I don't usually post things on the weekends because I like to have the focus on the Weekend Sermon which I post on Friday. However, I felt like I needed to write about something that really came to me as a revelation about my life.
Since my birthday earlier this month, I've been considering how my life has progressed so far. As I was thinking about my life and the goals that I had set out for my life, I came to the realization that the Lord has been so gracious to me. He has allowed me to accomplish and have in my life everything that I dreamed of. It has made me feel very thankful,
When I was young, my desire was to be a minister. I wanted to go to Bible college and/or seminary. While I am not a pastor of a church as I thought I would be, the Lord has allowed me to be a minister for Him. One way that has happened is through this blog. Posting the sermons each week is a way to fulfill the calling that God has placed upon my life. Another means of ministry is through writing. I've been able to publish several religious devotional pieces in magazines and journals.
The Lord also allowed me to be able to go Bible college and seminary. He also let me earn my degree in history which is a subject I love to study so much.
When I was in college, I started studying literature, and I decided that I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to be published. The Lord has blessed me in this way. My goal was to be able to be published in one of the literary journals that is sold at Barnes and Noble. I wanted to be able to walk in to the store, find the journal and see my poetry in it. Thanks be to God that that has happened more than once.
I love music. I had the desire to learn to play Jazz. I bought a trumpet, and I was able to learn how to improvise and play the music I love. I'm not going to be a famous musician by any means, but it was fun to learn and play.
One thing that I wanted so much starting from the time I was a small boy was a dog who was extraordinarily special. A dog that was a great dog and so much more. Thanks be to God that He brought my friend Toby into my life. He was and is the fulfillment of a dream. I love dogs, and I may have another some day. However, its hard to think about having another dog because the one I had was so great, no other dog can even come close to him. Another dog would always be second place, and that wouldn't be fair to the other dog.
I am writing this today just to say thank you to the Lord for allowing me the opportunity to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish. I want to say thank you Lord for the blessing. I really appreciate it.
Sometimes I really get down about life. I have to realize in those times how good the Lord has been to me.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Friday, June 29, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- "Jesus is the Great Physician"
Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I am once again thankful to the Lord for the opportunity that He has given me to post the sermons. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well.
This week has gone well in writing. We had some storms in my area, but there wasn't any damage, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. I am still trying to find the right part-time job, so I would ask that you would please pray for me in this matter.
As you go to prayer this week, there are several matters that need our prayers. First of all, I heard a report today that there is still some problems with the Ebola outbreak in Congo. Let us all pray that this outbreak will cease.
Let us pray for those who were injured in the shooting in Maryland yesterday. Pray that the injured will quickly recover, and pray that God will comfort those who mourn.
Please pray for the children who have been separated from their parents at the US border. Pray that everyone will be reunited soon.
Continue to pray for peace in this world. Let us pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Afghanistan.
Please pray that the World Cup matches will all be safe. I am having a lot of fun following the World Cup this year.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Togo and Cambodia. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of message I've called "Who is Jesus?" For today's message, we will exam the way in which Jesus is the Great Physician.
In Mark chapter 2, we read the account of how Jesus called Levi, also known as Matthew, to be one of His twelve disciples. When Jesus called Matthew, he left all to follow Jesus. He then had Jesus over to his house for a dinner.
At the dinner, the Pharisees and the religious leaders criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and other sinners. Jesus replied in Mark 2: 17, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners."
From this passage, people have referred to Jesus as the Great Physician. There are three ways in which Jesus fulfills this role that I would like us to focus on today.
First of all, Jesus is presented in the Bible as the one who was the healer of those who were physically sick. People came from all over the region to bring those who were sick to Jesus. They knew that Jesus would have compassion on the sick. He would lay His hands on the sick and bring them back to good health.
While He was ministering here on this earth, Jesus healed those who blind, deaf and lame. We have many instances recorded in the Bible where Jesus brought physical healing to people.
Jesus is the Great Physician who still brings physical healing today. I believe that when we pray and ask the Lord to make us well that He at times will do that in accordance with His will. I know that everyone who believes in Jesus will ultimately be healed when they see Jesus face to face in Heaven,
I know that the Lord healed me of vitiligo. I had this skin condition, and it was a bad case. I prayed for a long time. One day, it started to get better, and now you would never be able to tell that I had vitiligo.
When my friend Toby had a bad skin problem, I prayed and asked Jesus to heal him. Toby was healed of his skin problem.
Now, there have been other times when I prayed and the healing did not come this side of Heaven. I prayed every day that my Mom would get better after she had a stroke. I prayed for her for five years until she past away. She never improved at all. However, I know that because Jesus is the resurrection and life that my Mom is totally healed right now.
I don't know why Jesus heals some things and some people now while others have to wait until they get to Heaven. This I do know. It is always right to pray and ask the Lord for healing. I believe that Jesus heals.
Jesus is also the Great Physician because He helps heal us of our mental health issues. I have struggled with depression for many years. Sometimes I have been so low that I didn't think that I would make it. The only way that I did make it was because I could rely on Jesus and His abiding presence to help me make it through the hardest times.
The Lord Jesus provides a peace that is hard to explain. To me, I feel His peace as a feeling in my soul that no matter what happens, I am loved by the Lord. This gives me the ability to keep going in spite of the fact that people on this earth are often so hateful.
There is one other way in which Jesus is the Great Physician. Jesus is the one who heals us from our sin. Jesus came to show us how to live a life of love. He came to die on the cross for the sins of the world.
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's righteous standard. However, Jesus has come. Through His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven from our sins. We can have a relationship with the Lord. We can have eternal life and be with Jesus throughout eternity.
If you are suffering from an illness or disease, pray and bring your need to the Lord. If you are facing mental health difficulties, pray and ask Jesus to be with you in a special way. If you need forgiveness from sins, turn to Jesus and let Him offer you a new and more abundant life.
Next week, we will continue with our series about Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday. There will not be review this Wednesday because the library is closed for US Independence Day. I may post the review on Thursday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week has gone well in writing. We had some storms in my area, but there wasn't any damage, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. I am still trying to find the right part-time job, so I would ask that you would please pray for me in this matter.
As you go to prayer this week, there are several matters that need our prayers. First of all, I heard a report today that there is still some problems with the Ebola outbreak in Congo. Let us all pray that this outbreak will cease.
Let us pray for those who were injured in the shooting in Maryland yesterday. Pray that the injured will quickly recover, and pray that God will comfort those who mourn.
Please pray for the children who have been separated from their parents at the US border. Pray that everyone will be reunited soon.
Continue to pray for peace in this world. Let us pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Afghanistan.
Please pray that the World Cup matches will all be safe. I am having a lot of fun following the World Cup this year.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for Togo and Cambodia. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of message I've called "Who is Jesus?" For today's message, we will exam the way in which Jesus is the Great Physician.
In Mark chapter 2, we read the account of how Jesus called Levi, also known as Matthew, to be one of His twelve disciples. When Jesus called Matthew, he left all to follow Jesus. He then had Jesus over to his house for a dinner.
At the dinner, the Pharisees and the religious leaders criticized Jesus for eating with tax collectors and other sinners. Jesus replied in Mark 2: 17, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners."
From this passage, people have referred to Jesus as the Great Physician. There are three ways in which Jesus fulfills this role that I would like us to focus on today.
First of all, Jesus is presented in the Bible as the one who was the healer of those who were physically sick. People came from all over the region to bring those who were sick to Jesus. They knew that Jesus would have compassion on the sick. He would lay His hands on the sick and bring them back to good health.
While He was ministering here on this earth, Jesus healed those who blind, deaf and lame. We have many instances recorded in the Bible where Jesus brought physical healing to people.
Jesus is the Great Physician who still brings physical healing today. I believe that when we pray and ask the Lord to make us well that He at times will do that in accordance with His will. I know that everyone who believes in Jesus will ultimately be healed when they see Jesus face to face in Heaven,
I know that the Lord healed me of vitiligo. I had this skin condition, and it was a bad case. I prayed for a long time. One day, it started to get better, and now you would never be able to tell that I had vitiligo.
When my friend Toby had a bad skin problem, I prayed and asked Jesus to heal him. Toby was healed of his skin problem.
Now, there have been other times when I prayed and the healing did not come this side of Heaven. I prayed every day that my Mom would get better after she had a stroke. I prayed for her for five years until she past away. She never improved at all. However, I know that because Jesus is the resurrection and life that my Mom is totally healed right now.
I don't know why Jesus heals some things and some people now while others have to wait until they get to Heaven. This I do know. It is always right to pray and ask the Lord for healing. I believe that Jesus heals.
Jesus is also the Great Physician because He helps heal us of our mental health issues. I have struggled with depression for many years. Sometimes I have been so low that I didn't think that I would make it. The only way that I did make it was because I could rely on Jesus and His abiding presence to help me make it through the hardest times.
The Lord Jesus provides a peace that is hard to explain. To me, I feel His peace as a feeling in my soul that no matter what happens, I am loved by the Lord. This gives me the ability to keep going in spite of the fact that people on this earth are often so hateful.
There is one other way in which Jesus is the Great Physician. Jesus is the one who heals us from our sin. Jesus came to show us how to live a life of love. He came to die on the cross for the sins of the world.
All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's righteous standard. However, Jesus has come. Through His death and resurrection, we can be forgiven from our sins. We can have a relationship with the Lord. We can have eternal life and be with Jesus throughout eternity.
If you are suffering from an illness or disease, pray and bring your need to the Lord. If you are facing mental health difficulties, pray and ask Jesus to be with you in a special way. If you need forgiveness from sins, turn to Jesus and let Him offer you a new and more abundant life.
Next week, we will continue with our series about Jesus. I will post the verses on Monday. There will not be review this Wednesday because the library is closed for US Independence Day. I may post the review on Thursday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Book Review -- "My Dog Always Eats First: Homeless People & Their Animals"
Leslie Irvin's book "My Dog Always Eats First" provides interesting research on the way in which homeless people interact with the animals that are in their care. Estimates are that about 10 percent of those who are homeless have pets. Most of the homeless who have a pet have a dog. These animals provide support and companionship to those who are at the lowest point of life.
In the book, the author interviews several people who are homeless regarding their relationship with their pet. Ms. Irvine identifies various categories of those who are homeless. According to the research presented, each group has a different way that the pet affects their life. For some, the pet is a protector while for others, their pet is everything in their life. Their pet has become all that their life is about.
I have a great interest in helping the homeless. I am familiar with several organizations in the US and UK that help those who are homeless and have dogs or cats. In the US, Pets of the Homeless is a great organization that provides food and veterinary help for homeless people. In the UK, Dog on the Streets and Street Vets help many people. I think that these are great organization that are trying to make a real difference in people's lives.
Leslie Irvin's book is very interesting and very informative. It is a sociology study. The book is mainly written for professionals. However, it is not hard to read, and it will provide great insight into what homeless people face.
The homeless that I have knowledge of view their dog as the only one who hasn't abandoned them. To them, their dog is really their only true friend. To me, that says a lot about dogs. As I've mentioned here on the blog many times, my best friend was my dog Toby. I know that if I would have faced homelessness, he would never have left me. He was always there for me when others weren't.
In the book, the author interviews several people who are homeless regarding their relationship with their pet. Ms. Irvine identifies various categories of those who are homeless. According to the research presented, each group has a different way that the pet affects their life. For some, the pet is a protector while for others, their pet is everything in their life. Their pet has become all that their life is about.
I have a great interest in helping the homeless. I am familiar with several organizations in the US and UK that help those who are homeless and have dogs or cats. In the US, Pets of the Homeless is a great organization that provides food and veterinary help for homeless people. In the UK, Dog on the Streets and Street Vets help many people. I think that these are great organization that are trying to make a real difference in people's lives.
Leslie Irvin's book is very interesting and very informative. It is a sociology study. The book is mainly written for professionals. However, it is not hard to read, and it will provide great insight into what homeless people face.
The homeless that I have knowledge of view their dog as the only one who hasn't abandoned them. To them, their dog is really their only true friend. To me, that says a lot about dogs. As I've mentioned here on the blog many times, my best friend was my dog Toby. I know that if I would have faced homelessness, he would never have left me. He was always there for me when others weren't.
Monday, June 25, 2018
Verses For the Week
John 13:35 -- "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 15:9 -- "As the Father has love me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."
John 15:9 -- "As the Father has love me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love."
Saturday, June 23, 2018
Prayer Request
The area where I live is expected to get some bad storms and possible flooding tomorrow night into Monday. Please pray that all will be safe. Thank you.
Friday, June 22, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Jesus as Moral Teacher
Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post the sermon each week. I hope that everyone is having a very good week.
It was my birthday this week, and I went out to dinner with my brother. Writing is good this week, and I thank the Lord for that. We were supposed to have a lot of rain this week, but we didn't get much. It is getting very dry, and we could use a little rain. However, we don't want too much.
As you go to prayer this week, please pray for those in Texas facing the flooding. Some parts of that state have received way too much rain.
Continue to pray for peace in the places in this world where there is war and trouble. Syria, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan need our prayers.
For out prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for those in Israel and Gambia. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
Please pray for the children who have been separated from their parents due to the policies of the United States government. All the children need to be reunited with their parents immediately.
One a sad note, I heard yesterday that Koko the gorilla who knew how to use sign language passed away. I saw a couple of programs about Koko on PBS over the years, and I feel bad that she is gone. Pray for those who took care of Koko as they face this time of sadness.
Over the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages called "Who is Jesus?" Today, I want to focus on the fact that Jesus was a great moral teacher.
Now, before anyone gets the notion that I am saying that Jesus was just a good teacher, let me point your attention to the messages I've posted previously in the series where I discussed the divinity of Jesus.
I think that I can say without fear of contradiction that even those who are not followers of Jesus or the Christian faith recognize the fact that Jesus was a great teacher of moral values. Those of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord recognize the fact that one of the reasons that Jesus came to this earth was to demonstrate for us the way that we should conduct ourselves while we are in this world. Jesus lived a holy and sinless life as our perfect example.
The major moral teachings of Jesus can be found in Matthew chapters 5-7. This section of Scripture is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Another large body of Jesus' moral teachings can be found in Luke 6 which is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain. It is very similar to the teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus' moral teachings are very radical. They were considered to be quite outside the norm for the day in which Jesus lived. Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who do wrong to us. This is at odds with the system of this world that says we are to hate our enemies and retaliate against those who try to hurt us. Jesus taught us to turn the other check. He ended the practice of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Jesus taught the Golden Rule that tells us that we are to do unto others as we would have done unto us. He also gave a new commandment to all of His disciples telling them to love another just as He had loved them.
In another passage, Jesus would summarize the entire moral law in just two commandment. Jesus said that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said that all of the Law and Prophets center around these two commandments.
Love is at the heart of the moral teaching of Jesus. We are to be filled with the love of Jesus. We are to be so filled with the awareness of Jesus' love that it causes us to want to do all that we can to please the Lord Jesus. If we are filled with the love of Jesus, and if we truly love Jesus, we will want to obey Him and do those things that He has called us to do. We do this not because we fear retribution if we fail to do them. We follow and obey Jesus because we love Him and want to please Him and make Him happy.
When we are filled with the love of Jesus, we are able to love others and treat them the way that Jesus would treat them if He was here on this earth right now. The love of Jesus compels us to help others and do all that we can to make this world a better place. The love of Jesus allows us to be compassionate people who help to heal the brokenhearted and those that feel as if they have been left behind.
Jesus in His moral teaching taught the way of non-violence and peace. Those who are His followers are not to seek violence as the solution. Love and justice are the solutions to this world's problems according to the Lord Jesus. He taught us to do good to others even when we do not receive what is good in return. Jesus taught the love will ultimately win in the end, and we are to be on the side of love, mercy and forgiveness.
In His moral teaching, Jesus taught that everyone is valuable in the sight of God. While others in Jesus' day excluded people from the ability to have a relationship with God, Jesus said that all where welcome to come to Him. He said that He would not cast aside any person who wanted to come to Him and know His love.
Love is at the core of the moral teachings of Jesus. When we act in love and love others, we are doing what Jesus taught us to do. When we think about helping others out of love, we are obeying the teachings of Jesus.
I hope that all of us will grow to love Jesus so much that we will let His love flow from us into a world where there is so much pain and sorrow. Only the way of Jesus and His love will change the world. Let us all be part of that change.
Next week, we will continue with our series about Jesus. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. On Wednesday, there will be a review or a poem. May God bless you all. Amen.
It was my birthday this week, and I went out to dinner with my brother. Writing is good this week, and I thank the Lord for that. We were supposed to have a lot of rain this week, but we didn't get much. It is getting very dry, and we could use a little rain. However, we don't want too much.
As you go to prayer this week, please pray for those in Texas facing the flooding. Some parts of that state have received way too much rain.
Continue to pray for peace in the places in this world where there is war and trouble. Syria, Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan need our prayers.
For out prayer focus countries this week, let us all pray for those in Israel and Gambia. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
Please pray for the children who have been separated from their parents due to the policies of the United States government. All the children need to be reunited with their parents immediately.
One a sad note, I heard yesterday that Koko the gorilla who knew how to use sign language passed away. I saw a couple of programs about Koko on PBS over the years, and I feel bad that she is gone. Pray for those who took care of Koko as they face this time of sadness.
Over the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages called "Who is Jesus?" Today, I want to focus on the fact that Jesus was a great moral teacher.
Now, before anyone gets the notion that I am saying that Jesus was just a good teacher, let me point your attention to the messages I've posted previously in the series where I discussed the divinity of Jesus.
I think that I can say without fear of contradiction that even those who are not followers of Jesus or the Christian faith recognize the fact that Jesus was a great teacher of moral values. Those of us who know Jesus as Savior and Lord recognize the fact that one of the reasons that Jesus came to this earth was to demonstrate for us the way that we should conduct ourselves while we are in this world. Jesus lived a holy and sinless life as our perfect example.
The major moral teachings of Jesus can be found in Matthew chapters 5-7. This section of Scripture is known as the Sermon on the Mount. Another large body of Jesus' moral teachings can be found in Luke 6 which is often referred to as the Sermon on the Plain. It is very similar to the teachings found in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus' moral teachings are very radical. They were considered to be quite outside the norm for the day in which Jesus lived. Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies and do good to those who do wrong to us. This is at odds with the system of this world that says we are to hate our enemies and retaliate against those who try to hurt us. Jesus taught us to turn the other check. He ended the practice of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Jesus taught the Golden Rule that tells us that we are to do unto others as we would have done unto us. He also gave a new commandment to all of His disciples telling them to love another just as He had loved them.
In another passage, Jesus would summarize the entire moral law in just two commandment. Jesus said that we are to love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. We are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus said that all of the Law and Prophets center around these two commandments.
Love is at the heart of the moral teaching of Jesus. We are to be filled with the love of Jesus. We are to be so filled with the awareness of Jesus' love that it causes us to want to do all that we can to please the Lord Jesus. If we are filled with the love of Jesus, and if we truly love Jesus, we will want to obey Him and do those things that He has called us to do. We do this not because we fear retribution if we fail to do them. We follow and obey Jesus because we love Him and want to please Him and make Him happy.
When we are filled with the love of Jesus, we are able to love others and treat them the way that Jesus would treat them if He was here on this earth right now. The love of Jesus compels us to help others and do all that we can to make this world a better place. The love of Jesus allows us to be compassionate people who help to heal the brokenhearted and those that feel as if they have been left behind.
Jesus in His moral teaching taught the way of non-violence and peace. Those who are His followers are not to seek violence as the solution. Love and justice are the solutions to this world's problems according to the Lord Jesus. He taught us to do good to others even when we do not receive what is good in return. Jesus taught the love will ultimately win in the end, and we are to be on the side of love, mercy and forgiveness.
In His moral teaching, Jesus taught that everyone is valuable in the sight of God. While others in Jesus' day excluded people from the ability to have a relationship with God, Jesus said that all where welcome to come to Him. He said that He would not cast aside any person who wanted to come to Him and know His love.
Love is at the core of the moral teachings of Jesus. When we act in love and love others, we are doing what Jesus taught us to do. When we think about helping others out of love, we are obeying the teachings of Jesus.
I hope that all of us will grow to love Jesus so much that we will let His love flow from us into a world where there is so much pain and sorrow. Only the way of Jesus and His love will change the world. Let us all be part of that change.
Next week, we will continue with our series about Jesus. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. On Wednesday, there will be a review or a poem. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Poem -- Writer's Dog
Writer's Dog
Resting near,
Snoring,
Oblivious,
Dreaming.
Words bombard paper.
A bard's cold toes
warmed by devotion.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Verses For the Week
I Peter 1:8-9 -- "Though you have not seen him you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Romans 14:17 -- "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17 -- "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Friday, June 15, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Jesus is King
Welcome to this edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am happy to be able to post the sermon this week. I hope and pray that everyone is doing well and having a good week.
Last week, I asked you to pray that the storms in my area wouldn't be bad. The storms were not bad, and there was no damage. Thanks be to God, and thank you for your prayers.
This has been a good week in writing again, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. Please pray that I will keep getting plenty of writing work.
In other matters, I would ask you to continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico who are still recovering from the hurricanes. Also, please pray for those in Hawaii affected by the volcano eruption.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. I saw a report last week about the serious fighting that is still ongoing in Afghanistan. Please pray for peace in that part of the world, and please pray for peace in both Syria and Yemen.
The World Cup has started this week. Please pray for the safety of all attending and playing in the tournament.
Each week, I post two nations for us to pray for. These are nations where there are not very many Christians. This week, let us pray for those in Kazakhstan and Libya. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
For the past few weeks now, we have been in a series of messages discussing the topic of who is Jesus? Last week, we looked into the priestly role of Jesus. This week, we will discuss the fact that Jesus is King. He is King in more than one way.
I can think of at least four ways that the Bible presents Jesus as King. First of all, Jesus is King and sovereign over all of the universe due to the fact that He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. The Godhead made up of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rule over all things everywhere. God has all power. He is to be obeyed in the Heavens and upon earth. When humanity rebelled in sin against God, they rebelled against the sovereign King of the universe. Humanity is in rebellion against the righteous ruler of the entire cosmos. That is a sobering thing to think about.
Jesus is also King because He is the literal King over a specific people. In the book of II Samuel chapter 7, God made a covenant with David. God told David that someone from his line would rule forever. We see from the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew and Luke that Jesus is a literal descendant of David. He has the right to the throne in His humanity.
As the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus is the ruler over His people. This will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns in His glorious Second Coming. One place where we see that Jesus is prophesied as King is in Isaiah 9:6. This verse says that the government will be upon the shoulders of the Messiah.
The third way that the Bible speaks of Jesus as King is in the fact that He has been exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus came to this earth and lived a perfect, holy and sinless life. He bore our sins on the cross. He was raised from the dead. He ascended into Heaven.
In the book of Philippians, 2:9-11, the Bible says that God the Father has exalted Jesus to the highest place. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and give glory to God the Father.
The Bible is quite clear that Jesus will return to this earth one day. When He returns, He will be proclaimed as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I Timothy 6:13-15 states, "I charge you to keep His command without spot or blame until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time, God the blessed ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:16 tells us that when Jesus comes to establish His kingdom upon this earth, He will have the title King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will reign forever and forever and forever. All will be perfect under the reign of Jesus. I can't wait for that day.
Now, I believe that Jesus is King in at least one other way. It is in a way that is personal to each individual who has lived and who will ever live. Jesus is King. He will rule, and every knee will bow. However, some will be forced to bow and acknowledge that Jesus is King. They will continue in their sinful rebellion against the sovereign Lord of all. These people will be separated from God for all eternity. Those who will not acknowledge that Jesus is their King and Lord will face His judgment.
Each person has to make the choice of whether or not he will bow before the majesty of Jesus. Each person must choose whether or not Jesus will be their Lord and King.
If you make Jesus the King and Lord of your life, that means that you pledge to follow Him and to do His will. Jesus is the one who leads, and you are His faithful servant. The choice belongs to you. One day you may be forced to acknowledge who Jesus is, but Jesus will never force you to follow Him, love Him and serve Him.
I hope that you will make the choice this day to make Jesus the King and Lord of your life. Turn to Him in repentance and faith today.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. I will post a review or a poem on Wednesday. We will continue our series about Jesus when I post the sermon next Friday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Last week, I asked you to pray that the storms in my area wouldn't be bad. The storms were not bad, and there was no damage. Thanks be to God, and thank you for your prayers.
This has been a good week in writing again, and I am thankful to the Lord for that. Please pray that I will keep getting plenty of writing work.
In other matters, I would ask you to continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico who are still recovering from the hurricanes. Also, please pray for those in Hawaii affected by the volcano eruption.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. I saw a report last week about the serious fighting that is still ongoing in Afghanistan. Please pray for peace in that part of the world, and please pray for peace in both Syria and Yemen.
The World Cup has started this week. Please pray for the safety of all attending and playing in the tournament.
Each week, I post two nations for us to pray for. These are nations where there are not very many Christians. This week, let us pray for those in Kazakhstan and Libya. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
For the past few weeks now, we have been in a series of messages discussing the topic of who is Jesus? Last week, we looked into the priestly role of Jesus. This week, we will discuss the fact that Jesus is King. He is King in more than one way.
I can think of at least four ways that the Bible presents Jesus as King. First of all, Jesus is King and sovereign over all of the universe due to the fact that He is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. The Godhead made up of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, rule over all things everywhere. God has all power. He is to be obeyed in the Heavens and upon earth. When humanity rebelled in sin against God, they rebelled against the sovereign King of the universe. Humanity is in rebellion against the righteous ruler of the entire cosmos. That is a sobering thing to think about.
Jesus is also King because He is the literal King over a specific people. In the book of II Samuel chapter 7, God made a covenant with David. God told David that someone from his line would rule forever. We see from the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew and Luke that Jesus is a literal descendant of David. He has the right to the throne in His humanity.
As the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament, Jesus is the ruler over His people. This will ultimately be fulfilled when Jesus returns in His glorious Second Coming. One place where we see that Jesus is prophesied as King is in Isaiah 9:6. This verse says that the government will be upon the shoulders of the Messiah.
The third way that the Bible speaks of Jesus as King is in the fact that He has been exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus came to this earth and lived a perfect, holy and sinless life. He bore our sins on the cross. He was raised from the dead. He ascended into Heaven.
In the book of Philippians, 2:9-11, the Bible says that God the Father has exalted Jesus to the highest place. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and give glory to God the Father.
The Bible is quite clear that Jesus will return to this earth one day. When He returns, He will be proclaimed as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I Timothy 6:13-15 states, "I charge you to keep His command without spot or blame until the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in His own time, God the blessed ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Revelation 19:16 tells us that when Jesus comes to establish His kingdom upon this earth, He will have the title King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He will reign forever and forever and forever. All will be perfect under the reign of Jesus. I can't wait for that day.
Now, I believe that Jesus is King in at least one other way. It is in a way that is personal to each individual who has lived and who will ever live. Jesus is King. He will rule, and every knee will bow. However, some will be forced to bow and acknowledge that Jesus is King. They will continue in their sinful rebellion against the sovereign Lord of all. These people will be separated from God for all eternity. Those who will not acknowledge that Jesus is their King and Lord will face His judgment.
Each person has to make the choice of whether or not he will bow before the majesty of Jesus. Each person must choose whether or not Jesus will be their Lord and King.
If you make Jesus the King and Lord of your life, that means that you pledge to follow Him and to do His will. Jesus is the one who leads, and you are His faithful servant. The choice belongs to you. One day you may be forced to acknowledge who Jesus is, but Jesus will never force you to follow Him, love Him and serve Him.
I hope that you will make the choice this day to make Jesus the King and Lord of your life. Turn to Him in repentance and faith today.
Next week, I will post the verses on Monday. I will post a review or a poem on Wednesday. We will continue our series about Jesus when I post the sermon next Friday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Book Review and DVD Recommendations
This week, I want to recommend a book that I am reading again. The name of the book is "Travels With Macy" written by Bruce Fogel. This book recounts the author's trip around America with his dog Macy. Dr. Fogel decides to come to America from England to retrace the route that John Steinbeck took when he traveled around American with his dog Charlie.
"Travels With Macy" is a well-written book that provides a lot of interesting information about many parts of the United States. I love this book because this is something that I always wanted to do when my friend Toby was alive. We never got the chance to take our big road trip, but I'm happy that Bruce and Macy got to have such a good time. It's really fun reading about their adventure.
This past week, I finished a 13-part DVD series called, "Rome: The Rise and Fall of An Empire". This series was very well done. There were historical re-enactments that made history really come alive. The professors who were on the DVDs as experts were knowledgeable and excited about the subject. I would definitely recommend this DVD set.
Finally, I would like to recommend a DVD of one of my favorite movies. "The Bear" is a about a large grizzly bear who takes in an orphan cub. The pair are trying to get away from hunters who are on their trail. This is a beautifully filmed movie that I've watched again and again.
"Travels With Macy" is a well-written book that provides a lot of interesting information about many parts of the United States. I love this book because this is something that I always wanted to do when my friend Toby was alive. We never got the chance to take our big road trip, but I'm happy that Bruce and Macy got to have such a good time. It's really fun reading about their adventure.
This past week, I finished a 13-part DVD series called, "Rome: The Rise and Fall of An Empire". This series was very well done. There were historical re-enactments that made history really come alive. The professors who were on the DVDs as experts were knowledgeable and excited about the subject. I would definitely recommend this DVD set.
Finally, I would like to recommend a DVD of one of my favorite movies. "The Bear" is a about a large grizzly bear who takes in an orphan cub. The pair are trying to get away from hunters who are on their trail. This is a beautifully filmed movie that I've watched again and again.
Monday, June 11, 2018
Verses For the Week
Before I post the verses, I just want to ask for everyone's prayers. The National Weather Service is calling for some very bad storms to be in my area tonight. Please pray that these storms will not cause any damage or any flooding. Thank you.
Psalm 11:4 -- "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in Heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men."
Psalm 103:19 -- "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all."
Psalm 11:4 -- "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in Heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men."
Psalm 103:19 -- "The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all."
Friday, June 8, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Jesus is Our High Priest
Welcome to this week's edition the Weekend Sermon. I just want to say that I am thankful to all of you who read the blog each week. Since I posted the series of the book of Malachi, the number of people viewing the blog and reading the sermons each week has dropped considerably. I'm not entirely sure why that is. There are still several of you who do read the sermons, and I am glad for that. I hope that everyone is having a very good week.
Writing has been good this week. Thanks be to God. I do have something that I would like you to pray about. I am having some very bad trouble with a skin ailment. Please pray that this will be healed. Thank you. It has been a hard week in many ways.
Please continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico who are recovering as a result of the hurricane. Also, please pray for those who were affected by the flooding in Oklahoma yesterday.
Let us pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray that peace talks between the US and North Korea are successful. Pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Libya.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those in the nations of Indonesia and Azerbaijan. Pray that people in these nations will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
For the past couple of weeks, we have been in a series of messages called "Who is Jesus?" We've studied the fact that Jesus is both God and man. We have also studied that Jesus had a prophetic ministry while He was here on earth.
Today, we will look into the fact that Jesus is our great High Priest. We will see why this is and what this means for us.
First of all, let us examine what a priest does. In the Old Testament, the priests were the one's who carried out the ministry in the Temple. The priests were the ones who were supposed to take the sacrifices from the people and offer them to God in the acceptable form, They interceded to God on behalf of the people.
In the Old Testament, a man had to be a member of the tribe of Levi in order to be a priest. The High Priest was the one who entered the Holy of Holies each year on the Day of Atonement. He provided the sacrifice so that the people's sins could be forgiven for that year.
The Bible says that Jesus is the Great High Priest. Hebrews 4:14 states, "Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to the faith that we profess. Ours is not a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every way as we are, only without sinning."
The priests in the Temple had to be Levites. Jesus was a member of the tribe of Judah. However, the Bible states that Jesus was a priest in the order of Melchizidek. This man was a priest who met Abraham. Abraham gave him a tithe. Melchizidek was a priest before the Levitical priesthood was established, and so is Jesus Christ.
The priests in the Old Testament offered the blood from animal sacrifices on a continuing basis for the forgiveness of the people's sins. Jesus made a much different sacrifice. Jesus offered His own blood for the forgiveness of the sins of the world. The Bible says it this way in Hebrews 8:11-13. "But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, not made by human hands, that is, not of the created order, and he has entered the sanctuary once for all, taking not with him the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption."
When Jesus died on the cross, He was the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He bore our sins on the cross that our sins might be forgiven and that we might have redemption. He was the once for all final sacrifice for sins.
We know that Jesus' sacrifice for our sins was acceptable to the Father. We know this, because God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus has been exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the book of Revelation, all the hosts of Heaven cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain."
There doesn't have to be any more sacrifice for sins. Jesus paid it all. He has completed the work, and He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. There, He makes intercession for us as our advocate with the Father.
Jesus instituted a new covenant. He spoke about this on the night when He established the sacrament of Holy Communion. Jesus said that this was the new covenant in His blood. We are to remember His death through the elements of the bread and the cup. This is to remind us that Jesus is the one who is the mediator of a new and living covenant between God and man that is sealed by Jesus' redeeming blood.
That covenant is that whosoever will believe in Jesus will be saved. Whoever puts there faith and trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross will be redeemed.
Now that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can go to Him and ask Him to forgive our sins. The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus knows what it is like to live on this earth. He has felt the feelings of our infirmities. He is willing to forgive us, and restore us to fellowship with Him when we go astray. When we truly confess and repent of our sins, we can have full assurance that Jesus hears us and He forgives us.
Jesus role as priest lets us rest in the assurance that He has provided all that is necessary for our redemption. He has completed the work. He has instituted the new covenant between God and man. May Jesus Christ be praised.
Next week, we will examine how Jesus is king. I hope to post the verses on Monday and have a review on Wednesday. I will have to see how I am feeling as the week goes on. May God bless you all. Amen.
Writing has been good this week. Thanks be to God. I do have something that I would like you to pray about. I am having some very bad trouble with a skin ailment. Please pray that this will be healed. Thank you. It has been a hard week in many ways.
Please continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico who are recovering as a result of the hurricane. Also, please pray for those who were affected by the flooding in Oklahoma yesterday.
Let us pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray that peace talks between the US and North Korea are successful. Pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Libya.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those in the nations of Indonesia and Azerbaijan. Pray that people in these nations will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
For the past couple of weeks, we have been in a series of messages called "Who is Jesus?" We've studied the fact that Jesus is both God and man. We have also studied that Jesus had a prophetic ministry while He was here on earth.
Today, we will look into the fact that Jesus is our great High Priest. We will see why this is and what this means for us.
First of all, let us examine what a priest does. In the Old Testament, the priests were the one's who carried out the ministry in the Temple. The priests were the ones who were supposed to take the sacrifices from the people and offer them to God in the acceptable form, They interceded to God on behalf of the people.
In the Old Testament, a man had to be a member of the tribe of Levi in order to be a priest. The High Priest was the one who entered the Holy of Holies each year on the Day of Atonement. He provided the sacrifice so that the people's sins could be forgiven for that year.
The Bible says that Jesus is the Great High Priest. Hebrews 4:14 states, "Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to the faith that we profess. Ours is not a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tested in every way as we are, only without sinning."
The priests in the Temple had to be Levites. Jesus was a member of the tribe of Judah. However, the Bible states that Jesus was a priest in the order of Melchizidek. This man was a priest who met Abraham. Abraham gave him a tithe. Melchizidek was a priest before the Levitical priesthood was established, and so is Jesus Christ.
The priests in the Old Testament offered the blood from animal sacrifices on a continuing basis for the forgiveness of the people's sins. Jesus made a much different sacrifice. Jesus offered His own blood for the forgiveness of the sins of the world. The Bible says it this way in Hebrews 8:11-13. "But now Christ has come, as the high priest of all the blessings which were to come. He has passed through the greater, the more perfect tent, not made by human hands, that is, not of the created order, and he has entered the sanctuary once for all, taking not with him the blood of goats and bull calves, but his own blood, having won an eternal redemption."
When Jesus died on the cross, He was the sacrifice for the sins of the world. He bore our sins on the cross that our sins might be forgiven and that we might have redemption. He was the once for all final sacrifice for sins.
We know that Jesus' sacrifice for our sins was acceptable to the Father. We know this, because God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus has been exalted as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. In the book of Revelation, all the hosts of Heaven cry out, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain."
There doesn't have to be any more sacrifice for sins. Jesus paid it all. He has completed the work, and He is seated at the right hand of God the Father. There, He makes intercession for us as our advocate with the Father.
Jesus instituted a new covenant. He spoke about this on the night when He established the sacrament of Holy Communion. Jesus said that this was the new covenant in His blood. We are to remember His death through the elements of the bread and the cup. This is to remind us that Jesus is the one who is the mediator of a new and living covenant between God and man that is sealed by Jesus' redeeming blood.
That covenant is that whosoever will believe in Jesus will be saved. Whoever puts there faith and trust in Jesus and what He did on the cross will be redeemed.
Now that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we can go to Him and ask Him to forgive our sins. The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Jesus knows what it is like to live on this earth. He has felt the feelings of our infirmities. He is willing to forgive us, and restore us to fellowship with Him when we go astray. When we truly confess and repent of our sins, we can have full assurance that Jesus hears us and He forgives us.
Jesus role as priest lets us rest in the assurance that He has provided all that is necessary for our redemption. He has completed the work. He has instituted the new covenant between God and man. May Jesus Christ be praised.
Next week, we will examine how Jesus is king. I hope to post the verses on Monday and have a review on Wednesday. I will have to see how I am feeling as the week goes on. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Book Review Update
I have not been feeling well today. I will not be posting the book review this week. I still hope to post the sermon this week. Thank you.
Monday, June 4, 2018
Summertime Memories of My Friend Toby
At the start of the last two seasons, I've shared with you some of my memories of my friend Toby. With summer approaching, I thought I share some additional memories with my friend. I am missing my friend more and more each day,
In the summer, we always went on a trip somewhere. On Toby's birthday, I told you about three of the trips that we took together. I'll tell you about three more.
One year, we decided to go down to the Ozarks and look around. We found a wonderful hotel to stay at. There was even a golf course. It was free to play for guests. I was even allowed to take Toby down there as long as he didn't get on the greens. All of the holes were par three.
I have to admit that I like golf, but I've never been much of a golfer. I don't know how many holes I ended up playing, but I only hit the green on the first stroke once. That was a cause for celebration. On most of the holes, Toby looked like he couldn't believe that I was so bad at this game. After one errant swing I took, I swear that he put his head down facing the ground so that he didn't have to watch such a pitiful spectacle.
He never caused any problems. We had a lot of fun on that little golf course that weekend. No one else was playing, so we just had a great time.
We drove all around the Ozarks and looked at many interesting sites. We went down there again in the fall one year. The trees are really beautiful in that part of the country when the leaves start to change color.
Another year, we went to Omaha. My Mom and I went to the zoo and had a great time looking at the white tigers, the gorillas and sun bears. My Dad and I went to the horse races.
One afternoon, I took Toby and Mom and we went to visit a beautiful garden that was open to the public. There were so many gorgeous flowers.
The last trip that I took with Toby, the family decided to go to Saint Louis and look around. We got into Saint Louis, but Toby acted strange in the hotel. He kept smelling around the bed and make strange noises. I told the folks that if Toby thought that something was strange, I was out of there.
We left there and went to a motel outside of town. It was a great find, because just down the road my folks found a great Italian restaurant. I always stayed with Toby when the folks went to eat. They brought me back the best fettuccine Alfredo I've ever had. Toby liked it too.
The next day, we came across just by chance a museum in Fulton, Missouri dedicated to Winston Churchill. This is a fantastic little museum. The college where the museum is located is where Churchill gave his famous "Iron Curtain" speech.
Toby couldn't go in the museum, so Mom watched him while I went in. She wasn't a history buff, so she didn't mind. When I came out, Toby went with me to look at the sections of the old Berlin Wall that were on display. I thought about what we would have done if we would have lived in East Berlin. After we looked at the old wall, we went to look at a old church above the Winston Churchill museum. It was a very interesting trip getting to see this museum and church. I loved it.
After this trip, Toby wasn't in good enough health to go on trips anymore. If Toby couldn't go, I didn't want to go either. There was no way I would leave him at a boarding place.
These are just simple trips, but they meant a lot to me. I miss these times each summer.
Most of the summer, the two of us tried to stay as cool as possible. We both hated the heat. Toby would only go for the briefest outings when it was really warm.
There is another memory I would like to share. It doesn't have anything to do with summer, it's just something I was thinking about while I was writing this post.
One year, we had a terrible ice storm. Out in the country were we lived, the power lines were down, and the roads were in horrific shape. We had to move into an apartment in town for about four weeks while the power was restored. Mom wanted to stay up there until the weather cleared up as well as she wanted to make sure that she could get to work. She was the one who made enough so that we could live, so she needed to keep her good job.
The time in the apartment would have been terrible as far as I was concerned if Toby hadn't have been there. When it wasn't too cold, we would go and get an ice cream down the street at the Baskin-Robbins. I can vividly remember all the walks we took around town that winter at the apartment. I used to talk to him and tell him about all my dreams for the future. They included him of course.
Tuesday is the anniversary of the day my friend passed away. I wish that we could be together again. Life hasn't been much fun since he's been gone. One thing that I am so happy about is that he lived long enough to get to know that I had a poem published in a literary journal. Poetry is the most important part of writing to me.
Toby always was right by my side when I was working at my writing desk. As long as he could be where I was, he was happy.
Toby is with my Mom and Dad now in Heaven. I believe that we will be together again one day. I am always thankful to Jesus for bringing us together all those years ago.
In the summer, we always went on a trip somewhere. On Toby's birthday, I told you about three of the trips that we took together. I'll tell you about three more.
One year, we decided to go down to the Ozarks and look around. We found a wonderful hotel to stay at. There was even a golf course. It was free to play for guests. I was even allowed to take Toby down there as long as he didn't get on the greens. All of the holes were par three.
I have to admit that I like golf, but I've never been much of a golfer. I don't know how many holes I ended up playing, but I only hit the green on the first stroke once. That was a cause for celebration. On most of the holes, Toby looked like he couldn't believe that I was so bad at this game. After one errant swing I took, I swear that he put his head down facing the ground so that he didn't have to watch such a pitiful spectacle.
He never caused any problems. We had a lot of fun on that little golf course that weekend. No one else was playing, so we just had a great time.
We drove all around the Ozarks and looked at many interesting sites. We went down there again in the fall one year. The trees are really beautiful in that part of the country when the leaves start to change color.
Another year, we went to Omaha. My Mom and I went to the zoo and had a great time looking at the white tigers, the gorillas and sun bears. My Dad and I went to the horse races.
One afternoon, I took Toby and Mom and we went to visit a beautiful garden that was open to the public. There were so many gorgeous flowers.
The last trip that I took with Toby, the family decided to go to Saint Louis and look around. We got into Saint Louis, but Toby acted strange in the hotel. He kept smelling around the bed and make strange noises. I told the folks that if Toby thought that something was strange, I was out of there.
We left there and went to a motel outside of town. It was a great find, because just down the road my folks found a great Italian restaurant. I always stayed with Toby when the folks went to eat. They brought me back the best fettuccine Alfredo I've ever had. Toby liked it too.
The next day, we came across just by chance a museum in Fulton, Missouri dedicated to Winston Churchill. This is a fantastic little museum. The college where the museum is located is where Churchill gave his famous "Iron Curtain" speech.
Toby couldn't go in the museum, so Mom watched him while I went in. She wasn't a history buff, so she didn't mind. When I came out, Toby went with me to look at the sections of the old Berlin Wall that were on display. I thought about what we would have done if we would have lived in East Berlin. After we looked at the old wall, we went to look at a old church above the Winston Churchill museum. It was a very interesting trip getting to see this museum and church. I loved it.
After this trip, Toby wasn't in good enough health to go on trips anymore. If Toby couldn't go, I didn't want to go either. There was no way I would leave him at a boarding place.
These are just simple trips, but they meant a lot to me. I miss these times each summer.
Most of the summer, the two of us tried to stay as cool as possible. We both hated the heat. Toby would only go for the briefest outings when it was really warm.
There is another memory I would like to share. It doesn't have anything to do with summer, it's just something I was thinking about while I was writing this post.
One year, we had a terrible ice storm. Out in the country were we lived, the power lines were down, and the roads were in horrific shape. We had to move into an apartment in town for about four weeks while the power was restored. Mom wanted to stay up there until the weather cleared up as well as she wanted to make sure that she could get to work. She was the one who made enough so that we could live, so she needed to keep her good job.
The time in the apartment would have been terrible as far as I was concerned if Toby hadn't have been there. When it wasn't too cold, we would go and get an ice cream down the street at the Baskin-Robbins. I can vividly remember all the walks we took around town that winter at the apartment. I used to talk to him and tell him about all my dreams for the future. They included him of course.
Tuesday is the anniversary of the day my friend passed away. I wish that we could be together again. Life hasn't been much fun since he's been gone. One thing that I am so happy about is that he lived long enough to get to know that I had a poem published in a literary journal. Poetry is the most important part of writing to me.
Toby always was right by my side when I was working at my writing desk. As long as he could be where I was, he was happy.
Toby is with my Mom and Dad now in Heaven. I believe that we will be together again one day. I am always thankful to Jesus for bringing us together all those years ago.
Verses For the Week
Galatians 6:9 -- "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."
John 13:35 -- "By this will all people know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another."
John 13:35 -- "By this will all people know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another."
Friday, June 1, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- The Prophetic Ministry of Jesus
Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you are here to read this week's sermon. I hope that you all are doing great.
I've been having a really good week in writing, and I am thankful to the Lord for the work that He has allowed to come my way. I may not have to get a part-time job if writing keeps on so well. Please pray for the Lord's will to be done in this area of my life.
Tonight, they are calling for severe storms in my part of the world. Please pray that the storms are not bad. Thank you for your prayers.
In other matters, let us continue to be in prayer for those in the Congo. There has been an ebola virus outbreak there. Please pray that the virus does not spread and that those who are sick will recover.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico who need help. Even after so many months, there is still a great deal of need. Pray for those in Hawaii and Papua New Guinea who are recovering from natural disasters.
Please pray for peace in this troubled world. Yemen, Syria and South Sudan especially need our prayers for peace.
For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those in Pakistan and Sudan. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
Last week, I posted a message about the humanity of Jesus. There are a couple of other points that I want to make on that before we move on today's message where we look at the prophetic ministry of Jesus.
Last week, we looked at some reasons why it was necessary that Jesus came in the flesh. One thing that I forgot to mention last week is the fact that Jesus needed to come in the flesh because He had to fulfill two covenants that God had made. Those covenants had to be fulfilled by a human being.
God made a covenant with Abraham that through his physical seed, all the nations of the world would be blessed. Jesus as the physical descendant of Abraham has brought blessings to the world by expanding God's offer of salvation to everyone on planet earth.
God also made a covenant with David. God told David that one of his descendants would rule on the throne in Jerusalem forever. Jesus is a descendant of David. When Jesus returns in power and great glory, He will rule and reign in righteousness from David''s throne in the city of Jerusalem.
Now. as part of our "Who is Jesus" series, I want us over the next three weeks to look into the roles that Jesus had. Jesus was prophet, priest and king. Today, we will look at Jesus' prophetic role.
In the Old Testament, the prophets had three roles. First of all, a prophet was the spokesperson for God. They brought a message to the people that God told them to bring. The prophet also called the people to turn away from their sins and to turn back to God. Finally, the prophet told the people what would happen in the future.
Jesus fulfilled the first of the prophet's roles. He was the Word of God who was made flesh. All that Jesus did, and all that Jesus taught were God's word to us. Jesus is God's ultimate expression of love and righteousness. Jesus' life speaks to us so that we know how to live in the midst of this world.
Hebrews 1:1-2 tell us that Jesus is God's ultimate and final word. These verses state, "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at various times and in many ways, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed as heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe."
Jesus also fulfilled the second mission of a prophet. Mark 1:15 tells us that Jesus went out preaching the word of God. Jesus called on people to repent of their sins and to believe the gospel. Jesus was always preaching and calling people to believe in Him. He made His love available to all. Whoever believed in Jesus' words, Jesus accepted them and forgave them of their sins.
Finally, we see that Jesus fulfilled the role of a prophet by predicting something in the future that came true. In Matthew 24, Jesus made a great prophecy. Jesus predicted that the city of Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed. Jesus said that not one stone would be left upon another.
This prophecy is often overlooked as an example that proves that Jesus was who He said that He was. Jesus clearly predicted the events that occurred in Jerusalem in 70 AD. In that year, the Romans came into Jerusalem and destroyed the city. The Temple was destroyed, and it has not operated since that time. This all happened just as Jesus said.
Jesus made this prediction so that His disciples could point to this fulfillment as a means of showing people that Jesus was who He said that He was. The fulfillment of Jesus' prediction adds credibility to His claims to be the Messiah who was sent by God.
Next week, Lord willing, we will examine the priestly role of Jesus. On Monday, I will post the verses, and on Wednesday, I will have a dog book review. May God bless you all. Amen.
I've been having a really good week in writing, and I am thankful to the Lord for the work that He has allowed to come my way. I may not have to get a part-time job if writing keeps on so well. Please pray for the Lord's will to be done in this area of my life.
Tonight, they are calling for severe storms in my part of the world. Please pray that the storms are not bad. Thank you for your prayers.
In other matters, let us continue to be in prayer for those in the Congo. There has been an ebola virus outbreak there. Please pray that the virus does not spread and that those who are sick will recover.
Continue to pray for those in Puerto Rico who need help. Even after so many months, there is still a great deal of need. Pray for those in Hawaii and Papua New Guinea who are recovering from natural disasters.
Please pray for peace in this troubled world. Yemen, Syria and South Sudan especially need our prayers for peace.
For our prayer focus countries this week, please pray for those in Pakistan and Sudan. Pray that many will hear the message of the love of Jesus.
Last week, I posted a message about the humanity of Jesus. There are a couple of other points that I want to make on that before we move on today's message where we look at the prophetic ministry of Jesus.
Last week, we looked at some reasons why it was necessary that Jesus came in the flesh. One thing that I forgot to mention last week is the fact that Jesus needed to come in the flesh because He had to fulfill two covenants that God had made. Those covenants had to be fulfilled by a human being.
God made a covenant with Abraham that through his physical seed, all the nations of the world would be blessed. Jesus as the physical descendant of Abraham has brought blessings to the world by expanding God's offer of salvation to everyone on planet earth.
God also made a covenant with David. God told David that one of his descendants would rule on the throne in Jerusalem forever. Jesus is a descendant of David. When Jesus returns in power and great glory, He will rule and reign in righteousness from David''s throne in the city of Jerusalem.
Now. as part of our "Who is Jesus" series, I want us over the next three weeks to look into the roles that Jesus had. Jesus was prophet, priest and king. Today, we will look at Jesus' prophetic role.
In the Old Testament, the prophets had three roles. First of all, a prophet was the spokesperson for God. They brought a message to the people that God told them to bring. The prophet also called the people to turn away from their sins and to turn back to God. Finally, the prophet told the people what would happen in the future.
Jesus fulfilled the first of the prophet's roles. He was the Word of God who was made flesh. All that Jesus did, and all that Jesus taught were God's word to us. Jesus is God's ultimate expression of love and righteousness. Jesus' life speaks to us so that we know how to live in the midst of this world.
Hebrews 1:1-2 tell us that Jesus is God's ultimate and final word. These verses state, "In the past, God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at various times and in many ways, but in these last days, He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed as heir of all things, and through whom also He made the universe."
Jesus also fulfilled the second mission of a prophet. Mark 1:15 tells us that Jesus went out preaching the word of God. Jesus called on people to repent of their sins and to believe the gospel. Jesus was always preaching and calling people to believe in Him. He made His love available to all. Whoever believed in Jesus' words, Jesus accepted them and forgave them of their sins.
Finally, we see that Jesus fulfilled the role of a prophet by predicting something in the future that came true. In Matthew 24, Jesus made a great prophecy. Jesus predicted that the city of Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed. Jesus said that not one stone would be left upon another.
This prophecy is often overlooked as an example that proves that Jesus was who He said that He was. Jesus clearly predicted the events that occurred in Jerusalem in 70 AD. In that year, the Romans came into Jerusalem and destroyed the city. The Temple was destroyed, and it has not operated since that time. This all happened just as Jesus said.
Jesus made this prediction so that His disciples could point to this fulfillment as a means of showing people that Jesus was who He said that He was. The fulfillment of Jesus' prediction adds credibility to His claims to be the Messiah who was sent by God.
Next week, Lord willing, we will examine the priestly role of Jesus. On Monday, I will post the verses, and on Wednesday, I will have a dog book review. May God bless you all. Amen.
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