Jeremiah 1:5 -- "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
Jeremiah 10:12-13 -- "But God made the earth by his power;he founded the world by his wisdom and stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses."
Jeremiah 33:14-16 -- "The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the good promise I made to the people of Israel and Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch sprout from David's line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior."
Monday, August 31, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- I Am the Good Shepherd
Today is my favorite day of the week because this is the day that I have the privilege of posting the Weekend Sermon. I thank you for reading this blog, and I pray that the Lord's blessings will be upon you this day.
This week has gone pretty well at work. I haven't felt too bad physically either. I thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I have been praying about some financial decisions that I have to make in the near future, and I believe that I have things worked out. Please pray that everything will come together so that I can once and for all get my financial difficulties of the past behind me. Also, please pray for me as I continue to work on the religious book project I am presently engaged in.
In prayer this week, please pray about the situation with the terrible forest fires in the American West. Pray that these fires might be extinguished. Also, as I am writing this blog, there is a bad storm in the Caribbean. Please pray that this storm will weaken, and that it won't damage anyone's life.
Let us continue to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq. Pray for the Gospel to reach the Maldives, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
Last week, we continued in our series of messages in examining the divinity of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of John. We examined Jesus' "I Am" statement, "I Am the Door." Jesus is the door of the sheepfold. He provides safety in the fold and protects us.
Today, we continue with the " I Am" statements of Jesus and focus on His statement "I Am the Good Shepherd" which is found in John 10:11.
John 10 is probably my favorite passage of scripture. For me, the idea that Jesus is the Good Shepherd is filled with a great deal of meaning. I would like us to examine some of what it means that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
In this chapter, Jesus states one of the meanings of His statement that He is the good shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
One of the jobs of a shepherd is to make sure that the flock is safe at all costs. We see this is the Old Testament from the example of David before he became King of Israel. David was a shepherd tending a flock. At least twice, he was called upon to protect the flock from predators. David had to slay a bear and a lion in order to protect the sheep that were under his care.
We are the sheep that the Father has given to the Lord Jesus. Jesus came to this earth to give His life as a ransom for sin that those of us who are His sheep might be redeemed and find forgiveness, peace and hope. Jesus was willing to give His life in order to bring us salvation. He willing placed His life on the line to help us when we could not help ourselves.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd in contrast to false shepherds who do not really care for the sheep. In this passage, I believe that Jesus has in mind the religious leaders of His day. The false shepherds can also refer to other relgions that do not offer truth and hope. Sheep will not find what they need from these shepherds.
Ezekiel chapter 34 is a great chapter that contrasts the bad shepherds with the Good Shepherd. In Ezekiel it states that the Good Shepherd finds the scattered members of the flock and brings them back into the fold. This is similar to the words of the Jesus. Jesus says that the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 in the fold, and then He goes out and diligently searches for the one lost sheep that has gone astray.
This has two meanings. First of all, the Good Shepherd seeks after those who have not placed their trust in Him. Jesus' arms are open wide for anyone and everyone who wants to come to Him. Jesus said that whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out. Jesus said, "Come to me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus is also diligently searching for the Christian who has fallen away from doing what is right. There are many Christians who have left their first love and who are not faithfully following the Lord. Jesus is seeking after these people. He wants to reconnect and bring those who are wandering back into the safety that only He can provide.
Let us look at a few other examples of what a Good Shepherd does. A Good Shepherd like Jesus looks after the welfare of the sheep. Sheep require a lot of care. They are subject to a variety of different ailments, and when they are free grazing, they are frequently injured. It is the shepherd's job to maintain the flock and help them along.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd helps the injured and the weak among His flock. I know that I have to rely on the Good Shepherd everyday to help me through the difficulties that I face in life. Through struggles with depression, grief and bad health, Jesus has always been there to help me along the way. I can feel His guiding presence and His comforting hand in my life. When I am at my lowest, I can sense His encouragement like a rock in a stream not letting me sink any lower.
When I suffered what I consider great spiritual abuse as a young man in a fundamentalist church I felt like giving up on organized religion. However, I never felt like giving up on Jesus. This is especially true when I truly discovered who Jesus is and what He is all about.
As a young man, I was given the picture of Jesus as someone to fear. Jesus was the one who would make something bad happen to you if you didn't give 10 percent to the church. I was told that Jesus would take my dog away if I loved him too much. Our church stressed that Jesus is the judge, and that one day I would have to give a reckoning. Those who didn't measure up would still make it to Heaven, but Jesus would punish you greatly for wasting your life on earth.
Everything was based on fear. Through a study of many, many books about Jesus written by a wide variety of authors, I came to understand who the Good Shepherd really is. I grew to love Him with all of my heart.
I know that He wants what is best for me. Jesus loves me and He cares about me. He wants to bring me into good pasture and not bring fear and punishment and hardship into my life. I learned that Jesus is my friend.
One other aspect of the Good Shepherd is that the Good Shepherd leads His flock into good pastrue. I know that if I follow Jesus, He will lead me into a closer relationship with Him. He will allow me to know more about Him, and through that I will be able to minister to others who are in need. Ultimately, Jesus will lead us who follow Him to the place that He has prepared for us. Where Jesus is, we will be with Him for all of eternity.
There is one other thing that I want to mention. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd He is clearly stating that He is God. In Ezekiel 34, it is God Himself that states He is the Good Shepherd that will lead His people Israel. Jesus uses this same language to show us that He is the Lord of all creation come in human flesh to provide redemption and to lead His flock in the way that we should go. Everything that is mentioned about God as the Good Shepherd in Ezekiel is made manifest in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Next week, we will continue in our series on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday and a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week has gone pretty well at work. I haven't felt too bad physically either. I thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I have been praying about some financial decisions that I have to make in the near future, and I believe that I have things worked out. Please pray that everything will come together so that I can once and for all get my financial difficulties of the past behind me. Also, please pray for me as I continue to work on the religious book project I am presently engaged in.
In prayer this week, please pray about the situation with the terrible forest fires in the American West. Pray that these fires might be extinguished. Also, as I am writing this blog, there is a bad storm in the Caribbean. Please pray that this storm will weaken, and that it won't damage anyone's life.
Let us continue to pray for peace in Syria and Iraq. Pray for the Gospel to reach the Maldives, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
Last week, we continued in our series of messages in examining the divinity of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of John. We examined Jesus' "I Am" statement, "I Am the Door." Jesus is the door of the sheepfold. He provides safety in the fold and protects us.
Today, we continue with the " I Am" statements of Jesus and focus on His statement "I Am the Good Shepherd" which is found in John 10:11.
John 10 is probably my favorite passage of scripture. For me, the idea that Jesus is the Good Shepherd is filled with a great deal of meaning. I would like us to examine some of what it means that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
In this chapter, Jesus states one of the meanings of His statement that He is the good shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
One of the jobs of a shepherd is to make sure that the flock is safe at all costs. We see this is the Old Testament from the example of David before he became King of Israel. David was a shepherd tending a flock. At least twice, he was called upon to protect the flock from predators. David had to slay a bear and a lion in order to protect the sheep that were under his care.
We are the sheep that the Father has given to the Lord Jesus. Jesus came to this earth to give His life as a ransom for sin that those of us who are His sheep might be redeemed and find forgiveness, peace and hope. Jesus was willing to give His life in order to bring us salvation. He willing placed His life on the line to help us when we could not help ourselves.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd in contrast to false shepherds who do not really care for the sheep. In this passage, I believe that Jesus has in mind the religious leaders of His day. The false shepherds can also refer to other relgions that do not offer truth and hope. Sheep will not find what they need from these shepherds.
Ezekiel chapter 34 is a great chapter that contrasts the bad shepherds with the Good Shepherd. In Ezekiel it states that the Good Shepherd finds the scattered members of the flock and brings them back into the fold. This is similar to the words of the Jesus. Jesus says that the Good Shepherd leaves the 99 in the fold, and then He goes out and diligently searches for the one lost sheep that has gone astray.
This has two meanings. First of all, the Good Shepherd seeks after those who have not placed their trust in Him. Jesus' arms are open wide for anyone and everyone who wants to come to Him. Jesus said that whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out. Jesus said, "Come to me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus is also diligently searching for the Christian who has fallen away from doing what is right. There are many Christians who have left their first love and who are not faithfully following the Lord. Jesus is seeking after these people. He wants to reconnect and bring those who are wandering back into the safety that only He can provide.
Let us look at a few other examples of what a Good Shepherd does. A Good Shepherd like Jesus looks after the welfare of the sheep. Sheep require a lot of care. They are subject to a variety of different ailments, and when they are free grazing, they are frequently injured. It is the shepherd's job to maintain the flock and help them along.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd helps the injured and the weak among His flock. I know that I have to rely on the Good Shepherd everyday to help me through the difficulties that I face in life. Through struggles with depression, grief and bad health, Jesus has always been there to help me along the way. I can feel His guiding presence and His comforting hand in my life. When I am at my lowest, I can sense His encouragement like a rock in a stream not letting me sink any lower.
When I suffered what I consider great spiritual abuse as a young man in a fundamentalist church I felt like giving up on organized religion. However, I never felt like giving up on Jesus. This is especially true when I truly discovered who Jesus is and what He is all about.
As a young man, I was given the picture of Jesus as someone to fear. Jesus was the one who would make something bad happen to you if you didn't give 10 percent to the church. I was told that Jesus would take my dog away if I loved him too much. Our church stressed that Jesus is the judge, and that one day I would have to give a reckoning. Those who didn't measure up would still make it to Heaven, but Jesus would punish you greatly for wasting your life on earth.
Everything was based on fear. Through a study of many, many books about Jesus written by a wide variety of authors, I came to understand who the Good Shepherd really is. I grew to love Him with all of my heart.
I know that He wants what is best for me. Jesus loves me and He cares about me. He wants to bring me into good pasture and not bring fear and punishment and hardship into my life. I learned that Jesus is my friend.
One other aspect of the Good Shepherd is that the Good Shepherd leads His flock into good pastrue. I know that if I follow Jesus, He will lead me into a closer relationship with Him. He will allow me to know more about Him, and through that I will be able to minister to others who are in need. Ultimately, Jesus will lead us who follow Him to the place that He has prepared for us. Where Jesus is, we will be with Him for all of eternity.
There is one other thing that I want to mention. When Jesus refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd He is clearly stating that He is God. In Ezekiel 34, it is God Himself that states He is the Good Shepherd that will lead His people Israel. Jesus uses this same language to show us that He is the Lord of all creation come in human flesh to provide redemption and to lead His flock in the way that we should go. Everything that is mentioned about God as the Good Shepherd in Ezekiel is made manifest in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Next week, we will continue in our series on the "I Am" statements of Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday and a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Book Review -- Scents and Sensibility
I am a big fan of the Chet and Bernie mystery series written by Spencer Quinn. When the first book, "Dog On It" was released a few years ago, I was hoping that this series would go on and on for many years. "Scents and Sensibility" is the eighth book in the Chet and Bernie series, and it is one of the best..
For those who are not familiar with the series, Chet is a large dog of over 100 pounds who was trained by the police. However, because a cat was involved, Chet didn't make it through training, and he was adopted by a private investigator named Bernie Little.
In Chet's eyes, Bernie can do no wrong. Together, Chet and Bernie solve crimes with Chet helping out by grabbing the perp's pant legs when needed.
In "Scents and Sensibility" the new case involves the son of Bernie's next door neighbors the Parsons. Billy Parsons is just out of prison after a stretch of 15 years for a kidnapping. During the the course of the book, Chet and Bernie will encounter, kidnappers, murderers and drug dealers. Along the way, readers will also be introduced to Chet's son.
"Scents and Sensibility is filled with action and adventure. Chet, who is the narrator of the series, is at his best. A reader can't help but laugh out loud at some of the things Chet comes up with. This book is particularly well-written, and the ending is certainly interesting.
I highly recommend this book. Even if this is the first book you have read in the series, it won't take long to figure things out. As with all of the books, the relationship between Chet and Bernie is what is important.
For those who are not familiar with the series, Chet is a large dog of over 100 pounds who was trained by the police. However, because a cat was involved, Chet didn't make it through training, and he was adopted by a private investigator named Bernie Little.
In Chet's eyes, Bernie can do no wrong. Together, Chet and Bernie solve crimes with Chet helping out by grabbing the perp's pant legs when needed.
In "Scents and Sensibility" the new case involves the son of Bernie's next door neighbors the Parsons. Billy Parsons is just out of prison after a stretch of 15 years for a kidnapping. During the the course of the book, Chet and Bernie will encounter, kidnappers, murderers and drug dealers. Along the way, readers will also be introduced to Chet's son.
"Scents and Sensibility is filled with action and adventure. Chet, who is the narrator of the series, is at his best. A reader can't help but laugh out loud at some of the things Chet comes up with. This book is particularly well-written, and the ending is certainly interesting.
I highly recommend this book. Even if this is the first book you have read in the series, it won't take long to figure things out. As with all of the books, the relationship between Chet and Bernie is what is important.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Verses For the Week -- Verses From Daniel
Daniel 2:20-21 -- "Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are his. He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others."
Daniel 6:26 -- "For he is a living God and he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end."
Daniel 12:13 -- "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Daniel 6:26 -- "For he is a living God and he endures forever. His kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end."
Daniel 12:13 -- "As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance."
Friday, August 21, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- "I Am the Door"
Welcome to the new edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for joining me today. I hope that this day finds all of you doing very well.
Work seems to be going fairly well right now. Thank you for all of your prayers on this matter. I have been doing more writing work lately, and I am happy to have this work. It may be possible to go back to writing full-time in the near future. I am still trying to save up for an expanded ministry, so please be in prayer about this.
In prayer this week, please pray about the situation with the fires in the western part of the United States. These are very devastating this year, and several firefighters have lost their lives battling this menace. Let us also pray for the refugees around the globe who are facing hardship.
We have been praying for nations of the world that do not have a significant witness of the gospel in them. Lets us continue to pray for Comoros, Maldives and Brunei. And let us also pray for North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen that the gospel would make inroads in these places as well.
As you know, we are currently in a series of messages on the "I Am" statements of Jesus that are found in the Gospel of John. Last week, we examined Jesus' statement that He is the Light of the Word. Today we move our attention to John chapter 10 were Jesus proclaims, "I Am the Door."
John 10:7-9 states, "Jesus said to them again, 'Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door, if anyone enters through me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.'"
First, let us look at the context of this statement. In John 10, Jesus is giving a discourse about sheep and shepherds. He speaks about sheep knowing His voice, and who the true shepherd is in contrast to those who do not really take the welfare of the sheep to heart.
In this context of sheep and shepherds, Jesus makes the statement that He is the door. What does this statement mean for us? First of all, let us examine what the function of a door is. One of the main purposes of a door is to provide access to a building or home. Jesus is the door of the sheep fold in this passage. His sheep go in and out of the sheepfold through Him.
In some of the sheepfolds used years ago, the shepherd was literally a door. At night, after all of the sheep had been gathered in, the shepherd would lie down and sleep in the entry way so that no sheep could get out, and no predators could get in.
This is an apt description of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus is the door that provides access to the Father's house in Heaven. In the Upper Room, Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them that where He was, they could be there as well. He was preparing a place for His sheep in the Father's sheepfold.
The way that a person receives entry into the Father's House is through the door of Jesus Christ. Only those who enter through Jesus will be saved. But what does this mean?
What Jesus did for us on the cross provides access to the Father. All have sinned and offended the holiness of God. God in His holiness must judge sin. However, God is also a God of love. Therefore, He made a way to bring redemption to fallen humanity. He provided His Son the Lord Jesus to fulfill the demands of justice and the demands of love.
Jesus lived a perfect. holy and sinless life. He then went to the cross where He bore our sins in His body. He was holy and without sin, yet He took for us the punishment for sin that we rightly deserved. If a person accepts what Jesus Christ has done and turns to Jesus in repentance and faith, Jesus will provide access to the Father's House for that person. Eternal life is only available through Jesus.
This is one of the meanings of Jesus' statement that the one's who came before were thieves and robbers. All of the false gods and false religious teachings and hypocritical religious teachings that preceded Jesus cannot bring truth and salvation. Only Jesus who is God incarnate can provide salvation.
I believe that the statement "I Am the Door" has other meanings as well. A door not only provides access, it also hinders access. As the door, Jesus provides protection from the adversary that would attempt to do us spiritual harm and separate us from the Lord.
There is a beautiful illustration from Scripture that demonstrates our spiritual safety. Those who trust in Jesus are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are then safe in the hand's of Jesus, and Jesus is in the hands of the Father. No one can snatch us away from the Lord. We are sealed to the day of redemption, and nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is also the door in the sense that He provides access to good pasture. We will see more about the role of the shepherd in next week's " I Am" statement. But for now, let us just say that the shepherd lets the sheep out of the fold to find what is good. These has a spiritual and a physical aspect for us.
The Bible says that every good and perfect gift is from above. All that we receive that is good and nice in this life comes from Jesus. We receive our food, clothing and physical blessings from the hand of the Lord. Our friends, family and animals that we love are a blessing from the Lord. Those little things that come along to brighten our day are gifts from the Lord.
Just the other day, I just happened upon a series of cat videos that have brought to me an incredible amount of happiness. This wasn't just by chance, I believe that Jesus brings these good things in our lives to make us happy just as a shepherd lets the sheep out of the sheepfold to find good pasture.
However, the truest sense of this is in the spiritual realm. Everything that we need spiritually, Jesus provides. Jesus provides forgiveness of sins and atonement with the Father. Jesus is the comfort of our souls. He is with us in times of heartache and struggle encouraging us and helping us to make it through each day. Jesus is our everything. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is the one we can cast all of our cares upon because He cares for us. He is our guide, healer and helper. All that we have is from the Lord Jesus.
Everything I am is because of Jesus. Everything that I have that has been good in my life has been provided by Him. I now look to the ultimate good that Jesus will bring when I see Him at the end of this life. Then, Jesus who is the door will let me into the Father's House. This won't be because of anything that I have done, It will because of the grace and mercy of the Lord poured out on Calvary and confirmed when Jesus rose on the third day.
For some reason that I haven't quite figured out, whenever I have a series of messages about Jesus, the readership of the sermons goes done substantially. When I have messages from the Old Testament or a book of the Bible, readership goes way up. I don't understand this, because Jesus means so much to me. He is what the faith is all about. There is nothing if it wasn't for Jesus.
I am going to keep talking and writing about Jesus even if no one wants to read the blog, because Jesus is worthy of praise. He is the one who can transform people's lives.
When I started these sermons four years ago this summer, it was my hope that people would hear about the love of Jesus and turn to Him for salvation and find Jesus as their friend. If you are reading this blog today, and you have never trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, I plead with you to turn to Jesus now. The one who is the door will let you in to His love and change your life forever.
Next week, we will continue with our series on the "I Am" statements. On Wednesday, I hope to have a review. Monday, I will be posting verses for the week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Work seems to be going fairly well right now. Thank you for all of your prayers on this matter. I have been doing more writing work lately, and I am happy to have this work. It may be possible to go back to writing full-time in the near future. I am still trying to save up for an expanded ministry, so please be in prayer about this.
In prayer this week, please pray about the situation with the fires in the western part of the United States. These are very devastating this year, and several firefighters have lost their lives battling this menace. Let us also pray for the refugees around the globe who are facing hardship.
We have been praying for nations of the world that do not have a significant witness of the gospel in them. Lets us continue to pray for Comoros, Maldives and Brunei. And let us also pray for North Korea, Saudi Arabia and Yemen that the gospel would make inroads in these places as well.
As you know, we are currently in a series of messages on the "I Am" statements of Jesus that are found in the Gospel of John. Last week, we examined Jesus' statement that He is the Light of the Word. Today we move our attention to John chapter 10 were Jesus proclaims, "I Am the Door."
John 10:7-9 states, "Jesus said to them again, 'Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All those who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door, if anyone enters through me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.'"
First, let us look at the context of this statement. In John 10, Jesus is giving a discourse about sheep and shepherds. He speaks about sheep knowing His voice, and who the true shepherd is in contrast to those who do not really take the welfare of the sheep to heart.
In this context of sheep and shepherds, Jesus makes the statement that He is the door. What does this statement mean for us? First of all, let us examine what the function of a door is. One of the main purposes of a door is to provide access to a building or home. Jesus is the door of the sheep fold in this passage. His sheep go in and out of the sheepfold through Him.
In some of the sheepfolds used years ago, the shepherd was literally a door. At night, after all of the sheep had been gathered in, the shepherd would lie down and sleep in the entry way so that no sheep could get out, and no predators could get in.
This is an apt description of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus is the door that provides access to the Father's house in Heaven. In the Upper Room, Jesus told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them that where He was, they could be there as well. He was preparing a place for His sheep in the Father's sheepfold.
The way that a person receives entry into the Father's House is through the door of Jesus Christ. Only those who enter through Jesus will be saved. But what does this mean?
What Jesus did for us on the cross provides access to the Father. All have sinned and offended the holiness of God. God in His holiness must judge sin. However, God is also a God of love. Therefore, He made a way to bring redemption to fallen humanity. He provided His Son the Lord Jesus to fulfill the demands of justice and the demands of love.
Jesus lived a perfect. holy and sinless life. He then went to the cross where He bore our sins in His body. He was holy and without sin, yet He took for us the punishment for sin that we rightly deserved. If a person accepts what Jesus Christ has done and turns to Jesus in repentance and faith, Jesus will provide access to the Father's House for that person. Eternal life is only available through Jesus.
This is one of the meanings of Jesus' statement that the one's who came before were thieves and robbers. All of the false gods and false religious teachings and hypocritical religious teachings that preceded Jesus cannot bring truth and salvation. Only Jesus who is God incarnate can provide salvation.
I believe that the statement "I Am the Door" has other meanings as well. A door not only provides access, it also hinders access. As the door, Jesus provides protection from the adversary that would attempt to do us spiritual harm and separate us from the Lord.
There is a beautiful illustration from Scripture that demonstrates our spiritual safety. Those who trust in Jesus are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We are then safe in the hand's of Jesus, and Jesus is in the hands of the Father. No one can snatch us away from the Lord. We are sealed to the day of redemption, and nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is also the door in the sense that He provides access to good pasture. We will see more about the role of the shepherd in next week's " I Am" statement. But for now, let us just say that the shepherd lets the sheep out of the fold to find what is good. These has a spiritual and a physical aspect for us.
The Bible says that every good and perfect gift is from above. All that we receive that is good and nice in this life comes from Jesus. We receive our food, clothing and physical blessings from the hand of the Lord. Our friends, family and animals that we love are a blessing from the Lord. Those little things that come along to brighten our day are gifts from the Lord.
Just the other day, I just happened upon a series of cat videos that have brought to me an incredible amount of happiness. This wasn't just by chance, I believe that Jesus brings these good things in our lives to make us happy just as a shepherd lets the sheep out of the sheepfold to find good pasture.
However, the truest sense of this is in the spiritual realm. Everything that we need spiritually, Jesus provides. Jesus provides forgiveness of sins and atonement with the Father. Jesus is the comfort of our souls. He is with us in times of heartache and struggle encouraging us and helping us to make it through each day. Jesus is our everything. He is the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He is the one we can cast all of our cares upon because He cares for us. He is our guide, healer and helper. All that we have is from the Lord Jesus.
Everything I am is because of Jesus. Everything that I have that has been good in my life has been provided by Him. I now look to the ultimate good that Jesus will bring when I see Him at the end of this life. Then, Jesus who is the door will let me into the Father's House. This won't be because of anything that I have done, It will because of the grace and mercy of the Lord poured out on Calvary and confirmed when Jesus rose on the third day.
For some reason that I haven't quite figured out, whenever I have a series of messages about Jesus, the readership of the sermons goes done substantially. When I have messages from the Old Testament or a book of the Bible, readership goes way up. I don't understand this, because Jesus means so much to me. He is what the faith is all about. There is nothing if it wasn't for Jesus.
I am going to keep talking and writing about Jesus even if no one wants to read the blog, because Jesus is worthy of praise. He is the one who can transform people's lives.
When I started these sermons four years ago this summer, it was my hope that people would hear about the love of Jesus and turn to Him for salvation and find Jesus as their friend. If you are reading this blog today, and you have never trusted Jesus as Savior and Lord, I plead with you to turn to Jesus now. The one who is the door will let you in to His love and change your life forever.
Next week, we will continue with our series on the "I Am" statements. On Wednesday, I hope to have a review. Monday, I will be posting verses for the week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Book Review -- History Books -- Wales
After I received my degree in theology, I went back to school and received a history degree. I have always loved history, and I enjoy reading history books. After Toby came to live with me, I became interested in the history of Wales. Over the course of several years, I have read several good books about Welsh history. In today's post, I will tell you about a few of the very best that I've read.
"A History of Wales" written by John Davies is my favorite Welsh history book. This volume contains a general overview of Welsh history from ancient times to the present. It is easy to read and understand, and I highly recommend it for those starting out in the study of the history of the land of Wales.
"Medieval Wales" by David Walker is a textbook that deals with Wales in the Middle Ages. This is the period of Welsh history I find most interesting, and this volume is a good overview of Wales during the time of the independent kingdoms.
"Modern Wales: A Concise History" by Gareth Elwyn Jones provides good information about the development of Wales in the twentieth century. It is highly readable and in depth on its subject matter.
"The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr" by R.R Davies is a biography of the man who attempted to throw off English domination and once again make Wales a free nation. As readers will discover, Glyn Dwr had some success, but in the end, England triumphs. The author looks into the reasons why.
These are just a few of the many excellent books about Welsh history that are currently available. Welsh history is an extremely interesting subject. For those brave enough to try, I recommend studying the Welsh language as well. I studied German in school and I took German and Spanish in college. I thought that I could pick up Welsh fairly quickly. I was wrong. It is a hard but interesting language.
"A History of Wales" written by John Davies is my favorite Welsh history book. This volume contains a general overview of Welsh history from ancient times to the present. It is easy to read and understand, and I highly recommend it for those starting out in the study of the history of the land of Wales.
"Medieval Wales" by David Walker is a textbook that deals with Wales in the Middle Ages. This is the period of Welsh history I find most interesting, and this volume is a good overview of Wales during the time of the independent kingdoms.
"Modern Wales: A Concise History" by Gareth Elwyn Jones provides good information about the development of Wales in the twentieth century. It is highly readable and in depth on its subject matter.
"The Revolt of Owain Glyn Dwr" by R.R Davies is a biography of the man who attempted to throw off English domination and once again make Wales a free nation. As readers will discover, Glyn Dwr had some success, but in the end, England triumphs. The author looks into the reasons why.
These are just a few of the many excellent books about Welsh history that are currently available. Welsh history is an extremely interesting subject. For those brave enough to try, I recommend studying the Welsh language as well. I studied German in school and I took German and Spanish in college. I thought that I could pick up Welsh fairly quickly. I was wrong. It is a hard but interesting language.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Verses For The Week -- Verses From Isaiah
Isaiah 49:1-3 -- "Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations; before I was born the Lord called me; from my mother's womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver. He said to me, ' You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.'"
Isaiah 51:16 -- "I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand --- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my peace.'"
Isaiah 66:12-13 -- "For this is what the Lord says, "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
Isaiah 51:16 -- "I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand --- I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, 'You are my peace.'"
Isaiah 66:12-13 -- "For this is what the Lord says, "I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem."
Friday, August 14, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- "I Am the Light of the World"
Welcome to a new posting of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you are reading these sermons, and I pray that you are receiving spiritual edification through them. My greatest hope is that someone who has never accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior will read one of these messages and invite the Lord Jesus into their life.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I am currently working on a religious book. The book is progressing nicely. I have finished another chapter, and I hope to have the book published sometime next year. At my job, well, I don't know what to say. I am thankful for my job which the Lord has provided, but it is a depressing job. On a brighter note, I have been getting more writing work, and I am grateful for that.
In prayer this week, let us continue to pray about the Ebola outbreak in Africa. I heard a report on NPR yesterday that the number of new cases has drastically fallen. A physician with Doctors Without Borders stated that she thought that Africa could be Ebola free by 2016. Let us also pray for another health crisis in Africa. There is a meningitis outbreak occurring, and there is currently not enough vaccine. Let us pray for an end to this problem.
Also, let us continue to pray for peace. And let us pray for areas of the world where there are few Christians and the Gospel of Jesus needs to be preached. In this regard let us pray for Comoros, Maldives and Brunei.
Last week, we continued in our new series of messages on the "I Am" statements of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John. We examined Jesus statement that He was the Bread of Life.
Today, we turn our attention to Jesus' "I Am" statement found in John 8:12 that reads, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus had gone to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. During this time, Jesus was teaching the people daily. He was also engaging with the religious leaders who did not care for Jesus at all. The people believed that Jesus was a great prophet and teacher, but the religious authorities wanted to kill Jesus or at least discredit Him in the eyes of the people.
During the time of the feast, the religious leaders tried to entrap Jesus by bringing to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus did not condemn the woman. He told the crowd that whoever among them was without sin, they should cast the first stone at her. Of course, no one did that. Jesus said to the woman, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more."
The next day, Jesus was back teaching the people. It was at this time that Jesus made the statement that is our focus today. Jesus said the He was the light of the world.
What does it mean when Jesus says that He is the light of the world. I would like to focus on at least two areas in which Jesus is the light of the world, and also focus on how we are the light of the world in the opinion of Jesus.
First of all, Jesus is the light of the world in a spiritual sense. As we saw when we studied I John, the world is filled with spiritual darkness. Since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, the world is a dark place that is filled with all manner of evil and violence. John states in the beginning chapter of his Gospel that the Word was made flesh and was the light shining in a dark place.
Everyone who is born is born in sin. There is none righteous the Bible says. We have inherited a sin nature, and all of us have rebelled against God and gone on our own way like straying sheep. We love to follow the darkness of sin.
However, when we were in sin, God loved us, and He sent His Son the Lord Jesus to die on the cross to save from our sins. He sent Jesus to shine as a light and drive away the darkness of sin.
Because Jesus loved us, He was willing to lay down His life for us. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His body. Jesus was the Lamb of God who could take away the sins of the world.
Whoever, puts their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and believes that Jesus has risen, that person will leave the land of darkness and receive the pure light of Christ into their soul. They will no longer be part of the kingdom of darkness. They will be a member of the kingdom of love and light and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only Jesus who is the light of the world can provide the solution to humanity's spiritual problem of sin. All of the other religious pathways simply lead to more darkness. Jesus provides the answer to sin, guilt and darkness in the human heart.
I believe that Jesus is the light of the world in another sense as well. Jesus came into the world to live a holy and sinless life. Through His teachings, He demonstrated for us how human beings ought to live. Jesus provides an example for life. His life is a light. If people would follow the example and teachings of Jesus, much of the darkness and trouble that is in the world would be eliminated.
Jesus taught the way of peace and justice. He showed us how we are to treat the poor and the powerless. He demonstrated the value of every individual. He showed the world what God's love is really like, and He showed us the way that we are to love one another.
If people would truly follow Jesus, this world would know peace. Exploitation and poverty would end, and all people could live a life free from fear.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that His followers where the light of the world. Jesus had light in and of Himself. We do not. As His followers, we reflect His light to others and into this world. That is our mission. We are to spread the light of Christ into the darkness. We do this by obeying the Great Commission and sharing the message of the saving love of Jesus with those whom we know. We also spread the light when we do what Jesus commanded. When we care for and provide for the least of those among us, we truly are the light of the world.
If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you and become the Lord of your life, I pray that you will do so today. Don't live in darkness anymore. Come to Jesus who is the Light of the World.
Next week, we will examine another of Jesus' "I Am" statements. On Monday, I will post the verses. There will be book reviews this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I am currently working on a religious book. The book is progressing nicely. I have finished another chapter, and I hope to have the book published sometime next year. At my job, well, I don't know what to say. I am thankful for my job which the Lord has provided, but it is a depressing job. On a brighter note, I have been getting more writing work, and I am grateful for that.
In prayer this week, let us continue to pray about the Ebola outbreak in Africa. I heard a report on NPR yesterday that the number of new cases has drastically fallen. A physician with Doctors Without Borders stated that she thought that Africa could be Ebola free by 2016. Let us also pray for another health crisis in Africa. There is a meningitis outbreak occurring, and there is currently not enough vaccine. Let us pray for an end to this problem.
Also, let us continue to pray for peace. And let us pray for areas of the world where there are few Christians and the Gospel of Jesus needs to be preached. In this regard let us pray for Comoros, Maldives and Brunei.
Last week, we continued in our new series of messages on the "I Am" statements of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John. We examined Jesus statement that He was the Bread of Life.
Today, we turn our attention to Jesus' "I Am" statement found in John 8:12 that reads, "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Jesus had gone to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles. During this time, Jesus was teaching the people daily. He was also engaging with the religious leaders who did not care for Jesus at all. The people believed that Jesus was a great prophet and teacher, but the religious authorities wanted to kill Jesus or at least discredit Him in the eyes of the people.
During the time of the feast, the religious leaders tried to entrap Jesus by bringing to Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Jesus did not condemn the woman. He told the crowd that whoever among them was without sin, they should cast the first stone at her. Of course, no one did that. Jesus said to the woman, "Neither do I condemn you. Go, and sin no more."
The next day, Jesus was back teaching the people. It was at this time that Jesus made the statement that is our focus today. Jesus said the He was the light of the world.
What does it mean when Jesus says that He is the light of the world. I would like to focus on at least two areas in which Jesus is the light of the world, and also focus on how we are the light of the world in the opinion of Jesus.
First of all, Jesus is the light of the world in a spiritual sense. As we saw when we studied I John, the world is filled with spiritual darkness. Since all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, the world is a dark place that is filled with all manner of evil and violence. John states in the beginning chapter of his Gospel that the Word was made flesh and was the light shining in a dark place.
Everyone who is born is born in sin. There is none righteous the Bible says. We have inherited a sin nature, and all of us have rebelled against God and gone on our own way like straying sheep. We love to follow the darkness of sin.
However, when we were in sin, God loved us, and He sent His Son the Lord Jesus to die on the cross to save from our sins. He sent Jesus to shine as a light and drive away the darkness of sin.
Because Jesus loved us, He was willing to lay down His life for us. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His body. Jesus was the Lamb of God who could take away the sins of the world.
Whoever, puts their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and believes that Jesus has risen, that person will leave the land of darkness and receive the pure light of Christ into their soul. They will no longer be part of the kingdom of darkness. They will be a member of the kingdom of love and light and a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Only Jesus who is the light of the world can provide the solution to humanity's spiritual problem of sin. All of the other religious pathways simply lead to more darkness. Jesus provides the answer to sin, guilt and darkness in the human heart.
I believe that Jesus is the light of the world in another sense as well. Jesus came into the world to live a holy and sinless life. Through His teachings, He demonstrated for us how human beings ought to live. Jesus provides an example for life. His life is a light. If people would follow the example and teachings of Jesus, much of the darkness and trouble that is in the world would be eliminated.
Jesus taught the way of peace and justice. He showed us how we are to treat the poor and the powerless. He demonstrated the value of every individual. He showed the world what God's love is really like, and He showed us the way that we are to love one another.
If people would truly follow Jesus, this world would know peace. Exploitation and poverty would end, and all people could live a life free from fear.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that His followers where the light of the world. Jesus had light in and of Himself. We do not. As His followers, we reflect His light to others and into this world. That is our mission. We are to spread the light of Christ into the darkness. We do this by obeying the Great Commission and sharing the message of the saving love of Jesus with those whom we know. We also spread the light when we do what Jesus commanded. When we care for and provide for the least of those among us, we truly are the light of the world.
If you have never asked Jesus to forgive you and become the Lord of your life, I pray that you will do so today. Don't live in darkness anymore. Come to Jesus who is the Light of the World.
Next week, we will examine another of Jesus' "I Am" statements. On Monday, I will post the verses. There will be book reviews this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
An Additional Book Review
Last week, I posted that I was going to re-read one of my favorite book series. The Joe Grey series of mysteries written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy is one of the best. This series of books has 18 titles so far, and and a new book is scheduled for release sometime early in 2016.
This series of books is not just a mystery series. In addition to the mystery element, this series is a fantasy series as well.
Joe Grey is a cat who in the first book "Cat On the Edge" one day gains the ability to talk and think like a human. Joe witnesses the murder of his human's business partner, and the murderer comes after Joe somehow realizing that Joe is no ordinary cat.
On the run for his life, and not knowing how to talk to Clyde Damen his human, Joe feels all alone in the world until he meets Dulcie another cat with abilities just like his.
In "Cat On the Edge" these two feline detectives work together to solve the murder Joe witnessed. Several of the main characters in the series are introduced in this first book, but those who read the entire series will soon discover that the author brings in new and exciting characters throughout the series.
If you have never read any books in the Joe Grey series, I recommend that you start with this first book. The series builds on itself, and I think that if you started in the middle of the series, some of what is happening might be hard to understand. All of these books are still in print, so it is not difficult to start at the beginning.
In the weeks to come, as I read through this series once again, I will give a short review of each book.
This series of books is not just a mystery series. In addition to the mystery element, this series is a fantasy series as well.
Joe Grey is a cat who in the first book "Cat On the Edge" one day gains the ability to talk and think like a human. Joe witnesses the murder of his human's business partner, and the murderer comes after Joe somehow realizing that Joe is no ordinary cat.
On the run for his life, and not knowing how to talk to Clyde Damen his human, Joe feels all alone in the world until he meets Dulcie another cat with abilities just like his.
In "Cat On the Edge" these two feline detectives work together to solve the murder Joe witnessed. Several of the main characters in the series are introduced in this first book, but those who read the entire series will soon discover that the author brings in new and exciting characters throughout the series.
If you have never read any books in the Joe Grey series, I recommend that you start with this first book. The series builds on itself, and I think that if you started in the middle of the series, some of what is happening might be hard to understand. All of these books are still in print, so it is not difficult to start at the beginning.
In the weeks to come, as I read through this series once again, I will give a short review of each book.
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Book Recommendations -- Veterinarian and Music Books
Last week, I mentioned that I would tell you about another series of veterinarian stories that I liked. Veterinarian Nick Trout has written two books that tell about his work as a veterinarian. The books are called "Tell Me Where It Hurts" and "Love is the Best Medicine". Dr. Trout is a veterinary surgeon who works at one of the most prestigious veterinary medical centers in the United States. His stories are all very interesting and well worth reading.
In addition to these two books, Dr. Trout has written some fictional books about a small town veterinarian, and he has written a book entitled "Ever By My Side" about the animals that have been important in his life.
There are two other books that I would like to recommend to you today. I am a big fan of classical music and jazz. I find it very interesting to read about the lives of the great classical music composers and jazz players. There are two books that I have come across that have a great deal of interesting biographical information for those who enjoy classical music and jazz.
"The Lives of the Great Composers" written by Harold Schonberg devotes a chapter each to the great classical music composers. Readers will learn excellent information about Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak, and a host of other composers. This book is well worth reading, and I have enjoyed it through the years.
For those who like jazz, "Jazz Portraits" written by Len Lyons gives brief biographies of the major jazz artists. Of particular interest to me are profiles of my favorites in jazz artists including Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Miles Davis and Horace Silver. I originally came across this book as it was used as a textbook in a college music class. My trumpet teacher also used this book in the classes he taught at the local community college.
In addition to these two books, Dr. Trout has written some fictional books about a small town veterinarian, and he has written a book entitled "Ever By My Side" about the animals that have been important in his life.
There are two other books that I would like to recommend to you today. I am a big fan of classical music and jazz. I find it very interesting to read about the lives of the great classical music composers and jazz players. There are two books that I have come across that have a great deal of interesting biographical information for those who enjoy classical music and jazz.
"The Lives of the Great Composers" written by Harold Schonberg devotes a chapter each to the great classical music composers. Readers will learn excellent information about Bach, Beethoven, Dvorak, and a host of other composers. This book is well worth reading, and I have enjoyed it through the years.
For those who like jazz, "Jazz Portraits" written by Len Lyons gives brief biographies of the major jazz artists. Of particular interest to me are profiles of my favorites in jazz artists including Dave Brubeck, Paul Desmond, Miles Davis and Horace Silver. I originally came across this book as it was used as a textbook in a college music class. My trumpet teacher also used this book in the classes he taught at the local community college.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Verses For the Week
Isaiah 12:4-6 -- "Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things, Let this be known to all the world. Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you."
Luke 5:31-32 -- "Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Hebrews 11:1 -- "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Luke 5:31-32 -- "Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Hebrews 11:1 -- "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Friday, August 7, 2015
Weekend Sermon -- "I Am the Bread of Life"
Hello. I am glad that you are joining me for another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone is doing well.
This past week I have had the opportunity to do some things that I enjoy for a change. On one of my days off, I went out to the lake, and that was nice. I've felt fairly well this week. Work is about the same. Please continue to pray that my health will be good and that I will find more and more ministry opportunities. I had a chance to work extensively on the book I mentioned last week. If everything goes as planned, the book will be available by the Spring of 2016.
In prayer this week, let us remember the people of Myanmar who are going through a terrible situation with flooding in the that nation. Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world. Let us pray especially for peace in Syria. Also, the refugee crisis around the world is becoming quite severe. May those who need help and assistance find the help that they need at this time.
Last week, we began a series of messages on the divinity of Jesus as expressed in the Gospel of John. John's gospel is very different from the synoptic gospels. In John, we find Jesus making several "I Am" statements. We saw last week that these "I Am" statements were Jesus' way of stating clearly that He was divine. The religious leaders understood what Jesus meant. They regarded Jesus' statements as blasphemy, and they wanted to stone Him to death.
Today, we will examine another of the "I Am" statements of Jesus found in John. In John 6:35 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
First, let us look at the context in which Jesus makes this statement. At the beginning of chapter 6, Jesus performs the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. After this miracle, Jesus sends the disciples across the Sea of Galilee. Later, Jesus will walk on the water out to His disciples and calm the raging storm.
When they reach the other side of the lake, the people swarm to Jesus. They want to see Jesus perform another miracle. They want to be fed again with the physical bread that Jesus provided the previous day. Jesus will go on to tell the people that the bread that He has come to provide is much more than physical bread. Jesus did not come to establish on earthly kingdom where people will have some type of abundance and riches. Jesus came to fill the hearts of people with His love and forgiveness.
Jesus will go on to say that unless one eats His flesh and drinks His blood, that person can have no part with Him. Jesus says in John 6:54-56, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them."
When Jesus said these words, the people did not like what He said. Many of the people turned away from Jesus at this point, and they followed Him no more.
So, what does the statement "I Am the bread of life" mean for us today. I think that there are at least three aspects to this statement. I believe that Jesus is saying that He is the one who sustains the spiritual, psychological and physical aspects of person if that person will allow Jesus to be the Lord of their life.
Let's look into this more. First of all, Jesus is the answer for the spiritual problem that people face. Because of the sin of Adam, sin and death have passed upon everyone who has ever been born. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Because everyone has sinned, everyone deserves punishment for sin and separation from God. However, God so loved the world that He sent His Son into the world. Jesus came to this earth to live a holy and sinless life. In every point where the first Adam failed, Jesus succeeded.
Because He was without sin, Jesus could be the spotless Lamb of God who by His sacrifice could take away the sins of the world. Jesus offers His love and salvation to everyone who is willing to turn to Him in repentance and faith. He is willing to forgive and dwell with any person who believes in Him and believes that He has risen from the dead. He will be the Lord of any person who asks Him to sit on the throne of their heart.
Without Jesus, we are dead in trespasses and sins. We are starved spiritually, but Jesus is the bread of life who brings new life to our souls. He makes us alive, and He makes us a new creation in Him.
Jesus is also the one who sustains us physically. I know that in my own life, Jesus is the one who by His indwelling presence allows me to go on each day. He is the one who provides for my needs according to His riches in glory. As the God of the universe, Jesus has all the resources to make sure that I have what I need.
Jesus as the bread of life also sustains us psychologically. How true this is for me. As many of you know, and I have mentioned this on the blog many times, I have suffered from depression on and off for many years. I have had times when it has been much worse than at other times. The worst times of my depression occurred when I was at the Christian school at the fundamentalist church where my parents attended when I was a boy. In order to help me not be depressed, the Lord Jesus sent me my friend Toby to help me to make it through. The second time I was really depressed was after my parents died five years ago.
The only way that I have been able to make it through these time and other times of depression in my life is through the power and presence of Jesus Christ. He has sustained me in the darkest hours of my life and helped me to make it to where I am today. Without Jesus in my life, I would not be here today.
I guess what I am trying to say, and what it all comes down to, is that as the bread of life, Jesus is truly what life is all about. He wants to be Lord of all of our lives and be the one who sustains every aspect of who we are. Without Jesus Christ we will all wither away in every aspect of our lives. It is only through Jesus that we have true and abundant life in this world and in the world to come.
That is what Jesus is getting at when He talks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He wants us to take Him into every fiber of our being. He wants us to make Him primary in all aspects of our existence.
In order to begin to do this, we first must turn to Jesus in repentance and faith. We must ask Him to forgive us of all of our sins. Then, we must believe in our hearts that Jesus has risen from the dead. We must ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives.
Once we have asked Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, we need to build a relationship with Him. This involves communicating with Him in prayer and meditating upon Him. We need to read the teachings and the commandments of Jesus contained in the four Gospels, and then we need to be doers of the word and follow what Jesus has told us to do.
All of life then needs to have Jesus at the center. In all that we do, we need to seek Jesus' will in it. We must look to Him for He is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Next week, we will continue with this series of messages focusing on another of Jesus' "I Am" statements. I will post the verses on Monday and a book review on Wednesday. May God bless you. Amen.
This past week I have had the opportunity to do some things that I enjoy for a change. On one of my days off, I went out to the lake, and that was nice. I've felt fairly well this week. Work is about the same. Please continue to pray that my health will be good and that I will find more and more ministry opportunities. I had a chance to work extensively on the book I mentioned last week. If everything goes as planned, the book will be available by the Spring of 2016.
In prayer this week, let us remember the people of Myanmar who are going through a terrible situation with flooding in the that nation. Let us also continue to pray for peace in the world. Let us pray especially for peace in Syria. Also, the refugee crisis around the world is becoming quite severe. May those who need help and assistance find the help that they need at this time.
Last week, we began a series of messages on the divinity of Jesus as expressed in the Gospel of John. John's gospel is very different from the synoptic gospels. In John, we find Jesus making several "I Am" statements. We saw last week that these "I Am" statements were Jesus' way of stating clearly that He was divine. The religious leaders understood what Jesus meant. They regarded Jesus' statements as blasphemy, and they wanted to stone Him to death.
Today, we will examine another of the "I Am" statements of Jesus found in John. In John 6:35 Jesus says, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
First, let us look at the context in which Jesus makes this statement. At the beginning of chapter 6, Jesus performs the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand. After this miracle, Jesus sends the disciples across the Sea of Galilee. Later, Jesus will walk on the water out to His disciples and calm the raging storm.
When they reach the other side of the lake, the people swarm to Jesus. They want to see Jesus perform another miracle. They want to be fed again with the physical bread that Jesus provided the previous day. Jesus will go on to tell the people that the bread that He has come to provide is much more than physical bread. Jesus did not come to establish on earthly kingdom where people will have some type of abundance and riches. Jesus came to fill the hearts of people with His love and forgiveness.
Jesus will go on to say that unless one eats His flesh and drinks His blood, that person can have no part with Him. Jesus says in John 6:54-56, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them."
When Jesus said these words, the people did not like what He said. Many of the people turned away from Jesus at this point, and they followed Him no more.
So, what does the statement "I Am the bread of life" mean for us today. I think that there are at least three aspects to this statement. I believe that Jesus is saying that He is the one who sustains the spiritual, psychological and physical aspects of person if that person will allow Jesus to be the Lord of their life.
Let's look into this more. First of all, Jesus is the answer for the spiritual problem that people face. Because of the sin of Adam, sin and death have passed upon everyone who has ever been born. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Because everyone has sinned, everyone deserves punishment for sin and separation from God. However, God so loved the world that He sent His Son into the world. Jesus came to this earth to live a holy and sinless life. In every point where the first Adam failed, Jesus succeeded.
Because He was without sin, Jesus could be the spotless Lamb of God who by His sacrifice could take away the sins of the world. Jesus offers His love and salvation to everyone who is willing to turn to Him in repentance and faith. He is willing to forgive and dwell with any person who believes in Him and believes that He has risen from the dead. He will be the Lord of any person who asks Him to sit on the throne of their heart.
Without Jesus, we are dead in trespasses and sins. We are starved spiritually, but Jesus is the bread of life who brings new life to our souls. He makes us alive, and He makes us a new creation in Him.
Jesus is also the one who sustains us physically. I know that in my own life, Jesus is the one who by His indwelling presence allows me to go on each day. He is the one who provides for my needs according to His riches in glory. As the God of the universe, Jesus has all the resources to make sure that I have what I need.
Jesus as the bread of life also sustains us psychologically. How true this is for me. As many of you know, and I have mentioned this on the blog many times, I have suffered from depression on and off for many years. I have had times when it has been much worse than at other times. The worst times of my depression occurred when I was at the Christian school at the fundamentalist church where my parents attended when I was a boy. In order to help me not be depressed, the Lord Jesus sent me my friend Toby to help me to make it through. The second time I was really depressed was after my parents died five years ago.
The only way that I have been able to make it through these time and other times of depression in my life is through the power and presence of Jesus Christ. He has sustained me in the darkest hours of my life and helped me to make it to where I am today. Without Jesus in my life, I would not be here today.
I guess what I am trying to say, and what it all comes down to, is that as the bread of life, Jesus is truly what life is all about. He wants to be Lord of all of our lives and be the one who sustains every aspect of who we are. Without Jesus Christ we will all wither away in every aspect of our lives. It is only through Jesus that we have true and abundant life in this world and in the world to come.
That is what Jesus is getting at when He talks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. He wants us to take Him into every fiber of our being. He wants us to make Him primary in all aspects of our existence.
In order to begin to do this, we first must turn to Jesus in repentance and faith. We must ask Him to forgive us of all of our sins. Then, we must believe in our hearts that Jesus has risen from the dead. We must ask Jesus to be the Lord of our lives.
Once we have asked Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, we need to build a relationship with Him. This involves communicating with Him in prayer and meditating upon Him. We need to read the teachings and the commandments of Jesus contained in the four Gospels, and then we need to be doers of the word and follow what Jesus has told us to do.
All of life then needs to have Jesus at the center. In all that we do, we need to seek Jesus' will in it. We must look to Him for He is the author and perfecter of our faith.
Next week, we will continue with this series of messages focusing on another of Jesus' "I Am" statements. I will post the verses on Monday and a book review on Wednesday. May God bless you. Amen.
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Book Review -- "The Animals In My Life"
Today I am reviewing a book entitled "The Animals In My Life" written by a veterinarian named Grant Kendall. Dr. Kendall is primarily an equine vet, but many of the stories in this book and its sequel contain stories about a variety of different animals. In this book, Dr. Kendall comes across as a compassionate doctor who seeks the best for his patients.
The book is well-written with often humorous stories that are easy to read. This book and its sequel, "More Animals in My Life" are highly recommended.
For those who like to read stories about the work of veterinarians, I give my highest recommendation to the series of books written by James Herriot. He is just a superb writer. I highly recommend the "All Creatures Great and Small" TV series as well.
The books by Alexander Cameron are also very good, and they have stories about his time as a vet and his time serving as a Church of Scotland pastor. Both aspects are quite interesting. I actually think that the stories he tells about being a pastor are the more interesting.
Louis Camuti has written a good book about being a cat veterinarian. There are are a couple of other good veterinary story books I have at the house, but I can't think of the names right now. I will find out, and I will tell you about them next week.
I also mentioned that I would be reading some more in the Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown and report back. I recently finished a couple of more titles in this twenty book and counting series. The stories are interesting. The only issue I have with the books is that the author often creates set piece conversations for the characters that seem to exist only to promote the author's own political beliefs. Her beliefs run toward the libertarian viewpoint with which I disagree. That's fine with me. An author has the right to write how they wish. And I don't mind reading ideas I don't agree with. It just seems like this doesn't always advance the plot too much.
I have decided to re-read all of the Joe Grey series written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. I love these books. As I finish one, I will report here what I enjoy about each book in the series.
Next week I will share more of the books I've read with you. Have a good day.
The book is well-written with often humorous stories that are easy to read. This book and its sequel, "More Animals in My Life" are highly recommended.
For those who like to read stories about the work of veterinarians, I give my highest recommendation to the series of books written by James Herriot. He is just a superb writer. I highly recommend the "All Creatures Great and Small" TV series as well.
The books by Alexander Cameron are also very good, and they have stories about his time as a vet and his time serving as a Church of Scotland pastor. Both aspects are quite interesting. I actually think that the stories he tells about being a pastor are the more interesting.
Louis Camuti has written a good book about being a cat veterinarian. There are are a couple of other good veterinary story books I have at the house, but I can't think of the names right now. I will find out, and I will tell you about them next week.
I also mentioned that I would be reading some more in the Mrs. Murphy series by Rita Mae Brown and report back. I recently finished a couple of more titles in this twenty book and counting series. The stories are interesting. The only issue I have with the books is that the author often creates set piece conversations for the characters that seem to exist only to promote the author's own political beliefs. Her beliefs run toward the libertarian viewpoint with which I disagree. That's fine with me. An author has the right to write how they wish. And I don't mind reading ideas I don't agree with. It just seems like this doesn't always advance the plot too much.
I have decided to re-read all of the Joe Grey series written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy. I love these books. As I finish one, I will report here what I enjoy about each book in the series.
Next week I will share more of the books I've read with you. Have a good day.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Verses For the Week
Psalm 115:1 -- "Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness."
Mark 9:41 -- "Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."
John 7:37-38 -- "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."
Mark 9:41 -- "Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward."
John 7:37-38 -- "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."
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