Toby Book--Chapter 2

This is the next chapter of my book about Toby.  The Introduction and Chapter 1 were posted the last two Wednesdays.  This is copyrighted material.


Chapter 2

     My first days with Toby weren't idyllic.  I was certainly glad to have him, but he wasn't too excited about this new situation.  The moment that Toby set foot in my home he immediately ran and hid under the dining room table.  No amount of persuasion on my part could produce a corgi.
     Toby wouldn't eat, drink or play.  I was disappointed.  I thought that maybe this new relationship might not work out.
     After a couple of days, Toby would venture out from his lair to eat a bite or two or go out to the bathroom.  Sadly, he began demonstrating some behaviors that made me wonder about his past. 
     I noticed that if I walked near him, or if I lifted up my foot, he would cringe as if I was going to kick him.  Once, I picked up a newspaper from off the floor by my Dad's chair, and Toby ran like a flash back under the table and wouldn't come back out until I put the newspaper down.
     About two or three weeks passed, and I can't say that Toby and I made too much progress.  He didn't want to play, and for the most part, he remained firmly encamped under the dining room table.  My folks thought that I should get a puppy instead of this dog.  I wasn't about to do that, and I'm glad that I didn't listen to that piece of advice.
     One afternoon, I decided to clean out the utility room in the back of the house.  Actually, I'd been ordered to get my junk out of there and put it in the garage.  I had several rolls of old string and some old kites that were in disrepair.  At one time, I did a lot of kite flying, but I wasn't into that much anymore.  I grabbed several bundles of string and headed out to the garage.  On my way, the clumsy person that I am, I dropped the whole batch on the dining room floor.
     No sooner had the balls of string hit the floor, a red and white streak flew from underneath the table, grabbed a ball of string and dashed into the living room.  I ran after Toby, and he dropped the string.  I picked up the string, and Toby stood starring at me.  I threw the ball of string across the living room, and Toby tore after it.  He wouldn't bring the string back to me, but if I went and picked it up and threw it, he would chase after it.  By the way, as smart as Toby was, he never got the hang of retrieving.  We played with that old ball of string until we were both falling down tired.
     That time of play changed everything between us.  From that moment on, Toby was my friend for life.  We played together every day.  I bought him an alligator toy that squeaked and we played our version of fetch with that thing until it fell apart.  We went everywhere together.  From that day on, Toby started sleeping right beside my bed every night, and no one had better come in that room while I was asleep.  We became fast friends and never looked back.
     I owe a lot to kite string and patience.

A Request For Prayer

I am posting today to ask those of you who read this blog to pray for me.  This has been a terrible day.  I've been having trouble finding enough work, and now it looks like I'm going to be without the only job I still have.  Please pray that I can find a decent job. Thank you.

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(pt 13)

Matthew 5:21-26

     It is good to once again be able to post a new sermon.  I 'm not looking forward to Sunday.  I just heard the weather report is calling for freezing rain that morning.  This is my all time least favorite weather.  I hate freezing rain.
     I don't know how many are interested, but I thought I'd mention again that I'm posting one chapter a week( on Wednesdays) of the book I wrote about my friend Toby.  I hope several people will read it.  He was a great friend.  The introduction and chapter one have already been posted, and I'll post the next chapter on Wednesday if the freezing rain hasn't knocked all the power out for days like the last time. 
     In last week's message, I discussed what it meant to have a righteousness greater than that of the Pharisees.  The only way that we can be righteous enough in the sight of the Father is to be clothed in the righteousness of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can never do enough good works to earn our way to heaven or find favor with the Father. 
     When I worked in evangelism, it always distressed me to hear people who went to church say that they believed that they had eternal life and were on their way to heaven because they were a good person, or they were just as good as anyone else.  Believe it or not, this idea is very prevalent among people who go to many churches.  People just aren't taught about salvation by grace through faith.  They aren't taught about justification and the imputed righteousness of Christ.
     Another thing along this same line that frustrates me is that many in church believe that they can do good things in order to get God to do something for them.  We are to do good because we love the Lord, but everything that we receive from the Lord is through His grace.  We can never earn anything.  We need more teaching about grace.
     Last week, I also went over some of the ways the rest of the verses we will study in chapter five are interpreted.  I won't review that this week.  Please refer to last week's message if you need more information on that subject.
     In today's message, we move into Jesus establishing Himself as one who is greater than Moses.  Jesus is reinterpreting ,changing and some cases strengthening the law.  By they way, if anyone wants to do further study on the superiority of Jesus Christ, the book of Hebrews is a great place to study the way Jesus is superior to Moses, the way that Jesus is a superior high priest and how Jesus is the mediator of a new and superior covenant.
     Jesus begins this section of the Sermon in 5:21-22 by saying, "You have heard that the ancients were told you shall not commit murder and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court, and whoever says to his brother, you good for nothing, shall be guilty before the supreme court, and whoever says you fool shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell."
     Everyone can easily recognize that murder is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable.  Every society that I am aware of has laws against murder.
    As we saw last week, one of Jesus' objectives in this passage is to keep His followers from violating the commandments.  Many murders committed are committed in the heat of the moment and are not premeditated.  Often, someone will get angry and strike out against someone.  At other times, people let old grudges fester and the anger grows and grows.  Eventually, they plot ways to destroy the one that they are angry with.
     If people could learn to control their anger and not dwell on past injustices, many murders and assaults could be avoided.
     I believe that Jesus wants us also to be a people who aren't always angry and responding to others with anger.  He wants us to respond to others with love.
     Jesus wants His followers to be people who forgive others who have offended them.  Jesus said that forgiveness and reconciliation are so important that even if we are preparing to worship God and we realize that we have an unsettled dispute with our natural brother or our brother in Christ, we should leave our act of worship and go and be immediately reconciled with our brother.
     Practicing this teaching of Jesus will solve a lot of problems.  It will also keep our lives from being eaten up by bitterness.
     I'm not sure whether or not Jesus had this specifically in mind, but I believe that this passage has an application to more than just physical murder.  Sometimes, the hurtful and nasty things we say to each other cause people terrible pain throughout their lives.
     It seems to me that we can be praised for something over and over and it doesn't really sink in, but if we are harshly criticized or berated by someone, we seem to remember that instance for years and years into the future.
     Those of us who are followers of Jesus should pattern what we say after the example of the Lord.  The only harsh words that Jesus had were towards the religious leaders who hypocritically tried to exclude people from the kingdom of heaven.
     We should all try to practice the golden rule given to us by the Lord.  We should speak to people and treat others the way that we wish to be treated.
     James tells us that the tongue is a deadly weapon.  Our speech should lift people up and encourage them not humiliate them and make them feel terrible.
     There is a good book on this whole subject that I recommend.  It was written by a Jewish Rabbi named Joseph Telushkin.  The book is called "Words That Hurt, Words That Heal."
     Next week, Lord willing, we will continue our study in the Sermon on the Mount.  Please continue to pray for peace around the world.  God bless you .  Amen.

Toby Book Chapter One

Last week I posted the Introduction to my book about Toby.  Today I am posting Chapter I.  This is copyrighted material.

Chapter 1

     When I was growing up, I was ill much of the time.   I had a condition known as hypogammaglobulinemia that left my immune system very weak.  I was especially susceptible to respiratory illness such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
     Because of my illnesses, a lot of the kids at my school didn't want to have too much to do with me.  I always had good dog friends though.
     Early in 1985, I found myself with no dogs to call my friends.  Furthermore, I was also facing some very hurtful issues at an extremely legalistic and cultic church my parents attended.  I was right in the pressure cooker since I also attended the school operated by this same church.  Each day, I was subjected to a stifling and rigid environment.  My spirit was crushed, and a great weight of depression descended upon me.
     It is like being in hell to every day walk on eggshells in fear of violating the tiniest rule and then facing punishment and humiliation.  For instance, I once received detention for wearing a white shirt to school on the wrong day.  White shirts were only to be worn on Tuesday and Thursday.  Red shirts had to be worn on the other days.
     Students were constantly warned not to be wordly.  No music was allowed except Christian music, and that did not include contemporary, Christian music.  Television was an instrument of the devil.  If you mentioned a television show you may have watched it was an automatic two day detention.
     Instead of Christmas being a time of joy, it was a time of sadness.  Christmas trees were idols, and Santa Claus was a false god.
     Someone in my physical condition faced even greater condemnation since sickness was seen as a punishment from God.  If you were sick, obviously there was great sin in your life, and God was punishing you in order to bring you to repentance.
     Throughout these years, I lived in fear, and I never felt any unconditional love.  From what I knew, love was based on performance.  Be good, get good grades, follow the rules and you were loved.  Step out of line, and the hammer falls.
     Bad health and crazy religion were getting too much for me.  I say this with all candor.  I doubt that I'd be writing today if on a Sunday in January of 1985 I hadn't read an advertisement in the Kansas City Star that changed my life forever.
     Sunday, after church, I decided to read the dogs for sale section in the paper.  My attention snapped to full focus when I saw one advertisement in particular that read:

            Corgi for sale--1 1/2 year old male.  Housebroken.  $150

     This was great.  An adult dog who was smaller and already house trained.  From the phone number listed in the ad, I knew that he wasn't very far away.
     I found myself in some difficulty, however, when it came to convincing my parents that going to look at this dog was a good idea.  Neither of my parents wanted a dog.  They didn't like corgis either.
     After about an hour of persuasion, as I dreaded every moment that my new dog might be heading to another home, I finally convinced my Mom to at least let me call and get some more information.
     The lady who placed the ad said that this dog had been purchased as a show dog, but his feet were too small according to the breed standard.  Also, the dog was primarily her son's dog, and since he'd gone off to college, she was selling the dog.  By the way, she said the dog's name was Toby.  I was sold right then.  I always liked that name for a dog.
     We made arrangements to go look at Toby that same afternoon.  My Dad wasn't excited about getting out in the January cold, but he came along with us to the home of Toby.
     The house was in a very, rural area, and the roads were icy and not well plowed.  The drive leading up to the house was treacherous, and I remember the car sliding.
     As we got out of the car, we were greeted by a great chorus of barking.  All along the back of the house were rows of kennels housing various dogs.  Near the house, a small, red and white dog came bounding toward me barking.  A yell from the house turned the corgi around in his tracks.  We followed him inside.
     After the customary greetings, Toby's owner showed me some of the ribbons he'd won at puppy shows.  She said that Toby loved hanging out with teenage boys, and that one of Toby's favorite activities was herding the neighbor's cows.  All this time, Toby was hiding under the sofa.
     Finally, we coaxed him out of hiding.  If you can love a dog at first sight, I loved Toby.  He had short legs with white on each paw and a solid white chest. 
     When my folks said that I could have him, I was thrilled.  Toby's soon to be former owner was thrilled too.  She said that two other families had been there before us, but both passed Toby up.  There loss.  He was mine now.
     As I look back, I realize that it was grace that brought Toby and I together.  Others had come to see him before me.  Either of those families could have seen Toby's great character, and I've have never known about him.  What caused me to look through the paper for dogs that afternoon?  What made me even consider a corgi, a breed I'd never been particularly fond of?  I believe it was all God's grace.  He knew that we needed each other more than either of us knew at the time.

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount (pt 12)

Matthew 5:20-26

   
     I thank the Lord that I am able to post another message this week.  I posted the first section of my book about Toby on this blog on Wednesday.  I hope that many of you had a chance to read it.  Next Wednesday, I will post another section.
     There was an interesting story on Yahoo News this week about a dog that went every day to Mass with his owner.  The dog's owner died a couple of months ago.  When the church bell rings for Mass, the dog goes into the church for Mass just as he did when his owner was alive.  The priest lets the dog stay throughout the service.  The priest said that he had just lost his own dog.  I'm hoping that the priest will adopt the dog and give him a good home.
     In last week's message, I wrote about the way that Jesus was the fulfillment of both the law and the prophets.  Jesus fulfilled all that the sacrificial system symbolized when He died on the cross bearing our sins in His body.  He fulfilled the law because He was the only person who never sinned.  Jesus fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah. 
     I wasn't able to quite finish our section of Scripture last week, so I want to pick up where we left off with verse 20 where Jesus says, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven."
     I think that this verse has two applications.  First of all, Jesus said many times that the Pharisees were hypocrites.  Jesus said that they were like whitened tombs.  They looked good on the outside, but on the inside they were full of dead men's bones.  Those who are followers of Jesus should not be hypocrites.  We should be true followers of the commandments and teachings of our Lord.  Our outward actions and our inward motivations should be focused on loving Jesus and showing it in all that we do and say.
     The second application of this verse lies in the fact that there is no way that we can ever earn our way to Heaven.  All of humanity has sinned and violated the law of God.  The Bible says that there is no one who is righteous.  So how can we be righteous enough to go to Heaven?  It is through the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.  When we come to Jesus accepting Him as Savior and Lord, He forgives us and we receive His righteousness.  Now that we are in Christ, the Father does not see our sin.  The Father sees us clothed in the righteousness of His Son.
     At this point, we move into a section of the Sermon on the Mount that continues through chapter five.  In this section, Jesus is truly establishing the law of His kingdom.
     Before we get into the specifics that Jesus presents in verses 21 through 48, let's look at some of the ways that this section is interpreted.
     For one thing, Jesus is presenting His divinity by the fact that He is showing Himself to be greater than Moses.  Moses did not create the law, he was given the law by God.  In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is in some ways changing the Old Testament law.  Now if Jesus was not God and was changing the law of God, He would have been guilty of blasphemy.  By reinterpreting, and in some instances changing the law, Jesus did something that only God could do.  Jesus was clearly establishing His divine authority.
     The second consideration is what was Jesus trying to do in this section.  For instance, we will see that Jesus doesn't just say that murder is wrong, He says that one who is angry with his brother is guilty as well.  Is Jesus saying that a thought is equivalent to an action?
     Some believe that what Jesus is doing here is building a hedge around the law.  In other words, Jesus is saying that if you don't want to violate the commandments such as do not murder and do not commit adultery, then don't even harbor the thought in your mind.  If you don't harbor anger, then you won't commit murder.  If you don't harbor lust, then you won't commit adultery.
     I believe that this idea has some merit.  However, as we will see, I believe that Jesus is saying more than this.  I think that Jesus is setting down a standard of behavior for His followers that will lead them to a greater degree of holiness.  Jesus is giving us a code of behavior that will make not only our actions pure, but our thoughts will be pure as well.
    One other interpretation of this section that was often taught in the church of my youth is that this section is an impossible standard that no one can follow.  They believed that Jesus presents the impossible standard to demonstrate that people are completely without hope if they try to save themselves by keeping the law because even their thoughts condemn them.
     I don't believe that this in Jesus intention here at all.  If Jesus didn't expect His followers to obey His commandments, He wouldn't have given them.  Jesus knows that we aren't perfect, but He expects us to do our best as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
     Next week, we will get into Jesus statement about murder and anger as found in verses 21 through 26.  May God bless you all.  Amen.
    

Toby Book

Today, I will begin posting the chapters of a book I wrote about my friend Toby.  Two of these chapters have been published in a slightly different form, but the entire book was never published.  I will try to post one chapter each week starting today with the introduction.  I do not mind if people copy and use the sermons I post on other sources.  However, this book is copyrighted material, and I would ask that you read it and not reproduce it. 

Toby --The Story of My Friend

Introduction

     I have known some interesting dogs in my life.  A few stand out vividly in my memory.  My Mother's collies were exceptionally beautiful.  She wanted a collie dog like Lassie since the time she was a little girl.  Her dream came true.  Blazer was a fantastic collie.  He was so magnificent that he won a collie specialty dog show.
     One crazy dog we had was Buster the English bulldog.  He was so wild when he was a puppy that he chewed a hole in the kitchen wall. 
     My Father's favorite dog was Abraham the rottweiler.  We bought him from a Jewish man who had a litter of three male puppies who he named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Some people think that all rottweilers are nasty, but Abraham was the sweetest dog one could ever meet.
     This book tells the story of the best dog that I have ever known.  His name was Toby, and, as far as I'm concerned, he was the greatest dog that ever lived.  He was a red and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi.  Before Toby came into my life, I didn't really care much for the corgi breeds.  I thought that they looked silly with their short legs and long bodies.  After having been with my friend, that old opinion has changed dramatically.
     Toby came into my life when I needed a friend.  I needed someone to be there for me in a non-judgmental way.  The two of us shared most of the important events in my early life during the almost twelve years that we were together.  A corgi runs through most of my memorable experiences.
     In the chapters that follow, I will recount many of the special times that Toby and I shared together.  I hope that as you read about our special relationship that you will think back with fondness about the special animal that blessed your life.

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(pt 11)

Matthew 5:17-20

     It is always good to be back on Friday to post the Weekend Sermon.  This is the best part of the week because I feel that I am in some way fulfilling God's call on my life to share His word with others.  I  hope that those who read this blog will learn more about the Lord and grow in their walk with Him.  My greatest desire is that someone will accept Christ as Savior and Lord through God's use of one of these messages.
     Before I get into the message this week, I have to get something off my chest.  This week, I heard a prominent American minister say that people's pets do not go to Heaven.  The way that he talked about the matter was very hurtful and denigrating.
     I totally disagree with this.  I know without a doubt that my friend Toby is waiting for me in Heaven.  I'm glad to know that one of my heroes of the faith, John Wesley, believed that animals go to Heaven.  I urge people to find a copy of Wesley's sermon "The General Deliverance" to read more on this matter.  Billy Graham has also written on this matter, and he believes that people's pets will be in Heaven with them. 
     While not a theologian, my favorite author, James Herriot certainly handled a question on this matter much better than the minster I heard.  In one of his books, Herriot wrote about on old woman in failing health who asked him the question about her pets going to Heaven.  Mr. Herriot reassured this woman that her pets would certainly be with her in the life to come.  He knew that people asking this question are those whose pets have been special companions who have stuck with them even when many people have forgotten about them.  To these people, questions on this matter are not a joke or something to be laughed at.
     I could say much more about all of this, but then we'd never get to the next part of the Sermon on the Mount. 
     Last week, I wrote about Jesus' teaching on salt and light.  Christians are called by the Lord to stand against societal decay and stand for the moral light of God.  We are to do good works as a light in the darkness of the world.
     In today's passage, Jesus begins by saying, "Do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill."  Many of the religious leaders of Jesus' day objected to Jesus' healing on the Sabbath.  They accused Jesus of breaking the law of Moses.  In this passage, Jesus is clearly stating that He is in no way intending or wants to violate the law that has been revealed in the Old Testament.  In fact, Jesus goes on to say that not even the smallest stroke of the pen within the law will pass away before all is accomplished.
     What did Jesus mean that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets?  Jesus' life and ministry are the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.
     Jesus is the only person who lived a life in accordance with every single commandment revealed in the law.  Jesus never committed any sins.  He never broke the law.
    Because Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the law, He could become our perfect sacrifice.  He was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.  By taking our sins upon Himself while He was on the cross, and through His death, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament sacrificial types.
     On the day of atonement, the high priest was to choose a lamb without spot or blemish.  He was to place his hands on the animal symbolically imputing the sins of the people into the spotless lamb.  While this was a symbol, Jesus fulfilled this in reality.  Jesus took our sin and died.  However, Jesus rose again conquering death and hell. 
     In addition to this, Jesus is the fulfillment of every Old Testament prophecy concerning the Messiah.  If you will take the time to read through the entire Gospel of Matthew, you will see that Matthew makes a point of pointing out the Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled during His time on earth.
     There is something else I need to point out though.  Jesus goes on in this passage to make sure that people realize that they were still supposed to follow the law.  Those who do not follow the law will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
     Jesus completely fulfilled all of the prophecies concerning the Messiah and the sacrificial types in the Old Testament.  However, Jesus never says that His followers are not to follow God's law.  In fact, as we go through the Sermon on the Mount, we will see that Jesus reiterates many of the commandments of the Old Testament.
     Many Christian teachers like to say that we are not under the law we are under grace.  That is true.  No one is saved by good works because no one is able to live a sinless life.  We are saved by grace through faith.  We are saved because of the finished work of Christ on the cross. 
     Those who have truly placed their faith and trust in Christ will follow the teachings and commandments of Scripture.  It is a sign that we have a true possession of faith and not just an empty profession. This is what James is speaking of in his epistle when he says, "faith without works is dead." 
     When we get to Heaven, we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  There we will receive our reward for the life we lived for the Lord while we were here on earth.
     As Jesus makes clear, some will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.  They are saved, but they have no reward.  Others who faithfully follow the teachings and commandments of God will be rewarded in the world to come.  Jesus also speaks about this principle in His parable of the talents that I urge everyone to read.
     I may write more about this next week.  I am considering putting a chapter a week of a book I wrote on the blog each Wednesday.  It is a book I wrote about Toby several years ago..  Two chapters of the book were published , but the entire book was never published.  I will probably start either this Wednesday or next Wednesday with this, Lord willing.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount(pt. 10)

Matthew 5:13-16


     Happy New Year to everyone.  I hope that everyone has started 2013 on a positive note.  I was going to stay up to welcome in the year, but I feel asleep watching television.  When I woke up, it was two in the morning.
     This week, I received a great blessing.  I was in need of some money to pay for a few bills.  I'd been in prayer about this matter, and I received what I needed in the mail.  I am grateful for the Lord's provision.
     In last week's message, we finished the beatitudes section of the Sermon on the Mount by looking at the matter of persecution for Christ's sake.  We saw that those who live Godly in Christ Jesus can expect to face persecution and tribulation.  The more a believer in Jesus tries to live for the Lord and spread the gospel, the greater will be the forces that come against him to hinder his living for the Lord and leading others to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
     Today, we continue with our study of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount by examining the role of  Jesus' followers in this world.  Jesus tells His followers what their duty and mission is in society.
     Jesus says in Matthew 5:13, "You are the salt of the earth."  In Matthew 5:14 Jesus says, "You are the light of the world."
     Believers in Jesus have the role of being salt and light in the world.  What does this mean?
     Salt acts as a preserving agent.  In Jesus' time, there was no refrigeration.  The way that the people preserved meat was to salt it.  I saw how this was done the other day on a cooking program.  The host demonstrated how fish was preserved through salting and how the salted fish was to be prepared.
     Those who are followers of Christ have the mission of being a force for preserving that which is good and right in society.  We are to stand for the truth in such a way that we help to stem the tide of society's descent into the darkness.
     How are we to go about being the salt of the earth?  For one thing, I believe that Christians need to stand up for what is moral and good.  We should stand up for the values outlined in the Word of God.
     One way that Christians can do this is by modeling family values in our own families.  We can also speak up when others in our circle of influence are promoting values contrary to Biblical standards.  We can be a voice for the way of the Lord.
     We must also be advocates for what is right.  As Christians we should also speak out against injustice against the poor, the weak and the oppressed. We should stand for a consistent pro-life ethic. Christians should be at the forefront of confronting violence in society by promoting the way of peace and reconciliation.  Those who follow the way of the Lord should be at the forefront of the efforts to promote environmental awareness and the proper treatment of animals. 
     On a national level, those of us who live in democratic societies can work for legislation that supports the way of Christ, and we can vote for those who will uphold the values that we as Christians hold dear.
     If we fail to be a voice for the good we are failing in our duty.  As Jesus said, "If the salt has lost its taste, what use is it."
     As Christians we are not just called to be salt, we are called to be the light of the world.  Whereas being salt is holding back the tide, being the light drives back the darkness by the light of the good news of Jesus.
     In verse 16, Jesus tells us one way that we can be the light of the world.  Jesus says, "Let your light shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven."
     We are the light  when we do good works.  There is so much that needs to be done in this hurting world.  There are hungry people to feed and people who need a variety of other physical needs met.  Many people need someone to visit them and give them a word of encouragement.
     As believers, we should be about doing as much good as possible and trying to make this world a little better than the way we found it. 
     We don't all have to do the same things.  Some people are good at helping children, while others get on better with the elderly.  Others are more comfortable helping God's creatures.
     Whatever the Lord has gifted and enabled you to do, do it for the glory of God.  In this way, people will see Jesus in us and give glory to the Lord.
     Being the light of the world means more than this.  Being the light means speaking the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who are trapped in the darkness of sin.
     All believers have been given the Great Commission by the Lord to preach the gospel to every nation.  We are called to share the transforming power of Jesus.
     This is the only way that the world will ever be truly changed.  Only a relationship with Jesus can bring a person from the darkness to the light.
     All of us need to find a way to share the gospel with others.  Some are very comfortable sharing their faith verbally with friends and even strangers.  Others are more effective spreading the message of the Lord through writing or other creative arts.  Whatever way we do it, let us shine the light of the love of Jesus into a world of darkness.
     If you are reading this and you've never accepted Jesus into your life, you can do it today.  Repent of your sins and believe that Jesus died and rose again.  Accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord of your life.  May God bless you.  Amen.
    

Best Religion Book

Last week, I posted my favorite dog, cat and animal books for 2012.  The best religious book I read this year is a book that was published several years ago by Philip Yancey.  The book is called "The Bible Jesus Read."  This is an excellent book about the Old Testament that I highly recommend.