Book Review--Trident K9 Warriors

When I first saw a feature on "60 Minutes" about this book and its author, I was very excited.  As many who read this blog know, I like to read about the subject of dogs in the military.  When I finished the book "Trident K9 Warriors" written by Michael Ritland and Gary Brozek, I have to say that I was disappointed.  This isn't a bad book.  It just isn't as good as I though it would be.  A lot of the book focuses on dog training, and I felt like the book wasn't arranged well.  It was definitely not one of my favorite books on this subject.  There are several other books about military dogs that I would recommend over this book.  Several of these I have already reviewed on this blog.  Later this month, there is a book about military dogs written by Rebecca Frankel coming out.  She writes an interesting blog called "War Dog of the Week".  I am hoping that her book will be much better.

Weekend Sermon--Revelation--Part 3

     Hello and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  It is good to be with you again this week.  I want to start this week by thanking the Lord for once again providing the resources I need to make through another month.
     I would ask that you would please pray about a couple of different things this week. First of all, I feel that the Lord is leading me to get more involved in the ministry again.  More than just putting sermons on this blog and writing.  In order to finance what I believe the Lord is leading me to, I am going to sell my house and much of what I currently own.  I've already sold quite a bit , but during the month of August, I need to sell more, and hopefully, I can get my house sold by the end of September.   Please pray that I can sell what I need to sell to do what God is calling me to do.
    I would also ask you to please pray for a writing friend of mine who found out that his dog has cancer.  Please pray for healing. 
    Finally, please continue to pray for peace in Syria.  It is really sad what is happening in that part of the world.
     In last week's sermon, we saw that Jesus was a faithful witness of the Father.  Jesus lived a holy life.  He died for our sins and has washed us and redeemed us with His precious blood.  Jesus rose from the dead.  One day, He will come again, and He will rule as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
     We also saw that Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega.  He has always existed as the Second Person of the Trinity, and He will always exist.  Jesus is the Lord God Almighty.
     Now, we look at John's vision of the Son of Man beginning in Revelation 1:12 and continuing until the end of the chapter.   John says that he heard a loud voice that was like the blast of a trumpet.  When John turned around to see where the sound was coming from, he saw seven golden lampstands.  I believe that these lampstands signify the seven churches that the book of Revelation are addressed to.  In the middle of these seven lampstands, John saw "One like the Son of Man." 
     The term Son of Man is interesting.  One of the main usages of this term in the Old Testament was in Daniel's vision recorded in Daniel 7.  Jesus also frequently referred to Himself as the Son of Man.  John is saying here that the figure he saw resembles the Son of Man as described in Daniel 7.  This is another example of Jesus as the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy.  It demonstrates the reliability of the Bible.
     John says that the Son of Man was clothed with a long garment, and there was a golden band around His chest.  This dress signifies the high priestly role of Jesus Christ. 
     The Bible says that Jesus is the Great High Priest of a new covenant.  He is the one who makes intercession with the Father on behalf of those who believe in Him.
     John then goes on to describe the Son of Man as having hair that was white like wool and snow.  This signifies the purity, holiness and sinlessness of Jesus.  He is the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
     His eyes were like a flame of fire.  Often in the Bible, fire signifies judgment.  When the Lord returns, He will bring judgment on all who do evil.
     His feet were like brass signifies the almighty power of the Lord.  He speaks with a powerful and thunderous voice.
     From the mouth of the Son of Man comes a sharp sword.  This can have two meanings.  It can signify the judgment of Christ, and it can signify the fact the Jesus will triumph over all of His enemies.  Jesus has won the victory over the forces of evil that array themselves against the majesty of God. 
     Finally, the Son of Man is shining like the Sun.  This recalls what happened to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.  Jesus was displayed in all of His glory.  Jesus is so glorious that He shines more brightly than the Sun shining with all of its power.
     When John saw this awesome vision of the Son of Man in all of His power and glory, John fell at Jesus' feet.  This is the same type of reaction that the prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel demonstrated when they encountered the awesome presence of the Almighty God in His glory and power.
     Jesus reached down His hand, touched John and told Him not to be afraid.  Jesus told His disciples this many times while He walked with them on the Earth.  One of the notable occasions was when Jesus was walking on the water.  The disciples saw Him, and at first they thought it was a ghost.  They were terrified.  Jesus told them, "It is I, do not be afraid."
     We don't have to be afraid of Jesus.  He loves us.  He is the Mighty God of the universe, and He cares for us as lowly as we are.  John would say in one of his epistles, "perfect love casts out fear."  Whenever we are afraid, we should ask Jesus to speak His peace into our troubled heart.
     Jesus goes on to tell John that He was dead, but now He is alive forevermore.  Jesus holds the keys of Hades and Death.  By the power of His death and resurrection, Jesus has broken the power of sin, death, hell and the grave.  They can have no power over the one whose life is in the hands of Jesus.  Sin brought both spiritual and physical death.  When Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross, He paid the penalty that are sins deserved.  He took our place.  When Jesus rose from the dead, He defeated the effects of sin.  Those who put their trust in Jesus need not fear death, because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.  We will live with Him for all of eternity.  Hell is reserved for the devil, his followers and his angels.  Those who trust in Jesus will have Heaven as their home.
     In the last section of the chapter, Jesus tells John to write the things that He is going to show Him and send it to the seven churches of Asia. 
     Next week, Lord willing, we will begin with chapter 2 and Jesus' message to the church at Ephesus.  I will post another book review on Wednesday.  May God bless you. Amen.
    
    

Book Review--"The Cat That God Sent"

"The Cat That God Sent" is written by Jim Kraus.  He is the also the author of the book I reviewed called "The Dog That Talked To God".  I really enjoyed that book, but I think that I enjoyed this book much more.
"The Cat That God Sent" is about a stray cat named Petey who finds himself in the town of Coudersport, Pennsylvania on the same day that Rev. Jake Wilkerson is taking up his new position as pastor of the Church of the Open Door.  Rev. Jake takes in Petey, and Petey begins his mission from God to help Jake.  Along the way, Petey must help out a homeless girl, the town veterinarian and the congregation at Jake's new church.  How this all works out is unexpected with a satisfying ending.

This is a well-written book that is easy to read.  I like the theme of the book that God sends us help from unexpected places.  I know that God sent my friend Toby to help me, just like Petey was sent in this book to change the lives of those who needed help from the Lord.

Weekend Sermon--Revelation Part 2

     Welcome to another posting of the Weekend Sermon.  I'm so glad to be able to preach the Word of the Lord once again this week. 
     One week ago, we began a new series of messages on the first five chapters of the book of Revelation.  This book is very important because it contains the very words of Jesus.
     We looked at the authorship of the book last week, and we saw that while there is some debate as to who wrote Revelation, the consensus is that it was written by the Apostle John while he was in exile on Patmos.  We also saw that those who read the words of the book of Revelation will receive a blessing from God.
     Today, we begin with chapter one verse four that have John addressing the churches with the words, "Grace and peace to you from Him who was, and who is, and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne."  The phrase, who was, who is, and who is to come is interesting.  This verse speaks of the eternal existence of God.  It is a difficult thing for the human mind to grasp that God has existed forever.  He exists at the current time and He will exist forever into the future.
     John goes on to say that Jesus is a faithful witness, firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.  First of all, Jesus faithfully presented the message of His Father while on earth.  Jesus told the world that they needed to turn from sin and turn to God.  He taught and lived the message of God's love.  Jesus never committed a sin or did anything apart from His Father's will.
     Jesus was the firstborn from the dead.  By His resurrection, Jesus defeated death and hell.  Because Jesus is risen, He is the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in Jesus will be raised to new life and will live with Jesus in the place that He has prepared.
     Jesus said that He would come again.  When He returns, He will rule and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
     John goes on to say that Jesus loved us and washed us from our sins with His own blood.  Because He loved us, Jesus was willing to come to this earth.  He lead a perfect, holy and sinless life as our example.  Because of His great love, Jesus shed His blood on the cross and bore our sins in His body.  When we place our faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross, we are washed in the blood of the Lamb.  Though are sins are as scarlet, they are made white as snow.
     Those who have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus have been made kings and priests to God.  We are the servants of the Lord.  We owe Him our allegiance and our obedience.
     Once again, John will tell his readers that Jesus is coming again.  Every eye on planet earth will behold the Lord at His coming.  Some won't be glad to see Jesus come back.  Those who practice lawlessness and unrighteousness will face the judgment of the Lord at His Second Advent.
     Then in verse eight we read the words of Jesus that say, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
     What Jesus is doing here is proclaiming that He is God.  He is the Almighty God.  This verse teaches the eternal existence of the Second Person of the Trinity.  Jesus has existed from eternity past, He exists now and He will exist forever.  All of history is under His control.
     These are great words.  I know that I have placed my life in the hands of Jesus.  He is my God and King.  No matter what happens, I am eternally safe with Him.  He is the powerful God of the universe.  There in no greater place wherein I can put my trust.
     Verse nine tells us that John was on Patmos when He heard a voice telling Him to write to the seven churches in Asia.  Jesus instructed John  to write His words in the book of Revelation.  The seven churches are in present day Turkey.
     There are just a couple of things I want to say about this.  At one time, all of what is now Turkey and the Middle East was Christian.  There were churches everywhere.  Now, there are very few Christians is Turkey and the Middle East.  The last figure I saw stated the number of Christians in Turkey at 0.2 percent.
    We may have many professing Christians in the Western World, but it doesn't mean that it will always be that way.  We must stay faithful to the Lord and spread the gospel where we are.
    May God bless you.  Amen.

Book Review

I haven't been feeling well at all this week, so I haven't been reading much in the way of new books.  I do want to recommend three books that I don't think that I've mentioned on the blog before.  Three of my favorite cat books are written by Peter Gethers about his Scottish Fold cat named Norton.  The three books are "The Cat Who Went to Paris", "A Cat Abroad" and "The Cat Who Will Live Forever".  All three of these books are well-written.  I enjoyed reading about the many places that Peter and Norton visited.  I believe that all of these books are still in print.

Weekend Sermon--Revelation

     Hello, and welcome to another week of the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading this blog.  It is my prayer that these weekly messages are helping people to know more about Jesus and how to serve Him better.  When I started these sermons, I had the hope that they would be instrumental in bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.  I don't know if that is the case, but I continue to pray that the Lord will use these messages for His honor and glory.
     I would like to ask everyone who reads this blog to pray for God's provision in being able to get all the bills paid this month.  So far, July hasn't been a good month.  I will continue to trust in the Lord to provide now as He has in the past.
     In last week's message, I talked about the compassion of Jesus.  Jesus means so much to me.  He has had mercy on my soul, and He is with me no matter what the struggle.  How great is His love.
     Today, I am starting a series of messages based on the first five chapters of the book of Revelation.  I may focus on the last two chapters of the book as well.
     The reason that I want to look at these chapters is because they contain the words of Jesus that are so precious to me.  The words of Jesus are found the the Gospels, the book of Acts and in Revelation.
     The book of Revelation presents Jesus in the majesty of His glory.  It shows Jesus as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  The book gives us here on earth a glimpse of the praise given to Jesus in Heaven for all that He has done as the worthy Lamb of God.
     So, let's look at the book of Revelation.  This is one of the most controversial books in the Bible.  There are many different theological viewpoints as to how this book should be interpreted.  Most people are familiar with the dispensational and premillenial view of Revelation because that is the view presented by most radio and television preachers.  It is the viewpoint expressed in the "Left Behind" series of books.  I am not a dispensationalist, but I am premillenial.
     There are many other interpretive frameworks for Revelation.  Some of these are the preterist, partial preterist, historicist, spiritual and allegorical views.
     As I said in a previous message, I believe in the end times teachings of Jesus.  In the Gospels, Jesus taught that things would go along until one day when He will return and judge the earth.  Jesus will establish His kingdom at that time and reign on the Earth forever and ever.
     I approach the book of Revelation from the perspective that it had a meaning that was fulfilled shortly after it was written, and parts of the book are yet to be fulfilled.  All of it is beneficial to knowing more about Jesus and what He expects of us.
     The introduction of the book says, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants.  Things which must shortly take place."  This message was given to John.
     There is a debate about who wrote Revelation.  By and large, scholars believe that the book was written by the Apostle John while he was in exile on Patmos.  We know that John was on this island.  However, some scholars believe that the book was written by someone referred to as John the elder.  I see no reason not to accept that this book was written by the Apostle John.  The best reason for taking him as the author is stated in verse 2 that says, "who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ."  This definitely  applies to the Apostle John who followed Jesus as one of the inner circle of three disciples that included James and Peter.  John saw Jesus' miracles.  He saw Jesus in His glory on the mount of Transfiguration, and He saw the risen Christ.
     Verse 3 is very interesting.  This verse says the those who read and hear the words of Revelation are blessed.  In other words, it is important to study this book as it contains many important truths for our life on earth.  It is important because it is about Jesus.
    Next week, we will get more into chapter one as Jesus is revealed in His glory.  On Wednesday, I will post another book review.  May God bless you. Amen.

Book Review

     Today, I am reviewing the book "The Last Dog On the Hill" written by Steve Duno.  This book tells the story about the life of the author's dog Lou.  Lou was found along the road as the author was traveling with his then girlfriend.  He took Lou home, and Lou pretty much destroyed his home.  This led Steve Duno to start training Lou, and Lou was an excellent student.  Steve enjoyed dog training so much that he walked into a dog training school and asked for a job.  He used Lou to demonstrate his teaching ability.  Over the years, Lou helped Duno train several dogs that were destined for euthanasia unless trained. 
     Lou and Steve also had many adventures together.  They hiked through the mountains and went many places together.  Lou helped foil a robbery at a store, and he also captured a criminal.  Later in life, Lou worked with hearing impaired children to motivate them to learn sign language.
     This is a well-written book that I enjoyed very much.  Lou was part rottweiler,  and this reminded me of my Dad's rottweiler Abraham.  I bought Abraham from a Jewish man who named the three males in the litter Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Abraham was a nice dog.  Toby couldn't stand him, and Abraham just couldn't understand why that little dog didn't want to play with him.
    

Weekend Sermon-- The Compassion of Jesus

     I hope that everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July holiday.  I'm not a big fan of fireworks, but it was still nice to have a day of rest.  I read two books, so that was fun.
     I'd like to ask everyone to pray that the fires in the Southwestern part of the United States might be rapidly extinquished.  Also, pray for the families of the 19 firemen who were killed in Arizona fighting the wildfires.  Pray that God will give them His grace and comfort during this time.
     In our message last week, we finished a brief series on the prophetic book of Nahum.  We saw that God's word has been reliable in the past, so we can have confidence that God will fulfill His word today and in the future.  We serve an awesome and powerful God who does mighty things.
     Today, I want to talk about the compassion of Jesus.  While He was ministering on this earth, Jesus showed His compassion for people in a number of different ways.  Let's look today at the places where the Scriptures say that Jesus demonstrated compassion.
     The first instance in Scripture that reveals the compassion of Jesus is found in Mark Chapter 1 verse 41.  Jesus is approached by a man who is covered with leprosy.  The leper says to Jesus, "Lord if you are willling, make me clean."  The Bible says that Jesus was moved with compassion, touched the man and healed him.
     This isn't the only instance in Scripture that reveals Jesus' compassion for the sick.  Mark 9:14-29 records Jesus having compassion on a boy who was possessed.
     Matthew 14:44 says that Jesus felt compassion for the people and healed the sick.  And Matthew 20:34 records that Jesus had compassion on two blind men by the side of the road.  Jesus gave them back their sight.
     Jesus had great compassion on the sick and afflicted.  He was deeply moved by the suffering of humanity.  Jesus healed the sick and freed them from their pain.  People who suffered for a lifetime were delivered by the touch of the Savior.
     These instances of Jesus' compassion for the sick mean a lot to me.  I've struggled with illness my entire life.  Sometimes, you feel isolated and that no one cares about your suffering.  When I was a young boy in Christian schools, the kids and teachers often made fun of me because I was sick so much.  I learned that Jesus cared about me.  He loved me and had compassion for me.  He gave me an awareness of His presence letting me know that I was never alone and that He understood what I was going through.
     Unlike the people in the Bible, I was not healed of every affliction.  However, Jesus did heal me of vitiligo.  I know that Jesus will restore me to perfect health when I come into His presence face to face one day.
     Because of much of the emotional suffering that I had to go through at school, I believe that is why Jesus sent Toby to me.  Toby did not leave me when I was sick.  We helped each other.
     Just as Jesus showed His great compassion for those who were sick, we as His followers should do the same.  We should try to help people that don't feel well with their daily needs if at all possible.  If someone can't afford medical care, we as the church should help them out.  We should reach out to the sick and hurting in our circle of influence and around the world.
     One of the great stories of Jesus' compassion is found in Luke 7.  Jesus was traveling around the country when He approached the city of Nain.  As Jesus approached, He encountered a funeral procession for a young man who was the only son of his mother who was a widow.  Jesus saw the boy's mother weeping, and He was moved with compassion.  He told the mother not to cry and then raised her son to live again.  Jesus was moved with compassion at the sight of a grieving mother.
     Many people in our world today are hurting.  They grieve over the loss of a loved one.  It's been three years now since my mom and dad died, and it still hurts me deeply.  Many people is our society suffer from depression and anxiety.  As followers of Jesus, we can be a force of compassion by speaking words of comfort.  We can meet the needs of others by being the best friend that we can be.
     Jesus also demonstrated compassion for the hungry.  Matthew 15:32 says that Jesus had compassion on the multitudes because they had followed Him and now they had nothing to eat.  Jesus took five loaves and two fish and feed 5,000.  Jesus cared that people were hungry.
     Thank God for the compassionate people who work to combat hunger in this country and around the world.  Many churches operate food banks, and I think that every church should do this.  As followers of Jesus, we can donate food, time and resources to help alleviate hunger and food insecurity in this nation.  There are also many excellent groups to support who help feed people across the globe.
     Finally, Jesus showed His compassion on those who needed a Savior and a shepherd for their souls.  Matthew 9:36 says, "And seeing the multitudes, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd."
     Jesus is the Good Shepherd.  He came to seek and save the lost.  Jesus will forgive and save from sin anyone who repents and accepts Him into his life as Savior and Lord.
     As His compassionate followers, Jesus calls us to share the message of the Gospel with others.  Jesus calls us to show compassion on the sick, the hurting and the hungry.
     Next week, Lord willing, we will begin a series on the first five chapters of Revelation.  On Wednesday, I will post another animal book review.  May God bless you.  Amen.
    
    
    
    

Book Reviews

As the Fourth of July approaches, I thought that I would review two books that tell about the contribution of dogs in the military.  The first book is entitled "Always Faithful" written by Captain William W. Putney.  This book tells the story of how the first dogs were trained for service in the U.S armed forces during World War II.  The book recounts the contribution of the dogs and their handlers to the liberation of the island of Guam.  Many of the first dogs used were Dobermans.  I don't know if I've mentioned it, but I had a Doberman many years ago.  Her name was Heidi.  She was black and tan.  I trained her and took her to dog shows.  She didn't do very well, but we had fun.  After the shows, I would give her treat.  She liked to eat roast beef sandwiches from Hardee's.  By the way, I enjoyed "Always Faithful."

Another book that I would like to mention is called "Freedom in the Air" by Hamish Ross.  This book is about the famous World War II dog named Antis who flew on bombing missions with his owner who was a Czech flyer with the RAF.  This book is similar to another book I reviewed about Antis called "One Man and His Dog."  However, this book is more analytical and is written as history and not in story fashion.