Welcome to another Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone has had a great week. Here where I live, it has been hot and very humid. I'm glad that the forecast is calling for cooler temperatures ahead.
I'd like to ask everyone to please keep praying for peace in Syria. The situation there just keeps getting worse and worse.
In our message last week, we began a short series on the Old Testament book of Nahum. If you're like me, you probably haven't heard too many sermons on this book. However, all of God's word is important. One thing that I wanted to do when I started this blog was to at least once in awhile focus on some of the smaller or less focused upon books of the Bible.
We saw last week that Nahum was an Elkoshite who brought the message that God was going to bring an end to the Assyrian Empire and its capital city of Nineveh. This happened in 612BC just as Nahum predicted.
Last week, we also focused on why Nineveh was an important focus for Nahum. This city was a cruel place that continuously tried to capture Judah. They did defeat the ten northern tribes. Nahum, and the surrounding people, would be glad to see the Assyrians gone.
So, what does this all mean for us living in the 21st century? What relevance does it have for us today?
First of all, the book of Nahum teaches us the validity of the Bible. It demonstrates that we can trust in what God says.
God said through Nahum that Nineveh would fall. It did fall. The word of the Lord was validated.
This is true of many other prophecies in the Bible. When we studied the book of Obadiah, we saw that God said that the Edomite nation would be destroyed. That prophecy came true.
The great prophetic fulfillment was the birth of Jesus. Micah and Isaiah contain prophecies about the birth of the Messiah. They were completely fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
The book of Daniel has many prophecies that were fulfilled. Daniel predicted the rise and fall of many empires. And what he said came to pass.
All of these prophetic fulfillments demonstrate that the Bible is reliable. We can trust what it says. It is an authoritative book that contains within it those things we need to know in order to live a life that is pleasing to God.
It is not spoken of all that much, but Jesus proved who He was through prophecy. Jesus prophesied that the temple in Jerusalem would by completely destroyed. He said, "Not one stone will be left on another." Jesus' words were fulfilled when the Roman general Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in 70AD. Jesus' words were true.
Knowing that God fulfilled His word in the past gives us confidence that He will do so again. We can believe Him. Jesus said that He would come again and separate the righteous from the wicked. The Bible says that one day the Lord will reign on this earth, and everything will be restored to its original state. We can believe it because we know what God has done in the past.
Another thing that we can learn from Nahum is that God will not let unrighteousness and evil go on forever. Eventually, evil will be put to an end. The people of Nineveh were known for their horrific cruelty. They worshipped idols, and although God gave them a chance through the preaching of Jonah, the Ninevite's turn to the true and living God didn't last for very long.
We live in world that is filled with much evil. Slavery still exists in some parts of the world. Children are forced to work in unsafe conditions for virtual slave wages. Many people go hungry while greedy corporations gain more and more profit through the exploitation of people and the environment.
This I know, the Lord will not allow it to go on forever. Evil people think that they are getting away with their sin, but the Lord sees all.
One day, Jesus will return to this earth. Jesus said that when He returns He will judge. He will bring justice to the earth, and He will rule and reign in righteousness. Jesus will make right every injustice and evil that was perpetuated on earth.
Finally, the book of Nahum teaches us that God is powerful. There is nothing that the Almighty God cannot do. He is the creator and sustainer of all life. He causes nations to prosper, and He cause nations to fall. Nothing is too difficult for the Lord.
This encourages me. I have a lot of problems in my life right now. But, I know that the Lord has the power to deliver me. I trust in Him to see me through.
Next week is the Fourth of July holiday here in the United States. I will still post an animal book review on Wednesday, and a new sermon on Friday. This week, I am going to give a one week message on the compassion of Jesus. Then, in the next few weeks, we will study the first five chapters of the Revelation. May God bless you. Amen.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Book Review--"Love Saves The Day"
The book I am reviewing today is a cat book. Actually, it is a novel with a cat named Prudence as one of the main characters. The novel is entitled "Love Saves the Day." It is written by Gwen Cooper who also wrote the excellent book "Homer's Odyssey" about her blind cat.
In the beginning of "Love Saves the Day", Prudence is living with her person Sarah. One day, Sarah doesn't come home, and Prudence finds herself moved to a new apartment with Sarah's daughter Laura and Laura's husband.
Much of the book is narrated by Prudence who has a great voice. You can really imagine tht a cat might speak this way.
The book deals with Prudence's efforts to find out what happened to Sarah and how Prudence builds a relationship with Laura.
The book is also about the relationship between a mother and a daughter and an incident that happened several years in the past.
I highly recommend "Love Saves the Day". It is an excellent novel.
In the beginning of "Love Saves the Day", Prudence is living with her person Sarah. One day, Sarah doesn't come home, and Prudence finds herself moved to a new apartment with Sarah's daughter Laura and Laura's husband.
Much of the book is narrated by Prudence who has a great voice. You can really imagine tht a cat might speak this way.
The book deals with Prudence's efforts to find out what happened to Sarah and how Prudence builds a relationship with Laura.
The book is also about the relationship between a mother and a daughter and an incident that happened several years in the past.
I highly recommend "Love Saves the Day". It is an excellent novel.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Nahum
Welcome to another Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone is doing very well.
This week I have much to be thankful for. Once again, the Lord has provided what I needed to make ends meet for another month. Writing went well this week. Some weeks are more fun wriing than others, and this was a fun week.
Last week, we finished our long-term study of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. I must say that I miss teaching the Sermon on the Mount. It is my favorite section of Scripture.
Now it is time to move on. This week we will begin a short series on the Old Testament book of Nahum. This week, I will discuss the setting, authorship and some general information about Nahum. Next week, with the Lord's help, I will draw some appplications on what messsage Nahum has for those of us who live all these centuries later.
Nahum is a short, three chapter book that is one of the Minor Prophets. I never really liked this term. However, that is what these smaller prophetic books are commonly known as. I find that they are absolutely fascinating and packed with interesting information.
When I was in Bible college and seminary, I was privileged to take two courses in the Minor Prophets. We never studied that much about Nahum as I remember. Much of our focus was on Hosea, Amos and Zechariah. That is one of the reasons I want to focus on Nahum, and some of the less studied books, in this blog.
The book of Nahum is named for a prophet of the same name. Nahum means "consoler" in Hebrew. Nahum is called an Elkoshite.
Bible scholars are divided as to where Elkosh was located. Some believe that Elkosh was the ancient name of the city of Capernaum.
The entire book of Nahum deals with God's judgment on the Assyrian Empire most specifically, God's judgment on the city of Nineveh. Nahum declares that God will cause the city to be utterly destroyed.
The book of Nahum mentions events that allow us to date the book within a specific period of time. In the third chapter, Nahum mentions the capture of the Egyptian city of Thebes by the Assyrians. We know that this took place in 663BC. We also know that the city of Nineveh fell in the year 612BC. Therefore, Nahum's book would have been written sometime in this period.
Some more liberal Bible scholars will not agree with this dating. They do not believe in the possibility of predictive prophecy. They place the date of the book much later. I believe in predictive prophecy, so I agree with the above dating.
Why was the prophet so concerned with the question of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire? In Nahum's time, Assyria was the most powerful empire in the region. They had defeated many of the surrounding nations including the powerful Egyptians. The Assyrian Empire also defeated the Northern Kingdom that consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. Furthermore, the Assyrians had made several incursions into the Kingdom of Judah. They were the fearsome enemies of the Judeans.
The Assyrians were known for their total ruthlessness, love of war and horrific cruelty. They were hated, and they were greatly feared.
Nahum, the people of Judah and the people of the surrounding nations would be very glad to see the end of the Assyrian Empire. To Nahum, it was evidence that God will not allow the cruel and unrighteous to go on forever.
There is one other part of our introduction that we need to consider, and that concerns the relationship between the book of Jonah and Nahum. As you will recall, God commanded Jonah to go and preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn't want to go because the Assyrians were cruel and the enemies of Israel. After his incident with the great fish, Jonah went and preached repentance to the people of Nineveh. They did repent, and at that time, God spared the city. Jonah was not too happy about the whole thing.
So, what happened? The people of Nineveh didn't follow the true and living God for very long. Shortly after the ministry of Jonah, they were right back to practicing idolatry, terrorizing the people around them and causing trouble for God's chosen people.
When Nahum came on the scene after Jonah, God was ready to judge the Assyrians.
The Assyrian Empire fell in 612BC. As Nahum describes, the city was flooded allowing the enemy forces to enter the city and destroy it totally. Assyria would be gone, and the Babylonians would be the new power. In 586BC, they would invade Jerusalem, and the Kingdom of Judah would come to an end as well.
Next week, we will look at some applications from the book of Nahum. I urge you to read the book this week. It is considered a very poetic book, especially the section that describes in detail the siege and destruction of the city. On Wednesday, I will post another review. May God bless you. Amen.
This week I have much to be thankful for. Once again, the Lord has provided what I needed to make ends meet for another month. Writing went well this week. Some weeks are more fun wriing than others, and this was a fun week.
Last week, we finished our long-term study of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. I must say that I miss teaching the Sermon on the Mount. It is my favorite section of Scripture.
Now it is time to move on. This week we will begin a short series on the Old Testament book of Nahum. This week, I will discuss the setting, authorship and some general information about Nahum. Next week, with the Lord's help, I will draw some appplications on what messsage Nahum has for those of us who live all these centuries later.
Nahum is a short, three chapter book that is one of the Minor Prophets. I never really liked this term. However, that is what these smaller prophetic books are commonly known as. I find that they are absolutely fascinating and packed with interesting information.
When I was in Bible college and seminary, I was privileged to take two courses in the Minor Prophets. We never studied that much about Nahum as I remember. Much of our focus was on Hosea, Amos and Zechariah. That is one of the reasons I want to focus on Nahum, and some of the less studied books, in this blog.
The book of Nahum is named for a prophet of the same name. Nahum means "consoler" in Hebrew. Nahum is called an Elkoshite.
Bible scholars are divided as to where Elkosh was located. Some believe that Elkosh was the ancient name of the city of Capernaum.
The entire book of Nahum deals with God's judgment on the Assyrian Empire most specifically, God's judgment on the city of Nineveh. Nahum declares that God will cause the city to be utterly destroyed.
The book of Nahum mentions events that allow us to date the book within a specific period of time. In the third chapter, Nahum mentions the capture of the Egyptian city of Thebes by the Assyrians. We know that this took place in 663BC. We also know that the city of Nineveh fell in the year 612BC. Therefore, Nahum's book would have been written sometime in this period.
Some more liberal Bible scholars will not agree with this dating. They do not believe in the possibility of predictive prophecy. They place the date of the book much later. I believe in predictive prophecy, so I agree with the above dating.
Why was the prophet so concerned with the question of Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire? In Nahum's time, Assyria was the most powerful empire in the region. They had defeated many of the surrounding nations including the powerful Egyptians. The Assyrian Empire also defeated the Northern Kingdom that consisted of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. Furthermore, the Assyrians had made several incursions into the Kingdom of Judah. They were the fearsome enemies of the Judeans.
The Assyrians were known for their total ruthlessness, love of war and horrific cruelty. They were hated, and they were greatly feared.
Nahum, the people of Judah and the people of the surrounding nations would be very glad to see the end of the Assyrian Empire. To Nahum, it was evidence that God will not allow the cruel and unrighteous to go on forever.
There is one other part of our introduction that we need to consider, and that concerns the relationship between the book of Jonah and Nahum. As you will recall, God commanded Jonah to go and preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn't want to go because the Assyrians were cruel and the enemies of Israel. After his incident with the great fish, Jonah went and preached repentance to the people of Nineveh. They did repent, and at that time, God spared the city. Jonah was not too happy about the whole thing.
So, what happened? The people of Nineveh didn't follow the true and living God for very long. Shortly after the ministry of Jonah, they were right back to practicing idolatry, terrorizing the people around them and causing trouble for God's chosen people.
When Nahum came on the scene after Jonah, God was ready to judge the Assyrians.
The Assyrian Empire fell in 612BC. As Nahum describes, the city was flooded allowing the enemy forces to enter the city and destroy it totally. Assyria would be gone, and the Babylonians would be the new power. In 586BC, they would invade Jerusalem, and the Kingdom of Judah would come to an end as well.
Next week, we will look at some applications from the book of Nahum. I urge you to read the book this week. It is considered a very poetic book, especially the section that describes in detail the siege and destruction of the city. On Wednesday, I will post another review. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Book Review
Today I am reviewing the book "Soldier Dog" written by Sam Angus. This is an interesting fictional account about war dog service during World War I. Stanley Ryder is the main character. When the book begins, Stanley is living with his widowed father in England. Stanley's brother is in the army fighting in the trenches. Stanley's joy in life is one of the puppies born to his father's greyhound. After Stanley's father gets rid of the puppy, Stanley runs off to join the army and find his brother.
In the service, Stanley becomes part of the canine corps working with a dog named Bones. The book details Stanley's life in the army and his work with dogs. Throughout the book, Stanley attempts to locate his brother. In his heart, he seeks reconciliation with his dad.
Without giving away the ending, let me say that readers are in for a suprise later in the book. This book gives great information about the role dogs played as messengers in World War I. The last part of the book is somewhat unbelievable, however. This book is written mainly for younger readers, but adults will enjoy it as well.
In the service, Stanley becomes part of the canine corps working with a dog named Bones. The book details Stanley's life in the army and his work with dogs. Throughout the book, Stanley attempts to locate his brother. In his heart, he seeks reconciliation with his dad.
Without giving away the ending, let me say that readers are in for a suprise later in the book. This book gives great information about the role dogs played as messengers in World War I. The last part of the book is somewhat unbelievable, however. This book is written mainly for younger readers, but adults will enjoy it as well.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount--Conclusion
It is nice to be back once again for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone who is reading this blog is doing well.
If you have read the blog for any length of time, you know that we have been in a study of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount for quite some time. Today, our study of this great teaching comes to an end.
Over the course of our study, we've examined the meaning of the Beatitudes as found in Matthew chapter five and Luke chapter six. We have examined what it means to be salt and light, and we have examined the way that Jesus fulfilled the law and what our relationship as believers is to the law.
One of the interesting aspects of our study was seeing how Jesus demonstrated His divinity by changing the law's meaning.
Matthew chapter six found us focusing on serving the Lord through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and the giving of alms. Jesus warned His followers not to be hypocritical as some of the religous leaders of the time were.
Chapter six also dealt with the important concept that we cannot serve both God and money. We need to serve the Lord, and He will supply all that we need. Ultimately, all will be well for the one who seeks after and follows the path of Jesus.
In Matthew chapter seven, we focused on what Jesus meant by not judging. Recently, we focused our attention on the narrow path that leads to life and the broad path that leads to destruction. Jesus is the way that leads to life.
In last week's message, we talked about the ways to identify those who are false prophets and those who teach false doctrine. Jesus said that they would be known by their fruits. A bad tree will not produce good fruit.
Today, as we wrap up our series on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about two men who built their houses on two different foundations. The wise man built his house on a foundation of rock. When the storm came and the waters rose, the house built on the rock stood firm. The foolish man built his house on the sand. When the storms came and the waters rose, his house was destroyed and washed away.
It is very important for a house to have a firm foundation. I have learned this from firsthand experience. As I said a couple of weeks ago, the heavy rain in my area caused my poor foundation to leak and flood my crawlspace and garage. I've spent a lot of money to fix my crumbling foundation. Sadly, it is still a mess.
We need the proper foundation for our life just as a house must be built on a proper foundation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 that, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock."
If we will study the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and put these teachings into practice, we will have a rock solid spiritual foundation. Our life will be anchored in the promises of the Lord Jesus. No matter what life throws at us, we aill be safe in the embrace of Christ.
Like everything else in the spiritual realm, we have a choice to refuse to follow Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. We can decide that these teachings don't make sense to us, and we can follow another path or another set of teachings. Jesus said that this is a foolish choice that would lead to destruction. However, we are free to choose.
I've tried my hardest to teach these important words of Jesus. I hope that over these last few weeks that you have learned much. It is my prayer that you will apply these teachings of Jesus to your life and follow the way of the Savior.
Maybe you started reading this series unsure about whether or not you wanted to commit your life to Jesus. I pray that by reading this series that you have seen how wonderful Jesus is. I hope that you will place your faith in Jesus today.
Well, our series in the Sermon on the Mount is over. Next week, Lord willing, I will be starting a short series on the Old Testament book of Nahum. This is a short book. I anticipate that the series will take about two to three weeks. After that, I am going to teach on the first few chapters of the book of Revelation that contain the very words of Jesus Himself.
Thank you for reading this blog. On Wednesday, I will post another book review. May God bless you. Amen.
If you have read the blog for any length of time, you know that we have been in a study of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount for quite some time. Today, our study of this great teaching comes to an end.
Over the course of our study, we've examined the meaning of the Beatitudes as found in Matthew chapter five and Luke chapter six. We have examined what it means to be salt and light, and we have examined the way that Jesus fulfilled the law and what our relationship as believers is to the law.
One of the interesting aspects of our study was seeing how Jesus demonstrated His divinity by changing the law's meaning.
Matthew chapter six found us focusing on serving the Lord through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and the giving of alms. Jesus warned His followers not to be hypocritical as some of the religous leaders of the time were.
Chapter six also dealt with the important concept that we cannot serve both God and money. We need to serve the Lord, and He will supply all that we need. Ultimately, all will be well for the one who seeks after and follows the path of Jesus.
In Matthew chapter seven, we focused on what Jesus meant by not judging. Recently, we focused our attention on the narrow path that leads to life and the broad path that leads to destruction. Jesus is the way that leads to life.
In last week's message, we talked about the ways to identify those who are false prophets and those who teach false doctrine. Jesus said that they would be known by their fruits. A bad tree will not produce good fruit.
Today, as we wrap up our series on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about two men who built their houses on two different foundations. The wise man built his house on a foundation of rock. When the storm came and the waters rose, the house built on the rock stood firm. The foolish man built his house on the sand. When the storms came and the waters rose, his house was destroyed and washed away.
It is very important for a house to have a firm foundation. I have learned this from firsthand experience. As I said a couple of weeks ago, the heavy rain in my area caused my poor foundation to leak and flood my crawlspace and garage. I've spent a lot of money to fix my crumbling foundation. Sadly, it is still a mess.
We need the proper foundation for our life just as a house must be built on a proper foundation. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 that, "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock."
If we will study the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, and put these teachings into practice, we will have a rock solid spiritual foundation. Our life will be anchored in the promises of the Lord Jesus. No matter what life throws at us, we aill be safe in the embrace of Christ.
Like everything else in the spiritual realm, we have a choice to refuse to follow Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. We can decide that these teachings don't make sense to us, and we can follow another path or another set of teachings. Jesus said that this is a foolish choice that would lead to destruction. However, we are free to choose.
I've tried my hardest to teach these important words of Jesus. I hope that over these last few weeks that you have learned much. It is my prayer that you will apply these teachings of Jesus to your life and follow the way of the Savior.
Maybe you started reading this series unsure about whether or not you wanted to commit your life to Jesus. I pray that by reading this series that you have seen how wonderful Jesus is. I hope that you will place your faith in Jesus today.
Well, our series in the Sermon on the Mount is over. Next week, Lord willing, I will be starting a short series on the Old Testament book of Nahum. This is a short book. I anticipate that the series will take about two to three weeks. After that, I am going to teach on the first few chapters of the book of Revelation that contain the very words of Jesus Himself.
Thank you for reading this blog. On Wednesday, I will post another book review. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Book Review
Today, I would like to tell you about a book that I absolutely loved. I just finished reading Katie Up and Down the Hall by Glenn Plaskin. This is a story about a wonderful cocker spaniel named Katie and how she brought five people who lived in Battery Park City together. The book details the relationship of Glenn, Pearl, Arthur, Ryan and John and how they became a family.
Readers will enjoy the author's account of Ryan and Katie racing down the halls and how Pearl's dining room table became the place where these individuals shared the ups and downs of life together.
One section of the book tells about how the events of 9/11 affected those who lived near the twin towers. Plaskin relates the events from first hand experience telling of how he and Katie were evacuated from their building and were taken by boat to safety in New Jersey.
The last chapters of this book are very sad, but not in a depressing way. As Plaskin says, "Love remains." He knew that for a 16 year period, he had love and joy in his life that will always be part of him. This reminded me of the 12 year period of joy that Toby brought to the life of my family.
I can't recommend this book enough. It has become my favorite dog book. Glenn Plaskin is a professional writer who worked for Family Circle. His writing shows that he is a master of his craft.
Readers will enjoy the author's account of Ryan and Katie racing down the halls and how Pearl's dining room table became the place where these individuals shared the ups and downs of life together.
One section of the book tells about how the events of 9/11 affected those who lived near the twin towers. Plaskin relates the events from first hand experience telling of how he and Katie were evacuated from their building and were taken by boat to safety in New Jersey.
The last chapters of this book are very sad, but not in a depressing way. As Plaskin says, "Love remains." He knew that for a 16 year period, he had love and joy in his life that will always be part of him. This reminded me of the 12 year period of joy that Toby brought to the life of my family.
I can't recommend this book enough. It has become my favorite dog book. Glenn Plaskin is a professional writer who worked for Family Circle. His writing shows that he is a master of his craft.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Sermon on the Mount
This has been quite a week. My garage got a bunch of water in it, and we had bad flooding in the region of the country where I live. Thankfully, the garage is drying out. I have not been feeling very well this week. Please pray that I will get to feeling better. I think that all of the stress in getting to me. Also, June 5th is always a tough day, because that is the day that Toby passed away.
On the postive side, I want to thank the Lord for giving me some evangelism opportunities this week. I may have just planted some seed, but the Lord has said that His word will not return to Him void.
Let us all continue to pray for peace in Syria Things keep going from bad to worse in that country. Millions have fled the fighting, and they are now living as refugees in neighboring lands. Please pray for peace.
In our last time in the Sermon on the Mount, I focused on Jesus' teaching about a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction. Everyone by virtue of their birth starts out on the broad path. Only through faith in the work of Jesus Christ can we leave the path of death and enter the narrow path that leads to life.
We saw that there is only one way of salvation. Jesus is the only way. The way is not Jesus plus. The narrow path is entered by trusting in Jesus alone. As the Bible says, there is no other name under Heaven whereby we can be saved except the name of Jesus.
We now focus our attention on the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:15 where He says, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
When we discussed the issue of judging, I mentioned that we are supposed to judge what is true and false doctrine. Not everyone who talks about Jesus and the Bible is teaching the orthodox Christian faith. There are many people in our world who preach another Jesus and another gospel. All that you have to do is watch Christian television, and you will hear false doctrine. Some of the fastest growing religious groups in America teach a different Jesus and a different gospel.
In Matthew 7:16-20, Jesus tells His followers one way to distinguish between true teachers of the word and false prophets. Jesus says that they will be known by their fruits. A good tree will not bring forth bad fruit, and a bad tree will not bring forth good fruit.
It is an interesting coincidence that we are in this section of the Sermon on the Mount this week because just yesterday, I sprayed my fruit trees and my neighbor's fruit trees. When my family moved to where I live now, there was already a small orchard on the property. Over the almost 40 years that I've lived here, old trees have died and new trees have been planted. Having worked with fruit trees, I know for a fact that what Jesus says here is true. If a tree is diseased, the fruit will be bad. A bad tree will not produce good fruit.
A false teacher is someone who does not really have a relationship with Jesus. Therefore, they do not have a regenerated heart. They are not a new creation. They can only produce the works of the flesh. They cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Many false prophets live lavish lifestyles with mansions, numerous cars and personal jets. How different this is from Jesus.
Many false teachers clearly violate the Biblical qualifications for ministry as they have been divorced. Yet, they continue teaching.
Someone who is a true teacher of the word of God will live a life that it patterned after the example of Jesus. As I've said, we need to look to Jesus and imitate Him. He is our example. We must follow Him, and obey Him. A true teacher will be one who strives to be like Jesus in what they do and say.
This is not the only means to spot a false teacher. The Apostle Paul tells us that if anyone comes saying that we must do something besides trusting in Jesus, that individual is a false teacher. Almost the entire epistle of Jude describes the characteristics of false teachers, and II Peter also contains information about those who do not teach sound doctrine.
We must test everything that we hear about the faith according to the Scriptures. The Bereans were commended in the book of Acts because they tested against Scripture those things that they were being taught.
Jesus wraps up this section with an important warning in Matthew 7:21 that says, "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will inherit the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven."
Anyone can say that they are a Christian. However, a peron's faith will be proven by what he does. If someone claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, yet he doesn't follow the clear teachings and commandments of Jesus, Jesus says that that person is one who practices lawlessness.
This is the point that Jesus' brother James is making in his epistle. James says that faith without works is dead. We are not saved by works, but the reality of our profession of faith in Jesus is demonstrated by our good works.
I want to close this section by saying that doctrine is important. In many evangelical churches today, there is very little doctrinal preaching. This is one reason why many don't know what they believe and why they believe it. I urge you to be a student of the word. Study the great doctrines revealed in the Bible.
Next week, Lord willing, I will conclude our series of messages on the Sermon on the Mount. It has been a long journey, but it has been fun. On Wednesday, I will post another review of an animal book. May God Bless You. Amen.
On the postive side, I want to thank the Lord for giving me some evangelism opportunities this week. I may have just planted some seed, but the Lord has said that His word will not return to Him void.
Let us all continue to pray for peace in Syria Things keep going from bad to worse in that country. Millions have fled the fighting, and they are now living as refugees in neighboring lands. Please pray for peace.
In our last time in the Sermon on the Mount, I focused on Jesus' teaching about a narrow road that leads to life and a broad road that leads to destruction. Everyone by virtue of their birth starts out on the broad path. Only through faith in the work of Jesus Christ can we leave the path of death and enter the narrow path that leads to life.
We saw that there is only one way of salvation. Jesus is the only way. The way is not Jesus plus. The narrow path is entered by trusting in Jesus alone. As the Bible says, there is no other name under Heaven whereby we can be saved except the name of Jesus.
We now focus our attention on the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:15 where He says, "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."
When we discussed the issue of judging, I mentioned that we are supposed to judge what is true and false doctrine. Not everyone who talks about Jesus and the Bible is teaching the orthodox Christian faith. There are many people in our world who preach another Jesus and another gospel. All that you have to do is watch Christian television, and you will hear false doctrine. Some of the fastest growing religious groups in America teach a different Jesus and a different gospel.
In Matthew 7:16-20, Jesus tells His followers one way to distinguish between true teachers of the word and false prophets. Jesus says that they will be known by their fruits. A good tree will not bring forth bad fruit, and a bad tree will not bring forth good fruit.
It is an interesting coincidence that we are in this section of the Sermon on the Mount this week because just yesterday, I sprayed my fruit trees and my neighbor's fruit trees. When my family moved to where I live now, there was already a small orchard on the property. Over the almost 40 years that I've lived here, old trees have died and new trees have been planted. Having worked with fruit trees, I know for a fact that what Jesus says here is true. If a tree is diseased, the fruit will be bad. A bad tree will not produce good fruit.
A false teacher is someone who does not really have a relationship with Jesus. Therefore, they do not have a regenerated heart. They are not a new creation. They can only produce the works of the flesh. They cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit.
Many false prophets live lavish lifestyles with mansions, numerous cars and personal jets. How different this is from Jesus.
Many false teachers clearly violate the Biblical qualifications for ministry as they have been divorced. Yet, they continue teaching.
Someone who is a true teacher of the word of God will live a life that it patterned after the example of Jesus. As I've said, we need to look to Jesus and imitate Him. He is our example. We must follow Him, and obey Him. A true teacher will be one who strives to be like Jesus in what they do and say.
This is not the only means to spot a false teacher. The Apostle Paul tells us that if anyone comes saying that we must do something besides trusting in Jesus, that individual is a false teacher. Almost the entire epistle of Jude describes the characteristics of false teachers, and II Peter also contains information about those who do not teach sound doctrine.
We must test everything that we hear about the faith according to the Scriptures. The Bereans were commended in the book of Acts because they tested against Scripture those things that they were being taught.
Jesus wraps up this section with an important warning in Matthew 7:21 that says, "Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will inherit the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven."
Anyone can say that they are a Christian. However, a peron's faith will be proven by what he does. If someone claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, yet he doesn't follow the clear teachings and commandments of Jesus, Jesus says that that person is one who practices lawlessness.
This is the point that Jesus' brother James is making in his epistle. James says that faith without works is dead. We are not saved by works, but the reality of our profession of faith in Jesus is demonstrated by our good works.
I want to close this section by saying that doctrine is important. In many evangelical churches today, there is very little doctrinal preaching. This is one reason why many don't know what they believe and why they believe it. I urge you to be a student of the word. Study the great doctrines revealed in the Bible.
Next week, Lord willing, I will conclude our series of messages on the Sermon on the Mount. It has been a long journey, but it has been fun. On Wednesday, I will post another review of an animal book. May God Bless You. Amen.
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Book Review
The book I am reviewing today is called "A Streetcat Named Bob" written by James Bowen. As this book begins, James Bowen is a recovering drug addict who is working as a street musician. One day, James finds an injured ginger tomcat in his apartment building. James gets veterinary care for the cat, and the two begin what will become a great relationship.
Eventually, Bob begins to join James as James plays his guitar on the streets and while James tries to sell magazines in order to make enough money.
This book is a runaway bestseller in the United Kingdom. I am not sure that it is published in the United States yet. I happened to get a copy from Britain. Besides the great relationship between man and cat, this book gives readers a glimpse into the problems of drug addiction and homelessness. I highly recommend this book.
Eventually, Bob begins to join James as James plays his guitar on the streets and while James tries to sell magazines in order to make enough money.
This book is a runaway bestseller in the United Kingdom. I am not sure that it is published in the United States yet. I happened to get a copy from Britain. Besides the great relationship between man and cat, this book gives readers a glimpse into the problems of drug addiction and homelessness. I highly recommend this book.
Monday, June 3, 2013
A Good Dog Movie
This past weekend I watched a good dog movie. The name of the the movie was Quill. It is a Japanese movie with English subtitles that is about the life of a Labrador Retriever who was trained to be a guide dog for the visually impaired.
After his training, Quill is paired with a man who at first doesn't see the need for a guide dog, and he doesn't trust Quill to guide him correctly. Over time, trust builds between the two.
I highly recommend this film. It is available on DVD.
After his training, Quill is paired with a man who at first doesn't see the need for a guide dog, and he doesn't trust Quill to guide him correctly. Over time, trust builds between the two.
I highly recommend this film. It is available on DVD.
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