Weekend Sermon -- Parables of Jesus -- Parable of the Great Feast

     Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon this week.  I am very glad to be able to be with you today.  I hope that everyone is doing well.
     I would ask that you would pray for me this weekend.  We have been having a lot of rain, and much more is expected in the next couple of days.  I am very worried about flooding.  Please pray that all will be well in this situation.  I thank you for your prayers.
     In other prayer requests, please pray that the situation with North Korea will calm down.  Pray that there will be peace in this situation.  Also, please pray for peace in Syria and Iraq.  Pray for peace wherever there is conflict in this troubled world.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for the nations of Albania and India.  Pray that those who live in these two countries will hear and respond to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
     Over the course of the last several weeks, we have been studying the parables of  Jesus.  This week we will continue with our study as we examine the parable of the great feast found in Luke 14:15-24.
      In this passage, Jesus told the following story.  Jesus said that a man decided to have a great dinner and invited many people.  When the time for the dinner was at hand, the man sent out his servants to tell those who were invited that the dinner was now ready.
     Instead of being excited about getting to go to the great feast, those who were invited started to make a lot of excuses as to why they could not attend.  One man said that he had just purchased a field, and he needed to go and look at it.  Another man said that he had just married, so he couldn't come. Still another of the invitees said that he had just purchased some plowing oxen, and he needed to go and try them out.
    The servants came and reported what had happened.  The man who was having the dinner was very upset.  The man told his servants to go and invite the crippled, blind and lame to the dinner.  There was still room at the table, so the man told his servants to go into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in so that the banquet table would be full.
     This is a great parable with much to teach us.  First of all, this parable had a particular message to the religious leaders of Jesus' day.  They had heard Jesus' invitation to believe in Him, but they refused to do so.  Instead, they ridiculed Jesus and tried to discredit Him.  The religious leaders thought that the crippled, lame and blind were under the judgment of God, yet these were the very ones that Jesus invited to be part of the kingdom of Heaven.
     The invitation to come to the feast in the kingdom of God has been extended by Jesus to everyone.  Whosoever will may come to the feast and receive the salvation, love and forgiveness that Jesus offers.
    What is so sad, is that just like the people in this parable, so many offer excuses as to why they can't come or why they won't follow Jesus as Savior and Lord.
     I know that when I used to do a lot of evangelism work, I would try to talk to people about having a relationship with Jesus.  Most people were not interested.  Many didn't think that they had the need for a savior or forgiveness from sin.  Many that we would invite to church had something else that they thought was more important that they needed to do.
     What I found most distressing was the number of people who had attended church for years, but they thought they could work their way to Heaven by being good.  They didn't see the need to place their faith in Christ alone for salvation and redemption.
     Many people will not want to come to Jesus when they receive the invitation.  However, thanks be to God, many people have responded to the message, and many more will respond to the invitation when it is offered.
     Just as in Jesus' day, many who respond most readily to the love of Jesus are those who society has rejected.  They realize how much Jesus loves them, and they want to get to know Him better.  Many who have fallen into lives of sin and desperation realize how much they need the love and forgiveness of Jesus.
     In this parable, I see those of us who believe in Jesus as the servants.  We have been given the task of going out into the highways and hedges and compelling people to respond to the message of Jesus' love.  It is our responsibility to share our faith with others so that they will know what true life and love Jesus offers to those who will call upon Him in repentance and faith.
     I also love the imagine of the great feast as an image of what it will be like in Heaven when we are with Jesus.  In the book of Revelation, it states that there will be a great marriage supper of the Lamb where all those who are in Christ will have a great feast with Him.
    In the day and age in which Jesus lived, feasts were times of great fun and excitement.  No one would turn down the invitation to a great feast.
    I long for the day when I will be with Jesus in Heaven feasting at the Heavenly table.  That will be a wonderful day.  Heaven is a wonderful place.  I long for the day when all pain, sorrow and trouble is over.   Come quickly Lord.
     Jesus extends an invitation to all to come to Him.  He wants everyone to be part of the great feast in Heaven.  If you have never invited Jesus into your life and turned to Him in repentance and faith, I hope that you will do that today.
     At this time, I do not want to commit to a firm schedule on the blog for next week.  Lord willing, the rain won't be as heavy as predicted, and we will be on the normal schedule.  I just don't know for sure right now.  If the house floods, I'm not sure what I will do.  Please continue to pray, and together we will trust in the Lord.  May God bless you all.  Amen

Book Review -- "The Pawprints of History"

    Today, I would like to review and recommend a book that has been available for awhile.  "The Pawprints of History" written by Stanley Coren is a great dog book.  In this book, the author relates how dogs have played a role in the lives of some of the great men and women of history.  Some chapters focus on one person and how their dogs made a difference in their life.  The chapters about Prince Rupert and his dog Boye and Richard Wagner and his dogs are very informative.  Some chapters deal with groups of people and how dogs helped them.  For instance, one of the best chapters in the book details how different saints interacted with dogs.  In this chapter, the story of St Roche and his dog is the best.
     I don't believe that there are any weak chapters in this book.  I've read this book more than once, and each time I find it to be fun and educational reading.  The book is well-written and well-researched.  All dog lovers will certainly enjoy "The Pawprints of History".

Book -- Chapter 6 -- Jude

Here is the next chapter of the book.  I will post the chapter on Philemon next Tuesday.  I would like to ask everyone if they would pray that the storms that are supposed to be in my area tonight will not be bad.  Thank you.

Chapter 6 – Jude

     We now come to the final book in our study of the Bible’s smallest books.  Jude is a book that is absolutely packed with interesting things to learn.  Of all of the books that we have studied together, I think that Jude may be the most interesting. 

     This little book has been a source of controversy and intrigue for Bible scholars since the time of the early church.

     Let’s begin with some background information.  This epistle was written to a general audience of first century believers and is therefore referred to as one of the general epistles.  It claims to have been written by Jude who is the brother of James who was a prominent leader in the church at Jerusalem.  This James was the probable writer of the epistle of James, and he was Jesus’ half-brother.  Therefore, the man named Jude who wrote this epistle was also a half-brother of Jesus.

     Little is known about Jude’s role in the early church.  He does have this epistle bearing his name, and it seems as if he was a respected leader whose words would readily have been given an audience.

     Most Bible scholars concur that Jude was written sometime near the end of the first century.  The main reason for this conclusion lies in the fact that Jude is concerned with heretical teachers and the prevalence of false doctrine within the church.  The church would probably have had to have been established for a time for such a plethora of false belief to have taken root. 

     There is a continuing question among scholars regarding the relationship between Jude and II Peter.  There are entire portions of Jude and II Peter that are virtually word for word identical.  The question is did Jude borrow from Peter, or did Peter borrow from Jude’s writing?

     Some of those in the early church felt the Jude was merely a copy of II Peter.  They relegated Jude to non-canonical status.  Many in the early church regarded both Jude and II Peter to be outside the canon of Scripture.  However, the church eventually came to the conclusion that both of these epistles should be considered part of the New Testament.  Each book was seen to possess value in its own right.

     One of the main reasons that Jude was not accepted right away was due to the fact that Jude references two non-canonical books within it as if they are authoritative.  Jude mentions an account where Michael the Archangel is in a dispute with Satan over the body of Moses.  This account is taken from a book known as the Assumption of Moses. 

     Apparently, Jude believed this to be an accurate recording of an event that actually took place.  Neither Jewish nor Christian scholars hold to the Assumption of Moses being an authoritative work or being part of the Old Testament canon. 

     Also, Jude speaks of Enoch prophesying the Second Coming of Jesus.  This is supposed to be the same Enoch who was taken to Heaven by God because he was a righteous man.  There is a Book of Enoch that cites this prophecy that is not considered part of the Hebrew Bible. 

     So, what do we make of this?  In my opinion, just because these accounts are contained in non-canonical books does not mean that they did not occur.  Obviously they did, or they would not be recorded in the Scriptures. 

     It is also possible that Jude is referencing these stories to prove a point.  Often, we will reference a story from mythology to get a point across.  Jude may be doing this, but I don’t think that this is the case. 

     Jude did not originally intend to write his epistle on the subject of the dangers of false teachers and teachings in the church.  He intended to write an epistle dealing with the common salvation we have through knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

     However, Jude had to change his plans when he realized that those who taught false doctrines had come into the church and were leading many people astray.  In fact, Jude said that these false teachers perverted the grace of God into sensuality and denied Jesus Christ.

     Jude urges his readers to “earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered for the saints.”  This is still something that is important for us to do today. 

     We live in a day and age when many churches no longer teach much about Christian theology.  Many people in the pews don’t know what they believe or why they are supposed to believe it.  Because of this, there is a great deal of unorthodox teaching in the church today.

     As believers in Jesus Christ, we have as part of our responsibility the mission of standing up for sound doctrine.  We should do this with gentleness and with respect and not in some type of militant or hateful manner.

     We will not be able to earnestly contend for the faith if we do not know theology and sound doctrine ourselves.  Therefore, we need to be students of the Word and students of the theological disciplines.

     If we encounter those who are attempting to bring false teachings into our assemblies, we should by the use of Scripture address the errors that they are attempting to introduce.  We then need to demonstrate from the Bible what the correct and orthodox teaching truly is.

     It seems fairly clear from the text in Jude that Jude was dealing with two particular false beliefs that were being disseminated among the churches where his epistle was to be read.  The first of these beliefs is known as antinomianism.  The Apostle Paul also addressed this problem. 

      Antinomianism is a doctrine that promotes a false idea of grace.  According to Paul in Romans 6, some were teaching that we should sin so that grace could abound all the more.  To this idea, Paul said, “God forbid”.

     I’ve encountered this teaching in a modified form today.  People will say that we sin every day, and there is really nothing that we can do about it.  Just ask Jesus to forgive you and move on.  Others will do something that they know is wrong and then comment, “Well, God will forgive me if I ask Him anyway.”

     This type of belief is trampling upon the grace of God and turning toward sensuality just as spoken of by Jude.  Those of us who name the name of Jesus are to be those who follow the path of Christ and obey His commandments and His teachings.  Jesus said that if we truly love Him we will keep His commandments.  He also said that He can call us His friends if we do those things that He has said.

     If we truly love and serve Jesus, we will not have a cavalier attitude toward sin in our lives.  When we sin, we will repent, and then with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will attempt to amend our lives so that we don’t fall into sin in that same way again and again and again.

     In the matter of false teachings in the church, I just want to comment on the other area that Jude addresses which is also prevalent in the church today. 

     The easiest way to detect false teaching is to see what that teaching does with the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Almost every false teaching will have a wrong teaching about who Jesus is and what He did.

      For instance, many will deny that Jesus was God come in the flesh.  In our day and age, this takes the form of those who say that Jesus was just a good man or a prophet.  Even many in Christian churches will deny the divinity of Jesus.  They deny His miracles and His supernatural virgin birth. 

     Also prevalent, even in the church today, is a discounting of the substitutionary atonement of Christ.  They will deny that Jesus died in our place taking upon Himself our sin and the punishment that was due because of sin against a Holy God. 

     Jude doesn’t have anything good to say about false teachers.  He compares them to Cain, Balaam, Korah, brute beasts and the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah.

     Cain murdered his brother Able.  He brought a sacrifice that was unacceptable to God, and hated his brother for doing what was right.  He was truly an evil man.

     Balaam was a prophet who was willing to prophecy whatever someone asked as long as the price was right.  He was even going to curse the people of God until he was stopped by a talking donkey. 

     Korah did not respect the God ordained authority that was given to Moses.  He rebelled, and he and his followers were punished by God.

     False teachers also revile spiritual beings.  Jude said that even when Michael was contending with Satan over the body of Moses, Michael said the Lord rebuke you.  He didn’t try to fight evil in his own power; he invoked the power of the Lord who is the only one who has the power to defeat pure evil.

     One of the signs that we are living in the last days before the return of Jesus is the fact that more and more false teachers will arise.  There are many today who are not teaching the true orthodox doctrines of the Christian faith.  Many people are being led astray because doctrine is not preached that much anymore.  Often, the church service seems more like a performance than a place where the Word of the Lord is taught in depth.

     However, even in the midst of these trying times, we as believers in Jesus are to build ourselves up in the faith.  We are to keep praying in the power of the Holy Spirit and sharing the message of Jesus’ love. 

     We know that just as Enoch prophesied, Jesus will come again and establish His kingdom with power and great glory.  Love, justice and goodness will prevail.  Every knee throughout the universe will bow and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.

     With this thought in mind, we are to spread the message of salvation.  We are to live in such a way that we will not be ashamed should the Lord come at this very moment.  Even so, come Lord Jesus.

    The final two verses in the book of Jude are among the most beautiful in all of the Bible.  The Lord is the one who keeps us in the faith and keeps us on the narrow way that leads to eternal life. He will lead us all the way to glory where we will enjoy His presence for all of eternity.  All will be filled with joy and happiness.

     All glory, power, dominion and majesty belongs to the Lord both now and forevermore.

Verses For the Week

Nahum 1:7 -- "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him."

Matthew 6:13 -- "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."

Weekend Sermon -- Parables of Jesus-- The Persistent Widow

     Thank you for stopping by to read the Weekend Sermon.  I hope that everyone is doing well and feeling well.
     I have had a challenging week.  I've been working on many different projects.  I believe that I am going to go back to working as a freelance writer for more hours starting soon.  The job where I am working now is becoming more difficult with each day. Please pray that the Lord will guide in what to do.
    Also, please pray that the heavy rains that are predicted for my area won't be too heavy.  I always worry about flooding in my area.  Thank you for your prayers.
     Please remember to pray for the people of France.  There was a terrorist attack there last night.  Please pray for the safety of that nation.  Also pray that the French people will have wisdom as they vote for a new president this weekend.
     Continue to pray for peace in this very troubled world.  Pray for peace in Syria, South Sudan and Iraq.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us join in prayer for those who live in the nations of Algeria and Japan.  Pray that many will hear the message of Jesus in these nations.
     Over the course of this year, we have been in a study of the parables of Jesus.  Today, we will look at the parable of the persistent widow.  This parable is often referred to as the parable of the unjust judge.
     In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told a parable about the need for continuing in prayer without losing heart.  Jesus said that there was a judge who did not fear God or man.  A widow kept coming to him day by day to seek justice against her adversary.  The judge kept putting the widow off, but she just kept coming back.  Finally, the judge was weary from listening to the widow day after day, and he ruled in her favor.  Jesus said that the Father would hear the prayers of His children, and He will not be slow to answer.  Jesus ends the parable with the question, "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?"
     This parable has some similarities to the parable found in Luke 11:5-8 where a friend comes at night to ask for food to feed a guest.  The man's friend is in bed and doesn't get up.  However, since the man keeps knocking at the door, the man in the house gets up and gives his friend what he needs.
     What do these teachings of Jesus have to say to us today?  First of all, these are lessons about how we are to pray.  They are not parables teaching that God is hard-hearted and that we have to keep pestering Him in order to get an answer.  God is not an unjust judge or a friend in bed.  He is better than that.
     One thing that I would like to emphasis as we look at the parable of the persistent widow, is that the widows and orphans were the most vulnerable members of society.  The Lord instructed the people and their governments to take care of the most vulnerable members of society.  In Isaiah 1:23, the Lord brought a word of condemnation against the rulers because they were not taking care of the orphans and widows.
    Any government that does not take care of the least of these among them is in violation of the teachings of Scripture.  We as members of the body of Christ also have the obligation to help other is need.  In James 1:27 it states, "Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this:  to care for orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained by the world."  Also, remember that Jesus said when we do good to the least among us, we do it as unto Him.
     The main focus of the parable is to encourage us to keep praying even when it does not seem as if the Lord is going to answer.  I know that it seems at times that the Lord is not listening.  We pray and pray, and nothing changes.  It is in times like this that we need to keep praying.
     There have been at least four times in my life that I had to keep praying for a long time in order for the Lord to work.  The first instances involves the husband of a woman that used to go to church where I went as a young man.  This man was not a Christian, and he didn't treat his wife well.  We prayed for him over the course of several years.  One day, he came to church and accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord.
     I will give you another example.  In a church I used to minister in, we always had a time when we prayed for peace for nations in conflict.  My cousin was a medical missionary in Nepal for awhile, and that country had a civil war that lasted for years.  In my church, we prayed for peace for Nepal every Sunday for I don't know how long.  After several years, a peace agreement was finally reached.
    One other example of my having to persevere in prayer involves my friend Toby.  He was beset with several health problems just as I am.  One of his medical problems was an autoimmune skin problem.  I prayed for him every day for almost two years.  One day, his skin cleared up, and for the last several years of his life, he had no more trouble with this particular health issue.  Thanks be to God.
    When I was about thirty years old, I developed a problem with my skin called vitiligo.  This condition causes patches of skin to loose their pigmentation.  I prayed that this would be healed for over two years.  Finally, to the doctor's amazement, my vitiligo was completely healed.  Praise be to the Lord.
     These are just a few examples from my own life.  I don't think that we should ever stop praying unless the Lord gives us an answer, there is a result, or the person we are praying for passes on.  For instance, Paul prayed three times that the thorn in his flesh would be removed.  Finally, the Lord told Him that His grace was sufficient.  Paul stopped praying about that at that point.
     When my Mom was so badly affected by Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and the effects of her stroke, I prayed every day that she would get better until the day she died.  Now, she at home with the Lord Jesus, and she is totally healed.
     The Lord wants to give good gifts to us.  He wants what is best for us, and He wants us to bring our requests unto His throne of grace.  Never give up in prayer.  Circumstances may look grim, but the Lord is working things out in His own time.  Sometimes His answers might not be what we want to hear.  However, His will is always what is best for us.
     We can rest assured knowing this.  One day, Jesus will come again.  On that day, all things will be made right.  All sickness will be healed.  All wars will cease.  All injustice will be rectified.  Keep praying and believing, and don't give up.  Keep trusting in the Lord.
     There is one last thing that I want to mention is regard to our parable today.  Jesus wonders if there will be anyone who has faith when He returns.  There are two possible meanings for this as far as I have discerned.  Jesus may be wondering if people will still be persevering in prayer when He returns.  What I think this means is that when Jesus does return, there may not be that many Christians left on earth.  I've always found this question of Jesus interesting to ponder.
    Let us keep believing and trusting in Jesus Christ as long as we live on earth, so that if Jesus does come while we are alive, He will find us filled with faith, hope and trust in Him.
     Next week, we will continue with our series on the parables of Jesus.  I will post the verses on Monday, and there will be a review on Wednesday.  I will post another chapter of the book on Tuesday, and the sermon will appear next Friday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Book Review -- Loyal

     The book I am reviewing today is entitled, "Loyal: 38 Inspiring Tales of Bravery, Heroism, and the Devotion of Dogs" written by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh.  In this excellent book, the author provides the reader with stories of how some great dogs have changed the lives of the people with whom they have come into contact.
     There are three of the 38 stories in this book that I enjoyed the most.  Klinger is a German shepherd who's made a difference.  Klinger is the guide dog for Richard who is a runner.  Klinger helps Richard so that Richard can get back to running which is one of the things he loves to do the most.
     Atlas is a very large Dogue de Bordeaux.  For those that don't know, that's a French mastiff like the dog in the movie Turner and Hooch.  Atlas helps children with special needs. He helps the children with their physical therapy, and he provides friendship and support to the children.
     Chara is a Norwegian elkhound that serves as a hearing and alert dog.  She has saved the life of her owner and her owner's son.  Elkhound's are great dogs.  I was privileged to know one when I was a boy.
     These are just three of the stories about dogs that serve and comfort.  I urge you to read this book.  All 38 stories will be an inspiration.

Book -- Chapter 5 -- III John

     Here is the next chapter in the book.

Chapter 5 – III John

     We now move on the John’s third epistle and examine what this work has to teach us.  As part of our study of III John, we will examine one of the most misused verses of Scripture which is found in this short epistle. 

     By way of introduction, let us set up III John.  Like the other two epistles of John which precede it, III John’s author has been traditionally held to be the Apostle John.  As with II John, there is a strain of thought that holds to the idea that an elder named John, and not the Apostle, penned this letter.  As with II John, it is my belief, and the consensus from church history, that John the disciple of the Lord Jesus wrote III John. 

     As to when it was written, we are not entirely certain.  Some believe that of all the New Testaments letters, this may be the one that was written last.  It was most likely written in the 90s AD when John was a very elderly man.

     Unlike II John, the audience for III John is very evident.  III John was written to a man named Gaius.  There are a few men with this name found in the New Testament.  However, Gaius was a very common name in the Roman world.  This Gaius is probably not one of the others with that name found in the New Testament.

     The Gaius to whom John addressed III John is some type of leader in the church that John at one time pastored and may have founded.  This Gaius was a man who showed great hospitality to the travelling ministers who came to share the message of Jesus from church to church.  John commends Gaius’ acts of hospitality, but some in Gaius’ congregation weren’t happy with what he was doing.

     Part of the reason that III John was written was to encourage Gaius and speak well of those in the church who were acting in a Christ-like manner.  Conversely, John also points out in this letter a person in the church who acted contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

     Diotrophes was intent on being the most important person in the church to which III John was addressed.  He wanted to be the sole leader and teacher.  This man did not want anyone else speaking to his congregation.  In fact, he would not show any type of hospitality to those who were going around to the different churches to teach.  John has harsh words for this man and his actions.

     Just like the other small books of the Bible that we have studied thus far, III John is extremely relevant to us today.  One aspect of III John that I want to focus on directly is the greeting that John gives to Gaius at the beginning of the epistle.  This simple greeting is used as a proof text by many of the faith and prosperity teachers who twist this verse to mean something that was never in any way intended.

     The verse in question in III John states, “I would that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers.”

     Now, the teaching of the faith teachers on this verse proceeds this way.  Since Jesus makes our souls prosper, and He has given us all good things spiritually through saving us and granting us eternal life, we have abundant soul prosperity.  So, we are to be in health and prosperous just as our souls are.  That means that we should have perfect health and financial blessings as long as we walk faithfully with the Lord.

     Now, this is not what this verse is trying to get across at all.  The Bible clearly does not teach that God wants us all to be rich and that if we follow the Lord we will always be free from sickness and the other hardships of this current life.  There are many people in the Bible and in the history of the church who faithfully followed the Lord and they had terrible health, they were in poverty and they faced great challenges and difficulties in life.

     Let’s analyze the verse.  What John is expressing is a simple greeting to a friend.  He is not trying to make some kind of great doctrinal pronouncement.  John in his greeting is hoping that good things are happening in the life of his friend Gaius.  It would be like saying this if we wrote a letter, “I hope this letter finds you well and that all things are good in your life.”

     To the issue of God desiring that everyone who follows Him to be rich, this is not the teaching of the Scriptures.  Some of those who served and worshipped God did not experience financial prosperity in this world.  The words found in Hebrews 11:36-39 are helpful in addressing this matter.  They state, “Still others had trials of mockings and scourgings, yes and of chains and imprisonments.  They were stoned, and they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword.  They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented – of who the world is not worthy.  They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.  And all of these having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.”

    Another example is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  Once He said, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”  When the Pharisees questioned Jesus about paying taxes to Caesar, Jesus didn’t even have a coin on His person; He had to ask someone to give Him a coin to use for an illustration.

     Furthermore, in the Beatitudes as recorded in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus said that those who are poor are numbered amongst the blessed.  The rich receive a pronouncement of woe from the Lord Jesus.  This same sentiment is expressed by the Lord’s brother James in his epistle.

     I believe that this points out quite clearly that God has not promised health and wealth to all who believe. 

     Also, let us touch upon the idea that having enough faith will cause one to be healthy and wealthy.  This has with it the corollary idea that if you are not in good health and/or you are poor, you must have some sin in your life or you lack the necessary faith to receive a blessing from the Lord. 

     This false teaching is clearly refuted by the life of Job and the teachings of the Lord Jesus.  Job was a righteous man, yet Job suffered greatly.  He lost his health and all of his possessions.  These trials did not come upon Job because he lacked faith or he had sin in his life.  Job was called upon to suffer in order to demonstrate the greatness of the Lord and the futility of the plans and purposes of the evil one. 

     Jesus had to confront this false teaching during His earthly ministry.  In John 9, Jesus and His disciples come upon a man who is described as someone who was blind from birth.  The disciples asked Jesus who sinned in order to cause this man to be born blind.  They wondered if the man sinned or if his parents had been the sinners.  Jesus told them that neither party’s sin had caused the man’s current state of affairs. 

     This type of teaching causes many people great spiritual harm.  I will give you an example from my own life.  When I was born, I was born with a congenital immune system disorder.  It particularly affected my ability to fight off respiratory infections.  In the seventh grade, I missed much of the school year due to multiple hospital admissions.

     The church that my family attended had the false notion that if you faced a lot of sickness in your life, then there must have some type of sin in your life.  I always felt condemned and looked down upon.  It took me many years to understand who Jesus really is and what a correct view of God as the Heavenly Father looked like.

     One day, when Jesus returns in power and great glory, all sin, sickness, disease, war and death will be eliminated from the earth.  Now, let’s delve into what the rest of III John has to teach us.

     John commended Gaius for demonstrating hospitality to others and John condemned Diotrophes for not having an hospitable nature.  As followers of Jesus, we should show hospitality to others.  I believe that this means that we are to help those that are in need of our help. 

     There is a great deal of hurting and suffering in the world today.  Many people right in my own nation do not have enough to eat and they don’t have the proper clothes to keep them warm during the winter.  The problem of homelessness continues to confront us here in the United States.

     I thank the Lord for the fact that many churches have started food pantries and clothing ministries to help those in need.  These are important ministries that more and more churches need to become involved in.

     There is so much that needs to be done.  The church of Jesus Christ has a responsibility to step up and help those in this troubled world during these difficult times which we are facing.

     Those who are in the church should have their needs met by those who are their brothers and sisters in the faith.  If there are members of a congregation that need assistance during a tough economic occurrence, the other members need to come alongside and provide whatever help that they can for the brother or sister in need.  This is vital.  It demonstrates to the world that we are truly followers of Jesus Christ.  The world will know that we are Christians when they see the love that we have toward one another which can only overflow to all those for whom Christ died.

     Something else that is important for us to learn from III John comes from the naming of three individuals in this short epistle.  John mentions Gaius, Diotrophes, and Demetrius.  Gaius and Demetrius receive praise.  Diotrophes does not.  What really stood out to me in reading III John was the importance of having a good name spiritually.  Just think about this, Gaius and Demetrius have been recognized for their goodness in churches around the world now for over 2000 years.  Diotrophes is just remembered for his surliness and lack of good behavior. 

     It should be our goal as followers of Jesus to have a good name and a good reputation.  We should be people of an upstanding character that allows us to be effective witness of life in the Kingdom of Heaven. 

     Jesus said that we are to do good works.  When we do what is good, those who are not yet Christ’s will see our good works and give glory to the Lord who is in Heaven. 

     I want to be remembered as someone who tried to follow Jesus with all that he had.  I want to follow Jesus’ commandments, and it is my goal to try to be more like Jesus every day.  I hope that this is the goal of every person who names Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

     III John 11 tells us what the life of a Christian should resemble.  We should not imitate what is evil but we should do good.  John says, “Anyone who does what is good is from God.  Anyone who does evil has not seen God.”

     When a person claims to have faith in Jesus, that faith must be demonstrated by a life of good works.  John speaks about this in I John, and Jesus’ brother James says the same thing very extensively in the epistle that bears his name.

     If someone says that they are a Christian, but they are not doing good, it reflects a lack of possession of faith.  Let us all be faithful followers of the Lord Jesus who are doing as much good in the world as we possibly can so that we can leave this world a little bit better than the way we found it.

     As you can clearly see, for a small book, III John has a lot to teach us.  However, of all the small books that we have studied, none compares with the amount of spiritual teaching we will encounter in the book of Jude.

Verses For the Week -- Verses about the Resurrection

I Corinthians 15:20-22 -- "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.  For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came also through a human being.  For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life."

Weekend Sermon -- Easter

     Welcome to the Weekend Sermon on this Easter weekend.  I hope that all of you are doing well and are planning to have a great Easter holiday.
     I am looking forward to going to church tomorrow and joining with fellow Christians in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave.  He is risen.  He is risen indeed.
     During this past week, I have much to thank the Lord for.  The bad storms that were supposed to hit my area did not materialize.  Also, I had a bolt go through one of my tires on my car.  It could have been really a bad situation, but my tire stayed inflated enough that I was able to get into a tire shop and get it fixed without having to be stranded on the road.  I am thankful to the Lord for this.
     I would ask your prayers regarding the storms that are predicted for my area tonight.  Please pray that these storms will not cause any damage.  Also, please pray for me regarding my work situation.  What happens today will play a big factor in whether or not I keep working where I am working.
     In other matters, please pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world.  There are great tensions between the U.S and North Korea right now.  Please pray for peace.  Also, pray for an end to the violence and warfare that are plaguing the world.  Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq especially need our prayers.
     Please pray for those affected by bad weather.  I heard that New Zealand had some bad storm damage, and storms have affected several areas in Texas.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for the nations of Eritrea and Indonesia.  Pray that people in these two nations will hear about the power and love of Jesus.
     This is the weekend when we celebrate the event that changed the world.  There has been no greater event in history than the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Because Jesus rose from the grave, His message of hope and forgiveness has revolutionized people's lives and changed people and nations for the better.
     For today's message, I would like to focus on one of Jesus' post-resurrection appearances.  In Luke chapter 24, we read the account of Jesus' encounter with the two men on the road to Emmaus.  Emmaus was a village that was only about seven miles away from Jerusalem.
     On Sunday morning, two of Jesus followers were travelling along the road heading from Jerusalem to Emmaus.  As they were walking along, they were talking about the events that occurred on Good Friday.  They had to be in great despair thinking as they did that Jesus was dead, and now their hopes for the future were dashed.
     As they continued down the road, they were joined by a fellow traveler.  This was Jesus who had risen from the dead.  However, the two travelers did not recognize Jesus.
    Jesus asked the two what they were talking about.  They told Him that they were talking about the crucifixion of Jesus.  They said that they had hoped the Jesus would be the redeemer of Israel.  The two told Jesus that some women were reporting that the tomb was empty and angels had announced to them that Jesus was alive.
    Jesus told the travelers that they were foolish for not believing all that was written about the Messiah.  Jesus then interpreted the Scriptures about the Messiah to them.
    Later, they were in a home breaking bread together, and Jesus' identity was revealed to them.  The travelers stated that their hearts burned within them when they recognized Jesus.  They returned to Jerusalem proclaiming the message that Jesus was alive.
     What can we learn from this encounter between Jesus and the men on the road to Emmaus?  First of all, one thing that strikes me is that we can't always recognize that Jesus is with us, but He is walking with us and guiding us nonetheless.  It may not be until later on that we recognize that  Jesus was leading us and was with us all along.
     I know that in my life, there have been some really hard moments.  It felt to me at times that I was alone, and I did not know what to do.  However, by God's grace, I was able to pull through.  As I look back on the situation, I can see how the Lord Jesus was leading me and showing me the way that was the best way.
     I will give you a couple of examples.  When the church of my youth thought that I was too liberal and they didn't want me to be a part of their denomination, I felt as if my future in the ministry was at an end.  I had a rough time spiritually.  However, through that, Jesus lead me to find many books that had been written about Him that offered another perspective.  By reading these works, reading the Gospels over and over and through meditating on the person of Jesus Christ, I was able to develop a much closer relationship with Jesus than I had before.  Jesus was walking down the path with me.  It just took me a little while to see it.
     Since that time when I was rejected by the church, the Lord has allowed me to have a writing ministry and to do other ministry work.  I am thankful to the Lord for all of the opportunities He has provided.  One of those opportunities has been this blog and the privilege of posting sermons each week.
     Another instance when I didn't see Jesus working in my life right away was when I first met my friend Toby.  As I've written before, I've suffered with depression since my high school days.  Some periods are worse than others.
     When I was 16 almost 17 years old I was so depressed I didn't think that I was going to live much longer.  However, Jesus brought my friend Toby into my life.  My depression lifted, and for the next 12 years that we were together, I was good.  Since then, when I think about my friend, it helps me get through hard times.
     This was all possible because Jesus was walking with me guiding my path.
     Often, we think that when bad things are happening that Jesus is not with us.  But, He is with us.  He is helping us and guiding us.  If we will in silence meditate upon Him and the words that He said, we can feel His presence in our lives, and that presence can bring us comfort and healing even in the midst of great difficulties.  Feeling the presence of Jesus is what got me through the hard times of taking care of my Mom and dealing with the death of my parents.
     One other thing that I learn from this account of Jesus and the two men on the road to Emmaus is that Jesus became known to the travelers when they broke bread together.  I think that there are at least two meanings to this.  When we take Holy Communion, we experience the presence of Jesus in the elements of the bread and the cup.  We are in communion with Jesus and we experience His love and life.
     Also, through fellowship with other believers in Jesus, we experience the life and love of Jesus.  Jesus said that where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.  Fellowship with fellow Christians helps us to see Jesus in each other.  We can help one another and practice the servant principles that Jesus taught us.
     One other thing that this account teaches me is the importance of proclaiming the good news of the resurrection of Jesus.  Jesus died to take away our sins.  When He rose again, He defeated the consequences of sin.  He defeated death, hell and the grave.  Because Jesus rose from the dead, we do not have to fear death.  Jesus offers everlasting life and light to all who will believe in Him.
     Maybe you are reading this today and you have never put your faith and trust in the risen Jesus.  You can do that today.  Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you.  Tell Him that you believe in His death and resurrection.  Invite Jesus into your life as Savior and Lord, and commit yourself to following Him all the days of your life.  If you do this, Jesus will come into your life.  He will give you new life now, and you will be with Him forever when this life is over.
     Next week, we will return to our regular schedule here on the blog.  I will post the verses on Monday, and there will be a review on Wednesday.  The Weekend Sermon will appear on Friday when we will return to our study of the parables of Jesus.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Good Friday

     Normally, this would be the day when I post the Weekend Sermon.  However, during Holy Week, we have a different schedule.  Today, I want us to reflect on Good Friday.  Tomorrow, I will post the Weekend Sermon on the theme of Easter.
     Good Friday is the day when Jesus died on the cross in order to save us from our sins.  The Bible says that Jesus bore our sins in His body while He was on the cross.  He died to take away our sins and provide us with forgiveness.
     Today, I want to focus on the trials that Jesus had before He was crucified.  About two weeks ago, A minister that I listen to on the Internet spoke about the trials of Jesus.  He mentioned the fact that it wasn't really Jesus who was on trial, it was  humanity that was on trial.  I thought that this was very interesting.
     One of the trials that Jesus faced was before the High Priest and the Sanhedrin.  It wasn't really a trial.  False witnesses were brought forth, and the verdict was a forgone conclusion.  The religious authorities despised Jesus from the outset of His ministry, and they wanted to get rid of Him as soon as possible.
     Jesus was brought to Pilate.  Pilate questioned Jesus, and he could find no fault in Him.  Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to see what he would do with Jesus.  When Jesus was before Herod, Jesus was mocked by Herod and his soldiers.
     Jesus was sent back to Pilate.  Pilate had Jesus scourged and a crown of thorns was placed on Jesus' head.  Pilate gave the people a choice.  Jesus could be set free or Barabbas.  The people told Pilate to crucify Jesus and set Barabbas free.
     Jesus was taken to Calvary, and He was crucified between two criminals.  Even though they crucified Him, Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."
     Humanity failed its trial while Jesus was on the earth.  They rejected Jesus and turned away from following Him.  However, Jesus and His sacrifice was validated by the Father when Jesus rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
     Every one has to decide what they will do with Jesus.  Jesus said that He was the divine Son of God come to save people from their sins.   All people have to decide whether they will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior or reject Him and do what they think is right.
     Jesus came to this earth because He loved us.  I just want to close today with the words from John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but should have everlasting life."

Maundy Thursday

     Today is the first of our posts for the Holy Week season.  Tomorrow, I will have a Good Friday post, and the Weekend Sermon, which will be about Easter, will appear on Saturday this week.
     This is Maundy Thursday.  It is the day on the Holy Week calendar when we remember several different things.  First of all, on this night, Jesus instituted the sacrament of Holy Communion.  The bread signifies His body which was broken in order to redeem us from sin.  The wine represents the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for the remission of sins.  Whenever we eat the bread and drink the cup, we remember the Lord's death until He comes again in power and great glory.
     Another part of the life of Jesus that we remember on this day is Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus was in great distress over what He knew was to come.  He prayed and asked that this cup might pass from Him if it were possible.  However, Jesus said, "Not my will, but Thine be done."  These words should be our words.  Our desire must be to follow the Lord's will and not our own will.  We must follow on the path that He leads us on.
     On this night, Jesus would also wash the feet of His disciples.  This was a task that was considered menial and the job of servants.  However, Jesus washed His disciples feet demonstrating the fact that He did not come to be served, but He came to serve others.  He called on all of His followers to learn from this and be servants of all in imitation of Him.
     One interesting aspect of Maundy Thursday is the encounter between Jesus and Peter.  When Jesus came to Peter to wash Peter's feet, Peter would not have it.  He said,  "You will never wash my feet."  Jesus told Peter that if He didn't wash Peter's feet, that Peter could have no part with Him.  At these words, Peter asked Jesus to wash all of Him.  Jesus said that if a person has had a bath, all that he needs is for His feet to be washed.
     I believe that this is a picture of our relationship with Jesus.  When we come to Him in repentance and faith, He forgives us our sins and washes us white as snow.  However, as we live in this world, sometimes we will fall into sin.  Our fellowship with Jesus becomes broken.  But we don't have to stay in this condition.  The Bible tells us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins cleansing us from all unrighteousness.
     On this Maundy Thursday, let each of us examine our lives and see if there is some sin that is keeping us from fellowship with the Lord.  If so, let us confess our sins and receive His abundant pardon.  May God bless you all.  Amen.

Verses For the Week

Ephesians 4:32 -- "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

Titus 3:4-5 -- "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

Weekend Sermon -- Parables of Jesus -- Matthew 25:1-13

     Welcome today to the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading the blog.  It is my hope and prayer that all of you are doing well.
     I want to thank everyone for their prayers this last week.  We had quite a bit of rain in my area, but there was no major flooding as had been anticipated.  I am thankful to the Lord for that.
     I would ask for your prayers in another matter.  I am considering going back to working more hours in my writing business.  I would then just work part-time at another job if necessary.  This would involve me resigning from my current position.  Please pray that I will have the Lord's wisdom concerning this matter.
     Something of much greater importance that I would ask all of you to pray about is the situation in Syria.  Please, be in earnest prayer for peace in this very troubled part of the world.  Let us continue to pray for peace anywhere across the world where there is war.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for the nations of Burkina Faso and Nepal.  Pray that many people in these nations will hear the message of Jesus' love and forgiveness.
     Most of the Weekend Sermons this year have been devoted to studying the parables of Jesus.  That will be our focus today as well.  However, since Palm Sunday is coming up as well, I wanted to tie that into our study of Jesus' parables.  I think that our parable today will allow for that.
     In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus tells his listeners the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.  Jesus said that this parable represented something of what the kingdom of heaven is like.  The parable goes something like this.  Ten virgins took there lamps and went out to await the arrival of the bridegroom at a wedding.  They had the lamps so that they could light the way should the bridegroom arrive at night.  Five of the virgins were wise and brought oil so that they would have fuel to light the lamp.  Five virgins were foolish and had no fuel.
     When the bridegroom arrived, the five foolish virgins asked the wise virgins if they could borrow some of their oil.  The wise virgins said no, and entered into the wedding feast with the bridegroom.  The foolish virgins went out looking for oil, and then when they tried to get into the wedding feast, they were not allowed to enter.
     Jesus reminded His listeners in verse 13 that they needed to stay awake.  No one knows the day or the hour when the Son of Man will return.
     This parable is one of several, and we will study the others, that deal with the theme of being alert and prepared for the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.
     Jesus said Himself that He would return to this earth one day.  Jesus said that no one knew when that day would come.  It was the responsibility of all those who followed Him to be on the alert and be prepared should Jesus come at any moment.
     As we approach Palm Sunday, we see that Jesus road into the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  He was praised by the people, and they placed the palm leaves in His path as they shouted out "Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."
     As we will see during the course of Holy Week, these shouts of praise turned around into shouts that said, "Crucify him. We have no king but Caesar."
     When Jesus comes again, He will come in power and great glory.  Everyone living on planet earth will see Him.  Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.  Jesus will reign forever and forever and His kingdom will have no end.
     I look forward to the Second Coming of Jesus with great anticipation.  When Jesus returns, all wars will cease.  Peace will reign throughout the universe.  All sickness, disease and death will be gone forever.  Justice and righteousness will be throughout the cosmos.
     So, what does this parable have to do with all of this.  Jesus Second Coming in the Scriptures is imaged like a bridegroom coming for his bride to take her to the wedding feast.  The church is the bride of Christ.  All of those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus are part of the church of Jesus Christ.
     In the parable, some of the virgins had oil and some did not.  In the visible church, there are those who are truly followers of Jesus and those who are not.  When Jesus returns at His Second Coming,  the genuine believers will be evident as will those who did not have a true profession of faith in the Lord.
     What is clear from this parable is that everyone has to have an experience with the risen Christ for themselves.  Salvation is personal.  The wise virgins could not share their oil.  Everyone who would follow Jesus has to come to Him and repent of their sins and receive His forgiveness on an individual basis.
     Jesus calls all of us to be ready should He come at any moment.  Yes, this means that we need to make our calling and election sure, but it also means that we need to be acting in such a way that we would not be ashamed at His coming.  I don't think that any follower of Jesus would want to be engaged in a sinful act when Jesus returned.
     On a positive note, we should want to be found doing the Lord's will when He returns.  That involves sharing the message of Jesus' love and working to make this world a better place by helping others.
     As you reflect on all that happened on Palm Sunday, remember that Jesus is coming again.  I hope He will come soon.  As the Apostle John said, "Come Lord Jesus".
     Next week we will have a different schedule on the blog due to Holy Week.  I will post the verses on Monday, but there will not be a chapter of the book posted until next week.  On Wednesday, there will not be a review.  On Thursday, I will post about Maundy Thursday and on Friday the post will be about Good Friday.  The Weekend Sermon will be posted on Saturday.  May God bless you all.  Amen.
   
   

Poetry Book Recommendation

     For today's review, I would like to recommend a poetry collection that I have just finished reading called "Pitch" written by Todd Boss.  I just happened to see this book as part of a display of poetry books at the local library.  I was unfamiliar with this poet, so I decided to check out the book and read Mr. Boss' work.
     I really enjoyed Todd Boss' poems.  They have an almost musical quality to them when they are read out loud.  The poems in this collection deal with the author's recollection of his early family life and growing up on a farm.  There are a couple of poems about dogs in the collection as well.
     Todd Boss has a couple of other poetry collections available, and I will try to find them at the library and read them as well.

Book -- Chapter 4 -- II John

     Today, I am posting another chapter of my book.  You will notice that I am posting chapter 4 on II John and not chapter 3 on Philemon.  I will post the chapter on Philemon next week as I am not quite satisfied with it yet.

     I would ask that you would please pray that the heavy rain predicted for my area would not cause any problems.  Thank you for your prayers.

Chapter 4 – II John

    

     Now that we have fleshed out the issues from the book of Philemon, it is time to turn our attention to the epistle of II John.  This book is the smallest book in the New Testament.

     Currently, there are two prevalent theories as to the authorship of II John.  Almost all of the more conservative Bible scholars that I am familiar with hold to the view that the Apostle John is the author of II John.  Another prevalent view believes that the Apostle John was not the author.  This group holds the view that an elder by the name of John who was a leader in the church at Ephesus was the author of not only II John but was the author of III John and Revelation as well.

     This later version is given credence due to the fact that in II John, the author identifies himself by the title of elder and does not refer to himself as an apostle.  To me, this seems scant evidence to base the idea of non-apostolic authorship upon.

     I believe that the deciding factor in determining who was the author of II and III John comes from church history.  Irenaeus was a church father who was a student of Polycarp.  Polycarp knew the Apostle John personally.  As far as Irenaeus was concerned in his writings, John the Apostle wrote both II and III John.  Many other church fathers concurred with this opinion.

     Those who study II John should also note another debate among Bible scholars.  This debate revolves around to whom the book was written.

     In the opening verse, John states that he is writing to the elect lady and her children whom he loves in the truth.  Just who is this elect lady John is addressing?

     Some Biblical scholars hold to the idea that John was writing to a woman that he knew who may have had a church that was meeting in her home.  This would make II John a very personal letter along the lines of Philemon which was also written to an individual.

     The majority of Bible commentaries hold to a second view, and this is the view that I find myself to be in agreement with.  In this view, John’s address to the elect lady and her children is a figurative way of addressing a local church and its members. This would be in keeping with the idea that the church is the Body of Christ.  This particular viewpoint would also make sense in light of the ending of the epistle when John speaks about greeting the elect lady’s sister.

     Whichever view one holds in this matter, the fact remains that II John is a very important work that has some important messages for us to focus on in the 21^st century. 

    One of the first things that strikes me in II John is John’s continuing pastoral concern.  It seems to me that John was instrumental in founding the church to which II John is written.  I imagine that he worked very hard in establishing this community of believers before moving on to bring the message of Jesus to others.

     John was glad to hear good reports regarding his former congregation.  I can’t imagine much worse than starting a church, seeing it grow and mature and then find out a few years after you’ve left that the congregation is defunct or just barely hanging on to its existence.  It would also be bad to find out that a congregation you had invested so much energy in had given up the teaching of sound doctrine and become non-effective in the promotion of the true faith.  John was happy that none of this was the case with the church that he had helped to build.

     The first major theme that John addresses in II John is the importance of love.  Those of you familiar with I John will recognize the importance the theme of love is given in that epistle.  John says in verse 4 of II John, “And now I ask you lady, not as writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.”  This is what John wanted for those he taught more than anything.  He wanted them to walk in love and to live in love.  The reason being is that this is the same commandment that John received from Jesus when the Lord taught His disciples during the Upper Room Discourse.

     Jesus said in John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”  Jesus would also state that the way that people in the world would know that we are His disciples is by the love that His followers would demonstrate towards one another.

     Love is important because Jesus’ ministry is based upon love.  The whole reason that Jesus came to this earth is because He loved us so much.  Because of His great love for us, He was willing to lay down His life on the cross bearing our sins in His body on that tree.  He loved us enough to show us the proper path to follow and the right way to live in this world.  Since Jesus demonstrated such great love for us, He expects us to show his love to others.  We are not called to love just our friends, family and our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We are called to love everyone so that they might see Jesus and receive the life and forgiveness that He offers to all who will believe in Him.

     Love for one another is the way in which others will be drawn to the message of Jesus.  When believers do not act out of love for each other, it causes a bad testimony to be created, and people are not then attracted to learn more of the message we have to share about the Lord Jesus. 

     John makes it clear in his first epistle that if we can’t love our brothers and sisters who we can see, how will we be able to love God whom we cannot see.  The people in Antioch were first called Christians the Bible says because of the great love that they had for one another.

     The reason that following the love commandment is of such vital importance is because of the fact that Jesus was all about love.  When I think of Jesus and His ministry on this earth, love is the first thing that comes into my mind.  Jesus loved people and demonstrated great compassion for those whom society and the religious establishment rejected.  Jesus’ love ultimately led him to Calvary where out of love He sacrificed His life to redeem us from our sins.

     So, when we act in love, we are acting like Jesus.  We are showing to the world who our Lord really and truly is. 

     The next theme dealt with in II John is the issue of false doctrine in the church.  John says in verse 7 that many deceivers who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh have gone out into the world.  According to John, these people possess the spirit of antichrist because they are opposed to sound doctrine.

     In John’s day, there were some who taught that Jesus did not have an actual physical body.  Therefore, Jesus didn’t really die on the cross since He wasn’t really in the flesh.  Scripture clearly states that this is a false belief.  John wanted to make sure that this type of false teaching did not enter the churches in which he had a part.

     Just as in John’s day, there are a number of false teachings trying to make their way into the church.  One of the major false teachings about Jesus denies the divinity of Jesus.  Jesus in honored as a good man, good teacher and a prophet, but He is not honored as the God of the universe come in human form.  Any teacher who denies the divinity of Jesus should be avoided in keeping with the advice given by John in this epistle.

     John goes so far as to state in verse 10 and 11 that hospitality should not be afforded to those who deny the essential doctrines surrounding the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

     Doctrine matters.  What a person believes about Jesus and what His life, death and resurrection has accomplished is crucial for one’s eternal destiny.  Churches and their pastors must be on guard against false belief. 

     One of the best ways to guard against false teaching is to be firmly established in the truth.  Begin by reading the Word so that you will not be led astray. If you have never read through the entire Bible, I would strongly urge you to do so. Pastors need to systematically teach the Word, especially the words of Jesus.  Believers need to attend churches where the Word of the Lord is taught and proclaimed.

     II John may be a very small book, but the messages that it contains are very relevant for us today.  Let’s now see what III John has to teach us.

     

Verses For the Week

Isaiah 54:10 -- "Though the mountains may be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord who has compassion on you.

Colossians 3:12 -- "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."