Something Interesting

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An Interesting Article

 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/opinion/christmas-jesus-power-humility.html?unlocked_article_code=1.jk4.ZNVE.1eE3g0sQk7Hy&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&tgrp=ctr

Merry Christmas

     I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I hope that you have a wonderful holiday season. 

     It is my hope and prayer that during the Christmas season that we will remember what the Incarnation is all about. God became man in order to redeem humanity from the fall. Jesus is called the Second Adam in the Bible. He succeeded in every area where the first Adam failed. Jesus lived a sinless life in order to be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He is the Messiah. The Promised One who has come to save His people from their sins. 

     If you don't have a personal relationship with Jesus, I invite you to turn to Jesus in repentance and faith during this Christmas season. Accept God's gift of love and forgiveness. Allow Jesus to be the Lord of your life. He will change your life now and for all eternity. 

Verses For The Week

 I Timothy 6:18 -- "Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always ready to share with others."

Luke 6:31 -- "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Weekend Sermon -- "The Savior Has Come"

      I want to thank you all for taking the time to read this week's message. I hope that you are all having a wonderful holiday season. 

     This weekend sermon is the last one before Christmas comes around. In keeping with that, I wanted to bring a message that was about the Christmas season. 

     A topic that has interested me for quite some time is the various prophecies that one finds in the Old Testament about the Messiah. Some are very familiar like Isaiah 9:6 and Micah 5:2. There are many, many more prophecies about the first and second Advents of the Messiah that we find in the Bible. One of these is found in Jeremiah 23:5-6 that states, "The days are coming declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely, and to do what is just and right in the land. In His days, Judah will be saved, and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which He will be called, The Lord our Righteous Savior." These verses speak about the first and second Advents of the Lord Jesus. 

     What does it mean when the Lord says He will raise up a righteous branch for David? This is similar to the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 11 that talks about the Branch. The Lord made a covenant with David. He promised David that a member of his family would reign forever in Jerusalem. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was born of the line of David. He is the Branch that God raised up from the line of David to fulfill the covenant. 

      When Jesus was on this earth during His first Advent, there were a number of things that He accomplished and Messianic prophecies that He fulfilled. While on this earth, Jesus lived a holy and sinless life in order that He might be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. When He was on the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His body in order that He might pay the penalty for sin that we could not pay. He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. As our verse for the day tells us, Jesus became our Righteous Savior by dying for us and taking away our sins. Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 

      The Bible is clear that the Messiah will come again. That is known as the Second Advent, and that is what much of our verses for the day are speaking to us about. When Jesus comes again in power and great glory, He will sit on the throne of His father David, and His reign will have no end. He will only do what is right, and He will only do what is just. All people will dwell in safety on the earth. Perfect justice and perfect peace will be the order of the day. There will be no more oppression, and there will be no more war. 

     Jesus came into this world as God and man. He came to redeem us from sin and from the consequences of sin. When He comes again, He will make all things new, and everything will be returned to the state in which it existed before sin entered into things. 

     Jesus has made a way for us to be redeemed and have forgiveness of sins. I urge you during this Christmas season to accept God's gift of love in Jesus and turn your life over to Jesus making Him your Savior and Lord. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I need a lot of prayer right now. I am having some bad health problems. Please pray that I will get better. Thank you. 

     Pray for those who are suffering from depression during this holiday season. 

     Continue to pray for peace. Pray for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Syria, Sudan and anyplace where you know there is conflict. 

     Let us pray for those affected by the bad storms. Mayotte was hit by a terrible storm. Pray that aid will reach the people. People in Madagascar, Comoros and Mozambique were also affected by the storm. Pray that they will also receive the aid that they need. 

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

     Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. I don't know what the message will be about yet. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

      Yesterday was a hectic day. Here are the verses for the week.

Psalm 119:81 -- "My soul longs for your salvation, I hope in Your word."

Galatians 5:5 -- "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness."

John 14:2 -- "There are many rooms in my Father's house, and I am going to prepare a place for you. I would not tell you this if it were not so."

Weekend Sermon --"Biblical Teachings About Peace -- Part 4"

      Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you are all doing very well and are in good health. I've made it through another week, and I thank the Lord for that. 

     Today, we will be concluding our series of messages on some of what the Bible has to say about peace. Next week, we will have a message based on the Christmas season. 

     As in all things, we want to look at what the Lord Jesus had to say about any subject or issue that we want to study. We've been doing that in this current series. As we conclude, I want us to focus on what Jesus had to say about what I will refer to as spiritual or inner peace. Jesus provides peace to those who are in need of rest for the soul, and He provides peace for those who are in Him as they work to make it through the difficulties that this life can bring. 

     In John 14:27 Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." Jesus further tells us in John 16:33, "I have told you these things so that in Me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world."

     Those who have never come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord are not at peace with God. The Bible says that we are enemies of God when we are still in our sins. All have sinned and all come short of God's righteous standard. Our hearts are restless and burdened in search of what can bring peace and freedom from the guilt and shame that living in sin brings. Jesus is the answer. 

     When a person calls upon the name of the Lord and asks Jesus to forgive their sins and be the Lord of their life, Jesus frees that person from sin and indwells them with His presence. The old way is gone, and a person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. A person is no longer under God's wrath because they are clothed in the righteousness of the dearly beloved Son of God. 

     We have peace and no longer need to fear death when Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Through His death and resurrection, He has freed us from sin and and sin's consequences. We can live with the assurance of pardon knowing that Jesus has freed us and lives within us. 

     Now, there is another way that Jesus provides peace. He is with us in and through everything that we go through in this life. He has promised that He will never leave us and He will never forsake us. No matter where we find ourselves in life, we can meditate, pray and rest on the words of Jesus. He is our comfort and He is our strength. 

     In all things, we can find peace knowing that no matter what happens, Jesus has prepared a place for us in Heaven. We will be with Him forever, and nothing can ever harm us when we are with Him for eternity in Heaven. 

     If you do not have peace with God through Jesus, I urge you to turn your life over to the Lord Jesus today. If you are going through a hard time, rest in Jesus. Feel His presence with you. Know that no matter what, you will be with Him, and He will be with you forever. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please pray about the situation in the Middle East. It is a mess right now. There is a lot of instability, and many are facing great hardship.

     Continue to pray for peace in Sudan and Ukraine. Haiti needs our prayers as well. 

     Pray for those who have had to deal with storm damage. The UK had a bad storm, and people in Spain and the US are still dealing with storm damage. Pray that all will get the aid and the help that they need. 

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

     Next week, we will have a Christmas sermon. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all.