Weekend Sermon -- Ten Commandments --"Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother"

     Thank you for joining me this week for another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  I hope that all of you are doing well this week.
     This has been a very interesting week at work.  The top executive in our area came for a meeting with the staff and said that we are overstaffed.  They aren't going to hire any new people, and they are going to try and get people to take time off without pay.  This is just another motivation for me to find a different place to work.  Please pray that I can find a job that I will enjoy more.  As I said before, I want to find a job in full-time ministry.  I am currently working to find new work.
     In prayer this week, please remember those who are affected by the wildfires in California.  Also, please pray for an end to the Zika virus.  I heard on the news today that there are now several cases in southern Florida in the United States.
     Also let us continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world.  Pray for peace in Syria, South Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan.  Pray for an end to the terrorism and violence gripping many parts of the world.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for the nations of Algeria and Japan.  Pray that many people will come to know the love of Jesus.
     Last week, we had a message from our lessons from the animals series.  Today, we will return to our series of messages on the Ten Commandments.  We are on the fifth commandment which says, "Honor your father and mother so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."
     Some people I am sure will not agree with me, but I think that this commandment is hard to understand in some ways.  I often wrestle with what the extent of this commandment is.  Let us look at it together.
     I think without a doubt that this commandment is of vital importance in the day in which we live.  I also think that this commandment has several different applications.
    First of all, I think that on the surface, this commandment is telling us that we should obey our parents when we are living with them in their home.  We should not be in rebellion to our parents as long as they are not telling us to do something that is illegal or immoral.
    We should also show respect for our parents.  Part of respecting one's parents is by doing what they tell us to do, but it also means listening to them and taking their advice.  It means not ridiculing them or making fun of them when we are around others.  I think that respecting ones' parents also means that we keep up a good relationship with them even when we are out on our own.
     Honoring our father and our mother in my opinion also means taking care of them when they are older and need help.  Jesus spoke about this with the Pharisees as recorded in Mark 7:9-13.  The Pharisees had many man made traditions that they were trying to pass off as laws.  Jesus made it clear that by keeping their traditions they were actually violating the law.  One of the traditions they had was that if anything was declared Corban(dedicated to God) it could not be used for any other purpose.  So, the Pharisees would declare a portion of their money Corban, and then they would say they didn't have anything to help their parents with, because the money they would have used for their parents was Corban.
    Jesus said that this was wrong.  Jesus said that it is a priority to honor one's father and mother, and that means taking care of them when they are old.
    Taking care of one's parents when they are old doesn't just mean paying for them to be in a nursing home somewhere either.  When my Mom had her bad stroke, my Dad and I took care of her at the house for about five years.  However, for the last two months of her life, my Mom was in such bad shape that she had to be in a nursing home.
     It really hurt me to see how many people were in the nursing home and nobody ever came to visit them.  There was one lady who had been there for several years, and a staff member told my Dad that her family had not come to visit her once in all that time.
     Honoring father and mother means helping them out, having a relationship with them and being their friend.
     Now, in my opinion, I believe that this commandment has some broader implications.  I think that it is speaking about how we treat the elderly in our society as well.  Those who are older in our society deserve our respect and our help.  It is not right for any nation to try to balance its budget on the backs of the elderly.  I believe that it is really wrong when governments try cut the benefits of the elderly who are having a hard time just making it as it is in many cases.  Our elderly citizens deserve better than that.
     Honoring father and mother also means that we honor the traditions and values that have been passed down to us by our ancestors.  We honor our ancestors when we keep languages, cultures and traditions alive.  We honor them when we preserve their history.
     Now, here is where the hard part of this commandment comes in.  Some have lived in families that have been highly dysfunctional and abusive.  What are those folks supposed to do with this commandment?  I'll give you my understanding, you may disagree.
     If your father and mother abused you, they have not shown themselves to be worthy of honor.  They have acted in a dishonorable way.  As an adult, you may not be able to have any kind of real relationship with them if they are not willing to acknowledge the problem and seek help with the relationship.
     Honoring one's father and mother does not mean that you obey everything they say if they tell you to do something that is illegal or would bring harm to another.  Some Bible teachers teach that a person should always obey their parents at any age no matter what they tell you to do.  I do not believe that the Bible teaches this.
     These are just a few of my thoughts on what this important commandment teaches.  I am sure that you will be able to think of other ways one can honor father and mother.
     Next week, we will return to our series about what some of my animals have taught me.  I have at least three more messages in that series, and we have five more messages in the Ten Commandments series.
    Right now, I am considering what I will bring messages about after these two series are complete.   I actually have sermon series planned out well into 2017, but I just have to plan on which one to bring at what time.  On Monday, I will post two new verses, and there will be a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Book Review

     Some of the most interesting books I have read I have just happened to come upon by chance.  This is the case with the book that I am reviewing today.  I was just browsing in the library when I saw this book on display in the new books section.
     "Mercy:  The Incredible Story of Henry Bergh" is written by Nancy Furstinger and published by Houghton Mifflin.  It is intended for younger readers, but I was attracted to the book because I knew that Bergh was the founder of the ASPCA.  I really didn't know much about the man, and I was hoping that this book would give me some good information about his life.  It certainly did that.
     Bergh was a wealthy man of privilege who decided to use his position to help animals.  In the day and age in which Bergh lived, animal abuse was rampant.  Dogs were used in fighting and baiting of other animals.  Horses were worked to the point of death and often beaten.  Bergh worked hard to put an end to these abuses.
     Bergh not only worked to end the mistreatment of animals, he would also devote time and energy to stopping the abuse of children.
     I thought that this was a well-written book with a lot of good information in it.  I would recommend it for readers both young and old.  I am hoping that someday I can find a book that will discuss the life of the minister who founded the RSPCA in Britain.

Verses For the Week -- Verses About Hope

Here are the two new verses for the week

Psalm 147:11 -- "The Lord delights in those who fear Him; who put their hope in His unfailing love."

Psalm 3:5 -- "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me."

Weekend Sermon -- "A Lesson From a Dog Named Colm"

     Welcome to this edition of the Weekend Sermon.  For me, each Friday is a day to look forward to since that is the day when I will post the sermons.  I hope that all of you are doing well, and I want to thank you for taking the time to read the blog.
     This week has been so hot where I live that I think it is the hottest few days that I can remember in the last decade.  The humidity is so high that I cannot breathe when I go outside for long at all.  I am praying for all of the people in my little town who don't have any air conditioning.  They've been offered help, but they won't take it.  I am grateful for all of the organizations in my area who have been trying to get air conditioners put in for the elderly who can't afford to buy one.
     I just wanted to report that after a period of delay, I am making great progress on the book I've been working on.  I am now hoping to have it ready by the end of the year if all goes well.  More about this in the days to come.
     In prayer this week, let us remember those who are injured and those who are in grief because of what happened in Nice, France.  Please continue to pray for an end to terrorism in this world, and let us pray for peace.  Please focus your prayers for peace this week on Syria and Iraq.  There are so many problems in these two nations.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Gambia and Turkey.  Pray that people in these two nations will respond to the message of the Gospel.
     During the course of the last few weeks, we have been alternating back and forth between two series of messages one series focusing on the Ten Commandments and the other series focusing on the lessons I have learned from the animals in my life.  Today, we will continue with our lessons from the animals series.
     I know that the title of today's message says that this is a lesson from a dog named Colm, but that is only part of the story.  It is actually a lesson from Colm, Blue and Toby.  It is a lesson about fear and not being afraid.
     First of all, let me introduce you to Colm and Blue as I've not written that much about them here on the blog.  Colm was a yellow Labrador Retriever that I owned in my early thirties.  He was a beautiful dog who loved to play and play rough.
     Colm liked to play soccer with me, and if I would bounce the ball to him, he would head it back to me.  Colm also liked to play with the little football.  If I held on to that football for too long, he would tackle me and jump on me until I let go of it.  Football was his favorite game in the world.
     When Colm came to live with me, I made him a really nice place outside so that he could get fresh air and not have to be in all the time.  I had a high-quality dog house for him to go into if it started to rain while I was away.  There was a problem.  Colm was afraid to go into his dog house.  He would rather sit in the rain and get drenched than go in it.  If it started to rain, I had to make sure I got home so I could get him in or he would be soaked.  He would look inside that dog house and just back up as if he'd seen a ghost.
     Colm wouldn't go in that house until one day something frightened him more than going into the dog house.  A huge tractor with many mowers attached to it came by in the field behind my house.  Colm bolted into the house to get away from the noise.  From that time on, he was never afraid to go in there.  He learned not to fear it.
     Another dog I know that experienced fear was one of my Dad's coon hounds named Blue.  Blue was  a very large bluetick coon hound with a deep bark and a sorrowful howl.  Blue was afraid of everything,  he was afraid to come out and walk around with my Dad or meet any other dogs.  It took many weeks of my Dad working with him before the fear started to leave Blue and he could live the ordinary life of a dog.
    Now, one dog who wasn't afraid of anything or anyone was my best friend Toby.  He would have gone after a herd of elephants if he thought that they were trying to hurt me.  He was the toughest and bravest dog that I have ever known.
     Fear played  a big part in my life.  I think it had something to do with the environment in which I was raised.  In my world, love seemed very conditional, and as a young person, I was always afraid that I would do the wrong thing and I would be looked down upon.  This made me fearful in social situations and led to my avoidance of situations that made me uncomfortable.
    Fear can bring a lot of stress to a person's life and limit one's life and one's opportunities.  Overcoming fear has been one of my greatest goals in life.  I don't want to miss out on things because of fear.
    Growing up, I was taught to fear God.  This was not a holy awe or respect.  Jesus was presented as judgmental, and if you stepped out of line, He would punish you severely.
    I was able to overcome this religious type of fear by learning who Jesus really was.  As I've stated on the blog previously, I decided to read everything I could about Jesus' life and ministry.  I learned about how much Jesus loved me and how much He cared about me.  Learning about His perfect love let me cast off my unwarranted fear of the Lord Jesus.  The Bible speaks about this in I John 4:18 which says, "There is no fear in love, for perfect love casts out all fear."
     Jesus also said that we do not have to be afraid when He is around.  Jesus told His followers on a number of occasions such as in Matthew 14:27 that they should not be afraid.
     If you have been raised in a religious tradition where Jesus was presented as angry, judgmental and unloving, please read all that Jesus said and read about what He did.  If you do this, you will see who Jesus is, and you will not be afraid.
    Colm was afraid because he wouldn't go into a place he had not been before.  If you have not really studied the life and ministry of Jesus, you cannot know who He really is and how much He really loves you and cares about you.  Jesus wants to be your friend, Savior and Lord.  He wants to be with you and help you through all of the struggles of this life.
    You may be limiting yourself in life because of fear.  You don't try to get a better job or you don't step out into the ministry that God has called you to because you are afraid.  Don't let fear hold you back.  The Lord said in Isaiah 41:10 that we don't need to fear because the Lord is always with us.  He will give us the courage and the strength of His presence to meet each challenge in life if we will call upon His name.
    Fear can grip our hearts when we see all of the pain and the terrible things that are happening in the world right now.  The world is an unpredictable place.  Don't let fear grip your heart.  As Christians we need to realize that if we are in Christ, ultimately nothing bad can really happen to us.  Why?  Because even if we forfeit our lives, we will be with Jesus for all of eternity.  Those who are in Christ have eternal life, so we need not fear what man can do unto us.
     A minister of a large church near where I live often makes the statement that for Christians, "The worst thing is not the last thing."  This means that even if the worst in life befalls us, we need not fear because Jesus is on the throne, and we will be with Him for eternity no matter what happens in this earthly life.
    Don't let fear hold you back.  Trust in the Lord Jesus knowing that He is with you always, and He will be with you forever and forever.
     Next week, I will post the verses on Monday.  I hope to have a review on Wednesday, but I am not sure right now.  I will continue with the series on the Ten Commandments next week.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Music Reviews and Recommendations

     Over the last couple of weeks, I've been listening to some of my CDs, and I just wanted to recommend some of the music that I've been enjoying.
     Bryn Terfel is considered by many to be one of the best opera singers performing at this time.  In addition to his opera work, Terfel has released several albums of more popular works.  His album "Simple Gifts" contains some great performances of religious music.  I highly recommend this CD.
     I have quite a few Larry Carlton CDs in my collection, and I've been listening to some of these the past few weeks.  Carlton is a multiple Grammy Award winner and his styles include pop, jazz and contemporary instrumental.  I like the albums where he focuses on the acoustic guitar the best.
     One of my favorite CD collections that I listen to over and over again is a collection of CDs by flutist Jean-Pierre Rampal.  I received this collection for Christmas one year and it contains 10 CDs by this outstanding classical musician.  I don't know if the collection is still sold, but if you can find any single CDs of Rampal, I would highly recommend that you purchase them as they will give you hours of listening enjoyment.  Toby used to sit with me out on the back steps and listen to the Rampal CDs with me.
     I've enjoyed Celtic music for a long time.  My Dad and I didn't have much in common when it came to music, but we both enjoyed Celtic.  My favorite band is the Tannahill Weavers, and I've been listening to their CDs quite a bit.  I also enjoy listening to the Chieftans a lot.
     Two other CDs I've been enjoying a lot are my "Greatest Hits" CD of John Denver and my "James Taylor Live" CD.  I've listened to the John Denver CD so many times over the years I think it's about worn out.  The James Taylor CD has two CDs with it.  It is a great concert.  James Taylor usually comes to my area in the Summer and plays concerts in outdoor venues.  It is way too hot around here for me to go to any outside concerts in the Summer.  I am hoping that one day he will perform at an indoor venue.  The tickets would probably be so high that I wouldn't be able to go anyway.
     Finally, I would like to recommend to you the work of Jazz legend Paul Desmond.  Desmond is most well-known for his work with Dave Brubeck, but after leaving Brubeck's group, Desmond went on to record several albums with other artists.  One of the best pairings was Desmond recordings with guitarist Jim Hall.  They produced at least a couple of albums together, and they are well worth listening to.  I would certainly recommend all of the albums where Desmond is a part of the Brubeck group.
     Just as an aside, I had the pleasure of getting to see Dave Brubeck in concert once.  Paul Desmond had long since passed away.  However, the saxophonist with the group did an excellent job.  This concert along with the time I got to see Herbie Hancock in concert are among my best concert memories.

Thoughts on a Tuesday

     The story that Jesus told about the rich man and Lazarus holds a lot of meaning for me.  I have shared at various times on the blog some of my thoughts on this teaching of Jesus and how that it has influenced my life.
     This last week, I felt that the Lord was speaking something to my spirit through this story.  I also felt like Jesus wanted me to share some of these thoughts here on the blog.
     The other day, the thought came into my mind that right now, it seems as if the rich nations of the Western world are acting like the rich man did with Lazarus who was laid at his gate.  There are some very wealthy nations in this world, including my own, where many people have great abundance.  On the other hand, there are a number of countries where the people are in deep poverty or they are experiencing extreme persecution.  Often, the rich nations of the world and multi-national corporations exploit the poor so that they can gain more and more riches.  What are the wealthy nations and people of this world doing to help those who are in poverty and in need?  We could be doing so much more.
     Instead of increasing more and more for ourselves, maybe we should all think about, myself included, doing more to help alleviate the poverty and heartache in this world.
     I know that the Lord has impressed upon my heart this week to find more ways to give and more ways to help those in need.  I need to be more of an advocate for social justice in my land and in the nations of the world.  I know that I need to share more of what I have so that others who have little will be able to make it in this world.
     I don't want to be like the rich man and ignore the needy person at my gate.  I hope that each of us who has the means to do so will try to give more and help more so that this world will be a better place.

Verses For the Week -- Verses About Mercy

Here are two new verses for this week.

Micah 7:18 -- "Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgressions of the remnant of His heritage?  He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy."

Psalm 40:11 -- "Do not withhold your tender mercies from me, O Lord; Let your lovingkindness and your truth continually preserve me."

Weekend Sermon -- Ten Commandments -- "Remember the Sabbath Day to Keep it Holy"

     Thanks be to God for a new day.  I would like to welcome everyone to this week's edition of the sermon.  I hope that everyone is doing very well this week.

     It has been a stormy and eventful week in my part of the world.  A storm with almost 75 mile an hour winds went just north of where I live.  It was a day filled with storms.  Thankfully, there was no damage where I live.  

     With all that is going on at work now, I have definitely decided that it is time to move on.  Please pray that I can find a job that will not make me so nervous.  I am trying to spend more time in ministry, and I would like to find a full-time job in that area.  Regardless, I do have some ministry ideas that I have started to implement, so please pray for me in these matters.

     Today, let us remember in prayer those whose lives were affected by the terrible attack in France last night.  Pray for those who are injured that they may recover.  Pray for the families who lost someone dear to them that the Lord would comfort them in the midst of their grief.  Let us continue to pray for an end to violence and terrorism.  Let us pray for peace and justice.

     Let us continue to pray for peace in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.  I heard on NPR once again this week that the situation in South Sudan is quite bad.  Pray for peace there as well.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for Sri Lanka and Chad that the message of the love of Jesus might reach many in these two countries.

     For the last few weeks, we have been studying on alternate weeks the Ten Commandments.  Today, we turn our attention to the commandment which states, "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy."  This is an important commandment for out day and age, and it has been the source of much controversy in the history of the church.

     The origin of the Sabbath Day principle lies in the creation account found in Genesis.  According to Genesis, the Lord created the Earth in six days, and on the seventh day, He rested.  When the people were given the Law at Mount Sinai, the Lord wanted to make sure that the people honored the Sabbath and the principles behind it.  Let us look into this commandment and examine its relevance for us today.

     According to the Bible, the Sabbath was to be a holy time.  Everyone both slave and free, and the animals, were to take one day each week when no work was done.  All creatures were to have a day of rest.  The Bible was very clear that no labor was to be performed on the Sabbath day.  On the Sabbath, the people engaged in the worship of the Lord.  The Old Testament outlined serious penalties if someone violated the Sabbath.

     In the Old Testament, the Sabbath was seen as beginning at sundown on Friday and continuing through sundown on Saturday.  This was also the practice during the time of Jesus.  

     Over time, the regulations concerning Sabbath observance became more and more strict.  During His earthly ministry, Jesus had some of His most serious disagreements with the religious leaders over the principle of the Sabbath.  

     Jesus would often heal people on the Sabbath.  The religious authorities thought that healing on the Sabbath constituted work, and they accused Jesus of breaking the commandment regarding keeping the Sabbath holy.

     One of these encounters was when Jesus healed the man with the withered hand.  Jesus had the man stand up in the midst of the assembly.  Jesus asked the leaders if it was right to do good on the Sabbath day.  No one answered, and this upset Jesus greatly.   Jesus told the man to stretch out his hand.  The man followed Jesus instructions, and the man's withered hand was totally restored.   Jesus made it clear that it was always right to do good on the Sabbath.

    Jesus would also point out that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath.  It was supposed to be a good thing for people's benefit not a burden.  In Matthew 12:8, Jesus said that He was Lord of the Sabbath.  In essence, Jesus was stating that He was God and He could say what the Sabbath was and was not.

     After Jesus rose triumphantly from the grave on Sunday, the vast majority of Christians began to observe Sunday as the Sabbath.  There are a few groups of Christians today who still believe that Saturday should be observed as the Sabbath and the proper day of worship.  

     The New Testament makes it quite clear that it does not matter what day you choose to celebrate the Sabbath as long as you honor the Sabbath principle.  Paul states in Romans 14:5-6 that some will honor one day and some will honor another day.  Which ever day is honored it should be done as unto the Lord for His honor and for His glory.

     In our society, people are not really honoring the Sabbath principle, and that is leading to a whole host of problems.  We live in a world that is worn out and stressed out.  I heard a report the other day that told about how doctors believe that much of the illness people experience is due in large part to a lack of rest.  

     Even on days off, many play so hard it seems just like work.  This is not what the Lord had in mind with the Sabbath.

     Ideally, I think that the Bible is clear that whatever day you worship on, that should be the day in which you put the Sabbath principle in practice.  For most Christians, that would be Sunday.  Now, I realize that there are a lot of people who have to work on Sunday.  I am required to work on Sunday afternoon and evening in my current job.  It is one reason I am trying to find another job.

     Here is what I try to do to honor the Sabbath principle.  I go to church on Sunday morning for a time of worship.  Then I try to use one of my days off as the day when I do not do any work.  It is my day of rest.  I have to say that sometimes I am lax on that, and that is not right.  I should do better, so I am preaching to myself in this sermon just as much as to those that will be reading it.

     When I don't take one day off to just rest, I find that I am really tired out for the rest of the week.  The Lord in His divine wisdom knew that this would be the case for all people.  We all need to rest and relax.  

     I do encourage you to implement the Sabbath principle into your life.  One day a week don't do any labors.  You will honor God and feel better.

     Now, with that said, Jesus made it quite clear that it is always right to do what is good on the Sabbath.  If you have a chance to do good, always take that opportunity to help others and do what is right in the name of Jesus.

     There is just one other thing that I would like to say on the matter of the Sabbath.  In my country, it is getting harder and harder for people to honor the Sabbath on Sunday.  So many activities are planned that day, and most businesses are open while that did not use to be the case.  In the midst of a changing world, try to honor the Sabbath as much as possible.  Let us all pray for each other, that we will be able to honor this important commandment and have one day each week when we rest in honor of the Lord resting from all the work of creation.

     Next week, I will post the verses on Monday.  I will have a book review on Wednesday.  Next week's sermon will be a sermon from our continuing series on lessons from the animals.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

     

Book Review -- A Dog Book and A Religion Book

    Before I start today's reviews, I just wanted to thank the Lord for letting the bad storms pass by without too much problem.  I am praying that the storms predicted for tonight do not materialize.  I also want to thank the Lord that I was able to get my car repaired this week with no problems.
     I want to recommend two different books in today's post.  The first book is a book of dog stories called, "Good Dogs Doing Good."  I may have reviewed this book a couple of years ago.  I saw this book in my bookshelf the other day, and I couldn't remember a single thing about it.  So, I read it again.
    This is a book with 20 or so stories dealing with how dogs helped people with difficulties in their lives.  This is a good book.  Some of the stories are better than others, but overall it makes for nice reading about dogs.
     The other book I would like to recommend is "The Collected Sermons of Dietrich Bonhoeffer."  This book published by Fortress Press contains several interesting sermons by a man who is best known as a theologian and not a preacher.  Bonhoeffer did have two brief periods when he was an assistant pastor and a pastor though.
    If you have read any of Bonhoeffer's theology books, and I would recommend those as well, you will certainly want to read this collection of interesting sermons.

Verses For the Week -- Verses About Grace

For the next two weeks, we will be memorizing some verses about grace.

Romans 3:24 -- "And all are justified by His grace through the resurrection that came by Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 4:7 -- "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."

Weekend Sermon -- "A Lesson From My Friend Toby Part 2"

     Thank you for joining me for another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  I am glad that I am able to post the sermon this week, and I hope that it will be of benefit to all who may read it.
     We have had one storm after another this last week where I live.  Thanks be to God, even though we have received a lot of rain, I do not have any water getting under my foundation.  Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
     Last night, a town of about 2,500 that is about 75 miles southwest of where I live was hit by a tornado.  Many buildings are destroyed, but no one was injured.  A church in the community is letting those who don't have a place to live stay at the church.  Please pray for those who are affected by this storm.
     I heard today on NPR that there was a terrible storm that hit Taiwan.  Let us pray for those folks that they will be well.
    Also, please pray for those injured in the shooting in Dallas last night.  Pray for the families of those who have lost loved ones, and pray for an end to violence.  Pray for peace.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our attention on Indonesia and Bahrain.  Pray that people in these nations will hear the message of Jesus' love and salvation.
     During the last several weeks, we have been going through two different series of messages.  One series is taking us through each of the Ten Commandments.  Last week in this series, we focused on not taking the name of the Lord in vain.  Today, we will return to our series about lessons from the animals.
     As anyone who has read this blog for any length of time knows, my dog Toby was my best friend.  He still is my best friend for that matter.  Jesus brought Toby into my life when I needed a friend in the worst way.  A couple of weeks ago, I posted a message about something the Lord taught me through the life of my friend Toby.  Today, I would like to tell you about something else the Lord taught me, and is teaching me, through my experiences with my friend.
     When Toby came into my life, I was very depressed.  As I've mentioned before, I have suffered from depression on and off since my teenage years.  Some periods of time find me doing very well, but at other times in my life, I have gone into deep depression.  One of these times was just before Toby came into my life.
     Because of a lot of the bad things that were happening in the church and the school I went to, I was become very sad and down.  I really didn't have anyone that I could relate to at the time, and I was quite sad.
     I had always loved dogs, and I wanted to get a smaller dog who I could keep in the house with me as a companion.  My Mom's show collies had a special kennel space.
     Unfortunately, neither one of my parents were very happy when I told them about my idea to get a dog I could keep in the house with me.  My Mom told me that she didn't want a puppy in the house and that I could only get an older dog if it was already house trained.
     I looked at a few different dogs, but none seemed to be right for me.  Then one afternoon after church, I saw an ad in the paper for a one and a half year old Corgi who was already house trained.  I called and went to look at him right away.
     This corgi's name was Toby, and I loved him right away.  Toby had been a show dog who the owner said had feet that were too small to meet the breed's standard.  So, she was finding a new home for him.  I would actually find out not too far in the future that Toby had a terrible health problem and that was probably the real reason the owner was selling him.  I write more about this in a few weeks.
     Well,  I brought Toby home with me, and I expected the two of us to be good friends right away.  However, Toby had a different idea.  For the first several days that I had him home with me, he hid.  He didn't want to play, and he seemed just about as depressed as I was.
      This state of affairs went on for several more days, and I was beginning to think that the two of us just weren't going to click.  I was about to give up, but I decided to just keep being nice to Toby and give him good things to eat in the hope that he would eventually come around.
     One day he did come around in grand fashion.  I had some old balls of string that I used when flying kites.  I was taking them out to the garage when a dropped one of the balls of string on the floor.  Toby instantly shot out from this hiding place, grabbed the string and raced around the living room.  I got the ball of string from him and threw it across the house.  Toby immediately ran after it, and the two of us had a great game of fetch until we were both too tired to play anymore.
     From that day forward, Toby and I were the best of friends. We went everywhere together and did so many fun things.  The 11 and one-half years that we spent together remain to this day the best years of my life.  I call them my golden days.
     What these first few days with Toby taught me is the virtue of patience and waiting.  In James 1:4 the Bible tells us to let patience have its perfect work in us so that we may be perfect in our relationship with the Lord.
     Patience is important in almost all areas of life.  When we rush ahead and don't let things come to pass naturally or with God's timing, we can end up missing out on something really great.
     If I would have given up on Toby after the first several days, I would have missed out on the best time in my life.  I was so depressed before he came that I am not sure I would even be here today if not for him.  It was worth waiting.
     Being patient can be hard, we want things to happen the way we want them to when we want them to.  When that doesn't happen, we try to make things happen or we move on.  That almost never works out.
     Sometimes, we lose patience with others.  Maybe you have been trying to help someone overcome some difficulty in life, but they keep falling back into the old habits or the old sins.  Don't give up on that person.  Have patience, and trust in God.  Nothing is impossible with the Lord.
     I know many people that have prayed for a friend or a loved one to come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior for many, many years.  The friend or loved one still refuses Jesus' offer of salvation.  Often, we are tempted to quit praying for that person thinking nothing will ever happen.  Be patient, don't give up.  I know of an instance where a woman prayed for over 15 years for her husband to come to faith in Jesus, and one night he finally came to accept the Lord.
     Sometimes its hard to be patient and wait on the Lord in our own lives.  Psalm 27:14 tells us to wait on the Lord.  The Lord does things on His time schedule and not on ours.
     It took many years before I was able to do the type of ministry work Jesus called me to do.  I almost gave up, but I didn't.  Now, I have the opportunity to use writing to spread the message of Jesus' love.  I can tell people about the Lord in these sermons and other postings on this blog.
     If you have a calling from the Lord on your life and things don't seem to be falling into place right now, don't doubt the call of the Lord.  Keep praying and keep believing that the Lord will open up the right doors at the right time. Be patient, and good things will happen.
     One thing that I have a hard time being patient about is the fact that I wish Jesus would come back soon.  I am really looking forward to that day.  I have to wait, and in waiting I need to grow in my relationship with the Lord and help others to know about His wonderful love.
     Next week, we will return to our series on the Ten Commandments.  The following week, I will have message about something I learned from a dog named Colm.  On Monday, I will post the verses. I hope to have a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.
   
   
   
   

Book Review -- "No Way But Gentlenesse: A Memoir of How Kes, My Kestrel, Changed My Life."

     The book that I am reviewing today is a book about many different and important ideas all centered around one man's life.    Richard Hines was born and raised in a mining town in Yorkshire.  His brother is the novelist Barry Hines.
     Life wasn't always easy for the author growing up.  As he relates in this memoir, he always felt that his mother favored his brother over him.  Richard also was forced into going to a different school than his brother because Richard didn't perform well on a test given to students in the UK.  The outcome of the test determined whether a student would go to what was essentially a college preparatory school or a school for those who weren't deemed as smart.
     As you will see in the book, the school Richard attended wasn't a place one looked forward to going each morning.  It seemed to me that none of the students were looked upon has having great potential by the teachers.
    In these circumstances, the author became interested in falconry, and he read all of the books that he could find on the subject.  Eventually, Richard found a young kestrel whom he named Kes, and his relationship with the bird changed his life.
     Much of the book relates how Richard used gentleness and respect to train his kestrel.  Richard's brother Barry would use his brother's relationship with Kes as the basis for his famous novel "A Kestrel For A Knave" that was also made into a successful film called "Kes"
     When filming began on "Kes", Richard was brought on as the falconer.  He trained three more kestrels for use in the film.   This forms an interesting part of the book because it gives the reader insight into the film world and how a movie is made.
     Because of his relationship with Kes, Richard was motivated to study and eventually obtain a degree becoming a teacher.  Later, Richard would become a documentary filmmaker detail the social conditions of those living in mining communities.
     I enjoyed this book because it shows how one event in a person's life can turn everything around.  One event can become the centering point for the future.  I also enjoyed the author's descriptions of caring for and training his kestrels and later the merlin falcon that he owned.
     I definitely would recommend this book.  It is an excellent memoir and well-written.

Verses For Week

    I just wanted to update everyone about the storm and the prayer request I made in the Weekend Sermon.  We did have a lot of rain, but thanks be to God, I didn't have any trouble with the house.  Thank you for your prayers.

Here are this week's verses.  They are one day late because I was not able to post them on Monday because the library was closed for Independence Day.

John 8:36 -- "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

II Corinthians 3:17 -- " Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."

Weekend Sermon -- Ten Commandments -- "Thou Shalt Not Take the Name of the Lord Thy God in Vain."

     Thank you for stopping by to read the Weekend Sermon this week.  I am very glad that you have taken the time to read this sermon, and I hope that it is of benefit to you.

     I've had a very busy week.  I've been working on some writing ideas, and I've been staying busy at my job.  

     I would like to ask for your prayers about an important matter.  This weekend, they are predicting in my area that we are going to have extreme rainfall and flooding.  As I have mentioned before on the blog, my house is very old, and I have had problems in the past with water getting under the house and in the garage when it rains a lot.  I have tried my best to solve this problem, but things still aren't what they should be.  I hired someone to fix what could be fixed a couple of years ago, and that has helped some.  I just don't have the money to really fix the problem as it should be fixed.  It would cost thousands of dollars. 

     Please pray that these rains aren't as terrible as what is being predicted.  Please pray that I don't have problems with the house.  I am very concerned with this situation because if something happens with the house, I won't have a place to live. Now that my friend has passed away, I don't really have someone that I know would take me in.  I am really afraid that I will have to live in my car.  I don't want the rain to miss me and hit some other place.  Just please pray that the rain doesn't materialize in the way that is being predicted.  Thank you.

     Please pray this week for the people in West Virginia who experienced the terrible floods.  Pray that they will be able to recover.  Also pray for those who were injured in the terrorist attack in Turkey.  Pray for an end to terrorism and violence in the world, and pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Uzbekistan and Morocco.  Pray that people in these countries will hear of the love of Jesus.

     For the past weeks, we have been studying two different sermon series rotating back and forth week to week.  This week, we will continue with our series on the Ten Commandments focusing on the commandment that states, "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."

     When I was a child growing up, I was taught that the meaning of this commandment was that you weren't supposed to say any curse words with the name of God in them.  You weren't supposed to use Jesus' name as a profanity.  That is right and good, but I think that this commandment means more than that.  We shouldn't use the name of God and the name of Jesus wrongly.  The name of the Lord is holy and worthy of respect and honor.  The name of the Lord is to be praised not mocked and used as a profanity.

     In the bigger picture, I would like to focus on a couple of other ways that we can take the name of the Lord in vain and thus violate this commandment.

     First of all, I believe that we take the name of the Lord in vain when we tell people that we are a follower of the Lord, but our actions contradict what we say.  Anyone can say that they are a Christian and believe in the Lord.  As James said, however, faith without works is dead.  If a person is saying that they are a follower of the Lord, but they do not do what the Lord has said to do, that person is taking the name of the Lord in vain.  

     Our testimony to the world is very important.  People will listen to us if we share the message of Jesus with them, but then they will observe how we act to see if we practice what we preach.  If our lives match up to what we say, those who don't follow Jesus will become drawn to Him when they see that we live for Jesus and they see a demonstration of what Jesus has done in our lives.

     The Bible also says that those in this world will know that we are Christians by our love one for another.  If we do not show our love for one another, the truth is not in us.  We are taking the name of the Lord in vain, and people will not want to follow the way and the teachings of Jesus.

     The second important way that I think that people can violate this commandment is to make a promise and say "So help me God" and then violate their oath.  We have invoked the name of the Lord in a promise or oath, but then we violate our word and the name of the Lord is taken in vain.  

    Keep in mind when you are asked to take an oath and say "so help me God" that Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said that we shouldn't take an oath.  Jesus said, "let your yes be yes and your no be no."

     We can also take the name of the Lord in vain when we ask the Lord to bless us in our vows to one another and then we break what we have vowed before the Lord.  In this matter, I am particularly thinking of marriage vows.  When two people take their vows before the Lord, and then they break those vows, in a sense, I believe that this is taking the name of the Lord in vain.

     Finally, I believe that we take the name of the Lord in vain when we try to place the Lord's approval on something that the Bible says the Lord is against.  Throughout the course of history, people have invoked the name of the Lord to try to justify some terrible things.  We have invoked the name of the Lord to start wars, take the land of indigenous peoples and enslave others.  We have used the name of the Lord to justify our greed and selfishness.  The Lord would not be pleased with this, and when we do this, we are taking the name of the Lord in vain because the Lord has nothing to do with our actions.

     These are just a few of the ways that I have thought of to apply this important commandment.  I am sure that you will be able to think of others.

     Next week, I will not be able to post the verses until Tuesday as the library is closed for Independence Day this Monday.  I will have a review of a good book on Wednesday, and we will continue with our lessons from the animals series next Friday, Lord willing.  May God bless you all.  Amen.