourteen, describing Israel trapped at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army closing in behind them and no way forward. He describes the pillar of cloud moving from before Israel to stand between the two camps, becoming darkness to the Egyptians and light to the children of Israel. He notes that the people's shouting on the way out of Egypt had turned to pouting once they saw the sea, with no boat and no bridge to save them. He tells the congregation that God caused the sea to open with no help from the people themselves, letting Israel cross on dry ground before closing the waters over Pharaoh's pursuing army, since chariots and armored men do not float. The people who had been complaining the day before are shouting in celebration on the far shore, and Montgomery uses the scene to argue that God's providence is often clearest only after the crossing is complete. The Cross, the Tomb, and the Resurrection The sermon moves to the cross, Matthew chapter twenty-seven, as Montgomery asks the congregation to picture the Hill of the Skull with him. He describes disciples who had watched Jesus heal and raise the dead now watching him beaten beyond recognition, evoking the film The Passion of the Christ as an inadequate depiction of the brutality involved. He recounts Jesus speaking from the cross to his mother and to John before dying, and describes the disciples scattering as hope seems to die with him in the tomb behind a sealed stone. He then describes the third day, when the stone is rolled away and the tomb is found empty, framing the resurrection as providence breaking through apparent hopelessness. He closes the section with the two disciples walking to Emmaus, who fail to recognize the risen Jesus walking beside them until he reveals himself, after which they hurry back to Jerusalem to ...
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    32 分
  • One Voice, August 30, 2026

    One Voice, August 30, 2026
    2026/08/30
    One Voice with Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery 13 Providence Of God Held Together by Light: Creation, Providence, and the God Who Cares Summary Providence as Creation's Continuing Care The sermon defines divine providence as God's continuing care for everything He created. Using an eight-day clock that must be wound more frequently than expected, the preacher argues that the universe could not simply be created and abandoned. Providence is presented as God's ongoing work of guiding, guarding, ordering, and sustaining creation. Light, Creation, and Human Purpose Genesis 1 is used to emphasize the immediacy of God's command, "Let there be light." The preacher describes the sun and stars as immense sources of energy that continue fulfilling the purposes for which God created them. Human beings are likewise portrayed as intentionally created, with the simple purpose of honoring God through obedience. God as Light and the Speed of Glory The sermon connects the physical speed of light with the biblical statement that God is light. The preacher uses the resurrection appearances of Jesus to propose that a glorified body can move beyond ordinary physical limitations. A demonstration with the room's light switches reinforces the contrast between light appearing instantly and darkness disappearing. A Universe Sustained in Motion The preacher describes planets, stars, the earth, light, and the wider universe as moving at tremendous speed. A freeway pileup becomes an illustration of the chaos that might result if one moving part of creation slipped out of order. The continued stability of the universe is therefore offered as evidence that the Creator remains its providential Caretaker. Future Judgment and Renewed Creation The sermon anticipates a future moment when the present elements will melt and God will make creation new. The preacher describes a sinless future involving glorified believers in New Jerusalem, Israel living on earth, continued human population growth, and the eventual habitation of creation. These ideas are presented as theological conclusions within the sermon rather than independently established facts. Personal Care, Grace, and the Ark of Hope The closing section moves from cosmic providence to God's personal care for individuals. A shooting star becomes a reminder that God is present, while Noah's ark becomes an image of grace and deliverance before judgment. The preacher closes by assuring listeners that God cares for His children and will ultimately take them home, whether individually through death or collectively in the anticipated rapture.
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    31 分
  • One Voice, August 23, 2026

    One Voice, August 23, 2026
    2026/08/23
    One Voice with Dr. Pastor Larry Montgomery 12 Providence Of God When God Directs the Journey: Salvation, Healing, and Revival Summary Providence in Spiritual Salvation The preacher organizes the sermon around three expressions of divine providence: spiritual, physical, and national. He begins with John 4 and Jesus’ statement that He “must needs go through Samaria,” presenting the journey as purposeful rather than accidental. The woman at the well is described as someone with a damaged reputation who nevertheless had a divinely appointed encounter with Jesus. The preacher argues that Jesus knew about the meeting even though the woman and the disciples did not. Her conversion and subsequent testimony to the people of the town become the sermon’s primary example of providence operating in spiritual salvation. The larger point is that, in the preacher’s view, God arranges circumstances and uses ordinary means to accomplish a predetermined spiritual purpose. The Samaritan Woman and a Planned Encounter The account of the Samaritan woman is developed as evidence that timing, location, conversation, and even the need for a water bucket fit into God’s plan. The preacher emphasizes that Jesus deliberately went through Samaria and waited at the well for this particular woman. He describes her isolation from other women, her response to the offer of living water, and Jesus’ knowledge of her personal life. According to the sermon, she moves from recognizing Jesus as a prophet to recognizing Him as the Son of God. She then goes into town and tells others about the encounter, after which they come to hear Jesus for themselves. The preacher presents the entire sequence as a demonstration that someone rejected by the community can still be the object of God’s providential saving purpose. Providence in Naaman’s Physical Need The sermon then turns to 2 Kings 5 and the story of Naaman as an example of providence concerning the physical body. Naaman is described as a powerful Syrian military leader whose leprosy overshadows his rank and achievements. A young Israelite captive becomes a servant in Naaman’s household and tells his family about a prophet who can help him. The preacher interprets the girl’s presence in that particular household as another providential arrangement rather than a meaningless consequence of war. Naaman initially resists the instruction to dip seven times in the Jordan River, but his servants persuade him to obey. His healing after the seventh immersion is presented as evidence that God can use unlikely people, difficult circumstances, and simple acts of obedience to accomplish His purpose. Josiah, Scripture, and National Revival For the national application, the preacher moves to 2 Chronicles 34 and King Josiah’s efforts to repair the temple and restore worship. The discovery of the Word of God during that work becomes the foundation of his argument about revival. He says that Scripture can effectively be “hid” even within churches when it is present but not preached, believed, or obeyed. Josiah’s response to hearing the Word is described as leading to the removal of idols, the restoration of worship, and revival among God’s people. The preacher then applies this pattern to America, arguing that national restoration depends upon a renewed return to God and to the preaching of Scripture. His political comments and criticism of contemporary government are presented as part of his own religious interpretation of the nation’s condition. Belief Demonstrated Through Obedience A major concluding theme is the distinction between merely saying one believes the Bible and actually obeying it. The preacher says his own opinions are unimportant compared with what he believes God has said in Scripture. He illustrates obedience with a family discussion about a school dress code and a rule concerning wearing a hat. The point of the illustration is that a person may disagree with a rule and still be responsible to obey it. He applies that reasoning to Scripture, acknowledging that believers may encounter teachings they do not personally like while insisting that obedience remains their duty. At the same time, he acknowledges human failure and emphasizes mercy and grace rather than claiming that believers obey perfectly. Following God’s Direction The sermon closes by returning to the overall theme of providence and personal direction. The preacher says people do not know all the ways God is arranging circumstances to bring them to where they are or to take them where they are going. He contrasts God’s plan with human plans and insists that God’s purpose will ultimately be carried out as God intends. A final illustration recalls children riding in a car and repeatedly asking whether they have arrived yet. The parent knows the route and destination even when the children do not, which the preacher uses as an analogy for trusting God’s direction. His closing message is that ...
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    33 分