Our book this week is "Rescued: What Second-Chance Dogs Teach Us About Living with Purpose, Loving with Abandon, and Finding Joy in the Little Things" by author Peter Zheutlin. This is a book that informs the reader about the author's rescue dogs Albie and Salina and what they brought to the author's life. Each chapter also has stories about how rescued dogs have changed the lives of those who rescued them.
Each chapter of the book features a story about the author's rescue dog Albie. The author tells us how he came to bring Albie into his home, and how he wanted Albie to learn to feel at home. Albie was found wandering at large in the South and was brought back east to be adopted by the author. Mr. Zheutlin wanted Albie to have the best life possible since he'd had such a rough start at the beginning.
There are some very good chapters in the book like "The Healing Power of Dogs". This chapter focuses on the way that dogs know our moods. They sense when we aren't well. Dogs try their best to provide comfort and reassurance. This helps so many people have the strength to keep going each day.
I enjoyed reading this book. The story about the author and his dogs is the best part, but the added stories of others who have rescued dogs is also interesting and adds detail to the points that the author is trying to make. All dog lovers should enjoy reading this. Peter Zheutlin is the author of another dog book called "Rescue Road". I've not had the chance to read that, but I hope to in the near future.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Monday, January 29, 2018
Verses For the Week
Matthew 16:24-25 -- "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, will find it."
Galatians 2:20 -- "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2:20 -- "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me, and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Sermon -- Malachi 3:6-7
Welcome to this week's edition of the sermon. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the sermon this week. I hope all of you are having a very good week.
I want to thank the Lord for allowing me to have a great week in writing. I've had so much work to do, that I can barely get it all done. I am praying that this will continue. I've been feeling pretty well, so I thank you for your prayers in this area.
I have a couple of things that I would like you all to pray about. I have someone that I know from Twitter who had their dog stolen. Please pray that this person's dog is returned as soon as possible. Also, someone who I know has a dog that they found out has cancer. Please pray for this person's dog that she will get better.
In other areas, please continue to pray for those affected by the hurricanes this year. I haven't heard any updates about Puerto Rico on the news lately. I am hoping that the situation down there is turning around for the better.
Please pray for those in France who are experiencing the terrible flooding. Pray that the waters will soon recede.
I heard a report on the news this morning that there are severe outbreaks of disease in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Pray for the end of these disease outbreaks, and pray for those who are trying to help the refugees in Bangladesh.
Continue to focus your prayers for peace on the nations of Syria and Yemen. May war end in these nations soon.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's all pray for those in Eritrea and Indonesia. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a study of the book of Malachi. We have studied some things that many would find controversial. However, I believe in preaching the whole counsel of God, so I try not to back away from what are very clear statements in the Word of God.
Today, we will focus on just two verses in Malachi chapter 3. Malachi 3:6 states, "I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already completely destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned My laws and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty."
As we've seen over and over again in our study of the book of Malachi, the people were not acting in a correct manner towards the Lord and His instructions. They were not giving unto the Lord the honor and the respect that was due to Him as the King of the entire Universe. The priests were not serving the Lord in a proper manner. The commandments of the Lord were being ignored. In spite of all of this, the people could not understand how they had done anything wrong. They felt as if the Lord should be pleased that they were trying to do anything at all for Him.
Throughout the book of Malachi, the Lord has been calling His people back to Him. He wants them to repent and return to Him.
In our passage today, the Lord makes clear that He does not change. This has several important implications that I want to address, but first let us see the meaning from the passage itself.
The Lord had made various covenants with the people's ancestors. First of all, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham. The Lord told Abraham that He would make of Abraham a great nation. Through Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed. If the Lord were to totally eliminate the descendants of Abraham, the Lord would not be keeping the covenant.
The Lord also made a covenant with David. The Lord told David that one of David's descendants would rule from Jerusalem forever. If the descendants of David were eliminated, God would not be keeping that covenant.
That is what the Lord is referring to in this passage where He says that He does not change. Because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, their descendants would not be completely destroyed even though they had angered the Lord by continually turning away from Him towards other gods.
This passage also refers to the fact that the Lord is a God who forgives those who call upon Him. Countless times in the Old Testament we see that the people turned from the Lord to false gods. God would bring judgment on the people. The people would repent and turn back to God, and God would forgive and restore His people.
Whenever people call on the name of the Lord for deliverance and forgiveness, the Lord is willing to forgive. That is who He is. That is His nature. It is part of Himself that He cannot change.
This passage shows us that God always keeps His promises. If He says that He will do something, He will do it. The Bible says that God is not a man that He should lie.
This has important implications for us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament is quite clear that Jesus is God come in human form. Jesus Himself said that He and Father are one.
In the book of Hebrews it states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Since Jesus is God, He also does not change. We can complete rely on the promises that Jesus has made.
Let me give you a couple of examples. In John 6:37, Jesus says that whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out. We can rely on that. Whoever wants to turn from sin and turn to the Savior, Jesus will accept that person. Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 that He would be with us unto the very end of the age. We can trust the Lord Jesus not to change His mind. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Nor matter what struggles we may be going through, we can know that the Lord Jesus is always with us guiding us and helping us every step of the way.
In John 14:3, Jesus said that He has gone to prepare a place for us, that where He is, we can be there too. We can rely on this. Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus will be with Him for all eternity.
In Matthew 16:27, Jesus said that He is going to return in His glorious Second Coming. We can rely on this and know that one day, Jesus will rule and reign in righteousness as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Lord does not change, and He is not slack regarding His promises. What He has promised, He will do. We can always rely on Jesus as He is the divine Son of God and God the Son.
Now, in Malachi, the Lord tells the people that if they will return to Him, that God would return to them. As we have seen, the Lord is always willing to take back the repentant sinner. Here is what is so sad. In verse 7, the people respond to God, "How can we return when we have never gone away"?
They still couldn't realize what they were doing wrong.
This reminds me of people today. They can't recognize that they are not following the commandments of the Lord. They will not recognize that they are far from the Lord and that they need a Savior.
We must all pray that the Lord through the power of His Holy Spirit will open spiritually blind eyes so that they can see. They need to see their need for the Savior and their need for forgiveness.
Next week, Lord willing, we will continue with our study of the book of Malachi. The sermon will return to being posted on Fridays beginning next Friday. I will post the verses on Monday, and there will be a review of dog book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I want to thank the Lord for allowing me to have a great week in writing. I've had so much work to do, that I can barely get it all done. I am praying that this will continue. I've been feeling pretty well, so I thank you for your prayers in this area.
I have a couple of things that I would like you all to pray about. I have someone that I know from Twitter who had their dog stolen. Please pray that this person's dog is returned as soon as possible. Also, someone who I know has a dog that they found out has cancer. Please pray for this person's dog that she will get better.
In other areas, please continue to pray for those affected by the hurricanes this year. I haven't heard any updates about Puerto Rico on the news lately. I am hoping that the situation down there is turning around for the better.
Please pray for those in France who are experiencing the terrible flooding. Pray that the waters will soon recede.
I heard a report on the news this morning that there are severe outbreaks of disease in the refugee camps in Bangladesh. Pray for the end of these disease outbreaks, and pray for those who are trying to help the refugees in Bangladesh.
Continue to focus your prayers for peace on the nations of Syria and Yemen. May war end in these nations soon.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's all pray for those in Eritrea and Indonesia. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
For the past several weeks, we have been in a study of the book of Malachi. We have studied some things that many would find controversial. However, I believe in preaching the whole counsel of God, so I try not to back away from what are very clear statements in the Word of God.
Today, we will focus on just two verses in Malachi chapter 3. Malachi 3:6 states, "I am the Lord, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already completely destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned My laws and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord Almighty."
As we've seen over and over again in our study of the book of Malachi, the people were not acting in a correct manner towards the Lord and His instructions. They were not giving unto the Lord the honor and the respect that was due to Him as the King of the entire Universe. The priests were not serving the Lord in a proper manner. The commandments of the Lord were being ignored. In spite of all of this, the people could not understand how they had done anything wrong. They felt as if the Lord should be pleased that they were trying to do anything at all for Him.
Throughout the book of Malachi, the Lord has been calling His people back to Him. He wants them to repent and return to Him.
In our passage today, the Lord makes clear that He does not change. This has several important implications that I want to address, but first let us see the meaning from the passage itself.
The Lord had made various covenants with the people's ancestors. First of all, the Lord made a covenant with Abraham. The Lord told Abraham that He would make of Abraham a great nation. Through Abraham, all the nations of the world would be blessed. If the Lord were to totally eliminate the descendants of Abraham, the Lord would not be keeping the covenant.
The Lord also made a covenant with David. The Lord told David that one of David's descendants would rule from Jerusalem forever. If the descendants of David were eliminated, God would not be keeping that covenant.
That is what the Lord is referring to in this passage where He says that He does not change. Because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, their descendants would not be completely destroyed even though they had angered the Lord by continually turning away from Him towards other gods.
This passage also refers to the fact that the Lord is a God who forgives those who call upon Him. Countless times in the Old Testament we see that the people turned from the Lord to false gods. God would bring judgment on the people. The people would repent and turn back to God, and God would forgive and restore His people.
Whenever people call on the name of the Lord for deliverance and forgiveness, the Lord is willing to forgive. That is who He is. That is His nature. It is part of Himself that He cannot change.
This passage shows us that God always keeps His promises. If He says that He will do something, He will do it. The Bible says that God is not a man that He should lie.
This has important implications for us as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament is quite clear that Jesus is God come in human form. Jesus Himself said that He and Father are one.
In the book of Hebrews it states that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. Since Jesus is God, He also does not change. We can complete rely on the promises that Jesus has made.
Let me give you a couple of examples. In John 6:37, Jesus says that whoever comes to Him, He will not cast them out. We can rely on that. Whoever wants to turn from sin and turn to the Savior, Jesus will accept that person. Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20 that He would be with us unto the very end of the age. We can trust the Lord Jesus not to change His mind. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Nor matter what struggles we may be going through, we can know that the Lord Jesus is always with us guiding us and helping us every step of the way.
In John 14:3, Jesus said that He has gone to prepare a place for us, that where He is, we can be there too. We can rely on this. Those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus will be with Him for all eternity.
In Matthew 16:27, Jesus said that He is going to return in His glorious Second Coming. We can rely on this and know that one day, Jesus will rule and reign in righteousness as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Lord does not change, and He is not slack regarding His promises. What He has promised, He will do. We can always rely on Jesus as He is the divine Son of God and God the Son.
Now, in Malachi, the Lord tells the people that if they will return to Him, that God would return to them. As we have seen, the Lord is always willing to take back the repentant sinner. Here is what is so sad. In verse 7, the people respond to God, "How can we return when we have never gone away"?
They still couldn't realize what they were doing wrong.
This reminds me of people today. They can't recognize that they are not following the commandments of the Lord. They will not recognize that they are far from the Lord and that they need a Savior.
We must all pray that the Lord through the power of His Holy Spirit will open spiritually blind eyes so that they can see. They need to see their need for the Savior and their need for forgiveness.
Next week, Lord willing, we will continue with our study of the book of Malachi. The sermon will return to being posted on Fridays beginning next Friday. I will post the verses on Monday, and there will be a review of dog book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Book and DVD Review -- Some Old Favorites
For the past few days, I've been going through my old writing files and through my bookshelves. While going through my books, I came across a group of favorites that I hadn't thought about for awhile.
"A Shepherd's Watch" and "The Dogs of Windcutter Down" are both written by David Kennard. He operates a sheep farm in Devon. Both of these books are about life on the farm and the sheepdogs that help David be able to operate the farm. The author writes in such a way that each of the dogs really comes through as an individual with a distinct personality.
If my health would have been better, I wanted to have a small farm with some sheep. Toby was an excellent herder, so he could have helped me.
I've read these two books three or four times since I first found out about them. I recommend them highly.
These books were very popular in Britain. A television program geared toward children was broadcast about the dogs that focused on the youngest sheepdog named Mist. "Mist" is available on DVD, and I think that it is a great program for children. I think that adults who love dogs will really enjoy it as well. Jake who is one of the sheepdogs in the DVD series is quite a character.
"A Shepherd's Watch" and "The Dogs of Windcutter Down" are both written by David Kennard. He operates a sheep farm in Devon. Both of these books are about life on the farm and the sheepdogs that help David be able to operate the farm. The author writes in such a way that each of the dogs really comes through as an individual with a distinct personality.
If my health would have been better, I wanted to have a small farm with some sheep. Toby was an excellent herder, so he could have helped me.
I've read these two books three or four times since I first found out about them. I recommend them highly.
These books were very popular in Britain. A television program geared toward children was broadcast about the dogs that focused on the youngest sheepdog named Mist. "Mist" is available on DVD, and I think that it is a great program for children. I think that adults who love dogs will really enjoy it as well. Jake who is one of the sheepdogs in the DVD series is quite a character.
Monday, January 22, 2018
Verses For the Week
Romans 5:8 -- "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Nehemiah 9:17 -- "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abiding in love."
I Corinthians 16:14 -- "Let all you do be done in love."
Nehemiah 9:17 -- "But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abiding in love."
I Corinthians 16:14 -- "Let all you do be done in love."
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Sermon -- Malachi 3:1-5
Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. It is always the high point of my week to be able to post the sermon. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and having a good week.
This week was so cold where I live that is was almost like being in Antarctica. I thank God that it has warmed up today, and it is supposed to be warm for the next three days. I was cold for a solid 96 hours.
I have had a good week in writing, and I want to publicly thank the Lord for that. I am grateful that I can work as a writer. Hopefully, the jobs in writing will keep coming in.
In prayer this week, please continue to pray for those affected by the mudslides in California and those affected by the flooding in New England. Also, pray for those affected by the high winds in Europe. Wind scares me the most of anything.
I heard that there was progress being made in helping in Puerto Rico, so I am thankful to the Lord for that. Please continue to pray for these folks.
Continue to pray for peace in Syria. I've heard reports this week on NPR about how bad the situation is in parts of the country. Pray for peace, and pray for the safety of refugees.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for the nations of Pakistan and Seychelles. Pray that many will hear of the love of Jesus. Pray for the Christians who are in Pakistan who are facing persecution.
For the past few weeks, we've been engaged in a study of the book of Malachi. Last week, we finished up chapter 2, and this week, we will begin with chapter 3.
The first verse of Malachi 3 states, "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me." This is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist. In this verse, the Lord says that before the Messiah comes to His people, there would be a man who would prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Messiah and to receive His message.
John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah. John called the people to repentance. He was the one who recognized Jesus and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."
This verse, and its fulfillment in the New Testament, is a great example of the reliability of the Bible. Many of the prophecies in the Old Testament have already been fulfilled. When someone wants to debate with you about the validity and reliability of the Word of the Lord, verses like Malachi 3:1 are important to show to people. God's Word is reliable. His Word's have and will be fulfilled.
The portion of Malachi 3 verses 1b through 5 are prophecies about the work of the Messiah at the first and second Advents. In verse 1b, the Lord says that the messenger of the covenant would come into the Temple. The question was, "Who will be able to endure when He comes? Who will stand to face Him when He appears?"
Only those who put their faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ would be able to stand. However, the Bible says that Jesus came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him. But, those who did receive Him were given the right to be called the children of God.
Malachi said the when the Messiah would come, He would be like a refiner's fire and like a fuller's soap. What I believe this means is that Jesus in His first coming provided the means through His sinless life and sacrificial death to purify us from sin. Only those who put their faith and trust in the work of Jesus on the cross and in His bodily resurrection can be cleansed from sin . Jesus removes our sin from us, and He replaces our sin with His righteousness. We are washed white as snow, and we are forgiven by the Lord God.
Those of us who are in Christ Jesus also go through a process of sanctification while we are still on this earth. We certainly aren't perfect, and we still commit sins. However, the Lord, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, works in our lives to bring us closer to Him. We are being conformed to the image of Christ day by day. We are to become more like Jesus as we progress in our lives until the day when we stand before Him and see Him face to face.
The second portion of our passage speaks about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. When Jesus returns to this earth, He will return literally in power and great glory. Every eye will see Him, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
When Jesus returns, He will judge the people and the nations of this world. Jesus will be the one who establishes justice, righteousness and peace. The people doubted the justice of God as we saw in Malachi chapter 2 last week. Jesus is the answer to whether or not God will bring justice. Jesus will bring justice.
It is very interesting to note in verse 5 what sins God is upset with and the sins and situations that Jesus will address when He returns. It says that the Messiah will judge sorcerers, adulteries and liars. Sorcerers were those who dealt with potions and the occult. I think that in some way, it is like those who deal in drugs today and ruin the lives of millions of people. Jesus will bring judgment on those who do this. However, there is an occult aspect to sorcery as well. Jesus will bring judgment on those who align themselves with the forces of darkness because they are in direct opposition to Him and His order for the universe.
Jesus will judge adulterers and liars. This all has to deal with being truthful. An adulterer has lied to their partner because he or she has broken the marriage vow. The devil is the father of lies. Truth comes from God.
Malachi says that the Messiah will, "speak against those who cheat employees of their wages." Look at how much of this is going on today. Large corporations rake in huge profits and then pay their workers very little and make them work in unsafe conditions. They try to pay people as little as possible while making themselves richer and richer. Jesus will judge this when He comes. These corporate elitists laugh and think that it is funny that they pay people 2 and 3 dollars a day while they live in multi-million dollar mansions. They will not be laughing when they stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Nothing makes me more sick than when I see a rich business person trying to cut people's wages and benefits while they are making millions of dollars. Once I saw a program where a wealthy capitalist, corporate exploiter was negotiating a contract for workers at a factory. I can't remember the name of the corporation, or I would gladly say the name. This exploiter was asked by the employees to let them have one bag of rice per week as part of their meager wages. He would only agree to let them have half a bag of rice. The program then showed this man and his family at their California mansion that had seven bathrooms. The man had a collection of sports cars. This is the type of thing that Jesus will judge when He returns.
Malachi goes on to say that the Messiah will judge those who oppress widows and orphans. These were considered the most vulnerable and desperate people in Malachi's day. Anyone who mistreats the poor and those who are just able to make it through will have to answer to Jesus.
Finally, Malachi says that when the Messiah comes again, He will bring justice to those who, "Deprive the foreigners living among you of justice." In my country, I am getting so tired of everyone blaming every bad thing that happens on immigrants. The Bible is clear that we are to treat those who are foreigners among us just as we would treat anyone else. There are so many people in this world that are fleeing from desperate situations. We have two choices. We can help these people have better lives where they are, or we can help them here. I believe that there would be many fewer immigrants if corporate exploitation were brought under control.
The end of verse five says that those who practice these things don't fear the Lord. But, one day they will. Jesus is coming again to bring justice to this world.
I know that I've written some hard things in this sermon. Whenever I do that, I lose a number of readers. However, this is clearly what the Lord Himself has spoken. We either preach and believe the whole counsel of God, or we do not.
Jesus has come to offer life, light and forgiveness. When He returns, He will restore all things to the way they were before sin entered into the world. I pray that you are ready to meet the Lord should He return today. Trust Him today, and make Him the Lord of your life.
Next week, I will post the sermon on Saturday again. We will continue in Malachi. On Monday, I will post the verses. On Wednesday, I will post either a review or a poem. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week was so cold where I live that is was almost like being in Antarctica. I thank God that it has warmed up today, and it is supposed to be warm for the next three days. I was cold for a solid 96 hours.
I have had a good week in writing, and I want to publicly thank the Lord for that. I am grateful that I can work as a writer. Hopefully, the jobs in writing will keep coming in.
In prayer this week, please continue to pray for those affected by the mudslides in California and those affected by the flooding in New England. Also, pray for those affected by the high winds in Europe. Wind scares me the most of anything.
I heard that there was progress being made in helping in Puerto Rico, so I am thankful to the Lord for that. Please continue to pray for these folks.
Continue to pray for peace in Syria. I've heard reports this week on NPR about how bad the situation is in parts of the country. Pray for peace, and pray for the safety of refugees.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for the nations of Pakistan and Seychelles. Pray that many will hear of the love of Jesus. Pray for the Christians who are in Pakistan who are facing persecution.
For the past few weeks, we've been engaged in a study of the book of Malachi. Last week, we finished up chapter 2, and this week, we will begin with chapter 3.
The first verse of Malachi 3 states, "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me." This is a prophecy concerning John the Baptist. In this verse, the Lord says that before the Messiah comes to His people, there would be a man who would prepare the hearts of the people to receive the Messiah and to receive His message.
John the Baptist was the one who prepared the way for Jesus the Messiah. John called the people to repentance. He was the one who recognized Jesus and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."
This verse, and its fulfillment in the New Testament, is a great example of the reliability of the Bible. Many of the prophecies in the Old Testament have already been fulfilled. When someone wants to debate with you about the validity and reliability of the Word of the Lord, verses like Malachi 3:1 are important to show to people. God's Word is reliable. His Word's have and will be fulfilled.
The portion of Malachi 3 verses 1b through 5 are prophecies about the work of the Messiah at the first and second Advents. In verse 1b, the Lord says that the messenger of the covenant would come into the Temple. The question was, "Who will be able to endure when He comes? Who will stand to face Him when He appears?"
Only those who put their faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ would be able to stand. However, the Bible says that Jesus came unto His own, but His own did not receive Him. But, those who did receive Him were given the right to be called the children of God.
Malachi said the when the Messiah would come, He would be like a refiner's fire and like a fuller's soap. What I believe this means is that Jesus in His first coming provided the means through His sinless life and sacrificial death to purify us from sin. Only those who put their faith and trust in the work of Jesus on the cross and in His bodily resurrection can be cleansed from sin . Jesus removes our sin from us, and He replaces our sin with His righteousness. We are washed white as snow, and we are forgiven by the Lord God.
Those of us who are in Christ Jesus also go through a process of sanctification while we are still on this earth. We certainly aren't perfect, and we still commit sins. However, the Lord, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, works in our lives to bring us closer to Him. We are being conformed to the image of Christ day by day. We are to become more like Jesus as we progress in our lives until the day when we stand before Him and see Him face to face.
The second portion of our passage speaks about the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. When Jesus returns to this earth, He will return literally in power and great glory. Every eye will see Him, and every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
When Jesus returns, He will judge the people and the nations of this world. Jesus will be the one who establishes justice, righteousness and peace. The people doubted the justice of God as we saw in Malachi chapter 2 last week. Jesus is the answer to whether or not God will bring justice. Jesus will bring justice.
It is very interesting to note in verse 5 what sins God is upset with and the sins and situations that Jesus will address when He returns. It says that the Messiah will judge sorcerers, adulteries and liars. Sorcerers were those who dealt with potions and the occult. I think that in some way, it is like those who deal in drugs today and ruin the lives of millions of people. Jesus will bring judgment on those who do this. However, there is an occult aspect to sorcery as well. Jesus will bring judgment on those who align themselves with the forces of darkness because they are in direct opposition to Him and His order for the universe.
Jesus will judge adulterers and liars. This all has to deal with being truthful. An adulterer has lied to their partner because he or she has broken the marriage vow. The devil is the father of lies. Truth comes from God.
Malachi says that the Messiah will, "speak against those who cheat employees of their wages." Look at how much of this is going on today. Large corporations rake in huge profits and then pay their workers very little and make them work in unsafe conditions. They try to pay people as little as possible while making themselves richer and richer. Jesus will judge this when He comes. These corporate elitists laugh and think that it is funny that they pay people 2 and 3 dollars a day while they live in multi-million dollar mansions. They will not be laughing when they stand in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Nothing makes me more sick than when I see a rich business person trying to cut people's wages and benefits while they are making millions of dollars. Once I saw a program where a wealthy capitalist, corporate exploiter was negotiating a contract for workers at a factory. I can't remember the name of the corporation, or I would gladly say the name. This exploiter was asked by the employees to let them have one bag of rice per week as part of their meager wages. He would only agree to let them have half a bag of rice. The program then showed this man and his family at their California mansion that had seven bathrooms. The man had a collection of sports cars. This is the type of thing that Jesus will judge when He returns.
Malachi goes on to say that the Messiah will judge those who oppress widows and orphans. These were considered the most vulnerable and desperate people in Malachi's day. Anyone who mistreats the poor and those who are just able to make it through will have to answer to Jesus.
Finally, Malachi says that when the Messiah comes again, He will bring justice to those who, "Deprive the foreigners living among you of justice." In my country, I am getting so tired of everyone blaming every bad thing that happens on immigrants. The Bible is clear that we are to treat those who are foreigners among us just as we would treat anyone else. There are so many people in this world that are fleeing from desperate situations. We have two choices. We can help these people have better lives where they are, or we can help them here. I believe that there would be many fewer immigrants if corporate exploitation were brought under control.
The end of verse five says that those who practice these things don't fear the Lord. But, one day they will. Jesus is coming again to bring justice to this world.
I know that I've written some hard things in this sermon. Whenever I do that, I lose a number of readers. However, this is clearly what the Lord Himself has spoken. We either preach and believe the whole counsel of God, or we do not.
Jesus has come to offer life, light and forgiveness. When He returns, He will restore all things to the way they were before sin entered into the world. I pray that you are ready to meet the Lord should He return today. Trust Him today, and make Him the Lord of your life.
Next week, I will post the sermon on Saturday again. We will continue in Malachi. On Monday, I will post the verses. On Wednesday, I will post either a review or a poem. May God bless you all. Amen.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Poem
Here is a prose poem I wrote awhile back. It is about the first Christmas. I know it is a little late, but I just got it the way I want it.
God With Us
He is with us. Angel choirs filling the night sky like
constant lightning, scaring shepherds senseless, singing
gloria in excelsis deo.
Rushing sheep dog fly at the heels of smelly shepherds
from the hills dashing off to a stable to see the newborn
king.
Gently, softly, he rests within a manger wooed to rest
by the soft sounds of cows munching hay and sheep
baaing a midnight lullaby.
From on high, one of night's bright members beams its
special light leading rich men from afar to bow along with
poor men, creatures and the Heavenly host in honor of
Emmanuel.
God With Us
He is with us. Angel choirs filling the night sky like
constant lightning, scaring shepherds senseless, singing
gloria in excelsis deo.
Rushing sheep dog fly at the heels of smelly shepherds
from the hills dashing off to a stable to see the newborn
king.
Gently, softly, he rests within a manger wooed to rest
by the soft sounds of cows munching hay and sheep
baaing a midnight lullaby.
From on high, one of night's bright members beams its
special light leading rich men from afar to bow along with
poor men, creatures and the Heavenly host in honor of
Emmanuel.
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Book Review -- "Walking With the Light"
Today's book is "Walking With the Light" written by Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg. "Walking With the Light" is an account of the walk Rabbi Wittenberg took with his dog Mitzpah from his grandfather's old synagogue in Frankfurt to the new synagogue being built in London by Rabbi Wittenberg's congregation. The purpose of the journey was to carry the eternal light from the synagogue in Frankfurt to the new synagogue.
In this book, the Rabbi recounts his meetings with those whom he meet on his journey. He gives the reader information about what happened to his family members during the Holocaust. He also tells us about many of the horrors of that time along with those who showed courage even in the midst of such terrible evil.
Mitzpah the dog even has something to write about the trip. Most of the chapters end with his comments on the day's events.
I thought that this was an interesting book. It is not what I expected when I checked it out. However, I always like books that are a surprise in a positive way. This is not really a man and dog book like I thought. Mitzpah the dog is part of the book, but the book is more of an historical and spiritual journey from the past to the present.
In this book, the Rabbi recounts his meetings with those whom he meet on his journey. He gives the reader information about what happened to his family members during the Holocaust. He also tells us about many of the horrors of that time along with those who showed courage even in the midst of such terrible evil.
Mitzpah the dog even has something to write about the trip. Most of the chapters end with his comments on the day's events.
I thought that this was an interesting book. It is not what I expected when I checked it out. However, I always like books that are a surprise in a positive way. This is not really a man and dog book like I thought. Mitzpah the dog is part of the book, but the book is more of an historical and spiritual journey from the past to the present.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Verses For the Week
Psalm 119:76 -- "May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant."
II Corinthians 1:13 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort."
II Corinthians 1:13 -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort."
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Memory of a Great Day
I didn't mention it yesterday, but yesterday was the anniversary of the day that my friend Toby came to live with me. I can clearly remember that day all these years later. In memory of that great day, I am posting the first chapter of the book I wrote about Toby. I posted the whole book chapter by chapter on the blog a couple of years ago, if you want to read the rest. This is the chapter that tells about that first day.
Chapter 1
When I was growing up, I was ill much of the time. I had a condition known as hypogammaglobulinemia that left my immune system very weak. I was especially susceptible to respiratory illness such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Because of my illnesses, a lot of the kids at my school didn't want to have too much to do with me. I always had good dog friends though.
Early in 1985, I found myself with no dogs to call my friends. Furthermore, I was also facing some very hurtful issues at an extremely legalistic and cultic church my parents attended. I was right in the pressure cooker since I also attended the school operated by this same church. Each day, I was subjected to a stifling and rigid environment. My spirit was crushed, and a great weight of depression descended upon me.
It is like being in hell to every day walk on eggshells in fear of violating the tiniest rule and then facing punishment and humiliation. For instance, I once received detention for wearing a white shirt to school on the wrong day. White shirts were only to be worn on Tuesday and Thursday. Red shirts had to be worn on the other days.
Students were constantly warned not to be wordly. No music was allowed except Christian music, and that did not include contemporary, Christian music. Television was an instrument of the devil. If you mentioned a television show you may have watched it was an automatic two day detention.
Instead of Christmas being a time of joy, it was a time of sadness. Christmas trees were idols, and Santa Claus was a false god.
Someone in my physical condition faced even greater condemnation since sickness was seen as a punishment from God. If you were sick, obviously there was great sin in your life, and God was punishing you in order to bring you to repentance.
Throughout these years, I lived in fear, and I never felt any unconditional love. From what I knew, love was based on performance. Be good, get good grades, follow the rules and you were loved. Step out of line, and the hammer falls.
Bad health and crazy religion were getting too much for me. I say this with all candor. I doubt that I'd be writing today if on a Sunday in January of 1985 I hadn't read an advertisement in the Kansas City Star that changed my life forever.
Sunday, after church, I decided to read the dogs for sale section in the paper. My attention snapped to full focus when I saw one advertisement in particular that read:
Corgi for sale--1 1/2 year old male. Housebroken. $150
This was great. An adult dog who was smaller and already house trained. From the phone number listed in the ad, I knew that he wasn't very far away.
I found myself in some difficulty, however, when it came to convincing my parents that going to look at this dog was a good idea. Neither of my parents wanted a dog. They didn't like corgis either.
After about an hour of persuasion, as I dreaded every moment that my new dog might be heading to another home, I finally convinced my Mom to at least let me call and get some more information.
The lady who placed the ad said that this dog had been purchased as a show dog, but his feet were too small according to the breed standard. Also, the dog was primarily her son's dog, and since he'd gone off to college, she was selling the dog. By the way, she said the dog's name was Toby. I was sold right then. I always liked that name for a dog.
We made arrangements to go look at Toby that same afternoon. My Dad wasn't excited about getting out in the January cold, but he came along with us to the home of Toby.
The house was in a very, rural area, and the roads were icy and not well plowed. The drive leading up to the house was treacherous, and I remember the car sliding.
As we got out of the car, we were greeted by a great chorus of barking. All along the back of the house were rows of kennels housing various dogs. Near the house, a small, red and white dog came bounding toward me barking. A yell from the house turned the corgi around in his tracks. We followed him inside.
After the customary greetings, Toby's owner showed me some of the ribbons he'd won at puppy shows. She said that Toby loved hanging out with teenage boys, and that one of Toby's favorite activities was herding the neighbor's cows. All this time, Toby was hiding under the sofa.
Finally, we coaxed him out of hiding. If you can love a dog at first sight, I loved Toby. He had short legs with white on each paw and a solid white chest.
When my folks said that I could have him, I was thrilled. Toby's soon to be former owner was thrilled too. She said that two other families had been there before us, but both passed Toby up. There loss. He was mine now.
As I look back, I realize that it was grace that brought Toby and I together. Others had come to see him before me. Either of those families could have seen Toby's great character, and I've have never known about him. What caused me to look through the paper for dogs that afternoon? What made me even consider a corgi, a breed I'd never been particularly fond of? I believe it was all God's grace. He knew that we needed each other more than either of us knew at the time.
Chapter 1
When I was growing up, I was ill much of the time. I had a condition known as hypogammaglobulinemia that left my immune system very weak. I was especially susceptible to respiratory illness such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
Because of my illnesses, a lot of the kids at my school didn't want to have too much to do with me. I always had good dog friends though.
Early in 1985, I found myself with no dogs to call my friends. Furthermore, I was also facing some very hurtful issues at an extremely legalistic and cultic church my parents attended. I was right in the pressure cooker since I also attended the school operated by this same church. Each day, I was subjected to a stifling and rigid environment. My spirit was crushed, and a great weight of depression descended upon me.
It is like being in hell to every day walk on eggshells in fear of violating the tiniest rule and then facing punishment and humiliation. For instance, I once received detention for wearing a white shirt to school on the wrong day. White shirts were only to be worn on Tuesday and Thursday. Red shirts had to be worn on the other days.
Students were constantly warned not to be wordly. No music was allowed except Christian music, and that did not include contemporary, Christian music. Television was an instrument of the devil. If you mentioned a television show you may have watched it was an automatic two day detention.
Instead of Christmas being a time of joy, it was a time of sadness. Christmas trees were idols, and Santa Claus was a false god.
Someone in my physical condition faced even greater condemnation since sickness was seen as a punishment from God. If you were sick, obviously there was great sin in your life, and God was punishing you in order to bring you to repentance.
Throughout these years, I lived in fear, and I never felt any unconditional love. From what I knew, love was based on performance. Be good, get good grades, follow the rules and you were loved. Step out of line, and the hammer falls.
Bad health and crazy religion were getting too much for me. I say this with all candor. I doubt that I'd be writing today if on a Sunday in January of 1985 I hadn't read an advertisement in the Kansas City Star that changed my life forever.
Sunday, after church, I decided to read the dogs for sale section in the paper. My attention snapped to full focus when I saw one advertisement in particular that read:
Corgi for sale--1 1/2 year old male. Housebroken. $150
This was great. An adult dog who was smaller and already house trained. From the phone number listed in the ad, I knew that he wasn't very far away.
I found myself in some difficulty, however, when it came to convincing my parents that going to look at this dog was a good idea. Neither of my parents wanted a dog. They didn't like corgis either.
After about an hour of persuasion, as I dreaded every moment that my new dog might be heading to another home, I finally convinced my Mom to at least let me call and get some more information.
The lady who placed the ad said that this dog had been purchased as a show dog, but his feet were too small according to the breed standard. Also, the dog was primarily her son's dog, and since he'd gone off to college, she was selling the dog. By the way, she said the dog's name was Toby. I was sold right then. I always liked that name for a dog.
We made arrangements to go look at Toby that same afternoon. My Dad wasn't excited about getting out in the January cold, but he came along with us to the home of Toby.
The house was in a very, rural area, and the roads were icy and not well plowed. The drive leading up to the house was treacherous, and I remember the car sliding.
As we got out of the car, we were greeted by a great chorus of barking. All along the back of the house were rows of kennels housing various dogs. Near the house, a small, red and white dog came bounding toward me barking. A yell from the house turned the corgi around in his tracks. We followed him inside.
After the customary greetings, Toby's owner showed me some of the ribbons he'd won at puppy shows. She said that Toby loved hanging out with teenage boys, and that one of Toby's favorite activities was herding the neighbor's cows. All this time, Toby was hiding under the sofa.
Finally, we coaxed him out of hiding. If you can love a dog at first sight, I loved Toby. He had short legs with white on each paw and a solid white chest.
When my folks said that I could have him, I was thrilled. Toby's soon to be former owner was thrilled too. She said that two other families had been there before us, but both passed Toby up. There loss. He was mine now.
As I look back, I realize that it was grace that brought Toby and I together. Others had come to see him before me. Either of those families could have seen Toby's great character, and I've have never known about him. What caused me to look through the paper for dogs that afternoon? What made me even consider a corgi, a breed I'd never been particularly fond of? I believe it was all God's grace. He knew that we needed each other more than either of us knew at the time.
Saturday, January 13, 2018
Sermon -- Malachi 2:17
Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. I am so glad to be able to post the sermon. I hope that all of you are doing very well, and I hope that everyone is having a very good week.
I haven't had a very good week. I haven't felt good all week, and I think I might be coming down with the flu. Please pray that I will get to feeling better. Also, I am going to start looking for a new job. The one I've been discussing isn't right for me in any way. It is just like the job I was in for the past three years. I want to keep doing my writing business, and I am going to get a part time job to supplement that. Please be in prayer about this. I am very, very down about all that has been happening in this part of my life. I need to find what I can do that won't make me so very depressed. I am also missing my friend Toby a lot, and I'm just down right now. Please be in prayer that the Lord will work in my life. Thank you for your prayers.
In other areas, please pray for those who were affected by the bad mud slides in California. So many have perished. Please pray for all the recovery efforts in that area.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands who are trying to recover from the hurricanes. There is still so much that needs to be done.
Pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Please pray for peace in Libya, South Sudan, Yemen and Syria.
For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for Lebanon and Vietnam this week. Pray that many in these two nations will hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We started a series of messages last year in the book of Malachi. Last week, we studied what Malachi and Jesus had to say about the subject of divorce.
Today, we are going to look into what the final verse of Malachi chapter 2 has to teach us. Malachi 2:17 states, "You have wearied the Lord with your words. Wearied him, you ask? How have we wearied him? You have wearied him by suggesting that the Lord favors evildoers since he does not punish them. You have wearied him by asking, Where is the God of justice?"
I find this to be quite an interesting verse. As we have seen throughout the first two chapters of the book of Malachi, the people did not have the correct attitude towards the Lord. They questioned the Lord's love and goodness, and they did not treat the Lord with the honor and respect He deserved as being the King of all the Universe.
In this verse, God has become wearied by the people thinking that He condones the way of the evil just because they prosper and He does not punish them right away. They went so far to say that the Lord was not a just God.
These people had gone farther than just wondering about why the world is the way it is. I think that all of us from time to time look at this world and wonder why the evil seem to get ahead while those who serve the Lord sometimes don't. We wonder why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.
In Psalm 73, Asaph wonders why the wicked prosper. He saw that they prospered in spite of their wickedness. Asaph says in Psalm 73:13-14, "Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure and kept myself from doing wrong? All I get is trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain."
However, Asaph soon realizes that this is not the correct attitude for a person who is truly following after the ways of the Lord. Asaph goes on in Psalm 73 and says that he went into God's sanctuary and thought about the way of the wicked and their destiny. He realized that they were really on a slippery path and were living in a dream world. Asaph realized that when they were gone from this life, they would have no eternal reward. They would face the judgment of the Lord throughout all eternity. Asaph said that it was a foolish and ignorant thing to question that ultimate justice of God.
The people in Malachi weren't like Asaph. They seem to have actually believed that God was approving of wickedness because the wicked prospered. I think that they were trying to say that sins weren't really sins because God wasn't punishing those committing those sins. They were trying to say what was evil was actually good. For instance, since God hadn't brought punishment directly on those who had brought the poor sacrifices, it was OK to do that. Since God hadn't brought direct judgment on the corrupt priests, they must not really be corrupt.
It seems to me that they were also questioning if God really had the power to bring justice in the world. And this is the ultimate insult to God. It was questioning His power and His goodness.
The Bible is quite clear that our God is a God of justice, and that His justice will be brought to bear throughout the earth. Isaiah 30:18 states, "For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for Him." Isaiah 51:5 tells us, "My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations." Jesus says in Luke 18:7, "Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry to Him day and night."
God is powerful and He will bring justice to this earth. When Jesus comes again, He will rule and reign in righteousness, and justice will cover all of the earth and the universe.
In this life, sometimes the evil and wicked will prosper while those who do good don't have all the good things of this life. However, we have to realize that this life is very short in comparison with eternity. An illustration I like is comparing this life to a tiny grain of sand. Eternity is like all the beaches in the whole world. One grain of sand is nothing compared to all the sandy beaches in the world.
Those who practice unrighteousness may have a glimmer of good things, but in eternity, they will have nothing. Those who follow the Lord, will have the blessings of His love and presence throughout all of eternity.
Getting back to Asaph in Psalm 73. In verse 23 he states, "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."
Asaph recognized that God would deal with the wicked one day. He knew that no matter what happened to him in this life, the Lord was with him. In eternity, the Lord would be with him and help him forever.
A story that Jesus told really illustrates this whole subject quite well. The people in Jesus' day thought that wealth was a sign of God's favor and poverty was a sign of God's disfavor. Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus to set people straight.
The rich man had everything, and Lazarus was homeless, starving and covered with sores. One day they both died. The rich man ended up in hell while Lazarus went to Heaven. God saw that ultimate justice was executed.
The Lord will always do what is right. We need to be faithful to Him and serve Him to the best of our ability as we are enabled by the Holy Spirit. We always need to keep an eternal perspective in all that we do.
Next week, I will have to post the verses on Tuesday as the library is closed on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I will post a review on Wednesday, and the sermon will appear on Saturday. I found some religious poems and prose poems that I wrote several years ago, and I am going to be posting them on the blog now and then as well. May God bless you all. Amen.
I haven't had a very good week. I haven't felt good all week, and I think I might be coming down with the flu. Please pray that I will get to feeling better. Also, I am going to start looking for a new job. The one I've been discussing isn't right for me in any way. It is just like the job I was in for the past three years. I want to keep doing my writing business, and I am going to get a part time job to supplement that. Please be in prayer about this. I am very, very down about all that has been happening in this part of my life. I need to find what I can do that won't make me so very depressed. I am also missing my friend Toby a lot, and I'm just down right now. Please be in prayer that the Lord will work in my life. Thank you for your prayers.
In other areas, please pray for those who were affected by the bad mud slides in California. So many have perished. Please pray for all the recovery efforts in that area.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands who are trying to recover from the hurricanes. There is still so much that needs to be done.
Pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Please pray for peace in Libya, South Sudan, Yemen and Syria.
For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for Lebanon and Vietnam this week. Pray that many in these two nations will hear the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We started a series of messages last year in the book of Malachi. Last week, we studied what Malachi and Jesus had to say about the subject of divorce.
Today, we are going to look into what the final verse of Malachi chapter 2 has to teach us. Malachi 2:17 states, "You have wearied the Lord with your words. Wearied him, you ask? How have we wearied him? You have wearied him by suggesting that the Lord favors evildoers since he does not punish them. You have wearied him by asking, Where is the God of justice?"
I find this to be quite an interesting verse. As we have seen throughout the first two chapters of the book of Malachi, the people did not have the correct attitude towards the Lord. They questioned the Lord's love and goodness, and they did not treat the Lord with the honor and respect He deserved as being the King of all the Universe.
In this verse, God has become wearied by the people thinking that He condones the way of the evil just because they prosper and He does not punish them right away. They went so far to say that the Lord was not a just God.
These people had gone farther than just wondering about why the world is the way it is. I think that all of us from time to time look at this world and wonder why the evil seem to get ahead while those who serve the Lord sometimes don't. We wonder why bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.
In Psalm 73, Asaph wonders why the wicked prosper. He saw that they prospered in spite of their wickedness. Asaph says in Psalm 73:13-14, "Was it for nothing that I kept my heart pure and kept myself from doing wrong? All I get is trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain."
However, Asaph soon realizes that this is not the correct attitude for a person who is truly following after the ways of the Lord. Asaph goes on in Psalm 73 and says that he went into God's sanctuary and thought about the way of the wicked and their destiny. He realized that they were really on a slippery path and were living in a dream world. Asaph realized that when they were gone from this life, they would have no eternal reward. They would face the judgment of the Lord throughout all eternity. Asaph said that it was a foolish and ignorant thing to question that ultimate justice of God.
The people in Malachi weren't like Asaph. They seem to have actually believed that God was approving of wickedness because the wicked prospered. I think that they were trying to say that sins weren't really sins because God wasn't punishing those committing those sins. They were trying to say what was evil was actually good. For instance, since God hadn't brought punishment directly on those who had brought the poor sacrifices, it was OK to do that. Since God hadn't brought direct judgment on the corrupt priests, they must not really be corrupt.
It seems to me that they were also questioning if God really had the power to bring justice in the world. And this is the ultimate insult to God. It was questioning His power and His goodness.
The Bible is quite clear that our God is a God of justice, and that His justice will be brought to bear throughout the earth. Isaiah 30:18 states, "For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for Him." Isaiah 51:5 tells us, "My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations." Jesus says in Luke 18:7, "Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones who cry to Him day and night."
God is powerful and He will bring justice to this earth. When Jesus comes again, He will rule and reign in righteousness, and justice will cover all of the earth and the universe.
In this life, sometimes the evil and wicked will prosper while those who do good don't have all the good things of this life. However, we have to realize that this life is very short in comparison with eternity. An illustration I like is comparing this life to a tiny grain of sand. Eternity is like all the beaches in the whole world. One grain of sand is nothing compared to all the sandy beaches in the world.
Those who practice unrighteousness may have a glimmer of good things, but in eternity, they will have nothing. Those who follow the Lord, will have the blessings of His love and presence throughout all of eternity.
Getting back to Asaph in Psalm 73. In verse 23 he states, "My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever."
Asaph recognized that God would deal with the wicked one day. He knew that no matter what happened to him in this life, the Lord was with him. In eternity, the Lord would be with him and help him forever.
A story that Jesus told really illustrates this whole subject quite well. The people in Jesus' day thought that wealth was a sign of God's favor and poverty was a sign of God's disfavor. Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus to set people straight.
The rich man had everything, and Lazarus was homeless, starving and covered with sores. One day they both died. The rich man ended up in hell while Lazarus went to Heaven. God saw that ultimate justice was executed.
The Lord will always do what is right. We need to be faithful to Him and serve Him to the best of our ability as we are enabled by the Holy Spirit. We always need to keep an eternal perspective in all that we do.
Next week, I will have to post the verses on Tuesday as the library is closed on Monday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I will post a review on Wednesday, and the sermon will appear on Saturday. I found some religious poems and prose poems that I wrote several years ago, and I am going to be posting them on the blog now and then as well. May God bless you all. Amen.
Friday, January 12, 2018
A Poem
I was looking through some of my old writing files last night, and I came across a poem that I wrote shortly after my friend Toby passed away. I'm not posting this to make anyone sad. I just saw it and wanted to post it because I miss him so much. I'm not having a very good week. When that happens, I miss my friend all the more. I will be posting the sermon tomorrow, Lord willing.
A Lost Friend
There was no more I could do.
He'd gone and left me lonely.
The gleam left his eye
just like fading starlight.
No more would he greet me
joyous at the dawn of day.
His deep growl and bark
would no longer tickle my ear.
I will miss him always.
He brought sunlight to despair.
His illuminating presence
now shines brightly with the angels.
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Book Review -- Artists and Their Pets
Welcome to this weeks book review. The book that I am reviewing today is entitled "Artists and Their Pets: True Stories of Famous Artists and Their Animal Friends." The book is written by Susie Hodge, and it is written with younger readers in mind.
I really enjoyed this book. I have to say that it didn't have as much emphasis on the pets and animals as I thought it would. With that said, the book does provide a nice introduction to some of the great artists who did have animal companions.
There are several pages of text devoted to each artist. Included in the book are the artists Pablo Picasso, Norman Rockwell, Franz Marc, Paul Klee, Edwin Landseer and many others.
This would be a good book for children who are interested in art and artists. The pet and animal aspect is also interesting to provide more depth to the personality of each artist.
I really enjoyed this book. I have to say that it didn't have as much emphasis on the pets and animals as I thought it would. With that said, the book does provide a nice introduction to some of the great artists who did have animal companions.
There are several pages of text devoted to each artist. Included in the book are the artists Pablo Picasso, Norman Rockwell, Franz Marc, Paul Klee, Edwin Landseer and many others.
This would be a good book for children who are interested in art and artists. The pet and animal aspect is also interesting to provide more depth to the personality of each artist.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Verses For the Week
Proverbs 17:22 -- "A cheerful heart brings good healing, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
James 5:13 -- "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."
James 5:13 -- "Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise."
Friday, January 5, 2018
Sermon -- Malachi 2:11-16
Welcome to this week's edition of the sermon. I am glad to be able to post this week. I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year.
I have had some problems with the blog. Last week, someone got into my blog and messed it up. I caught it quickly and took the blog down. I've now restored it except for last week's sermon. I hope that this will not be a problem in the future. If it is, I will take down the blog and consider a different medium to get the sermon and messages out. I have an idea, but I don't want to go into that yet.
Monday, I am supposed to start the new job. I am very nervous. Please pray that all will go well and that the Lord's will is done in this matter. My goal is to keep this job for a little while and get the house sold. After that, I would like to move where it is a little warmer. The cold weather this year is really bothering me.
Please pray for those experiencing bad weather throughout the United States. We've had bad snow storms and record setting cold weather.
Pray for those who are homeless that they will be able to find a warm place this year. Pray for an end to homelessness. We need more affordable housing.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who still lack power as a result of the hurricanes. Pray that they will receive the aid that they need.
The flu is really bad in my part of the world. I lost a friend to flu a couple of years ago, so its nothing to play around with. Please pray that this flu outbreak ends. I was sick with pneumonia twice last year. It played a role in having to leave my other job. I am hoping I don't get sick again as I've been informed that if I miss even one day during the four week training that it is grounds for dismissal.
Pray for peace in the world. There is so much war and conflict. Pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan. At least North and South Korea are talking, so that is good.
For our prayer focus countries this week let's pray for Botswana and Qatar. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
Last year, we began a series of messages on the Old Testament book of Malachi. We have made it through Chapter 2 and verse 10. Today, we will cover verses 11 through 16 of chapter 2.
This is a hard section of Scripture for me to deal with. It requires that this text and the whole counsel of God from both the Old and New Testaments be carefully taken into consideration.
As we saw already from our study in Malachi, God is not happy with the people and the way they are treating Him. They have questioned the love of God for them in spite of all that He had done for them. Also, the people were not bringing the acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. The priests were not behaving in an acceptable manner. They all were not treating the Lord with the honor He deserves as the King of the universe.
In our section today, the Lord has another grievance against the people. The Lord is upset with the people first of all because they had married women from the surrounding nations who worshiped idols and did not worship the only true God.
In the Law of Moses, the Lord told the people that they were not to practice this behavior. He told them that if they did this, their hearts would be led astray. This is exactly what happened to Solomon. He took many foreign wives. He then built temples for their gods and goddesses right in Jerusalem. His heart was turned away from serving the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
Nehemiah had to deal with the fact that the people of Israel had married foreign wives and their hearts were being turned away. Nehemiah demanded that the people divorce their foreign wives.
In Malachi, we see that the people had divorced their Jewish wives in order to marry their new wives. God was very much opposed to this. The Lord told the people that He was not going to accept their offerings nor listen to their prayers because they had been unfaithful to the wives of their youth.
In Malachi 2:16 God says, "I hate divorce". These are some very strong words. He told the people to remain loyal to their wives.
Now, this brings us to the entire issue of divorce today. This is difficult for me to write about in some ways because my parents were both divorced. My Mom was married to two other men before she married my Dad. She didn't have any other children except for me. My Dad was married to a woman before my Mom. My Dad had two children with his first wife. My brother and sister are a lot older than I am.
I know that divorce is rampant in western societies today. People get upset when ministers speak about divorce. However, it is clearly and plainly spoken about in the Bible. Jesus Himself spoke about divorce. I will just lay out what I see as the teachings of Jesus and Bible on the matter.
First of all, the Law of Moses permitted divorce. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus on the topic of divorce as recorded in Matthew 19, they brought up the fact that Moses allowed divorce. Jesus told them that the only reason he did that was because the people were so hard hearted. Jesus said that that was not the way things were intended from the beginning. God created male and female to be united together for as long as they lived.
Jesus said in Matthew 19 that there was only one permissible grounds for divorce. Jesus said that sexual immorality was the grounds for divorce. If someone divorced and remarried for any other reason, they were guilty of committing adultery.
Many people today, including Christians, get a divorce for many other reasons. Many people I know have divorced for financial reasons or they say they fell out of love. These are not Biblical grounds for divorce.
I believe that the Bible has one implied reason for divorce and there is one other reason mentioned by the Apostle Paul. I believe that a person has a right to defend themself and their children from abuse. In order to get out of an abusive situation, a divorce may be necessary.
In I Corinthians 7, Paul states that if a Christian in married to an unbeliever, the Christian should stay married as long as the unbeliever remains in the marriage. If the unbeliever leaves of their own accord. The Christian is free from the union.
So, where does this leave us. From my understanding of the Bible, divorce is allowed if someone is being abused, there is sexual immorality or an unbeliever leaves the marriage. In these circumstances, remarriage would be permitted. In other circumstances, Christians are not supposed to get a divorce. For two Christians, the only Biblical grounds would be adultery and abuse.
Some will disagree with me on divorce for abuse. They think that a person in that situation should get a separation and not a divorce. I disagree on this matter.
Now, what about divorce in the church. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin as some people act like it is. If you are divorced for a non Scriptural reason, the Lord will forgive you if you call upon Him and ask Him too. From that point, you move on and try to make the best of any new relationship.
I do believe that the Bible teaches that a person divorced for a non-Scriptural reason is not to be the pastor of a church. When Paul speaks about the elder being the husband of one wife, it is my view that this is a reference to divorce.
I know that this is controversial. I knew a man who had been divorced before he was a Christian. He wanted to be a minister, but the Pentecostal church he attended would not ordain him because he was divorced. He didn't think that was right, but from what I understand of the Bible, the church was correct.
I know that this can be hurtful to people. My Dad got a divorce from his first wife for non-Scriptural reasons. He was not allowed to be a deacon in the church he attended. He felt that since this happened before his conversion, that that wasn't right. He and I disagreed on this.
My mother was divorced on Biblical grounds. However, the church held that against her. One church did not want her to be a Sunday school teacher because she had been divorced. That was not right.
If you've been divorced, don't get down on yourself. Things happen. Life happens. Everyone, especially Christians, just needs to realize that divorce is a serious matter in the eyes of the Lord. Those who are married need to seek the Lord diligently when marital problems arise. If there is a divorce, seek the Lord's forgiveness. Move on in hope striving to do your best in obedience to the Lord from this point on.
Just for full disclosure. I am not married, and I have never been married. I do not intend to get married. I have just tried to present the material today in the way that I believe the Bible teaches.
Next week, the blog will have a different schedule for about one month. During training, I will still post the verses on Monday and the reviews on Wednesday. However, they will appear late in the day. I will have to post them when I get off work. The sermon will appear on Saturdays starting next week. We will continue with our series in Malachi. May God bless you all. Amen.
I have had some problems with the blog. Last week, someone got into my blog and messed it up. I caught it quickly and took the blog down. I've now restored it except for last week's sermon. I hope that this will not be a problem in the future. If it is, I will take down the blog and consider a different medium to get the sermon and messages out. I have an idea, but I don't want to go into that yet.
Monday, I am supposed to start the new job. I am very nervous. Please pray that all will go well and that the Lord's will is done in this matter. My goal is to keep this job for a little while and get the house sold. After that, I would like to move where it is a little warmer. The cold weather this year is really bothering me.
Please pray for those experiencing bad weather throughout the United States. We've had bad snow storms and record setting cold weather.
Pray for those who are homeless that they will be able to find a warm place this year. Pray for an end to homelessness. We need more affordable housing.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands who still lack power as a result of the hurricanes. Pray that they will receive the aid that they need.
The flu is really bad in my part of the world. I lost a friend to flu a couple of years ago, so its nothing to play around with. Please pray that this flu outbreak ends. I was sick with pneumonia twice last year. It played a role in having to leave my other job. I am hoping I don't get sick again as I've been informed that if I miss even one day during the four week training that it is grounds for dismissal.
Pray for peace in the world. There is so much war and conflict. Pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and South Sudan. At least North and South Korea are talking, so that is good.
For our prayer focus countries this week let's pray for Botswana and Qatar. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
Last year, we began a series of messages on the Old Testament book of Malachi. We have made it through Chapter 2 and verse 10. Today, we will cover verses 11 through 16 of chapter 2.
This is a hard section of Scripture for me to deal with. It requires that this text and the whole counsel of God from both the Old and New Testaments be carefully taken into consideration.
As we saw already from our study in Malachi, God is not happy with the people and the way they are treating Him. They have questioned the love of God for them in spite of all that He had done for them. Also, the people were not bringing the acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. The priests were not behaving in an acceptable manner. They all were not treating the Lord with the honor He deserves as the King of the universe.
In our section today, the Lord has another grievance against the people. The Lord is upset with the people first of all because they had married women from the surrounding nations who worshiped idols and did not worship the only true God.
In the Law of Moses, the Lord told the people that they were not to practice this behavior. He told them that if they did this, their hearts would be led astray. This is exactly what happened to Solomon. He took many foreign wives. He then built temples for their gods and goddesses right in Jerusalem. His heart was turned away from serving the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.
Nehemiah had to deal with the fact that the people of Israel had married foreign wives and their hearts were being turned away. Nehemiah demanded that the people divorce their foreign wives.
In Malachi, we see that the people had divorced their Jewish wives in order to marry their new wives. God was very much opposed to this. The Lord told the people that He was not going to accept their offerings nor listen to their prayers because they had been unfaithful to the wives of their youth.
In Malachi 2:16 God says, "I hate divorce". These are some very strong words. He told the people to remain loyal to their wives.
Now, this brings us to the entire issue of divorce today. This is difficult for me to write about in some ways because my parents were both divorced. My Mom was married to two other men before she married my Dad. She didn't have any other children except for me. My Dad was married to a woman before my Mom. My Dad had two children with his first wife. My brother and sister are a lot older than I am.
I know that divorce is rampant in western societies today. People get upset when ministers speak about divorce. However, it is clearly and plainly spoken about in the Bible. Jesus Himself spoke about divorce. I will just lay out what I see as the teachings of Jesus and Bible on the matter.
First of all, the Law of Moses permitted divorce. When the Pharisees confronted Jesus on the topic of divorce as recorded in Matthew 19, they brought up the fact that Moses allowed divorce. Jesus told them that the only reason he did that was because the people were so hard hearted. Jesus said that that was not the way things were intended from the beginning. God created male and female to be united together for as long as they lived.
Jesus said in Matthew 19 that there was only one permissible grounds for divorce. Jesus said that sexual immorality was the grounds for divorce. If someone divorced and remarried for any other reason, they were guilty of committing adultery.
Many people today, including Christians, get a divorce for many other reasons. Many people I know have divorced for financial reasons or they say they fell out of love. These are not Biblical grounds for divorce.
I believe that the Bible has one implied reason for divorce and there is one other reason mentioned by the Apostle Paul. I believe that a person has a right to defend themself and their children from abuse. In order to get out of an abusive situation, a divorce may be necessary.
In I Corinthians 7, Paul states that if a Christian in married to an unbeliever, the Christian should stay married as long as the unbeliever remains in the marriage. If the unbeliever leaves of their own accord. The Christian is free from the union.
So, where does this leave us. From my understanding of the Bible, divorce is allowed if someone is being abused, there is sexual immorality or an unbeliever leaves the marriage. In these circumstances, remarriage would be permitted. In other circumstances, Christians are not supposed to get a divorce. For two Christians, the only Biblical grounds would be adultery and abuse.
Some will disagree with me on divorce for abuse. They think that a person in that situation should get a separation and not a divorce. I disagree on this matter.
Now, what about divorce in the church. Divorce is not the unpardonable sin as some people act like it is. If you are divorced for a non Scriptural reason, the Lord will forgive you if you call upon Him and ask Him too. From that point, you move on and try to make the best of any new relationship.
I do believe that the Bible teaches that a person divorced for a non-Scriptural reason is not to be the pastor of a church. When Paul speaks about the elder being the husband of one wife, it is my view that this is a reference to divorce.
I know that this is controversial. I knew a man who had been divorced before he was a Christian. He wanted to be a minister, but the Pentecostal church he attended would not ordain him because he was divorced. He didn't think that was right, but from what I understand of the Bible, the church was correct.
I know that this can be hurtful to people. My Dad got a divorce from his first wife for non-Scriptural reasons. He was not allowed to be a deacon in the church he attended. He felt that since this happened before his conversion, that that wasn't right. He and I disagreed on this.
My mother was divorced on Biblical grounds. However, the church held that against her. One church did not want her to be a Sunday school teacher because she had been divorced. That was not right.
If you've been divorced, don't get down on yourself. Things happen. Life happens. Everyone, especially Christians, just needs to realize that divorce is a serious matter in the eyes of the Lord. Those who are married need to seek the Lord diligently when marital problems arise. If there is a divorce, seek the Lord's forgiveness. Move on in hope striving to do your best in obedience to the Lord from this point on.
Just for full disclosure. I am not married, and I have never been married. I do not intend to get married. I have just tried to present the material today in the way that I believe the Bible teaches.
Next week, the blog will have a different schedule for about one month. During training, I will still post the verses on Monday and the reviews on Wednesday. However, they will appear late in the day. I will have to post them when I get off work. The sermon will appear on Saturdays starting next week. We will continue with our series in Malachi. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Animal Book of the Year and a Dog Book Review
Today, I am announcing the animal book of the year. My choice is "Mozart's Starling". I reviewed this book just a couple of weeks ago, so I am not going to go over it again. It is a very good book.
Now, we are going to start the reviews for 2018 with a good dog book. "Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs" by Monty Don, tells the story of Monty's golden retriever Nigel. Monty Don is the host of a British TV program called "Gardener's World." This is a very informative program. I've been able to watch episodes online, and I enjoy seeing the beautiful colors of the all the fabulous gardens.
Much of the program is filmed at Monty's own garden called Longmeadow. Nigel is part of each program. He always follows Monty around the garden. He is really a part of the program. Monty's other golden retriever named Nellie is also around, but she isn't part of things in the same way that Nigel is.
While Nigel is the main dog in this book, the book also gives details about Monty's relationship with several other dogs that he had as friends over the years. You can tell from Monty's writing that he really cares about the dogs in his life.
A nice aspect of the book is that there is a lot of information about how Monty's garden at Longmeadow is set up, and the care that it takes to keep the garden in proper condition.
Those who love dogs and those interested in gardening will certainly want to read this book. Those who watch "Gardener's World" will especially enjoy the book.
Now, we are going to start the reviews for 2018 with a good dog book. "Nigel: My Family and Other Dogs" by Monty Don, tells the story of Monty's golden retriever Nigel. Monty Don is the host of a British TV program called "Gardener's World." This is a very informative program. I've been able to watch episodes online, and I enjoy seeing the beautiful colors of the all the fabulous gardens.
Much of the program is filmed at Monty's own garden called Longmeadow. Nigel is part of each program. He always follows Monty around the garden. He is really a part of the program. Monty's other golden retriever named Nellie is also around, but she isn't part of things in the same way that Nigel is.
While Nigel is the main dog in this book, the book also gives details about Monty's relationship with several other dogs that he had as friends over the years. You can tell from Monty's writing that he really cares about the dogs in his life.
A nice aspect of the book is that there is a lot of information about how Monty's garden at Longmeadow is set up, and the care that it takes to keep the garden in proper condition.
Those who love dogs and those interested in gardening will certainly want to read this book. Those who watch "Gardener's World" will especially enjoy the book.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Verses For the Week and an Update
Hello. Happy New Year to everyone. I need to start this post with some information. I had someone try to hack my blog this weekend. They got in and put in links to other sites. I had to take the blog down and then restore it. In that process, the Weekend Sermon was deleted. If you didn't get to read it, I'm sorry. I don't have a copy of it unfortunately.
I think I have everything fixed on the blog. However, if there is more trouble. I will take the blog down again. Lord willing, and if all goes well, I will post the review tomorrow, and the sermon on Friday. We will be back in the book of Malachi.
Verses
Matthew 5:14 -- "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."
Matthew 6:34 -- "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
I think I have everything fixed on the blog. However, if there is more trouble. I will take the blog down again. Lord willing, and if all goes well, I will post the review tomorrow, and the sermon on Friday. We will be back in the book of Malachi.
Verses
Matthew 5:14 -- "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."
Matthew 6:34 -- "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
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