I Peter 5:7 -- "Cast all you anxiety on Him because He cares for you."
Psalm 56:11 -- "I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me?"
Monday, February 27, 2017
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- "Parable of the Lost Sheep"
Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon. I am glad to be able to post the sermon this week, and I hope that everyone is having a good week.
I have been having a bad time with a lung infection. I am doing some better, but I still don't feel the best. Please continue to pray that I will feel better shortly. I've had to miss work a few days, and even though I have time off to cover it, the supervisor isn't real happy that I've been off. I'm not sure what is going to happen at work. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, I will be able to secure a job that will provide what I need and not make me nervous.
In prayer this week, please pray for those in California that have been affected by the bad weather. Also, please pray for those who are facing difficult times with their health. I know from having been in the doctor's office several times this last month that bad health can really get you down.
Please continue to pray for peace in this troubled world. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan certainly need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for the nations of Qatar and Benin. Pray that many people will hear the message of Jesus in these nations.
There is something else that I would ask you to consider praying about. I am sure that all of us know someone who is not a follower of Jesus. Try to commit yourself this week to praying everyday that this person will come to have a relationship with Jesus and know the love that Jesus can bring.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages on the parables of Jesus. We've studied the meaning of several parables already, and we have many more parables left to study. Today, I want us to focus on a parable that is presented in Matthew 18 and Luke 15 but it is presented in a slightly different way in each context. However, the basic overall message of this parable is the same.
The parable of the lost sheep takes this basic form. A shepherd has 100 sheep. He discovers when the sheep are in the fold that 99 sheep are in the fold, but one of the sheep is lost and still out in the hills or valleys. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep in the fold and he goes and searches diligently for the lost sheep until he finds it. When he finds the lost sheep, he brings the sheep back with great rejoicing for the sheep that was lost has been found.
In Matthew 18 10-14, the context of this parable is the fact that the Lord is not willing that any of the little ones should perish. There is some debate as to what this term "little ones" refers to. Some believe that they are children. In this context, Jesus would be saying that all children would be with Him for all eternity as that is His will.
In the church that I grew up in, and in many other churches, there is a belief in what is known as the age of accountability. According to this belief, those who are under the age where they can understand what salvation through Jesus means will be saved if they pass away before they reach the age of accountability.
Some believe that the little ones referred to in this passage are those who have the childlike faith required to become followers of Jesus. In other words, Jesus will seek out and bring to salvation all those who come to Him as little children.
One other interesting concept to touch on in the Matthew 18 passage is the reference to their angels looking upon the face of the Heavenly Father. Some take this as a reference to the fact that all children have a guardian angel that looks after their welfare. I am not really sure that this is what this verse is referring to. I believe that the Lord can send angels to watch over us, and they do whatever it is that the Lord asks of them, but I'm not sure that everyone has their own angel assigned to them.
In Luke 15, the parable of the lost sheep has a slightly different context. The Pharisees and the religious leaders were upset with Jesus because He was eating with sinners and inviting them to be His followers. In order to answer the objections of His critics, Jesus told three different parables in Luke 15 about things that were lost and then found. The first of these parables is about a shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and goes after the sheep that was lost. Jesus said that there is more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who comes to repentance than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance.
What Jesus was saying to the Pharisees was that He was going to do what others were not willing to do. In a natural context, a shepherd would probably not leave 99 sheep unguarded to go look for one that is lost. However, Jesus came to seek and to save all that were lost. The Pharisees and the religious leaders excluded people that they felt were unworthy. Tax collectors, people who were sick and those in certain professions were viewed as unclean and under the judgment of God. When Jesus was on earth, these are the very people that He associated with. He went to their homes and shared with them His presence and His love. He wanted all people to know and understand how much God loved them and cared about them. Jesus showed all people the way to true life, forgiveness and eternal joy.
The parable of the lost sheep as recorded in both Matthew and Luke has one very important overall message. Jesus wants have a relationship with everyone. He is seeking out everyone and will never stop seeking.
There are many people that church people want to exclude from the love of Jesus. But Jesus is seeking them out because He loves everyone. Jesus said that whoever wants to come to Him, He will not cast them out.
Jesus said that He is the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Jesus. This means that Jesus is the judge. He is the one who decides who will be allowed to come into His eternal kingdom. All judgment has been given unto Jesus by the Father. Whoever Jesus says is in is in.
This is one thing I believe. Jesus is not going to violate anyone's free will and force them to trust in Him, but Jesus is never going to give up seeking those who need Him. Jesus is always wanting to bring the lost sheep into the fold so that there can be great rejoicing in the courts of Heaven.
Sometimes even those who have known the Good and Great Shepherd Jesus go astray and get lost and mixed up. Jesus seeks these folks out too. He wants to bring everyone into the fold so that they can be safe with Him.
Maybe you are a lost sheep outside the fold of Jesus' love. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who wants to take you in His arms and bring you into the fold. Maybe you have strayed away from the Good Shepherd. He wants you to come to Him. He wants you to return to Him. Jesus will never give up on you. He loves you with an everlasting love. This is the most important spiritual truth that I ever learned in my life. Jesus loves me. He is not against me. It took a long time for me to really understand this.
When you truly understand the fact that Jesus loves you so much that He will leave the 99 in the fold and come looking for you, it will change your life. It will cause you to realize that the God of the universe is with you always and cares about you deeply. It will give you the strength to meet each situation you face each day.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I have been having a bad time with a lung infection. I am doing some better, but I still don't feel the best. Please continue to pray that I will feel better shortly. I've had to miss work a few days, and even though I have time off to cover it, the supervisor isn't real happy that I've been off. I'm not sure what is going to happen at work. Hopefully, in the next few weeks, I will be able to secure a job that will provide what I need and not make me nervous.
In prayer this week, please pray for those in California that have been affected by the bad weather. Also, please pray for those who are facing difficult times with their health. I know from having been in the doctor's office several times this last month that bad health can really get you down.
Please continue to pray for peace in this troubled world. Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan certainly need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week let us pray for the nations of Qatar and Benin. Pray that many people will hear the message of Jesus in these nations.
There is something else that I would ask you to consider praying about. I am sure that all of us know someone who is not a follower of Jesus. Try to commit yourself this week to praying everyday that this person will come to have a relationship with Jesus and know the love that Jesus can bring.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages on the parables of Jesus. We've studied the meaning of several parables already, and we have many more parables left to study. Today, I want us to focus on a parable that is presented in Matthew 18 and Luke 15 but it is presented in a slightly different way in each context. However, the basic overall message of this parable is the same.
The parable of the lost sheep takes this basic form. A shepherd has 100 sheep. He discovers when the sheep are in the fold that 99 sheep are in the fold, but one of the sheep is lost and still out in the hills or valleys. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep in the fold and he goes and searches diligently for the lost sheep until he finds it. When he finds the lost sheep, he brings the sheep back with great rejoicing for the sheep that was lost has been found.
In Matthew 18 10-14, the context of this parable is the fact that the Lord is not willing that any of the little ones should perish. There is some debate as to what this term "little ones" refers to. Some believe that they are children. In this context, Jesus would be saying that all children would be with Him for all eternity as that is His will.
In the church that I grew up in, and in many other churches, there is a belief in what is known as the age of accountability. According to this belief, those who are under the age where they can understand what salvation through Jesus means will be saved if they pass away before they reach the age of accountability.
Some believe that the little ones referred to in this passage are those who have the childlike faith required to become followers of Jesus. In other words, Jesus will seek out and bring to salvation all those who come to Him as little children.
One other interesting concept to touch on in the Matthew 18 passage is the reference to their angels looking upon the face of the Heavenly Father. Some take this as a reference to the fact that all children have a guardian angel that looks after their welfare. I am not really sure that this is what this verse is referring to. I believe that the Lord can send angels to watch over us, and they do whatever it is that the Lord asks of them, but I'm not sure that everyone has their own angel assigned to them.
In Luke 15, the parable of the lost sheep has a slightly different context. The Pharisees and the religious leaders were upset with Jesus because He was eating with sinners and inviting them to be His followers. In order to answer the objections of His critics, Jesus told three different parables in Luke 15 about things that were lost and then found. The first of these parables is about a shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep and goes after the sheep that was lost. Jesus said that there is more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who comes to repentance than over 99 righteous people who need no repentance.
What Jesus was saying to the Pharisees was that He was going to do what others were not willing to do. In a natural context, a shepherd would probably not leave 99 sheep unguarded to go look for one that is lost. However, Jesus came to seek and to save all that were lost. The Pharisees and the religious leaders excluded people that they felt were unworthy. Tax collectors, people who were sick and those in certain professions were viewed as unclean and under the judgment of God. When Jesus was on earth, these are the very people that He associated with. He went to their homes and shared with them His presence and His love. He wanted all people to know and understand how much God loved them and cared about them. Jesus showed all people the way to true life, forgiveness and eternal joy.
The parable of the lost sheep as recorded in both Matthew and Luke has one very important overall message. Jesus wants have a relationship with everyone. He is seeking out everyone and will never stop seeking.
There are many people that church people want to exclude from the love of Jesus. But Jesus is seeking them out because He loves everyone. Jesus said that whoever wants to come to Him, He will not cast them out.
Jesus said that He is the Way the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by Jesus. This means that Jesus is the judge. He is the one who decides who will be allowed to come into His eternal kingdom. All judgment has been given unto Jesus by the Father. Whoever Jesus says is in is in.
This is one thing I believe. Jesus is not going to violate anyone's free will and force them to trust in Him, but Jesus is never going to give up seeking those who need Him. Jesus is always wanting to bring the lost sheep into the fold so that there can be great rejoicing in the courts of Heaven.
Sometimes even those who have known the Good and Great Shepherd Jesus go astray and get lost and mixed up. Jesus seeks these folks out too. He wants to bring everyone into the fold so that they can be safe with Him.
Maybe you are a lost sheep outside the fold of Jesus' love. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who wants to take you in His arms and bring you into the fold. Maybe you have strayed away from the Good Shepherd. He wants you to come to Him. He wants you to return to Him. Jesus will never give up on you. He loves you with an everlasting love. This is the most important spiritual truth that I ever learned in my life. Jesus loves me. He is not against me. It took a long time for me to really understand this.
When you truly understand the fact that Jesus loves you so much that He will leave the 99 in the fold and come looking for you, it will change your life. It will cause you to realize that the God of the universe is with you always and cares about you deeply. It will give you the strength to meet each situation you face each day.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus series. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will have a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Friday, February 24, 2017
Update
Due to circumstances beyond my control, I will not be able to post the sermon today. However, I will post the sermon tomorrow. I am feeling better. I went to the doctor this morning, and he thinks I am about 70 percent improved. Thank you for your prayers.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Book Review -- "The Dog Who Was There"
Before I start the book review today, I just wanted to ask everyone to keep praying that I will get to feeling better. I've had a lung infection this entire month. Earlier this week, I thought that it was improving, but starting yesterday, I am doing bad again. Please pray that this will improve as I have had to miss a lot of work, and I don't have much more time that they will allow me to be off.
Now. to the book review. The book that I am reviewing today is "The Dog Who Was There" written by Ron Marasco. This is a book that I enjoyed, but it is somewhat hard to review without giving away too much of the story.
The story begins with a dog named Barley who is a puppy born out in the field. Through a tragic event, Barley is separated from his family and subsequently rescued by a kind couple with whom he lives for several years.
Unfortunately, Barley has a lot of trouble in his life, and he finds himself homeless and alone. He finally meets up with a group of homeless people.
Throughout the book, people are beginning to be influenced by the teachings of Jesus who has just come from Galilee into Jerusalem. Barley happens to witness the events of Palm Sunday, and the dog is touched by the presence of Jesus. Barley will refer to Jesus as the Kind Man throughout the book.
Without giving anything away, just let me say that Barley will become an eyewitness to the events of Good Friday. He sees first hand the death of Jesus on the cross.
The main theme of the book is the effect that Jesus has on the lives of those who will follow his teachings. The book teaches about the importance of forgiveness, and how forgiveness can transform the lives of everyone.
I liked this book. It was different than what I though it would be. I am not sure that the author intended it this way, but it seems like it is written as more of a young adult novel. However, I think people of all ages would enjoy the book. Barley is a good dog. Throughout the book, you will be hoping that good things happen for him.
Now. to the book review. The book that I am reviewing today is "The Dog Who Was There" written by Ron Marasco. This is a book that I enjoyed, but it is somewhat hard to review without giving away too much of the story.
The story begins with a dog named Barley who is a puppy born out in the field. Through a tragic event, Barley is separated from his family and subsequently rescued by a kind couple with whom he lives for several years.
Unfortunately, Barley has a lot of trouble in his life, and he finds himself homeless and alone. He finally meets up with a group of homeless people.
Throughout the book, people are beginning to be influenced by the teachings of Jesus who has just come from Galilee into Jerusalem. Barley happens to witness the events of Palm Sunday, and the dog is touched by the presence of Jesus. Barley will refer to Jesus as the Kind Man throughout the book.
Without giving anything away, just let me say that Barley will become an eyewitness to the events of Good Friday. He sees first hand the death of Jesus on the cross.
The main theme of the book is the effect that Jesus has on the lives of those who will follow his teachings. The book teaches about the importance of forgiveness, and how forgiveness can transform the lives of everyone.
I liked this book. It was different than what I though it would be. I am not sure that the author intended it this way, but it seems like it is written as more of a young adult novel. However, I think people of all ages would enjoy the book. Barley is a good dog. Throughout the book, you will be hoping that good things happen for him.
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Verses For the Week -- Verses For Those Dealing With Depression
Deuteronomy 31:8 -- "The Lord Himself goes before you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
John 16:33 -- "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world."
Isaiah 41:10 -- "So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you by my righteous right hand."
John 16:33 -- "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But, take heart! I have overcome the world."
Isaiah 41:10 -- "So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you by my righteous right hand."
Friday, February 17, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- "Four Hard Words"
Welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for reading the sermon this week. It is my prayer that all of you are doing well.
I have been very sick this past week. I've had to go into the doctor for three breathing treatments. The first course of antibiotics did not work, and now I am on a different medicine. I also have to take prednisone for several days. I've missed several days of work, although I've been trying to go on and off as able. I am going in today. I'm afraid that I'm going to get fired because I've been sick so much. I feel sorry for people who have kids and have to worry about losing their jobs. Please pray that I will get better soon. Thank you.
Today is the day that my Dad passed away seven years ago. I can hardly believe that seven years have passed since he has been gone. This is also the month one year ago that one of my best friends died. Overall, I'm not having the best of weeks. I've been asking the Lord to help me through, and I'm making it. Thanks be to God.
In prayer, I would ask that you pray for the people in California who are worried about the situation with the dam breaking. Please pray that there is no further problem with this. Also, please pray for those facing disease and pain this day. Pray that the Lord will be with them in a special way.
Continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray especially for Syria as more and more horrors come to light in this country. Pray for refugees and those trying to find a place of safety.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Senegal and Thailand. Pray that people in these two nations will hear and respond to the message of Jesus' love.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages on the parables of Jesus. As I mentioned when we started the series, I would step away from the series every now and then to bring a message on a different topic. That is what I have decided to do today.
There are four words in the Bible that I find often hard to pray and often hard to accept. However, these four words are what I believe are the foundation of truly following the Lord Jesus. These four hard words are recorded in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:10. They are the words, "Thy will be done."
I think that these four words are hard for a couple of different reasons. First of all, to say, "Thy will be done," it means that we have to put aside what we want to do and be willing to do whatever it is that the Lord Jesus wants us to do.
Oftentimes, we think that we know what is best for our lives. We have it all planned out. and we want the Lord to make things happen so that our way goes right. I think that if you've been a Christian for any length of time, you know that this isn't the way it always works out.
Praying, "Thy will be done" is saying to the Lord that we want Him to guide each path of our lives. We are putting Him in charge of all that happens to us, and we are not inserting our will into the mix. We are truly letting Jesus be the Lord of our lives. Some people just having trouble giving up control.
Saying "Thy will be done" is also hard because it means that we have to accept what comes to us in life as being the will of the Lord in some way. When we ask that the Lord's will be done in our lives, we have to believe that the Lord is working in His own time and way to accomplish what He has for us. Often this looks very different than what we thought it would.
I'll just give a couple examples from my own life. From an early age, I knew in my heart that the Lord had called me to be a minister of the Gospel. The way that this looked in my mind was that I would have a nice church and congregation as a pastor. Well, things didn't happen that way. After I graduated from Bible college, the fundamentalist church of my youth didn't want me as a minister. On top of that, a missions organization I wanted to be a part of didn't want me to come because they said that my health wasn't good enough.
However, the Lord had another way that He wanted to work out His will for my life. The Lord allowed me to start writing, and I developed a writing ministry. I started writing devotional material, and some of those articles have reached around the world. One article I wrote has been translated into multiple languages. Six years ago next week, the Lord provided the opportunity to start this blog and bring these messages. I am thankful to the Lord for these opportunities.
This isn't the way I thought that things would work out, but the Lord was all the time working.
Another example is what happened with my dog Toby. I can hardly believe that I am writing this now, but there was a time when I didn't like corgi dogs. However, I found myself at a time when I was extremely depressed about many things, and I was not in good health. I really needed a friend. I needed some unconditional love and acceptance from somewhere. I just happened upon an ad in the paper where someone didn't want their corgi dog anymore. So, I decided to just go and see him. It changed my whole life. I found the best friend that I ever had, and I know it was Jesus who brought us together.
Right now, I am wondering how on earth it can be the Lord's will for me to be in the situation that I am in. I am in a hard time right now. I am just going to be upfront. I can't stand my job. It makes me nervous, and right now as I am sitting here typing this sermon I am upset by the fact that I have to go into work in a couple of hours.
My health is as bad now as when I was a young man having to go to the Mayo Clinic. I do not want to live where I live. Even though they've been gone seven years I keep thinking that I'm going to open the door when I get home from work and my Mom will be watching TV and my Dad will be sitting in his chair reading the newspaper.
Each day, I pray those words, "Thy will be done" and I am believing that even in these hard times that I don't understand that the Lord is working things out in His way. I have to have faith and keep trusting in His goodness and His love.
Jesus had to face something in life that He didn't want to, but He said, "Not my will, but thine be done." Jesus didn't want to face the pain and humiliation of the cross if He didn't have to. However, He put Himself in the Father's will. Because of this, Jesus has received the name above all names, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
I don't know what difficulties and problems you may be facing right now. I have no way of knowing. I do know that all of us have problems in life. What I do encourage you do to is to pray each day that the Lord's will will be done in your life. Believe that Jesus is working out His will, and accept by God's grace what His will is for you.
Sometimes, you will look back and see that the Lord had a better way than we could have ever asked or imagined. Sometimes, we just have to keep moving on by faith. Always, we trust in the love of Jesus and look to Him as our example.
Now, I have something that I believe that Lord Jesus is showing me to be His will. As you know, I finished a book a few months ago about the smallest books of the Bible. It was my will to send this book out to publishers with the intent of it being published as an ebook. However, I believe that the Lord has shown me that this is not what I am to do. So, starting in a couple of weeks when I am feeling just a bit better, I will be posting on this blog one chapter per week of the book I've written. It will be free of charge. That way, anyone who would like to read it can, and they won't be hindered by their ability to pay. So, I will mention more about this in a couple of weeks.
I am diligently praying for the Lord's will to be done in my life, and I trust that in the coming days, the Lord will open up pathways for me that I have never dreamed of.
Next week, Lord willing, we will resume our parables of Jesus series. I will have to post the verse on Tuesday this week as the library will be closed on Monday for President's Day. I do not even understand why this is a holiday, but that is another matter. I will probably starting posting more than one verse. On some verse days I just have several that come to mind that I want to post. I won't be publishing a poem this week, but there should be a review this week. I just didn't feel up to it last week. May God bless you all. Amen.
I have been very sick this past week. I've had to go into the doctor for three breathing treatments. The first course of antibiotics did not work, and now I am on a different medicine. I also have to take prednisone for several days. I've missed several days of work, although I've been trying to go on and off as able. I am going in today. I'm afraid that I'm going to get fired because I've been sick so much. I feel sorry for people who have kids and have to worry about losing their jobs. Please pray that I will get better soon. Thank you.
Today is the day that my Dad passed away seven years ago. I can hardly believe that seven years have passed since he has been gone. This is also the month one year ago that one of my best friends died. Overall, I'm not having the best of weeks. I've been asking the Lord to help me through, and I'm making it. Thanks be to God.
In prayer, I would ask that you pray for the people in California who are worried about the situation with the dam breaking. Please pray that there is no further problem with this. Also, please pray for those facing disease and pain this day. Pray that the Lord will be with them in a special way.
Continue to pray for peace in the world. Pray especially for Syria as more and more horrors come to light in this country. Pray for refugees and those trying to find a place of safety.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Senegal and Thailand. Pray that people in these two nations will hear and respond to the message of Jesus' love.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a series of messages on the parables of Jesus. As I mentioned when we started the series, I would step away from the series every now and then to bring a message on a different topic. That is what I have decided to do today.
There are four words in the Bible that I find often hard to pray and often hard to accept. However, these four words are what I believe are the foundation of truly following the Lord Jesus. These four hard words are recorded in the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:10. They are the words, "Thy will be done."
I think that these four words are hard for a couple of different reasons. First of all, to say, "Thy will be done," it means that we have to put aside what we want to do and be willing to do whatever it is that the Lord Jesus wants us to do.
Oftentimes, we think that we know what is best for our lives. We have it all planned out. and we want the Lord to make things happen so that our way goes right. I think that if you've been a Christian for any length of time, you know that this isn't the way it always works out.
Praying, "Thy will be done" is saying to the Lord that we want Him to guide each path of our lives. We are putting Him in charge of all that happens to us, and we are not inserting our will into the mix. We are truly letting Jesus be the Lord of our lives. Some people just having trouble giving up control.
Saying "Thy will be done" is also hard because it means that we have to accept what comes to us in life as being the will of the Lord in some way. When we ask that the Lord's will be done in our lives, we have to believe that the Lord is working in His own time and way to accomplish what He has for us. Often this looks very different than what we thought it would.
I'll just give a couple examples from my own life. From an early age, I knew in my heart that the Lord had called me to be a minister of the Gospel. The way that this looked in my mind was that I would have a nice church and congregation as a pastor. Well, things didn't happen that way. After I graduated from Bible college, the fundamentalist church of my youth didn't want me as a minister. On top of that, a missions organization I wanted to be a part of didn't want me to come because they said that my health wasn't good enough.
However, the Lord had another way that He wanted to work out His will for my life. The Lord allowed me to start writing, and I developed a writing ministry. I started writing devotional material, and some of those articles have reached around the world. One article I wrote has been translated into multiple languages. Six years ago next week, the Lord provided the opportunity to start this blog and bring these messages. I am thankful to the Lord for these opportunities.
This isn't the way I thought that things would work out, but the Lord was all the time working.
Another example is what happened with my dog Toby. I can hardly believe that I am writing this now, but there was a time when I didn't like corgi dogs. However, I found myself at a time when I was extremely depressed about many things, and I was not in good health. I really needed a friend. I needed some unconditional love and acceptance from somewhere. I just happened upon an ad in the paper where someone didn't want their corgi dog anymore. So, I decided to just go and see him. It changed my whole life. I found the best friend that I ever had, and I know it was Jesus who brought us together.
Right now, I am wondering how on earth it can be the Lord's will for me to be in the situation that I am in. I am in a hard time right now. I am just going to be upfront. I can't stand my job. It makes me nervous, and right now as I am sitting here typing this sermon I am upset by the fact that I have to go into work in a couple of hours.
My health is as bad now as when I was a young man having to go to the Mayo Clinic. I do not want to live where I live. Even though they've been gone seven years I keep thinking that I'm going to open the door when I get home from work and my Mom will be watching TV and my Dad will be sitting in his chair reading the newspaper.
Each day, I pray those words, "Thy will be done" and I am believing that even in these hard times that I don't understand that the Lord is working things out in His way. I have to have faith and keep trusting in His goodness and His love.
Jesus had to face something in life that He didn't want to, but He said, "Not my will, but thine be done." Jesus didn't want to face the pain and humiliation of the cross if He didn't have to. However, He put Himself in the Father's will. Because of this, Jesus has received the name above all names, and one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord.
I don't know what difficulties and problems you may be facing right now. I have no way of knowing. I do know that all of us have problems in life. What I do encourage you do to is to pray each day that the Lord's will will be done in your life. Believe that Jesus is working out His will, and accept by God's grace what His will is for you.
Sometimes, you will look back and see that the Lord had a better way than we could have ever asked or imagined. Sometimes, we just have to keep moving on by faith. Always, we trust in the love of Jesus and look to Him as our example.
Now, I have something that I believe that Lord Jesus is showing me to be His will. As you know, I finished a book a few months ago about the smallest books of the Bible. It was my will to send this book out to publishers with the intent of it being published as an ebook. However, I believe that the Lord has shown me that this is not what I am to do. So, starting in a couple of weeks when I am feeling just a bit better, I will be posting on this blog one chapter per week of the book I've written. It will be free of charge. That way, anyone who would like to read it can, and they won't be hindered by their ability to pay. So, I will mention more about this in a couple of weeks.
I am diligently praying for the Lord's will to be done in my life, and I trust that in the coming days, the Lord will open up pathways for me that I have never dreamed of.
Next week, Lord willing, we will resume our parables of Jesus series. I will have to post the verse on Tuesday this week as the library will be closed on Monday for President's Day. I do not even understand why this is a holiday, but that is another matter. I will probably starting posting more than one verse. On some verse days I just have several that come to mind that I want to post. I won't be publishing a poem this week, but there should be a review this week. I just didn't feel up to it last week. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Update
I am feeling very bad today. I am not going to post a review. Please pray that I will get better. I still hope to be able to post the sermon on Friday.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Poem
Today I am posting this poem that I wrote about 20 years ago.
Set Free
For us He came.
Let us never forget
the cost of our freedom.
His blood He shed.
Remember always
no guilt was upon Him.
We were the guilty.
Sin caused the death
of the Holy Lamb.
For us He came.
Let us never forget
the cost of our freedom.
Set Free
For us He came.
Let us never forget
the cost of our freedom.
His blood He shed.
Remember always
no guilt was upon Him.
We were the guilty.
Sin caused the death
of the Holy Lamb.
For us He came.
Let us never forget
the cost of our freedom.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Verse For the Week
Colossians 3:12 -- "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
Friday, February 10, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- "Pearl of Great Price"
Hello, and welcome again to the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone is doing well today. Thank you for reading the blog.
I'm sorry that I am later that usual in getting the sermon posted today. I've been at the doctor's office. I have a bad case of bronchitis that has exacerbated my asthma. I had to get a breathing treatment and some different medications.
In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those affected by the tornadoes in Louisiana. Also, please pray for those in Haiti who are recovering from the hurricane.
Remember to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. Wherever there is war, let us pray that there will be peace.
For our prayer focus countries. pray that many people in Togo and Brunei will hear the good news about Jesus and His redeeming love.
Currently, we are in a series of messages on the parables of Jesus. In last week's message, we focused our attention on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Today, I want to focus on two parables that have basically the same theme.
In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus tells two parables explaining what the kingdom of Heaven is like. In the first parable, Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds this treasure, he goes and sells all that he has in order to get enough money to buy the field where the treasure lies. In the second parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of Heaven to a valuable pearl. When a merchant finds this valuable pearl, he sells all that he has in order to obtain the pearl of great price.
What both of these parables are driving at is the importance of finding what is truly meaningful in life. What is it that is of the most value in life? What would we be willing to give everything up for in order to obtain it?
Jesus meaning in this parable is quite clear. Our relationship with Him is that which we should hold to be of the most value in our lives. Nothing else in this world is more important than our relationship with the Lord Jesus.
In the two stories that Jesus told, it is evident that the two men had other valuable possessions. However, they considered these things to be worthless when they discovered what was of true and eternal value.
These two parables call on us to do some soul searching. Is our relationship with Jesus the most important thing in our lives? Would we be willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of Jesus?
I know that for a lot of people, even those who claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus, many other things take priority in their lives.
For some people, the most important thing in life is their career or business. They spend all of their time and energy climbing the career ladder and they attempt to make more and more money. For others, fame and popularity are the most important things in life.
Many people make family and friends the number one priority in life. Family and friends are certainly important, but there is something that is more important and of more value than that.
As believers in Jesus Christ, are priority should be on knowing Jesus and following Him with all of heart, mind, soul and strength. Jesus should always come first and foremost in our lives no matter what.
There are some things that we do in life that demonstrate that Jesus comes first. Praying and communing with Jesus each and every day demonstrates that Jesus is first in our lives. Reading about Jesus and the words that Jesus said are also of vital importance.
I think that the number one way in which we demonstrate that Jesus is truly Lord of all of our life is when we obey His teachings and His commandments. This clearly states to the world that we want to please the Lord Jesus by following in the path that He has set our before us.
I hope that your relationship with the Lord Jesus is the most important thing in your life. If you have become lax in spending time with the Lord, I hope that you will call out to Him today. If you have never invited Jesus into your life, I hope that you will trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Next week, we will continue our series in the parables of Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday and a poem on Tuesday. I have a good dog book to review for Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I'm sorry that I am later that usual in getting the sermon posted today. I've been at the doctor's office. I have a bad case of bronchitis that has exacerbated my asthma. I had to get a breathing treatment and some different medications.
In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those affected by the tornadoes in Louisiana. Also, please pray for those in Haiti who are recovering from the hurricane.
Remember to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. Wherever there is war, let us pray that there will be peace.
For our prayer focus countries. pray that many people in Togo and Brunei will hear the good news about Jesus and His redeeming love.
Currently, we are in a series of messages on the parables of Jesus. In last week's message, we focused our attention on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Today, I want to focus on two parables that have basically the same theme.
In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus tells two parables explaining what the kingdom of Heaven is like. In the first parable, Jesus said that the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man finds this treasure, he goes and sells all that he has in order to get enough money to buy the field where the treasure lies. In the second parable, Jesus compares the kingdom of Heaven to a valuable pearl. When a merchant finds this valuable pearl, he sells all that he has in order to obtain the pearl of great price.
What both of these parables are driving at is the importance of finding what is truly meaningful in life. What is it that is of the most value in life? What would we be willing to give everything up for in order to obtain it?
Jesus meaning in this parable is quite clear. Our relationship with Him is that which we should hold to be of the most value in our lives. Nothing else in this world is more important than our relationship with the Lord Jesus.
In the two stories that Jesus told, it is evident that the two men had other valuable possessions. However, they considered these things to be worthless when they discovered what was of true and eternal value.
These two parables call on us to do some soul searching. Is our relationship with Jesus the most important thing in our lives? Would we be willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of Jesus?
I know that for a lot of people, even those who claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus, many other things take priority in their lives.
For some people, the most important thing in life is their career or business. They spend all of their time and energy climbing the career ladder and they attempt to make more and more money. For others, fame and popularity are the most important things in life.
Many people make family and friends the number one priority in life. Family and friends are certainly important, but there is something that is more important and of more value than that.
As believers in Jesus Christ, are priority should be on knowing Jesus and following Him with all of heart, mind, soul and strength. Jesus should always come first and foremost in our lives no matter what.
There are some things that we do in life that demonstrate that Jesus comes first. Praying and communing with Jesus each and every day demonstrates that Jesus is first in our lives. Reading about Jesus and the words that Jesus said are also of vital importance.
I think that the number one way in which we demonstrate that Jesus is truly Lord of all of our life is when we obey His teachings and His commandments. This clearly states to the world that we want to please the Lord Jesus by following in the path that He has set our before us.
I hope that your relationship with the Lord Jesus is the most important thing in your life. If you have become lax in spending time with the Lord, I hope that you will call out to Him today. If you have never invited Jesus into your life, I hope that you will trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Next week, we will continue our series in the parables of Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday and a poem on Tuesday. I have a good dog book to review for Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Book Review -- "Upstream"
I just wanted to start out the post today by stating that I am sorry that I was not able to post the poem to the blog as I said I would. Yesterday was a very bad day. My neighbor's house caught on fire, which was bad enough, but then all of the water from the fire hoses and trucks started to run down towards my garage. I had to dig a drainage channel to divert the water. Also, I've been very sick the last few days. I went to the doctor today, and I have a lung infection. Please pray that I will be able to feel better soon.
With that said, the book that I am review today is "Upstream" by Mary Oliver. I've reviewed and recommended several of Ms. Oliver's poetry books here on the blog in the past. As I've said, she is my favorite contemporary poet. "Upstream" is not a poetry book. This book is a collection of Mary Oliver's essays.
Each essay in this collection is wonderfully written. They can be read again and again. Among the best essays in the book are the title essay "Upstream" and "Provincetown" which tells us something about the feelings the author has for the town in which she lived for many years.
I also really enjoyed the essay, "Building the House" where the author relates her experience in building a little house in the backyard to be used as a writing office and storage place.
If you have not had the pleasure of reading Mary Oliver's poetry, I hope that you will find some of her books and read them Among contemporary poets, her work is very accessible to those who aren't in the habit of reading a lot of poetry. If you aren't in the habit of reading a lot of poetry, you should start reading more. Billy Collins and Ted Kooser are a couple of other poets you might want to read.
With that said, the book that I am review today is "Upstream" by Mary Oliver. I've reviewed and recommended several of Ms. Oliver's poetry books here on the blog in the past. As I've said, she is my favorite contemporary poet. "Upstream" is not a poetry book. This book is a collection of Mary Oliver's essays.
Each essay in this collection is wonderfully written. They can be read again and again. Among the best essays in the book are the title essay "Upstream" and "Provincetown" which tells us something about the feelings the author has for the town in which she lived for many years.
I also really enjoyed the essay, "Building the House" where the author relates her experience in building a little house in the backyard to be used as a writing office and storage place.
If you have not had the pleasure of reading Mary Oliver's poetry, I hope that you will find some of her books and read them Among contemporary poets, her work is very accessible to those who aren't in the habit of reading a lot of poetry. If you aren't in the habit of reading a lot of poetry, you should start reading more. Billy Collins and Ted Kooser are a couple of other poets you might want to read.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Verses For the Week
Ephesians 5:1-2 -- "Follow God's example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Friday, February 3, 2017
Weekend Sermon -- "The Rich Man and Lazarus"
Welcome to today's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am always glad when Friday rolls around so that I can post the sermon. I hope that everyone is doing very well today.
This past week, I took a little vacation time away from work. It was nice to have a break. I've submitted a lot of writing to publishers this week, so I hope that that will all go well.
In prayer this week, please continue to remember the people in Haiti who are trying to recover from the hurricane. Also, pray for refugees and the homeless that they might find the resources that they need in life.
Please continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Iraq, Syria, Israel, Afghanistan, Libya, South Sudan, Yemen and Ukraine. Anywhere in the world where you know that there is conflict and strife, please pray for peace. Along with that, let us also pray for justice in this world. Pray for an end of the exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerful.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Comoros and Tunisia. Pray that the message of Jesus' love will reach many in these two nations and in the nations around this world.
Currently, we are in a series of messages dealing with the parables of Jesus. In last week's message, we examined the parable of the shrewd manager. As I mentioned, I believe that the key to understanding that parable is in verses 14 and 15. The Pharisees knew that it was a parable about the love of money and the proper values we should have in life. Jesus made it clear that you can't serve God and money.
That leads us to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that will be our focus today. This parable has a lot of meaning in it, and we will try to focus on that.
When I was a boy and a young man in the fundamentalist churches that my family attended, the parable was used as a basis to describe what hell was like. We never got down to the depths of the meaning of this parable. This parable was not told by Jesus to tell us what hell is like. The meaning is much different than that.
The basic story of the parable is like this. There was a rich man who had everything that money could buy. He lived in luxury. Outside of his gate was a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus would have liked to have just had some of the crumbs from the rich man's table to eat. Lazarus was sick and covered with sores. The feral dogs would come and lick his sores. One day, both Lazarus and the rich man died. The rich man went to hell, and Lazarus went to Heaven described as Abraham's Bosom in the parable. The rich man was in torment, and he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to help quench his thirst. Abraham said that this was impossible. The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers. Abraham said no. Abraham said that if they would not listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not believe even if someone came back from the dead with a message for them.
First of all, Jesus told this parable to demonstrate that the religious leaders of his day had a flawed theology of wealth. In Jesus' day, wealth was viewed as a sign of God's favor. If someone was rich, it meant that they were blessed by God and they were in a right relationship with Him. On the other hand, poverty and sickness were seen as being punishment's from God. They were a sign that someone was not in a right relationship with God.
In the parable, Jesus turns this thinking upside down. The rich man is the one who comes under judgment and the poor sick man is the one who goes to an eternal reward. Wealth and health had absolutely nothing to do with the matter. The rich man demonstrated by his callous attitude to Lazarus that he did not value the teachings of the Scripture or those things that Jesus was teaching. He was selfish and let a poor man die at his gate. Lazarus had nothing. However, he had a heart that valued the things of the Lord.
The rich man thought that Lazarus was worthless. Even in death, the rich man thought that Lazarus was someone that could be ordered around to do whatever the rich man wanted him to do. Send Lazarus to me to help quench my thirst. Send Lazarus to my brothers. He never asked Lazarus about it. The rich man just ordered him around demonstrating his arrogance and pride.
When Jesus was on this earth, He reached out to those who the religious leaders excluded. Jesus reached out to the tax collectors and the social outcasts inviting them to follow Him. As we read in Luke 15, the Pharisees despised Jesus because He was friendly to sinners and ate at their houses.
What Jesus condemned in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus takes place among religious people today. Many today teach that wealth is a sign of God's favor and poverty and sickness indicate a lack of faith. This is clearly not the teaching of Jesus.
Many who claim to follow Jesus are just like the rich man in this parable. The poor, sick and hurting are all around. Do we see them as people? Do we do what we can to help them?
I am so distressed right now in my country at how many Christian people are advocating programs that will hurt the poor and the oppressed. How can it be right?
In another parable that we will discuss later Jesus told us about the judgment at the end of the world. Those who did good for the least among them would be reward. Those who did not do good for the least among them would be condemned.
The least of these are all around us. There are many hungry and homeless people who need help. There are many poor people who don't have the basics of life. As the people of God we need to work diligently not to ignore the Lazarus at our gate. We need to reach out and bring help and hope to a hurting world.
Also, Christians need to be at the forefront of speaking out against exploitation of the poor. So many of the rich and powerful of this world use the poor to gain more wealth for themselves. They pay pitiful wages to workers and provide poor living and working conditions. No Christian should be involved in this type of thing.
Now, there are other meanings to this parable as well. One of the meanings is found in the character of Lazarus himself. Lazarus obviously had a very difficult life. He was homeless, sick and destitute. In spite of all of that, he never lost his faith in God. I'm sure he wondered why all of these bad things were happening to him, but he never abandoned his faith. And his faith was rewarded.
There are many who have believed in Jesus who are facing trials and tribulations. Other Christians may have looked down on you because of your circumstances. Please don't give up on the Lord Jesus. Jesus loves you and cares about you. He is with you right now no matter what you are going through. One day, all those who trust in Him will be with Him for all of eternity. Then, all the trials of the present will seem as nothing compared with the joy of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
There is one other thing that I wanted to point out about this parable. Jesus directed this parable right at the religious leaders. They had received the message of the Law and Prophets. They knew how they were supposed behave. They knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah and should have recognized Jesus as the Promised One. They refused to believe. They would not even believe when they knew that Jesus rose again from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus from the grave is the sign that all of what He taught and did was from the Father. Because Jesus rose again, death is defeated and sin is defeated. The resurrection is the proof that all should look to Jesus for salvation and the forgiveness of sins. If a person will not be convinced by the resurrection of Jesus, there is nothing else to say.
This is one of the parables of Jesus that I find to be the most interesting. I've really just scratched the surface of this parable. I urge you to study more about his parable and let these words of Jesus speak to your heart and soul.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus study. On Monday, I will post the verse of the week. On Tuesday, I think that I am going to post another poem. On Wednesday, I will have a book review. May God bless you all. Amen.
This past week, I took a little vacation time away from work. It was nice to have a break. I've submitted a lot of writing to publishers this week, so I hope that that will all go well.
In prayer this week, please continue to remember the people in Haiti who are trying to recover from the hurricane. Also, pray for refugees and the homeless that they might find the resources that they need in life.
Please continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Iraq, Syria, Israel, Afghanistan, Libya, South Sudan, Yemen and Ukraine. Anywhere in the world where you know that there is conflict and strife, please pray for peace. Along with that, let us also pray for justice in this world. Pray for an end of the exploitation of the poor by the rich and powerful.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Comoros and Tunisia. Pray that the message of Jesus' love will reach many in these two nations and in the nations around this world.
Currently, we are in a series of messages dealing with the parables of Jesus. In last week's message, we examined the parable of the shrewd manager. As I mentioned, I believe that the key to understanding that parable is in verses 14 and 15. The Pharisees knew that it was a parable about the love of money and the proper values we should have in life. Jesus made it clear that you can't serve God and money.
That leads us to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus that will be our focus today. This parable has a lot of meaning in it, and we will try to focus on that.
When I was a boy and a young man in the fundamentalist churches that my family attended, the parable was used as a basis to describe what hell was like. We never got down to the depths of the meaning of this parable. This parable was not told by Jesus to tell us what hell is like. The meaning is much different than that.
The basic story of the parable is like this. There was a rich man who had everything that money could buy. He lived in luxury. Outside of his gate was a poor man named Lazarus. Lazarus would have liked to have just had some of the crumbs from the rich man's table to eat. Lazarus was sick and covered with sores. The feral dogs would come and lick his sores. One day, both Lazarus and the rich man died. The rich man went to hell, and Lazarus went to Heaven described as Abraham's Bosom in the parable. The rich man was in torment, and he asked Abraham to send Lazarus to help quench his thirst. Abraham said that this was impossible. The rich man then asked Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers. Abraham said no. Abraham said that if they would not listen to Moses and the prophets, they would not believe even if someone came back from the dead with a message for them.
First of all, Jesus told this parable to demonstrate that the religious leaders of his day had a flawed theology of wealth. In Jesus' day, wealth was viewed as a sign of God's favor. If someone was rich, it meant that they were blessed by God and they were in a right relationship with Him. On the other hand, poverty and sickness were seen as being punishment's from God. They were a sign that someone was not in a right relationship with God.
In the parable, Jesus turns this thinking upside down. The rich man is the one who comes under judgment and the poor sick man is the one who goes to an eternal reward. Wealth and health had absolutely nothing to do with the matter. The rich man demonstrated by his callous attitude to Lazarus that he did not value the teachings of the Scripture or those things that Jesus was teaching. He was selfish and let a poor man die at his gate. Lazarus had nothing. However, he had a heart that valued the things of the Lord.
The rich man thought that Lazarus was worthless. Even in death, the rich man thought that Lazarus was someone that could be ordered around to do whatever the rich man wanted him to do. Send Lazarus to me to help quench my thirst. Send Lazarus to my brothers. He never asked Lazarus about it. The rich man just ordered him around demonstrating his arrogance and pride.
When Jesus was on this earth, He reached out to those who the religious leaders excluded. Jesus reached out to the tax collectors and the social outcasts inviting them to follow Him. As we read in Luke 15, the Pharisees despised Jesus because He was friendly to sinners and ate at their houses.
What Jesus condemned in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus takes place among religious people today. Many today teach that wealth is a sign of God's favor and poverty and sickness indicate a lack of faith. This is clearly not the teaching of Jesus.
Many who claim to follow Jesus are just like the rich man in this parable. The poor, sick and hurting are all around. Do we see them as people? Do we do what we can to help them?
I am so distressed right now in my country at how many Christian people are advocating programs that will hurt the poor and the oppressed. How can it be right?
In another parable that we will discuss later Jesus told us about the judgment at the end of the world. Those who did good for the least among them would be reward. Those who did not do good for the least among them would be condemned.
The least of these are all around us. There are many hungry and homeless people who need help. There are many poor people who don't have the basics of life. As the people of God we need to work diligently not to ignore the Lazarus at our gate. We need to reach out and bring help and hope to a hurting world.
Also, Christians need to be at the forefront of speaking out against exploitation of the poor. So many of the rich and powerful of this world use the poor to gain more wealth for themselves. They pay pitiful wages to workers and provide poor living and working conditions. No Christian should be involved in this type of thing.
Now, there are other meanings to this parable as well. One of the meanings is found in the character of Lazarus himself. Lazarus obviously had a very difficult life. He was homeless, sick and destitute. In spite of all of that, he never lost his faith in God. I'm sure he wondered why all of these bad things were happening to him, but he never abandoned his faith. And his faith was rewarded.
There are many who have believed in Jesus who are facing trials and tribulations. Other Christians may have looked down on you because of your circumstances. Please don't give up on the Lord Jesus. Jesus loves you and cares about you. He is with you right now no matter what you are going through. One day, all those who trust in Him will be with Him for all of eternity. Then, all the trials of the present will seem as nothing compared with the joy of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus.
There is one other thing that I wanted to point out about this parable. Jesus directed this parable right at the religious leaders. They had received the message of the Law and Prophets. They knew how they were supposed behave. They knew the prophecies concerning the Messiah and should have recognized Jesus as the Promised One. They refused to believe. They would not even believe when they knew that Jesus rose again from the dead.
The resurrection of Jesus from the grave is the sign that all of what He taught and did was from the Father. Because Jesus rose again, death is defeated and sin is defeated. The resurrection is the proof that all should look to Jesus for salvation and the forgiveness of sins. If a person will not be convinced by the resurrection of Jesus, there is nothing else to say.
This is one of the parables of Jesus that I find to be the most interesting. I've really just scratched the surface of this parable. I urge you to study more about his parable and let these words of Jesus speak to your heart and soul.
Next week, we will continue with our parables of Jesus study. On Monday, I will post the verse of the week. On Tuesday, I think that I am going to post another poem. On Wednesday, I will have a book review. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Good Animal Programs
As most of you who have read this blog for any length of time know, I love dogs and cats. The best friend I ever had was a dog named Toby, and I miss him every day. I'm always on the look out for a good animal program or animal book.
Usually on Wednesday, I review a dog, cat or animal book. However, today I want to recommend to you four animal programs that I've been enjoying. These programs are all about veterinarians and veterinary medicine.
"The Yorkshire Vet" is an interesting program for several different reasons. First of all, this program follows the vets who have taken over the practice that James Herriot worked out of in Thirsk, Yorkshire. James Herriot is my favorite writer, so I was immediately drawn to this series. Dr. Julian Norton is the main focus of this series. He is an extremely dedicated veterinarian who goes out to see his patients any time of the day or night. He treats all types of large and small animals. What I really like about this program is that it shows veterinary medicine as it really is. If you are squeamish at all, this might not be the program for you. I highly recommend this program. Julian Norton has a book out that I will be reading and reviewing on the blog in the next few weeks.
The second program that I would like to recommend is also about veterinary medicine, but it has a completely different presentation. "John Barrowman's Small Animal Hospital" follows the animals that come into the veterinary practice linked with the University of Glasgow. In each episode, actor John Barrowman, who is well-known to Doctor Who, fans focuses on the owners and the animals who come into the clinic. These animals have been referred to the clinic because they have complex problems. John meets with the owners and then guides the viewers through what is happening. All the while, John is part of the action. I really believe that his presence and caring attitude have helped a lot of the pet owners who've been featured in this series.
"Bondi Vet" is just an awesome program. This program features the Bondi Junction Veterinary Clinic and the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) located in Sydney, Australian. Dr. Chris Brown is the man focus of the program. He if a very caring and dedicated veterinary. Also featured in the series are emergency vet Dr. Lisa Chimes and surgeon Dr. Andrew Marchevsky. Dr. Chimes is an excellent vet. I like the way she interacts with the animal patients talking to them just like they understand everything she is saying.
Now to the veterinary program that just amazes me. "Supervet" focuses on Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick who is an outstanding veterinary surgeon in England. He has performed operations on pets that no one else on the planet has performed. He is a caring vet who gives everything he has to the animals. He spends almost all of his time at his practice even sleeping in a room off of his office on many nights.
Noel Fitzpatrick performs operations I've never seen performed on animals before. In one particularly great episode, Noel actually rebuilt a dogs mangled front paw by using pieces of bone from the dogs pelvis. The most outstanding surgery I've seen him perform is when a golden retriever puppy came in with his jaw broken in multiple places and almost completely hanging off. Noel, repaired the jaw, braced it and helped repair the bone. That little dog recovered completely.
These four shows are really good, and I hope that you get a chance to watch them.
Usually on Wednesday, I review a dog, cat or animal book. However, today I want to recommend to you four animal programs that I've been enjoying. These programs are all about veterinarians and veterinary medicine.
"The Yorkshire Vet" is an interesting program for several different reasons. First of all, this program follows the vets who have taken over the practice that James Herriot worked out of in Thirsk, Yorkshire. James Herriot is my favorite writer, so I was immediately drawn to this series. Dr. Julian Norton is the main focus of this series. He is an extremely dedicated veterinarian who goes out to see his patients any time of the day or night. He treats all types of large and small animals. What I really like about this program is that it shows veterinary medicine as it really is. If you are squeamish at all, this might not be the program for you. I highly recommend this program. Julian Norton has a book out that I will be reading and reviewing on the blog in the next few weeks.
The second program that I would like to recommend is also about veterinary medicine, but it has a completely different presentation. "John Barrowman's Small Animal Hospital" follows the animals that come into the veterinary practice linked with the University of Glasgow. In each episode, actor John Barrowman, who is well-known to Doctor Who, fans focuses on the owners and the animals who come into the clinic. These animals have been referred to the clinic because they have complex problems. John meets with the owners and then guides the viewers through what is happening. All the while, John is part of the action. I really believe that his presence and caring attitude have helped a lot of the pet owners who've been featured in this series.
"Bondi Vet" is just an awesome program. This program features the Bondi Junction Veterinary Clinic and the Small Animal Specialist Hospital (SASH) located in Sydney, Australian. Dr. Chris Brown is the man focus of the program. He if a very caring and dedicated veterinary. Also featured in the series are emergency vet Dr. Lisa Chimes and surgeon Dr. Andrew Marchevsky. Dr. Chimes is an excellent vet. I like the way she interacts with the animal patients talking to them just like they understand everything she is saying.
Now to the veterinary program that just amazes me. "Supervet" focuses on Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick who is an outstanding veterinary surgeon in England. He has performed operations on pets that no one else on the planet has performed. He is a caring vet who gives everything he has to the animals. He spends almost all of his time at his practice even sleeping in a room off of his office on many nights.
Noel Fitzpatrick performs operations I've never seen performed on animals before. In one particularly great episode, Noel actually rebuilt a dogs mangled front paw by using pieces of bone from the dogs pelvis. The most outstanding surgery I've seen him perform is when a golden retriever puppy came in with his jaw broken in multiple places and almost completely hanging off. Noel, repaired the jaw, braced it and helped repair the bone. That little dog recovered completely.
These four shows are really good, and I hope that you get a chance to watch them.
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