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God Speaks in Your Heart
Worship Service: Sermon only - May 20, 2007
"Then they said to one another, 'Here comes that dreamer!'" (Gen. 37:19) The Lord gives us dreams and stirs our affections for spiritual things, and for good reasons; we therefore must learn to trust Him and to dream with Him. Think back to the life dreams of your childhood. Some may have been silly, but some were noble at their core. Where did they come from? And what happened to them? Sometimes our dreams are torn up by others, and sometimes we talk ourselves out of believing in them. All of our thoughts and affections are spiritual in origin. Some come from heaven, some from hell. The Lord is constantly flowing into our hearts to inspire and motivate us to do good things. Without the hopes and plans for the future that come from His influence, we would never strive to be better people. In the Word, Joseph and his brothers represent different parts of our minds. Joseph (and his little brother Benjamin) are the deepest, highest parts of us that receive the Lord's love and wisdom. The older brothers represent the more external parts of us that are necessary for daily life. Often, our external mind attacks our inner Joseph, especially when the Lord fills us with thoughts and affections that require us to change our lives in some dramatic way. As with Joseph, though, the Lord continues to guide and inspire us even when it seems that we have sold our inmost self into slavery. Even when we are trapped in the external concerns of the world, like Joseph in Egypt we will be protected and lead so that it all leads to good, if we permit Him to do so. So learn to discern which of your thoughts and affections are from heaven, so you can honor the Lord's inspiration when you find it in your heart. To see that this is true, read Genesis 37 and Divine Providence 287, and then listen to the full audio version of this sermon. It is archived at TheoBlog.com, and also available through www.PittsburghNewChurch.org, www.NewChurch.org, and the Apple iTunes Store. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Pittsburgh, PA
See Event (14m 12s)
How to Heal Spiritual Suffering
Worship Service: Adult (full service with music) - February 25, 2007
Rev. Jeremy Simons also on chancel | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Bryn Athyn Cathedral
See Event (40m 11s)
Exercise Alone Can't Cure a Heart Defect: The Ninth and Tenth Commandments
Worship Service: Sermon only - November 12, 2006
"'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant nor his female slave, nor his ox nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'" (Exodus 20:17) The Lord is waiting for permission to replace your heart with a pure one. This is because right thinking and useful living cannot overcome selfishness and greed on their own. We are all born with sick hearts, and no amount of exercise will save us. Spiritually healthy living is important, but without a spiritual heart transplant, we're still doomed. We have already learned in the past eight weeks of studying the Commandments that there is not only natural murder, but spiritual, as well. We are to shun both. The problem is, spiritual murder actually feels good to us at times. How is this a spiritual form of coveting? Consider how coveting--longing to possess something that belongs to someone else--is like stealing in one's own heart. When we covet something, we haven't actually stolen it, but there's a part of us that wants to. This is how eventually all natural thefts, murders, false witnesses and acts of adultery come about. First comes the covetous desire, then comes the destructive act. So spiritual murder--attacking a person in your own heart--begins with the evil desire to do so. Now here's the frightening part of this teaching: satisfying our heart's desires gives us pleasure. That means that there's a dark part of us that feels good when we break a commandment, whether spiritually or naturally. The sin of adultery provides a powerful illustration of this. Everyone knows that physically committing adultery involves physical pleasure. That's a big part of the attraction of adultery. So our will rules over our intellect. Our will is our spiritual heart, and just like a natural heart, we can't directly control it. We can hold our breath but we can't hold our pulse from beating. Only the Lord can help us. For Him to do this, though, we have to freely decide on our own that we want Him to. We do this by repenting--or turning away from--evil impulses as they come to us, by praying to Him to ask Him for a clean heart, and by shunning--literally "fleeing"--evil when it presents itself within us. This is what the Lord meant when He said that, if our right eye or hand causes us to stumble, we should pluck it out and cut it off. He also said that it isn't what goes into the mouth but what comes out from the heart that makes a person unclean, meaning that it isn't our intellect that makes us evil, but our will. This is because love of self, along with its subordinate love of the world, warp our rational thinking, making whatever justifies our evil desires appear to be truth, and whatever satisfies them to feel good. Our hearts are corrupted by selfishness and greed, and full of murder, adultery, theft and deceit. So go back to the beginning of the Commandments., acknowledge the false god is you, and pray to the Lord for a new heart, and over time He will miraculously transform your life. To see that this is true, read Exodus 20:17, Luke 12:13-21, Mark 7:1-23, and True Christian Religion 325-328, then listen to the full audio of the sermon, and finally put it into practice for a week. This is the second-to-last sermon in the Journey / Rise Above It series on the Ten Commandments, preached at Pittsburgh New Church, this time addressing the ninth and tenth commandments. It is archived at TheoBlog.com, and also available through www.PittsburghNewChurch.org and www.NewChurch.org. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Pittsburgh, PA
See Event (17m 14s)
How Praising the Lord Frees Your Spirit: The Seventh Commandment
Worship Service: Sermon only - October 29, 2006
"'You shall not steal.'" (Exodus 20:15) When you take credit for the good you do, you are stealing from the Lord and buying into the first and biggest of all lies: that you--and not the Lord--are the source of all life. Doing this leads to fear, anguish and suffering, because you also end up stealing the Lord's responsibility for all future good, which you cannot possibly hope to manage without disaster. If instead you learn to praise the Lord for every good thing, then you will find you are able to enjoy all the Lord's loving gifts with a new sense of freedom. To see that this is true, read Matthew 6:19-21, Genesis 2:15-3:24, and True Christian Religion 317-319, then listen to the full audio sermon explaining Exodus 20:15. This is the seventh Rise Above It / Journey sermon on the Ten Commandments, addressing this time the seventh commandment, against all kinds of theft. It is archived at TheoBlog.com, and also available through PittsburghNewChurch.org, NewChurch.org, Apple.com (in the iTunes Music Store), and FeedBurner.com. | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Pittsburgh, PA
See Event (20m 25s)
Strengthen Your Relationships with Forgiveness: The Sixth Commandment
Worship Service: Sermon only - October 22, 2006
"'You shall not commit adultery.'" (Exodus 20:14) Beyond just warning us against physically adulterous relationships, the Lord commands us not to adulterate the truths from His Word. Put simply, He wants us to stop hurting each other with the truth. If you think about it, you will realize that most of the conflicts in your marriage, and in your other relationships, come from at least one person unforgivingly pursuing the need to be right. Don't put being right ahead of being merciful. Truth is a sword given to us for the sake of liberating ourselves and those around us; when we use it instead to attack people, we are whoring the Lord's Word. Repent of spiritual adultery and pray to the Lord for a forgiving heart. "'"And forgive us our debts, As we also forgive our debtors."'" (Matthew 6:12) To see that this is so, read John 2:1-11, Matthew 5:27-32, and Secrets of Heaven 8904:1-2, and then listen to the full audio sermon. This is the sixth Rise Above It / Ten Commandments sermon. It is archived at http://TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Sarver, PA
See Event (11m 53s)
Thank the Lord and Your Neighbors, and Your Life Will Become Better: The Fourth Commandment
Worship Service: Sermon only - October 08, 2006
"'Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land which Jehovah your God is giving you.'" (Exo. 20:12) Honor your father and your mother. We are born helpless. The people who then raise us provide us with all we need, in ways we cannot at the time comprehend, and without any sort of repayment. In our spiritual lives, the Lord and His Church do the same. The fourth Commandment is a reminder to honor our natural and spiritual parents with gratitude and love. Do this, and you will be happier. To see that this is so, read Exodus 20:1-12, Matthew 12:46-50, and Secrets of Heaven 8896, and 8899. This is my fourth Rise Above It sermon on the Ten Commandments, and was preached in Chapel Hill on Saturday and in Charlotte on Sunday. It is archived at http://TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Charlotte, NC
See Event (20m 48s)
How to Call Upon the Name of the Lord: The Second Commandment
Worship Service: Sermon only - September 24, 2006
Rise Above It: The Second Commandment "'You shall not take the name of Jehovah your God in vain, for Jehovah will not hold a person guiltless who takes His name in vain.'" (Exodus 20:7) The Lord wants you to pray. Why? Because in life there are evil things that get a grip on your heart and mind that you are powerless to break free from. In the Ten Commandments, the Lord tells us not to worship false gods, and not to take His name in vain. In simplest terms, this means we should only worship the One True God, and that we should not make light of His names. Looked at more deeply, the Lord is also telling us here—for our own good—that we must avoid creating false gods out of things of this world and out of the desires of our own hearts. When we put material things or selfish things first in our lives, ahead of the Lord, we become enslaved by them. The good news is that the Lord is waiting for us to ask for help, and lovingly and freely gives it to us when we do. A person's name stands for their qualities, and the Lord's qualities are infinite where ours are limited. We have no strength against our own false gods, but if we pray to the Lord and ask Him to lend us His strengths, He will give them freely so we can return to obeying His commandments. Refuse this gift, and You take His name in vain. To accept it, all you have to do is call to Him by name. Pray every day, and it will change your life. To see that this is true, read Exodus 20:1-7; Matthew 7:21-23; and True Christian Religion 300. Full text available at http://TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Cleveland, OH
See Event (18m 50s)
Invest the Spiritual Wealth the Lord Has Loaned You
Worship Service: Sermon only - September 10, 2006
A sermon on The Parable of the Talents. The truths of our faith are valuable, and the more of them we have, the more spiritually wealthy we are. But the truths do not belong to us, for they are on loan from the Lord. Using "The Parable of the Talents", the Lord has taught us that He expects us to invest this spiritual wealth for the sake of the world. If we accumulate truth without putting our faith to work in the world, it is as if we are burying the Lord's wealth in a hole in the ground. If we are good stewards over the Lord's riches and practice what He teaches, we will enter into the joy of heaven. To see that this is so, listen to the sermon after reading Matthew 25:14-30 and Secrets of Heaven 5291:4. Full text available at http://TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Erie, PA
See Event (16m 35s)
Even Heaven Has Its Ups and Downs
Worship Service: Sermon only - September 03, 2006
"'As long as the earth endures, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Summer and winter, Day and night Will never cease.'" (Gen. 8:22) In life we go through alternating states of cold and heat as we are being spiritually remade. What is more surprising is that even the angels in the highest heaven go through alternations of spiritual summer and spiritual winter. So, too, can we expect the Church to continually pass through such spiritual seasons. When we are in winter, it is not our failure but an opportunity for learning. Have faith in the coming of summer. To see what I'm talking about, read Genesis 8, Mark 4:26-29, and Secrets of Heaven 935. Full text available at http://TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Pittsburgh, PA
See Event (27m 56s)
You Can Heal Spiritual Suffering
Worship Service: Sermon only - August 06, 2006
"...And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." (Rev. 22:2) Anyone can go to heaven, no matter what church they go to, no matter what doctrines they are taught, so long as they try to shun evils and live a life of charity. So why do people join the New Church if salvation isn't "on the line"? To relieve suffering. The Lord is Love, and so He wants nothing more than for us to be happy. Yet, there is a lot of suffering in the world. We all suffer at one time or another, and if we're not suffering now, it's not hard for us to find someone around us who is. Some suffering is small, some is very great. And so, the Lord provides us with a way to be healed. The Book of Revelation ends with a beautiful image of the heavenly city New Jerusalem. In its midst grows the Tree of Life, about which we are told, "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." The city is an image of what the Lord's New Church is meant to be like here, today. This final chapter of the Bible also presents an image of what each one of us is meant to be like. The "leaves of the tree" are the rational truths of the New Church, and "the nations" are all those people who suffer because of evil desires and false beliefs. Who of us does that not describe? So these "leaves" -- these new, rational truths of the New Church -- have the power to heal us when we suffer. This is no empty promise, as anyone who has experienced this in their own lives can tell you. So if you are suffering, turn to these new truths, and you will find relief. And if you have experienced the healing power for yourself already, then go out, and be a healer. The Lord has anointed you to preach the good news and heal the brokenhearted. Readings: Isaiah 61:1-3; Revelation 22:1-5; AR 936:1, 2. Full text available at http://www.TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Pittsburgh, PA
See Event (17m 24s)
How to Worship with Your Life
Worship Service: Sermon only - July 23, 2006
"'...And what does Jehovah require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?'" What does the Lord require of us, when it comes to worship? Why do we come to church? Why do we pray? Why do we read the Word? All these activities make up what might be called the life of piety. This sort of worship, though, is only external. The Lord has told us several times that vain repetitions, extravagant ritual and external worship in general is not what He is chiefly concerned with. External worship is merely a representative of -- and support for -- real worship. Internal, true worship is a life of charity. It is repenting, shunning evil, being useful, and doing good works for our neighbors. This doesn't mean external ritual doesn't matter. External worship is like clothing: we need it, but it can be changed. The only requirement is that it serve internal worship. Proper external worship is whatever ritual we choose that inspires, instructs and prepares us so that we may make our daily lives into continual, true worship, which is the life of charity. To see how this is so, read Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 6:5-8, and Secrets of Heaven 10143:3-5, 6, and then listen to the full sermon. Text available at http://www.TheoBlog.com/ | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Pittsburgh, PA
See Event (17m 36s)
Lord, Are You Washing My Feet?
Worship Service: Childrens Talk & Adult Sermon - April 02, 2006
| By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (30m 53s)
Waiting for the Lord to Come
Worship Service: Adult (full service with music) - December 04, 2005
Waiting for the Lord | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (15m 59s)
Get Ready
Worship Service: Adult (full service with music) - November 20, 2005
Making Oneself Ready | By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (23m 22s)
My Mouth Shall Speak Praise
Worship Service: Adult (full service with music) - November 06, 2005
| By Rev. Glenn (Mac) Frazier | Ivyland New Church, PA
See Event (22m 28s)