The Weekend Sermon -- Mark 3:20-21 and 31-35

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had a great Easter. I know that I had a wonderful day. 

     Now that Holy Week and Easter are at an end for this year, we will be getting back on course with our continuing series of going through the Gospel of Mark. In our message for today, we are back in chapter three. We are skipping over a few verses, but we will go back to them next week. The verses for today are all about the same incident. 

     As we have seen, Jesus was out preaching and teaching and healing people. Crowds were coming from all over the region and beyond to see the one who taught with authority and cared about the people. 

     News reached the family of Jesus about what He was doing and what was happening. The Bible says that they went to get Him because they thought that He was out of His mind. 

     While Jesus was teaching, someone told Him that His mother and brothers were outside and wanted to speak with Him. Jesus said, "Who are My Mother and brothers?" He went on to say that whoever did God's will was His brother, sister and mother."

     This reaction had to come as a shock to Jesus' family when they heard about it. There is no place in the Bible where it mentions that He went out and had a conversation with them. In fact, the Bible says that His brothers didn't even believe in Him until after the resurrection. 

     What does this incident in the life of Jesus have to teach us today? What can we learn from it?

     When we try to do something for the Lord, or even try to follow a dream, there will be those who are close to us who will not understand and who will try to hinder us. Jesus' family could not get their minds around the fact that Jesus was the Son of God and the Messiah. They thought Him mad and wanted to take Him away. 

     In your life, there will come times when those who are your family and friends will try to hinder you from doing what God has called you to do. I know this because it has happened to me. I felt called to the ministry for most of my life. I have felt a strong desire to preach and teach the message of Jesus. However, there have been those who have tried to place obstacles in my path all along the way. Those who should have been my biggest supporters often turned out to be the ones who provided the greatest measure of discouragement. 

     When you try to take a stand for Jesus and His message, there will be those who think that you are crazy. They will want to know why you want to rock the boat or go against the grain so to speak. I don't say this to be negative, but people in this world that you are the closest too will often abandon you, make fun of you and try to keep you from fulfilling God's will in your life or the dreams that God has given you for your life. 

     As I said, I state this from experience. Unfortunately, everyone that I have ever known except my friend Toby has tried to keep me from doing what God has called me to do in one way or another. I have had some very bad experiences.

    So, what does this have to do with our text for today? Jesus didn't let it discourage Him. He just kept right on going with what He knew the Father wanted Him to do. That should be our example. If you know that the Lord has called you to do a work for Him, keep going. If you have a dream to accomplish something great and good for this world, don't let the doubters get you down. 

    Jesus knew that the Father was always with Him. We have Jesus with us in our hearts if we know Him. He will never leave us and He will never let us down. In the Bible, God said that even if everyone forsakes you, He will not forsake you. 

     Keep going and doing God's will for your life. Believe in Him and trust in Him. I kept on, and I have had a ministry for the Lord for many years now. I went to Bible college and seminary like I wanted to. I became a writer like I wanted to. Jesus was always with me. Praise be to the Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying in regard to my health. I am pleased to report that one problem that I was experiencing has completed healed. Thank you for your prayers. 

     Keep praying for peace. Pray for the peacemakers and for those promoting peace. Do not get pulled into the warmongering that is going on in some Christian circles. Pray for peace in the Middle East and for the people of Lebanon. Pray for peace in Ukraine. Pray for peace in Sudan. Wherever you know there is war, pray for peace. 

     Please keep praying for the people in Hawaii who are recovering from the flooding. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Djibouti and Bhutan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue with our current series in Mark. I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Prayer Request

      I am thankful that a ceasefire has been agreed on. Let us keep praying for peace in the Middle East. 

Verses For The Week And Something I Want To Say

 Matthew 5:9 -- "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God."

James 3:18 -- "And the fruit of justice is sown in peace by those who make peace."

    If you have read this blog for awhile, you are surely aware that I do not care for President Trump. I try not to get too political here on the blog because I want it to emphasize Bible teaching and some other more light things like book reviews etc. However, what was said today by President Trump has to be addressed. Today, on his social media outlet he said, "a whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again." This is a completely horrible statement. Civilians and civilian infrastructure are never to be targeted in a military conflict. I never in my life thought that I would see something like this from a leader of the US. Please pray for peace and an end to war and violence in this world. Let us follow the way of Jesus and not a political party or a person. 

The Weekend Sermon -- "Because He Is Alive"

      It is time for the Easter Weekend Sermon. Christ is Risen!!! He is Risen Indeed!!!

     As we enter the Easter weekend, I want us to focus on what is because He is alive. Jesus rose bodily from the grave on the third day after He was crucified. This is a fundamental Christian belief. If Jesus did not come out of the grave, we are those who have no hope. But, Jesus is alive. 

     Because He is alive, we know that sin and the consequences of sin are defeated. When sin entered into this world, the result of sin was and is death. Death passed upon all people because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 

     Jesus came and was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment that we deserved for our sins. He bore our sins in His body on the cross. Jesus took care of sin on the cross. 

     Our Lord defeated the consequences of sin through His glorious resurrection. When He rose from the dead on Easter morning, Jesus defeated death, hell and the grave. The grave is no longer the victor, and death has lost its sting. 

     Because Jesus is alive, we do not have to fear death if we put our faith and trust in Him. Because Jesus is alive, we too will rise and be with Him when we die. Those who are in Christ immediately go to be with Him in the place that He has prepared for us when we pass from this earth. 

     Knowing this provides great comfort to me. Most of my family members and good friends have passed on from this earth. Thanks be to God, they knew Jesus as Savior and Lord. They are with Him right now, and one day I will see them all again. It is not because of anything that I have done, but it is because of what Jesus has done for me. 

     Because Jesus is alive, we have His peace and His presence with us until that day that we see Him face to face. He said that He would not leave us and that He would not forsake us. No matter what we go through in this life, Jesus is with us. 

     I hope that you know Jesus as Savior and Lord. If not, you can come to Him today. He will not cast out anyone who comes to Him. Thanks be to God that Jesus is alive. Amen.

Prayer Requests

      Please keep praying for peace. The whole Middle East needs peace. Sudan and Ukraine also need our prayers.

     Pray for those in Hawaii recovering from the floods. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for those in nations of Suriname and Tajikistan. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, I will post the message on Friday, and I will post the verses on Tuesday. May God bless you all. 

Good Friday

      Why did Jesus die on the cross? The Bible is clear about this. I Peter 2:24 says that Jesus bore our sins in His body while He was on the cross in order that we might die to sin and live righteously. He took our sins upon Himself as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Those who put their faith and trust in Him will be forgiven. 

     The Bible tells us in I John 2 that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. He came to fulfill the justice of God. Jesus bore our sins and He took the punishment that we deserved for our sins on the cross. On the cross the love and the justice of God were satisfied in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus. 

     Jesus invites everyone to come to Him. He died for us because He loves us. Whosoever will can come to Jesus and receive His forgiveness and the abundant and eternal life that He offers to those who place their faith and trust in Him. 

     Jesus died for you. You can know Him today. 

Maundy Thursday

     Today is Maundy Thursday. This is the day that Jesus instituted the sacrament of communion in the Upper Room. Jesus washed His disciples feet showing that we are to serve one another and follow in the path of the humility of Jesus. 

     Maundy Thursday gets its name because of the mandate or the new commandment that Jesus gave to His disciples in the Upper Room. Jesus said to them in John 13:34 -- "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

     Jesus loved us sacrificially. He was willing to sacrifice His life in order that we might be redeemed. Those of us who follow the Lord Jesus need to care about one another and help one another. We need to be good and kind to those who are our fellow believers in the Lord. 

     This command of Jesus to love goes out to all who are in the world. Jesus has called us to love others as He did. He has called us to love our neighbor as ourself, and He has called us to even love our enemies. He has called us to show our love by doing what is good and right to the least of those among us. 

     On this Maundy Thursday, let us reflect on the love of Jesus and how we might follow His commandment to love one another. 

Verses For The Week, Update and Prayer Request

      This is Holy Week, so I want to update you on the blog schedule. On Thursday, there will be a Maundy Thursday post. On Friday there will be a Good Friday post. The Weekend Sermon will be posted on Saturday this week. 

     I would ask that you please pray that the really bad weather forecast for my area this week will not materialize. Thank you. 

Verses:

I Peter 2:24 -- "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, by His wounds you have been healed."

John 11:25 -- "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live."