Welcome to this Easter edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to post this message, and I've enjoyed posting the other Holy Week messages this week. I hope that everyone is doing well, and I want to wish everyone a happy Easter.
This has been a wild week for me. On Monday, we had a horrible storm. I had a little damage to the house, but thanks be to God, I was able to get it fixed. Writing has been very good this week, and I am thankful to the Lord for that.
This week, we are getting a return to winter in my area. Please pray that the repairs I made on the house hold up in the blustery and cold weather. I had to do the repairs myself as getting someone to do them is too expensive. I did the best I could, but I have to admit that I'm not a very skilled person when it comes to home repairs.
In other prayer matters, I heard a report this week on NPR that there are still many people in Puerto Rico who need help. Please pray that they will receive the aid and the help that they need.
I've not heard anything lately about how recovery efforts are going in Papua New Guinea as a result of the earthquake. Let us continue to pray for that area, and I will try to get an update and report on that next week.
Please continue to pray for peace in the world. Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan and many other nations need peace. Let us pray for peace.
During this Easter season, let us pray that many people will hear of the love of Jesus. Let us pray specifically this week for the nations of India and Kuwait. Pray that many will hear and respond to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Yesterday was Good Friday. It is the day when Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins. He bore our sins in His body on the cross.
After Jesus was crucified and died on the cross, Fe was removed from the cross and buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. A great stone was rolled in front of the grave, it was sealed by Pilate, and a Roman guard was placed in front of the tomb.
Since Saturday was the Sabbath, no one visited Jesus' grave until the following day. Mary Magdalene and some other women came to the tomb early on Sunday morning. When they arrived, they found the stone rolled away from the grave.
An angel said that Jesus was not there. He had risen just as He said that He would.
Over the course of the next 40 days, Jesus would appear in His risen body to several different people. We read about this in I Corinthians 15. The Apostle Paul states that Jesus appeared to Peter and to the Twelve. (Judas was no more, they are still called the Twelve because Matthias was added to the number of the eleven remaining disciples). Paul says that Jesus appeared to more than 500 of the brothers and sisters. We know He appeared to Mary Magdalene. He also appeared to His brother James. I am sure that He appeared to His mother. Paul also says that Jesus appeared to him.
I Corinthians 15 is a great chapter in the Bible that speaks to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus and what that means to us who believe. Paul says in this chapter that the resurrection of the Jesus is of vital importance. He says in verse 17 that our faith is futile and we are still in our sins if Jesus did not rise bodily from the grave. In verse 18, Paul tells us that if Jesus is not risen from the dead, then those who have died are just dead. They have no eternal life. Paul says in verse 19 that if Jesus is not risen from the dead, we are of all people most to be pitied because we have believed in something that is not true.
Paul makes it clear that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. In Adam all died, but in the resurrection of Jesus, all have been made alive. By His resurrection from the dead, Jesus has conquered the result of sin.
On the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and secured our forgiveness. Through His resurrection, Jesus took away those things that sin brought. Sin resulted in death. Jesus defeated death, hell and grave through His glorious resurrection from the dead.
Because Jesus lives, we have the hope of everlasting life with Him. Because Jesus lives, we know that those who have died in Christ are with Him right at this very moment.
I find this to be of great comfort. Because Jesus rose from the dead, my Mom, Dad, friends and other family members are with Jesus right now. They believed in Jesus and what He did for them on the cross. I believe that my friend Toby is with Jesus, because I believe along with one of my spiritual heroes John Wesley that animals are in Heaven.
I know that I will see my loved ones again. Although I am sad that I can't be with them now, I know that when I die, or when Jesus returns in His glorious Second Advent, I will see all of them again. This is all possible because Jesus is the resurrection and the life.
Because Jesus rose from the dead, we will receive a glorified body like unto His glorified body. This old body with its pains and hurts will pass away, and we will receive a glorified body when we go to be with Jesus. As Paul tells us, our new bodies will be imperishable and immortal.
I know that I am looking forward to that. Right now, my Mom is well and doesn't have any limitations anymore from the stroke that devastated the last five years of her life. My Dad's knees that were so bad from arthritis are restored. My uncle who was a pastor and died of pancreatic cancer when he was 47 is cancer free and with Jesus.
This is possible because Jesus rose bodily from the grave on Easter Sunday morning. Thanks be to God.
I have two favorite passages in the Bible. One of them is found in John 11:25-26 which states, "I am the resurrection and life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die."
Jesus said this just before He raised Lazarus from the dead. It is my verse of hope. Jesus has risen. He is the resurrection. Whoever believes in Him and trusts in Him as Savior and Lord will have eternal life.
My second favorite verse tells me why I can be sure all of this is going to happen. Hebrews 13:8 says the Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. To me, this means that who Jesus was, He is and He will be. What He said, He is doing now, and He will do what He said in the future.
I don't know what the state of everyone's relationship with the Lord is who reads these sermons and messages that I post. I hope and pray that most of you know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. I hope that you are looking forward to the day when Jesus will come in power and great glory.
If you are reading this right now, and you have never turned to Jesus in repentance and faith, I hope that you will consider doing that today. Ask Jesus to forgive you. Believe that He took your sins on Himself on the cross. Believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Ask Jesus to be your Savior, and invite Him to be the Lord of your life. If you do that, the Bible says that you will become a new creation in Jesus. All the old things will pass away, and all things will become new. Trust in the Lord Jesus today.
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
Next week, we will go back to the regular blog schedule. On Monday, I will try to post the verses. I will have to see how much snow we get and if I can get to the library. On Wednesday, I will post a dog book review. This book really got to me in a good way. What a book. On Friday, I will post the Weekend Sermon. We will return to the series on misinterpreted passages. May God bless you all. Amen.
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Friday, March 30, 2018
Good Friday
This would normally be the day when I post the Weekend Sermon. However, since it is Holy Week, I will be posting a reflection on Good Friday today, and tomorrow I will post the Weekend Sermon about the glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus.
As part of your Bible reading for this day, I recommend that you read John chapter 19 and 20 and Isaiah 53. These chapters detail the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and what He did for us to save us from sin and death.
Today, I would like to focus on John 19:30 which states, "When he had finished the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
On this day, Jesus stood before Pilate. Jesus had not committed any crime. He was entirely sinless. Pilate knew that there was no reason that Jesus should be crucified. He went before the people and made them an offer. He said that he would release either Barabbas or Jesus. The people chose Barabbas. They cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate acquiesced to the wishes of the crowd, and he handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Jesus was beaten, spat upon and mocked. He was made to carry His own cross up Calvary's mountain. There he was nailed to a cross between two criminals. Even while He was on the cross, Jesus was mocked by those who had opposed His ministry.
Finally, after suffering in agony. Jesus said that it was finished, and He died. What did He mean it is finished. I believe that this statement has two meanings. First of all, Jesus ordeal of suffering was at an end. He had come into this world. He had humbled Himself and taken upon Himself the form of a servant. He was tempted in every manner like we are, but He was without sin. Jesus helped and loved everyone. He had died for the sins of the world. He had accomplished the task that was set before Him.
I also believe that when Jesus said, "It is finished" that He was referring to the act of redemption. I Peter 2:24 tells us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, by his wounds you have been healed."
On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the entire world. Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Jesus took the punishment that we deserved for our sins upon Himself on the cross. He completed the work of redemption.
Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can have forgiveness of sins. We can become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Verse 13 says, "Everyone who calls on the name of of the Lord will be saved."
It is my hope that you have called upon the name of Jesus for salvation. I hope that you have repented of your sins and asked Jesus to be your Savior and your Lord. He died on the cross for you and for me. He did it because He loves us.
If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to do so today. Call upon the name of the Lord, and trust in His unfailing love.
As part of your Bible reading for this day, I recommend that you read John chapter 19 and 20 and Isaiah 53. These chapters detail the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus and what He did for us to save us from sin and death.
Today, I would like to focus on John 19:30 which states, "When he had finished the drink, Jesus said, 'It is finished.' With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."
On this day, Jesus stood before Pilate. Jesus had not committed any crime. He was entirely sinless. Pilate knew that there was no reason that Jesus should be crucified. He went before the people and made them an offer. He said that he would release either Barabbas or Jesus. The people chose Barabbas. They cried out for the crucifixion of Jesus. Pilate acquiesced to the wishes of the crowd, and he handed Jesus over to be crucified.
Jesus was beaten, spat upon and mocked. He was made to carry His own cross up Calvary's mountain. There he was nailed to a cross between two criminals. Even while He was on the cross, Jesus was mocked by those who had opposed His ministry.
Finally, after suffering in agony. Jesus said that it was finished, and He died. What did He mean it is finished. I believe that this statement has two meanings. First of all, Jesus ordeal of suffering was at an end. He had come into this world. He had humbled Himself and taken upon Himself the form of a servant. He was tempted in every manner like we are, but He was without sin. Jesus helped and loved everyone. He had died for the sins of the world. He had accomplished the task that was set before Him.
I also believe that when Jesus said, "It is finished" that He was referring to the act of redemption. I Peter 2:24 tells us, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, by his wounds you have been healed."
On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the entire world. Jesus was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Jesus took the punishment that we deserved for our sins upon Himself on the cross. He completed the work of redemption.
Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we can have forgiveness of sins. We can become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Verse 13 says, "Everyone who calls on the name of of the Lord will be saved."
It is my hope that you have called upon the name of Jesus for salvation. I hope that you have repented of your sins and asked Jesus to be your Savior and your Lord. He died on the cross for you and for me. He did it because He loves us.
If you have not received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to do so today. Call upon the name of the Lord, and trust in His unfailing love.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Maundy Thursday -- John 13
This is Holy Week in the Christian calendar. Today is Maundy Thursday. On this day, Jesus was in the Upper Room with His disciples. Several things happened in the Upper Room. Today, we will focus on John 13 and see some of what Jesus taught His disciples and us.
On this day, Jesus instituted the sacrament of holy communion. The bread represents His body broken for us. The cup represents His blood that was shed for the remission of our sins.
After this, Jesus washed the disciples feet. He was their Lord and Master, yet He took upon Himself the role of a servant. Jesus called them, and He calls us to serve one another. We are not to find our worth in being greater than someone else. We are to find our purpose in serving one another. We seek what is best for others, and we try to help them the best way that we know how as we are led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus did not come to be served. He came to serve. He demonstrated this on this night by washing the disciples' feet. We must follow this example of service for others given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this night, Jesus knew who it was that would betray Him. One of those whom He had chosen would turn His back on Him. Jesus also predicted that Peter would deny knowing Him .
In this life, there will be situations when we must stand for Jesus. We must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let each of us commit ourselves to never turning away from the Lord Jesus. Let us acknowledge before the world that Jesus Christ is our Lord. Let us do this not only in word but also in deed.
Finally, we see in John 13 that Jesus gave a new commandment to those who would seek to follow after Him. John 13:34-35 states, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus called on us to love each other. We are to care for each other and help one another. We are to serve one another just as Jesus served. We are to have a heart filled with compassion to help those in this world who need assistance in body, mind, soul and spirit.
When people see the love that the followers of Jesus have for Him and for one another, that is what will turn their hearts to the Lord Jesus. They will see how different a life filled with the love of Jesus can be.
On this day, remember the love of Jesus. Remember the example of Jesus. Let us love and serve one another.
On this day, Jesus instituted the sacrament of holy communion. The bread represents His body broken for us. The cup represents His blood that was shed for the remission of our sins.
After this, Jesus washed the disciples feet. He was their Lord and Master, yet He took upon Himself the role of a servant. Jesus called them, and He calls us to serve one another. We are not to find our worth in being greater than someone else. We are to find our purpose in serving one another. We seek what is best for others, and we try to help them the best way that we know how as we are led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus did not come to be served. He came to serve. He demonstrated this on this night by washing the disciples' feet. We must follow this example of service for others given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this night, Jesus knew who it was that would betray Him. One of those whom He had chosen would turn His back on Him. Jesus also predicted that Peter would deny knowing Him .
In this life, there will be situations when we must stand for Jesus. We must not be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let each of us commit ourselves to never turning away from the Lord Jesus. Let us acknowledge before the world that Jesus Christ is our Lord. Let us do this not only in word but also in deed.
Finally, we see in John 13 that Jesus gave a new commandment to those who would seek to follow after Him. John 13:34-35 states, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must also love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus called on us to love each other. We are to care for each other and help one another. We are to serve one another just as Jesus served. We are to have a heart filled with compassion to help those in this world who need assistance in body, mind, soul and spirit.
When people see the love that the followers of Jesus have for Him and for one another, that is what will turn their hearts to the Lord Jesus. They will see how different a life filled with the love of Jesus can be.
On this day, remember the love of Jesus. Remember the example of Jesus. Let us love and serve one another.
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
Book Review -- "Tomorrow: A Novel"
The book I am reviewing today is entitled "Tomorrow: A Novel" written by Damian Dibben. Mr. Dibben is the author of several novels written for younger readers. "Tomorrow" is his first novel written for adults, and it is an outstanding book. I say that for two reasons. First, let me tell you a little about the book.
This book is about the relationship of a dog and his master that goes down through the centuries. It lasts for centuries because both the dog and the man will live forever.
The dog's master came upon a way to provide eternal life to those who partake of a particular formula. The master underwent the procedure, and so has his dog who he refers to throughout the book as "my champion".
The man and champion have lived together and had adventures down through the years. Then they come to the city of Venice. The pair enter the cathedral, and the man tells the dog that if they become separated to wait at the stairs of the church. He will find him.
The man vanishes, and we start the novel with the faithful dog waiting at the stairs of the cathedral. He has waited at the cathedral for 127 years.
Down through the years, the dog has known and lost friends. Still he waits. Until one day, he and a dog friend decide to find the missing master. A great adventure begins.
This is a book for which I feel I can't reveal too much more of the plot or I will spoil it. I don't even want to reveal the dog and the man's names as that is part of the revelation of the novel.
As I said, I enjoyed this book for two reasons. The first reason is that it is a tremendous book about the relationship between a man and a dog. You could not find two more loyal friends.
The other reason that this book is so good is that the writing is excellent. When the author describes a battle or a historical location, you feel as if you are right there. The descriptive way in which he writes allows the reader to see a vivid picture of the events within the mind.
There are other reasons to recommend this book. I enjoyed the research the author put into the book. The situations with real historical characters are well done.
I also like the way that the plot unfolds. One chapter will deal with action in the dog's present. The next chapter will detail an even from the dog's and the man's past that is relevant to their current situation. This carries on through the book until the last few chapters when everything comes together for a great conclusion.
I highly recommend "Tomorrow: A Novel". I hope that you will read it and that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
This book is about the relationship of a dog and his master that goes down through the centuries. It lasts for centuries because both the dog and the man will live forever.
The dog's master came upon a way to provide eternal life to those who partake of a particular formula. The master underwent the procedure, and so has his dog who he refers to throughout the book as "my champion".
The man and champion have lived together and had adventures down through the years. Then they come to the city of Venice. The pair enter the cathedral, and the man tells the dog that if they become separated to wait at the stairs of the church. He will find him.
The man vanishes, and we start the novel with the faithful dog waiting at the stairs of the cathedral. He has waited at the cathedral for 127 years.
Down through the years, the dog has known and lost friends. Still he waits. Until one day, he and a dog friend decide to find the missing master. A great adventure begins.
This is a book for which I feel I can't reveal too much more of the plot or I will spoil it. I don't even want to reveal the dog and the man's names as that is part of the revelation of the novel.
As I said, I enjoyed this book for two reasons. The first reason is that it is a tremendous book about the relationship between a man and a dog. You could not find two more loyal friends.
The other reason that this book is so good is that the writing is excellent. When the author describes a battle or a historical location, you feel as if you are right there. The descriptive way in which he writes allows the reader to see a vivid picture of the events within the mind.
There are other reasons to recommend this book. I enjoyed the research the author put into the book. The situations with real historical characters are well done.
I also like the way that the plot unfolds. One chapter will deal with action in the dog's present. The next chapter will detail an even from the dog's and the man's past that is relevant to their current situation. This carries on through the book until the last few chapters when everything comes together for a great conclusion.
I highly recommend "Tomorrow: A Novel". I hope that you will read it and that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Monday, March 26, 2018
Verses For the Week
The storms in my area last night into this morning have been bad. Please pray that things will improve. Thank you.
John 3:16-17 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
I Corinthians 15:22 -- "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive."
John 3:16-17 -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but shall have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
I Corinthians 15:22 -- "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all shall be made alive."
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Prayer Request
I would like to ask for your prayers on two matters. First of all, please pray that I can get my house sold quickly. Second, please pray that the storms predicted for tonight and tomorrow won't be bad. Thank you for your prayers.
Friday, March 23, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- "Dominion?"
Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to post the sermon this week. I hope that all of you are doing very well.
This has been a good week in writing, and I want to thank the Lord for that. I also want to thank the Lord for allowing me to get the work done around the house that I needed to get done. I've been having a lot of pain in my legs and feet these past few months, but I've been able to get the work done that I need to. I'm hopeful that I won't have as much pain. I've had arthritis since I was in my early 20s, and after a period where it wasn't too bad, it has gotten worse again. I think that it will improve now that the weather is getting warm and I'm out and about.
Over the weekend, they are calling for some more heavy rain near where I live. Would you please pray that it does not rain so much as that it causes problems. Thank you.
Let us all pray this week for those in Papua New Guinea who are recovering from the earthquake. Pray that these folks receive all the aid that they need.
Let us also pray for those in Puerto Rico who are recovering from the damage done by the hurricane. There is much that still needs to be done in Puerto Rico.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Pray for peace in Syria and Yemen. NPR had special reports from Yemen this week. The situation there is quite bad.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for Taiwan and the Central African Republic. Pray that people in these nations will hear of the love of Jesus.
If you've read the blog this week, you know that I've had a couple of posts about the death of the last male northern white rhino named Sudan. This has really bothered me. It is a tragedy that human beings have hunted these animals to the point of extinction.
I was going to post the message for today later next month as part of our ongoing series, but in light of what has happened this week, I decided to move it up to this week.
We have been in a series of messages about verses that are taken out of context and verses that are misinterpreted. Today, I would like to deal with some of the prevalent misinterpretation of Genesis 1:26 and how these misinterpretations have led to humanity's disregard for animals and the environment.
First, let's state what Genesis 1:26 states. This is from the New King James Version, "Then God said, let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Many have interpreted this passage to mean two things that it does not mean. First, some interpret this to mean that God has given this world and the animals to people to use in whatever manner humans wish to use them. They say that we can hunt animals, use them for sport, food, entertainment or whatever we wish. We can exploit the natural resources of this planet as we wish for our own use. Those that interpret this verse this way have little regard for environmentalism, and they often belittle the whole idea behind man made climate change.
The second way that this verse is misinterpreted is that people will make the false claim that God made the world and its animals for humans. It is a view that is easily disproved from the Bible.
Let's start with the first misinterpretation. God has given human beings the responsibility to take care of the earth for Him. We have not been given the world to do with it as we wish for ourselves. The Bible is clear that the earth is the Lords.
Psalm 24:1 states, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." Psalm 50:10 states, "For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." Verse 11, "I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine." Job 41:11 states, "Everything under heaven belongs to Me."
I believe that we can clearly see from these verses that God is the one who owns this earth. We are the ones who were called to tend and care for the earth. We see this in Genesis 2:15.
Dominion can work two ways. Let's look at some governmental examples. A dictator can have dominion over his people such as Stalin had over the Soviet Union. He used his position to oppress and destroy. While not perfect, there have been many other leaders in the world who tried to do what is right and help people.
We are supposed to take care of what God has made. We are supposed to take care of the animals and the environment as good stewards of what belongs to God. We are not to exploit the earth to the point of environmental calamity and hunt animals to the brink of extinction.
The Bible is clear that animals weren't put on this earth for the use of humans. People were originally commanded by God to be vegetarians. It was not until after the flood in Noah's day that God allowed meat eating.
When Jesus returns, animals and humans will live together as they did in the Garden of Eden. There won't be any predation, and people won't eat animals anymore.
I've decided to just live in light of the reign of Jesus in this matter. Since I won't be eating animals then, I've decided to not do it now.
Now, let's look at the second way that dominion is misinterpreted. Some say that God made the world and the animals in it for humans. The Bible says that all things were made by and for Jesus Christ. We see this in Colossians 1:16 which states, "For in him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him." I think that that is pretty clear.
It pains me to see those who call themselves Christians at the forefront of the anti-environmental movement. I feel terrible when I see Christians advocating exploitation of animals and the beauty of this world.
We do not have the right to destroy this world for our own benefit. This is God's world. We are to keep it in a good way for Him. We are to respect what he has made.
Think about this. The Lord made those beautiful animals like the rhinos, tigers, elephants and whales that are hunted and killed for sport. How do you think the Lord feels about that?
I hope that you will read this sermon today and consider ways to be a good steward of what the Lord has made. Think about what you eat and wear. Think about how what you do affects the planet. Think about how you can rightly care for the earth that the Lord has made.
Next week is Holy Week. We will have a different schedule. I will post the verses on Monday. On Wednesday, I will have a review of an excellent dog book. On Thursday I will have a post regarding Maundy Thursday. On Friday, there will be a Good Friday post. The Weekend Sermon will be about Easter and will appear on Saturday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This has been a good week in writing, and I want to thank the Lord for that. I also want to thank the Lord for allowing me to get the work done around the house that I needed to get done. I've been having a lot of pain in my legs and feet these past few months, but I've been able to get the work done that I need to. I'm hopeful that I won't have as much pain. I've had arthritis since I was in my early 20s, and after a period where it wasn't too bad, it has gotten worse again. I think that it will improve now that the weather is getting warm and I'm out and about.
Over the weekend, they are calling for some more heavy rain near where I live. Would you please pray that it does not rain so much as that it causes problems. Thank you.
Let us all pray this week for those in Papua New Guinea who are recovering from the earthquake. Pray that these folks receive all the aid that they need.
Let us also pray for those in Puerto Rico who are recovering from the damage done by the hurricane. There is much that still needs to be done in Puerto Rico.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Pray for peace in Syria and Yemen. NPR had special reports from Yemen this week. The situation there is quite bad.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for Taiwan and the Central African Republic. Pray that people in these nations will hear of the love of Jesus.
If you've read the blog this week, you know that I've had a couple of posts about the death of the last male northern white rhino named Sudan. This has really bothered me. It is a tragedy that human beings have hunted these animals to the point of extinction.
I was going to post the message for today later next month as part of our ongoing series, but in light of what has happened this week, I decided to move it up to this week.
We have been in a series of messages about verses that are taken out of context and verses that are misinterpreted. Today, I would like to deal with some of the prevalent misinterpretation of Genesis 1:26 and how these misinterpretations have led to humanity's disregard for animals and the environment.
First, let's state what Genesis 1:26 states. This is from the New King James Version, "Then God said, let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
Many have interpreted this passage to mean two things that it does not mean. First, some interpret this to mean that God has given this world and the animals to people to use in whatever manner humans wish to use them. They say that we can hunt animals, use them for sport, food, entertainment or whatever we wish. We can exploit the natural resources of this planet as we wish for our own use. Those that interpret this verse this way have little regard for environmentalism, and they often belittle the whole idea behind man made climate change.
The second way that this verse is misinterpreted is that people will make the false claim that God made the world and its animals for humans. It is a view that is easily disproved from the Bible.
Let's start with the first misinterpretation. God has given human beings the responsibility to take care of the earth for Him. We have not been given the world to do with it as we wish for ourselves. The Bible is clear that the earth is the Lords.
Psalm 24:1 states, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it." Psalm 50:10 states, "For every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills." Verse 11, "I know every bird in the mountains, and the insects in the fields are mine." Job 41:11 states, "Everything under heaven belongs to Me."
I believe that we can clearly see from these verses that God is the one who owns this earth. We are the ones who were called to tend and care for the earth. We see this in Genesis 2:15.
Dominion can work two ways. Let's look at some governmental examples. A dictator can have dominion over his people such as Stalin had over the Soviet Union. He used his position to oppress and destroy. While not perfect, there have been many other leaders in the world who tried to do what is right and help people.
We are supposed to take care of what God has made. We are supposed to take care of the animals and the environment as good stewards of what belongs to God. We are not to exploit the earth to the point of environmental calamity and hunt animals to the brink of extinction.
The Bible is clear that animals weren't put on this earth for the use of humans. People were originally commanded by God to be vegetarians. It was not until after the flood in Noah's day that God allowed meat eating.
When Jesus returns, animals and humans will live together as they did in the Garden of Eden. There won't be any predation, and people won't eat animals anymore.
I've decided to just live in light of the reign of Jesus in this matter. Since I won't be eating animals then, I've decided to not do it now.
Now, let's look at the second way that dominion is misinterpreted. Some say that God made the world and the animals in it for humans. The Bible says that all things were made by and for Jesus Christ. We see this in Colossians 1:16 which states, "For in him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him." I think that that is pretty clear.
It pains me to see those who call themselves Christians at the forefront of the anti-environmental movement. I feel terrible when I see Christians advocating exploitation of animals and the beauty of this world.
We do not have the right to destroy this world for our own benefit. This is God's world. We are to keep it in a good way for Him. We are to respect what he has made.
Think about this. The Lord made those beautiful animals like the rhinos, tigers, elephants and whales that are hunted and killed for sport. How do you think the Lord feels about that?
I hope that you will read this sermon today and consider ways to be a good steward of what the Lord has made. Think about what you eat and wear. Think about how what you do affects the planet. Think about how you can rightly care for the earth that the Lord has made.
Next week is Holy Week. We will have a different schedule. I will post the verses on Monday. On Wednesday, I will have a review of an excellent dog book. On Thursday I will have a post regarding Maundy Thursday. On Friday, there will be a Good Friday post. The Weekend Sermon will be about Easter and will appear on Saturday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Book Recommendations About Rhinos
In view of the fact that the last male northern white rhino died this week, I am not going to post the book review I had planned. Instead, I am going to post some book recommendations. The following are some good books about rhinos that you might like to read.
"Rhino Rescue" by Garry Hamilton
"The Black Rhinos of Namibia" by Rick Bass
"The Last Rhinos" by Lawrence Anthony
"The Last Wild Rhino" by Tony Maxwell
"Remembering Rhinos" by Mark Carwardine
"Rhino Rescue" by Garry Hamilton
"The Black Rhinos of Namibia" by Rick Bass
"The Last Rhinos" by Lawrence Anthony
"The Last Wild Rhino" by Tony Maxwell
"Remembering Rhinos" by Mark Carwardine
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
A Sad Day
Yesterday, the last northern white rhino on earth passed away. His name was Sudan. Two female northern white rhinos are all that remain on earth.
I saw a program on Nature about Sudan just a couple of weeks ago. He had a dedicated team of people who looked after him. I know that they will miss him.
This species is left with just two members because human beings in their greed hunted and poached these animals to this point. People have killed these animals to get their horns for ornaments and for what are believed to be health remedies but are absolutely not.
So many animals are on the brink of extinction. It's because human beings will not do what is right.
I am very sad about this today. When will people learn.
I saw a program on Nature about Sudan just a couple of weeks ago. He had a dedicated team of people who looked after him. I know that they will miss him.
This species is left with just two members because human beings in their greed hunted and poached these animals to this point. People have killed these animals to get their horns for ornaments and for what are believed to be health remedies but are absolutely not.
So many animals are on the brink of extinction. It's because human beings will not do what is right.
I am very sad about this today. When will people learn.
Monday, March 19, 2018
Verses For the Week
Before I post the verses, I would like to ask you to pray about a matter. We are having extremely heavy rains where I live. There is the possibility of flooding. Please pray that these storms will move out soon, and that there won't be any damage. Thank you.
I Thessalonians 5:11 - "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
Psalm 31:24 -- "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."
I Thessalonians 5:11 - "Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."
Psalm 31:24 -- "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."
Friday, March 16, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- "God Won't Give You More Than You Can Handle?"
Welcome to this edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon, and other posts on the blog, this week. I hope that everyone is having a very good week.
I have been having a good week in writing. I am thankful to the Lord for that. I had fun posting some good memories on the blog yesterday. I hope you will read that post if you get the chance.
I would like to ask for your prayers in a couple of matters. First of all, the weather people are calling for some bad storms in my part of the country today. Please pray that these bad storms do not materialize. Also, I am having a health concern. I haven't been feeling well, and I've been on some antibiotics. This medicine is making me sick. Please pray that I will start to feel better. Thank you for your prayers.
In other matters of prayer, please pray for those in Papua New Guinea who need assistance following the earthquake there. The last report I read stated that 145 were now reported dead, and the nation was still having small earthquakes. Pray that these people will receive the aid and assistance that they need.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico recovering from the hurricane. Also, pray for those in the eastern part of the United States who had the bad snow storm with wind.
Let us continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray of peace in Syria. Let us also remember to pray for peace in Libya, Yemen, South Sudan and Afghanistan.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Botswana and Kyrgyzstan. Pray that those in these two nations will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
Over the last few weeks now, we have been in a series of messages studying some verses that are often taken out of context and some phrases people use thinking that they are in the Bible, but they really are not,
Last week, I stated that we would be studying a verse that records a statement from Jesus that is often misinterpreted. I have felt led to hold off on that. I want to study on that at least one more week.
Today, we will focus on a statement that is commonly made that many people think is in the Bible, but it isn't. It isn't even good theology.
Many times when people are going through a difficult situation in life, people will hear someone say to them, "Hang in there. God won't give you more than you can handle." I'm sure most of us have heard this.
This statement is a misstatement of a verse found in I Corinthians 10:13 which states, "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
Now, I think that it is quite evident that this verse is saying something quite different from the common statement about God won't give you more than you can handle.
Let's look at what this verse actually is teaching, and then let's look at why the statement in question is dangerous psychologically and theologically.
First of all, in I Corinthians 10:13, Paul is telling people that all of us will fall into temptation. The Bible is quite clear in James 1:13-15 that temptations do not come from God. We are tempted by our own desires to do what is wrong.
Paul is telling us that when we find ourselves being tempted, we don't have to fall into sin. God provides a way of escape from temptation so that we do not sin against Him. We can't put the blame on God when we do wrong. When we do something wrong, it is our own fault.
Those of us who know Jesus as Lord have the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts when we are tempted giving us the strength not to sin. It is our responsibility to listen to the promptings of the Spirit, and flee from temptations.
Now, why is the statement "God won't give you more than you can handle" psychologically troubling. When people hear this who are going through difficult times, it often makes them feel inadequate. If a person is really struggling, and they know that they aren't handling the problems in their life, they feel like they aren't measuring up if they can't overcome by themselves. This just leads to further depression and anxiety.
There are times in this life when we need help. Those who suffer from depression, anxiety or other psychological difficulties often need to seek counseling. Some need to be on medications to help them make it through. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help to get through the difficulties in this life. No one should feel ashamed or be made to feel ashamed that they can't cope and need help.
So, what is wrong with the statement theologically. First of all, it implies that God is placing suffering and burdens on people. I do believe that God can bring a trial to help us becoming a better person. However, I don't believe that God is bringing pain and suffering on His children to see what they can handle.
Much of the suffering and hurt in this world happens because we live in a sinful world. Bad things happen to everyone. No one is immune from losing those they love. Most people will face some type of difficulty in life. I don't see that God is the one bringing these things on people. They just happen because right now the world isn't the way that it is supposed to be.
I don't think that God made me have depression or be born with a bad immune system. I don't think that God sent a stroke to afflict my Mother with its effects for five years. I don't think that God sent the flu to kill one of my friends when he was only 49 years old. These things happened because there is bad in the world.
There is another theological problem with the statement. God wants us to let Him handle our problems, we don't have to carry the load ourselves. I Peter 5:7 tells us that we are to cast all of our cares and anxieties on the Lord because He cares for us. Jesus told us that if we come to Him, He will give us rest.
When times are hard in this life, we need to take our hardships, burdens and troubles to the Lord Jesus. This shows that we are not sufficient in and of ourselves to get through this life. We need to realize that we are dependent on the Lord to see us through.
We are also called to help bear one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2 states, "Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Those of us who know Jesus need to help each other out. We need to help each other when things get to hard to handle for someone.
Finally, Jesus did not say that He would deliver us from every problem in life. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. All of the Apostles suffered, and 11 were put to death.
Jesus did say that He would be with us through this life and throughout eternity. He told us that He would be there to give us strength until and through that day when we come to be with Him in the place that He has gone to prepare for us.
I know that I could not have made it through to this point in my life without the presence and help of the Lord Jesus. I still have troubles. But, through them, Jesus gives me strength. And He has sent others to help me. He gave me my friend Toby to help me in one of the harder times in my life.
I hope that if you are going through a difficult situation that you will seek help if you need it. Don't feel that if you ask for help that that makes you less of a Christian. Also, pray and ask the Lord Jesus to make you aware of His presence.
If you know of someone who is sad or struggling, be there for that person. Encourage them and help them make it through to a better day.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday, and I will post a review on Wednesday. Next Friday, I will post the sermon, and we will continue with our current series. May God bless you all. Amen.
I have been having a good week in writing. I am thankful to the Lord for that. I had fun posting some good memories on the blog yesterday. I hope you will read that post if you get the chance.
I would like to ask for your prayers in a couple of matters. First of all, the weather people are calling for some bad storms in my part of the country today. Please pray that these bad storms do not materialize. Also, I am having a health concern. I haven't been feeling well, and I've been on some antibiotics. This medicine is making me sick. Please pray that I will start to feel better. Thank you for your prayers.
In other matters of prayer, please pray for those in Papua New Guinea who need assistance following the earthquake there. The last report I read stated that 145 were now reported dead, and the nation was still having small earthquakes. Pray that these people will receive the aid and assistance that they need.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico recovering from the hurricane. Also, pray for those in the eastern part of the United States who had the bad snow storm with wind.
Let us continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray of peace in Syria. Let us also remember to pray for peace in Libya, Yemen, South Sudan and Afghanistan.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Botswana and Kyrgyzstan. Pray that those in these two nations will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
Over the last few weeks now, we have been in a series of messages studying some verses that are often taken out of context and some phrases people use thinking that they are in the Bible, but they really are not,
Last week, I stated that we would be studying a verse that records a statement from Jesus that is often misinterpreted. I have felt led to hold off on that. I want to study on that at least one more week.
Today, we will focus on a statement that is commonly made that many people think is in the Bible, but it isn't. It isn't even good theology.
Many times when people are going through a difficult situation in life, people will hear someone say to them, "Hang in there. God won't give you more than you can handle." I'm sure most of us have heard this.
This statement is a misstatement of a verse found in I Corinthians 10:13 which states, "But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it."
Now, I think that it is quite evident that this verse is saying something quite different from the common statement about God won't give you more than you can handle.
Let's look at what this verse actually is teaching, and then let's look at why the statement in question is dangerous psychologically and theologically.
First of all, in I Corinthians 10:13, Paul is telling people that all of us will fall into temptation. The Bible is quite clear in James 1:13-15 that temptations do not come from God. We are tempted by our own desires to do what is wrong.
Paul is telling us that when we find ourselves being tempted, we don't have to fall into sin. God provides a way of escape from temptation so that we do not sin against Him. We can't put the blame on God when we do wrong. When we do something wrong, it is our own fault.
Those of us who know Jesus as Lord have the Holy Spirit within us. The Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts when we are tempted giving us the strength not to sin. It is our responsibility to listen to the promptings of the Spirit, and flee from temptations.
Now, why is the statement "God won't give you more than you can handle" psychologically troubling. When people hear this who are going through difficult times, it often makes them feel inadequate. If a person is really struggling, and they know that they aren't handling the problems in their life, they feel like they aren't measuring up if they can't overcome by themselves. This just leads to further depression and anxiety.
There are times in this life when we need help. Those who suffer from depression, anxiety or other psychological difficulties often need to seek counseling. Some need to be on medications to help them make it through. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for help to get through the difficulties in this life. No one should feel ashamed or be made to feel ashamed that they can't cope and need help.
So, what is wrong with the statement theologically. First of all, it implies that God is placing suffering and burdens on people. I do believe that God can bring a trial to help us becoming a better person. However, I don't believe that God is bringing pain and suffering on His children to see what they can handle.
Much of the suffering and hurt in this world happens because we live in a sinful world. Bad things happen to everyone. No one is immune from losing those they love. Most people will face some type of difficulty in life. I don't see that God is the one bringing these things on people. They just happen because right now the world isn't the way that it is supposed to be.
I don't think that God made me have depression or be born with a bad immune system. I don't think that God sent a stroke to afflict my Mother with its effects for five years. I don't think that God sent the flu to kill one of my friends when he was only 49 years old. These things happened because there is bad in the world.
There is another theological problem with the statement. God wants us to let Him handle our problems, we don't have to carry the load ourselves. I Peter 5:7 tells us that we are to cast all of our cares and anxieties on the Lord because He cares for us. Jesus told us that if we come to Him, He will give us rest.
When times are hard in this life, we need to take our hardships, burdens and troubles to the Lord Jesus. This shows that we are not sufficient in and of ourselves to get through this life. We need to realize that we are dependent on the Lord to see us through.
We are also called to help bear one another's burdens. Galatians 6:2 states, "Share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ." Those of us who know Jesus need to help each other out. We need to help each other when things get to hard to handle for someone.
Finally, Jesus did not say that He would deliver us from every problem in life. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. All of the Apostles suffered, and 11 were put to death.
Jesus did say that He would be with us through this life and throughout eternity. He told us that He would be there to give us strength until and through that day when we come to be with Him in the place that He has gone to prepare for us.
I know that I could not have made it through to this point in my life without the presence and help of the Lord Jesus. I still have troubles. But, through them, Jesus gives me strength. And He has sent others to help me. He gave me my friend Toby to help me in one of the harder times in my life.
I hope that if you are going through a difficult situation that you will seek help if you need it. Don't feel that if you ask for help that that makes you less of a Christian. Also, pray and ask the Lord Jesus to make you aware of His presence.
If you know of someone who is sad or struggling, be there for that person. Encourage them and help them make it through to a better day.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday, and I will post a review on Wednesday. Next Friday, I will post the sermon, and we will continue with our current series. May God bless you all. Amen.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Spring Memories of My Friend Toby
I know that it is officially still winter, but where I live in the very middle of the United States, it's over 70 degrees and sunny right now. This springtime like weather gets me to thinking of some of the things that I did with my friend Toby during this time of the year. We liked to get out of the house and do things during this time of year when it wasn't too cold and it wasn't too hot. Neither of us liked the really cold, and in the humidity of summer, we were both useless.
One thing that we loved to do on nice days in spring was to go for walks out in the orchard. We had a fairly good sized lot on the side of our house where we had fruit trees. At one time, we had about 10 apple trees, 5 cherry trees, 2 plum trees, 3 pear trees and an apricot tree. We also had grapes and strawberries. Next to the orchard we had a big garden for growing vegetables.
In the afternoons, we used to go for nice walks in the orchard. Neither of us liked to walk very fast, so we would have a leisurely stroll among the fruit trees. When they started to blossom, they were so beautiful.
We'd start to put the garden in in March. We'd plant spinach, lettuce, radishes, onions, carrots and peas as early crops. The green beans, corn and tomatoes had to wait until later in the year.
I would go out with Toby, and we would collect the vegetables from the garden in the spring. Like I said, we didn't go out much in the summer humidity. Neither of us could breathe well when it was really humid. For some reason, my asthma has always been worse in the hot and humid weather.
As soon as it was warmer weather in the spring, we would play our favorite game of hide and seek. I would hide somewhere, and them my Mom would let Toby out to see how long it took to find me. I would watch as he would put his nose to the ground and follow me right to where I was at.
One day, we were outside and I had Mom hold Toby behind the barn so he couldn't see where I was going to hide. I thought that I would play a trick on him and hide somewhere in the house.
Mom let him go, and Toby started to track me. He came right to the front door of the house. My Mom kept telling him that I wasn't in there, but he barked and barked to go in. She let him in, and he came right to where I was.
Toby was an excellent tracker. I believe that if I'd have entered him in some AKC tracking dog events that he would have been able to get at least his first level tracking dog title. I never sent his papers in when he came to live with me. I really didn't care about all of that. My parents had collies that they took to dog shows, but I never liked it all that much. Those collies weren't my dogs. Toby was my dog and mine alone.
One thing that neither of us liked during the spring was the storms that come to the Midwest. One day, I was working on my Bible College work when the tornado siren went off in the little town where I live.
We had a very small storm shelter out in the back yard, so I picked Toby up and we headed out there. My folks weren't home, so it was just Toby and me. We just got into the shelter when the wind started to blow terribly. Then the hail started. It just pounded down.
Toby was so fearless about everything. He always barked at the thunder. Finally, I decided that it was safe to come out. Thankfully, we only had some minor damage to a couple of trees. The tornado passed to the north and took out a barn and a shed about one mile away.
One other thing that we always did in the spring was have cookouts on the back patio. It was my job to cook everything on the grill. This is back in the days when I still ate meat. We had some great cookouts.
Toby was different in so many ways. He is the only dog that I've ever known who didn't like beef very much. When I cooked steaks out on the grill, I would always cook a little bit so that he could have some. But, he wasn't too interested in steak. He never wanted to eat any pot roast. Now, if I cooked chicken, that was a whole different story. I think that he could eat two or three chickens in little to no time.
Just one more thing I wanted to mention. I like to reminisce about my best friend. One year, my Mom bought an old sports car from one of the doctors she worked for. My Mom was the financial manager for a cardiology group that had about 25 doctors in it. Well, one of the doctors had an old 1979 Datsun 280 ZX that he wanted to get rid of. He let Mom buy it for next to nothing.
She let me drive that car. I would take Toby for rides in that car and we had the best time. It was super fast. I shouldn't say this as I post sermons and talk about religion here on the blog, but old Tobe and I did go quite fast in that car on the wide open road. I'd remove the T-tops, and we were off to the races with the wind whipping through the car. That car rusted to pieces. I did love that car. For about a two month period, I had to take Toby to the veterinarian in the town about 7 miles over from us three times a week. He was having a health problem and needed to be monitored. We always took the Datsun. I know that Toby loved that car too because that is the car he would immediately go to whenever we were going on a trip whether to the veterinarian or someplace else. I thought he always looked a little sad when we got into the car that was actually mine. I had an older Oldsmobile.
Well, I could write on and on. I get to missing Toby more than I usually do some days, and I feel better when I remember the days when we were together, and I was happy.
One thing that we loved to do on nice days in spring was to go for walks out in the orchard. We had a fairly good sized lot on the side of our house where we had fruit trees. At one time, we had about 10 apple trees, 5 cherry trees, 2 plum trees, 3 pear trees and an apricot tree. We also had grapes and strawberries. Next to the orchard we had a big garden for growing vegetables.
In the afternoons, we used to go for nice walks in the orchard. Neither of us liked to walk very fast, so we would have a leisurely stroll among the fruit trees. When they started to blossom, they were so beautiful.
We'd start to put the garden in in March. We'd plant spinach, lettuce, radishes, onions, carrots and peas as early crops. The green beans, corn and tomatoes had to wait until later in the year.
I would go out with Toby, and we would collect the vegetables from the garden in the spring. Like I said, we didn't go out much in the summer humidity. Neither of us could breathe well when it was really humid. For some reason, my asthma has always been worse in the hot and humid weather.
As soon as it was warmer weather in the spring, we would play our favorite game of hide and seek. I would hide somewhere, and them my Mom would let Toby out to see how long it took to find me. I would watch as he would put his nose to the ground and follow me right to where I was at.
One day, we were outside and I had Mom hold Toby behind the barn so he couldn't see where I was going to hide. I thought that I would play a trick on him and hide somewhere in the house.
Mom let him go, and Toby started to track me. He came right to the front door of the house. My Mom kept telling him that I wasn't in there, but he barked and barked to go in. She let him in, and he came right to where I was.
Toby was an excellent tracker. I believe that if I'd have entered him in some AKC tracking dog events that he would have been able to get at least his first level tracking dog title. I never sent his papers in when he came to live with me. I really didn't care about all of that. My parents had collies that they took to dog shows, but I never liked it all that much. Those collies weren't my dogs. Toby was my dog and mine alone.
One thing that neither of us liked during the spring was the storms that come to the Midwest. One day, I was working on my Bible College work when the tornado siren went off in the little town where I live.
We had a very small storm shelter out in the back yard, so I picked Toby up and we headed out there. My folks weren't home, so it was just Toby and me. We just got into the shelter when the wind started to blow terribly. Then the hail started. It just pounded down.
Toby was so fearless about everything. He always barked at the thunder. Finally, I decided that it was safe to come out. Thankfully, we only had some minor damage to a couple of trees. The tornado passed to the north and took out a barn and a shed about one mile away.
One other thing that we always did in the spring was have cookouts on the back patio. It was my job to cook everything on the grill. This is back in the days when I still ate meat. We had some great cookouts.
Toby was different in so many ways. He is the only dog that I've ever known who didn't like beef very much. When I cooked steaks out on the grill, I would always cook a little bit so that he could have some. But, he wasn't too interested in steak. He never wanted to eat any pot roast. Now, if I cooked chicken, that was a whole different story. I think that he could eat two or three chickens in little to no time.
Just one more thing I wanted to mention. I like to reminisce about my best friend. One year, my Mom bought an old sports car from one of the doctors she worked for. My Mom was the financial manager for a cardiology group that had about 25 doctors in it. Well, one of the doctors had an old 1979 Datsun 280 ZX that he wanted to get rid of. He let Mom buy it for next to nothing.
She let me drive that car. I would take Toby for rides in that car and we had the best time. It was super fast. I shouldn't say this as I post sermons and talk about religion here on the blog, but old Tobe and I did go quite fast in that car on the wide open road. I'd remove the T-tops, and we were off to the races with the wind whipping through the car. That car rusted to pieces. I did love that car. For about a two month period, I had to take Toby to the veterinarian in the town about 7 miles over from us three times a week. He was having a health problem and needed to be monitored. We always took the Datsun. I know that Toby loved that car too because that is the car he would immediately go to whenever we were going on a trip whether to the veterinarian or someplace else. I thought he always looked a little sad when we got into the car that was actually mine. I had an older Oldsmobile.
Well, I could write on and on. I get to missing Toby more than I usually do some days, and I feel better when I remember the days when we were together, and I was happy.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
A DVD Recommendation and a Poem
I stated in the sermon on Friday that I was going to have a review of a dog book today. However, I saw a DVD that I wanted to recommend because it was so good. A couple of days ago, I checked out a DVD at the library called, "India's Wandering Lions". It was a program originally broadcast on Nature on PBS.
This was a fantastic video that showed how Asiatic lions are expanding and interacting with humans. At one time, Asiatic lions roamed throughout the Middle East and India. Because of hunting, the population dwindled all the way down to 20 lions who lived in the Gir Forest in India.
The Indian government placed the lions under protection, and the population recovered and stabilized around 300. In the last few years, the lion population has grown, and the lions have wandered outside of the Gir Forest area.
The DVD showed how the lions are getting food, and how the people in the villages are learning to live with lions so close. They are living with the lions without harming them.
I highly recommend this DVD. It is one of the best wildlife programs that I've seen for awhile.
Now, I would like to post a poem that I had published in The California Quarterly in 2004.
Fragments
A momentary glimpse
Fleeting, passing glances
Chit-chat conversations
Little insight into the soul.
Copyright. 2004 Willard Stringham
This was a fantastic video that showed how Asiatic lions are expanding and interacting with humans. At one time, Asiatic lions roamed throughout the Middle East and India. Because of hunting, the population dwindled all the way down to 20 lions who lived in the Gir Forest in India.
The Indian government placed the lions under protection, and the population recovered and stabilized around 300. In the last few years, the lion population has grown, and the lions have wandered outside of the Gir Forest area.
The DVD showed how the lions are getting food, and how the people in the villages are learning to live with lions so close. They are living with the lions without harming them.
I highly recommend this DVD. It is one of the best wildlife programs that I've seen for awhile.
Now, I would like to post a poem that I had published in The California Quarterly in 2004.
Fragments
A momentary glimpse
Fleeting, passing glances
Chit-chat conversations
Little insight into the soul.
Copyright. 2004 Willard Stringham
Monday, March 12, 2018
Verses For the Week
Psalm 55:6 -- "Oh, that I had wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest."
Hebrews 4:10 -- " For anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His."
Hebrews 4:10 -- " For anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His."
Friday, March 9, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- "If My People Which Are Called By My Name -- II Chronicles 7:14
Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you have taken the time to stop by and read the blog this week.
This has been a good week in many ways for me. I asked for prayer about the high winds. My house did OK, and the neighbor's house did not sustain any further damage. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
I also want to thank the Lord for letting me get quite a bit of writing work this week. I am still praying for the mole to exit my yard and go back out in the large field where no one cares if it is there. Please pray about this if you would.
In prayer this week, please pray for those in the eastern part of the United States who were hit with the big storm. Many thousands are still without power. Please pray that the power is restored soon.
Please continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico. There is still much to be done for those recovering from the hurricane there.
Let us also be in prayer for those in Papua New Guinea who are recovering from the effects of the earthquake. Pray that they will receive all the aid that they need.
Continue to pray for peace in this world. Syria needs peace. The situation there is like a nightmare. Let us also pray for peace in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Tunisia and Thailand. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of the Lord Jesus.
For the last couple of weeks, we have been in a series that is examining some of the passages in the Bible that are often taken out of context or are often misinterpreted. Today, we will continue with this series looking at one of the verses that is most taken out of context.
II Chronicles 7:14 if a verse that one often hears used in revival meetings. The evangelist or teacher will call on the church to repent so that God will restore the nation to what it once was. I've heard many sermons in my country of preachers saying that God will only restore America if the church first repents. They will then quote II Chronicles 7:14 as Scriptural support.
There's a problem with this. II Chronicles 7:14 in its proper context refers to Israel, the dedication of the Temple, and actual land restoration.
In order to find the context of the passage, Let's start with II Chronicles 7:12 and go through 16. Here is what it states, "Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, ' I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times, I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn for their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my house forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here. '"
Solomon had dedicated the Temple previous to these verses. God was pleased with the construction of the Temple and the offerings that Solomon and the people had made to Him during the time of the Temple dedication. God appeared to Solomon and assured Solomon that He would always be willing to forgive the people even if they sinned.
When the people of Israel sinned against God, punishment would often follow. However, God said that if the people of Israel would come to the Temple in humility and seek Him, God would hear them and heal the land of the effects of His judgment. We see the fulfillment of these words of the Lord time and time again in the history of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament.
God had and has a special relationship with the people of Israel. They are in a special way a people that are called by His name. The people of Israel are the nation that God has a covenant relationship with.
Those in the church are called God's people in a different way. We are the children of God through the salvation we receive through faith in Jesus Christ God's Son. When we trust in Jesus, we are adopted into God's family. He is our Father, and we are His children.
God has not abrogated His covenant with the Jewish people. When Jesus comes again, the Jewish people who follow Jesus will receive all the covenant blessings promised to David and Abraham. God has not forgotten His promises to His blessed nation.
I think that some of the misinterpretation of II Chronicles 7:14 comes in my country from a misunderstanding of how God relates to the nations of the world today. Some in my country have the view that God has a special relationship with the United States. They view the founding and settling of America as something like when Israel went into the land of Canaan. It's all part of the manifest destiny ideal.
There is a problem with this thinking. God does not favor one nation over another at this time. He doesn't love one group of people more than another group of people. God cares about and loves everyone. He wants all people to come unto Him.
The Lord Jesus cares about those who love Him if they live in the United States, Morocco, Vietnam, Bulgaria or wherever. There are Christians in every nation of the world. There aren't many in some, but there are Christians in every nation.
Now, does it mean that there is nothing that we can learn from this passage? I think that there is much to learn from this passage as long as we keep it in the right context. The problem comes when it is taught that God will heal a nation or bless a nation if the people in the church repent, humble themselves and pray. God promised that to Solomon and Israel.
What we can learn from this verse is that humility is important to God. We must put aside pride and repent when we know that we have committed a sin. We should pray and ask forgiveness of our sins. The Scripture that we should use to teach this is found in I John 1:8-9 which states, "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong."
Some people may feel that there isn't a big problem taking a verse out of context and using it to prove a point. I think that there is. Anytime that you take a verse out of context, you are altering the meaning. Also, taking a verse out of its proper context is often how false teachings come about. People will hear a verse quoted, believe that a teacher is speaking from the Bible, and they will believe the false teaching. A person that is firmly rooted and grounded in the truth will not succumb to false teaching because as a student of the Scripture, they will be able to rightly divide the Word in its proper context.
Next week, we will look at another often misused Scripture that is taken out of context. This time, Lord willing, we will look at something Jesus said that is often misused. On Monday, I will post the verses, and I will have a dog book review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This has been a good week in many ways for me. I asked for prayer about the high winds. My house did OK, and the neighbor's house did not sustain any further damage. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
I also want to thank the Lord for letting me get quite a bit of writing work this week. I am still praying for the mole to exit my yard and go back out in the large field where no one cares if it is there. Please pray about this if you would.
In prayer this week, please pray for those in the eastern part of the United States who were hit with the big storm. Many thousands are still without power. Please pray that the power is restored soon.
Please continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico. There is still much to be done for those recovering from the hurricane there.
Let us also be in prayer for those in Papua New Guinea who are recovering from the effects of the earthquake. Pray that they will receive all the aid that they need.
Continue to pray for peace in this world. Syria needs peace. The situation there is like a nightmare. Let us also pray for peace in Afghanistan, South Sudan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Tunisia and Thailand. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of the Lord Jesus.
For the last couple of weeks, we have been in a series that is examining some of the passages in the Bible that are often taken out of context or are often misinterpreted. Today, we will continue with this series looking at one of the verses that is most taken out of context.
II Chronicles 7:14 if a verse that one often hears used in revival meetings. The evangelist or teacher will call on the church to repent so that God will restore the nation to what it once was. I've heard many sermons in my country of preachers saying that God will only restore America if the church first repents. They will then quote II Chronicles 7:14 as Scriptural support.
There's a problem with this. II Chronicles 7:14 in its proper context refers to Israel, the dedication of the Temple, and actual land restoration.
In order to find the context of the passage, Let's start with II Chronicles 7:12 and go through 16. Here is what it states, "Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said, ' I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times, I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or I might command locusts to devour your crops, or I might send plagues among you. Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn for their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land. I will listen to every prayer made in this place, for I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be my house forever. My eyes and my heart will always be here. '"
Solomon had dedicated the Temple previous to these verses. God was pleased with the construction of the Temple and the offerings that Solomon and the people had made to Him during the time of the Temple dedication. God appeared to Solomon and assured Solomon that He would always be willing to forgive the people even if they sinned.
When the people of Israel sinned against God, punishment would often follow. However, God said that if the people of Israel would come to the Temple in humility and seek Him, God would hear them and heal the land of the effects of His judgment. We see the fulfillment of these words of the Lord time and time again in the history of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament.
God had and has a special relationship with the people of Israel. They are in a special way a people that are called by His name. The people of Israel are the nation that God has a covenant relationship with.
Those in the church are called God's people in a different way. We are the children of God through the salvation we receive through faith in Jesus Christ God's Son. When we trust in Jesus, we are adopted into God's family. He is our Father, and we are His children.
God has not abrogated His covenant with the Jewish people. When Jesus comes again, the Jewish people who follow Jesus will receive all the covenant blessings promised to David and Abraham. God has not forgotten His promises to His blessed nation.
I think that some of the misinterpretation of II Chronicles 7:14 comes in my country from a misunderstanding of how God relates to the nations of the world today. Some in my country have the view that God has a special relationship with the United States. They view the founding and settling of America as something like when Israel went into the land of Canaan. It's all part of the manifest destiny ideal.
There is a problem with this thinking. God does not favor one nation over another at this time. He doesn't love one group of people more than another group of people. God cares about and loves everyone. He wants all people to come unto Him.
The Lord Jesus cares about those who love Him if they live in the United States, Morocco, Vietnam, Bulgaria or wherever. There are Christians in every nation of the world. There aren't many in some, but there are Christians in every nation.
Now, does it mean that there is nothing that we can learn from this passage? I think that there is much to learn from this passage as long as we keep it in the right context. The problem comes when it is taught that God will heal a nation or bless a nation if the people in the church repent, humble themselves and pray. God promised that to Solomon and Israel.
What we can learn from this verse is that humility is important to God. We must put aside pride and repent when we know that we have committed a sin. We should pray and ask forgiveness of our sins. The Scripture that we should use to teach this is found in I John 1:8-9 which states, "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong."
Some people may feel that there isn't a big problem taking a verse out of context and using it to prove a point. I think that there is. Anytime that you take a verse out of context, you are altering the meaning. Also, taking a verse out of its proper context is often how false teachings come about. People will hear a verse quoted, believe that a teacher is speaking from the Bible, and they will believe the false teaching. A person that is firmly rooted and grounded in the truth will not succumb to false teaching because as a student of the Scripture, they will be able to rightly divide the Word in its proper context.
Next week, we will look at another often misused Scripture that is taken out of context. This time, Lord willing, we will look at something Jesus said that is often misused. On Monday, I will post the verses, and I will have a dog book review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Book Review -- "Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen"
At one time, a dog named Strongheart was the biggest movie star in Hollywood. This was during the days of silent movies in the 1920s. Strongheart was a German shepherd who starred in films like "The Silent Call" and "The Return of Boston Blackie".
In "Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen", author Candace Fleming writes a fictionalized account of a part of Strongheart's life. She writes about Strongheart's early days as a police dog and his first days in the movies.
This book is aimed at younger readers, and it is a very good introduction to the life of Strongheart. The illustrations in the book are by Eric Rohmann, and they are very well done.
This is a well-written book, and the story is presented well. There is a section in the back of the book that tells more of the true story of Strongheart.
While this is a fictionalized account of Strongheart, there is an excellent book that is a true to life account of Strongheart and his relationship with a man named J. Allen Boone. Strongheart and Mr. Boone spent much time together, and they were great friends. Mr. Boone's book is called "Kinship With All Life." It is written for an adult audience.
I recommend both of these books. If you go on YouTube, there is one movie available that will allow you to see Strongheart in the era of silent films.
In "Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen", author Candace Fleming writes a fictionalized account of a part of Strongheart's life. She writes about Strongheart's early days as a police dog and his first days in the movies.
This book is aimed at younger readers, and it is a very good introduction to the life of Strongheart. The illustrations in the book are by Eric Rohmann, and they are very well done.
This is a well-written book, and the story is presented well. There is a section in the back of the book that tells more of the true story of Strongheart.
While this is a fictionalized account of Strongheart, there is an excellent book that is a true to life account of Strongheart and his relationship with a man named J. Allen Boone. Strongheart and Mr. Boone spent much time together, and they were great friends. Mr. Boone's book is called "Kinship With All Life." It is written for an adult audience.
I recommend both of these books. If you go on YouTube, there is one movie available that will allow you to see Strongheart in the era of silent films.
Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Prayer Request
I would like to ask for your prayers in a matter. The winds where I live are very, very bad today. Please pray that there isn't any damage to the house. My neighbor's roof has sustained some damage already. Please pray that he won't have any more problems. Thank you for your prayers.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Verses For the Week
Psalm 46:1 -- "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
II Thessalonians 3:3 -- "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."
II Thessalonians 3:3 -- "But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one."
Friday, March 2, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- "The Poor Will Be With You Always"
Hello and welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the blog and the sermon this week. I hope that everyone is doing very well.
I've been having a very good week in writing so far, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. I've also been out working in the yard this week. It has been fairly warm since the ice event we had.
In prayer this week, please pray for those in Florida who are still recovering from the incident at the school. Pray that action can be taken so that this type of tragedy doesn't happen again.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico affected by the hurricane. Many people still are without power, and some people don't have enough water. Pray that more aid will arrive.
Please continue to pray for those in Papua New Guinea who have been affected by the earthquake. There is a great need there for assistance. I know that Australia is sending aid. Hopefully, that will help.
Please continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan and Iraq.
For our prayer focus countries of the week, let us all pray for Benin and Laos. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
I have two things that I would like to ask prayer for. For the past four months, I have had increasing amounts of pain in my legs and feet. For many years, I've had nerve pain in both legs and mild arthritis. Over the last four months, the pain in my legs has increased dramatically. I'm having great pain at night, and I'm only able to work outside in the yard for a short time. I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to take care of the place anymore. Please pray that I won't hurt so bad. Also, please pray that if its the Lord's will that I can get the house sold. I've tried to sell it in the past to no avail. It is a very old house in disrepair. Please pray about this.
On another note, please pray that the mole in my yard will go away. It's not a big deal as far as problems go, but it will hinder me getting the house sold if the yard is torn up. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
Now, on to the message. Starting last week, we began a series of messages on some of the misinterpreted passages in the Bible and passages that are taken out of context. Last week, we looked at the verse in Revelation where Jesus states that He is standing at the door knocking.
Today, I would like us to examine Jesus' statement in John 12:8 where He states, "You will always have the poor among you."
First, what is the misinterpretation of this verse. Ever since I was a young man going to the far right-wing churches my parents attended, I heard this statement of Jesus interpreted something like this. There will always be poor people. There's not really anything that we can do about it. Poor people are responsible for there own problems. We're supposed to spend our money on spreading the Gospel and not on the poor.
I often hear this statement of Jesus used by those who don't want to help the poor and the oppressed even today all these years later. It is as if the people quoting it want a justification for not doing anything about poverty.
Jesus did not mean that we are not supposed to help the poor in this statement. I don't believe that He meant that we can't do anything to combat poverty and social problems.
Let's look at this verse in its context.
Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. There was a dinner prepared for Jesus. During the course of the meal, Mary took an expensive jar of perfume and anointed Jesus with it.
When this happened, Judas Iscariot spoke up. He said that it was a waste to use up all the perfume. He said that it could have been sold to help the poor. John adds that Judas didn't care about the poor.
Jesus replied to Judas and said, "Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer."
There are two ways to accurately look at Jesus words. First of all, Jesus was defending the actions of Mary. She knew that Jesus wouldn't be on earth too much longer. She did something nice for Him, and Jesus appreciated it. Jesus was pointing out that while He wasn't going to be around too much longer, the poor would be there after He was gone, and then they could be ministered to .
I believe that Jesus was also pointing people to the instructions found in Deuteronomy 15:11. This verse states, "There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need." This verse is in a broader context of speaking about the law of remission of debts every seventh year.
Those assembled with Jesus would have understood that Jesus was making a reference to the passage in Deuteronomy. Jesus was essentially stating that His followers were to do what is right by Him and give to those in need. Jesus was saying to Judas and those at the dinner that doing something nice for Him and helping the poor wasn't any either/or proposition. They were expected to do both.
So, how does this apply to us today. Jesus, and the rest of Scripture, is quite clear that we are to help those who are in need. In the Old Testament law it was both an individual and a governmental requirement to help the poor, the oppressed and the needy.
Jesus stated that when He comes back to earth in His glorious Second Coming that He will judge the nations of this world on how they cared for the least of those among them. While on earth, Jesus gave His followers an example of how to help others. Jesus fed those who were hungry when He fed the 4,000 and the 5,000. Jesus healed the sick, and He ministered to those who were ignored by those in society. We know that Jesus and His disciples gave money from their shared resources to help those in need. We see this at the Lord's Supper when Judas left the Upper Room. The other disciples thought that Jesus had sent Him to give to the poor since Judas was the treasurer of the group.
With Jesus as our example, we should give our time and our resources to help those who are in need. Churches need to have food banks and clothing ministries. Churches need to have ministries to help the homeless. And churches need to help those in desperate circumstances in many of the nations around the world.
As individuals, we need to do what we can to help others. If the Lord has provided for us, we need to help others.
I believe that whatever nation you are in as you read this blog, that you ought to advocate with your government, if you live in a democracy, for them to help the poor and the oppressed. In the Old Testament, the Lord commanded the nation to observe a year of jubilee and to forgive debts every seventh year. The rulers of the nation were to see that this was done. The Lord called on the leaders of the land to be good shepherds who looked after the sheep especially those who were vulnerable.
Now, this isn't directly related to what we have just discussed, but the same attitude is involved. Some people say that we shouldn't work for a cleaner environment or to stop the harming of endangered species. The thinking goes like this. The world is going to get worse and worse. The world is going to be destroyed during the Great Tribulation. Then a new heaven and new earth will be created, so we don't need to worry about the earth now.
That type of thinking is also not in accordance with the Bible. The Lord told us to take care of the earth that He has made. The earth is the Lords. We are the caretakers of it. We have an obligation to take care of it in a proper manner that does not harm the earth or its creatures.
No one knows when Jesus will return. It may not be for 1,000 years or it could be today. If Jesus should tarry His coming, we don't want to live in a cesspool of pollution with contaminated water and have all the animals on the planet killed off.
I hope that you will pray and consider what you can do to help the poor and the oppressed. I hope that you will be environmentally conscious.
Next week, I will post another sermon in our series on Friday, Lord willing. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will be reviewing a dog book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
I've been having a very good week in writing so far, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. I've also been out working in the yard this week. It has been fairly warm since the ice event we had.
In prayer this week, please pray for those in Florida who are still recovering from the incident at the school. Pray that action can be taken so that this type of tragedy doesn't happen again.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico affected by the hurricane. Many people still are without power, and some people don't have enough water. Pray that more aid will arrive.
Please continue to pray for those in Papua New Guinea who have been affected by the earthquake. There is a great need there for assistance. I know that Australia is sending aid. Hopefully, that will help.
Please continue to pray for peace in this world. Pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, South Sudan and Iraq.
For our prayer focus countries of the week, let us all pray for Benin and Laos. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
I have two things that I would like to ask prayer for. For the past four months, I have had increasing amounts of pain in my legs and feet. For many years, I've had nerve pain in both legs and mild arthritis. Over the last four months, the pain in my legs has increased dramatically. I'm having great pain at night, and I'm only able to work outside in the yard for a short time. I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to take care of the place anymore. Please pray that I won't hurt so bad. Also, please pray that if its the Lord's will that I can get the house sold. I've tried to sell it in the past to no avail. It is a very old house in disrepair. Please pray about this.
On another note, please pray that the mole in my yard will go away. It's not a big deal as far as problems go, but it will hinder me getting the house sold if the yard is torn up. Thank you for your prayers in this matter.
Now, on to the message. Starting last week, we began a series of messages on some of the misinterpreted passages in the Bible and passages that are taken out of context. Last week, we looked at the verse in Revelation where Jesus states that He is standing at the door knocking.
Today, I would like us to examine Jesus' statement in John 12:8 where He states, "You will always have the poor among you."
First, what is the misinterpretation of this verse. Ever since I was a young man going to the far right-wing churches my parents attended, I heard this statement of Jesus interpreted something like this. There will always be poor people. There's not really anything that we can do about it. Poor people are responsible for there own problems. We're supposed to spend our money on spreading the Gospel and not on the poor.
I often hear this statement of Jesus used by those who don't want to help the poor and the oppressed even today all these years later. It is as if the people quoting it want a justification for not doing anything about poverty.
Jesus did not mean that we are not supposed to help the poor in this statement. I don't believe that He meant that we can't do anything to combat poverty and social problems.
Let's look at this verse in its context.
Jesus was in Bethany at the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha. There was a dinner prepared for Jesus. During the course of the meal, Mary took an expensive jar of perfume and anointed Jesus with it.
When this happened, Judas Iscariot spoke up. He said that it was a waste to use up all the perfume. He said that it could have been sold to help the poor. John adds that Judas didn't care about the poor.
Jesus replied to Judas and said, "Leave her alone. She did it in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but I will not be here with you much longer."
There are two ways to accurately look at Jesus words. First of all, Jesus was defending the actions of Mary. She knew that Jesus wouldn't be on earth too much longer. She did something nice for Him, and Jesus appreciated it. Jesus was pointing out that while He wasn't going to be around too much longer, the poor would be there after He was gone, and then they could be ministered to .
I believe that Jesus was also pointing people to the instructions found in Deuteronomy 15:11. This verse states, "There will always be some in the land who are poor. That is why I am commanding you to share freely with the poor and with other Israelites in need." This verse is in a broader context of speaking about the law of remission of debts every seventh year.
Those assembled with Jesus would have understood that Jesus was making a reference to the passage in Deuteronomy. Jesus was essentially stating that His followers were to do what is right by Him and give to those in need. Jesus was saying to Judas and those at the dinner that doing something nice for Him and helping the poor wasn't any either/or proposition. They were expected to do both.
So, how does this apply to us today. Jesus, and the rest of Scripture, is quite clear that we are to help those who are in need. In the Old Testament law it was both an individual and a governmental requirement to help the poor, the oppressed and the needy.
Jesus stated that when He comes back to earth in His glorious Second Coming that He will judge the nations of this world on how they cared for the least of those among them. While on earth, Jesus gave His followers an example of how to help others. Jesus fed those who were hungry when He fed the 4,000 and the 5,000. Jesus healed the sick, and He ministered to those who were ignored by those in society. We know that Jesus and His disciples gave money from their shared resources to help those in need. We see this at the Lord's Supper when Judas left the Upper Room. The other disciples thought that Jesus had sent Him to give to the poor since Judas was the treasurer of the group.
With Jesus as our example, we should give our time and our resources to help those who are in need. Churches need to have food banks and clothing ministries. Churches need to have ministries to help the homeless. And churches need to help those in desperate circumstances in many of the nations around the world.
As individuals, we need to do what we can to help others. If the Lord has provided for us, we need to help others.
I believe that whatever nation you are in as you read this blog, that you ought to advocate with your government, if you live in a democracy, for them to help the poor and the oppressed. In the Old Testament, the Lord commanded the nation to observe a year of jubilee and to forgive debts every seventh year. The rulers of the nation were to see that this was done. The Lord called on the leaders of the land to be good shepherds who looked after the sheep especially those who were vulnerable.
Now, this isn't directly related to what we have just discussed, but the same attitude is involved. Some people say that we shouldn't work for a cleaner environment or to stop the harming of endangered species. The thinking goes like this. The world is going to get worse and worse. The world is going to be destroyed during the Great Tribulation. Then a new heaven and new earth will be created, so we don't need to worry about the earth now.
That type of thinking is also not in accordance with the Bible. The Lord told us to take care of the earth that He has made. The earth is the Lords. We are the caretakers of it. We have an obligation to take care of it in a proper manner that does not harm the earth or its creatures.
No one knows when Jesus will return. It may not be for 1,000 years or it could be today. If Jesus should tarry His coming, we don't want to live in a cesspool of pollution with contaminated water and have all the animals on the planet killed off.
I hope that you will pray and consider what you can do to help the poor and the oppressed. I hope that you will be environmentally conscious.
Next week, I will post another sermon in our series on Friday, Lord willing. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will be reviewing a dog book on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
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