It's time again for another Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had a good week.
I want to begin by thanking the Lord for providing me with a great deal of writing work this week. I was going to be short on the money I would need to pay the bills this month, but the Lord has provided, and I want to thank and praise Him for His provision for me.
Last week we dealt with the issue of the Lord's provision. We learned that no matter what happens to the follower of Jesus in this world, all is well, and all will be well. The reason for this is the fact that in eternity, those who follow Jesus will have every need met. We will be with Jesus for all of eternity. The trouble in this life won't matter when we think of the joys that we will experience.
Whatever happens to us in life, all will ultimately be well. The vital thing that we must remember is that we must obey and follow the way of Jesus in all that we do.
As we finish up Matthew chapter 6 and this section of the Sermon on the Mount, there are a couple of things I want to consider before moving on to the next area of teaching found in chapter 7.
I find it interesting how Jesus speaks of God's provision for His creation. In verse 26, Jesus speaks about God providing for the needs of the birds of the air. In verse 28, Jesus speaks about God's provision for the lilies of the field. Some Christian people don't seem to care about environmental concerns, but the Lord commanded humans to take care of creation because God values creation. God cares about the animals that He made and the natural environment in which they live.
The Bible says that one day all of creation will be delivered from the effects of the fall of man and the sin that entered into and cursed the world. When Jesus returns, the environment and all of creation will be restored to its original Edenic state of perfection.
Another aspect of chapter 6 I would like to discuss is verse 33 that says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The number one priority in life is to follow Jesus. If someone reading this has never made a commitment to following Jesus, that is the first step in getting your life on the right track. A person can only have the life that they were intended to have when they make Jesus the Lord of their life. As followers of Jesus, His will must be our number one priority in life. Nothing else matters compared to following the way of Jesus. This is what Jesus has taught us in the previous verses, and this is what I've been trying to explain in the last few weeks of these sermons. Following the path of this world that focuses on money, fame and a false idea of success will not result in the advancement of the kingdom of God or eternal happiness. Put Jesus Christ first in your life.
Verse 34 has become a very important verse to me in the last few months. Jesus says, "Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I've been living by this verse this week. If I look ahead and think about all of the things facing me, all it does is bring me down. I have to follow Jesus' words and just think about dealing with today. We aren't even promised tomorrow. Today has enough to deal with without worrying about the next day. No matter if it is today or tomorrow, I need to trust in the Lord Jesus to provide for me and take care of me. He goes before me along the way.
Now, we move on the chapter 7 and a new set of Jesus' teachings to deal with. Chapter 7 begins with one of the most well-known verses in Scripture that says, "Do not judge, lest you be judged." Verse 2 continues, "For in the way you judge, you will be judged: and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you."
This verse is often misused and twisted to mean something that Jesus did not intend. The interpretation of this verse is a good example of taking a Scripture out of context and not using Scripture to interpret Scripture. It is also often interpreted in such a way that the other teachings of Jesus are not taken into consideration.
First of all, what is Jesus not saying in this verse. We know from what Jesus will go on to teach in this same chapter that Jesus is not saying that we are not to judge what is true and false doctrine and teaching. It does not mean that we are not to be spiritually discerning. As we saw when we went through the epistle of I John, John tells us to test the spirits to see whether or not they are from God. The books of Jude and II Peter also deal extensively with recognizing and exposing false doctrine and belief. Furthermore, Jesus tells us that the fruit that a person produces in their life is proof of their spiritual condition. One minister I heard said that Jesus tells us not to judge, but we are supposed to be fruit inspectors.
Next week, we will go into more detail about this teaching. I am sorry that I didn't get to post the next chapter in the Toby book on Wednesday. I will remember next week for sure. May God bless you. Amen.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Toby Book
I did something stupid today. I forgot to bring the next chapter of the book with me to the library to post. I will remember next week. I am very sorry.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Weekend Sermon---Sermon on the Mount
I want to start this week by giving thanks to the Lord that we didn't get hit by the violent weather that was forecasted where I live. I also want to thank the Lord for providing me with quite a bit of writing work this week.
This week was a terrible week for the people of Boston and Texas. Let us all pray that God will bring healing and comfort to those who were injured in these incidents. May the Lord comfort those who lost friends and loved ones this week.
Here in the little town where I live we had a scare with ammonia leaking at one of the grain elevators close to town. This was about 25 years ago. We had to evacuate because they thought there might be an explosion. Thankfully, everything was contained.
In last week's message, I talked about Jesus' teaching that a person cannot serve two masters. Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and money.
I won't go over all that I said last week. I just want to say that as followers of Jesus, we should be very diligent in how we live our lives. We get so caught up in the here and now and we think that this life is so important. We lose sight of the big picture.
I like to think of things this way. Imagine the beaches all along the Atlantic Ocean. Now picture in your mind one grain of sand along all of the ocean beaches. The space of life that we are living right now is like that little grain of sand compared to the vastness of eternity that is represented by all of those beaches.
We get concerned about the accumulation of houses, retirement funds, cars and all the rest. We spend our lives on pursuing careers and trying to gain worldly possessions and fame. In Jesus' view, this is of little importance.
This life is the testing ground for eternity. We need to focus on eternal values and get our focus off of the here and now so much. If we can do that and get our focus off the perverted values of monetary gain that is the god of this world, we can focus on the eternal values of Christ and His kingdom.
I know that this is hard, but don't compromise the way of the cross for temporary monetary gain. As Jesus said, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his own soul. What will a man give in exchange for this soul."
We now move on and focus on the rest of Jesus teachings on this subject. Jesus says in chapter 6 verse 25 of Matthew, "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on, is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing."
I believe that there are two interpretations for this verse and the verses that follow in chapter 6. I'll try to explain both of these this week and next.
First of all, Jesus begins by saying, "For this reason..." What reason? Because we are to lay up treasure in Heaven and not on earth, and because the followers of Jesus cannot serve God and money, because of this, we do not need to be anxious for our life, food, drink or clothing.
Jesus will go on in this chapter to tell us that we as His followers do not need to worry about life's necessities if we are seeking the things of God in our life. We do not need to worry about life, because the Lord will take of those who are His own.
Some hold to the interpretation that what Jesus means is that a true follower of Jesus will never suffer lack or not have enough to meet his needs. Many who teach prosperity teach that all true faithful Christians should be wealthy. I don't feel that this interpretation is correct, I don't understand it, and I don't think that this is the idea that Jesus is communicating at all.
For one thing, as I mentioned last week, Jesus Himself gave us the example of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a righteous man who was absolutely destitute. He had nothing. He was homeless. He didn't have enough clothes, and he may have died of starvation. Then in the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews says that many of the prophets were completely destitute.
Let us look at our own day. Many people who follow Jesus around this world suffer greatly. Being a Christian doesn't make someone immune from disease, homelessness, hunger or other problems. I remember of few years ago that many Christian people in Africa died during a great famine.
I believe that Jesus is saying something about hope and eternity in this passage in Matthew 6:25-34. I've said this before, and it is the way that I interpret Scripture. The promises of the Bible are ultimate promises. We live in a fallen world, and bad things are going to happen. Not everything works out the way we want it to just because we know Jesus. If we have faith in Jesus and seek His way, ultimately, all will be will. That is where our hope lies.
If we seek first the kingdom of God, it really doesn't matter what happens to us in this physical life. I think that this is really what Jesus is saying here. We may be like Lazarus and end up with absolutely nothing, but our ultimate reward and bliss is provided by God. If we are faithful, we will spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven and rule and reign with Him when He returns to this earth. What we will have in eternity is so much greater than anything this world offers.
Because we are in the hands of the Lord, Jesus tells us that we don't need to be anxious or worry about what happens to us. God will provide. He may not provide everything in the present temporal reality, but all will ultimately be well. We can have hope and assurance that Jesus has prepared a place for us, and all is well and all will be well.
This is what I focus on in my hard times. As I said last week, I was wiped out financially. Each month has been a struggle to find a way to pay the electric bill that has gone up 40% in the last two years. The Lord has been faithful, and I have a home and enough to eat. But I am barely getting by. However, even if the Lord doesn't provide all of the material things I need right now, I know that all is well and all will be well. I placed my trust in Jesus Christ many years ago. I know without a doubt that when I die I will be with Jesus and I will be reunited with my family. That is what matters. Everything will be fine then. When that day comes, the trials of life I have now will amount to nothing.
The important thing to remember is we must faithfully follow the Lord no matter what circumstance we are in. We must follow the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. Because of Jesus, all is well and all will be well. I invite you to trust in Jesus today as your Lord if you do not know Him.
Next week, we will wrap up chapter 6 and move on to chapter 7. I will post another chapter of the book about Toby on Wednesday. May Jesus Christ be praised. Amen.
This week was a terrible week for the people of Boston and Texas. Let us all pray that God will bring healing and comfort to those who were injured in these incidents. May the Lord comfort those who lost friends and loved ones this week.
Here in the little town where I live we had a scare with ammonia leaking at one of the grain elevators close to town. This was about 25 years ago. We had to evacuate because they thought there might be an explosion. Thankfully, everything was contained.
In last week's message, I talked about Jesus' teaching that a person cannot serve two masters. Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and money.
I won't go over all that I said last week. I just want to say that as followers of Jesus, we should be very diligent in how we live our lives. We get so caught up in the here and now and we think that this life is so important. We lose sight of the big picture.
I like to think of things this way. Imagine the beaches all along the Atlantic Ocean. Now picture in your mind one grain of sand along all of the ocean beaches. The space of life that we are living right now is like that little grain of sand compared to the vastness of eternity that is represented by all of those beaches.
We get concerned about the accumulation of houses, retirement funds, cars and all the rest. We spend our lives on pursuing careers and trying to gain worldly possessions and fame. In Jesus' view, this is of little importance.
This life is the testing ground for eternity. We need to focus on eternal values and get our focus off of the here and now so much. If we can do that and get our focus off the perverted values of monetary gain that is the god of this world, we can focus on the eternal values of Christ and His kingdom.
I know that this is hard, but don't compromise the way of the cross for temporary monetary gain. As Jesus said, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his own soul. What will a man give in exchange for this soul."
We now move on and focus on the rest of Jesus teachings on this subject. Jesus says in chapter 6 verse 25 of Matthew, "For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on, is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing."
I believe that there are two interpretations for this verse and the verses that follow in chapter 6. I'll try to explain both of these this week and next.
First of all, Jesus begins by saying, "For this reason..." What reason? Because we are to lay up treasure in Heaven and not on earth, and because the followers of Jesus cannot serve God and money, because of this, we do not need to be anxious for our life, food, drink or clothing.
Jesus will go on in this chapter to tell us that we as His followers do not need to worry about life's necessities if we are seeking the things of God in our life. We do not need to worry about life, because the Lord will take of those who are His own.
Some hold to the interpretation that what Jesus means is that a true follower of Jesus will never suffer lack or not have enough to meet his needs. Many who teach prosperity teach that all true faithful Christians should be wealthy. I don't feel that this interpretation is correct, I don't understand it, and I don't think that this is the idea that Jesus is communicating at all.
For one thing, as I mentioned last week, Jesus Himself gave us the example of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a righteous man who was absolutely destitute. He had nothing. He was homeless. He didn't have enough clothes, and he may have died of starvation. Then in the book of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews says that many of the prophets were completely destitute.
Let us look at our own day. Many people who follow Jesus around this world suffer greatly. Being a Christian doesn't make someone immune from disease, homelessness, hunger or other problems. I remember of few years ago that many Christian people in Africa died during a great famine.
I believe that Jesus is saying something about hope and eternity in this passage in Matthew 6:25-34. I've said this before, and it is the way that I interpret Scripture. The promises of the Bible are ultimate promises. We live in a fallen world, and bad things are going to happen. Not everything works out the way we want it to just because we know Jesus. If we have faith in Jesus and seek His way, ultimately, all will be will. That is where our hope lies.
If we seek first the kingdom of God, it really doesn't matter what happens to us in this physical life. I think that this is really what Jesus is saying here. We may be like Lazarus and end up with absolutely nothing, but our ultimate reward and bliss is provided by God. If we are faithful, we will spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven and rule and reign with Him when He returns to this earth. What we will have in eternity is so much greater than anything this world offers.
Because we are in the hands of the Lord, Jesus tells us that we don't need to be anxious or worry about what happens to us. God will provide. He may not provide everything in the present temporal reality, but all will ultimately be well. We can have hope and assurance that Jesus has prepared a place for us, and all is well and all will be well.
This is what I focus on in my hard times. As I said last week, I was wiped out financially. Each month has been a struggle to find a way to pay the electric bill that has gone up 40% in the last two years. The Lord has been faithful, and I have a home and enough to eat. But I am barely getting by. However, even if the Lord doesn't provide all of the material things I need right now, I know that all is well and all will be well. I placed my trust in Jesus Christ many years ago. I know without a doubt that when I die I will be with Jesus and I will be reunited with my family. That is what matters. Everything will be fine then. When that day comes, the trials of life I have now will amount to nothing.
The important thing to remember is we must faithfully follow the Lord no matter what circumstance we are in. We must follow the teachings and the commandments of Jesus. Because of Jesus, all is well and all will be well. I invite you to trust in Jesus today as your Lord if you do not know Him.
Next week, we will wrap up chapter 6 and move on to chapter 7. I will post another chapter of the book about Toby on Wednesday. May Jesus Christ be praised. Amen.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Toby Book
Here is the next portion of my book about Toby.
Chapter 11
Although some might not think of this as an unusual behavior, Toby was a dog who liked a routine. This was certainly true when it came to taking his medicine in the morning. As I said early, Toby had to take medication every day of his life because of his ulcerative colitis and other ailments. Each morning, we would put his pills in a cheese ball. He loved cheese and would gobble his cheese and pills right down. However, he wanted his cheese ball placed in a certain place. Toby would not eat his cheese ball if you placed it in his food dish. You had to put the cheese ball outside of the dish, or he wouldn't eat it. He also wouldn't take the cheese ball out of your hand. He wanted the cheese ball placed on the floor. I don't know why.
Another quirky behavior that Toby had was his reaction to the phrase, "It's coming". One day we were watching a movie on television and someone on screen said, "It's coming." Toby bolted awake and started barking his head off. He did the same thing later in the movie. I could set Toby off barking anytime by saying these two words. I don't know what "it" was, but Toby didn't like it especially when it was coming.
One of the other things I got a kick out of was Toby's funny noise that he would make. Toby could make a noise in his throat that was like a yodel and bark and a tongue roll at the same time. It was loud, too. He'd only make this sound if you asked him a question. It was like he could understand exactly what we were saying. One time, Dad was talking to some people about the county commissioner candidates. I said to Toby, "You don't think that guy would be any good do you?" Toby looked at me and made his crazy noise and everybody cracked up. Toby was right. That candidate won, and he was a lousy commissioner.
The two other behaviors I want to mention in this chapter involve food. At least two Sundays a month, Mom would make her delicious chicken and noodles for dinner. She had a special pot she used just for making chicken and noodles and vegetable soup. When she would get the pot out to make vegetable soup, Toby didn't even notice. But on the days when Mom was making chicken and noodles he would race into the kitchen and stare up at the pot waiting for some of the chicken Mom always gave him. How he knew it was time for noodles and not vegetable soup, I don't know. My Mom would say to Toby, "Toby, there's no use waiting there, the chicken won't be ready for awhile so just go away." Toby would go and do something else, but the minute that that chicken was ready, he was back waiting. Toby loved chicken more than any other food in the world.
Toby also knew each morning when breakfast was ready. He would wake me up for breakfast just as Mom was done fixing everything. I have to give my Mom credit. Even though she worked every day, she always got up and made everyone a nice breakfast. She was an outstanding cook and a wonderful person. Well, Toby wouldn't let anyone in my room when I was asleep, so I was glad that he was looking out for me so that I got my breakfast in the morning. This is the only time he got me up when I was asleep is when breakfast was ready. If Toby had to go out to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he would go into my parents room and get one of them up to take him out. My Mom told him to get me up to take him out many times, but he wouldn't do it.
Chapter 11
Although some might not think of this as an unusual behavior, Toby was a dog who liked a routine. This was certainly true when it came to taking his medicine in the morning. As I said early, Toby had to take medication every day of his life because of his ulcerative colitis and other ailments. Each morning, we would put his pills in a cheese ball. He loved cheese and would gobble his cheese and pills right down. However, he wanted his cheese ball placed in a certain place. Toby would not eat his cheese ball if you placed it in his food dish. You had to put the cheese ball outside of the dish, or he wouldn't eat it. He also wouldn't take the cheese ball out of your hand. He wanted the cheese ball placed on the floor. I don't know why.
Another quirky behavior that Toby had was his reaction to the phrase, "It's coming". One day we were watching a movie on television and someone on screen said, "It's coming." Toby bolted awake and started barking his head off. He did the same thing later in the movie. I could set Toby off barking anytime by saying these two words. I don't know what "it" was, but Toby didn't like it especially when it was coming.
One of the other things I got a kick out of was Toby's funny noise that he would make. Toby could make a noise in his throat that was like a yodel and bark and a tongue roll at the same time. It was loud, too. He'd only make this sound if you asked him a question. It was like he could understand exactly what we were saying. One time, Dad was talking to some people about the county commissioner candidates. I said to Toby, "You don't think that guy would be any good do you?" Toby looked at me and made his crazy noise and everybody cracked up. Toby was right. That candidate won, and he was a lousy commissioner.
The two other behaviors I want to mention in this chapter involve food. At least two Sundays a month, Mom would make her delicious chicken and noodles for dinner. She had a special pot she used just for making chicken and noodles and vegetable soup. When she would get the pot out to make vegetable soup, Toby didn't even notice. But on the days when Mom was making chicken and noodles he would race into the kitchen and stare up at the pot waiting for some of the chicken Mom always gave him. How he knew it was time for noodles and not vegetable soup, I don't know. My Mom would say to Toby, "Toby, there's no use waiting there, the chicken won't be ready for awhile so just go away." Toby would go and do something else, but the minute that that chicken was ready, he was back waiting. Toby loved chicken more than any other food in the world.
Toby also knew each morning when breakfast was ready. He would wake me up for breakfast just as Mom was done fixing everything. I have to give my Mom credit. Even though she worked every day, she always got up and made everyone a nice breakfast. She was an outstanding cook and a wonderful person. Well, Toby wouldn't let anyone in my room when I was asleep, so I was glad that he was looking out for me so that I got my breakfast in the morning. This is the only time he got me up when I was asleep is when breakfast was ready. If Toby had to go out to the bathroom in the middle of the night, he would go into my parents room and get one of them up to take him out. My Mom told him to get me up to take him out many times, but he wouldn't do it.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount
It's been a strange week with the weather around my part of the country. Tuesday it was hot and very humid. Last night, the temperatures were below freezing, and it actually snowed a little. I wonder if Spring is ever going to really come this year.
I've been enjoying posting chapters from my book about my friend Toby. Posting these chapters is like going back in time to the good days when I was much happier. I'll be posting chapters each Wednesday for the next few weeks. I am breaking chapters into smaller sections so that it lasts longer. I invite you to read them if you wish.
In last week's message, I talked about Jesus' teachings about laying up treasure on earth versus laying up treasure in Heaven.
We lay up treasure on earth when we spend our efforts on the accumulation of material things. These are the things that will pass away and they will not last. They are of no eternal value.
Thinking about things that are passing away reminded me of a II Peter 3:10 that says, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." The heavens referred to here is the atmosphere not the Heaven where God dwells. Everything that is temporal will pass away.
We need to lay up treasure in Heaven. This includes those whom we lead to Jesus and the good deeds that we do to help others and make the world a better place.
The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of our works and treasure in I Corinthians 3:12-15. Paul compares the work we do for Jesus to gold, silver and precious stones. Our earthly works are referred to as wood, hay and stubble. Our works will be tried by fire, and the temporal works of earth will be destroyed. Only what is done for the glory of the Lord will remain.
Now, we come to where we left off last week with Matthew 6:22 where Jesus says, "The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." In verse 23, Jesus will say that if your eye is bad, your body will be full of darkness.
In light of what He just taught, I believe that Jesus is referring to what our values are. If we value monetary gain and the things of this earth, our eye is bad. As we saw when we studied I John, John refers to this as walking in darkness. We are following the wrong path.
On the other hand, our eye is good and we are walking in the light when we value the things that Jesus values, when we obey the commandments of Jesus we walk in the light, and our eye is good. Jesus lived a life of service to others, and so should those who claim to be His followers. Also, obeying the Great Commission and sharing the gospel and the love of Jesus with others demonstrates where are true values and allegiance are.
This lead us to chapter 6 verse 24 that many find to be a difficult verse. In this verse, Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Jesus begins this verse with the master and slave relationship. To put it in a modern context, you can't serve multiple bosses. If there are multiple people vying for your allegiance in a business setting, the natural reaction is to favor one over the other. It is impossible to please everyone.
In the spiritual realm, we have the choice, we can serve Jesus and obey Him and adhere to the values that He commands, or we can follow the ways and values of this world. Jesus says that you cannot do both. We cannot serve God and money.
Money and the accumulation of material things are the values and the gods of this world. According to the values of this world, the only standard of success is how much money a person makes or possesses. Everything in the world system is based on money.
This is the opposite of the values of the Kingdom of God. Jesus talked about this in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a beggar. He had no food, and He was covered with sores. In the eyes of the rich man and the people that passed him by he was worthless. But when Lazarus died, he was carried to Abraham's bosom. Lazarus was of great value to God. On the other hand, the rich man had everything a successful person was supposed to have. When he died, he went to hell. Who was the true success?
The way that the world system is established, it is very hard to achieve a great level of wealth through business and investment without violating the principles of the Kingdom of God.
Much of the corporate and business world is based upon exploitation. Many have become wealthy by under paying those who work for them which is a clear violation of all that was taught by the prophets and Jesus. You can't tell me that Jesus would approve of a CEO making millions of dollars while many of his/her employees make just over the minimum wage in this country and less than that in some third world countries. You also can't convince me that Jesus would approve of people keeping millions of dollars in their possession for their own enjoyment while people are starving to death around the world.
Many banks and financial institutions gained great wealth through lies and less than honest business practices. We've seen this in the banking scandals of the last few years.
Just think about investment vehicles for the common person. And here I've been guilty as well. God have mercy. Most mutual funds contain stocks for businesses that a Christian really shouldn't be involved in. For instance, most mutual funds contain shares from large hotel corporations. These firms freely admit that much of their revenue come from the sale of in room so called "adult" movies. Should a Christian really profit from this? And what about companies that make money by building weapons, or guns, or who exploit their work force?
These are just a few examples. If someone really and truly wants to serve God and not money, it will be hard to be truly wealthy in worldly goods. It's not impossible, but it is difficult. That is why Jesus said that it was hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." As Christians, we need to look at our investments. We need to examine our business practices and make very sure that they are in line with the precepts of the Lord.
Jesus will speak more about these things in His teachings, and we will look into them more next week. If the Lord is willing. May God bless, You. Amen.
I've been enjoying posting chapters from my book about my friend Toby. Posting these chapters is like going back in time to the good days when I was much happier. I'll be posting chapters each Wednesday for the next few weeks. I am breaking chapters into smaller sections so that it lasts longer. I invite you to read them if you wish.
In last week's message, I talked about Jesus' teachings about laying up treasure on earth versus laying up treasure in Heaven.
We lay up treasure on earth when we spend our efforts on the accumulation of material things. These are the things that will pass away and they will not last. They are of no eternal value.
Thinking about things that are passing away reminded me of a II Peter 3:10 that says, "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." The heavens referred to here is the atmosphere not the Heaven where God dwells. Everything that is temporal will pass away.
We need to lay up treasure in Heaven. This includes those whom we lead to Jesus and the good deeds that we do to help others and make the world a better place.
The Apostle Paul addresses the issue of our works and treasure in I Corinthians 3:12-15. Paul compares the work we do for Jesus to gold, silver and precious stones. Our earthly works are referred to as wood, hay and stubble. Our works will be tried by fire, and the temporal works of earth will be destroyed. Only what is done for the glory of the Lord will remain.
Now, we come to where we left off last week with Matthew 6:22 where Jesus says, "The lamp of the body is the eye, if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." In verse 23, Jesus will say that if your eye is bad, your body will be full of darkness.
In light of what He just taught, I believe that Jesus is referring to what our values are. If we value monetary gain and the things of this earth, our eye is bad. As we saw when we studied I John, John refers to this as walking in darkness. We are following the wrong path.
On the other hand, our eye is good and we are walking in the light when we value the things that Jesus values, when we obey the commandments of Jesus we walk in the light, and our eye is good. Jesus lived a life of service to others, and so should those who claim to be His followers. Also, obeying the Great Commission and sharing the gospel and the love of Jesus with others demonstrates where are true values and allegiance are.
This lead us to chapter 6 verse 24 that many find to be a difficult verse. In this verse, Jesus says, "No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Jesus begins this verse with the master and slave relationship. To put it in a modern context, you can't serve multiple bosses. If there are multiple people vying for your allegiance in a business setting, the natural reaction is to favor one over the other. It is impossible to please everyone.
In the spiritual realm, we have the choice, we can serve Jesus and obey Him and adhere to the values that He commands, or we can follow the ways and values of this world. Jesus says that you cannot do both. We cannot serve God and money.
Money and the accumulation of material things are the values and the gods of this world. According to the values of this world, the only standard of success is how much money a person makes or possesses. Everything in the world system is based on money.
This is the opposite of the values of the Kingdom of God. Jesus talked about this in the story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus was a beggar. He had no food, and He was covered with sores. In the eyes of the rich man and the people that passed him by he was worthless. But when Lazarus died, he was carried to Abraham's bosom. Lazarus was of great value to God. On the other hand, the rich man had everything a successful person was supposed to have. When he died, he went to hell. Who was the true success?
The way that the world system is established, it is very hard to achieve a great level of wealth through business and investment without violating the principles of the Kingdom of God.
Much of the corporate and business world is based upon exploitation. Many have become wealthy by under paying those who work for them which is a clear violation of all that was taught by the prophets and Jesus. You can't tell me that Jesus would approve of a CEO making millions of dollars while many of his/her employees make just over the minimum wage in this country and less than that in some third world countries. You also can't convince me that Jesus would approve of people keeping millions of dollars in their possession for their own enjoyment while people are starving to death around the world.
Many banks and financial institutions gained great wealth through lies and less than honest business practices. We've seen this in the banking scandals of the last few years.
Just think about investment vehicles for the common person. And here I've been guilty as well. God have mercy. Most mutual funds contain stocks for businesses that a Christian really shouldn't be involved in. For instance, most mutual funds contain shares from large hotel corporations. These firms freely admit that much of their revenue come from the sale of in room so called "adult" movies. Should a Christian really profit from this? And what about companies that make money by building weapons, or guns, or who exploit their work force?
These are just a few examples. If someone really and truly wants to serve God and not money, it will be hard to be truly wealthy in worldly goods. It's not impossible, but it is difficult. That is why Jesus said that it was hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven." As Christians, we need to look at our investments. We need to examine our business practices and make very sure that they are in line with the precepts of the Lord.
Jesus will speak more about these things in His teachings, and we will look into them more next week. If the Lord is willing. May God bless, You. Amen.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Toby Book
Here is the next chapter in the book about Toby. This was originally part of a longer chapter. I am dividing it up into smaller parts.
Chapter 10
Of all of the dogs I've known, Toby possessed the most unusual behaviors I've seen. He wasn't weird. He was unique. He was eccentric.
One of the strangest aspects of his behavior I discovered completely by accident. I used to love to watch boxing when I was younger. I would never miss a match. I enjoyed working out on the heavy bag and doing shadow boxing to try to stay in shape. Sometimes to get a little exercise, I would shadow box in the kitchen for a few rounds.
One evening, while I was pummeling my imaginary opponent, Toby ran quickly to his food dish, and he began devouring his food in haste. When I stopped boxing, he stopped eating. When I resumed, the munching recommenced. I thought that this was strange. It would come in handy.
Toby was always sort of funny about eating. Sometimes he wouldn't eat. Maybe, something was just slightly out of kilter in his routine, and he would just go off of his food.
During one of these spells, I remembered how Toby ran to his dinner bowl when I boxed. I started shadow boxing, and Toby started eating Eukanuba.
This little trick almost always worked if Toby wasn't off of his food because of his ulcerative colitis problem. If I boxed and Toby wouldn't eat, I knew that something was wrong and that a trip to the veterinarian was in order.
I've never understood what is was about boxing that caused this response. Maybe, he was a big fan of boxing like me, and this was Toby's version of eating popcorn and watching the main event.
Another one of Toby's strange behaviors was fish jealousy. I enjoy tropical fish. I've never taken the plunge into salt water aquariums, but I've had some pretty nice freshwater set ups. After being away from the fish hobby, I decided to buy a new aquarium and purchase a couple of nice fish.
I bought a twenty gallon aquarium, a heater, gravel, all of the needed equipment. After I set it all up, I put the fish into their new environment.
Toby didn't like this one little bit. The first time I fed my new fish, he looked at me with a piercing gaze. If looks could kill, I'd have been disintegrated. Toby was jealous of my involvement with some other member of the animal kingdom.
No matter what I did near the aquarium from cleaning to feeding the fish, Toby would give me a dirty look as if I were a traitor. He would then snort and turn away in disgust. After I'd finish with the fish, he would be back to his normal self.
One afternoon I spotted Toby sitting under the fish tank looking up at his mortal enemies. I could almost see the thoughts of hate forming in his mind. It was as if he was sending mental death telepathy through the waters.
Toby didn't have to be jealous of the fish for too long. I decided to give my aquarium set and fish away. I just kept one Betta that I placed where Toby couldn't see him. When the aquarium went out the door, I thought that I detected a faint smile from a well pleased corgi.
When I told about Toby and his boxing and eating behavior, I forgot to mention another of his unusual eating habits. Sometimes when we were at my Grandma's house in Cheyenne, Toby would have one of his not eating spells. I tried the boxing routine, but that didn't work on the road; it only worked at home. In order to get Toby to eat at my Grandma's house I would have to feed him by hand. Sort of. I would take a few chunks of his food from his bowl and place them outside of his bowl. Now this is strange. He would eat these food chunks as long as I placed two pieces outside of the bowl. Not three, not one; it had to be two pieces. If I kept doing this, he would eat the entire bowl. He would only do this at my Grandma's house. I could never figure this out.
Chapter 10
Of all of the dogs I've known, Toby possessed the most unusual behaviors I've seen. He wasn't weird. He was unique. He was eccentric.
One of the strangest aspects of his behavior I discovered completely by accident. I used to love to watch boxing when I was younger. I would never miss a match. I enjoyed working out on the heavy bag and doing shadow boxing to try to stay in shape. Sometimes to get a little exercise, I would shadow box in the kitchen for a few rounds.
One evening, while I was pummeling my imaginary opponent, Toby ran quickly to his food dish, and he began devouring his food in haste. When I stopped boxing, he stopped eating. When I resumed, the munching recommenced. I thought that this was strange. It would come in handy.
Toby was always sort of funny about eating. Sometimes he wouldn't eat. Maybe, something was just slightly out of kilter in his routine, and he would just go off of his food.
During one of these spells, I remembered how Toby ran to his dinner bowl when I boxed. I started shadow boxing, and Toby started eating Eukanuba.
This little trick almost always worked if Toby wasn't off of his food because of his ulcerative colitis problem. If I boxed and Toby wouldn't eat, I knew that something was wrong and that a trip to the veterinarian was in order.
I've never understood what is was about boxing that caused this response. Maybe, he was a big fan of boxing like me, and this was Toby's version of eating popcorn and watching the main event.
Another one of Toby's strange behaviors was fish jealousy. I enjoy tropical fish. I've never taken the plunge into salt water aquariums, but I've had some pretty nice freshwater set ups. After being away from the fish hobby, I decided to buy a new aquarium and purchase a couple of nice fish.
I bought a twenty gallon aquarium, a heater, gravel, all of the needed equipment. After I set it all up, I put the fish into their new environment.
Toby didn't like this one little bit. The first time I fed my new fish, he looked at me with a piercing gaze. If looks could kill, I'd have been disintegrated. Toby was jealous of my involvement with some other member of the animal kingdom.
No matter what I did near the aquarium from cleaning to feeding the fish, Toby would give me a dirty look as if I were a traitor. He would then snort and turn away in disgust. After I'd finish with the fish, he would be back to his normal self.
One afternoon I spotted Toby sitting under the fish tank looking up at his mortal enemies. I could almost see the thoughts of hate forming in his mind. It was as if he was sending mental death telepathy through the waters.
Toby didn't have to be jealous of the fish for too long. I decided to give my aquarium set and fish away. I just kept one Betta that I placed where Toby couldn't see him. When the aquarium went out the door, I thought that I detected a faint smile from a well pleased corgi.
When I told about Toby and his boxing and eating behavior, I forgot to mention another of his unusual eating habits. Sometimes when we were at my Grandma's house in Cheyenne, Toby would have one of his not eating spells. I tried the boxing routine, but that didn't work on the road; it only worked at home. In order to get Toby to eat at my Grandma's house I would have to feed him by hand. Sort of. I would take a few chunks of his food from his bowl and place them outside of his bowl. Now this is strange. He would eat these food chunks as long as I placed two pieces outside of the bowl. Not three, not one; it had to be two pieces. If I kept doing this, he would eat the entire bowl. He would only do this at my Grandma's house. I could never figure this out.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Weekend Sermon---Sermon on the Mount
I'm glad to be back again this week to post the sermon for the week. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter. For me, it was a great time of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
The last time that we focused our attention on the Sermon on the Mount, we talked about the spiritual discipline of fasting. As with the other spiritual disciplines, Jesus taught His followers not to practice these spiritual disciplines to be seen by others and receive the praise of people. All that we do is to be directed toward the Lord, and the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
There is something interesting about fasting I wanted to share. This week, I heard a report on the news about how that fasting can help people live longer. According to this report, doctors have discovered that those who fast during the week have fewer health problems and actually have a much longer life span.
This isn't the reason that the Scriptures give for fasting, but it is interesting to consider the fact that when people follow the practices of Scripture, they have tangible benefits in their lives.
There is one other thing that I would like to mention about fasting that I didn't mention last time. Fasting in the Bible is often associated with confession and repentance of sin. Those who were experiencing grief and great sorrow over sin would sometimes fast as they were praying to the Lord to forgive them and bring them back into fellowship.
The Bible does not say that it is essential to do this. The Scriptures state that if we confess our sins that the Lord is faithful and just, and He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Today, we shift gears and focus on an entirely different teaching that Jesus presents.
Starting with Matthew 6:19, Jesus begins a discussion of where we should lay up our treasure. He begins in verse 19 by saying, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steel."
So many people's only or main concern in life is the accumulation of money and possessions. It seems that all they think about is how to make the next deal or how to get more.
The thing about accumulating earthly treasure is that it has not eternal value. You may spend a lifetime trying to accumulate money, and it can be gone in an instant.
When the banks had so much trouble hear in the United States, I had some shares of stock in a couple of banks. Within a period of less than one week, half of my investments were wiped out. Look at what has happened in Cyprus. Those who have over 100,000 euros in the bank are going to have 40 percent of their deposits seized.
This all goes to show that earthly treasure is fleeting. It has no eternal value, and it doesn't last. Even what you think you possess can vanish in a storm, by robbery or by the loss of job.
That's another example from my own life. I had money saved up. For a period of six years, I took care of parents as their primary caregiver. When they passed away, I tried to get a job. However, since I was supposedly out of the work force for too long, no one would give me a job. It didn't take long for the money I had saved to vanish. I'm yet to recover financially, that is why I often ask those who read this blog to pray that God will provide.
Through all of this, I've learned that a person can never depend on anything or anyone except the Lord Jesus. He is the only one who will never leave you or forsake you.
Jesus went on to say in verse 20, "But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
What does it mean to lay up treasure in Heaven? I think that it means at least two things. The treasure that we lay up in Heaven are those good deeds that we do for the Lord in order to help others and to help make this world a better place. When we give to the poor, we lay up treasure in Heaven. When we volunteer to help the homeless or deliver meals to the elderly, we are laying up treasure in Heaven. Whenever we visit the sick or help to encourage the depressed, we are laying up treasure in Heaven. Also, when we care for God's creation, we are laying up treasure in Heaven.
I also believe that we lay up treasure in Heaven when we lead others to Jesus and share the gospel. What better treasure could there be than to see souls in Heaven with whom we shared the love of Jesus? As followers of Jesus, this is probably one of the greatest things that we can ever do.
In verse 21, Jesus goes on to say, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Whatever we spend our time, talent and resources on is what is truly most valuable to us. If all of our efforts are spent on the accumulation of things, it demonstrates that we place material things first in our lives. On the other hand, if we do unto the least of these and spend our time sharing the gospel, it demonstrates that our heart is with the Lord Jesus, and we care about what make Jesus happy more than we care about anything else.
There is much more that Jesus says concerning this matter in the next few verses. We will, Lord willing, discuss that next week. On Wednesday, I will post another chapter of the Toby book. May God bless you. Amen.
The last time that we focused our attention on the Sermon on the Mount, we talked about the spiritual discipline of fasting. As with the other spiritual disciplines, Jesus taught His followers not to practice these spiritual disciplines to be seen by others and receive the praise of people. All that we do is to be directed toward the Lord, and the Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
There is something interesting about fasting I wanted to share. This week, I heard a report on the news about how that fasting can help people live longer. According to this report, doctors have discovered that those who fast during the week have fewer health problems and actually have a much longer life span.
This isn't the reason that the Scriptures give for fasting, but it is interesting to consider the fact that when people follow the practices of Scripture, they have tangible benefits in their lives.
There is one other thing that I would like to mention about fasting that I didn't mention last time. Fasting in the Bible is often associated with confession and repentance of sin. Those who were experiencing grief and great sorrow over sin would sometimes fast as they were praying to the Lord to forgive them and bring them back into fellowship.
The Bible does not say that it is essential to do this. The Scriptures state that if we confess our sins that the Lord is faithful and just, and He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Today, we shift gears and focus on an entirely different teaching that Jesus presents.
Starting with Matthew 6:19, Jesus begins a discussion of where we should lay up our treasure. He begins in verse 19 by saying, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steel."
So many people's only or main concern in life is the accumulation of money and possessions. It seems that all they think about is how to make the next deal or how to get more.
The thing about accumulating earthly treasure is that it has not eternal value. You may spend a lifetime trying to accumulate money, and it can be gone in an instant.
When the banks had so much trouble hear in the United States, I had some shares of stock in a couple of banks. Within a period of less than one week, half of my investments were wiped out. Look at what has happened in Cyprus. Those who have over 100,000 euros in the bank are going to have 40 percent of their deposits seized.
This all goes to show that earthly treasure is fleeting. It has no eternal value, and it doesn't last. Even what you think you possess can vanish in a storm, by robbery or by the loss of job.
That's another example from my own life. I had money saved up. For a period of six years, I took care of parents as their primary caregiver. When they passed away, I tried to get a job. However, since I was supposedly out of the work force for too long, no one would give me a job. It didn't take long for the money I had saved to vanish. I'm yet to recover financially, that is why I often ask those who read this blog to pray that God will provide.
Through all of this, I've learned that a person can never depend on anything or anyone except the Lord Jesus. He is the only one who will never leave you or forsake you.
Jesus went on to say in verse 20, "But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal."
What does it mean to lay up treasure in Heaven? I think that it means at least two things. The treasure that we lay up in Heaven are those good deeds that we do for the Lord in order to help others and to help make this world a better place. When we give to the poor, we lay up treasure in Heaven. When we volunteer to help the homeless or deliver meals to the elderly, we are laying up treasure in Heaven. Whenever we visit the sick or help to encourage the depressed, we are laying up treasure in Heaven. Also, when we care for God's creation, we are laying up treasure in Heaven.
I also believe that we lay up treasure in Heaven when we lead others to Jesus and share the gospel. What better treasure could there be than to see souls in Heaven with whom we shared the love of Jesus? As followers of Jesus, this is probably one of the greatest things that we can ever do.
In verse 21, Jesus goes on to say, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Whatever we spend our time, talent and resources on is what is truly most valuable to us. If all of our efforts are spent on the accumulation of things, it demonstrates that we place material things first in our lives. On the other hand, if we do unto the least of these and spend our time sharing the gospel, it demonstrates that our heart is with the Lord Jesus, and we care about what make Jesus happy more than we care about anything else.
There is much more that Jesus says concerning this matter in the next few verses. We will, Lord willing, discuss that next week. On Wednesday, I will post another chapter of the Toby book. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Toby Book
Here is the next chapter
Chapter 9
I went with Toby on many trips, but I just want to focus on one more that was probably the best trip that we took together. It was also a trip that almost ended in tragedy.
On our annual trip out to my Grandma's house in Cheyenne, we decided to go down through Southern Kansas and then visit Colorado Springs. One of the first places that we visited was Greensburg, Kansas. This was before the terrible tornado hit the town. I can't fathom the fact that everything I saw in that town has absolutely wiped out. Thankfully, the town has rebuilt.
No offense, but I can't say anything really positive about our trip through Kansas. Through most of the journey, we passed cattle feed lot after cattle feed lot. The smell was horrendous. Even with the windows up and the air conditioner on you could smell that awful stink.
The trip just about ended at breakfast the next morning. The folks stopped for breakfast, and I waited outside with Toby. They brought me something to eat and told me what a wonderful meal they had. I took a piece of toast and gave some to Toby. He wouldn't eat. He smelled the toast and turned his head away. He wanted no part of it. That should have tipped me off right there.
I thought maybe Toby was having trouble with his stomach. No, he knew that there was something wrong with the food. I ate the toast. About two hours later, I was so sick I thought I would die. My folks didn't have any toast, and they were fine. This is just one of many occasions when I should have listened to the dog.
I recovered overnight, and was well enough to enjoy Colorado Springs. This is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen. The city is right next to the mountains that seem to be a reddish color.
We found a motel that faced the mountains. We had a great view of the Air Force Academy. I went out on the balcony with Toby, and the two of us watched the gliders at the Air Force Academy for hours. These training gliders were taken up by an airplane and then released. They released the gliders, and then the gliders would circle in broad swoops with the mountains as their background. Toby fixed on the gliders and watched them go around and around until they landed.
Later that day, the two of us went for a long walk in the area behind the hotel. We didn't know it, but we were actually on Air Force property. There wasn't a fence so we just walked on. I didn't notice until we got back that there was a sign that warned people that if they went on the land that they were subject to criminal prosecution. I'm glad no one noticed a fat man and a corgi.
The next morning, in spite of my Dad's protests, we went up into the mountains. It was a great day of hiking and enjoying the Sun and the mountains. I was worried about Toby in the evening, however. I think that we over did things because he wouldn't eat. Finally, before we went to bed. I fed him some of his food by hand, and he ate it and then ate the rest of his bowl of food. We went out and watched the city for a long time.
The next morning we had to be off. We drove a short while and decided to travel up to Estes Park by the Big Thompson River. Along the way, Toby and I got out and took a walk down the river. When we were there it wasn't a raging torrent, but it was flowing along pretty well. For quite a while, we watched the trout jumping up out of the river. Every time one of the fish would jump out of the water and splash down, Toby would growl. I though that this was funny until he got it into his head to go out after the fish. Toby leaped into the river trying to get a trout. I had his leash on, but the current was pulling him away from me fast. He wasn't swimming too well either. I went down into the water, and the current was more powerful than I thought. I had a difficult time keeping my footing. I grabbed hold of Toby, and I got us back to shore. We were soaked and the water was ice cold. I thought I'd lost him down the river for sure. But, we would have gone together because I was going after him no matter what.
Dad finally couldn't stand the mountains any longer, so we went Cheyenne. Everyone went out to my uncle's ranch again except for Toby and me. We didn't want to have anything to do with any more rattlesnakes. The two of us walked down to the park and had a nice day and a nice meal. We watched the ducks in the pond for a long time. I'm gland Toby didn't decide to go after them. He just watched them floating along. We then went over and looked at the old steam locomotive. On our way home, we looked at the abandoned church behind my uncle's house. I would have loved to have bought that little church and have started a ministry there. However, the dentist office had already purchased the church and were going to rip down the building and use the lot for parking.
I always wished that the two of us could have taken more trips together. By the time I graduated from college and really had the chance to do as I pleased, Toby was not in good enough health to travel much. The last trip we took out to see my Grandma, Toby developed some trouble breathing. The veterinarian said that it was altitude related, and that Toby shouldn't go out to the mountains anymore. So, the two of us just took brief excursions not to far from home. We went to Omaha, and on another trip we went out to see the Winston Churchill Museum in Westminster, Missouri. Whatever we did, it was fun because we were together.
Chapter 9
I went with Toby on many trips, but I just want to focus on one more that was probably the best trip that we took together. It was also a trip that almost ended in tragedy.
On our annual trip out to my Grandma's house in Cheyenne, we decided to go down through Southern Kansas and then visit Colorado Springs. One of the first places that we visited was Greensburg, Kansas. This was before the terrible tornado hit the town. I can't fathom the fact that everything I saw in that town has absolutely wiped out. Thankfully, the town has rebuilt.
No offense, but I can't say anything really positive about our trip through Kansas. Through most of the journey, we passed cattle feed lot after cattle feed lot. The smell was horrendous. Even with the windows up and the air conditioner on you could smell that awful stink.
The trip just about ended at breakfast the next morning. The folks stopped for breakfast, and I waited outside with Toby. They brought me something to eat and told me what a wonderful meal they had. I took a piece of toast and gave some to Toby. He wouldn't eat. He smelled the toast and turned his head away. He wanted no part of it. That should have tipped me off right there.
I thought maybe Toby was having trouble with his stomach. No, he knew that there was something wrong with the food. I ate the toast. About two hours later, I was so sick I thought I would die. My folks didn't have any toast, and they were fine. This is just one of many occasions when I should have listened to the dog.
I recovered overnight, and was well enough to enjoy Colorado Springs. This is one of the most beautiful cities I've seen. The city is right next to the mountains that seem to be a reddish color.
We found a motel that faced the mountains. We had a great view of the Air Force Academy. I went out on the balcony with Toby, and the two of us watched the gliders at the Air Force Academy for hours. These training gliders were taken up by an airplane and then released. They released the gliders, and then the gliders would circle in broad swoops with the mountains as their background. Toby fixed on the gliders and watched them go around and around until they landed.
Later that day, the two of us went for a long walk in the area behind the hotel. We didn't know it, but we were actually on Air Force property. There wasn't a fence so we just walked on. I didn't notice until we got back that there was a sign that warned people that if they went on the land that they were subject to criminal prosecution. I'm glad no one noticed a fat man and a corgi.
The next morning, in spite of my Dad's protests, we went up into the mountains. It was a great day of hiking and enjoying the Sun and the mountains. I was worried about Toby in the evening, however. I think that we over did things because he wouldn't eat. Finally, before we went to bed. I fed him some of his food by hand, and he ate it and then ate the rest of his bowl of food. We went out and watched the city for a long time.
The next morning we had to be off. We drove a short while and decided to travel up to Estes Park by the Big Thompson River. Along the way, Toby and I got out and took a walk down the river. When we were there it wasn't a raging torrent, but it was flowing along pretty well. For quite a while, we watched the trout jumping up out of the river. Every time one of the fish would jump out of the water and splash down, Toby would growl. I though that this was funny until he got it into his head to go out after the fish. Toby leaped into the river trying to get a trout. I had his leash on, but the current was pulling him away from me fast. He wasn't swimming too well either. I went down into the water, and the current was more powerful than I thought. I had a difficult time keeping my footing. I grabbed hold of Toby, and I got us back to shore. We were soaked and the water was ice cold. I thought I'd lost him down the river for sure. But, we would have gone together because I was going after him no matter what.
Dad finally couldn't stand the mountains any longer, so we went Cheyenne. Everyone went out to my uncle's ranch again except for Toby and me. We didn't want to have anything to do with any more rattlesnakes. The two of us walked down to the park and had a nice day and a nice meal. We watched the ducks in the pond for a long time. I'm gland Toby didn't decide to go after them. He just watched them floating along. We then went over and looked at the old steam locomotive. On our way home, we looked at the abandoned church behind my uncle's house. I would have loved to have bought that little church and have started a ministry there. However, the dentist office had already purchased the church and were going to rip down the building and use the lot for parking.
I always wished that the two of us could have taken more trips together. By the time I graduated from college and really had the chance to do as I pleased, Toby was not in good enough health to travel much. The last trip we took out to see my Grandma, Toby developed some trouble breathing. The veterinarian said that it was altitude related, and that Toby shouldn't go out to the mountains anymore. So, the two of us just took brief excursions not to far from home. We went to Omaha, and on another trip we went out to see the Winston Churchill Museum in Westminster, Missouri. Whatever we did, it was fun because we were together.
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