Verses For The Week

 Psalm 23:3 -- "He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

I Peter 5:7 -- "cast all of your cares upon Him, because He cares for you."

Some Saturday Thoughts About My Friend Toby, the Weather, Etc.

      As some of you may know, I live in a rural area southwest of Kansas City. We were supposed to have really bad storms yesterday. Thank God, we didn't have any storms. Others in the area were hit by terrible tornadoes. Nebraska and Iowa were hard hit. There was a tornado in Southeastern Kansas that tracked over into Missouri. 

      Today, the area were I live is supposed to get hit with bad storms again. Please pray that these storms do not materialize. I don't want any storms, and I don't want anyone else to have any problems. Especially pray that we don't have flooding. Thank you for your prayers about these things. Pray for those that were harmed by the storms that they will get the aid that they need. 

     While I was watching to see where the storms were going to fire up yesterday, I got to thinking about all of the times my friend Toby and I had to watch and dodge the Kansas storms. We've certainly had more than our fair share of bad weather over the years. 

     I remember one year when they sounded the sirens for a tornado warning in my small town. The two of us went down into the little storm shelter my mom had installed. The folks were at work, so it was just me and Toby down there. For those that don't know, Toby was with me in my mid teens to my late twenties. The wind blew like I had never seen before. There was a lot of hail. One thing I could rely on is that Toby was never scarred of storms nor of thunder like many dogs. He would growl at the thunder as if a small dog could scare the thunder into submission. 

    Another time, the two of us got on local TV during a storm. We were outside when they put out a tornado warning out for a town a few miles away. It was supposed to be coming into our area, but there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. I went with Toby out into a field were we could get a better view of the area toward the town where there was the tornado. About that time, we could hear a helicopter that was from one of the Kansas City stations coming out to see the tornado cell. 

     Not too long after that, we saw what looked like a very small tornado in the distance. We made a quick run to the storm shelter. 

     I didn't know it until later in the day, but my friend said that the helicopter man showed us on TV down on the ground. He said I hope that man and dog know there is a storm coming. When we started running to the shelter, he said that we must have seen the tornado and were heading to safety. 

     The worst two storms that we were in, we couldn't get to a shelter. By the way, the old storm shelter at my house is no more, so if a storm comes God help me. Once, a storm came up in the middle of the night. My mom came in the room and told me to take Toby and get in the closet. It was hailing so much that we couldn't go to the shelter. The hail was terrible that night. It destroyed two of our window A/C units. All the corn crop in the area was destroyed, and we had to get a new roof on the house. Thank God that Toby was there during the storm to keep me from being scared. 

     The other bad storm happened while we were traveling in Colorado. I stopped with Toby at a motel for the night in Eastern Colorado. Toby and I went a lot of places together. They put out a tornado warning later in the evening. The clouds were actually rolling. I've never seen anything like it. Toby and I jumped into the bathtub and put a cover over us. There was no tornado touchdown nor even any rain, but about ten miles beyond where we where, there was a tornado. 

     I thank the Lord for my friend Toby. He helped me make it through storms and a lot of other really hard times. He helped me get over a bad depression. He helped me keep going through anxiety problems. He showed me what unconditional love is really all about. One thing I know. When he was with me, I was never afraid. He was tough and inspired great confidence. Sometime, I will tell you about how he keep our house protected when people tried to break in. 

     I am really missing my friend Toby right now. I am not doing well physically, and the depression that I've dealt with off and on since I was 15 years old is plaguing me again. I am hoping that we can be together again before too long. I am hoping and praying that all will be well the next few days. 

     Just on a side note, I've been watching some videos about two guys travelling in Wales. I always wished that Toby and I could have gone over there. When I watch the programs I think about the two of us walking on Snowdonia, visiting Beddgelert and Betws-y-Coed and seeing the Brecon Beacons and Tintern Abbey. Hopefully when we are together again, the Lord Jesus will let us see those places together in spirit. 

Weekend Sermon -- God is Light

      I am thankful to the Lord that I am able to post the sermon today. Yesterday, we had a lot of rain and storms, but they were not severe. Today, we are supposed to have tornadoes, and tomorrow we are supposed to have storms and flooding. Please keep praying that the storms will not be bad as predicted. I hope that all of you are doing well. 

     As you know, we have been studying some of the names and titles used to describe God found mostly in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well. For our message today, I want us to focus on the fact that the Bible refers to God as light. The primary verse for this is I John 3:5 that tells us that God is light, and in Him there is not darkness at all.

     There are several other verses in the Bible that describe God as light. For instance, in James 1:17, God is called the Father of lights. Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation."

     Jesus, who is God come in the flesh used the idea of light to describe Himself. In John 9:5, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." He also said this in John 8:12. 

     I Timothy 6:16 is an interesting verse. It tells us that God lives in unapproachable light. Ezekiel describes the glorious light of God. In Revelation, John describes the Risen Lord as shining like the Sun in all its brilliance.

     As we can see, light is often used to describe God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, let's look into this. What does it mean that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all? It means that God is completely holy. He is pure and without any sin. He is the perfect being. He is glorious above all that we can ever even comprehend. There is no darkness in Him. He does not do anything that is opposed to His holy nature. 

    Because God is light. Because God is holy, He cannot be in the presence of sinfulness. That is why our sin separated us from God. That is why it is necessary that we have the righteousness of Jesus Christ imputed into us. 

     God is light means something more direct to me. What I mean by this is that God is light means to me that He is the one that I can look to in order to know what to do. I have to look to Him in order to light my way through the world since the world is full of darkness that is doing all that it can to overcome the light of God. It will never be able to do it. 

     Now, Jesus said that He is the light of the world. He is the one who came to shine the light of God's love and forgiveness into this evil world filled with darkness and living in opposition and rebellion to the light of God. Jesus shined the message of God's love into this world. The darkness tried to overcome Jesus by killing Him. But God raised Jesus from the dead. He is the victor over all evil. His light shines and it is available to illuminate the heart that is still dead in trespasses and sin. Whosoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Then those who trust in Jesus can be called the children of the light. 

     Jesus is our light in the darkness of this world. He is our perfect example. We can look to Him and know what we are to do. He is with us leading the way. He is illuminating our path as we keep our eyes fixed on Him not looking to the left nor to the right. 

     If you are living in the darkness, you can come to the light. You can know Jesus as Savior and Lord. You will be part of His eternal kingdom that will need no Sun by day because Jesus is the light. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     It could really be bad around my part of the world the next couple of days, so please pray. Also, I am really missing my friend Toby the last few days. Pray that I won't get real depressed. Thank you. 

     We must continue to pray for peace in Israel and Gaza. We need to pray for peace throughout the entire Middle East region. Be in prayer for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. Pray for an end to the unrest in Haiti. 

     Pray for those around the world harmed by natural disasters. Pray that they will get the help that they need to recover. 

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

     Praise God, I was able to get the final section of the book on the Minor Prophets posted. Please read it if you are interested, and I hope you are. Next week, I will post the verses on Monday, and we will continue with our current sermon series. May God bless you all.  

Exploring The Minor Prophets -- Vol 2. -- Part 6

 

Malachi

     Some people may not understand this, but Malachi is my favorite book of the Minor Prophets and one of my favorite books in the Bible. I think that the reason in twofold. I've preached and written about this book more than any of the other books that constitute the Minor Prophets. I also like Malachi because he is very direct. He tells it like it is. Much of what he has to say is very relevant to the times in which we live. 

     We don't now anything about the person who wrote this book. We aren't even sure that a person with the name Malachi wrote it. Malachi means "My Messenger". That could simply be a title for an unnamed person that God chose to bring His word to His people. Personally, I think that there was a person named Malachi. 

     We know from the book's content that the book was written after the completion of the new Temple after the people returned from exile. Most Bible scholars believe that the work was penned around 450 BC. 

     This work starts out in chapter one with God wanting to know why the people do not show Him the proper amount of respect. The people can't understand why God thinks that they do not respect Him. The Lord responds that one way that they are showing a lack of respect is due to the fact that they are bringing diseased and unsuitable animals for sacrifice. They would not serve the governor or an important person what was not the best, so why do they bring what is inferior as a sacrifice to the Lord?

     God is the great King over the entire universe. By His word everything that is has come into being. The entire universe holds together due to His great power. He is definitely worthy of respect. 

     Sometimes, I think that in our modern world we are not showing God the proper respect that He deserves. The way people dress for church has become very lax. They doesn't seem to be much respect for the sanctuary as people are talking and making a lot of noise right before the services. 

    I believe that the greatest disrespect that we show to God is when we say that we are His followers, but we do not do the things that He has told us to do. 

    The Lord has Malachi list some of the things that the people were to do but weren't doing. One of the people's major offenses was divorce. According to Jesus, the only reason that divorce is allowed is due to infidelity. I also believe that the Bible teaches self-defense. So, if necessary a person can Biblically get a divorce in order to keep themselves or their children from harm. 

    Another thing that Malachi lists is that worker's are robbed of their pay. Christians should pay the best wages. They should pay living wages so that their employees can take care of their own needs and the needs of their families. Malachi also talks about treating immigrants in the right way.

     I believe that it comes down to this. The main sin that Jesus came down on was hypocrisy. We need to practice what we preach. In that way, we are showing the proper respect and honor to God and not taking the name of the Lord in vain. 

     The book of Malachi closes with a prophecy. The Lord said that Elijah would come. This prophecy was fulfilled with John the Baptist. Jesus Himself said that this was the fulfillment of the prophecy. Once again, we see the Word of God proved to be correct in all that it says. 

Prayer Request

     The weather people are predicting very bad storms and flooding for my area over the next few days. Please pray that these storms will not be bad. Thank you.

Verses For The Week

      Psalm 4:8 -- "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."

     Philippians 4:13 -- "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."

Weekend Sermon -- God is Our Rock

      Thank you for taking time to read the sermon this week. I am grateful that I have the opportunity each week to post these messages. It has been a hard week in many ways, but I thank the Lord for helping me to get through it. 

     Today, we will once again be focusing on a name or title given to our God. We will focus today on the fact that God is at many times referred to in Scripture as being a rock or our rock. He is our rock both physically and spiritually. 

    As we always do, we want to start by looking at some of the places in the Bible where God is called a rock or our rock. One of the most well known of these verses is Psalm 18:2 that states, "The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." There are many more places in the Psalms where God is referred to as a rock. 

     Deuteronomy 32:4 states, "The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness without iniquity, just and upright is He." We also read in Isaiah 26:4, "Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord our God is an everlasting rock." II Samuel 22:47 lets us know that, "The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation."

     One of the verses that really means a lot to me is Psalm 61:2. This verses says, "From the end of the earth I call to You when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."

     There are many, many more verses about God being our rock that we can find in the Old Testament. So, what does it mean that God is our rock?

     God is our rock when we are facing what we have to face in life. That is what really stands out to me. I will give you a couple of examples from my own life. 

     About 20 years ago now, my mother had a bad stroke that left her in really rough shape. She was in the hospital and the in hospital rehab for over six weeks. After that, she was doing rehab on an outpatient basis and at-home therapy for another six months. I would not have been able to get through all of that without God being my rock. 

    When I would go to the hospital, I would always stop at the chapel first thing. I would pray and ask the Lord to help me get through the day. I could feel in my spirit that God was my rock and foundation. He was my ground not letting me get too down so that I could make it through and be there for my mom and my dad. 

    The Lord has been my rock and strength going through the hardships I've had with my health the last few years. There have been points when I've been in a lot of pain when I've felt like giving up. But, God has been in my heart giving me the ability to go on even in very difficult times. 

    When we are facing the hard times, God is our rock. He gives us the ability and the strength to keep going. He is our refuge and strength. Nothing can ultimately harm us when we are in Him. 

    Now, let's look at something a little different. Jesus is called our rock and foundation in the New Testament. Peter tells us that Jesus was the stone or rock that the builders rejected, but He has become the cornerstone. Jesus said this same thing about Himself in Matthew's Gospel. Paul tells us in I Corinthians 3:11 that, "No one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

    Jesus is the rock of our salvation. Through His death and resurrection, He has secured eternal salvation for all who will put their faith and trust in Him. Jesus is now the the cornerstone and foundation of the church. All that we have and hope for is built up upon Him. 

    Just as God is our rock, Jesus as God come in the flesh is our rock. He will never leave us nor will He forsake us. He is our rock in a weary land. And He is our rock providing a sure foundation for life now and eternal life in the age to come. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please keep praying for me. My health is improving, thank God. As I mentioned, I had a very upsetting experience with a family member the other day. I am still not happy about all of this. Pray that I can just keep going and not get depressed. I know that when others reject you, Jesus is there. I know too that my friend Toby is with me in spirit, and that helps to keep me going. 

     Please pray for those in my state who had damage from storms this week. A tornado hit two counties over from me and injured a couple of people. There was a lot of hail damage to the northwest of me. My house was not damaged. We just got heavy rain. I thank the Lord for getting me through these storms.

     Keep praying for peace. This week was something else in the Middle East. Pray for an end to all of these hostilities. Everyone needs to cool down. Also pray for peace in Ukraine, Sudan and Haiti. 

     Let us pray for the people in Dubai. There was some bad flooding there. 

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

    Next week, I really hope to get that final chapter of the Minor Prophets book posted. I will post the verses on Monday, and we will continue with our current sermon series. May God bless you all.