Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(pt 9)

Matthew 5:10-12

     I hope that everyone had a very merry Christmas.  This year for Christmas, my brother took me out to a nice buffet style restaurant.  I know that I ate way too much, but the food was excellent. 
     2012 is just about over, and I for one am glad to see it go.  This has been a very difficult year in many respects.  I've been seriously under-employed most of the year, and I'm still looking for more work.  I've had a lot of financial and physical hardship this year.  Through it all, the Lord has seen me through with a true awareness of His presence.
     I'm especially glad to have the Lord with me in the really hard times.  This past week, I found out that one of my Dad's friends passed away.  He was just a young man.  Just yesterday, one of my Internet friends passed away.
     Hopefully, 2013 will be a much better year.  In the coming year, I'm trusting that the Lord will supply me with enough so that I can get everything I owe up to date.  I'm also going to sell my house this year.  Living there is just a painful reminder of loss.  It's time to move on.
     One of the highlights of the year that I hope to continue in 2013 is this blog.  I truly enjoy posting these messages and interesting items about dogs and other animals.
     It is my hope that each of you will have a truly wonderful and happy New Year.  In Philippians 3:13-14, the Apostle Paul said, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  This is a great verse to meditate on as we move from 2012 to 2013.
     Last week, we focused on peace and how that as believers in Jesus, we should be a people who pray for peace and seek to be peacemakers wherever the opportunity arises.
     In today's message, we come to the end of the beatitudes section of the Sermon on the Mount.  The words that Jesus speaks in today's verses are words that truly must be viewed with an ultimate and eternal perspective.
     In Matthew 5:10-11, Jesus says that blessed are those who are persecuted and blessed are those who are reviled when they do what is right and pleasing to the Lord and when they stand up for Jesus.  In Matthew 5:12 Jesus says to, "Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
     No one likes to be persecuted whether it is for serving Jesus or not.  Persecution is never pleasant. 
     Those of us in the Western world, for the most part, don't suffer any great persecution for naming the name of Christ.  However, in some parts of the world, if a person converts and becomes a follower of Jesus it can cost him his life.
     I have a great deal of respect and admiration for my brothers and sisters in Christ who stand for Jesus and the Gospel in the midst of persecution and tribulation.  Great will be their reward in Heaven.
     No matter where we live, those who stand for Christ and seek to live a holy life will suffer adversity.  Paul states this in II Timothy 3:12 where he says, "All that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."  In fact, persecution is the way a believer knows if he is truly following the Lord.  It is a test to know if you are truly in the faith.
     If we are really living in accordance with the commandments and teachings of Jesus, our lives will be different from the lives lived by those who are apart from Christ.  We will be walking in the light while they are still in the darkness.  As we saw in our study of I John, the darkness despises the light.
     I'll give you an example.  When my Dad became a Christian, many of his old friends ridiculed him because he wouldn't go out drinking and gambling with them like he did in the past.  These guys constantly made fun of him for being a Christian.  My Dad wasn't the type to let that kind of thing bother him, but it is an example of how the world treats those who desire to follow Jesus.
     Persecution really comes when a believer tries to go full out for the Lord in proclaiming the Gospel and Christian values.  Even many who claim to be Christians will harass the one who seeks to bring others to Jesus.
     I know that this is true in my own life.  When I was working in evangelism, I often went out in the neighborhoods sharing Christ.  The most negative reactions I received were from church people.
     Jesus is telling us in this passage that no matter what level of persecution we may face from insult to death, the important thing is to always follow Him.  No persecution, no matter how severe, can compare to the glory that awaits those who long to see Jesus face to face.
     You may be facing persecution for following Jesus.  Don't be discouraged.  It is a sign that you are a follower of Christ.  Ask Jesus for strength, and keep following His teachings and keep sharing His love with others.
     I would like to thank everyone who has read this blog this year.  I hope that you have a good 2013.  May God bless you.  Amen.
    

Best Dog, Cat and Animal Books and Movies of 2012

As many of you who read this blog know, I love animals.  I've read quite a few dog, cat and animal books this year, and I've watched a few good animal movies as well.  Here is my list of the best books and movies about animals for 2012. 

Best Dog Book

The best dog book I read in 2012 by far was "River Dog" written by Mark Shand.  This book was published a few years ago, but I just found out about it this year and read it.  The author tells of his adventures in India and Bangladesh as he and a dog named Bhaiti travel down the river.

Best Animal Book

"The Elephant Whisperer" by Lawrence Anthony was my favorite animal book.  This book was also written a few years ago.  This book tells the story of how Anthony brought a herd of elephants to his game reserve in South Africa.  These elephants were marked for destruction, but Anthony gave them a home and built up a trusting relationship with the herd's matriarch.

Best Cat Book

My favorite cat book is a book I've read many times.  It is an old classic called "The Cat Who Came For Christmas" by Cleveland Amory.  No matter how many times I read this book, I never get tired of reading about the author and his cat Polar Bear.

Best Dog Movie

"Red Dog" was my favorite dog movie of 2012.  This Australian film told the story of an Australian Kelpie Dog who made a difference in the lives of many people in the Australian Outback.  Another dog movie I liked a lot from a few years back that I just saw this year was "Marley and Me"

Best Animal Movie

My favorite animal movie was a film about ducks shown on "Nature" on PBS.  I also enjoyed their program about Siberian tigers.

Best Cat Movie

I didn't see any movies this year with cats.

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(pt 8)

    I'm here.  We had a bad winter storm where I live.  Wednesday night we had thunderstorms for about five hours.  Then the rain changed quickly to snow at about three in the morning.  As soon as it started snowing, the wind picked up.  We had blizzard conditions until the snow came to an end about six hours later.
     We only received about three inches of snow, but the winds were terrible.  We had sustained winds of thirty-five to forty miles per hour with wind gusts as high as fifty-five.  These winds kept up for most of Thursday.
     These winds actually damaged my house.  I have one of my gutters blown off, and some of the siding on the back of my house was strpped off.  Thankfully, none of my tall trees blew down on the house.
     Last week, we continued our series about Jesus' teachings on the Sermon on the Mount by focusing our attention on Jesus' words, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
     I discussed some of the different meanings concerning what being pure in heart is.  I mentioned the fact that we become pure in heart when we receive the imputed righteousness of Christ at the time of our salvation.  I also mentioned the need for holiness in the life of the believer and the importance of following the commandments and the teachings of the Lord.  Finally, I discussed the importance of motivation and having the right attitude of heart versus a righteousness that is simply external.
     Today, we focus on one of Jesus' beatitudes that is so appropriate during this Christmas season.  In Matthew 5:9 Jesus states, "Blessed are the peacemakers:  For they shall be called children of God."
     When I think about the Christmas season, one of the first things that comes to my mind is that it is to be a time of peace.  In the Christmas story recorded in Luke's Gospel, the angels said to the shepherds, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men."
     The first advent of Jesus was the birth of the peace that only Jesus can bring into the world.  Jesus was prophesied to be the one who would bring about true peace.  Isaiah 9:6 records that one of the names of the Messiah was to be "Prince of Peace."  Verse 7 goes on to say, "Of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end."
     Jesus came into this world to bring to all who would believe in Him a peace that passes all understanding.  The human race in its fallen state is at war against the things of God.  However, Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection allows those who would trust in Him to have peace with the Heavenly Father.  Jesus wants to bring peace to the souls of troubled men and women.
     Because the ultimate goal of Jesus is to bring peace upon this world, those of us who are numbered among His followers should do all that we can to bring peace to the world and to our little corner of the world.
     As believers in Jesus, I think that we should be a people that continually pray for a resolution to the conflicts that are raging in the world today.  Right now, there is war in Syria and Afghanistan.  The Congo, where my cousin was once a missionary, is still in the midst of strife, and it seems like the Holy Land is always on the brink of conflict.  As followers of Jesus, we should be in prayer for peace in these places and wherever war rages and people are dying.
     In one of the churches where I used to minister, we made it a habit each Sunday to pray for peace in all of the countries experiencing conflict.  We prayed for some countries for years.  But, thanks be to God, peace did come to many nations we prayed for including Ireland, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
     Besides praying, Christians should be those who work for peace wherever possible.  Most of us won't have the chance to be actively involved in peace efforts on a global scale.  But we should take every peacemaking opportunity that we can.
     On our own local level, we as believers should try to be the voice of reason and peace in meetings and in gatherings.  We should be those who seek reconciliation between those striving against each other among our family and friends.
     The best way that we can be a force for peace is to spread the Gospel of the Prince of Peace.  We need to tell others about how Jesus can transform their life and give them the true peace that only He can give.
     True peace will not come to the entire world until Jesus comes and establishes His eternal Kingdom that will have no end.  At that time, the Bible says in Micah 4:3 that, "they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks:  nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."  At His coming, the reign of the Prince of Peace will bring peace to all of the created order.  I love the words of Isaiah 11:6-7 that state, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox."
     There is a great day of peace coming.  As Jesus' followers, let us work for peace in all of our relationships because our God loves peace and those who seek peace.
     During the Christmas season, if you don't know the peace that Jesus can bring, I hope that you will accept Jesus' gifts of love and peace during this time of His birth.  Merry Christmas.  Amen.

Update

    Where I live, we are supposed to have a terrible winter storm over the next couple of days.  If the roads are really bad, I might not be able to post a sermon this week.  I will try to do so before the weekend is out.  However, if I am not able to get to the library, I wanted to wish everyone Merry Christmas.

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(pt 7)

Matthew 5:8

   
     I have a lot to thank the Lord for this week.  Things are going well in my writing.  I have had some of the best weeks in my writing career lately.  I am very thankful to the Lord for giving me these opportunities.  Also, this week I finally sold an old set of commentaries that I had for sale for over two months.
     I'm trying to get into the spirit of Christmas, but I'm having a hard time this year.  I just got my Christmas cards mailed out, but I haven't even thought about doing any shopping for presents.
     Please keep the nation of Syria in your prayers and continue to pray for peace.  Also, please continue to pray for those who were affected by hurricane Sandy.
     In last week's sermon, I wrote about Jesus' words, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."  We saw that the Lord has been merciful and gracious to us.  He has forgiven our sins, and He expects us to be merciful and forgiving as well.  Mercy and compassion are great attributes of our God.
     This week, we once again focus on one of Jesus' statements from the beatitudes.  In Matthew 5:8 Jesus says, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
     What does it mean to be pure in heart?  Just as we saw when we looked at the other beatitudes, I believe that there are at least a couple of different meanings to this statement as well.
     First of all, what does it mean to be pure in heart?  For one thing, being pure in heart means being forgiven from sin and cleansed from all unrighteousness.  The Scriptures are clear that there are no works or good deeds that we can do to fee ourselves from sin or atone for our sins.  That is why it was necessary for Jesus to come to this earth and to live a holy and sinless life.  He took our sins upon Himself and paid our sin debt.  When a person comes to Jesus in repentance and faith, that person is cleansed from sin and receives the imputed righteousness of Christ.
     To be pure in heart also means living a life of holiness.  In fact, it is commanded of all believers that they live a life of holiness.  I Peter 1:16 says, "you shall be holy, for I am holy."
     Christians should have the desire to live a holy life in obedience to God.  But what does it mean to be holy and live a life of holiness?  First of all, we are to be set apart for the glory of God.  As believers, we are to be, as Scripture says, a "peculiar people".  This means that we live a life that is distinguished from that lived by those who are still in sin and entangled in this world's system.
     Something that disturbs me is the fact that many who name the name of Jesus Christ seemingly share the same value system of those apart from Christ.  Several surveys have been done showing that the values of evangelical Christians differ little compared with those who have no religious affiliation.
     I know many who go to church on a regular basis, but they still watch the same violent and immoral types of entertainment that are prevalent throughout Western society.
     As Christians, we are to be a people who follow the example of Jesus.  If we don't think that Jesus would engage in some type of activity or entertainment, then we shouldn't either.  We need to be a people who reflect the values of Christ.
     Living a life of holiness is all about following the greatest commandment and the second like unto it.  We are to love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our neighbor as our self.  By living the law of love, we will live a life of holiness that is pleasing to God.
     Also, by pure in heart it means having the correct interior motivation.  In Jesus' day, the religious leaders made a great show of living a life of ritual, outward purity.  They made sure that everyone noticed that they were living in accordance to the law of Moses.  But, they didn't fool Jesus who knew what was in the heart of a person.  Jesus said that the religious leaders were like whitewashed graves.  They looked good on the outside, but on the inside, they were full of dead men's bones.
     Our motivation is key.  By pure in heart it means doing things with good intentions not just because we feel like we have to do something or God will be angry with us.  There is an example of this in the Old Testament.  II Chronicles 25:2 records that king Amaziah, "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart."  The inward life of holiness is more important than the outward life of show.
     The beatitude says that the pure in heart will see God.  It is only through a life of holiness that we will be able to see God.
     God is a holy God.  I don't think that we can fully grasp what this means it is so awesome to contemplate.  Isaiah 6:3 says that the angels cry, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory."  In Revelation 4:8 the Bible says that the four living creatures around the throne of God never cease saying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come."
     With our sin, we could not approach God.  But, when we are covered with the righteousness of Christ, we are pure and holy before the Father.
     Living a life of holiness also keeps us in fellowship wit the Lord now.  Sin breaks fellowship.  Living for the Lord keeps us in a right relationship with Him.
     Only Jesus Christ lived a perfect and holy life.  Only what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection can give access to the Father.  If you've not already done so, I urge you to put your trust in Christ today.  Amen.
    

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(Pt. 6)

Text--Matthew 5:7

     This has been quite a week.  The weather in my part of the world has been so warm this week it felt like summertime instead of December.  It's getting dry again, and our drought situation keeps getting worse.  I had a really good week writing, for which I thank the Lord.  I hope that everyone's week went well.
     I'd like to ask everyone to pray for peace in Syria.  So many have lost their lives these past months, and the war keeps raging.  Let us be in prayer for peace wherever there is conflict in the world.
     In last week's message, I focused on Jesus' words, "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."  Those without Christ can satisfy their spiritual hunger, and those who know Jesus should have the desire to follow the commandments and teachings of the Savior.  Those who live for Jesus will be rewarded at His return.
     We also looked at Luke's version of Jesus' statement and focused on the problem of hunger in this world.  We saw that the Lord will end all injustice when He establishes His eternal kingdom on earth.  Those who lacked will have all that they need.  The exploiters and greedy will come under judgment.
     Just this week, I read about instances of exploitation.  Two of the cases were overseas.  In one instance, workers were found working in terrible conditions for very low pay manufacturing products for American companies.  Another instance involved children being forced to work as long as 19 hours a day to make Christmas decorations for the American market.
     Here in the United States, a major financial corporation decided to fire 11,000 workers so that the company could make more profit.  The other instance here involved a major company that wants to fire all of its full-time employees and hire only part-time employees.  There reason for this is so that they don't have to pay for their employee's health insurance.
     These are instances of what Jesus meant when He said in Luke, "Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry."  These kind of things do not go unnoticed by a just and holy God.
     Now let's turn our attention to our Scripture for today.  Jesus says in Matthew 5:7, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
     God is a God of mercy.  This is clearly attested to in Scripture.  The Lord brought His people out of bondage into a land of promise.  However, time after time, they turned their backs on God and worshipped false gods.  God would bring judgment upon them, and then the people would repent and cry out to God for mercy and deliverance from their oppressors.  God was merciful and delivered His people over and over and over again. 
     Look at us, the Lord loved us so much that He gave us His Son.  As I Peter 1:3 says, "...His great mercy has cause us to be born again to living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."
     Because God is merciful, He expects us to be merciful as well.  Just as we have been forgiven, we ought also to forgive.
     Jesus told two stories about being merciful.  The first story is the familiar account of the Good Samaritan.  While others passed by the injured man lying in the ditch, the Good Samaritan stopped and helped the man.  The Good Samaritan showed mercy to his fellow man and was a true neighbor to one in need.
     We as believers in Jesus are to be merciful and remember that there but for the grace of God go I.  There are many in this world who have great needs both physical and spiritual.  We need to help reach out a hand of mercy to help lift up the fallen.
     Another aspect of mercy is forgiveness.  This is where Jesus' second story comes in.  Peter asked Jesus if he should forgive someone 7 times.  Jesus said that Peter should not forgive 7 times but 70 times 7 times.  Jesus told the story of a man who owed an enormous debt.  The main begged his creditor to forgive the debt, and the debt was forgiven.  However, the man who was forgiven an enormous debt was not willing to forgive someone who owed him a very small amount.  When word of this came back to the creditor that had forgiven the man's enormous debt, the creditor revoked his forgiveness and had the debtor thrown into prison.  Jesus said that if we were not willing to forgive, we would not be forgiven.
     God had mercy on us and forgave us of a debt of sin that we could never pay.  He now expects us to forgive and show mercy to those who have wronged us.
     Earlier, I gave some examples of how the rich are exploiting the poor.  I'll come right out and say that I really don't like these kind of people.  However, if they would truly repent and amend their ways, God would forgive them and have mercy upon them.  The Lord expects me to do the same because I too have been forgiven and received the abundant mercy of the Lord.
     Everyone who shows mercy and forgives others will receive forgiveness and mercy from the Lord.  How can we not be merciful and forgiving people as believers in Jesus when Jesus has done so much for us.
     The Lord is willing to be merciful to anyone who repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Don't think that your sin is too great for the Lord to forgive.  Trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross, and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead.  Accept Jesus as the Lord of your life and start going in a new direction.
     If you're having trouble in the areas of mercy and forgiveness, remember the abundant mercy of the Lord.  Ask the Lord to give you His strength to be the kind of person that He desires you to be.  May God bless you.  Amen.
    

Two Good Animal Books

I have just finished reading two excellent books written by Lawrence Anthony.  The books are "The Elephant Whisperer" and "Babylon's Ark".  The first book is about the author's game reserve in South Africa.  The book details how Mr. Anthony took in a herd of rogue elephants.  At first, the elephants escaped, and the wildlife authorities said that they would be shot if they escaped again.  However, Mr. Anthony built up trust with the herd's matriarch named Nana.  The herd began to trust Mr. Anthony, and adjusted to their new life.  The second book tell the story of the rescue of the Baghdad Zoo during the Iraq War.  Mr. Anthony went to the zoo, and with the help of some of the zoo's staff, brought the remaining animals back to health and rebuilt the zoo.  I highly recommend both of these books.  Mr. Anthony has a third book called "The Last Rhinos" that I am reading now.