Welcome again to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. As I am typing this sermon, the snow is really coming down outside. I have a 15 mile drive to my house, so this may be an abbreviated sermon. Please pray that I can get back home safely.
This was a good week at work. I know that your prayers helped. I am very grateful for my job, and things seem to be going well at this point. Please continue to pray that the Lord Jesus will help me to do a good job.
In prayer this week, continue to pray for peace around the world. Pray for peace in Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Ukraine. Let us also pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are facing persecution around the world.
In last week's message, we learned that no matter what we are facing now in life, those of us who are in Christ know that He has redeemed us and has prepared a place for us in Heaven with Him, and we will be with Jesus for all eternity.
Today, we turn our attention to two important matters discussed in I Peter. First of all, we need to focus on how precious our salvation is. Then, we need to focus on how we should live in light of the fact that we have received so great a salvation.
In verses 18-21, we see how we have been redeemed. Our redemption from sin was not purchased by corruptible things. It was not purchased with silver or with gold. We were not redeemed from sin because of keeping the traditions of men. In other words, there was no religious system or body of belief that could save us. We could not save or redeem ourselves by our own efforts or by our own good works.
As it clearly states in I Peter 1:19, we are redeemed with, "the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot." As John the Baptist said when he saw Jesus by the Jordan River, Jesus was the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.
So, what does this mean. In the Old Testament, the people were required to bring as a sacrifice for their sins a lamb without blemish from their flocks. This lamb was slain in order to demonstrate the penalty for sin which is death. As the Bible says, without the shedding of blood there is no remission.
Jesus is the Lamb of God. God sent His Son into this world to live a perfect, holy and sinless life. He was without sin, so He could be our sin bearer. When Jesus was on the cross, He bore our sins in His body. Our sins were imputed into Him. As we saw when we studied the book of Hebrews, Jesus became the once and for all sacrifice for sins.
The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross was foreordained before the foundation of the world. Just as the Lord foreordained salvation for those who would believe in Jesus, Jesus' ministry on earth, His death and His resurrection were also foreordained.
This is the great and precious salvation that has been provided for us. God loved us so much, that He sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to die for us. Jesus loved us so much that He was willing to come to this earth and take up humanity. He was willing to suffer the cruel death of a cross for us so that we might have salvation and the redemption of sin.
Now, knowing that all of this has provided for us by the Lord, how should we act. What should be our response. If you have not accepted the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord, I hope that your response will be to turn to Jesus for salvation and life. If you have trusted in the Lord Jesus, Peter shows us what our response should be.
We should be obedient to those things which are commanded by the Lord. We should not continue to follow the lusts of the flesh. While He was on this earth, Jesus clearly revealed to us the behavior that He expects of those who wish to follow Him. If we really treasure what Jesus has done for us, we will make every effort as we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives of holiness that are pleasing to the Lord.
Those of us who follow the Lord should lead lives that are different from those who do not know Jesus as Lord. We should follow the way of the cross and not the way of the world.
I will probably go into all of this in more depth next week, Lord willing. Next week's posting schedule will be dependent on the weather. We are expected a bad weather week. I will post what I can when I can. May God bless you all. Amen.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Book Review
The weather wasn't as bad today as was predicted earlier in the week, so I am here at the library after work to post a review. Actually, what I would like to do today is to just list some books and some authors in some various categories that have meant a lot to me over the years. Some I have probably mentioned before, but as there are new blog readers all of the time, they are worth mentioning again.
Religious Books
Safe In the Shepherd's Arms-- Max Lucado
Saving the Earth Without Worshiping Creation -- Tony Campolo
Twenty Hot Potatoes Christians are Afraid to Touch-- Tony Campolo
Soul Survivor -- Philip Yancey
What's So Amazing About Grace -- Philip Yancey
The Bible Jesus Read-- Philip Yancey
The Jesus I Never Knew-- Philip Yancey
The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary
Systematic Theology-- Millard Erickson
Jesus--Charles Swindoll
The Holiness of God-- R.C. Sproul
Why?-- Adam Hamilton
Jesus Lord and Savior-- F.F. Bruce
The Works of C.S. Lewis
The Sermons of John Wesley
Heaven-- Randy Alcorn
Commentaries by F.F. Bruce
Knowing God-- J.I Packer
The Works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Works of Soren Kierkegaard
The Works of Karl Barth
Poetry
Poetry by
Juan Ramon Jimenez
Mary Oliver
Robert Herrick
William Cowper
William Blake
William Wordsworth
William Carlos Williams
Dog Books
Maya's First Rose-- Martin Scot Kosins
The Dog's Who Came to Stay-- George Pitcher
I Have Heard You Calling in the Night-- Thomas Healy
Katie Up and Down the Hall-- Glenn Plaskin
Endal-- Alan Parton
Judy-- Damien Lewis
The Dog Who Could Fly-- Damien Lewis
Freedom in the Air-- Hamish Ross
My Dog Skip-- Willie Morris
Angel By My Side-- Klinglighter
Blind Courage-- Bill Irwin
A Walk Across America-- Peter Jenkins
Timbuktu-- Paul Auster
Nop's Trials-- Donald McCaig
Dangerous Dogs, Eminent Men-- Donald McCaig
Spotted in France-- Gregory Edmont
Home Waters-- Joseph Monninger
Merle's Door-- Ted Kerasote
Cat Books
The Cat Who Came For Christmas, The Cat and the Curmudgeon, The Best Cat Ever-- Cleveland Amory
The Cat Who Went to Paris, A Cat Abroad, The Best Cat Ever-- Peter Gethers
General Animal Books
The Works of James Herriot( My Favorite)
Tiger Books by Valmik Thapar-- Tiger Portrait of a Predator is the best.
Religious Books
Safe In the Shepherd's Arms-- Max Lucado
Saving the Earth Without Worshiping Creation -- Tony Campolo
Twenty Hot Potatoes Christians are Afraid to Touch-- Tony Campolo
Soul Survivor -- Philip Yancey
What's So Amazing About Grace -- Philip Yancey
The Bible Jesus Read-- Philip Yancey
The Jesus I Never Knew-- Philip Yancey
The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary
Systematic Theology-- Millard Erickson
Jesus--Charles Swindoll
The Holiness of God-- R.C. Sproul
Why?-- Adam Hamilton
Jesus Lord and Savior-- F.F. Bruce
The Works of C.S. Lewis
The Sermons of John Wesley
Heaven-- Randy Alcorn
Commentaries by F.F. Bruce
Knowing God-- J.I Packer
The Works of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Works of Soren Kierkegaard
The Works of Karl Barth
Poetry
Poetry by
Juan Ramon Jimenez
Mary Oliver
Robert Herrick
William Cowper
William Blake
William Wordsworth
William Carlos Williams
Dog Books
Maya's First Rose-- Martin Scot Kosins
The Dog's Who Came to Stay-- George Pitcher
I Have Heard You Calling in the Night-- Thomas Healy
Katie Up and Down the Hall-- Glenn Plaskin
Endal-- Alan Parton
Judy-- Damien Lewis
The Dog Who Could Fly-- Damien Lewis
Freedom in the Air-- Hamish Ross
My Dog Skip-- Willie Morris
Angel By My Side-- Klinglighter
Blind Courage-- Bill Irwin
A Walk Across America-- Peter Jenkins
Timbuktu-- Paul Auster
Nop's Trials-- Donald McCaig
Dangerous Dogs, Eminent Men-- Donald McCaig
Spotted in France-- Gregory Edmont
Home Waters-- Joseph Monninger
Merle's Door-- Ted Kerasote
Cat Books
The Cat Who Came For Christmas, The Cat and the Curmudgeon, The Best Cat Ever-- Cleveland Amory
The Cat Who Went to Paris, A Cat Abroad, The Best Cat Ever-- Peter Gethers
General Animal Books
The Works of James Herriot( My Favorite)
Tiger Books by Valmik Thapar-- Tiger Portrait of a Predator is the best.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Verses For the Week
James 1:17 -- "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Psalm 145:17 -- "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His deeds."
Matthew 9:36 -- "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
Psalm 145:17 -- "The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His deeds."
Matthew 9:36 -- "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Weekend Sermon-- I Peter 1:6-13
Thanks be to God, the bad ice storm that was predicted did not materialize. Just as the trees and power lines started to ice up, the rain stopped. I am glad to be able to post the Weekend Sermon today.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers over the last few weeks. Last week, I was feeling down about my new job, but this week was so much better. I came to the realization that this job is about 1,000 percent better than the last job I had. That job left me feeling very bad, especially with all that happened there. This new company has an entirely different atmosphere. I am very thankful to the Lord for providing me with this job and for keeping me pretty healthy these last few months.
As we go to prayer this week, let us remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around this world who are suffering terrible persecution. It saddens me greatly to hear about what happened to the Christians in Libya. In many parts of the world right now, believers are suffering and dying for their testimony of Jesus. Please pray for strength and help for those facing these hard times.
Let us also continue to pray for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. Let us pray for the spread of the Gospel of the love of Jesus all across the world.
In last week's message, we saw that because of the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead, we who are believers in Jesus have the hope of eternal life. We need not fear death, because Jesus has prepared a place for us and we are kept by the power of the Lord.
Today, we see that our hope in the world to come and the return of Jesus in power and great glory can sustain us even in times of suffering and difficulty. Everyone who lives on planet Earth will face hard and trying circumstances at sometime in life. Unfortunately, no one is immune from suffering.
Peter was writing this epistle to those who were suffering persecution for their faith. I hope that those who are facing persecution for the faith right now will read and take comfort in the words of the Apostle Peter found in this epistle.
I Peter 1:7 speaks about the trial of faith might be a time of praise and honor to Jesus. I believe that what Peter is saying in our section of Scripture this week is that even when we face persecution or difficulty in this life, we still have hope. We should not become discouraged and lose heart. The reason for this lies in the fact that Jesus is alive and has gone to prepare a place for us in Heaven. No matter what type of persecution is thrown at a Christian on earth, the believer has an ultimate hope that this life is not all that there is. Because Jesus died and rose again from the grave, we have eternal life and salvation. Though we may suffer even unto the point of losing our lives for the sake of the Gospel, we will have eternal life with Jesus for all of eternity.
Most of us in North America and Europe( as well as many other nations) don't face the persecution that our fellow believers are facing in some countries. However, all of us face suffering and difficulties that make life hard. As I have told you many times in the past, I find life to be very hard to get through. But I can make it through and have hope because Jesus is my Lord. He sustains me and He gives me the strength to face each new day and make it through.
One thing that keeps me going through difficult times is the realization that what is going on right now will not last forever. This current hardship is just a microcosm of the eternity that awaits. As bad as a situation may get, try to remember(and I know that it is hard to do this)that it will pass. Also remember that in every hard and trying time, Jesus is there to comfort, guide, help and provide peace. This is all that sustains me in the most difficult times when I am plagued with depression.
No matter what happens to the believers in Jesus in this life, we will be with the Lord that we love in the world to come. We will be with Him for all of eternity. As Peter says in verse 8, we have not seen Jesus, but we love Him. He lives in our hearts and gives us joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Why do we have this joy? Jesus has saved us by giving His life for us and rising from the dead.
The ultimate hope for all of creation is the Second Coming of Jesus. That is the concluding event of the work of salvation. One day, Jesus will come again to rule and reign in righteousness upon this earth. Everything in all of the entire created order will be made new. All things will be restored to the state that existed before sin entered into the universe. All will be well and good as Jesus reigns from His throne in the New Jerusalem that will descend to this earth from Heaven at the time appointed by God at the Second Coming.
The world often looks like a bleak place. War looms everywhere. Disease, famine, persecution and suffering just seem to continue in spite of people's best efforts to do something about it. Know this. The present state of things will not last. Jesus will come again, and all things will be made right and good. Justice will prevail against the forces of evil. Love will overcome the power of hate.
We have a great salvation that has been provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 10 through 12 speak of this great salvation. The prophets of God in the Old Testament spoke about the great day of salvation that Jesus would bring. Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah, and many other prophets, told of the salvation the suffering servant Jesus Christ would bring to this earth.
If you have the chance sometime, an interesting Bible study is to look up all of the prophecies concerning Jesus found in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled completely all of the prophecies found in the Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament about the reign of the Messiah upon the earth. This is the completion of the work of salvation. Just as Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies concerning His first coming, Jesus will completely fulfill all of the prophecies related to His Second Advent.
This is a hope that we can hold onto even in life's darkest hours. We have a salvation that will ultimately bring us into the very presence of Jesus for all of eternity. Even now, in the midst of desperate trials, tribulations and heartaches, the risen Jesus is in our hearts giving us the strength, power and ability to carry on.
If you do not have the hope of Jesus in your heart, you can turn to Him in repentance and faith today. Ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins. Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again. Accept Jesus as the Lord of your life.
If you are facing a trying time in your life, ask Jesus to give you a fresh awareness of His presence at this very moment. Immerse yourself in the Word of God and draw hope from the fact that because Jesus lives, all is well and all will be well.
Next week, I will post a verse on Monday. I will try to post a review, but bad weather is once again forecast. The sermon will appear on Saturday, Lord willing. May God bless you all. Amen.
I want to thank everyone for their prayers over the last few weeks. Last week, I was feeling down about my new job, but this week was so much better. I came to the realization that this job is about 1,000 percent better than the last job I had. That job left me feeling very bad, especially with all that happened there. This new company has an entirely different atmosphere. I am very thankful to the Lord for providing me with this job and for keeping me pretty healthy these last few months.
As we go to prayer this week, let us remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around this world who are suffering terrible persecution. It saddens me greatly to hear about what happened to the Christians in Libya. In many parts of the world right now, believers are suffering and dying for their testimony of Jesus. Please pray for strength and help for those facing these hard times.
Let us also continue to pray for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine. Let us pray for the spread of the Gospel of the love of Jesus all across the world.
In last week's message, we saw that because of the fact that Jesus has risen from the dead, we who are believers in Jesus have the hope of eternal life. We need not fear death, because Jesus has prepared a place for us and we are kept by the power of the Lord.
Today, we see that our hope in the world to come and the return of Jesus in power and great glory can sustain us even in times of suffering and difficulty. Everyone who lives on planet Earth will face hard and trying circumstances at sometime in life. Unfortunately, no one is immune from suffering.
Peter was writing this epistle to those who were suffering persecution for their faith. I hope that those who are facing persecution for the faith right now will read and take comfort in the words of the Apostle Peter found in this epistle.
I Peter 1:7 speaks about the trial of faith might be a time of praise and honor to Jesus. I believe that what Peter is saying in our section of Scripture this week is that even when we face persecution or difficulty in this life, we still have hope. We should not become discouraged and lose heart. The reason for this lies in the fact that Jesus is alive and has gone to prepare a place for us in Heaven. No matter what type of persecution is thrown at a Christian on earth, the believer has an ultimate hope that this life is not all that there is. Because Jesus died and rose again from the grave, we have eternal life and salvation. Though we may suffer even unto the point of losing our lives for the sake of the Gospel, we will have eternal life with Jesus for all of eternity.
Most of us in North America and Europe( as well as many other nations) don't face the persecution that our fellow believers are facing in some countries. However, all of us face suffering and difficulties that make life hard. As I have told you many times in the past, I find life to be very hard to get through. But I can make it through and have hope because Jesus is my Lord. He sustains me and He gives me the strength to face each new day and make it through.
One thing that keeps me going through difficult times is the realization that what is going on right now will not last forever. This current hardship is just a microcosm of the eternity that awaits. As bad as a situation may get, try to remember(and I know that it is hard to do this)that it will pass. Also remember that in every hard and trying time, Jesus is there to comfort, guide, help and provide peace. This is all that sustains me in the most difficult times when I am plagued with depression.
No matter what happens to the believers in Jesus in this life, we will be with the Lord that we love in the world to come. We will be with Him for all of eternity. As Peter says in verse 8, we have not seen Jesus, but we love Him. He lives in our hearts and gives us joy unspeakable and full of glory.
Why do we have this joy? Jesus has saved us by giving His life for us and rising from the dead.
The ultimate hope for all of creation is the Second Coming of Jesus. That is the concluding event of the work of salvation. One day, Jesus will come again to rule and reign in righteousness upon this earth. Everything in all of the entire created order will be made new. All things will be restored to the state that existed before sin entered into the universe. All will be well and good as Jesus reigns from His throne in the New Jerusalem that will descend to this earth from Heaven at the time appointed by God at the Second Coming.
The world often looks like a bleak place. War looms everywhere. Disease, famine, persecution and suffering just seem to continue in spite of people's best efforts to do something about it. Know this. The present state of things will not last. Jesus will come again, and all things will be made right and good. Justice will prevail against the forces of evil. Love will overcome the power of hate.
We have a great salvation that has been provided for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 10 through 12 speak of this great salvation. The prophets of God in the Old Testament spoke about the great day of salvation that Jesus would bring. Isaiah, Micah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Zechariah, and many other prophets, told of the salvation the suffering servant Jesus Christ would bring to this earth.
If you have the chance sometime, an interesting Bible study is to look up all of the prophecies concerning Jesus found in the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled completely all of the prophecies found in the Old Testament about the coming of the Messiah. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament about the reign of the Messiah upon the earth. This is the completion of the work of salvation. Just as Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies concerning His first coming, Jesus will completely fulfill all of the prophecies related to His Second Advent.
This is a hope that we can hold onto even in life's darkest hours. We have a salvation that will ultimately bring us into the very presence of Jesus for all of eternity. Even now, in the midst of desperate trials, tribulations and heartaches, the risen Jesus is in our hearts giving us the strength, power and ability to carry on.
If you do not have the hope of Jesus in your heart, you can turn to Him in repentance and faith today. Ask the Lord to forgive you of your sins. Believe that Jesus died for you and rose again. Accept Jesus as the Lord of your life.
If you are facing a trying time in your life, ask Jesus to give you a fresh awareness of His presence at this very moment. Immerse yourself in the Word of God and draw hope from the fact that because Jesus lives, all is well and all will be well.
Next week, I will post a verse on Monday. I will try to post a review, but bad weather is once again forecast. The sermon will appear on Saturday, Lord willing. May God bless you all. Amen.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Update
I just wanted to let everyone know that we are expecting a big winter storm in my area this weekend. I will try to post the sermon, but if the weather is really bad, I may not be able to post this week.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Book Review -- Top Dog
As most of you who read this blog know by now, I think that dogs are the best animal in all of God's creation. The book I am reviewing today is an example of why I feel this way. "Top Dog" written by Maria Goodavage tells the story of a United States Marine K9 named Lucca.
Lucca served with her handlers in Iraq during the height of the insurgency. She was trained to find IEDs and other items such as bomb making equipment, ammunition and weapons. During her tour in Iraq, she was able to save countless lives by finding IEDs before they could harm soldiers and Iraqi civilians.
During her tours of duty, Lucca was herself injured. Her recuperation has been an inspiration to soldiers who have suffered from the same injuries and, like Lucca, are on the path of recovery.
In this book, Ms. Goodavage gives an excellent account of how Lucca performed, but she also makes Lucca's handlers come alive as well. The author also details the relationship between some other dog handlers and their dogs.
This book is well-written, and it will definitely hold the readers attention. The book demonstrates how valuable dogs are to humans and what great animals dogs are overall.
Lucca served with her handlers in Iraq during the height of the insurgency. She was trained to find IEDs and other items such as bomb making equipment, ammunition and weapons. During her tour in Iraq, she was able to save countless lives by finding IEDs before they could harm soldiers and Iraqi civilians.
During her tours of duty, Lucca was herself injured. Her recuperation has been an inspiration to soldiers who have suffered from the same injuries and, like Lucca, are on the path of recovery.
In this book, Ms. Goodavage gives an excellent account of how Lucca performed, but she also makes Lucca's handlers come alive as well. The author also details the relationship between some other dog handlers and their dogs.
This book is well-written, and it will definitely hold the readers attention. The book demonstrates how valuable dogs are to humans and what great animals dogs are overall.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Verses For the Week
Psalm 118:1 -- "O give thanks unto the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever."
Matthew 13:33 --- "The kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
John 15:17 -- "These thing I command you, that ye love one another."
Matthew 13:33 --- "The kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
John 15:17 -- "These thing I command you, that ye love one another."
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Thoughts On A Sunday Afternoon
Hello, I hope that everyone is having a good day. There are just a few things that were on my mind, so I decided to share them here on the blog.
Yesterday, I asked you to pray about a health problem I was having. I thank the Lord, and I am pleased to report, that all appears to be well. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
I do have some sad news. I found out late yesterday that a friend of mine from the Internet died a couple of days ago. Please pray for his family during this time of sadness. Also, an Internet friend of mine in Japan has a friend who has suffered a terrible stroke. Please pray that this man will recover.
Please pray for me that I can get to work safely tomorrow. We are supposed to have quite a bit of snow overnight, and I am worried about getting to work in my little car. I live about 25 miles away from my job, so I hope I won't have to try to make it in a lot of bad weather. At my new job, they have a point system if you have to be gone for any reason whatsoever. If you get so many points, you are automatically terminated. They told us that they didn't care if we were sick in bed with pneumonia. If we got the points, we were gone. I had to be off Friday because I had to get my car's wheel fixed. If I have to be off Monday with the weather, I will have half of the points needed for termination. You can also get points if you are late back from breaks or lunch even thirty seconds. They will also give you points if you log into your computer and start working one minute before your shift or one minute before you are to be back from lunch. If you clock out two minutes late without a supervisor's pre-approval, you also get points. Needless to say, I really want to get to work tomorrow.
I really believe that I need less tension in my life. I can't understand why some workplaces have to have such weird rules. In my humble opinion, if a person is doing a good job and getting their work done right, that is the important thing. All of these rules just add nervousness to an already tense situation. I'm already nervous knowing that every call I make is monitored and graded. Lord help me is what I say everyday.
I just thought of two other things we should pray about this week. I mentioned yesterday that the Ebola outbreak seemed to be getting under control. Well, last night I heard on NPR that more cases are cropping up in Sierra Leone. The government there is worried that a new outbreak is coming. Let's continue in prayer about this situation.
Also, let us pray about the terrorist problem facing Europe at this time. Denmark has been the latest location of terrorism. Let us pray for an end to the evil of terrorism. There is no excuse for people to act in this manner.
I just wanted to share with everyone something that I've been thinking about lately. Many of you know that one of my favorite verses is "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." To me, this means that the way Jesus acted in the past is the way He will act today and in the future. It also means that what Jesus said in the Bible is true today and in the future as well. I thought of another meaning for this verse a couple of days ago. I think that this verse also means that we aren't going to come up with something new about Jesus. What I mean by that is this. Over the last few years, there have been a host of books written about the historical Jesus or some other "new" interpretation of Jesus. However, the doctrines of orthodox Christology have been in place since the time of the earliest church fathers. We're not going to somehow add or detract from who Jesus is or what He did these hundreds of years later. In orthodox Christian belief, Jesus has always been viewed as human and divine. He died for our sins and rose again. If anyone tries to add or detract from this, they aren't heeding the verse that "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever."
This is just a thought. I love to think about Jesus and what He had done for me. I know that He is my Lord and friend. I try to get to know Him better every day. Have a good rest of the day. I will post a verse or verses for the week tomorrow weather permitting. For those in the United States, have a happy President's Day.
Yesterday, I asked you to pray about a health problem I was having. I thank the Lord, and I am pleased to report, that all appears to be well. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
I do have some sad news. I found out late yesterday that a friend of mine from the Internet died a couple of days ago. Please pray for his family during this time of sadness. Also, an Internet friend of mine in Japan has a friend who has suffered a terrible stroke. Please pray that this man will recover.
Please pray for me that I can get to work safely tomorrow. We are supposed to have quite a bit of snow overnight, and I am worried about getting to work in my little car. I live about 25 miles away from my job, so I hope I won't have to try to make it in a lot of bad weather. At my new job, they have a point system if you have to be gone for any reason whatsoever. If you get so many points, you are automatically terminated. They told us that they didn't care if we were sick in bed with pneumonia. If we got the points, we were gone. I had to be off Friday because I had to get my car's wheel fixed. If I have to be off Monday with the weather, I will have half of the points needed for termination. You can also get points if you are late back from breaks or lunch even thirty seconds. They will also give you points if you log into your computer and start working one minute before your shift or one minute before you are to be back from lunch. If you clock out two minutes late without a supervisor's pre-approval, you also get points. Needless to say, I really want to get to work tomorrow.
I really believe that I need less tension in my life. I can't understand why some workplaces have to have such weird rules. In my humble opinion, if a person is doing a good job and getting their work done right, that is the important thing. All of these rules just add nervousness to an already tense situation. I'm already nervous knowing that every call I make is monitored and graded. Lord help me is what I say everyday.
I just thought of two other things we should pray about this week. I mentioned yesterday that the Ebola outbreak seemed to be getting under control. Well, last night I heard on NPR that more cases are cropping up in Sierra Leone. The government there is worried that a new outbreak is coming. Let's continue in prayer about this situation.
Also, let us pray about the terrorist problem facing Europe at this time. Denmark has been the latest location of terrorism. Let us pray for an end to the evil of terrorism. There is no excuse for people to act in this manner.
I just wanted to share with everyone something that I've been thinking about lately. Many of you know that one of my favorite verses is "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." To me, this means that the way Jesus acted in the past is the way He will act today and in the future. It also means that what Jesus said in the Bible is true today and in the future as well. I thought of another meaning for this verse a couple of days ago. I think that this verse also means that we aren't going to come up with something new about Jesus. What I mean by that is this. Over the last few years, there have been a host of books written about the historical Jesus or some other "new" interpretation of Jesus. However, the doctrines of orthodox Christology have been in place since the time of the earliest church fathers. We're not going to somehow add or detract from who Jesus is or what He did these hundreds of years later. In orthodox Christian belief, Jesus has always been viewed as human and divine. He died for our sins and rose again. If anyone tries to add or detract from this, they aren't heeding the verse that "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever."
This is just a thought. I love to think about Jesus and what He had done for me. I know that He is my Lord and friend. I try to get to know Him better every day. Have a good rest of the day. I will post a verse or verses for the week tomorrow weather permitting. For those in the United States, have a happy President's Day.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Weekend Sermon-- I Peter 1:3-5
It is good to be able to post another edition of the Weekend Sermon this week. I want to thank the Lord for the opportunity that He has given me to post these sermons, and I would like to thank all of you who read the blog for being faithful readers.
This past week at work was a good one. I want to thank the Lord for that. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. My job is difficult, but I believe that I am getting a feel for how it should be performed, and I am not quite so nervous about it.
I would also like to thank the Lord for helping me this week in several areas. The Lord provided for me financially, and I was able to get my car fixed for much less than I originally thought. Also, the Lord healed my foot so that now it is entirely well, and I am able to walk normally for the the first time in many weeks.
As you go to prayer this week, I would ask for your prayers about a health problem that I am currently experiencing. I don't want to go into it too much right now, but please pray for my health. Also, let us thank the Lord that the Ebola problem is becoming less pronounced. Continue to pray for healing for those who are sick. Let us also pray for peace in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Iraq.
Last week, we looked into the doctrine of sanctification since this is mentioned in I Peter 1:2. We saw that sanctification relates to being set apart by God for service, and sanctification refers to living a holy life that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus. We progress in sanctification as we are daily conformed to the image of Christ.
Today, we will study more of what I Peter has to teach us. I Peter 1:3 states, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." This verse is just packed with good things to discuss.
First of all, this verse begins with a praise to God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we should be people of praise because God is worthy of praise and adoration. So many times, I find myself asking the Lord for things during my prayer time. One thing that I now do is to always begin my prayers with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. In the Psalms, it speaks about having the praise of the Lord continually within our mouths. This is a true saying. Let us always give praise to God for who He is and for what He has done for us.
One of the things that the Father has done for us is that He has given us Jesus Christ His Son. Because of His abundant mercy and grace, the Father sent Jesus into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to show us how much we are loved by God. Jesus died for our redemption, and by His resurrection, Jesus conquered the power of sin and death once and for all.
Verse 3 states that we have a lively hope because Jesus rose from the dead. This verse has great meaning for me. As I have stated previously, my favorite verse in the Bible is John 11;25 which states, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Because Jesus rose from the dead, we who have put our faith and trust in Him do not have to fear death. Jesus defeated the power of the grave through His resurrection. Whoever dies in Christ will immediately upon death go to be with Jesus in Heaven. Jesus said this, and I believe it to be true with all of my heart.
We have hope for tomorrow, because Jesus rose from the dead. As the apostle Paul said, "we do not grieve as those who have no hope." Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Mother, Father, Grandpa, Grandma and many of my friends are with Jesus at this very moment. They placed their faith in the work of Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection. They have everlasting life because of the work of Jesus the Lord.
Peter goes on to talk about the hope we have in verse 4 which states, "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." Children are granted an inheritance. When my folks passed away, they left me an inheritance. Right now, I live in the home I inherited from my parents. As nice as it is to have an earthly inheritance, it is passing away. My house is old and needs a lot of repairs. It won't last forever. However, our inheritance as children of God will never pass away. It is incorruptible.
Because we are God's children through faith in Jesus the Son, we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. There, we will live for all eternity in a land that will never pass away or deteriorate.
Jesus said that we should lay up treasure in heaven and not on earth. The treasure that we lay up on earth will pass away and corrupt. The treasure that we lay up in heaven will never pass away. As Jesus said, "moth and rust will not corrupt, and thieves do not break in and steal."
With this in mind, our life focus should be about laying up treasure in heaven instead of pursuing that which is passing away. We lay up treasure in heaven when we do those things we have been commanded to do by Jesus. We lay up treasure in heaven when we bring souls into the Kingdom by sharing with them the love of Jesus. We also lay up treasure in heaven by being the hands and feet of Jesus in a lost and dying world.
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to be in the presence of Jesus for all of eternity. I long for that day to be a reality soon. I look forward to that eternal land where all pain and sorrow will be no more. Sin will be no more. I look forward to seeing my friend Toby again and all of my family and friends. I am looking forward to it with great anticipation. It is only possible through the love and sacrifice of Jesus. I thank you Jesus that you were willing to come to this earth and live a holy and sinless life as our perfect example. I thank you Jesus that you went to the cross and bore my sins and the sins of this world in your body. Thank you for rising from the dead. Thank you for being the resurrection and the life. Come quickly Lord Jesus I pray.
Finally, I want to look at verse 5 which states, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." There are two important ideas expressed in this verse.
We are kept by the power of God. We are not kept by our own efforts. As I have said before, we can't sin away our salvation. We don't have to worry that if we commit a sin that Jesus will abandon us and take our salvation away from us. Although we are called by God to live lives of holiness. The Bible makes it quite clear that those who are in Christ are sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are safe in the hands of Jesus, and Jesus is in the hands of the Father. That is an awesome image of security. Through all of the hardships and struggles of this life, those of us in Christ our being kept by the power of God until that day when salvation is fully revealed.
What does it mean, "salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." This refers to the final element of the salvation process that occurs at Jesus' second coming. Right now, the universe has not been fully redeemed. This world is still trapped in sin and the effects of sin. However, when Jesus comes again, everything in the entire cosmos will be returned to the state in which it existed before sin entered the picture. Peace, goodness, justice and a restoration of the proper natural order of animals and all of creation will be restored to the Edenic state. When Jesus comes again, all will be made right and good and holy. I want that day to come soon. I say again, come quickly Lord Jesus.
You may be reading this message today and you do not have hope for tomorrow and the world to come because you have never placed your trust in Jesus. You can turn to Jesus and make Him your Savior and Lord today. Admit that you are a sinner, and ask Jesus to forgive you and wash away your sins. Tell Him that you believe that He died for you and that He rose again from the dead. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of you life by telling Him that you are willing to follow wherever He leads.
If you have lost someone you love who was in Christ, remember today that they are in heaven with Jesus. Jesus is keeping them safe, and you will be reunited with them again soon. In the meantime, keep living for Jesus and sharing His love with those whom He brings into your life.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. I hope to have a review on Wednesday, and the sermon will appear on Saturday as usual. May God bless you. Amen.
This past week at work was a good one. I want to thank the Lord for that. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. My job is difficult, but I believe that I am getting a feel for how it should be performed, and I am not quite so nervous about it.
I would also like to thank the Lord for helping me this week in several areas. The Lord provided for me financially, and I was able to get my car fixed for much less than I originally thought. Also, the Lord healed my foot so that now it is entirely well, and I am able to walk normally for the the first time in many weeks.
As you go to prayer this week, I would ask for your prayers about a health problem that I am currently experiencing. I don't want to go into it too much right now, but please pray for my health. Also, let us thank the Lord that the Ebola problem is becoming less pronounced. Continue to pray for healing for those who are sick. Let us also pray for peace in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Iraq.
Last week, we looked into the doctrine of sanctification since this is mentioned in I Peter 1:2. We saw that sanctification relates to being set apart by God for service, and sanctification refers to living a holy life that is pleasing to the Lord Jesus. We progress in sanctification as we are daily conformed to the image of Christ.
Today, we will study more of what I Peter has to teach us. I Peter 1:3 states, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." This verse is just packed with good things to discuss.
First of all, this verse begins with a praise to God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we should be people of praise because God is worthy of praise and adoration. So many times, I find myself asking the Lord for things during my prayer time. One thing that I now do is to always begin my prayers with praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. In the Psalms, it speaks about having the praise of the Lord continually within our mouths. This is a true saying. Let us always give praise to God for who He is and for what He has done for us.
One of the things that the Father has done for us is that He has given us Jesus Christ His Son. Because of His abundant mercy and grace, the Father sent Jesus into the world to be the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came to show us how much we are loved by God. Jesus died for our redemption, and by His resurrection, Jesus conquered the power of sin and death once and for all.
Verse 3 states that we have a lively hope because Jesus rose from the dead. This verse has great meaning for me. As I have stated previously, my favorite verse in the Bible is John 11;25 which states, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." Because Jesus rose from the dead, we who have put our faith and trust in Him do not have to fear death. Jesus defeated the power of the grave through His resurrection. Whoever dies in Christ will immediately upon death go to be with Jesus in Heaven. Jesus said this, and I believe it to be true with all of my heart.
We have hope for tomorrow, because Jesus rose from the dead. As the apostle Paul said, "we do not grieve as those who have no hope." Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Mother, Father, Grandpa, Grandma and many of my friends are with Jesus at this very moment. They placed their faith in the work of Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection. They have everlasting life because of the work of Jesus the Lord.
Peter goes on to talk about the hope we have in verse 4 which states, "To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you." Children are granted an inheritance. When my folks passed away, they left me an inheritance. Right now, I live in the home I inherited from my parents. As nice as it is to have an earthly inheritance, it is passing away. My house is old and needs a lot of repairs. It won't last forever. However, our inheritance as children of God will never pass away. It is incorruptible.
Because we are God's children through faith in Jesus the Son, we have an inheritance waiting for us in heaven. There, we will live for all eternity in a land that will never pass away or deteriorate.
Jesus said that we should lay up treasure in heaven and not on earth. The treasure that we lay up on earth will pass away and corrupt. The treasure that we lay up in heaven will never pass away. As Jesus said, "moth and rust will not corrupt, and thieves do not break in and steal."
With this in mind, our life focus should be about laying up treasure in heaven instead of pursuing that which is passing away. We lay up treasure in heaven when we do those things we have been commanded to do by Jesus. We lay up treasure in heaven when we bring souls into the Kingdom by sharing with them the love of Jesus. We also lay up treasure in heaven by being the hands and feet of Jesus in a lost and dying world.
I don't know about you, but I can't wait to be in the presence of Jesus for all of eternity. I long for that day to be a reality soon. I look forward to that eternal land where all pain and sorrow will be no more. Sin will be no more. I look forward to seeing my friend Toby again and all of my family and friends. I am looking forward to it with great anticipation. It is only possible through the love and sacrifice of Jesus. I thank you Jesus that you were willing to come to this earth and live a holy and sinless life as our perfect example. I thank you Jesus that you went to the cross and bore my sins and the sins of this world in your body. Thank you for rising from the dead. Thank you for being the resurrection and the life. Come quickly Lord Jesus I pray.
Finally, I want to look at verse 5 which states, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." There are two important ideas expressed in this verse.
We are kept by the power of God. We are not kept by our own efforts. As I have said before, we can't sin away our salvation. We don't have to worry that if we commit a sin that Jesus will abandon us and take our salvation away from us. Although we are called by God to live lives of holiness. The Bible makes it quite clear that those who are in Christ are sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are safe in the hands of Jesus, and Jesus is in the hands of the Father. That is an awesome image of security. Through all of the hardships and struggles of this life, those of us in Christ our being kept by the power of God until that day when salvation is fully revealed.
What does it mean, "salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." This refers to the final element of the salvation process that occurs at Jesus' second coming. Right now, the universe has not been fully redeemed. This world is still trapped in sin and the effects of sin. However, when Jesus comes again, everything in the entire cosmos will be returned to the state in which it existed before sin entered the picture. Peace, goodness, justice and a restoration of the proper natural order of animals and all of creation will be restored to the Edenic state. When Jesus comes again, all will be made right and good and holy. I want that day to come soon. I say again, come quickly Lord Jesus.
You may be reading this message today and you do not have hope for tomorrow and the world to come because you have never placed your trust in Jesus. You can turn to Jesus and make Him your Savior and Lord today. Admit that you are a sinner, and ask Jesus to forgive you and wash away your sins. Tell Him that you believe that He died for you and that He rose again from the dead. Ask Jesus to be the Lord of you life by telling Him that you are willing to follow wherever He leads.
If you have lost someone you love who was in Christ, remember today that they are in heaven with Jesus. Jesus is keeping them safe, and you will be reunited with them again soon. In the meantime, keep living for Jesus and sharing His love with those whom He brings into your life.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. I hope to have a review on Wednesday, and the sermon will appear on Saturday as usual. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Book Review -- "Why?"
Today, I am reviewing a book entitled "Why?" written by the Rev. Adam Hamilton. Hamilton is the senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection which is the largest Methodist church in the United States.
In this book, Hamilton delves into the questions of why there is suffering, why is there evil, and why are prayers unanswered? He also tries to shed light on the question of does God have a specific plan for each person's life?
I must say that I found myself in much agreement with this book which surprised me greatly. Adam Hamilton is not an extremely liberal minister, but he is by no means a conservative. With that being said, he presents in this book ideas which are very similar to the one's I expressed a few blog posts ago.
Hamilton agrees with me that God does not send suffering, pain and horrible things on people. We both agree with the idea that God does not have a plan for each person's life that somehow includes little children starving or dying of some terrible disease. Like Hamilton, I am tired of hearing this whole notion that God caused everything to happen and everything happens for a reason.
I would disagree with Rev. Hamilton on his idea of how we collaborate with God through our decisions to create our future. I understand the point that he is trying to make, but this kind of thinking leads to open theism in my opinion.
I would highly recommend this book for those who struggle with the why questions. You may not agree with all that Adam Hamilton says in this book, but it will make you think outside of the box of much of current evangelical thinking on the subject which I believe to be highly flawed.
In this book, Hamilton delves into the questions of why there is suffering, why is there evil, and why are prayers unanswered? He also tries to shed light on the question of does God have a specific plan for each person's life?
I must say that I found myself in much agreement with this book which surprised me greatly. Adam Hamilton is not an extremely liberal minister, but he is by no means a conservative. With that being said, he presents in this book ideas which are very similar to the one's I expressed a few blog posts ago.
Hamilton agrees with me that God does not send suffering, pain and horrible things on people. We both agree with the idea that God does not have a plan for each person's life that somehow includes little children starving or dying of some terrible disease. Like Hamilton, I am tired of hearing this whole notion that God caused everything to happen and everything happens for a reason.
I would disagree with Rev. Hamilton on his idea of how we collaborate with God through our decisions to create our future. I understand the point that he is trying to make, but this kind of thinking leads to open theism in my opinion.
I would highly recommend this book for those who struggle with the why questions. You may not agree with all that Adam Hamilton says in this book, but it will make you think outside of the box of much of current evangelical thinking on the subject which I believe to be highly flawed.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Verses For the Week
John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful."
Jeremiah 29:11 -- "For I know the plans I have for you, this is the Lord's declaration, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Luke 10:22 -- "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he whom the Son will reveal Him."
Jeremiah 29:11 -- "For I know the plans I have for you, this is the Lord's declaration, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Luke 10:22 -- "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he whom the Son will reveal Him."
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Thoughts On a Sunday Afternoon
I am sitting here in the library working on this blog and thinking about how much I don't want to go to work tomorrow morning. I am glad to have a job, but this is not going well. This is the first place I have worked where I feel as if I am being ostracized because of my Christian faith. That's hard, but it is not that big of a deal. This is most especially true when I consider the terrible persecution many Christians are enduring around the world at this time. I just heard a report on the radio this morning about the horrendous persecution believers are facing in the Middle East and in North Korea. I will be praying every day for these people, and I would ask you to do the same.
The hardest part of this new job is dealing with the extremely nasty people who I have to try to help. My new job is working for an insurance company. My job is to help people who are insured with our company to file claims. So far, over 75% of the people that I have dealt with have been very nasty. Several times, when I asked people to spell their names for me, they screamed at me over the phone. I really don't understand people at all. Why would someone want to be rude and nasty to you when you are trying your best to help them? The job that I had before this was working with customers face to face. I didn't have any trouble working with people at my old job at all. I miss my old job.
Tomorrow, I have to move into a more advanced level in dealing with claims. Of course, it involves more customer contact. I am so nervous right now that I am sick to my stomach. I am praying that the Lord Jesus will help me to face this hardship. As I stated previously, I've dealt with depression for many years, and lately, I've developed a problem with anxiety. I definitely need the Lord's help to get through the day.
With what is happening with the job, I am thinking about a different strategy in getting more involved in the ministry. I may just sell the house quickly and then just start with the funds I have relying on the Lord Jesus to supply what I lack. I am unsure of how to proceed. Please remember me in your prayers.
Something that has been troubling me greatly as of late is the terrible plight of children living in poverty around the world. I was listening to a report on the radio this week about the number of orphan children in Asia and Africa who are living all by themselves and homeless. So many pass by these children every day, and no one helps them. The governments of these countries don't seem to care about them at all.
I've been praying about trying to work on helping with this problem. Maybe, if things work out, I can go and work finding a way to help in this situation. Right now, please add your prayers with mine for the alleviation of the suffering of these children.
The hardest part of this new job is dealing with the extremely nasty people who I have to try to help. My new job is working for an insurance company. My job is to help people who are insured with our company to file claims. So far, over 75% of the people that I have dealt with have been very nasty. Several times, when I asked people to spell their names for me, they screamed at me over the phone. I really don't understand people at all. Why would someone want to be rude and nasty to you when you are trying your best to help them? The job that I had before this was working with customers face to face. I didn't have any trouble working with people at my old job at all. I miss my old job.
Tomorrow, I have to move into a more advanced level in dealing with claims. Of course, it involves more customer contact. I am so nervous right now that I am sick to my stomach. I am praying that the Lord Jesus will help me to face this hardship. As I stated previously, I've dealt with depression for many years, and lately, I've developed a problem with anxiety. I definitely need the Lord's help to get through the day.
With what is happening with the job, I am thinking about a different strategy in getting more involved in the ministry. I may just sell the house quickly and then just start with the funds I have relying on the Lord Jesus to supply what I lack. I am unsure of how to proceed. Please remember me in your prayers.
Something that has been troubling me greatly as of late is the terrible plight of children living in poverty around the world. I was listening to a report on the radio this week about the number of orphan children in Asia and Africa who are living all by themselves and homeless. So many pass by these children every day, and no one helps them. The governments of these countries don't seem to care about them at all.
I've been praying about trying to work on helping with this problem. Maybe, if things work out, I can go and work finding a way to help in this situation. Right now, please add your prayers with mine for the alleviation of the suffering of these children.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- I Peter 1:2
I am happy to be with you so that I can post another edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the blog. It is my prayer that these sermons help you to draw closer to the Lord and to learn more about His word.
I want to start today by thanking all of you for your prayers. Without your prayer support and the help of the Lord Jesus, it would be impossible to make it through the struggles of life. I would ask that you keep me in your prayers.
Over the last few weeks, I have found myself battling with the depression that I have struggled with for most of my life. Starting in my early teens, I began suffering from depression. During the years that Toby was in my life, I didn't have hardly any trouble with this. After he passed away, I went into a deep depression, and I have struggled on and off for many years.
For the past year, I felt OK. Not great, but OK. With all of the stress of this new job, I have found myself slipping deep down into depression again. I am so nervous going to work each day that I am actually sick. Please pray for me during this very hard time. I am also praying and asking Jesus to give me the strength just to make it from one day to the next.
During your prayer time this week, continue to pray for peace in the Middle East. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering terrible persecution in Syria and Iraq. Also continue to pray for peace in Ukraine.
Last week, we began a new series of messages on the book of I Peter. We will be going through this book chapter by chapter and verse by verse just as we did when we went through I John and the Sermon on the Mount together.
In the last message, I went into some detail on the issue of election as this theological topic is raised in I Peter 1:2. This is a controversial topic. Believe me. I know that it can be divisive. My parents were Calvinistic Baptist Fundamentalists. They both disagreed with my interpretation of the Bible. However, I am firmly convinced from my study of the Scripture that what I presented last week is thoroughly Biblical. I urge you to investigate and study these matters for yourself to see what the Lord had to say about it in His word.
Today, we will continue in I Peter 1:2 as there are some other important theological concepts in this verse that I want to explore in some detail. I Peter 1:2 states, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace, be multiplied."
Sanctification is an important theological concept that I would like to explore today. To sanctify something means to set it apart. The word in the Bible also means to make holy. Let's look at the idea of setting apart first.
In the Old Testament, there are several examples of something or someone being set apart or sanctified for the service of the Lord. When the Tabernacle and the Temple were established, the articles in these structures where set apart for God's service. For instance, in Exodus 29, Aaron, his sons, and the altar were set apart for service to the Lord.
Jeremiah chapter one tells of how the Lord set Jeremiah apart (sanctified) him for service before he was born. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
Jeremiah was set apart to serve the Lord, and although he wasn't always happy about it, Jeremiah faithfully followed the Lord and did the work of a prophet that he was given to do.
The second idea behind the word sanctification that we see in the Bible is to make holy or to remove the sinfulness from. One very interesting occurrence of this is found in the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah sees the throne room of Heaven and the Lord upon His throne. At this sight, Isaiah said in verse 5, "Woe is me! for I am a man of unclean lips." At this point, one of the seraphims in the throne room of God took a live coal from the altar and laid it upon Isaiah's mouth and said, "Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged."
Through this act, Isaiah's sins were taken away, and he was set apart for service as a prophet of the Lord. This act of sanctification took place immediately.
In His high priestly prayer recorded in John chapter 17, Jesus prayed that His followers might be sanctified. John 17:17-19 says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As though hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."
So, what does sanctification mean to us today. First of all, we are sanctified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ as is states clearly in I Peter 1:2. It is only through the grace and mercy of the Lord that we can have forgiveness of sins. It is only through His grace that we can be set apart from sin and given a holy purpose. Through God's grace and the inner working of the Holy Spirit, we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ each day. We are sanctified to be holy and to not have sin reigning in our lives.
As believers in Jesus, we have been set apart. We have a holy calling that is our duty to fulfill. As we will see later in our studies in Peter, God has called us to be a peculiar people. This means that we are not to be just like the world. We are to be different. Just as God called Israel to be unique and a light to the nations around them, God has called His church to be unique and a light in this dark world that is filled with sin and rebellion against the ways of God.
Unfortunately, those of us in the church have often acted just like the people of Israel. For most of the time in the Old Testament, the people of Israel were not the light to the nations that God set them apart to be . They worshiped idols, and the behaved in a sinful manner just as those in the nations around them.
The church and its members often act in like manner. Instead of being an example of Godliness and holiness, the church is often just like the world. I will give you two examples that I just heard this week. The rate of divorce among evangelical Christians is the same as the rate of divorce among the general population in the United States. Sadly, the rate of abortion in the US is almost the same in the church as it is in the world. This is not the type of behavior Jesus has called His people to.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been called to live lives of holiness. We are to live in obedience to the teachings and commandments of Jesus. We are to be an example of Godliness to the world. We are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Our mission is to bring others to the saving love of Jesus.
Now in the individual life of the believer, we have been called unto holiness. We are supposed to become more and more like Jesus each and every day. We are to live lives that are free from sin. I believe that the Scripture teaches sanctification in three ways.
Sanctification is a process. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, we become more and more like Him. This is a gradual process. However, each day we walk with the Lord, sin holds less sway over us.
I also believe that the Scripture teaches that, in some instances, sanctification can be an instantaneous work of grace. I do not believe that this happens all the time, but I believe we do see this happening in the case of Isaiah.
Thirdly, sanctification will be complete when we see Jesus face to face. When we die, we will be glorified in His presence, and the process of sanctification will be complete.
Our duty as believers in Jesus Christ is to live lives of holiness that are pleasing to the Lord. We must learn from the example of Jesus and from His teachings. We must lay aside the sin that so easily besets us and look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.
Each day, confess your sins, and ask the Lord Jesus to strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit to not do that sin again.
One way that I have found that helps me not to sin is to draw closer to Jesus. As you come to know the Lord Jesus more fully and deeply, the more you will love Him. As you grow in your love for Him, you will not want to do the things that displease Him and hurt His heart. You will want to do what makes the Lord Jesus happy.
Finally, I Peter 1:2 gives us a nice acknowledgement of the doctrine of the Trinity. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the Spirit sanctifies through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. I will try to do a review on Wednesday or Thursday. The sermon will be posted on Saturday. May God bless you . Amen.
I want to start today by thanking all of you for your prayers. Without your prayer support and the help of the Lord Jesus, it would be impossible to make it through the struggles of life. I would ask that you keep me in your prayers.
Over the last few weeks, I have found myself battling with the depression that I have struggled with for most of my life. Starting in my early teens, I began suffering from depression. During the years that Toby was in my life, I didn't have hardly any trouble with this. After he passed away, I went into a deep depression, and I have struggled on and off for many years.
For the past year, I felt OK. Not great, but OK. With all of the stress of this new job, I have found myself slipping deep down into depression again. I am so nervous going to work each day that I am actually sick. Please pray for me during this very hard time. I am also praying and asking Jesus to give me the strength just to make it from one day to the next.
During your prayer time this week, continue to pray for peace in the Middle East. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering terrible persecution in Syria and Iraq. Also continue to pray for peace in Ukraine.
Last week, we began a new series of messages on the book of I Peter. We will be going through this book chapter by chapter and verse by verse just as we did when we went through I John and the Sermon on the Mount together.
In the last message, I went into some detail on the issue of election as this theological topic is raised in I Peter 1:2. This is a controversial topic. Believe me. I know that it can be divisive. My parents were Calvinistic Baptist Fundamentalists. They both disagreed with my interpretation of the Bible. However, I am firmly convinced from my study of the Scripture that what I presented last week is thoroughly Biblical. I urge you to investigate and study these matters for yourself to see what the Lord had to say about it in His word.
Today, we will continue in I Peter 1:2 as there are some other important theological concepts in this verse that I want to explore in some detail. I Peter 1:2 states, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace, be multiplied."
Sanctification is an important theological concept that I would like to explore today. To sanctify something means to set it apart. The word in the Bible also means to make holy. Let's look at the idea of setting apart first.
In the Old Testament, there are several examples of something or someone being set apart or sanctified for the service of the Lord. When the Tabernacle and the Temple were established, the articles in these structures where set apart for God's service. For instance, in Exodus 29, Aaron, his sons, and the altar were set apart for service to the Lord.
Jeremiah chapter one tells of how the Lord set Jeremiah apart (sanctified) him for service before he was born. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."
Jeremiah was set apart to serve the Lord, and although he wasn't always happy about it, Jeremiah faithfully followed the Lord and did the work of a prophet that he was given to do.
The second idea behind the word sanctification that we see in the Bible is to make holy or to remove the sinfulness from. One very interesting occurrence of this is found in the book of Isaiah. In Isaiah chapter 6, Isaiah sees the throne room of Heaven and the Lord upon His throne. At this sight, Isaiah said in verse 5, "Woe is me! for I am a man of unclean lips." At this point, one of the seraphims in the throne room of God took a live coal from the altar and laid it upon Isaiah's mouth and said, "Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged."
Through this act, Isaiah's sins were taken away, and he was set apart for service as a prophet of the Lord. This act of sanctification took place immediately.
In His high priestly prayer recorded in John chapter 17, Jesus prayed that His followers might be sanctified. John 17:17-19 says, "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As though hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."
So, what does sanctification mean to us today. First of all, we are sanctified by the shed blood of Jesus Christ as is states clearly in I Peter 1:2. It is only through the grace and mercy of the Lord that we can have forgiveness of sins. It is only through His grace that we can be set apart from sin and given a holy purpose. Through God's grace and the inner working of the Holy Spirit, we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ each day. We are sanctified to be holy and to not have sin reigning in our lives.
As believers in Jesus, we have been set apart. We have a holy calling that is our duty to fulfill. As we will see later in our studies in Peter, God has called us to be a peculiar people. This means that we are not to be just like the world. We are to be different. Just as God called Israel to be unique and a light to the nations around them, God has called His church to be unique and a light in this dark world that is filled with sin and rebellion against the ways of God.
Unfortunately, those of us in the church have often acted just like the people of Israel. For most of the time in the Old Testament, the people of Israel were not the light to the nations that God set them apart to be . They worshiped idols, and the behaved in a sinful manner just as those in the nations around them.
The church and its members often act in like manner. Instead of being an example of Godliness and holiness, the church is often just like the world. I will give you two examples that I just heard this week. The rate of divorce among evangelical Christians is the same as the rate of divorce among the general population in the United States. Sadly, the rate of abortion in the US is almost the same in the church as it is in the world. This is not the type of behavior Jesus has called His people to.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been called to live lives of holiness. We are to live in obedience to the teachings and commandments of Jesus. We are to be an example of Godliness to the world. We are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Our mission is to bring others to the saving love of Jesus.
Now in the individual life of the believer, we have been called unto holiness. We are supposed to become more and more like Jesus each and every day. We are to live lives that are free from sin. I believe that the Scripture teaches sanctification in three ways.
Sanctification is a process. As we grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, we become more and more like Him. This is a gradual process. However, each day we walk with the Lord, sin holds less sway over us.
I also believe that the Scripture teaches that, in some instances, sanctification can be an instantaneous work of grace. I do not believe that this happens all the time, but I believe we do see this happening in the case of Isaiah.
Thirdly, sanctification will be complete when we see Jesus face to face. When we die, we will be glorified in His presence, and the process of sanctification will be complete.
Our duty as believers in Jesus Christ is to live lives of holiness that are pleasing to the Lord. We must learn from the example of Jesus and from His teachings. We must lay aside the sin that so easily besets us and look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.
Each day, confess your sins, and ask the Lord Jesus to strengthen you by the power of the Holy Spirit to not do that sin again.
One way that I have found that helps me not to sin is to draw closer to Jesus. As you come to know the Lord Jesus more fully and deeply, the more you will love Him. As you grow in your love for Him, you will not want to do the things that displease Him and hurt His heart. You will want to do what makes the Lord Jesus happy.
Finally, I Peter 1:2 gives us a nice acknowledgement of the doctrine of the Trinity. We are elect according to the foreknowledge of God, the Spirit sanctifies through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son.
Next week, I will post the verse on Monday. I will try to do a review on Wednesday or Thursday. The sermon will be posted on Saturday. May God bless you . Amen.
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Book Review -- A Great Dog Book
This is another great week for dog books. The book that I am reviewing this week is entitled, "The Dog That Saved My Life" written by Isabel George. This book profiles several dogs who were heroes on the field of battle or who helped those who were in the front lines of combat.
The author does a fine job of telling the story of each dog and the person or persons impacted by the dog's life. As the title says, each of these dogs actually saved the lives of one or more persons. Some of them saved lives several times over.
One of the chapters in the book profiles Judy who I wrote about previously. This chapter makes good supplementary reading to the excellent book about Judy written by Damien Lewis that I have already highly recommended.
The chapter on the little dog named Rats was one of my favorites in the book. Rats looks to me like a cross between a corgi and a Jack Russell. He befriended the British troops who at one time patrolled Northern Ireland during the time of the intense trouble in that land. Rats enjoyed riding on helicopters and marching with the men on patrols. He saved lives by warning the men on several occasions of impending danger.
Another of the interesting chapters focuses on Caesar who served as a tracker dog for the Australian forces who fought in Southeast Asia during the height of the Vietnam War. People often forget that other nations aided the South Vietnamese in this conflict besides the United States. Caesar saved lives numerous times. One notable incident involved Caesar locating a mine that if detonated would have wiped out an entire platoon.
These are just a few of the dogs profiled in Ms. George's interesting and well written book. This book is highly recommended.
The author does a fine job of telling the story of each dog and the person or persons impacted by the dog's life. As the title says, each of these dogs actually saved the lives of one or more persons. Some of them saved lives several times over.
One of the chapters in the book profiles Judy who I wrote about previously. This chapter makes good supplementary reading to the excellent book about Judy written by Damien Lewis that I have already highly recommended.
The chapter on the little dog named Rats was one of my favorites in the book. Rats looks to me like a cross between a corgi and a Jack Russell. He befriended the British troops who at one time patrolled Northern Ireland during the time of the intense trouble in that land. Rats enjoyed riding on helicopters and marching with the men on patrols. He saved lives by warning the men on several occasions of impending danger.
Another of the interesting chapters focuses on Caesar who served as a tracker dog for the Australian forces who fought in Southeast Asia during the height of the Vietnam War. People often forget that other nations aided the South Vietnamese in this conflict besides the United States. Caesar saved lives numerous times. One notable incident involved Caesar locating a mine that if detonated would have wiped out an entire platoon.
These are just a few of the dogs profiled in Ms. George's interesting and well written book. This book is highly recommended.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Update
The weather is supposed to be very bad tomorrow just as I am getting off of work. I do not plan to stop off at the library. I will post the review on Thursday instead of tomorrow, Lord willing.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Verse For the Week
Luke 6:45 -- "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh."
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