Winter Memories Of My Friend Toby

     It has been so cold here the last few days that I can't even stay outside very long because I get asthma right away. It is supposed to be -25 wind chills this weekend with -10 actual temperature. That is really cold for my part of the world.
     This cold weather with the snow over the last week has brought to mind some of the wintertime memories I have of my friend Toby and the time we spent together.
     I remember one winter when it snowed and snowed. We got a lot of wind one night, and the drifts were so high that they completely covered up one side of the fence. During the night, we had a little freezing mist that hardened the drifts like rock. Toby had the best time walking up this drift and looking over the top of the fence. It was cold enough that he could do this for days. Then one afternoon, it got a little warmer. The snow became a little mushy. Toby started to run up the drift and it caved in on him. He totally disappeared. I ran over and started digging quickly and pulled him out of the drift. He was covered in snow and looked shocked. I got him in the house really quick and dried him off. He didn't climb up drifts after that.
     One winter, the temperatures were even colder than what I've already mentioned. Toby went out for about two minutes then came back in. When he came in he was just standing in one place and wouldn't move. I quickly called our veterinarian about what was happening. He said that since some of Toby's joints were arthritic, he may have frozen up. At the vet's suggestion, I bundled Toby up and placed him close to the heater. I gave him some anti-inflammatory pills, and he was fine a little while later. He had a coat that I'd made for him, but I went a bought him a big, red plaid coat. He looked so nice in that coat, and it kept him from getting too cold when he had to go outside and take care of business.
      When it wasn't super cold, I used to go out with Toby and we would play in the snow. He loved the snow. He liked for me to make snowballs and toss them so that he could eat them. We liked to take short hikes through the orchard when there was snow on the ground. We both felt at our best when it was about 40 degrees outside. The snow was still on the ground though fading fast.
     We lived in a really old house that was hard to keep warm in the winter. I still live there by myself now. Part of the house was built in the 1890s. They added some on in the early 1950s, and there was another room added in 1970. The oldest part of the house is like an icebox in the winter.
     When it was cold, I always made sure that Toby and me would be as warm as possible at night in my room. He didn't like to sleep in the bed. He liked to sleep right by me on the left side of the bed. I always made sure that he had a cover at night so he stayed warm enough. I also bought us a little heater to run in the room at night to stay warm. Both of us had a lot of trouble with sickness, so we had to look after ourselves.
     One icy day when it was snowing, Toby got really sick. I knew that he needed to go to the veterinarian. My folks didn''t want me to get out on the roads because it was so slick and it was snowing really hard and drifting.
     I thought that my Chevy S-10 would make it in 4-wheel drive if I took it slow. I was over 18 at the time, so I was going to do what I wanted to and what I thought was right in spite of them being mad at me.
     I bundled Toby up and we went over to the town about seven miles over where the vet was. I could only drive about 30 miles per hour. I was so glad I took him over there, because he had a flair up of his ulcerative colitis starting. We got Toby on some good medicine, and kept the flair up from becoming really bad. We inched our way back home, and all was well.
     Usually when it was cold, we would station ourselves by the stove. I would either read or listen to music.  Toby liked classical music the best. I liked jazz the best, but he would always go in the other room when I played jazz, so I know that he didn't like it. I'd put on some nice music by Ralph Vaughn Williams or Benjamin Britten or Rachmaninoff or another composer. We had some very nice and relaxing evenings.
     I have many memories of my time with Toby, but I'll just tell you about one more. One winter day, we were out driving around on a country road. A huge coyote came up on the road and just stood there. I stopped, and he starred right at us. We were just locked in a staring contest. Slowly, the big coyote walked down into the corn stubble field. Every two or three steps, he would look back and stare at us. We watched him for about 15 minutes. No other cars came by. For the next several nights when we were out on our evening walk or having an astronomy viewing session, we could hear the coyotes yelping off in the distance. I wondered if that was the big coyote we had seen. I had a piece about this published in The Snowy Egret nature magazine a few years ago.
     It's a good thing that Toby never saw a coyote out on our walks. He would have gone after the coyote. Toby had no fear of anything. There would have been a fight, and I'd have had to jump in and help him, so who knows what would have happened.
     I miss my friend Toby a lot today. I'm feeling really sad that we aren't together anymore. On Christmas Day I felt so bad I decided to go to the movies just so I didn't have to be in the house anymore.
     This weekend with it being so cold, I am worried about my car. Would you please pray that it starts OK and I don't have any problems. I'm going to put it in the garage, but the garage is not heated. I am going to put a little heater in there. My new job is starting on January 8, and I don't want to have any problems right now.
     I miss my dog. If he was still here, we would have gone to live somewhere else by now, and I know that my life would have been better.  I don't believe that I would have had to work doing these things that I don't like. Please pray for me. I really need your prayers right now.

Cat Book of the Year

     Today is the yearly selection for cat book of the year. This was not a difficult choice. As most who read this blog regularly know, the Joe Grey book series by Shirley Rousseau Murphy is my favorite books series. I first started reading this series when my Mom was in the hospital and rehab when she had her bad stroke. I started with the first book in the series, and I kept reading until I'd read all that had been published up to that point.
     "Cat Shining Bright" is the twentieth book in the Joe Grey series. For those that don't know, Joe Grey is a special type of cat that has the ability to speak. There are a few other cats that Joe finds such as Dulcie and Kit who are speaking cats as well. Joe Grey loves to solve mysteries, and each book in the series has a mystery that Joe and his human and cat friends alike need to solve.
     What I like about this series is the character development. The characters have grown and changed throughout the series. New characters are added, and they just add to the excitement of the series.
     In "Cat Shining Bright" kittens are born to Joe Grey and Dulcie. Everyone waits in anticipation to see if these will be speaking cats as well. While all this is occurring, Joe is busy working to solve a mystery.
     If you haven't read any of the series, I highly recommend that you begin with the first book and read through. You will have a lot of fun.
     I am hoping that there will be many good cat books to read in the year to come. Hopefully, there will be another Joe Grey mystery soon.

Verses For the Week

     I hope that everyone had a very nice Christmas. I would like to ask everyone to pray for those in the Philippines. There was a bad storm there, and there was quite a bit of damage. Please pray that they will receive the aid they need.

Isaiah 43:19 -- "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it! I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the desert."

Philippians 3:13b-14 -- " But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God's heavenly calling in Christ Jesus."

Weekend Sermon -- Peace

     Welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am very glad to be with you all today, and I hope that all of you are having a great holiday season. 
     This has been a very busy week for me. I've had a lot of writing work to do, and I am thankful to the Lord for it. I also went out this week with my brother and nephew for a family holiday dinner. We all had a nice time.
      I don't think that I will be doing much on Christmas Day itself. The holidays just aren't what they used to be since my Mom, Dad and Toby have gone to be with the Lord. I may take a drive around the lake if its not snowing.
     This holiday season, those who are homeless are really on my mind. The number of homeless in my country has increased this last year, and some of the larger cities in America have a really serious homeless problem. Please pray that people will be able to find a place out of the cold. We really as a nation need to do more to get people into affordable housing. Please try to do what you can to help those in need during this holiday season.
     Please continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Forty percent of the people are still without power. They need much more assistance.
     Let us all pray for those injured in Australia, and please pray for those injured in the train crash in the United States.
     Remember to continue to pray for peace in the war torn areas of this world. Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Libya certainly need our prayers.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for Tanzania and Turkey. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus this week.
     Christmas is just a couple of days away as I write this. It is a wonderful time of year when we celebrate the fact that Jesus came to this earth to be with us in order to show us how much God loves us. Jesus came to show us how we are supposed to live in this world. He is our perfect example. He also came to be the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. He came to provide the way back to the Father's House.
     Jesus also came to restore peace to the entire universe. As a result of sin that had entered into this world. The entire universe was thrown into chaos. Nothing was the way that God had originally intended things to be. 
     Nature was thrown into turmoil. The Bible says that all of creation is groaning in travail waiting for the day when the final redemption will take place.
     When sin entered into the world, one of the consequences is that people turned on each other. Greed and selfishness caused people to be in contention with one another even within  families and among friends.
     War became the norm among humans. Nations and tribes constantly battled one another for dominance over resources.
     In to the midst of all of this turmoil, strife and warfare, Jesus came into this world to be the Prince of Peace. When the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds who were in the field with their flocks, the angels said, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men."
     When Jesus came into this world on His first Advent on Christmas Day, He brought with Him the beginnings of peace. Jesus taught the way of peace. If people would follow Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, wars could cease right now. Sadly, most people, Christians included, have not followed the words of the Lord Jesus.
      Jesus provides a spiritual peace that everyone can know right now. If a person is willing to come to Jesus in repentance and faith and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, a peace that passes all understanding will come into that person's heart. Jesus will give a peace that only He can provide. This is a peace that let's us know that our sins are forgiven. It is a peace that lets us know that we have Jesus in our hearts, and He will never leave us or forsake us. It is a peace that assures us that the Lord Jesus has prepared a place for us in Heaven, so that when we die, we will be with Him forever and forever.
     Jesus will return to earth one day to complete the work of redemption of the universe. When Jesus returns in His Second Advent, peace will come to this entire planet. Nation will know longer rise against nation. People will beat their swords into ploughshares  and their spears into pruning hooks. Humanity will study war no more. Micah 4:4 says, "Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken."
     The entire natural order will be restored to the way things existed in Eden. Animals will not prey on one another anymore. The lion and the lamb will dwell peacefully together. Humans and wild animals won't fear each other anymore. All will be at peace.
     The striving among people will be at an end. Greed and selfishness will be no more. Jesus shall reign, and sin and its ramifications will be done away with. I hope that Jesus might return even this very day.
     I hope and pray that you have found the peace that Jesus came to bring. I hope that this Christmas season that you will turn to the Lord to receive His love and forgiveness if you have not already done so.
     I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. I will post the verses on Tuesday this week. On Wednesday, I will post the cat book of the year. On Friday, I will post the sermon. It will be on a topic that has been on my mind recently. Then, the following week, we will resume and finish our series on the book of Malachi.  May God bless you all. Amen.

Dog Book of the Year

     It is that time of year when I announce my books of the year.  This week is the dog book of the year. Next week I will announce the cat book of the year, and the animal book of the year will be the week after that.
     The dog book of the year was a very difficult decision this year. I had two books that I was having difficulty choosing between. "Will's Red Coat" by Tom Ryan was a great book. I loved reading more about Atticus, and I loved the story of how Tom built a great relationship with Will and gave him a few more years of joy.
     "Will's Red Coat" is my runner-up this year. "Sirius: A Novel About the Little Dog That Almost Changed History" by Jonathan Crown is my dog book of the year winner. I really enjoyed this story. The novel is about a little wire-haired fox terrier whose name is originally Levi. He belongs to a a Jewish professor and his family living in Germany during the Nazi period. Levi is renamed Sirius, and he and his family escape Germany and come to the United States where Sirius becomes a star in the entertainment industry. I won't give away anymore of the plot. I hope that if you didn't read the book when I recommended it earlier this year, that you will read it and enjoy it now.
     I am already reading some good dog books to review for next year. Happy reading.

Christmas Joy

This is a reposting from three years ago. I thought that I would share it again.


     Today, I would like to tell you about a few of my cherished Christmas Eve and Christmas memories.
     The best Christmas memory I have from when I was a young boy didn't start out that well.  When I was young, I had extremely poor health.  Just before Christmas, I had been sick with a terrible bout of pneumonia.  The doctor's weren't even sure that I was going to make it to Christmas.
     That Christmas, the gift I wanted more than anything else was a Stretch Monster.  This was a type of action-figure that was filled with some type of solution that allowed it to stretch far out and then return to normal size.  They were very hard to find, and I kind of doubted that my folks would be able to get one.
     That year, my health improved just before Christmas Day.  Waiting for me under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning was a Stretch Monster.  I kept that thing for 25 years.  Eventually, it fell apart.
     My best Christmas memories in more recent years involved my friend Toby.  I remember one Christmas Eve that was very fun.  The two of us were together by ourselves because my parents had gone to a Christmas party with my Dad's children from his first marriage.
      For Christmas that year, I received a telescope that I'd wanted for a long time.  On Christmas Eve, I decided to assemble the telescope and go out for an observation session.  I'd loved astronomy for a long time, and I studied astronomy in college for a little while.
     As always, Toby had to be a part of whatever I was doing.  While I was trying to assemble the telescope and the mount, Toby kept crawling in and out of the boxes and pushing the packing materials all over the living room floor.
     I finally got the scope set up, and Toby and I went out to observe.  It was a clear and beautiful Christmas Eve night.  We stayed out for hours looking at the stars filled with awe and wonder at the creative power of the Lord.
     The last Christmas Eve that I spent with Toby was extra special.  Toby had been diagnosed with liver cancer the previous May.  He had surgery, but the oncologist had not expected him to live more than six weeks.  Toby was still going during Thanksgiving, but when December rolled around, he wasn't feeling well at all.
     I thought that the cancer was finally taking its toll, but Toby had a very bad lung infection.  It took about three full weeks of treatment, but by the grace of God, Toby pulled through.  Since he had been so sick, I chose to stay with him during Christmas Eve.
     I love listening to the BBC on radio, and they often have religious broadcasts on.  I tuned in on Christmas Eve because I knew that they were going to have a broadcast from a large cathedral in England.
     It was a beautiful service.  During the message, the dean of the cathedral spoke about remembering those who are important to you at Christmas time.  He invited everyone to lay their hand on someone they love and repeat a Christmas prayer of thankfulness.  I placed my hand on my friend Toby and thanked Jesus that Toby and I could spend another holiday season together.
     By the way, in spite of what the oncologist said, Toby lived for 13 months after his surgery.  It was one of the best years of my life.
     I hope that all of you who read this blog have some great Christmas memories.  I hope that this Christmas season is filled with peace and joy for you all.  Give God all the glory this Christmas for the gift of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

Verses For the Week

Micah 5:2 -- "But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me, the one to be Ruler in Israel. Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting."

Isaiah 9:6 -- "For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Weekend Sermon -- "What the Christmas Story Means To Me"

     Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I am glad to be able to post these messages, and I hope that you like reading them and that they help you to learn more about the Lord and His word.
     I want to thank the Lord this week for allowing me to get the job that I was discussing here on the blog last week. At this point, everything seems all clear for me to begin. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
     I also want to thank the Lord for providing me with quite a bit of writing work these past days. When I start the new job, I am going to shift focus and work on the book and get that finished off.
     In prayer this week, please continue to pray for those in California who are dealing with the terrible fires. Pray that these fires will be extinguished. Pray for the family and friends of the firefighter who perished. Pray for the safety of those fighting these blazes.
     Please continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who are recovering from the hurricane. So much still needs to be done to help.
     Please pray about the problem of homelessness in the United States and in the United Kingdom. Pray that people will find help and shelter.
     Let us all continue to pray for peace. Pray for peace in Syria, Congo, South Sudan and Yemen. Wherever you know that there is conflict, pray for peace.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Ghana and Taiwan. Pray that many will hear the message of Jesus' love.
     Today, I will bring the first of two messages about the Christmas season. We will pick back up with our series in Malachi after the first of the year.
     Christmas at our house when I was young was a great time. One of my best memories of Christmas is of putting up the tree each year. Whenever, I got the Christmas tree out to set it up, that was my friend Toby's cue to go into action. He had to help with that tree. I would lay out the branches on the floor, and he would push them all over the living room. That was his way of helping.
     I've written about this more extensively on the blog before, but one Christmas Eve that Toby and I spent was extra special. He had made it through a time of sickness and I decided to stay with him on Christmas Eve instead of going over to my brother's house with my folks. During that evening, I listened to a sermon on the BBC from a large cathedral. The dean of the cathedral spoke about having someone you love near you on Christmas and being thankful to the Lord for them. I was truly thankful that Christmas for another holiday with my friend. The dean led everyone in a prayer of Christmas thanks that I will always remember.
     Christmas was a time to be with family and friends. On Christmas Eve, my Dad's older children and their kids would come over to our house or we would go to one of their houses. We would have a nice meal, and then we would open presents and have a wonderful evening.
     Those are just some of the good Christmas memories that I have of when we were all together as a family. Those were great times.
     While Christmas is about good times with friends and family, it is about so much more than that. Christmas has a deep spiritual significance.  I just want to share a little of what Christmas means to me in this respect.
     First of all, Christmas reveals to me the depths to which God would go to reveal His love for us. The Bible tells us plainly that God loved us even though we had sinned and turned away from Him. Immediately, when humanity turned away from Him, God set in motion His plan of redemption to bring the universe back into order.
     On Christmas Day over 2,000 years ago, God sent His Son into the world in order to bring about the redemption of the universe. The Lord Jesus was God come in human flesh. He was willing to humble Himself in this dramatic way out of His deep love for us. He wanted to show us the way that we should live. He was willing to bear our sins as the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. God was willing to send His Son to us because of His great love for us. May His name be praised.
     Mary and Joseph reveal so much about the meaning of Christmas to me. God chose humble people who didn't have a lot of money to be the earthly parents of Jesus. Joseph was a carpenter. He was a man who worked with wood just like my Dad who worked in the lumberyard all of his life. God chose ordinary people to care for Jesus. To me, this demonstrates that God loves even those of modest means. He desires to share His love with everyone.
     On the night that Jesus was born into the world, the angels told the message of Jesus' birth to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. Shepherds were considered to be on the lowest socio-economic rung of society in that day. But that is who first received the message of the birth of the Christ child. This shows us all that God loves and cares about everyone. His message of love and forgiveness extends to all people everywhere.
     That includes the wealthy as well. The star was a sign in the heavens for the Magi to follow. They came bearing gifts to the one who was born as King. Even though they had great wealth, they were included in the scope of God's love. The Wise Men where willing to honor and bow down to the one who was the ultimate King of Kings.
     There's one other important message that stands out to me in the Christmas story. Jesus is the light of the world. Just as the star spread its light for the Wise Men on Christmas Day, Jesus who is the light of the world shines His light into the world's darkness. His light is there to drive darkness and despair from this world. His light is shining and seeking to bring all to Him. He welcomes into the light of His love all those who would call upon His name and accept Him as Savior and Lord.
     Christmas is about love, light, hope, joy, peace, forgiveness and so much more. I hope that during this Christmas season that you will meditate upon the meaning of Christmas and realize how much the Lord loves you. I hope that this love of the Lord will motivate you to love others and reach out and help the hurting and share Jesus' love with this world He came to save.
     Next week, I will post another Christmas themed message. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. On Wednesday, I will begin my annual dog, cat and animal book of the year awards. One each Wednesday. This Wednesday, I will announce the dog book of the year. May God bless you all. Amen.

Book Review -- Mozart's Starling

     The book that I am reviewing today is "Mozart's Starling" written by Lyanda Lynn Haupt.  I really enjoyed reading this book. It is the type of book I enjoy most because it introduces me to new things. 

     The composer Mozart bought a starling as a pet in 1784. This starling lived with Mozart and his family for three years. 

     The author wanted to learn more about the relationship that Mozart had with his bird Star, so she obtained a starling for herself. She raised this young bird from being a new hatchling into adulthood. The author named her bird Carmen. Much of the book details how the author interacted with Carmen and the way that Carmen was able to imitate words and phrases.

     I enjoyed this part of the book, but there was so much more in this work. As I said, the author wanted to know more about Mozart and Star, so she took a trip to Austria to visit the places associated with the composer. She visited the home where the composer lived with his family and Star. She also made the journey to the cemetery where Mozart is honored.  On her journey to discover more about Mozart and Star, Ms. Haupt provides interesting information about the musical and domestic life of Mozart.

     There is also abundant information about starlings in the book. I see them flying around, but I'd never really considered them until reading this book. The author provides wonderful information about the learning capacity of these birds. 

      Throughout the book, the reader is introduced to concepts regarding language, philosophy and other subjects.  All in all, I found this to be a very well-written and well-executed book. 

     As I've mentioned before here on the blog, many of the books that I read and enjoy I just happened to discover by browsing at the library. That is how I came across "Mozart's Starling".  And I'm glad I did. This is one of the top three books that I've read this year, and I highly recommend it to you. 

Verses For the Week

Isaiah 7:14 -- "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

Isaiah 53:3 -- "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

Weekend Sermon -- Finding the Right Balance

   Welcome to this week's posting of the Weekend Sermon. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the sermon this week. I hope that everyone is having a very good day.
     This has been an exciting week for me. I accepted a job offer on Monday. I am thankful to the Lord for this opportunity. I am still praying that everything works out as it should. I had a job that I was supposed to start in October, but that feel through. I'm not getting too happy until I'm sure all is well on this new job. I want to thank you all for your prayers regarding this.
     In prayer this week, please pray for those in California who are facing the terrible fires. Many homes have been destroyed, and the fires are still being fueled by high winds. Pray that all will be safe.
     Pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who are still without power. These people really should be getting more help. Please pray for them.
    Let us all pray for peace in the world. The entire Middle East needs our prayers this day. I heard on the radio that there are protests that have led to injuries and death. We need to continue to pray for peace in Yemen and South Sudan as well.
    For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our prayers on the nations of Singapore and Madagascar. Pray that many in these two nations will hear the message of Jesus' love.
   There is one other matter that I would like us all to be in prayer about. In the United States, a report was issued last week that the number of homeless people was on the rise last year. Pray that people will find homes and shelter. Also, try to do whatever you can to be part of the solution to this problem.
    I know that many communities are passing laws that are making life very hard on homeless people. Some places are arresting people who sleep outside or in their cars. It is not right to do this to people. Governments, churches and individuals need to come together and solve this problem.  It is a disgrace for wealthy nations to have problems with homelessness and poverty.
     Last week, I mentioned that we would continue with our series in Malachi this week. However, I felt that the Lord was leading me to post a sermon on a different topic.  We will resume our study in Malachi after the Advent season.
    Today, I would like to write a few words on the subject of finding the right balance in presenting the message of the Lord and in doing the work the Lord has called us to do. In my experience, it seems like the church goes to the extremes. When this occurs, the whole counsel of God is not proclaimed. In Acts 20:27, the Apostle Paul said that he always proclaimed the whole counsel of God.  I think that that is lacking in some ways, and we need to find the right balance.
     The first area where I think that we can get out of balance is in the area of the proper ministry of the church. The Lord has given us a dual mission as His followers. Unfortunately, it seems like some branches of the faith focus on one area while minimizing the other.
    Let me explain. When I was growing up in church, my family went to a very fundamentalist church. They made their emphasis the presentation of the Gospel. They believed that the sole purpose of the church was to win souls to Jesus. They had absolutely no interest in helping the poor or the oppressed. If anyone even brought up the subject, they were considered a heretic.
     On the other hand, one of my family members was a pastor in a denomination that placed tremendous emphasis on helping those in need and working to end systems of oppression. However, they did no evangelistic work. There was no emphasis on going into the world and preaching the message of repentance and forgiveness.
     In both of these examples, we see that the whole counsel of God was not being followed. The proper balance didn't exist. It is absolutely true that we have been called by Jesus to spread the Good News that He has died and risen again. We are to proclaim that people everywhere can come to Jesus and receive forgiveness and eternal life.
    Jesus also made it clear that we have an obligation to help those who are in need. We are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for the sick. We are to minister to the least among us as if we are ministering unto Jesus Himself.
     The church needs to engage in both of these missions. This is part of finding the right balance.
    Now, sometimes we fall out of balance when we speak about the love of Jesus. Jesus was the man of love. He came to save us from our sins because of His great love for us. If we do not proclaim the message of Jesus' love, we aren't proclaiming the Gospel.
     The problem comes when we don't also tell people that God is holy, and one day He will judge the sins of this world. Love doesn't mean that we don't proclaim the commandments and teachings of the Lord Jesus. It is not unloving to tell others that Jesus is the only way to the Father. It is not unloving to proclaim the moral teachings of the Lord.
     We need to preach both the love of the Lord and the righteousness and holiness of the Lord. This is the proper balance that we find in the Bible.
     I also believe that we need to find the right balance so that we don't end up dividing among ourselves in the church and providing a bad testimony to the world. I believe that we can find the right balance and find harmony with one another.
     One of the big debates that has divided churches is the issue of music in the church. Many want to retain the old hymns and traditional worship. Other want to have contemporary songs and a more modern service. Many churches are so divided over this that its almost liking having two churches in one building. There's the traditional worship service people and the contemporary worship service people.
     Wouldn't it be nice if those in church could come together and find the right balance so that there was a nice mix of traditional and contemporary worship. The most important to question to ask about this isn't what we would like to have in worship.  The question we should ask is what would God like to hear?
     These are just a few areas were I've seen the church become out of balance in its message. We need to proclaim the whole message of the Lord. In this way, we will more effectively spread the message of the love of Jesus and help this world to be a better place for all.
     Next week, I will be posting a message in keeping with the Christmas season. I will post the verses on Monday, and I will have a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all. Amen.





   

Some Christmas Recommendations

For today's posting, I would like to recommend some books and music that I've enjoyed during past Christmas season's.

Books
"A Dog Named Christmas" by Greg Kincaid -- There is also a movie on DVD based on this book.

"The Cat Who Came For Christmas" By Cleveland Amory -- This is the first in a series of three that tells the story of Polar Bear the cat. All three books also include information about Cleveland Amory's life and his work on behalf of animals. All three in the series are good.

Music
"Nativitas: American Christmas Carols" by The Kansas City Chorale -- There are several beautiful songs on this CD.

"Christmas With Thomas Hampson"  -- Mr. Hampson is a superb baritone singer.

"Three Tenors Christmas" -- Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti. -- They were so great when they sang together. The first concert they did together was fantastic.

Verses For the Week

     Before I post the verses, I want to take a moment to thank the Lord for allowing me to get a job today. I interviewed last week, and I really liked the company. Today, they made an offer, and I accepted. This job has the hours I need to work on my writing projects and the blog yet still have enough to pay the bills. Thank you Lord. I want to thank all of you for your prayers for me in this matter.

Deuteronomy 18:18 -- "I will raise up a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I commend him."

Jeremiah 31:31 -- "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah."

Does Greed Have No Limit?

     When I began this blog almost seven years ago, I wanted to write posts about Jesus, the environment and animals. That is what I've done, and hope to continue to do that,  Lord willing. 
     I am very sad today. For many years I have worked with others who care about the environment to keep the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge free from oil exploration. This is a pristine wilderness, and it would be so nice to have one place in this country that is unspoiled and that isn't exploited for economic gain.
    Unfortunately, the tax bill that passed in the Senate last night contained a measure to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. This last place of unspoiled land will now have leases sold to oil companies to drill and explore. All of this was done to generate revenue to offset the loss of income to the Federal government as a result of the new tax cuts that will go mainly to corporations and wealthy individuals. This was done because of human greed pure and simple.
     Sadly, this isn't the only instance of how human greed is destroying the environment and animals. Just a few days ago, the current administration considered allowing hunters to bring to the United States parts of the elephants they shoot in Africa. This has gone back for "review", but I expect that it will be allowed.
     The only reason that people would shoot and kill these magnificent animals is for greed and selfishness. They want a "trophy" or ivory.
     Carl Safina in his book "Beyond Words" writes about how elephants have a complex social network. They communicate with one another and have emotions. They are deeply intelligent animals. But, so many humans want what they want, so they kill them to satisfy their own perverse pleasure.
     The devastation of planet earth and animals continues because of human greed. So many animals suffer. Books like Peter Wohlleben's "The Inner Life of Animals" relate how animals feel and think. However, so many can't be bothered with this since it might disrupt what they want.
     I ask myself almost everyday now when human greed and selfishness will end? What will it take for the majority of people to wake up and care?
    As you can tell, I am deeply disappointed today. But, I will keep working to bring attention to environmental problems. I'll keep trying to make a difference here on the blog and by advocacy for the causes I believe in.  There are some glimmers of good news. Mexico just designated 58,000 square miles of ocean as a marine reserve. Tiger numbers seem to be on the rise slightly. Every nation in the world except one is committed to the Paris Climate Agreement.
     Hopefully, enough people will eventually care so that we can turn the tide. It will require that people think less of their own interests, and that they will think of the interests of others and of this planet.

Weekend Sermon -- Malachi 2:10

     Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon. I am always glad to be able to post a new message here on the blog. I hope that everyone is having a good week.
     I want to thank everyone for their prayers on my behalf. My foot is doing a lot better. Also, I had an interview for a job today that I thought went well. I also have an interview on Monday. Please keep praying that all will go well in this area.
    In another area of prayer, please keep praying for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who are still in the midst of recovering from the storm damage.  Many people are still without power.
    Please keep praying for those affected by the earthquake in Iran. Pray for all those who have experienced problems as a result of natural disasters.
    Let us all keep praying for peace. Syria, Iraq and Yemen definitely need our prayers. Pray for peace wherever you know that there is conflict.
    For our prayer focus countries this week, let's all pray for those who live in Mauritius and Bangladesh. Pray that many will hear of the love of Jesus and respond to that message.
     A few weeks ago, we began a series of messages on the book of Malachi. Today, I would like to pick up that series again after a break of a couple of weeks.
    We only have one verse that I want us to focus on today. This Lord has really used this verse to speak to me this week, and I want to share some of what this verse has to teach us.
     Malachi 2:10 states, "Have we all not one father? Hath not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?"
     First let us look at the situation Malachi was dealing directly with. When we read the books of Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi, we can see the situation that Israel was in when they returned from exile in Babylon.
     The Southern Kingdom of Judah had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians because of the people's sins. They were in captivity for 70 years. During that time, the Persians conquered the Babylonians, and the people of Israel came under Persian control.
     The Persians allowed the people of Israel to return to the land. The Temple was rebuilt as were the walls of the city in Jerusalem.
     When the people returned, they began to do things that Ezra, Nehemiah and the prophets were opposed to. Instead of helping each other out, the people were lending money to their brothers, and then they were charging exorbitant interest in violation of the Law of Moses. The men were also divorcing there wives in order to marry wives who were from other lands. This was also a violation of the Law of Moses.
     Malachi is calling the people to remember who they are. They all have one father. Abraham was the father of the nation. God had created every one of them. He was their Heavenly Father. Because they were all the people of God, they had no business dealing with each other in these evil ways. Instead, they should have been honoring the covenants that they had made with their wives, and no interest should have been charged.
     The people were so supposed to work together to be a light to the nations. They were to work to make the people of Israel strong again. They were to honor God and do His will.  Malachi was calling the people to care about the things of God and follow the laws that God had established for them.
     Now, I believe that there are two clear applications of this verse for us today. First of all, in the church of Jesus Christ, we are all one body. As Paul spoke about, the hand can't say to the foot I have no need of you or vice versa. Every member of the body of Christ needs the other in order to work effectively to promote and advance the kingdom of heaven.
    Unfortunately, Christians are so divided that it is often difficult to spread the message of Jesus' love. When people see Christians arguing and being divided against each other, it is a bad testimony. It causes people to not want to come to know Jesus.
     Jesus prayed that we might all be one even as He and the Father are one. The Bible also says that others will know that we are Christians by the love that we have for one another.
     As brothers and sisters in Christ, let us help one another and support one another. Let us deal with each other honestly and honorable. This will give a good testimony to others, and see others come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord
     There is broader implication for this verse as well. I believe that we can apply to the human race. God has created all of us on this planet. He loves every single person who is alive today. It grieves the heart of God when He sees people that He has created hating one another and making war against one another.
     We all have in common that we are created by God. We must put aside divisions and hatred and realize how much God loves us all. Then, we can work together to make the world a better place. This would please the Lord greatly.
     Next week, we will continue with our series in the book of Malachi. After that, we will have some Christmas theme messages. On Monday, I will post the verses, and there will be a review on Wednesday.  May God bless you all. Amen.