Book Review -- "The Story of Philosophy"

     I've had a great interest in the subject of philosophy for many years.  I studied it on my own for several years.  After I graduated with my theology degree, I thought about going back to university and obtaining a degree in philosophy.  Unfortunately, there weren't any degree programs in the subject at the colleges that were within driving distance.  Instead, I chose to study history.  I would later study writing and go to seminary to study theology again.
     During my time in college, I was able to take some courses in philosophy, and I enjoyed them a lot.  My best education in the subject came from reading philosophy books and taking many courses offered through a company called The Teaching Company.
     One of the philosophy writers whose work I enjoyed was Bryan Magee.  He had an interesting series of programs on TV about philosophy and philosophers.  He is considered an expert on the philosophy of Schopenhauer, and he wrote a book called "Confessions of a Philosopher" that I enjoyed very much.
     Today, I would like to recommend an introductory book on the subject of philosophy written by Bryan Magee.  The book is entitled "The Story of Philosophy."  In this introduction, the reader is given a great deal of information about the great philosophers and philosophical movements over the course of Western history.  I think the book is an excellent source of information for those seeking information on modern philosophical movements.
     If you would like to know more about the subject of philosophy, "The Story of Philosophy" is a good place to get a thorough introduction to the subject in a readable and understandable form.

Verses For the Week -- Verses From I John

I John 3:21-22 -- "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."

Weekend Sermon -- " A Lesson From My Friend Toby, Part 1"

     Thank you for joining me for the Weekend Sermon today.  It is a great privilege to be able to share these messages with you each week.  I hope that they are a help to those who take the time to read them.
     This week has had its ups and downs.  I had to get a new air-conditioner.  I am thankful to the Lord that my brother was able to help me install it.  Also, I had to get a new tire for my lawn mower.  It has been so hot where I live that it is almost unbearable.  All you have to do is step outside for two seconds, and you are covered with perspiration.  We've already had a 110 degree heat index this summer, and late July is the hottest time of the year where I live.  I don't even want to think about how hot it is going to be if current trends continue.
     I am thankful to the Lord that I was able to make good progress on the book this week.  I had been struggling with one section of the book for quite sometime, but I was finally able to figure out what I wanted to say.  I am behind schedule on the book, but I hope to have it ready for publication this Fall.
     In prayer this week, please pray for those who are suffering with the terrible heat in the American Southwest.  Also, pray for those affected by the wildfires in that same area.  Continue to pray for an end to the Zika virus.  Pray for those suffering as a result of what occurred in Orlando.
     Syria and Iraq continue to be in a terrible shape.  Let us really focus our prayers for peace on these two nations.
     In our prayers for the nations of the world, let us pray that the people of Israel and Egypt might respond to the message of the love of Jesus.
     For the next several weeks, we are alternating back and forth each week between two different sermon series.  Last week, we studied in the Ten Commandments series.  Today, we will return to our lessons from the animals series.
     The first dog who I spoke about last time was a dog named Abraham.  Today, I want to focus on an important lesson the Lord showed me through my best friend Toby.  I will have a few different lessons the Lord showed me through Toby in this series, so that is why this sermon is designated as part 1.
     As I've mentioned before here on the blog, I grew up in a very fundamentalist church culture.  One aspect of the churches that I went to was the yearly youth retreat.  This was actually in two parts.  It was expected that all of the younger people, say 12 to 16, would go and spend one or two weeks at one of the religious youth camps.  I never went to any of these.  I had severe asthma, so my Mom didn't want me out in the woods.
     However, I couldn't get out of going to the weekend youth retreat held each year for those who were juniors and seniors in high school through college age.  I really did not want to go, but I was sort of forced into it.
     I'd had Toby for about 4 months when it came time to go to one of these youth retreats.  The two of us were getting along so well, and I was finally feeling happy for one of the first times in a long time.  But, we had started to go to this new fundamentalist church with a big youth group, so I was informed that I would be going.
     As I expected, I did not like this youth retreat at all.  Here's why.  This is the way all of these things went.  All of these young people who were held back, got a little freedom, and they went wild.  We were staying at an hotel, and I don't even want to get into all of the shenanigans that went on that weekend.
     I just decided I was fed up with it, and I went to my room and watched boxing.  I can still remember it as clear as day that John Mugabe was fighting his first major opponent.  Like most people Mugabe fought, until he faced Marvin Hagler, the opponent didn't last too long.
     Well, the last night of this youth retreat, the minister preached against all of the sins the youth had committed while on this retreat.  They all decided to repent and went down to the altar and laid on the floor crying half the night.  They all thought I was unrepentant since I just sat in my chair and watched the whole thing.  I didn't feel I needed to repent for watching a boxing match.
     Well, the next day when we arrived back home, I had one of the best experiences of my life.  Waiting in the car for me with my parents was my friend Toby.  When he saw me walking over to the car, he got so excited I thought that he was going to launch into outer space.  He was so happy to see me.   My parents said that they had to bring him along because he was so depressed while I was away that he wouldn't even eat.  He just laid by the front door waiting for me to come home.  He missed me, and he was so glad that I was back.  I was glad to be back too.
     Seeing Toby and his reaction that day let me realize that no matter how bad things were in my life, as long as he was around, somebody really cared about me.  Toby showed me that he loved me by his actions.
     Thinking about these events from many years ago now, I have come to realize that it is important in our lives to demonstrate our love for others and for the Lord.  We don't want to just say the words, we want to show our love in tangible ways.  I John 3:18 says it this way, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
     We should certainly tell others that we love and care about them.  We need to show it too.  If you have someone that you care about in this life, I urge you to do something this week that demonstrates how much they really mean to you.  Go out of your way to do something nice for someone else.  If all of us would do this, the world would be a nicer place.
    We have a world filled with hurting people all around us.  We can show that we love this world by doing things that show our love.  We can visit the sick, help collect food for the poor and the homeless, the list can go on and on.  Let us all try to find some way to show our love to those in this world who are hurting and who need help.  If you pray and ask Jesus for help in this area, I believe that He will show you how you can be a blessing to others.
     Also, we need to demonstrate our love for the Lord.  We can say that we love Him, and we should, but there are things that we can do to show our love.  Helping others shows our love for the Lord.  Jesus said that when we do something for the least among us, we do it as unto Him.
     We also demonstrate our love for the Lord when we tell other people how much He means to us.  When we share the message of salvation, we demonstrate our love for the Lord.  When we follow the path that Jesus set our for us, we show our love for the Lord.
     Finally, I want to say that God didn't just say that He loved us, He showed us.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  Jesus came to this earth to show us in word and deed how much God loves us.  Jesus died on the cross because He loved us and wanted us to have a relationship with Him.  In love, Jesus calls everyone everywhere to come to Him and receive the forgiveness. love and rest that He offers.
     I learned a lot of lessons from my old friend Toby.  I will share more of them in the weeks to come as well as lessons from some other animals that I have known.
     After that experience with the youth retreat, I didn't go to anymore of those activities.  I started to become even more of an independent thinker than I already was.  I started to see who Jesus really was and how much He truly loved me.
     Before I close this week, I just want you to know that Jesus loves you.  You may have been raised in a religious atmosphere like I was where Jesus was presented as mean, judging and condemning.  You were always in fear.  I want to tell you that Jesus really cares about you.  He did not come to condemn the world but to save it.  He wants to be your friend.  I hope that you will let Him be your friend today.
     Next week, I will post the verses on Monday.  I will have review on Wednesday.  We will return to our Ten Commandments series next week,  May God bless you all. Amen.

Book and Video Review --"Some Old Favorites"

     Recently, I was going through some of my books and videos just to see if there was anything that I wanted to look at again.   Here are some old favorites.
     One person who I think is an outstanding writer is Alexander Solzhenitsyn.  Some of his books are very long.  However, I believe that his best novel is the short work "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich."  I would highly recommend this book.  It is very well-written.
    I will always remember this book and its association with my Dad.  After my Dad retired, I tried to get him interested in reading.  As a young man I can only remember my Dad reading one book all the way through, and that was a biography of Billy Graham.
    My Dad wanted some novels to read, so I gave him Hemingway's "The Old Man and the Sea" to start out with.  He really liked that book.   The next one I gave him to read was a "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle since my Dad spent much time in France during his time in the Army.  Dad liked this book as well.  He also really enjoyed "All Creatures Great and Small" by James Herriot.  Herriot is my favorite by the way.
     I'd read "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich"  and I counted it among my very favorite literary novels.  My Dad did not like this book at all.  He did not like the fact that it was an entire book  about one day.  So, some may not like this book.  But, I highly recommend it to you.
     One of my favorite dog books is "My Dog Skip" written by Willie Morris.  It is a book about a boy and his fox terrier and the days they spent together in Yazoo City, Mississippi.  Some of you may have seen the movie version of "My Dog Skip".  That movie is good, but the book is nothing like the movie, and the book is much better.
     As I already mentioned, James Herriot is my favorite.  I have all of his books as well as all of the seasons in the "All Creatures Great and Small" television series.   The first seasons of the television program are the best.
     "Inspector Morse was a great television series.  John Thaw was an incredible actor, and I enjoyed watching him in Morse and in other programs such as "Kavanagh QC" and "Goodnight Mister Tom".  I think that all of the Morse episodes are good with my favorite being "The Way Through the Woods."  The book series by Colin Dexter is also good.  The books present Morse and Lewis a little differently than the television programs do.
     Finally, there is "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London.  What a great book.  Need I say more.

 

Verses For the Week -- Verses From Lamentations

This week's memory verses are from the same passage.

Lamentations 3:22-23 -- "Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.  They are new every morning.  Great is Your faithfulness."

Weekend Sermon -- "Ten Commandments Part 2"

     Hello, and welcome to this week's posting of the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading the blog.  I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and having a good week.
     Where I live, we are having extremely hot and humid weather for this time of the year.  It has affected my breathing.  I'm hoping that things will cool down just a little pretty soon.  My brother took me out to dinner for my birthday this week, and we all had a really good time.
     Please pray for me this week as I have a lot going on with work and at home, I feel like I am under a lot of stress right now, and I would appreciated your prayers.
     As we go to prayer this week, let us pray for those in the western part of the United States who are in the path of the wildfires.  Let us pray that these blazes will soon be extinguished.  Let us also remember in prayer those who are still in the hospital following the terrible tragedy in Orlando this week. Pray that these folks might quickly recover.   May all these acts of terrorism and violence cease.  Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world.
     As we pray for the message of Jesus to spread around the world this week, let's pray for the the nations of Bhutan and Bangladesh.  Pray for those suffering persecution because they follow the Lord Jesus.
     During these Summer months, we are in two different series of messages alternating back and forth each week.  This week, we will continue with our series of messages on the the Ten Commandments focusing on the second commandment which states, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image."
    This commandment seems easy enough to understand on face value.  No one is supposed to make an idol and worship it.  This commandment goes along with the first commandment of not having any god before the True and Living God.   God forbade any image of Himself being erected for the purpose of worship.
     In the Old Testament, the prophets time and time again warned the people to turn from idol worship because it was displeasing to God.  The God of the Bible is the only true God, and He alone is worthy of worship and praise.
     While this commandment is easy to understand, there has been quite a bit of controversy over it during the course of church history.  Some have interpreted this commandment to mean that human beings should never make any sculpture or painting that depicts an animal or a human being.
    I think that it is clear from the entirety of Scripture that this is not what the Lord had in mind when He gave us this commandment.  First of all, the Lord commanded Moses in the wilderness to make a serpent and place it on a pole.  Also, the Lord instructed that two angels be placed on the Ark of the Covenant when it was constructed.  If God had intended us never to make any representations at all, He would not have commanded it to be done in these instances.
     At one point in church history, the debate about depicting angels, saints and the Lord Jesus in religious art work and icons became very heated.  This was known as the Iconoclastic controversy.  Eventually, the consensus was reached that it was not a violation of the second commandment to depict religious scenes in icons, stained-glass windows, etc.
     I would agree with this interpretation.  I believe that much religious art aids us in worship.  We do need to be careful that we don't worship or bow down to any image replacing it with the proper devotion that belongs to Jesus alone.
     When I was growing up, our church didn't believe in having any pictures of Jesus in the home or church.  I don't see any problem with having a picture of Jesus.  The Bible does not tell us what Jesus looked like.  All of us have some picture in our minds of Jesus, and there is nothing wrong with that.  I personally believe that Jesus looked much different than the way He is often portrayed in Western art.
     There is one thing that I do not like in religious art.  Sometimes, artists will try to represent God the Father.  I don't think that this should be done.  I think that this might border on violating the second commandment.  Jesus was a man, so He can be represented as such.  The Bible says that the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove.  However, I don't think that we should make an image of God the Father.
     There is an important aspect of the second commandment that I want to focus on.  I believe the main reason that this commandment was given was because nothing can really represent God.  When a person makes an image and says this is God, there are in a sense limiting God to that particular representation.  The people surrounding the nation of Israel depicted their gods and goddesses as animals or in human form.  However, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the one who created the heavens and the earth is far greater and far mightier than any image can contain.  We can never define all that God is.
     Some place limits on God without making an image of Him.  Whenever we think that God cannot do a certain thing or act in a certain situation, we are limiting God and not giving Him the glory do unto His name.  God can do anything.  He is all knowing and all powerful.  We can never know all that there is to know about the God of the universe.
     These are just a few of my thoughts on the second commandment.  The most important thing that we need to take away from the first two commandments is that God alone is to be worship.  He alone is worthy.
     Next week, we will continue with our series in learning from the animals.  I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Book Review -- "Killing Trail: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery"

     I like books about police dogs, and "Killing Trail" by Margaret Mizushima is a fine edition to police dog books.  This book centers around Deputy Mattie Cobb of the Timber Creek, Colorado Police and her police dog, Robo.  Mattie and Robo haven't been a team for too long as the book opens.  However, the pair are already working quite well together.
     Timber Creek is a fairly quite place, but recently, there has been an uptick in drug crime in the area.  With Robo's help, the police are hoping to get a handle on the problem.
     The main plot of the book involves a murder of a young girl.  Robo discovers the body, and the girl's dog who is wounded.  Mattie takes the dog to the veterinary and meets the recently divorced Dr. Cole Walker.  To Mattie and Cole's shock, they discover that the wounded dog was being used to traffic drugs inside her body.
     Thus begins an interesting mystery that Mattie and Robo set out to solve.  During the course of the novel, we learn more about Mattie's past, and Mattie's relationships with her colleagues on the force and with Dr. Walker develop during the course of the book.
     Robo is an important part of the book and not just an afterthought as you will find in some books with police dogs.  His relationship with others in the book also develops as the story moves along.
     "Killing Trail" is well-written, and you will quickly be drawn into the action and the mystery.  The author has done an excellent job of setting up the situation and the characters to have several other books in this series.

Verses For the Week

    I hope that every one is successfully memorizing the verses each week.  Here are two new verses for this week.

Romans 12:12 -- "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Galatians 6:9 -- "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Weekend Sermon -- "A Lesson From A Dog Named Abraham"

     Welcome to another posting of the Weekend Sermon.  I am always glad when it is time to post the Weekend Sermon.  I hope and pray that everyone is doing very well.
     It's been a very stressful week at work.  Also, I have been having a lot of pain again.  Please pray that I will get to feeling better, and that I can make it through stressful days.  As I've said many times, without Jesus, I don't know how I would make it through the days.
     In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those affected by the flooding in Texas and in parts of Europe.  Pray for those areas struggling with the Zika virus.  Also pray for the safety of the European Football championships being held in France.
     We need to continue to pray for peace in a troubled world.  Pray for peace in Syria, Israel and Iraq.  Let us also pray this week that the message of the love of Jesus will reach people in Libya and Tunisia.
     In last week's message, we studied in one of our Summer series that will focus on the Ten Commandments.  Today, we will shift our attention to the other series that we will be focusing on during the next few weeks.
     Over the course of my life, I have had several dogs that have meant a lot to me.  Toby was the best dog I ever had the privilege to know.   He is my great friend, and I will always love him.  In this series, I will have a couple of messages about what the Lord helped me to learn through him.  Today, I want to tell you a little bit about a dog I had named Abraham, and an important lesson I learned from knowing that special character.
     As I've mentioned before, my Mom had Collie dogs that she took to the dog shows.  One of her Collie dogs won best in show at an all Collie specialty dog show.  When I got older, I wanted to have my own dog that I could take to the dog shows.  The dogs that I liked the best at the shows we attended were the Rottweilers.
     Rottweilers do, and they did at that time, have a reputation for being very aggressive.  My parents weren't really sure that they wanted me to get a dog like that.  I had to find just the right one whose parents had the right temperament.  It took some searching, but I found the right one.
     I purchased Abraham the Rottweiler when he was 12 weeks old.  His breeder was a Jewish man who had three male pups in the litter.  He named them Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
     Abraham was a beautiful Rottweiler,  He was massive with a large head and a powerful body filled with hard muscles.  He looked very intimidating.  However, looks can be deceiving.  Abraham was the gentlest dog with the nicest disposition that I have ever met.  He was friendly toward every person and every creature he encountered.  He liked children and other animals.  His personality was the direct opposite of that of my friend Toby who didn't like anything or anybody except me.
     I took Abraham to the dog shows, and he did well, but he didn't really like it.  He wanted to play, and he wasn't really too serious about the whole dog show thing.  Abraham and my Dad formed a really good friendship, and over time, Abraham became my Dad's dog.
     Abraham had two funny quirks.  He liked to stay in the barn.  He didn't want to be inside at all, so he became the barn dog.  He also buried all of his food we fed him in the morning in the hay and then went back and ate it later in the day.
     When Toby first came into my life, I went outside with him to see Abraham.  Abraham was so excited to see the smaller dog.  But, Toby didn't want to have anything to do with him.  Abraham looked at me so sadly when the little dog didn't want to play.
     As I think back on my old friend Abraham, I'm reminded of a couple of passages of Scripture.  In John 7:24, Jesus told His followers to stop judging on the outward appearance and make a correct judgment.  Also, I Samuel 16:7 tells us that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.
     Many people were afraid of Abraham because he was a large, imposing dog of a certain breed.  They didn't realize that inside, he was the nicest and gentlest of dogs.
     So many of us judge others based on stereotypes and outward appearances.  We see people that look or dress a certain way and we make a judgment that is often very wrong.  Sometimes we make judgments about a person's entire life just based on the outward without getting to know them at all.
     I have an interest in helping the homeless.  One judgment that people make about the homeless is that they are all on drugs or are alcoholics.  While this is true for many, many people who are homeless are families that just fell on hard times through no fault of their own.  Another outward judgment that people make against the homeless is that they all need to be saved because if they knew Jesus they wouldn't be in that state.  That is just very inaccurate.
    Many also see people that are poor and judge them by the outward appearance.  They assume that because someone is poor that they made bad choices, they are lazy or they lack education.  This isn't always the case.
    When I hit rock bottom financially, none of this was true.  Bad things had just happened.
     Often people will judge others by their race or their ethnicity.  They will think bad things about a group just based on false stereotypes.
     One thing that really upsets me is when people judge another person by their weight.  Many assume that an overweight person lacks self-control or that they are lazy.  This is often not the case at all.
     Instead of judging people based on the outward appearance of things, we need to take the time to get to know others and see what they are really like.  Often, the person that you thought you wouldn't like becomes a good friend.
     Instead of looking at the outward appearance of a person, we should look at what they do and how they act.  As Jesus said in Luke 6, a tree is known by its fruits.
     I am so glad that Jesus does not look at outward appearances, but instead, He looks at our hearts.  He knows what we are like down deep inside.  Jesus loves us and cares about us no matter what others say about us.
     In Jesus' day, the religious leaders cast out those who they thought were sinners or those who weren't what they thought of as the right kind of people.  Jesus loved and accepted everyone.  He cared and demonstrated His love to all.
     As followers of Jesus, let us not look on the outward appearance.  Let's make a right judgment and love the world as Jesus did.
     Abraham lived a long and healthy life enjoying every day.  My Dad loved that dog so much.
     I just want to add a brief word.  If you are thinking of adopting a dog into your family, don't judge by the appearance.  I know that some breeds of dogs have a bad reputation, but many individuals of those breeds are really nice and kind animals that would make a good pet.
     Next week, we will continue with our series in the Ten Commandments.  I will post the verses on Monday, and I will have a review for Wednesday.  May God bless you all. Amen.

Book Review -- "Free Days With George"

     The book that I am reviewing today is one of the best dog books that I have read in a long time.  "Free Days With George" by Colin Campbell tells the story of how a Newfoundland dog helped make a depressed man's life better.
     Colin was living a good life.  He had a good job, and he was married to the woman of his dreams.  However, one night, Colin's wife told him she didn't want to be married anymore.  Colin's world changed overnight.
     During the period after his wife left, Colin started to just go through the motions of life, and he was depressed.  A friend of his suggested getting a dog.  Colin found a big Newfoundland dog that had been rescued.  This dog needed a home.
     Colin went to look at the big dog and found out that the dog, who he would name George, was depressed as well.  George had had some bad experiences in his early life.  Colin and George would have to work together to make a better life for themselves.
     One of the best sections of this book deals with Colin's time with George in obedience classes.  At first, it seemed like the classes would be a big disaster.  But, with patience, George started to get the hang of things.
     George and Colin started to get along well, and everything was going better.  Then, Colin received the news that his company was transferring him from Toronto to California.  Colin, George and Colin's best friend set out on a road trip to California.
     George and Colin would find true joy in California.  They took up surfing together, and spent many days having fun on the beach and in the waves.  George would also compete in a dog surfing competition.
     "Free Days With George" is a book that really shows how a relationship with a dog can change your life.  It is a book about having fun in life and finding your way to joy.  I highly recommend "Free Days With George."

Verses For the Week -- Verses From II Peter

II Peter 1:3 -- "His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue."

II Peter 3:9 -- "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

Weekend Sermon -- "Ten Commandments"

     Welcome to this week's posting of the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading the blog.  I really appreciate it.  I hope and pray that everyone is doing well.
     I made some progress this week on implementing my plan to get more involved in ministry.  I will post more about this in the future.  I am currently finishing up a book, and I have an idea for another book.  It is my hope to get both of these published as writing is an important ministry area for me.
     In prayer this week, please pray for those in Texas who are dealing with flooding again.  It just keeps raining down there.  Please pray for the safety of those in that area.  Also, continue to pray for the end of the Zika virus.  I haven't heard anything more about what is happening with Ebola in West Africa, so I hope and pray that that is now under control.
     Let us continue to focus our prayers for peace on Syria this week.  That country really needs help.  Let us also pray for the message of the love of Jesus to reach many people around the world.  Pray for Albania and Kosovo this week.
     Today, we begin our new series on the Ten Commandments.  As I mentioned last week, we will be going back and forth between two series of messages for the next few weeks.
     Let's begin by looking back at how the Ten Commandments came to be in the first place.  For a long period of time, the Hebrews were slaves in the land of Egypt.  God raised up Moses to lead the people and to tell Pharaoh to let the people go.  After several plagues and the events of Passover, the Hebrew people were set free.  On their way across the desert to the land of promise, God had the people stop at Mount Sinai in order to receive the law.
     Moses ascended the mountain where he met with the Lord.  God gave Moses the Ten Commandments written on two stone tablets.
     These are not the only laws that were given to Moses by the Lord.  There are over 600 laws in the Pentateuch.  Many of these concern the laws of sacrifice, laws for priests, laws for festivals etc.  The most essential laws that God wanted the people to follow are found in the Ten Commandments.
     All of the Ten Commandments except one are repeated in the New Testament.  Jesus Himself mentions some of the commandments.  We will examine each of the commandments and see how each relates to us in a contemporary context.
     When God gave the commandments to Moses He began by saying, "I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.  Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
     This is the first of the commandments.  God wanted to make it clear that He had done a great and good thing for the Hebrew people.  God expected the people to honor Him and worship Him as the only true and living God.  They were to give their allegiance and worship to none other.
     The first commandment is predicated on the fact that people would believe in a supreme being in the first place.  Atheism was virtually nonexistent in the ancient world.  There were a multitude of gods that people believed in.  This is certainly not the case today in the Western world.
     The number of people who claim to be atheists is on the rise in North America and in Europe.  Here in the Unites States and in Great Britain, there are now a number of books that have been published by prominent atheists denouncing God and those who believe in God.
     There is also another trend in the Western world that I refer to as practical atheism.  By this I mean that many people live in such a way that they deep down must not believe that there is a God who they will have to answer to one day.  They might not just come right out and say there is no God, but their actions demonstrate their lack of belief.
     Over the course of Christian history, philosophers and theologians have attempted to give rational proofs for the existence of God.  Just as many philosophers have criticized the proofs given for God's existence.
     I have always believed that trying to prove that there is a God to someone is impossible.  It is a matter of faith based on God's revelation of Himself.  Some people will not believe no matter what you try to say to them
     The way that I see it, when I look at the beauty, majesty and complexity of the world, I see a mighty hand behind creation.  I see Jesus, and I believe that He is the full revelation of the God who created all things.  He is God come in the flesh so that we might see Him and believe.
     In this first commandment, God revealed that He alone is God.  The God who delivered His people from the land of Egypt is the only God to be worshiped.  All other gods are false gods, and we are not to associate with them
     So, how does all of this apply to us today.  First of all, we who are followers of Jesus need to make sure that we are not living in a way that it appears that we really don't believe in God.  Jesus has given us commandments and teachings which we are to follow.  If we really and truly believe in Him, we will seek to do what He wants us to do.  This also applies to sin in our lives.  If we really believe that there is an all knowing God who is watching us, how can we just continue to sin as if we don't think that He knows all about it.
     As believers, we need to live lives of holiness and goodness and love that demonstrate that we truly believe in the Lord and that we believe that there is a world to come.  We need to live in such a way that we demonstrate that we want to please the God of Heaven and Earth.
     Also, as followers of the Lord, I believe that this commandment clearly tells us that we should not dabble in other religions.  There is only one true God worthy of our worship.  It troubles me greatly when I see Christian ministers join in services with representatives of other religions as if we are all worshiping the same God.  Nothing could be further from the truth.
     There are several different religious practices from eastern religions that have crept into the church today that I believe Christians need to be very careful about.  Meditation with mantras, yoga, and certain holistic healing practices all have their roots in eastern religions that are contrary to the Scriptures.  Some of them are actually derived from worship practices.  Only the true and living God is to be praised and worshiped,
     This commandment also should cause us to stop and think about whether or not we do have something in our lives that we place above our allegiance to God.  We may not have an actual idol or another god from another religion, but anything that we place above our relationship with Jesus Christ is our god.
    For some this may be the pursuit of money or material possessions.  For others, fame, prestige and power have become god.  Others place human relationships over a relationship with the Lord.
     These are just a few of my thoughts on the meaning of this first and very important commandment.  This week, try to think about how this first commandment applies in your own life.
     Next week, I will post a message in our series on the lessons God has taught me through the animals he has brought into my life.  The following week, we will examine the second of the Ten Commandments.  On Monday, I will post the verses.  On Wednesday, there will be a book review.  May God bless you all.  Amen.
   

Book Review -- "Dog 4491"

     The book I am reviewing today I just happened to come upon by chance.  I knew nothing about it or the author.  I just happened to spot it at the library.  The book is called "Dog 4491" and it is written by someone named Sneed B. Collard III.  It is a book written for younger readers, but as those of you who read this blog know, I like all types of books about dogs, cats and other animals.

     "Dog 4491" is about a boy named Sam who lives with his Mom and his Grandpa Horace in the city of Enterprise.  The older part of Enterprise has deteriorated as the Expressway has allowed people to flee the city for the suburbs.  Also, Enterprise is under the grip of the corrupt Cheesebro family who control City Hall.

     One day, Sam is coming home from school and is followed home by a black dog.  The black dog has a collar that reads "Garden 4491".  After doing some research, Sam and Horace discover the address where the dog, Sophie, is supposed to live.  They go across the Expressway, and Sophie leads them to an old, abandoned house.  

     By chance, Sam follows Sophie into an upstairs closet, and they are transported back in time where they met Sophie's owner, Rollie.  The time travel has to do with a comet in the sky and lighting hitting the house and burning part of Sophie's collar while she was in the closet.

     A large part of the book deals with Sam and Rollie comparing how things are in their respective time periods.  They both determine that Enterprise has really gone downhill in the future, and they set out to try and stop the Cheesebros from ruining the town's future anymore in Sam's time.

     This was a very well done book that I enjoyed very much.  Sam's Grandpa Horace is a fantastic character, and the relationship between Sam and Horace is nicely written.  I thought that the ending was getting somewhat sad, but it turns out great in the end.  You'll have to read the book to see what happens.

     Right now, I am currently reading several more good books that I will post about in the weeks to come.