Sermons & Devotionals by Paul Bramsen

Muslims around the world annually celebrate the feast of Al-Adha. This feast takes place on the tenth of Dhul-Hijat, a month of the Muslim lunar calendar. The root word for "Adha" is the Arabic word "Dahiya," which means "sacrifice." The "Al-Adha" feast is also known as the "Feast of Sacrifice" or t... Read More

One of the attributes of God according to Islamic and Christian beliefs is patience. "God is patient with you" says the Bible, "not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Like the Bible, the Qur'an acknowledges that all men live in peril of losing their lives because of God's... Read More

What do you remember about your childhood? Times of sickness? Birthday parties? Bee stings? Toothaches? Your first day at school? Your first prayers at the mosque? Games of pretend? Tag? Hide and seek? Childhood holds many memories. Our personalities began to form when we were children. Perhaps that... Read More

Where is Jesus now? The Qur'an has an answer. (Sura 3:55; 4:158) God took Jesus out of this world to be with him. The Bible concurs and gives in vivid detail how the ascension took place: "On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait fo... Read More

Whenever a man speaks God's truth, there is controversy. Some people will believe and accept God's word. Some will not believe. Both sides may have strong reasons for the way they feel. And often the two groups will oppose each other so that there is a division among the people. No one should be sur... Read More

Leprosy is such a terrible disease. Persons who contract leprosy must take regular medication to keep the dreaded disease from spreading and eating away various parts of the body, eventually causing death. In the time of Jesus there was no medical treatment for leprosy. Since it is very contagious, ... Read More

Our sight is such a precious blessing! Thank God if you have the gift of good sight. Let us be careful never to take this wonderful ability for granted. So much of life depends on sight. People who are born blind or who become blind later in life due to accidents or diseases are severely disabled. F... Read More

Wise people interpret what happens to them in their daily lives and make rules for themselves about what is the right way to live. Wiser people also consider the experiences and ideas of others. The wisest people are those who obey the words of God's prophets. Jesus is one of God's prophets. His rul... Read More

All of us have people we try to emulate. For some, it is a father or mother, for others a teacher, sports hero or movie idol. The model becomes an object of admiration. Those who imitate the model even try to make their appearance like his or hers. Consider the devotion of Elvis Presley fans and the... Read More

When a loved one dies, we face the reality that our own death is coming also. As we gaze at the corpse, we sometimes wish our dear one would rise up and live again. Only God has the power to revive a dead person so that he lives again. Resurrection power is miraculous. Yes, it has happened! Some two... Read More

Does God always tell men what He, God, is doing? Or are there times when people are blind to what God is doing? God is not under any obligation to explain his actions to us. At times we may be utterly puzzled and perplexed about what is happening. We may have a sense that something very important is... Read More

A leader needs people who are committed to him and his message; people who will not fall away if the going gets tough. As we study the life of Jesus in the Qur'an, we discover that Jesus invited people to commit themselves to him and his message. You can read this for yourselves in Sura 3:52-53 and ... Read More

The Qur'an teaches that Muslims do not need to question when God's judgement will take place. There will be an event prior to God's judgement which will clearly proclaim the judgement is near, namely the return of Jesus to earth again. When Jesus comes back, then people should expect the judgement t... Read More

I am in my car driving to Caseyville. I come to a fork in the road. There is a sign. It reads "Caseyville" with an arrow pointing right and "Appletown" with an arrow pointing left. I am not familiar with this road so I am glad for the sign. I would be very foolish to turn left, wouldn't I? I have dr... Read More

The true God who creates, sustains and judges all that exists, must be a very awesome Being. When we think about Him, we feel utterly dwarfed and insignificant. We cannot grasp the reality of One we cannot touch, see, hear or feel. Our hearts do not know how to search for One who was, is and always ... Read More

A new baby in the home !!! How the adults admire him. "What a handsome baby! He's got his father's eyes, but that cute little nose is like his mother's." Perhaps some kindly person will say, "This boy will be a great man. Maybe he'll be president some day!" Of course, the proud parents beam with ple... Read More

Throughout the world people appreciate music. Singing is commonly used to enhance joyous celebrations like weddings. Music and singing can express and stimulate noble aspirations like praise, love, hope and joy. Unfortunately, however, man has also learned to abuse music as he has done with many oth... Read More

Usually we expect elderly people to be wise. They have experienced many things. They have learned what actions bring good results and what actions cause bad results. They have suffered and have learned how to handle emotional and physical pain. They know what to expect in life and have experienced b... Read More

Sometimes the death of a good man is a beautiful thing. Surrounded by his wife and children, he blesses each one and closes his eyes and is gone. There is always deep grief. But particularly if he lived to be an elderly man; there is the feeling that death is a natural final step that comes to every... Read More

If you have a fight with someone else and you win, you feel like a hero. Maybe your friends lift you up on their shoulders and parade around with you. When a boxer wins the bout, he raises his gloved hands above his head, smiles and stomps around the ring proud of his victory. If a nation wins a war... Read More