I am sorry that I couldn't post the Weekend Sermon until late today. The library was closed on Friday, and this morning, their Internet was down. I have had to go to the next town over to use the Internet at their library.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I actually had my Thanksgiving dinner a week early when my brother and his son took me out to dinner. I didn't attempt to get out and do any shopping on Friday. From what I saw happening on television, I am glad I stayed home.
Please continue to pray about the situation in Syria. There is so much suffering among children that is going on in that country. Pray that God in His mercy will intervene.
Also, please continue to pray for me. I am facing some real difficulties. I need to sell my home fairly quickly, and I need to sell some other items that I have for sale. I also need to find a good job this week, or I am going to be in a real bad situation. Thank you for your continued prayers.
In last week's message, we studied the reaction to Peter's sermon. Peter and John were arrested, but they refused to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. They were faithful witnesses for their Lord.
In today's message, I would like to focus on the words of Jesus found in John 10:22-30. In verse 22, we find Jesus in Solomon's Portico in the Temple during the Feast of the Dedication. This is another term for the celebration of Hanukkah.
We often forget the fact that Jesus was a Jew. He celebrated the Sabbath and the Jewish holy days. Because of this, it has been by practice to do this as well.
Hanukkah celebrates the fact that the Temple was cleansed from its defilement at the hands of Antiochus. Antiochus Epiphanes was a tyrant from the Seleucid Empire that controlled Israel. He wanted to Hellenize the Jewish people and lead them away from the worship of the true and living God. Antiochus sacrificed a pig in the Temple and set up an idol of Zeus. This led to the Maccabean revolt and the cleansing and dedication of the Temple. This evil ruler and what he did are foretold in the book of Daniel in chapter 11. This fulfilled prophecy in Daniel is a great example of the validity and trustworthiness of the Bible.
While Jesus was in the Temple, He was surrounded by a crowd who wanted to know if He was really the Messiah. Jesus answered in verse 25 by saying, " I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me."
Jesus had performed tremendous miracles. He had opened blind eyes and made the lame to walk. He had cast out unclean spirits, and fed the 5,000. However, in spite of all of this, most of the people did not believe in Him.
Jesus said in verse 26 that the reason that they did not believe is that they were not of His sheep. Jesus said that His sheep hear His voice, and they follow Him. Jesus gives them eternal life.
One way that we can know if we have a true possession of faith and not just an empty profession of faith is by our willingness to follow the voice of Jesus. The true believer in Jesus will follow the commandments and teachings of the Lord. The true follower of Jesus will not be distracted by the things of this world. His eyes will be firmly fixed on Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith. He will do the will and work of Jesus in the world.
Those who follow Jesus will have eternal life. During the holiday season, I think a lot about my Mom and Dad. I especially missed them on Thanksgiving this year. But I know that they are not just dead and gone. Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life, they are with Jesus in Heaven right now.
Jesus said the once we belong to Him, once we are one of His sheep, nothing can take us away from Him. The Father has given the sheep to Jesus who is the Great Shepherd of the sheep. No one can take them away from the Father.
I find extraordinary comfort in this. I like to imagine it this way. I am in the palm of Jesus' hand with His fingers wrapped around me. Around Jesus' hand is wrapped the hand of the Father. Nothing can get through there and get me away from the Father and the Son. On top of that, the Bible says that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit. No matter what happens in life, we are safe with Jesus. We will be with Him for all of eternity.
In verse 30, Jesus makes a tremendous statement. He says, "I and my Father are One." These words were written above the altar in the church my Grandpa attended. It is one of the clearest statements of the deity of Jesus in the Bible. Jesus is the God/man. We can put our trust in Him for our redemption and our eternal well being.
I know that this is the Advent season, but I feel that the Lord is leading me to preach two other message before I preach about Christmas. On Wednesday, I will post a book review. May God bless you. Amen
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Book Reviews
I am going to write about two different books that I finished this week. The first is a book about Jesus entitled, "Jesus: Lord and Savior" written by F.F. Bruce. F.F Bruce was a great Bible scholar who wrote many works about Jesus including "The Hard Sayings of Jesus". He also wrote and edited a number of commentaries. His commentary on the book of Philippians is one of my particular favorites.
In this book, F.F Bruce writes about the evidence for the historical Jesus and about Jesus' life. There are informative chapters about Jesus as the Son of God and the Incarnate Word. The entire book is very well written and includes many Scripture references. I highly recommend this book and others by the same author.
The second book I want to mention today is a dog book entitled "The Compassion of Dogs" by Kim D.R. Dearth. She includes many stories in this book about how dogs have helped people to have better lives. One of the stories I particularly liked was about a dog named Barnaby. Barnaby was a golden retriever who worked as a hearing assistance dog. Barnaby eventually become blind, but that didn't stop him from helping his partner know when there was something that she needed to hear. Another great story is about a dog named Moss who helped reach a young girl that no one else could reach. All of the stories in this book are good, and I recommend it.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States, and I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for. The Weekend Sermon will be posted on Saturday this week.
In this book, F.F Bruce writes about the evidence for the historical Jesus and about Jesus' life. There are informative chapters about Jesus as the Son of God and the Incarnate Word. The entire book is very well written and includes many Scripture references. I highly recommend this book and others by the same author.
The second book I want to mention today is a dog book entitled "The Compassion of Dogs" by Kim D.R. Dearth. She includes many stories in this book about how dogs have helped people to have better lives. One of the stories I particularly liked was about a dog named Barnaby. Barnaby was a golden retriever who worked as a hearing assistance dog. Barnaby eventually become blind, but that didn't stop him from helping his partner know when there was something that she needed to hear. Another great story is about a dog named Moss who helped reach a young girl that no one else could reach. All of the stories in this book are good, and I recommend it.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the United States, and I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. There is much to be thankful for. The Weekend Sermon will be posted on Saturday this week.
Monday, November 25, 2013
I Can't Believe It
Yesterday, I was watching a program on PBS called Religion and Ethics News Weekly. They had a report on that completely shocked me. Two cities in the southern part of the United States have actually passed laws that forbid people from giving food to the homeless. In one of these cities, a pastor went with his congregation every Sunday to give breakfast to the homeless population in the downtown area. One Sunday, the police were there, and they informed him that if he fed the homeless, he would be in violation of the law and he would be arrested.
I can't believe that this nation has sunk to this level. We seem to want to cast the poor aside and not bother with them. Instead of trying to help the homeless, many communities want to make their lives even more difficult. One person interviewed in the program suggested building a reserve in which to place the homeless that was several miles outside of the city.
Unfortunately, many conservative Christian people who have extreme religious right political views have helped put people in office who want to promote greed, corruption, big business, environmental destruction and the exploitation of the poor by the rich. How different this is from the life and ministry of Jesus. I am thankful that in my area, there are several good ministries that try to help the homeless and those facing poverty.
In my view, the type of ordinances passed in the towns mentioned in this program come under what was in the sermon passage on Friday. When Peter and John were told to stop proclaiming the name of Jesus, they said they wouldn't do it. If communities want churches to stop feeding the poor, the people in the church should say that it is better to obey God than man and do it anyway.
I can't believe that this nation has sunk to this level. We seem to want to cast the poor aside and not bother with them. Instead of trying to help the homeless, many communities want to make their lives even more difficult. One person interviewed in the program suggested building a reserve in which to place the homeless that was several miles outside of the city.
Unfortunately, many conservative Christian people who have extreme religious right political views have helped put people in office who want to promote greed, corruption, big business, environmental destruction and the exploitation of the poor by the rich. How different this is from the life and ministry of Jesus. I am thankful that in my area, there are several good ministries that try to help the homeless and those facing poverty.
In my view, the type of ordinances passed in the towns mentioned in this program come under what was in the sermon passage on Friday. When Peter and John were told to stop proclaiming the name of Jesus, they said they wouldn't do it. If communities want churches to stop feeding the poor, the people in the church should say that it is better to obey God than man and do it anyway.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Acts 4
The weather didn't turn out to be too bad last night, so I am here to post the Weekend Sermon. We had some freezing mist, but all that it did was glaze the car windows up. The precipitation cleared up before the really cold blast came in. I do not like freezing mist and rain. One year, we had terrible tree damage in an ice storm. It took days to clean up the big mess.
For the past weeks, we have been praying for the people in the Philippines who were affected by the typhoon. Please continue to pray for these people that the Lord would be with them and allow them to get the aid that they need.
Please continue to pray for me. I am grateful that I had writing work this week. However, I still need more work to get out of the financial difficulties that I have been experiencing since my Dad passed away. I hope that things get better soon.
Last week, we focused on the message that Peter preached after the crowd gathered around him when they saw the healing of the lame man. The important thing that I tried to focus on was that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah given by Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and the other prophets. The resurrection of Jesus provided evidence that the message and work of Jesus was acceptable to the Heavenly Father. One day, Jesus will come again and restore all things to the way they were intended to be before sin came into this world. Before that time comes, all of us have to make the choice of whether or not we will believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We have the choice to put our faith and trust in Jesus, or we can deny Jesus and follow a different path in life.
After Peter finished his sermon, there was a great response to his message. As the Bible says, God's word will not return to Him void. There were two reactions to Peter's message. Acts 4 verse 4 says that many people heard the words that Peter spoke and believed. In fact, 5,000 people came to faith in Christ on that day. What a remarkable occurrence. Many preachers don't even preach to that many people in their lifetime. It is my hope that after reading last week's message, that someone may have decided to invite Jesus to be the Lord of his or her life.
There was another reaction to Peter's message. The Sadducees and the rulers of the temple had Peter and John arrested because they preached that Jesus rose from the dead. The Sadducees had been instrumental in having Jesus crucified. They didn't want any preaching to be done in Jesus' name. More than this, the Sadducees denied the doctrine of the resurrection. Jesus and the Sadducees had an encounter about this very issue while Jesus walked this earth. Jesus told them that God was the God of the living and not the God of the dead.
Peter and John were brought before Annas and Caiaphas and asked in what name they had done the miracle of healing the lame man. In verse 10 Peter said, "Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole."
I love this verse for a number of reasons. First of all, Peter is a different man than the one who denied Jesus three times. Peter is filled with courage and boldness in his proclamation of the name of Jesus. He is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, Peter does not back down at addressing Annas and Caiaphas. He pointed out clearly that they were the ones who bore responsibility for the crucifixion of the Lord. However, in spite of what they tried to do, God raised Jesus from the dead.
Peter went on in verse 12 to say, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we might be saved." This is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It relates a message that many in this world do not want to hear today. It states clearly that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Humanity cannot find its way to God in any way except by accepting Jesus as Lord.
Many people feel that this in intolerant. They believe and teach that there are many paths to God. This is not the teaching of the Bible. Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth and life, no man comes to the Father except by me." That statement and Peter's statement are as clear as can be. Salvation and forgiveness of sin is only available through Jesus. Humanity can only be reconciled to God through the work of Christ on the cross and through his resurrection.
Verse 13 of chapter 4 is another great verse. The officials saw the boldness of Peter and John. They could tell that both of them were untrained men. However, they could tell that Peter and John had been with Jesus. I think that this phrase, "they had been with Jesus has at least a couple of different meanings."
The religious officials recognized Peter and John as being among Jesus' disciples when He walked the earth. Jesus had an inner core of three disciples that included Peter, James and John. The four of them were often together without the other disciples present.
I also think that this phrase refers to the way that Peter and John spoke. They spoke with boldness just the way Jesus did. The Bible says that Jesus spoke with authority. So did Peter and John. They learned well from the master. The religious leaders could also recognize the message of Jesus in the message of Peter and John. Jesus taught that He was the way to eternal life. He was the way to the Father. This is the message the Peter and John were relating to the religious leaders as well.
After a time of discussion, the religious leaders decided to warn Peter and John to no longer preach or speak in the name of Jesus. Peter and John flatly refused. They said, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." They were commissioned by Jesus to spread His message, and that is exactly what they intended to do.
Finally, the officials released them, because they could not deny the validity of the miracle of the lame man who was made to walk by the name of Jesus.
We may face situations in life where it is difficult to speak for Jesus. The forces of evil will always try to bring persecution against those who are trying their best to go full out for the Lord. In the midst of persecution, be bold. Stand up for Jesus. Proclaim His message just as Peter and John did.
You may be reading this message and you have been trusting in some other way of salvation apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way. I urge you in the name of Jesus to turn to Christ today for salvation. Make Jesus the Lord of your life, and follow Him from this day forward.
Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. The library is going to be closed for several days. I still plan to post a review on Wednesday. However, the Weekend Sermon will be delayed until Saturday next week. May God bless you. Amen.
For the past weeks, we have been praying for the people in the Philippines who were affected by the typhoon. Please continue to pray for these people that the Lord would be with them and allow them to get the aid that they need.
Please continue to pray for me. I am grateful that I had writing work this week. However, I still need more work to get out of the financial difficulties that I have been experiencing since my Dad passed away. I hope that things get better soon.
Last week, we focused on the message that Peter preached after the crowd gathered around him when they saw the healing of the lame man. The important thing that I tried to focus on was that Jesus fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah given by Moses, Samuel, Isaiah and the other prophets. The resurrection of Jesus provided evidence that the message and work of Jesus was acceptable to the Heavenly Father. One day, Jesus will come again and restore all things to the way they were intended to be before sin came into this world. Before that time comes, all of us have to make the choice of whether or not we will believe in the person and work of Jesus Christ. We have the choice to put our faith and trust in Jesus, or we can deny Jesus and follow a different path in life.
After Peter finished his sermon, there was a great response to his message. As the Bible says, God's word will not return to Him void. There were two reactions to Peter's message. Acts 4 verse 4 says that many people heard the words that Peter spoke and believed. In fact, 5,000 people came to faith in Christ on that day. What a remarkable occurrence. Many preachers don't even preach to that many people in their lifetime. It is my hope that after reading last week's message, that someone may have decided to invite Jesus to be the Lord of his or her life.
There was another reaction to Peter's message. The Sadducees and the rulers of the temple had Peter and John arrested because they preached that Jesus rose from the dead. The Sadducees had been instrumental in having Jesus crucified. They didn't want any preaching to be done in Jesus' name. More than this, the Sadducees denied the doctrine of the resurrection. Jesus and the Sadducees had an encounter about this very issue while Jesus walked this earth. Jesus told them that God was the God of the living and not the God of the dead.
Peter and John were brought before Annas and Caiaphas and asked in what name they had done the miracle of healing the lame man. In verse 10 Peter said, "Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole."
I love this verse for a number of reasons. First of all, Peter is a different man than the one who denied Jesus three times. Peter is filled with courage and boldness in his proclamation of the name of Jesus. He is not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Also, Peter does not back down at addressing Annas and Caiaphas. He pointed out clearly that they were the ones who bore responsibility for the crucifixion of the Lord. However, in spite of what they tried to do, God raised Jesus from the dead.
Peter went on in verse 12 to say, "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we might be saved." This is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It relates a message that many in this world do not want to hear today. It states clearly that Jesus is the only way of salvation. Humanity cannot find its way to God in any way except by accepting Jesus as Lord.
Many people feel that this in intolerant. They believe and teach that there are many paths to God. This is not the teaching of the Bible. Jesus Himself said, "I am the way, the truth and life, no man comes to the Father except by me." That statement and Peter's statement are as clear as can be. Salvation and forgiveness of sin is only available through Jesus. Humanity can only be reconciled to God through the work of Christ on the cross and through his resurrection.
Verse 13 of chapter 4 is another great verse. The officials saw the boldness of Peter and John. They could tell that both of them were untrained men. However, they could tell that Peter and John had been with Jesus. I think that this phrase, "they had been with Jesus has at least a couple of different meanings."
The religious officials recognized Peter and John as being among Jesus' disciples when He walked the earth. Jesus had an inner core of three disciples that included Peter, James and John. The four of them were often together without the other disciples present.
I also think that this phrase refers to the way that Peter and John spoke. They spoke with boldness just the way Jesus did. The Bible says that Jesus spoke with authority. So did Peter and John. They learned well from the master. The religious leaders could also recognize the message of Jesus in the message of Peter and John. Jesus taught that He was the way to eternal life. He was the way to the Father. This is the message the Peter and John were relating to the religious leaders as well.
After a time of discussion, the religious leaders decided to warn Peter and John to no longer preach or speak in the name of Jesus. Peter and John flatly refused. They said, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." They were commissioned by Jesus to spread His message, and that is exactly what they intended to do.
Finally, the officials released them, because they could not deny the validity of the miracle of the lame man who was made to walk by the name of Jesus.
We may face situations in life where it is difficult to speak for Jesus. The forces of evil will always try to bring persecution against those who are trying their best to go full out for the Lord. In the midst of persecution, be bold. Stand up for Jesus. Proclaim His message just as Peter and John did.
You may be reading this message and you have been trusting in some other way of salvation apart from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way. I urge you in the name of Jesus to turn to Christ today for salvation. Make Jesus the Lord of your life, and follow Him from this day forward.
Next week is the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States. The library is going to be closed for several days. I still plan to post a review on Wednesday. However, the Weekend Sermon will be delayed until Saturday next week. May God bless you. Amen.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Update
Tomorrow the forecast is calling for ice and snow in my area. Right now, they don't think it will be too bad. I will try to get to the library tomorrow and post the Weekend Sermon. However, if the weather is bad, the sermon may be delayed until Saturday or Sunday.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Book Review
I am in the process of reading several different books, and I haven't finished any of them this week. For the book review this week, I would like to recommend two books that I read some time ago. I don't believe that I have mentioned them on the blog before.
The books "Walking Ollie" and "Fetching Dylan" are both written by Stephen Foster. The first book deals with Stephen and his partner purchasing Ollie who was a mix between a large breed of sighthound and some other type of dog. Throughout the book, Stephen relates how it was difficult at first to have a relationship with Ollie, but the two managed to get along.
In the second book, Stephen and his partner purchase a second dog. This time, they get a Saluki named Dylan. This book deals with the interaction of Ollie and Dylan and some of the interesting times the dogs and Stephen had together in Norwich and along the beach.
I used to enjoy reading Stephen's blog. He was a soccer fan like I am.
The books "Walking Ollie" and "Fetching Dylan" are both written by Stephen Foster. The first book deals with Stephen and his partner purchasing Ollie who was a mix between a large breed of sighthound and some other type of dog. Throughout the book, Stephen relates how it was difficult at first to have a relationship with Ollie, but the two managed to get along.
In the second book, Stephen and his partner purchase a second dog. This time, they get a Saluki named Dylan. This book deals with the interaction of Ollie and Dylan and some of the interesting times the dogs and Stephen had together in Norwich and along the beach.
I used to enjoy reading Stephen's blog. He was a soccer fan like I am.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Acts 3:11-26
It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. I am glad to be able to post these messages every week. I hope that all of you had a really good week.
Please continue to pray for those who were struck by the terrible typhoon in the Philippines. I heard on the news this morning that in some of the areas with the worst damage, the people have not yet received any type of aid. Pray that aid will reach those who need it. Pray that the Lord will heal the injured and comfort those who mourn.
Please keep the nation of Syria in prayer. The war there continues, and there is also an outbreak of polio among the country's children. Pray for the war to end quickly and for the children to get well.
I would ask that you continue to pray for me. I am working very hard in writing, and I am doing fairly well. I am still looking for more work.
In last week's message, I focused on the miracle that occurred when Peter and John went to the Temple to praise the Lord and proclaim His message. A man who was lame was instantaneously healed and began to praise God. We learned that it is our responsibility as believers in Jesus to do all that is in our power to help those in this world who we can help. We may not be able to do everything, but we can do what Jesus enables so to do to bring honor and glory to His name.
After the lame man was made well, the people that saw the miracle were amazed. They had undoubtedly seen this man begging in the Temple area for years. Many of them may have given him money. They knew that this was not some kind of staged miracle on the part of Peter and John to get a crowd. A truly lame man had been restored to full health and strength. The people wanted to know what was going on, and they flocked to Peter and John to learn more.
In Acts 3 verse 12, the first thing that Peter did when he addressed the crowd was to take the focus off of himself. Peter told the people that the miracle of healing that had just occurred was not through his own or John's power. Peter directed the crowd's attention to the miracle worker Himself. Peter put the focus on Jesus Christ.
In verse 13 Peter said, "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when He was determined to let Him go."
This is a very interesting verse. Peter makes it clear that the God of the Jewish people was the one who sent Jesus into the world. Peter also makes it clear in this passage that Jesus was the Messiah, and that this was demonstrated through the suffering of Jesus. In Isaiah chapters 52 and 53, one called the servant is identified. This servant would suffer for the redemption of His people. Peter is pointing out to the crowd that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isaiah. Jesus is the Servant, and he suffered at the hands of His people and at the hands of the Romans in the same manner as was foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
As Peter says in verse 14, the people denied the Holy One and Just One. Instead, they asked that a murderer be released to them instead. Jesus was completely holy. He never committed any sins. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every manner that we are, yet He was without sin. This title of "Holy One" also equates Jesus with God. It was a name for God. Peter was saying that the people in the crowd did not recognize their God when He came to them in human form. Instead, they chose a murderer and asked that Jesus be crucified.
In verse 15, Peter says that they, "killed the Prince of Life". Jesus was the one who created all and for Him all things were created. Every person owes their existence to Jesus. However, so few acknowledge their Creator. Just as the people did in Jesus' day, the people of this present age do not want to follow Jesus. So many reject Jesus and follow a path that leads to destruction instead of following the path of the Savior that leads to life.
Although the people and the Romans rejected Jesus and put Him to death on the cross, what Jesus did was vindicated by the Heavenly Father. Jesus was raised from the dead. This miraculous resurrection was the proof that all that Jesus did was true. The resurrection was a vindication of Jesus' message. Everything that Jesus taught while He was on this earth is true, and we should follow all that the Lord Jesus has instructed and commanded.
The resurrection also demonstrated that the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for the sins of the human race was acceptable to the Father. Jesus took the sins of this world on Himself. He was the spotless lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
Peter makes it very clear in verse 16, that Jesus was the cause of the lame man's healing. This reflects the glorification of the Risen Lord. Jesus is alive and active. He is with the Father in Heaven, and Jesus is still at work in this world. Jesus is still touching broken lives and healing broken souls and bodies. Jesus may use us as His instruments on this earth, but He is the one who performs mighty miracles, forgives sins and transforms people's lives.
Once again in verse 18, Peter reiterates the fact that everything was foretold by the prophets about the Messiah was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. Then in verse 19, Peter tells the people what they needed to do. They needed to repent so that their sins could be forgiven. Then they would receive a time of refreshing from the Lord.
To repent means to change one's mind. The people did not have the right understanding of who Jesus is or what He did. Peter had just explained to them the truth about the life and work of Jesus. The people now had a decision to make. They could go on in the way they had been going and continue to reject Jesus, or they could change their mind, turn from their sins and be converted. When they turned to Jesus, their sins would be blotted out. They would be forgiven and receive the refreshing presence of the Lord in their lives. Jesus would come into their hearts and have a relationship with them and give them eternal life.
This same good news is available to people today. If you have rejected Jesus, you have just had the truth about Jesus presented to you. You now have a choice. You can repent and turn in faith to the Lord Jesus and receive His forgiveness, or you can continue to reject Jesus just as the people did in His own time.
Peter goes on to say that Jesus would remain in Heaven until it was time for the restoration of all things. Jesus said that He would return to earth one day and establish His eternal kingdom that would have no end. I am looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to occur, and I can't wait for that day. When Jesus returns, He will establish a kingdom of eternal peace. He will rule and reign in righteousness. Sin will no longer have dominion in this world. All will be restored to the way God designed it to be before mankind rebelled against His Creator.
Peter once again tells the people of a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. Moses spoke about the fact that a prophet would be raised up from among the people. This was Jesus. Peter went on to say that every prophet from Samuel on spoke about Jesus. Jesus had come to set His people free. As God said to Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed through Him. Jesus as the seed of Abraham has brought blessing to every one in this world. Anyone can come to faith in Jesus Christ. Anyone can turn from their iniquity and turn to the Savior.
The people who heard Peter that day had to make a decision about Jesus. So do you. Will you follow Jesus. He fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah, Moses and the other prophets. God has raised Him from the dead. Will you accept Him as the Lord and Savior of your life.
Next week, I will bring a message about Acts 4 and what happened to Peter and John after this message was concluded. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God Bless You.
Please continue to pray for those who were struck by the terrible typhoon in the Philippines. I heard on the news this morning that in some of the areas with the worst damage, the people have not yet received any type of aid. Pray that aid will reach those who need it. Pray that the Lord will heal the injured and comfort those who mourn.
Please keep the nation of Syria in prayer. The war there continues, and there is also an outbreak of polio among the country's children. Pray for the war to end quickly and for the children to get well.
I would ask that you continue to pray for me. I am working very hard in writing, and I am doing fairly well. I am still looking for more work.
In last week's message, I focused on the miracle that occurred when Peter and John went to the Temple to praise the Lord and proclaim His message. A man who was lame was instantaneously healed and began to praise God. We learned that it is our responsibility as believers in Jesus to do all that is in our power to help those in this world who we can help. We may not be able to do everything, but we can do what Jesus enables so to do to bring honor and glory to His name.
After the lame man was made well, the people that saw the miracle were amazed. They had undoubtedly seen this man begging in the Temple area for years. Many of them may have given him money. They knew that this was not some kind of staged miracle on the part of Peter and John to get a crowd. A truly lame man had been restored to full health and strength. The people wanted to know what was going on, and they flocked to Peter and John to learn more.
In Acts 3 verse 12, the first thing that Peter did when he addressed the crowd was to take the focus off of himself. Peter told the people that the miracle of healing that had just occurred was not through his own or John's power. Peter directed the crowd's attention to the miracle worker Himself. Peter put the focus on Jesus Christ.
In verse 13 Peter said, "The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when He was determined to let Him go."
This is a very interesting verse. Peter makes it clear that the God of the Jewish people was the one who sent Jesus into the world. Peter also makes it clear in this passage that Jesus was the Messiah, and that this was demonstrated through the suffering of Jesus. In Isaiah chapters 52 and 53, one called the servant is identified. This servant would suffer for the redemption of His people. Peter is pointing out to the crowd that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy found in Isaiah. Jesus is the Servant, and he suffered at the hands of His people and at the hands of the Romans in the same manner as was foretold by the prophet Isaiah.
As Peter says in verse 14, the people denied the Holy One and Just One. Instead, they asked that a murderer be released to them instead. Jesus was completely holy. He never committed any sins. The Bible says that Jesus was tempted in every manner that we are, yet He was without sin. This title of "Holy One" also equates Jesus with God. It was a name for God. Peter was saying that the people in the crowd did not recognize their God when He came to them in human form. Instead, they chose a murderer and asked that Jesus be crucified.
In verse 15, Peter says that they, "killed the Prince of Life". Jesus was the one who created all and for Him all things were created. Every person owes their existence to Jesus. However, so few acknowledge their Creator. Just as the people did in Jesus' day, the people of this present age do not want to follow Jesus. So many reject Jesus and follow a path that leads to destruction instead of following the path of the Savior that leads to life.
Although the people and the Romans rejected Jesus and put Him to death on the cross, what Jesus did was vindicated by the Heavenly Father. Jesus was raised from the dead. This miraculous resurrection was the proof that all that Jesus did was true. The resurrection was a vindication of Jesus' message. Everything that Jesus taught while He was on this earth is true, and we should follow all that the Lord Jesus has instructed and commanded.
The resurrection also demonstrated that the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for the sins of the human race was acceptable to the Father. Jesus took the sins of this world on Himself. He was the spotless lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.
Peter makes it very clear in verse 16, that Jesus was the cause of the lame man's healing. This reflects the glorification of the Risen Lord. Jesus is alive and active. He is with the Father in Heaven, and Jesus is still at work in this world. Jesus is still touching broken lives and healing broken souls and bodies. Jesus may use us as His instruments on this earth, but He is the one who performs mighty miracles, forgives sins and transforms people's lives.
Once again in verse 18, Peter reiterates the fact that everything was foretold by the prophets about the Messiah was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. Then in verse 19, Peter tells the people what they needed to do. They needed to repent so that their sins could be forgiven. Then they would receive a time of refreshing from the Lord.
To repent means to change one's mind. The people did not have the right understanding of who Jesus is or what He did. Peter had just explained to them the truth about the life and work of Jesus. The people now had a decision to make. They could go on in the way they had been going and continue to reject Jesus, or they could change their mind, turn from their sins and be converted. When they turned to Jesus, their sins would be blotted out. They would be forgiven and receive the refreshing presence of the Lord in their lives. Jesus would come into their hearts and have a relationship with them and give them eternal life.
This same good news is available to people today. If you have rejected Jesus, you have just had the truth about Jesus presented to you. You now have a choice. You can repent and turn in faith to the Lord Jesus and receive His forgiveness, or you can continue to reject Jesus just as the people did in His own time.
Peter goes on to say that Jesus would remain in Heaven until it was time for the restoration of all things. Jesus said that He would return to earth one day and establish His eternal kingdom that would have no end. I am looking for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to occur, and I can't wait for that day. When Jesus returns, He will establish a kingdom of eternal peace. He will rule and reign in righteousness. Sin will no longer have dominion in this world. All will be restored to the way God designed it to be before mankind rebelled against His Creator.
Peter once again tells the people of a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. Moses spoke about the fact that a prophet would be raised up from among the people. This was Jesus. Peter went on to say that every prophet from Samuel on spoke about Jesus. Jesus had come to set His people free. As God said to Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed through Him. Jesus as the seed of Abraham has brought blessing to every one in this world. Anyone can come to faith in Jesus Christ. Anyone can turn from their iniquity and turn to the Savior.
The people who heard Peter that day had to make a decision about Jesus. So do you. Will you follow Jesus. He fulfilled the prophetic words of Isaiah, Moses and the other prophets. God has raised Him from the dead. Will you accept Him as the Lord and Savior of your life.
Next week, I will bring a message about Acts 4 and what happened to Peter and John after this message was concluded. I will post a review on Wednesday. May God Bless You.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Book Review
The first book that I would like to review today is called "The Compassion of Animals" written by Kristin Von Kreisler. This well-written book contains numerous stories about the ways that dogs, cats, horses and other animals demonstrate caring and help and protect their human companions. One of the stories I liked the best was about a dog named Dylan who helped his human companion to overcome a depression that had incapacitated her for five years. Another good story tells about how a dog named Rosie kept burglars away from the house. In a story about a dog named Bruno, the author tells about how Bruno came to the aid of a stranger who was being attacked in a rural area near where the dog lived. This brave dog later suffered at the hands of humans showing once again, that in many cases, animals are much more noble acting than people. I highly recommend this book.
The second book that I want to recommend today is not an animal book. In his book "Loving Jesus", seminary professor Mark Allan Powell writes about how loving Jesus and being loved by Jesus is at the center of the Christian faith. In this excellent book, Powell talks about loving Jesus in community and through the practices of prayer, Bible reading and meditation. One of the best chapters in the book talks about how we love Jesus when we anticipate His coming and wish that we could be with Him soon. This book is written by a seminary professor, but it is not a book of complicated, technical theology. It is a book that should be read by those who want to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
The second book that I want to recommend today is not an animal book. In his book "Loving Jesus", seminary professor Mark Allan Powell writes about how loving Jesus and being loved by Jesus is at the center of the Christian faith. In this excellent book, Powell talks about loving Jesus in community and through the practices of prayer, Bible reading and meditation. One of the best chapters in the book talks about how we love Jesus when we anticipate His coming and wish that we could be with Him soon. This book is written by a seminary professor, but it is not a book of complicated, technical theology. It is a book that should be read by those who want to have a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Weekend Sermon--Acts 3
I am glad that it is once again the end of the week. I am always glad to be posting the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had a good week.
I am especially glad for an end to this week. This has been a very hard week. I am truly thankful that the Lord provided a way for me to meet some of the financial need that I have in my life. Everything is not the way it should be, but a crisis has been survived for now. Please keep praying that the Lord will supply all of my needs.
Please pray for the people in the Philippines. A large typhoon has hit that country, and the damage has been devastating. I know that there is one person who lives in the Philippines who regularly reads this blog. Please be safe.
There is one other thing I would like everyone to pray about this week. I heard a report that there is a serious polio outbreak in Syria. Please pray that this will end, and the children will receive the vaccinations that they need. Pray for peace in Syria.
Last week, I wrote a message about the characteristics of the first believers who trusted in the Lord after Peter's message on the day of Pentecost. At that first sermon, 3,000 people were added to the church. They followed the doctrine and the teachings of the Apostles. They were people of prayer who had fellowship with one another. They also sought equality with one another. If anyone among them had a need, the other Christians did what was necessary to meet that need. That is the way that it should be in the body of Christ today. There should not be extremes of poverty and wealth. We as followers of Christ should help the other members of the body of Christ.
In today's message, I would like to continue with the focus on what was happening in the early church as recorded in Acts chapter 3.
When Acts 3 begins, Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray and proclaim the message of the Risen Lord. While they were there, a man who was lame from birth was begging and asking for alms.
Peter saw this man and told him that he didn't have any silver or gold, but what he did have, he would give to him. He told the man to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus. The man's legs were immediately strengthened, and he went walking and leaping and praising God.
What lessons can we learn from this incident? First of all, Peter and John did for the man what they could do. In this instance, it was to restore him to physical wholeness. We may not have been given the power by God to speak a word of healing as the Apostles were, but each one of us has been given gifts by the Lord to help meet the needs of others.
We live in a hurting world filled with great need. In our own communities there are people who do not have enough to eat or enough money to pay their bills. They need some help. Thankfully, there are Christians that God has blessed financially who are able to meet the needs of those in distress. Others need a word of encouragement or someone to talk to. We can speak a word of hope and lend a listening ear.
All Christians have the task of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission. And all of us can pray for those in need.
We have to do what we can to help others in the name of Jesus. Jesus will give us the strength through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Another important thing that I see in this incident is that the man was completely healed. From what I can see in the Bible, there is no one who was ministered to by Jesus or the Apostles who went away partially healed. They were made whole.
This is something that bothers me a great deal with some of the healing ministers seen today. Someone will claim healing, and they will get out of their wheelchair and still be limping around. In one instance that I saw personally, a healer proclaimed healing to a man, grabbed him out of the wheelchair and pulled him on to the floor. This poor man went crawling on his hands and knees on the floor. The healer said that this was a great healing because now at least the man could crawl. This kind of thing does not follow the Biblical pattern of what constitutes a miracle. When the Lord heals someone, they are healed.
Finally, the man who was healed gave his praise and thanksgiving to God. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, let's remember that we have much to be thankful for. The Lord has given us his marvelous salvation. We have food to eat, clothes to wear, transportation. Whatever the Lord has done for us and provided for us, we should always give Him thanks and praise because His love for us is amazing.
This great healing of the lame man got people's attention, and a crowd gathered. Peter used this as an opportunity to proclaim the message of Jesus. Peter told the crowd that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had glorified Jesus by raising Him from the dead. It was in the name of Jesus that the man had been made whole.
Peter then went on to proclaim the message of Jesus and how Jesus was the fulfillment of some important Old Testament prophecies. He urged the people to repent.
In next week's message, I want to focus on the message that Peter preached in more detail. I also want to focus on the reaction of the religious leaders and Peter and John's defense of their actions before the Sanhedrin.
I will post a book review on Wednesday. May God bless you. Amen.
I am especially glad for an end to this week. This has been a very hard week. I am truly thankful that the Lord provided a way for me to meet some of the financial need that I have in my life. Everything is not the way it should be, but a crisis has been survived for now. Please keep praying that the Lord will supply all of my needs.
Please pray for the people in the Philippines. A large typhoon has hit that country, and the damage has been devastating. I know that there is one person who lives in the Philippines who regularly reads this blog. Please be safe.
There is one other thing I would like everyone to pray about this week. I heard a report that there is a serious polio outbreak in Syria. Please pray that this will end, and the children will receive the vaccinations that they need. Pray for peace in Syria.
Last week, I wrote a message about the characteristics of the first believers who trusted in the Lord after Peter's message on the day of Pentecost. At that first sermon, 3,000 people were added to the church. They followed the doctrine and the teachings of the Apostles. They were people of prayer who had fellowship with one another. They also sought equality with one another. If anyone among them had a need, the other Christians did what was necessary to meet that need. That is the way that it should be in the body of Christ today. There should not be extremes of poverty and wealth. We as followers of Christ should help the other members of the body of Christ.
In today's message, I would like to continue with the focus on what was happening in the early church as recorded in Acts chapter 3.
When Acts 3 begins, Peter and John were going to the Temple to pray and proclaim the message of the Risen Lord. While they were there, a man who was lame from birth was begging and asking for alms.
Peter saw this man and told him that he didn't have any silver or gold, but what he did have, he would give to him. He told the man to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus. The man's legs were immediately strengthened, and he went walking and leaping and praising God.
What lessons can we learn from this incident? First of all, Peter and John did for the man what they could do. In this instance, it was to restore him to physical wholeness. We may not have been given the power by God to speak a word of healing as the Apostles were, but each one of us has been given gifts by the Lord to help meet the needs of others.
We live in a hurting world filled with great need. In our own communities there are people who do not have enough to eat or enough money to pay their bills. They need some help. Thankfully, there are Christians that God has blessed financially who are able to meet the needs of those in distress. Others need a word of encouragement or someone to talk to. We can speak a word of hope and lend a listening ear.
All Christians have the task of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission. And all of us can pray for those in need.
We have to do what we can to help others in the name of Jesus. Jesus will give us the strength through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Another important thing that I see in this incident is that the man was completely healed. From what I can see in the Bible, there is no one who was ministered to by Jesus or the Apostles who went away partially healed. They were made whole.
This is something that bothers me a great deal with some of the healing ministers seen today. Someone will claim healing, and they will get out of their wheelchair and still be limping around. In one instance that I saw personally, a healer proclaimed healing to a man, grabbed him out of the wheelchair and pulled him on to the floor. This poor man went crawling on his hands and knees on the floor. The healer said that this was a great healing because now at least the man could crawl. This kind of thing does not follow the Biblical pattern of what constitutes a miracle. When the Lord heals someone, they are healed.
Finally, the man who was healed gave his praise and thanksgiving to God. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday here in the United States, let's remember that we have much to be thankful for. The Lord has given us his marvelous salvation. We have food to eat, clothes to wear, transportation. Whatever the Lord has done for us and provided for us, we should always give Him thanks and praise because His love for us is amazing.
This great healing of the lame man got people's attention, and a crowd gathered. Peter used this as an opportunity to proclaim the message of Jesus. Peter told the crowd that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had glorified Jesus by raising Him from the dead. It was in the name of Jesus that the man had been made whole.
Peter then went on to proclaim the message of Jesus and how Jesus was the fulfillment of some important Old Testament prophecies. He urged the people to repent.
In next week's message, I want to focus on the message that Peter preached in more detail. I also want to focus on the reaction of the religious leaders and Peter and John's defense of their actions before the Sanhedrin.
I will post a book review on Wednesday. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Book Review
Today I am reviewing a book for younger readers that I enjoyed. The name of the book is "Mountain Dog" and it is written by Margarita Engle". This book tells the story of a young boy who must go to live with his uncle when the boy's mother is sent to prison for operating a dog fighting ring. The uncle has a mountain rescue dog named Gabe who helps the boy overcome his sadness and cope with his new situation. What is most interesting about this novel, is that it is composed in verse. The author does a fantastic job in this format, and I heartily recommend this book.
Another book written in a prose poem style that I like a great deal is "Platero and I" written by the Nobel Prize winning poet, Juan Ramon Jimenez. Jimenez writes in a much more artistic style. He was a master poet, and I recommend his work as well.
This last week, I've been reading some of the older animal books I've read many times in the past. I don't know if I have recommended "My Dog Skip" by Willie Morris, but it is truly an outstanding book. I enjoy this book every time that I read it. While Willie Morris and Skip spent their years together before I came along, much of what Morris recounts in the book reminds me of growing up in my small, Kansas town.
Finally, I've been once again reading some of James Herriot's Dog Stories. No matter how many times I read these, I like them just as much as I did when I read them the first time all those years ago. For those of you who don't know, James Herriot is my favorite author. Besides his books, the book that Herriot's son wrote about his father is also a book I recommend. It is called "The Real James Herriot."
Another book written in a prose poem style that I like a great deal is "Platero and I" written by the Nobel Prize winning poet, Juan Ramon Jimenez. Jimenez writes in a much more artistic style. He was a master poet, and I recommend his work as well.
This last week, I've been reading some of the older animal books I've read many times in the past. I don't know if I have recommended "My Dog Skip" by Willie Morris, but it is truly an outstanding book. I enjoy this book every time that I read it. While Willie Morris and Skip spent their years together before I came along, much of what Morris recounts in the book reminds me of growing up in my small, Kansas town.
Finally, I've been once again reading some of James Herriot's Dog Stories. No matter how many times I read these, I like them just as much as I did when I read them the first time all those years ago. For those of you who don't know, James Herriot is my favorite author. Besides his books, the book that Herriot's son wrote about his father is also a book I recommend. It is called "The Real James Herriot."
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Things to Be Thankful For
I have two things to be very thankful for today. As you know, I have asked you to pray that God would supply my financial needs. There was a big breakthrough today. I am going to be able to stay in my house. Praise the Lord for His goodness. Thank you for your prayers.
I am also thankful that there is a peace agreement in the Congo. I have been praying for peace in this country for years. Today, I heard on the morning news that the government and one of the rebel groups signed a peace accord. Thank the Lord for this. My cousin and her husband were missionaries in the Congo for several years. They had to leave the country when war broke out. I know that they will be glad to hear this news as well.
I am also thankful that there is a peace agreement in the Congo. I have been praying for peace in this country for years. Today, I heard on the morning news that the government and one of the rebel groups signed a peace accord. Thank the Lord for this. My cousin and her husband were missionaries in the Congo for several years. They had to leave the country when war broke out. I know that they will be glad to hear this news as well.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Weekend Sermon
I thank the Lord that it is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone had a very good week.
This was a very busy week for me with highs and lows. Those who read the blog know that on Tuesday I went to an author presentation that I enjoyed very much. I am thankful that I got to go to this as I'd been looking forward to it for a long time. I am also thankful that all of the bad weather this week didn't cause any problems with my house's foundation that is not so good.
I still haven't been able to sell the things that I need to sell in order to get things back on track financially. Please continue to pray that the Lord will work in this area of my life so that I can get back on track once again. I am really believing that the Lord is going to do something very positive in this regard in the coming days.
Last week, we finished our series on the book of Revelation by looking at Revelation chapters 21 and 22. One day, at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ, the Lord is going to make a new Heaven and a new earth. All of the old will pass away and every thing will be knew. There will be no more crying, pain or death. I know that I am looking forward to that day. Only those who have put their faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus will be able to be part of the New Jerusalem that is coming down out of Heaven.
Today, I am not going to start a new series. For the next couple of weeks, I will just write some general sermons. Soon, we will be in the Advent season celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. After the Advent season, I intend to start a new series. As I mentioned last week, I am leaning towards going through the book of I Peter. However, I may do a series on the presentation of the majesty of Christ as recorded in the book of Hebrews. I will see how the Lord leads.
For are message today, I would like to talk about the features that distinguished the church right after the day of Pentecost. After Jesus rose from the dead, He was on this earth for a period of 40 days and was seen by many witnesses. At the end of this time, Jesus ascended into Heaven in the sight of His apostles. Before He left this earth, Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Ten days after Jesus ascended into Heaven, the apostles, along with several other followers of Jesus, were gathered in the Upper Room. The Holy Spirit filled them, and they began to speak in other tongues.
Peter then preached a sermon explaining who Jesus was and what He had done. Peter urged his listeners to receive Jesus and be baptized. Three thousand souls were added to the kingdom on that day.
Acts 2:42-47 gives an account of the practices of these early believers that numbered 120 plus the 3,000 born again on the day of Pentecost. The church of today would do well to imitate the spiritual practices of these first followers of the risen Lord.
The first thing that these early Christians did was remain steadfast in the apostle's doctrine. This is so important today that I can't emphasize it enough. There has been a great departure from the apostle's doctrine. Much of what is taught in church today is not the teaching of the New Testament Church. The church will only be strong and influence the world when it follows what the Bible has to say. So much evangelical teaching today is focused on prosperity. This doctrine is not taught in the Scripture. Many other churches deny the orthodox doctrines of the faith such as the full divinity of Jesus, the bodily resurrection and the literal Second Coming. We must get back to the accurate teaching of Scripture.
The early church also continued in fellowship and breaking of bread. These are actually two different things. First of all, the early believers came together to encourage one another and to help one another. They joined together in worship and in conducting the evangelistic and social ministry of the church. Breaking of bread refers to the celebration of communion or the Eucharist.
Verse 42 also says that the early Christians continued in prayer. They were a praying people. I believe that more time should be devoted in most church services to prayer. All believers should be engaged in daily prayer. I urge you to try to pray at least once every day. Tell the Lord all of your concerns, and ask Him to intervene in this world's needs.
Jesus spoke often about prayer. Several months ago, I did a series of messages on this blog about Jesus' teachings on prayer. Please reference these if you feel that these teachings would be of benefit to you.
Verse 44 says that the early believers had all things is common. They sold there possessions and divided their resources so that there was no need among them. This certainly doesn't sound like any church I've ever been to. But this is the way it should be today. Those of us in the body of Christ should be meeting each others needs.
Most churches have people as members who are facing a really hard time. It is the responsibility of the family of God to help our brothers and sisters. In a congregation of any size, someone who needs help with food, clothing, medical expenses, transportation, heating bills, etc. shouldn't have to go to the government for help. Christians should help each other out without making people feel humiliation. We shouldn't be concerned about this world's riches.
I truly believe that the teaching of the New Testament is that the church should seek equality among its members. It is not following a New Testament pattern when there are extremes of wealth and poverty within the Christian community.
Let me add this so there is no misunderstanding. I am in no way opposed to government aid programs for the poor, sick and elderly. I actually think that there should be more of them. I find it shameful that many who claim to be Christians are constantly wanting to cut money for food stamps, social security and help for the disabled. What I am saying is that most churches could and should do more to help fellow Christians.
In verse 47, it says that the early Christians praised God daily. We have so much to praise God for. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. We have eternal life. God has blessed us with a beautiful world. We should praise God for who He is and for all that He has done for us.
Finally, in the early church days, the Lord was adding to the church daily those who were being saved. Many churches I know go for many months without seeing a convert. These early Christians were spreading the faith. They were obeying the Great Commission and sharing the love of Jesus. If all of us who are followers of Jesus would do this today, we would see more people turning their lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
If you are reading this message, and you haven't turned to Jesus is repentance and faith, please do so today. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Ask Him to forgive you, and invite Him into your life as Savior and Lord.
Next Wednesday, I will post another book review. I hope to see you next Friday for another Weekend Sermon. May God bless you. Amen.
This was a very busy week for me with highs and lows. Those who read the blog know that on Tuesday I went to an author presentation that I enjoyed very much. I am thankful that I got to go to this as I'd been looking forward to it for a long time. I am also thankful that all of the bad weather this week didn't cause any problems with my house's foundation that is not so good.
I still haven't been able to sell the things that I need to sell in order to get things back on track financially. Please continue to pray that the Lord will work in this area of my life so that I can get back on track once again. I am really believing that the Lord is going to do something very positive in this regard in the coming days.
Last week, we finished our series on the book of Revelation by looking at Revelation chapters 21 and 22. One day, at the end of the Millennial reign of Christ, the Lord is going to make a new Heaven and a new earth. All of the old will pass away and every thing will be knew. There will be no more crying, pain or death. I know that I am looking forward to that day. Only those who have put their faith and trust in the finished work of Jesus will be able to be part of the New Jerusalem that is coming down out of Heaven.
Today, I am not going to start a new series. For the next couple of weeks, I will just write some general sermons. Soon, we will be in the Advent season celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. After the Advent season, I intend to start a new series. As I mentioned last week, I am leaning towards going through the book of I Peter. However, I may do a series on the presentation of the majesty of Christ as recorded in the book of Hebrews. I will see how the Lord leads.
For are message today, I would like to talk about the features that distinguished the church right after the day of Pentecost. After Jesus rose from the dead, He was on this earth for a period of 40 days and was seen by many witnesses. At the end of this time, Jesus ascended into Heaven in the sight of His apostles. Before He left this earth, Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until the power of the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Ten days after Jesus ascended into Heaven, the apostles, along with several other followers of Jesus, were gathered in the Upper Room. The Holy Spirit filled them, and they began to speak in other tongues.
Peter then preached a sermon explaining who Jesus was and what He had done. Peter urged his listeners to receive Jesus and be baptized. Three thousand souls were added to the kingdom on that day.
Acts 2:42-47 gives an account of the practices of these early believers that numbered 120 plus the 3,000 born again on the day of Pentecost. The church of today would do well to imitate the spiritual practices of these first followers of the risen Lord.
The first thing that these early Christians did was remain steadfast in the apostle's doctrine. This is so important today that I can't emphasize it enough. There has been a great departure from the apostle's doctrine. Much of what is taught in church today is not the teaching of the New Testament Church. The church will only be strong and influence the world when it follows what the Bible has to say. So much evangelical teaching today is focused on prosperity. This doctrine is not taught in the Scripture. Many other churches deny the orthodox doctrines of the faith such as the full divinity of Jesus, the bodily resurrection and the literal Second Coming. We must get back to the accurate teaching of Scripture.
The early church also continued in fellowship and breaking of bread. These are actually two different things. First of all, the early believers came together to encourage one another and to help one another. They joined together in worship and in conducting the evangelistic and social ministry of the church. Breaking of bread refers to the celebration of communion or the Eucharist.
Verse 42 also says that the early Christians continued in prayer. They were a praying people. I believe that more time should be devoted in most church services to prayer. All believers should be engaged in daily prayer. I urge you to try to pray at least once every day. Tell the Lord all of your concerns, and ask Him to intervene in this world's needs.
Jesus spoke often about prayer. Several months ago, I did a series of messages on this blog about Jesus' teachings on prayer. Please reference these if you feel that these teachings would be of benefit to you.
Verse 44 says that the early believers had all things is common. They sold there possessions and divided their resources so that there was no need among them. This certainly doesn't sound like any church I've ever been to. But this is the way it should be today. Those of us in the body of Christ should be meeting each others needs.
Most churches have people as members who are facing a really hard time. It is the responsibility of the family of God to help our brothers and sisters. In a congregation of any size, someone who needs help with food, clothing, medical expenses, transportation, heating bills, etc. shouldn't have to go to the government for help. Christians should help each other out without making people feel humiliation. We shouldn't be concerned about this world's riches.
I truly believe that the teaching of the New Testament is that the church should seek equality among its members. It is not following a New Testament pattern when there are extremes of wealth and poverty within the Christian community.
Let me add this so there is no misunderstanding. I am in no way opposed to government aid programs for the poor, sick and elderly. I actually think that there should be more of them. I find it shameful that many who claim to be Christians are constantly wanting to cut money for food stamps, social security and help for the disabled. What I am saying is that most churches could and should do more to help fellow Christians.
In verse 47, it says that the early Christians praised God daily. We have so much to praise God for. We have been redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. We have eternal life. God has blessed us with a beautiful world. We should praise God for who He is and for all that He has done for us.
Finally, in the early church days, the Lord was adding to the church daily those who were being saved. Many churches I know go for many months without seeing a convert. These early Christians were spreading the faith. They were obeying the Great Commission and sharing the love of Jesus. If all of us who are followers of Jesus would do this today, we would see more people turning their lives over to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
If you are reading this message, and you haven't turned to Jesus is repentance and faith, please do so today. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Ask Him to forgive you, and invite Him into your life as Savior and Lord.
Next Wednesday, I will post another book review. I hope to see you next Friday for another Weekend Sermon. May God bless you. Amen.
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