It's been a long time since I posted book reviews, but I'm going to start again. This week, the book that I am reviewing is called, "Horses, Heifers and Hairy Pigs: The Life of a Yorkshire Vet" written by Julian Norton. Julian Norton worked at the same practice that James Herriot was involved with in Thirsk. He has recently left that veterinary practice, and he is working at another practice in Yorkshire. In addition to writing and working as a veterinary, Julian is one of the vet's featured in the British TV program called "The Yorkshire Vet."
This book tells about Julian's earlier life and his years in veterinary college at Cambridge. We learn about his early days in practice, and we learn about how he first came to Thirsk to work in the veterinary practice that James Herriot was a part of.
The book also details about how Julian met his wife, and it tells about some of the interests and activities that Julian likes to engage in apart from his vet work.
I highly recommend this book. It is well written, and the stories are fun to read. Julian Norton has written another book, and I am in the process of reading that one too. If you get the chance, you should watch the TV program. I also highly recommend it.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Monday, October 29, 2018
Verses For the Week
II Peter 1:3 -- "His divine power gives us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness."
Matthew 6:33 -- "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well."
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Romans 13:1-7
Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am glad that you have decided to take the time to read the sermon this week, and I am thankful that the Lord has given me this opportunity. I hope that everyone is having a good day.
This has been a very busy week at work. I am getting more hours than I thought I would at my job. I am also getting a lot of writing work. I am thankful to the Lord for my job and my writing. I have been feeling pretty good as well.
In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those who are recovering from natural disasters. People in Texas are recovering from flooding, and people in Florida and the Southeast are recovering from the hurricane damage. Please remember to pray for those in Indonesia who are recovering from the earthquake and the tsunami.
Please pray for those in Yemen who are facing famine. This country needs peace so that the people will not suffer any more.
Let us pray for peace around the world. Syria is still having war. We need to pray for peace in Afghanistan, Libya and South Sudan as well.
Please be in prayer about the problem of homelessness around the world. This is a major problem in my country. We need to pray that people will get the assistance that they need.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those in the nations of Egypt and Albania. Pray that many will hear about Jesus' love.
For the past few weeks now, we have been studying in the last few chapters of the book of Romans. We finished up chapter 12 last week, and this week will begin focusing on chapter 13.
Romans 13 is a misunderstood and misapplied teaching. This section of Scripture in verses 1 through 7 has been used by oppressive governments to try to keep people from standing up against governmental injustice. Recently in my country, this passage has been used to justify the excesses of our government.
In Romans 13:1-7, Paul tells us that God has established governments. Paul says that those who rebel against the government are rebelling against God. We are told that all of the authorities that exist are established by God for the purpose of bringing order. The governing authorities are to provide safety, and they are to punish those who are doing wrong. Paul calls on people to obey the government. Christians are to pay their taxes and give honor to the governing authorities.
First of all, let us look at what Paul is not saying in this passage. Paul is not saying that every leader has been put in power directly by God. Some in my country say that God put the current president in office. President Trump, President Obama, President Bush, President Clinton, whatever president was elected by the free will of the voters. The Lord does have the power to immediately remove any world leader if He should so desire, but people elected the leaders. Paul is not saying that God directly put each leader in place by somehow abrogating people's free will.
Paul is saying that government as an institution for order has been established by God. God has not chosen to let society be in anarchy.
Paul is not saying that Christians are to obey their governmental authorities in every aspect. We have to interpret Scripture by Scripture, and there are many instances in the Bible where people resisted the evil commandments of rulers. Let's look at a few of these.
In the book of Exodus, the Pharaoh of Egypt ordered all of the Hebrew babies to be killed. Moses' parents did not follow this order. They hid Moses and preserved him from death.
When Jezebel ordered the death of the prophets of God, Obadiah took many of the prophets and hid them in a cave so that Jezebel could not find them and kill them.
In the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar ordered that every one bow down to the idol that he had made. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down. Even when threatened with the fiery furnace, they would not obey the edict of the king and bow down to a false god.
Daniel went ahead with his daily habit of praying to God even though ordered not to pray by the Persian emperor. Daniel was thrown into the lions den, but he would not violate his conscience.
In the New Testament, Peter and John were boldly preaching the message of Jesus. They were arrested and commanded to no longer preach in the name of Jesus. Peter told the authorities that it is better to obey God than human beings.
We know that Paul was well aware of these instances, so we know that Paul is not advocating a wholesale obedience to the government even when the government is commanding that evil be done or that Christians stop practicing their faith.
There are examples from outside of the Bible when Christians stood up for the Lord and stood up against injustice. During the time of the early church, some of the Roman emperors demanded that all people including Christians acknowledge that Caesar was Lord. Many Christians would acknowledge no Lord except Jesus Christ, and they suffered martyrdom.
During the time of the Nazi atrocities, there were people who would not turn in those who the Nazis were trying to kill. There were people who hid their Jewish friends and neighbors and helped them to escape the clutches of the Nazis.
In my country, there were Christians who stood up for justice during the Civil Rights movement. They believed that discriminatory laws were wrong. They practiced non-violent civil disobedience in order to bring about change and to bring justice.
Right now in my country, there are some local communities that have passed laws making it illegal to give food to the homeless people that are out on the streets. Some Christian groups who work with the homeless have chosen to go ahead and provide food to those who are hungry. Some have been ticketed by the local police, but they have chosen to continue to feed the hungry and clothe the naked just as Jesus wants us to do.
As Christians, we are to first and foremost obey the Word of the Lord. If the government orders us to do something that God has told us in His Word not to do, we must obey God rather than human beings.
Now, what is Paul actually saying in this passage. Paul is telling us that as Christians, we are to obey the governing authorities. Just because we know that Jesus is the true King and we are looking for a city whose builder and maker is God, we still live in this world. We are to be upstanding and law-abiding citizens. We are to pay our taxes and follow the laws. We aren't to be above the law.
There are some Christians who believe that they are not obligated to follow any law that is not expressly found in the Bible. These people refuse to pay their taxes and they will not follow laws such as the speed limit or local zoning regulations.
Paul is directly addressing this type of attitude. We are to obey the law as Christians. We are not above the law. However, if the governing authorities act in an evil manner, we as believers must stand in opposition to that. If we are told that we are to violate a direct law of God, we cannot do that. This is what Paul is trying to get across in this passage.
Unfortunately, this passage of Scripture has been abused by those who want to get Christians to go along with the injustices and wickedness that governments are trying to promote. If we look at this passage in the way that it should be rightly interpreted, we see that it in no way is calling on Christians to remain silent in the midst of injustice.
Next week, we will continue with our series in Romans. I will once again post the sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I have finished posting the chapters in the book about my friend Toby. I am sad about this as posting the book made Toby feel so alive to me again. I miss him more every day. On Wednesday, I will be posting something. I may start posting the book reviews again, or I may post something else. May God bless you all. Amen.
This has been a very busy week at work. I am getting more hours than I thought I would at my job. I am also getting a lot of writing work. I am thankful to the Lord for my job and my writing. I have been feeling pretty good as well.
In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those who are recovering from natural disasters. People in Texas are recovering from flooding, and people in Florida and the Southeast are recovering from the hurricane damage. Please remember to pray for those in Indonesia who are recovering from the earthquake and the tsunami.
Please pray for those in Yemen who are facing famine. This country needs peace so that the people will not suffer any more.
Let us pray for peace around the world. Syria is still having war. We need to pray for peace in Afghanistan, Libya and South Sudan as well.
Please be in prayer about the problem of homelessness around the world. This is a major problem in my country. We need to pray that people will get the assistance that they need.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let's pray for those in the nations of Egypt and Albania. Pray that many will hear about Jesus' love.
For the past few weeks now, we have been studying in the last few chapters of the book of Romans. We finished up chapter 12 last week, and this week will begin focusing on chapter 13.
Romans 13 is a misunderstood and misapplied teaching. This section of Scripture in verses 1 through 7 has been used by oppressive governments to try to keep people from standing up against governmental injustice. Recently in my country, this passage has been used to justify the excesses of our government.
In Romans 13:1-7, Paul tells us that God has established governments. Paul says that those who rebel against the government are rebelling against God. We are told that all of the authorities that exist are established by God for the purpose of bringing order. The governing authorities are to provide safety, and they are to punish those who are doing wrong. Paul calls on people to obey the government. Christians are to pay their taxes and give honor to the governing authorities.
First of all, let us look at what Paul is not saying in this passage. Paul is not saying that every leader has been put in power directly by God. Some in my country say that God put the current president in office. President Trump, President Obama, President Bush, President Clinton, whatever president was elected by the free will of the voters. The Lord does have the power to immediately remove any world leader if He should so desire, but people elected the leaders. Paul is not saying that God directly put each leader in place by somehow abrogating people's free will.
Paul is saying that government as an institution for order has been established by God. God has not chosen to let society be in anarchy.
Paul is not saying that Christians are to obey their governmental authorities in every aspect. We have to interpret Scripture by Scripture, and there are many instances in the Bible where people resisted the evil commandments of rulers. Let's look at a few of these.
In the book of Exodus, the Pharaoh of Egypt ordered all of the Hebrew babies to be killed. Moses' parents did not follow this order. They hid Moses and preserved him from death.
When Jezebel ordered the death of the prophets of God, Obadiah took many of the prophets and hid them in a cave so that Jezebel could not find them and kill them.
In the book of Daniel, Nebuchadnezzar ordered that every one bow down to the idol that he had made. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down. Even when threatened with the fiery furnace, they would not obey the edict of the king and bow down to a false god.
Daniel went ahead with his daily habit of praying to God even though ordered not to pray by the Persian emperor. Daniel was thrown into the lions den, but he would not violate his conscience.
In the New Testament, Peter and John were boldly preaching the message of Jesus. They were arrested and commanded to no longer preach in the name of Jesus. Peter told the authorities that it is better to obey God than human beings.
We know that Paul was well aware of these instances, so we know that Paul is not advocating a wholesale obedience to the government even when the government is commanding that evil be done or that Christians stop practicing their faith.
There are examples from outside of the Bible when Christians stood up for the Lord and stood up against injustice. During the time of the early church, some of the Roman emperors demanded that all people including Christians acknowledge that Caesar was Lord. Many Christians would acknowledge no Lord except Jesus Christ, and they suffered martyrdom.
During the time of the Nazi atrocities, there were people who would not turn in those who the Nazis were trying to kill. There were people who hid their Jewish friends and neighbors and helped them to escape the clutches of the Nazis.
In my country, there were Christians who stood up for justice during the Civil Rights movement. They believed that discriminatory laws were wrong. They practiced non-violent civil disobedience in order to bring about change and to bring justice.
Right now in my country, there are some local communities that have passed laws making it illegal to give food to the homeless people that are out on the streets. Some Christian groups who work with the homeless have chosen to go ahead and provide food to those who are hungry. Some have been ticketed by the local police, but they have chosen to continue to feed the hungry and clothe the naked just as Jesus wants us to do.
As Christians, we are to first and foremost obey the Word of the Lord. If the government orders us to do something that God has told us in His Word not to do, we must obey God rather than human beings.
Now, what is Paul actually saying in this passage. Paul is telling us that as Christians, we are to obey the governing authorities. Just because we know that Jesus is the true King and we are looking for a city whose builder and maker is God, we still live in this world. We are to be upstanding and law-abiding citizens. We are to pay our taxes and follow the laws. We aren't to be above the law.
There are some Christians who believe that they are not obligated to follow any law that is not expressly found in the Bible. These people refuse to pay their taxes and they will not follow laws such as the speed limit or local zoning regulations.
Paul is directly addressing this type of attitude. We are to obey the law as Christians. We are not above the law. However, if the governing authorities act in an evil manner, we as believers must stand in opposition to that. If we are told that we are to violate a direct law of God, we cannot do that. This is what Paul is trying to get across in this passage.
Unfortunately, this passage of Scripture has been abused by those who want to get Christians to go along with the injustices and wickedness that governments are trying to promote. If we look at this passage in the way that it should be rightly interpreted, we see that it in no way is calling on Christians to remain silent in the midst of injustice.
Next week, we will continue with our series in Romans. I will once again post the sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I have finished posting the chapters in the book about my friend Toby. I am sad about this as posting the book made Toby feel so alive to me again. I miss him more every day. On Wednesday, I will be posting something. I may start posting the book reviews again, or I may post something else. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 16
Here is the final chapter in my book about Toby.
Chapter 16
After I graduated from college, Toby and I began what for us would be an event filled eighteen months. The summer after I graduated, Toby and I went out to Saint Louis for vacation. It wasn't a very long trip, but we had a lot of fun. We visited the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri on our way home. We got to walk around sections of the old Berlin Wall that are on display outside the museum. That summer was a time of just relaxing and enjoying the days. Dad and I did quite a bit of fishing, and sometimes Toby came along with us. Once when we were out together, we saw a huge flock of wild turkeys.
That fall, I decided to go to graduate school and get my master's degree is history. It was over an hours drive to get to the college, and I didn't like the professors at all. I was doing fine, and it was just about the end of the semester. I knew that I wasn't going to go back after Christmas. However, I had to quit before the end of the semester because I was injured in a car accident. An almost 90 year old woman hit my car and another car. She totaled the other driver's Mercedes Benz. She was not hurt in the accident.
I recovered pretty quickly. While I was still going to graduate school, I'd been spending my free time working on writing. I'd written a few poems and sent them in for publication. I was quite surprised when a few of these initial efforts were actually published in some small journals. I decided that I was going to give writing a try for at least a little while.
Being at home and working on my writing during the day was just like being back in home school again. It was great. Toby never left my side when I was working on my writing. When I was at my desk working on the computer, he would lay at the foot of the bed. We had fun setting up that computer together. As I was trying to get everything out of the box, Toby kept pushing boxes and bags around the room with his nose.
In order to improve as a writer, I enrolled in an off campus writing program with the University of Wisconsin. With writing, investing and studying I stayed very busy. But I was never too busy for my old friend. Toby was getting old. That year when I started writing, he turned twelve. Our walks became shorter. I really had to make sure that he stayed cool, because Toby never could stand much heat, and that became more pronounced as he got older. We still played hide and seek. Toby actually would chase the ball a little as he got older, but he never was much of a ball dog.
Our favorite activity was sitting out on the patio and having dinner together. I used to like to cook steaks out on the grill. It was always nice having a family meal together. We'd sit out on the patio just about every night until the mosquitoes started in.
About two days after Toby's twelfth birthday, our time of joy came to an abrupt end. Toby became extremely sick. For the past year, he had been in what for Toby was good health. But, one afternoon he just started vomiting uncontrollably. I called our regular veterinarian, but he was out of town, and he didn't have anyone handling emergencies. I called my back up vet, and he was out of town as well. I decided to call the vet in a town north of us, and they had an appointment available right away. She examined Toby, but she really didn't know what was wrong with him. She gave him some medicine to see if he would improve. Toby did improve a little, but he still wasn't right.
I got Toby an appointment with our regular vet as soon as he was back. He discovered Toby's problem right away. Toby had a large tumor in his abdomen.
My vet got Toby an appointment that same day with a cancer specialist. I feared the worst. The cancer specialist ran some scans, and he seemed optimistic. He felt that Toby's tumor was operable, and we scheduled the surgery for the next morning.
I really started to pray that night. I was so nervous. I was just about a basket case. I don't think I slept a wink which just kept Toby up, and he needed his rest. I took him into the surgeons that morning. The way that Toby looked at me when I handed his leash to the surgeon is a look I will never forget. His eyes looked at me like I was abandoning him and he couldn't understand why. It was horrible. I felt horrible. I prayed all morning and into the afternoon. Finally, I got a call from the surgeon. The tumor was malignant, but he thought that he got it all out.
Toby was supposed to stay at the hospital for three days after the surgery, but they called me the next afternoon and wanted me to take him home. They said that he was sad and depressed and they didn't think that he could stand being without me anymore. He was also trying to bite everyone who was trying to help him. He wanted his friend and was tired of everyone else.
When I came to pick him up Toby was so relieved. He let out a great big sigh of happiness.
The next day I received the bad news. Toby's cancer was so malignant that it had metastasized. They only gave Toby 6 weeks to live even with chemotherapy.
I decided to pray and ask Jesus to help Toby. I would not have any chemo for him. What would be would be.
Six weeks came, and Toby was acting like he was in the prime of life. He was jumping around and acting like a young pup again. I kept writing and getting things published. Every day Toby and I would play and just try to enjoy being together because each day that we could be together was a gift from Jesus.
Each month I took Toby into the vet's for a check, and he got a clean bill of health. His stomach improved and he wasn't really having many health problems. He just kept on going.
We had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas. The two of us ate so much at Thanksgiving we had to lay down the rest of the day for fear that we might explode. Christmas at the house was always a fun time. Toby liked to push the branches over to me while I put the tree up. His favorite part of Christmas was playing in the wrapping paper.
We celebrated Toby's 13th birthday. He was still going strong. I was still giving the glory to God. But nothing lasts forever. Toward the beginning of June, Toby went down hill fast. His lungs started filling up with fluid and all of his blood tests were terrible. This time I knew it was the end.
Toby died on June 5. He lived 13 and a half months after his surgery.
Toby was the best friend that I have ever had. He came to me at one of the lowest points in my life, and he made me fell like someone loved me for who I was and not for what they wanted me to be. Toby has been gone for several years and I still miss him every single day. I know that he is in Heaven with my Mom and Dad. I look forward to a family reunion some day. I am thankful to Jesus that I found Toby on that cold day in January all those years ago. I love you Toby.
Chapter 16
After I graduated from college, Toby and I began what for us would be an event filled eighteen months. The summer after I graduated, Toby and I went out to Saint Louis for vacation. It wasn't a very long trip, but we had a lot of fun. We visited the Winston Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri on our way home. We got to walk around sections of the old Berlin Wall that are on display outside the museum. That summer was a time of just relaxing and enjoying the days. Dad and I did quite a bit of fishing, and sometimes Toby came along with us. Once when we were out together, we saw a huge flock of wild turkeys.
That fall, I decided to go to graduate school and get my master's degree is history. It was over an hours drive to get to the college, and I didn't like the professors at all. I was doing fine, and it was just about the end of the semester. I knew that I wasn't going to go back after Christmas. However, I had to quit before the end of the semester because I was injured in a car accident. An almost 90 year old woman hit my car and another car. She totaled the other driver's Mercedes Benz. She was not hurt in the accident.
I recovered pretty quickly. While I was still going to graduate school, I'd been spending my free time working on writing. I'd written a few poems and sent them in for publication. I was quite surprised when a few of these initial efforts were actually published in some small journals. I decided that I was going to give writing a try for at least a little while.
Being at home and working on my writing during the day was just like being back in home school again. It was great. Toby never left my side when I was working on my writing. When I was at my desk working on the computer, he would lay at the foot of the bed. We had fun setting up that computer together. As I was trying to get everything out of the box, Toby kept pushing boxes and bags around the room with his nose.
In order to improve as a writer, I enrolled in an off campus writing program with the University of Wisconsin. With writing, investing and studying I stayed very busy. But I was never too busy for my old friend. Toby was getting old. That year when I started writing, he turned twelve. Our walks became shorter. I really had to make sure that he stayed cool, because Toby never could stand much heat, and that became more pronounced as he got older. We still played hide and seek. Toby actually would chase the ball a little as he got older, but he never was much of a ball dog.
Our favorite activity was sitting out on the patio and having dinner together. I used to like to cook steaks out on the grill. It was always nice having a family meal together. We'd sit out on the patio just about every night until the mosquitoes started in.
About two days after Toby's twelfth birthday, our time of joy came to an abrupt end. Toby became extremely sick. For the past year, he had been in what for Toby was good health. But, one afternoon he just started vomiting uncontrollably. I called our regular veterinarian, but he was out of town, and he didn't have anyone handling emergencies. I called my back up vet, and he was out of town as well. I decided to call the vet in a town north of us, and they had an appointment available right away. She examined Toby, but she really didn't know what was wrong with him. She gave him some medicine to see if he would improve. Toby did improve a little, but he still wasn't right.
I got Toby an appointment with our regular vet as soon as he was back. He discovered Toby's problem right away. Toby had a large tumor in his abdomen.
My vet got Toby an appointment that same day with a cancer specialist. I feared the worst. The cancer specialist ran some scans, and he seemed optimistic. He felt that Toby's tumor was operable, and we scheduled the surgery for the next morning.
I really started to pray that night. I was so nervous. I was just about a basket case. I don't think I slept a wink which just kept Toby up, and he needed his rest. I took him into the surgeons that morning. The way that Toby looked at me when I handed his leash to the surgeon is a look I will never forget. His eyes looked at me like I was abandoning him and he couldn't understand why. It was horrible. I felt horrible. I prayed all morning and into the afternoon. Finally, I got a call from the surgeon. The tumor was malignant, but he thought that he got it all out.
Toby was supposed to stay at the hospital for three days after the surgery, but they called me the next afternoon and wanted me to take him home. They said that he was sad and depressed and they didn't think that he could stand being without me anymore. He was also trying to bite everyone who was trying to help him. He wanted his friend and was tired of everyone else.
When I came to pick him up Toby was so relieved. He let out a great big sigh of happiness.
The next day I received the bad news. Toby's cancer was so malignant that it had metastasized. They only gave Toby 6 weeks to live even with chemotherapy.
I decided to pray and ask Jesus to help Toby. I would not have any chemo for him. What would be would be.
Six weeks came, and Toby was acting like he was in the prime of life. He was jumping around and acting like a young pup again. I kept writing and getting things published. Every day Toby and I would play and just try to enjoy being together because each day that we could be together was a gift from Jesus.
Each month I took Toby into the vet's for a check, and he got a clean bill of health. His stomach improved and he wasn't really having many health problems. He just kept on going.
We had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas. The two of us ate so much at Thanksgiving we had to lay down the rest of the day for fear that we might explode. Christmas at the house was always a fun time. Toby liked to push the branches over to me while I put the tree up. His favorite part of Christmas was playing in the wrapping paper.
We celebrated Toby's 13th birthday. He was still going strong. I was still giving the glory to God. But nothing lasts forever. Toward the beginning of June, Toby went down hill fast. His lungs started filling up with fluid and all of his blood tests were terrible. This time I knew it was the end.
Toby died on June 5. He lived 13 and a half months after his surgery.
Toby was the best friend that I have ever had. He came to me at one of the lowest points in my life, and he made me fell like someone loved me for who I was and not for what they wanted me to be. Toby has been gone for several years and I still miss him every single day. I know that he is in Heaven with my Mom and Dad. I look forward to a family reunion some day. I am thankful to Jesus that I found Toby on that cold day in January all those years ago. I love you Toby.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Verses For the Week
Ecclesiastes 9:10 -- "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might."
Colossians 3:23 -- "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Colossians 3:23 -- "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."
Saturday, October 20, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Romans 12:21
Welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon. I hope that you all are having a very good week. As always, I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity that He has given me to post these messages.
I had a very busy week at my new job. I am having a good time at this job, and I am thankful to the Lord for providing this job for me. I am also having a good week in writing, and I thank the Lord for that as well.
In prayer this week, let us all pray for those who are experiencing difficulties due to natural disasters. In the United States, there has been a lot of flooding in central Texas. Those in Florida and the Southeastern United States are still recovering from the damage caused by the hurricanes. Those in Indonesia are still recovering from the earthquake and the tsunami. Please pray that all of these people will receive the aid that they need.
Please continue to pray for peace in the war torn areas of this world. Let us pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and South Sudan. If you know of a place where there is conflict, please pray for peace in that area.
For our prayer focus countries of the week, let us pray for Gambia and Mongolia. Please pray that many in these nations will hear about the love that Jesus has for them.
For the past several Weekend Sermons, we've been in a series on the last few chapters of the book of Romans. Today, we will focus on the last verse of Romans chapter 12. This is an important verse for all Christians to understand and to put into practice.
Romans 12:21 states, "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." This verse is simple yet profound.
First of all, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we must guard against letting sin come into our lives. If we yield to temptation and do those things that the Lord has taught us not to do, we will have difficulties in our lives. We need to be those who are following the commands and teachings of the Lord Jesus. We should be obedient to Him. We should be actively engaged in doing what He has called us to do.
We live in a world that is filled with temptations to sin. The powers of darkness are constantly trying to get us to slip up so that we are ineffective in our witness and work for the Lord. The powers of evil do not want us to have the lives that we are supposed to have. If we yield to temptation, we will be overcome with evil.
I think that there is another way that we can be overcome with evil that doesn't have anything to do with those sins that might beset us. We can be overcome with evil because evil is all around us, and it seems to be overwhelming. Sometimes it seems like the powers of evil are winning the battle.
I find this to be true in regard to many of the issues that are important to me. I've worked for many years to get people to care about animals and the environment. Just when I think that the tide might be turning, something happens to make me think that people will never care. It seems like the forces that want to destroy the planet and the wildlife on this planet just keep growing stronger and stronger.
When there are setbacks to the good, it makes people who have worked to make the world a better place lose heart. You feel like giving up, and you feel like nothing that you do makes any difference. When this happens, the wrong way wins. When the forces that are against what is good get good people to give up, they've won the battle. In this way, good is overcome by evil.
In this passage, we as Christians are called to overcome evil with good. We are to be actively engaged in the struggle against the powers of evil.
I believe that there are at least three ways in which we overcome evil with good. First of all, we do this in the personal sense. All of struggle at times with sinful behaviors. We want to overcome these behaviors, but sometime it proves to be difficult. The best way to overcome a sinful behavior is to do as much good as possible. If we are engaged in doing what is good and right, there isn't time to engage in sinful behaviors. We overcome evil in our lives by replacing it with doing what is good.
We also overcome evil with good when we are witnesses for the Lord Jesus. When we share with others what Jesus has done, we are sowing the seeds of the Word into their hearts. When a person hears the Word of the Lord, that person will come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If a person makes the decision to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, that person is transformed and becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old has passed away, and the new has come. That person has been removed from darkness, and that person has come to the light of the love of Jesus Christ.
The final way that we overcome evil with good is by actively working to do what is good in the world. There is abundant need in this world. People don't have enough to eat. Many people need medical care. Homelessness is a major problem in my country and in other countries. The world is a mess. Good people are needed to work to make this world a better place.
Thanks be to God, there are people working hard each and every day to change things. They are working to overcome evil with good. This is what all of us who are Christians need to be doing. Each of us needs to find some way to help others and to help to make this world better. In that way, we will overcome evil, and good will come in this world.
Ultimately, good will overcome evil when Jesus returns in power and great glory at His Second Coming. Until Jesus does come, we have to be engaged in doing all that we can to do good in the world.
Next week, we will begin studying Romans 13. I will post the sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses, and on Wednesday, I will post the next chapter of my book about my friend Toby. May God bless you all. Amen.
I had a very busy week at my new job. I am having a good time at this job, and I am thankful to the Lord for providing this job for me. I am also having a good week in writing, and I thank the Lord for that as well.
In prayer this week, let us all pray for those who are experiencing difficulties due to natural disasters. In the United States, there has been a lot of flooding in central Texas. Those in Florida and the Southeastern United States are still recovering from the damage caused by the hurricanes. Those in Indonesia are still recovering from the earthquake and the tsunami. Please pray that all of these people will receive the aid that they need.
Please continue to pray for peace in the war torn areas of this world. Let us pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and South Sudan. If you know of a place where there is conflict, please pray for peace in that area.
For our prayer focus countries of the week, let us pray for Gambia and Mongolia. Please pray that many in these nations will hear about the love that Jesus has for them.
For the past several Weekend Sermons, we've been in a series on the last few chapters of the book of Romans. Today, we will focus on the last verse of Romans chapter 12. This is an important verse for all Christians to understand and to put into practice.
Romans 12:21 states, "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good." This verse is simple yet profound.
First of all, as believers in the Lord Jesus, we must guard against letting sin come into our lives. If we yield to temptation and do those things that the Lord has taught us not to do, we will have difficulties in our lives. We need to be those who are following the commands and teachings of the Lord Jesus. We should be obedient to Him. We should be actively engaged in doing what He has called us to do.
We live in a world that is filled with temptations to sin. The powers of darkness are constantly trying to get us to slip up so that we are ineffective in our witness and work for the Lord. The powers of evil do not want us to have the lives that we are supposed to have. If we yield to temptation, we will be overcome with evil.
I think that there is another way that we can be overcome with evil that doesn't have anything to do with those sins that might beset us. We can be overcome with evil because evil is all around us, and it seems to be overwhelming. Sometimes it seems like the powers of evil are winning the battle.
I find this to be true in regard to many of the issues that are important to me. I've worked for many years to get people to care about animals and the environment. Just when I think that the tide might be turning, something happens to make me think that people will never care. It seems like the forces that want to destroy the planet and the wildlife on this planet just keep growing stronger and stronger.
When there are setbacks to the good, it makes people who have worked to make the world a better place lose heart. You feel like giving up, and you feel like nothing that you do makes any difference. When this happens, the wrong way wins. When the forces that are against what is good get good people to give up, they've won the battle. In this way, good is overcome by evil.
In this passage, we as Christians are called to overcome evil with good. We are to be actively engaged in the struggle against the powers of evil.
I believe that there are at least three ways in which we overcome evil with good. First of all, we do this in the personal sense. All of struggle at times with sinful behaviors. We want to overcome these behaviors, but sometime it proves to be difficult. The best way to overcome a sinful behavior is to do as much good as possible. If we are engaged in doing what is good and right, there isn't time to engage in sinful behaviors. We overcome evil in our lives by replacing it with doing what is good.
We also overcome evil with good when we are witnesses for the Lord Jesus. When we share with others what Jesus has done, we are sowing the seeds of the Word into their hearts. When a person hears the Word of the Lord, that person will come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If a person makes the decision to accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, that person is transformed and becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus. The old has passed away, and the new has come. That person has been removed from darkness, and that person has come to the light of the love of Jesus Christ.
The final way that we overcome evil with good is by actively working to do what is good in the world. There is abundant need in this world. People don't have enough to eat. Many people need medical care. Homelessness is a major problem in my country and in other countries. The world is a mess. Good people are needed to work to make this world a better place.
Thanks be to God, there are people working hard each and every day to change things. They are working to overcome evil with good. This is what all of us who are Christians need to be doing. Each of us needs to find some way to help others and to help to make this world better. In that way, we will overcome evil, and good will come in this world.
Ultimately, good will overcome evil when Jesus returns in power and great glory at His Second Coming. Until Jesus does come, we have to be engaged in doing all that we can to do good in the world.
Next week, we will begin studying Romans 13. I will post the sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses, and on Wednesday, I will post the next chapter of my book about my friend Toby. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 15
Here is the next chapter.
Chapter 15
Toby didn't really like anyone but me. He wasn't unfriendly, and he wasn't mean. My uncle always referred to Toby as a tranquil beast. Toby just didn't care what anyone did as long as I was there, and he wanted to keep me safe. That was his number one priority. He never displayed any aggression toward anyone who didn't deserve it. Except for one group of people. He didn't like 99.9 percent of preachers.
The first time that I noticed this was when the minister from our family's church came out for one of his regular visits. The minute he came into the house, Toby never took his eyes off of him. Toby actually growled at him, and Toby never did that when people came over even if he didn't like them. Something was up.
I didn't think too much about all of this until the pastor was over at the house a few weeks later. Toby growled at him again. All of the hair on his back was standing up, and he was getting angry. I went with Toby outside so the old boy could cool off.
Later, I figured out why Toby didn't like the man. This man would in the next few weeks lie about me and get me fired from a job so that his wife could get the job. Toby had this character figured out way ahead of time.
My family stopped going to that church after many years, and began attending another of the very legalistic churches that my parents seemed drawn to. This new minister came over, and Toby was once again extremely agitated. What really set Toby off was when the new minister asked me if I could remember the exact time in my life that I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I do not know why, but Toby started barking and barking and barking at this man after he said that. I had to take him out in the kitchen.
It wasn't too long before I realized that Toby had this man figured out too. In a sermon, this minister said that he had a dog once that he didn't like so he shot and killed it. Toby had the dog hater spotted.
Finally, Toby met the pastor that he disliked most of all. He disliked this man so much and became so mad that he almost had a stroke. This happened when I was gone, so this is what my parents told me. As I mentioned before, I was born with an inherited immune system problem. Since my health was bad, I was still living at home. This pastor had the nerve to tell my folks that they should kick me out of the house because I shouldn't be living there anymore. He had no idea about my health, and my Dad proceeded to inform him about it, and that where I lived was none of his business. My Mom said that when the pastor said this that Toby got so angry that my Dad told the pastor and the elder that was with him to leave. This whole incident just made my Dad fed up. He left that denomination my family had been in since I was born and he never went back again.
This reminds me of what happened with my Grandpa and my uncle. My uncle was a Methodist minister. My Grandpa had had a heart attack and was in the hospital. My Grandpa and Grandma went to the same kind of church that my parents did. Their minister was visiting my Grandpa in the hospital when my uncle the minister came for a visit. My Grandparents pastor laid into my uncle when he found out that my uncle was a Methodist pastor. He said that Methodists where all liberals and were going to hell for preaching a social gospel. This made my Grandpa very upset. He told the pastor to leave his hospital room and never come back. My Grandparents had been members of that church for years, and after that they never went back.
About that time, I'd had enough of organized religion. The folks started going to a little church up the road from our house. I just stayed at home with Toby on Sundays and the two of us just had fun together.
About one year later, my Dad had to have surgery on his foot and was laid up for about one month. During that time, the pastor of the little church came to the house twice a week to visit my Dad and try to help him any way that he could.
When this pastor first came over to the house, I thought that Toby wouldn't like him since all of the other pastors he couldn't stand. But Toby liked this man. Since this pastor was so nice, I decided to go back to church, and I really enjoyed it. I began to learn about the real Jesus and about how much He loves me.
I knew that Toby didn't really have anything against religion. All this time, I was studying in Bible College and he certainly didn't hate me. He picked up on the fact that either they didn't like me or that they didn't like dogs. Its terrible when people who are Christians don't like animals. How can you love the creator and despise His creation?
Chapter 15
Toby didn't really like anyone but me. He wasn't unfriendly, and he wasn't mean. My uncle always referred to Toby as a tranquil beast. Toby just didn't care what anyone did as long as I was there, and he wanted to keep me safe. That was his number one priority. He never displayed any aggression toward anyone who didn't deserve it. Except for one group of people. He didn't like 99.9 percent of preachers.
The first time that I noticed this was when the minister from our family's church came out for one of his regular visits. The minute he came into the house, Toby never took his eyes off of him. Toby actually growled at him, and Toby never did that when people came over even if he didn't like them. Something was up.
I didn't think too much about all of this until the pastor was over at the house a few weeks later. Toby growled at him again. All of the hair on his back was standing up, and he was getting angry. I went with Toby outside so the old boy could cool off.
Later, I figured out why Toby didn't like the man. This man would in the next few weeks lie about me and get me fired from a job so that his wife could get the job. Toby had this character figured out way ahead of time.
My family stopped going to that church after many years, and began attending another of the very legalistic churches that my parents seemed drawn to. This new minister came over, and Toby was once again extremely agitated. What really set Toby off was when the new minister asked me if I could remember the exact time in my life that I accepted Jesus as my Savior. I do not know why, but Toby started barking and barking and barking at this man after he said that. I had to take him out in the kitchen.
It wasn't too long before I realized that Toby had this man figured out too. In a sermon, this minister said that he had a dog once that he didn't like so he shot and killed it. Toby had the dog hater spotted.
Finally, Toby met the pastor that he disliked most of all. He disliked this man so much and became so mad that he almost had a stroke. This happened when I was gone, so this is what my parents told me. As I mentioned before, I was born with an inherited immune system problem. Since my health was bad, I was still living at home. This pastor had the nerve to tell my folks that they should kick me out of the house because I shouldn't be living there anymore. He had no idea about my health, and my Dad proceeded to inform him about it, and that where I lived was none of his business. My Mom said that when the pastor said this that Toby got so angry that my Dad told the pastor and the elder that was with him to leave. This whole incident just made my Dad fed up. He left that denomination my family had been in since I was born and he never went back again.
This reminds me of what happened with my Grandpa and my uncle. My uncle was a Methodist minister. My Grandpa had had a heart attack and was in the hospital. My Grandpa and Grandma went to the same kind of church that my parents did. Their minister was visiting my Grandpa in the hospital when my uncle the minister came for a visit. My Grandparents pastor laid into my uncle when he found out that my uncle was a Methodist pastor. He said that Methodists where all liberals and were going to hell for preaching a social gospel. This made my Grandpa very upset. He told the pastor to leave his hospital room and never come back. My Grandparents had been members of that church for years, and after that they never went back.
About that time, I'd had enough of organized religion. The folks started going to a little church up the road from our house. I just stayed at home with Toby on Sundays and the two of us just had fun together.
About one year later, my Dad had to have surgery on his foot and was laid up for about one month. During that time, the pastor of the little church came to the house twice a week to visit my Dad and try to help him any way that he could.
When this pastor first came over to the house, I thought that Toby wouldn't like him since all of the other pastors he couldn't stand. But Toby liked this man. Since this pastor was so nice, I decided to go back to church, and I really enjoyed it. I began to learn about the real Jesus and about how much He loves me.
I knew that Toby didn't really have anything against religion. All this time, I was studying in Bible College and he certainly didn't hate me. He picked up on the fact that either they didn't like me or that they didn't like dogs. Its terrible when people who are Christians don't like animals. How can you love the creator and despise His creation?
Monday, October 15, 2018
Verses For the Week
II Corinthians 12:9 -- "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Ephesians 4:7 -- "But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."
Ephesians 4:7 -- "But to each one of us, grace has been given as Christ apportioned it."
Saturday, October 13, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Romans 12:14-20
Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I hope that everyone is having a good week.
This week has been hard. On Monday, my garage and part of my crawlspace flooded. I thank the Lord that not too much damage was caused. The house is OK. We are supposed to get more rain tomorrow, so please continue to pray that all will be well. Thank you for your prayers.
I have been working hard this week on writing and at my new job. I am thankful to the Lord for providing me with work to do.
Please pray for those in Florida and the Southeast who were hit by the hurricane this week. Pray that people will receive the aid that they need. Please continue to pray for the people in Indonesia who were affected by the hurricane and the tsunami.
Pray for those affected by the Ebola virus in Congo. Pray that this virus will stop spreading, and that those who are sick will get well.
Let us all pray for peace in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Pray for peace wherever you know that there is a conflict.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Benin and China. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
During the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of message on the last chapters of the book of Romans. For today's message we will be focusing our attention on Romans 12 verses 14-20.
Paul begins in verse 14 by telling us that we should bless those who persecute us. This is a hard thing to do. Our natural reaction when people treat us badly is to strike back. If someone says something hurtful to us, we want to respond by saying something that will hurt them. Paul urges us to bless those who curse us.
When I was working at a place where people called in to make insurance claims, I found that if I got upset when people started being nasty, the situation just escalated. If I said something nice back when someone was nasty, it had the effect many times of stopping their nasty behavior. They didn't know how to respond.
Our example in all things is Jesus. Jesus did not say anything bad to those who were persecuting Him. When He was on the cross, Jesus prayed that the Father would forgive those who were crucifying Him.
When we are faced with those who are persecuting us or making our lives miserable in some way, the way that we can overcome is by praying. We need to pray that the Lord will allow us to have a Christ like attitude. We need to pray that the Lord will help the other individual, and we need to pray that the Lord will empower us to do the right thing.
In verse 15, Paul calls on us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and to weep with those who are weeping. When people we know are happy, we should join in the celebration. When they are sad and need us to be with them, we should seek to be of help and comfort.
The essence of verse 17 is that we are to be humble people. This is one of the characteristics of those who are trying to imitate the way of Jesus. Jesus had a humble heart. We are to have a humble heart like unto His humble heart. That means that we are not filled with pride. We don't go around boasting thinking that we are better than someone else.
This type of pride can manifest itself in several different ways. Some people think that they are better than people of different races or ethnic backgrounds. Some people believe that they are superior to others because they have a lot of money or they have a high level of education. Of course no one is superior to anyone else.
If we think that we are better than someone else, that is pride, and that is a sin. We are always to realize that all that we are and all that we have is because of the grace of the Lord.
All of us are one in the Lord Jesus. Everyone is of great value to the Lord Jesus. Jesus doesn't love one person more than another person. Jesus cares just as much for the person who is poor as He does for the rich. He loves people of all races and ethnic backgrounds exactly the same. We should follow the path that Jesus has set forth.
In verses 17 and 18, we are urged to live peaceably with everyone and to do what is right. Christians are called to live at peace with others. We aren't to repay evil for evil.
Verses 19 and 20 speak about vengeance. We are to leave this in the hands of the Lord. One day, the Lord will return to this earth. He will rule and reign in righteous. Justice will be over all of the earth. The Lord will make sure that everyone who has done what is evil will receive what they deserve.
We are called on to do good to everyone. We are even to do good to those who are our enemies. The only way that we can do this is to follow Jesus' example and pray that the Lord will give us strength to do what He has asked us to do.
Next week, we will finish up Romans 12. I will post the Weekend Sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post the next chapter in the book about my friend Toby on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week has been hard. On Monday, my garage and part of my crawlspace flooded. I thank the Lord that not too much damage was caused. The house is OK. We are supposed to get more rain tomorrow, so please continue to pray that all will be well. Thank you for your prayers.
I have been working hard this week on writing and at my new job. I am thankful to the Lord for providing me with work to do.
Please pray for those in Florida and the Southeast who were hit by the hurricane this week. Pray that people will receive the aid that they need. Please continue to pray for the people in Indonesia who were affected by the hurricane and the tsunami.
Pray for those affected by the Ebola virus in Congo. Pray that this virus will stop spreading, and that those who are sick will get well.
Let us all pray for peace in Syria, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan and South Sudan. Pray for peace wherever you know that there is a conflict.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Benin and China. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
During the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of message on the last chapters of the book of Romans. For today's message we will be focusing our attention on Romans 12 verses 14-20.
Paul begins in verse 14 by telling us that we should bless those who persecute us. This is a hard thing to do. Our natural reaction when people treat us badly is to strike back. If someone says something hurtful to us, we want to respond by saying something that will hurt them. Paul urges us to bless those who curse us.
When I was working at a place where people called in to make insurance claims, I found that if I got upset when people started being nasty, the situation just escalated. If I said something nice back when someone was nasty, it had the effect many times of stopping their nasty behavior. They didn't know how to respond.
Our example in all things is Jesus. Jesus did not say anything bad to those who were persecuting Him. When He was on the cross, Jesus prayed that the Father would forgive those who were crucifying Him.
When we are faced with those who are persecuting us or making our lives miserable in some way, the way that we can overcome is by praying. We need to pray that the Lord will allow us to have a Christ like attitude. We need to pray that the Lord will help the other individual, and we need to pray that the Lord will empower us to do the right thing.
In verse 15, Paul calls on us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and to weep with those who are weeping. When people we know are happy, we should join in the celebration. When they are sad and need us to be with them, we should seek to be of help and comfort.
The essence of verse 17 is that we are to be humble people. This is one of the characteristics of those who are trying to imitate the way of Jesus. Jesus had a humble heart. We are to have a humble heart like unto His humble heart. That means that we are not filled with pride. We don't go around boasting thinking that we are better than someone else.
This type of pride can manifest itself in several different ways. Some people think that they are better than people of different races or ethnic backgrounds. Some people believe that they are superior to others because they have a lot of money or they have a high level of education. Of course no one is superior to anyone else.
If we think that we are better than someone else, that is pride, and that is a sin. We are always to realize that all that we are and all that we have is because of the grace of the Lord.
All of us are one in the Lord Jesus. Everyone is of great value to the Lord Jesus. Jesus doesn't love one person more than another person. Jesus cares just as much for the person who is poor as He does for the rich. He loves people of all races and ethnic backgrounds exactly the same. We should follow the path that Jesus has set forth.
In verses 17 and 18, we are urged to live peaceably with everyone and to do what is right. Christians are called to live at peace with others. We aren't to repay evil for evil.
Verses 19 and 20 speak about vengeance. We are to leave this in the hands of the Lord. One day, the Lord will return to this earth. He will rule and reign in righteous. Justice will be over all of the earth. The Lord will make sure that everyone who has done what is evil will receive what they deserve.
We are called on to do good to everyone. We are even to do good to those who are our enemies. The only way that we can do this is to follow Jesus' example and pray that the Lord will give us strength to do what He has asked us to do.
Next week, we will finish up Romans 12. I will post the Weekend Sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will post the next chapter in the book about my friend Toby on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 14 and an Update
This is an update. We've had 12 inches of rain in the last four days. My garage had a lot of water in it. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I am thankful to the Lord for keeping things from being any worse. Thank you for your prayers. We are supposed to have two days rain free, and then it is supposed to rain for two more days. Please keep praying.
I would like to ask everyone to pray for those in the path of the hurricane heading toward Florida. Pray that people will be safe.
Here is the next chapter
Chapter 14
Just after I turned seven, my folks decided to move out of the city. We moved about 20 miles south of the city where we lived to a small town of about 175 people. Mom was getting into taking dogs to dog shows, and she wanted to live where she could have more than the three dogs that were allowed in the city.
I've lived in rural areas ever since. Except for one brief interlude that Toby and I could not stand. It was not a pleasant experience.
When my folks moved to the country, they kept their jobs in town. My Mom worked for the same doctor from 1957 until she retired in 2000. After she moved, she had to commute 32 miles each way. Living out in the country made it hard to get to work sometimes because the county often didn't make it a priority to clean off the rural roads. She didn't have any trouble getting to work when it was just snowy, because she had an old International Scout four-wheel drive. My Dad never did have any trouble driving in bad weather.
One year, we had a series of terrible ice storms. We even lost power for an extended period. Mom was having a terrible time getting to work in the slick conditions. So, she decided to move back to town. I have to say that I don't understand what came over my Mother at this point. She decided to sell all of her show dogs. Everyone of them!! Including my Dad's rottweiler, Abraham. She even wanted me to sell Toby so that she had better choices of apartments and condominiums to move in to. I said no way. I told her that if she tried to pull that, I was gone. I was a senior in high school at this time. I would have left too if she would have pressed me.
She found an apartment in town to move into. Toby and I just about died. We absolutely could not stand that place. It was a nice apartment as far as apartments go, but it was just terrible with all of the noise and confinement. I could only take Toby out on the leash, and he hated it. Mom was happy because she was close to work.
Well, Toby and I decided to try and make the best of bad situation. I told him that we could endure until I was done with high school, and then we could escape.
Then came a bad night. I decided to take a walk with Toby down through the back part of the apartment complex that led in back of some businesses in the area. We were a few blocks away when a car with three men in it pulled up. They rolled down the window and started making vulgar statements at me. I ignored them, and then one of the men told me to get in the car. About two blocks down, another car pulled on to the road, and the men in the car drove off.
Well, Toby and I headed for somewhere safe. We took off fast. Unfortunately, this was the time before cellphones, so I couldn't call the police.
Before we got very far, these same guys came back round again. They stopped, and one of them got out of the car. This set Toby off. He started growling, and every hair on his back was on end. He ran to the end of the leash and started barking his head off. The man who got out of the car started laughing, but he didn't laugh long when Toby got loose from me. He took after them. The man jumped back in his car and they took off. Thank God, Toby came back when I called him, but he was mad. If I hadn't been with Toby, those guys would have jumped me.
We made it back to the apartment quick. The police never did catch the men.
We lived in the apartment for about seven weeks. My Dad finally put his foot down. He usually did whatever my Mom wanted to do, but he wasn't liking the apartment. We still had the house, and Dad wanted to move back. And we did. What a dreadful episode.
One good thing happened. The people who bought Abraham called us about one week after we moved back home. They said that Abraham was too much for them to handle, and wanted to know if Dad would take him back. He sure did.
I like living away from people. Unfortunately, my health may not let me live in the rural areas too long. As I get older, it gets harder to take care of everything. I don't know if I will be able to stand living in town. One thing I know, Toby saved the day. He was just a corgi, but he was fierce. He sounded mean when he growled.
Toby saved the day one other time. My Dad had trouble with his heart, so he retired when I was a freshman in college. On days when I got back early from class,(this is after I graduated from Bible college and was going to a different college and not going to school at home) Dad and I would sometimes go to the little town about seven miles to the south and have lunch at the buffet restaurant. We got back home, and I could hear Toby going crazy barking and growling inside the house.
I went inside, and Toby was barking and barking at my parents bedroom window. I went outside, and I discovered the source. While my Dad and I were away, someone had tried to break in. The screen on the window was cut, probably with a knife. I could see where the intruder had tried to force open the lock and get the window up. The thief must have thought better of it when he heard Toby. Toby sounded meaner than my Dad's rottweiler. The thief probably thought that there was a monster in the house and split. Once again, Toby kept me safe.
I would like to ask everyone to pray for those in the path of the hurricane heading toward Florida. Pray that people will be safe.
Here is the next chapter
Chapter 14
Just after I turned seven, my folks decided to move out of the city. We moved about 20 miles south of the city where we lived to a small town of about 175 people. Mom was getting into taking dogs to dog shows, and she wanted to live where she could have more than the three dogs that were allowed in the city.
I've lived in rural areas ever since. Except for one brief interlude that Toby and I could not stand. It was not a pleasant experience.
When my folks moved to the country, they kept their jobs in town. My Mom worked for the same doctor from 1957 until she retired in 2000. After she moved, she had to commute 32 miles each way. Living out in the country made it hard to get to work sometimes because the county often didn't make it a priority to clean off the rural roads. She didn't have any trouble getting to work when it was just snowy, because she had an old International Scout four-wheel drive. My Dad never did have any trouble driving in bad weather.
One year, we had a series of terrible ice storms. We even lost power for an extended period. Mom was having a terrible time getting to work in the slick conditions. So, she decided to move back to town. I have to say that I don't understand what came over my Mother at this point. She decided to sell all of her show dogs. Everyone of them!! Including my Dad's rottweiler, Abraham. She even wanted me to sell Toby so that she had better choices of apartments and condominiums to move in to. I said no way. I told her that if she tried to pull that, I was gone. I was a senior in high school at this time. I would have left too if she would have pressed me.
She found an apartment in town to move into. Toby and I just about died. We absolutely could not stand that place. It was a nice apartment as far as apartments go, but it was just terrible with all of the noise and confinement. I could only take Toby out on the leash, and he hated it. Mom was happy because she was close to work.
Well, Toby and I decided to try and make the best of bad situation. I told him that we could endure until I was done with high school, and then we could escape.
Then came a bad night. I decided to take a walk with Toby down through the back part of the apartment complex that led in back of some businesses in the area. We were a few blocks away when a car with three men in it pulled up. They rolled down the window and started making vulgar statements at me. I ignored them, and then one of the men told me to get in the car. About two blocks down, another car pulled on to the road, and the men in the car drove off.
Well, Toby and I headed for somewhere safe. We took off fast. Unfortunately, this was the time before cellphones, so I couldn't call the police.
Before we got very far, these same guys came back round again. They stopped, and one of them got out of the car. This set Toby off. He started growling, and every hair on his back was on end. He ran to the end of the leash and started barking his head off. The man who got out of the car started laughing, but he didn't laugh long when Toby got loose from me. He took after them. The man jumped back in his car and they took off. Thank God, Toby came back when I called him, but he was mad. If I hadn't been with Toby, those guys would have jumped me.
We made it back to the apartment quick. The police never did catch the men.
We lived in the apartment for about seven weeks. My Dad finally put his foot down. He usually did whatever my Mom wanted to do, but he wasn't liking the apartment. We still had the house, and Dad wanted to move back. And we did. What a dreadful episode.
One good thing happened. The people who bought Abraham called us about one week after we moved back home. They said that Abraham was too much for them to handle, and wanted to know if Dad would take him back. He sure did.
I like living away from people. Unfortunately, my health may not let me live in the rural areas too long. As I get older, it gets harder to take care of everything. I don't know if I will be able to stand living in town. One thing I know, Toby saved the day. He was just a corgi, but he was fierce. He sounded mean when he growled.
Toby saved the day one other time. My Dad had trouble with his heart, so he retired when I was a freshman in college. On days when I got back early from class,(this is after I graduated from Bible college and was going to a different college and not going to school at home) Dad and I would sometimes go to the little town about seven miles to the south and have lunch at the buffet restaurant. We got back home, and I could hear Toby going crazy barking and growling inside the house.
I went inside, and Toby was barking and barking at my parents bedroom window. I went outside, and I discovered the source. While my Dad and I were away, someone had tried to break in. The screen on the window was cut, probably with a knife. I could see where the intruder had tried to force open the lock and get the window up. The thief must have thought better of it when he heard Toby. Toby sounded meaner than my Dad's rottweiler. The thief probably thought that there was a monster in the house and split. Once again, Toby kept me safe.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Verses For the Week -- Prayer Request -- Update
We have had terrible rains where I live. My garage got a lot of water in it last night. They are calling for more rain tonight through tomorrow night. Please pray that conditions will improve. If we get too much more rain, it will be more than my garage that gets water in it. Thank you for your prayers.
Isaiah 40:31 -- "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Philippians 3:14 -- "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Isaiah 40:31 -- "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Philippians 3:14 -- "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Saturday, October 6, 2018
Weekend Sermon -- Romans 12:12-13
Thank you for taking the time this week to read the Weekend Sermon. I am thankful to the Lord for another opportunity to post the message. I hope that you all are having a wonderful week.
This week has been very busy. I am working hard at my new job, and I am very busy with writing. I am thankful to the Lord for providing me with work.
I do have an important prayer request. It is raining heavily where I live, and it is forecasted to rain for the next several days. I am concerned about flooding in my area. Please pray that the rains will not be too heavy. Please pray that there won't be flooding. Thank you for your prayers.
In prayer this week, please continue to pray for those in Indonesia who are recovering from the earthquake and tsunami. Pray that the injured will recover and that those in need will receive the aid that they need.
Please continue to pray for those on the east coast of the United States who suffered damage from the heavy hurricane rains. Pray that they will get the aid that they need.
I heard on the radio this morning that there are still cases of Ebola in the Congo. Please pray that those afflicted will recover. Pray that the disease will be brought to a halt.
We need to continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and South Sudan certainly need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Iran and Singapore. Pray that many in these two nations will here about the love of Jesus.
For the last few weeks, we have been studying what the Lord has to say to us from the last few chapters of the book of Romans. We have been dealing with Romans Chapter 12 specifically up to this point.
Today, I would like us to focus our attention on verse 12 through 14 of this chapter. So far in chapter 12, we have seen that we are to present ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice. We are to use the gifts that the Lord has given to us to help the church of Jesus Christ accomplish the mission that has been given to it. All of us have a role to play in spreading the message of Jesus' love and forgiveness to the world.
Last week, we saw that we are to be people who love sincerely, and we are to care for those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to put away evil and do that which is good.
As we focus on verse 12, Paul states that we are to, "be joyful in hope." Of all people that live on this planet we are the ones who have hope for tomorrow. Those who are in Christ have the promise that one day, we will be with Jesus in the place that He has prepared for us. We know that this life is not all that there is. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. Whatever bad is happening in our lives at the present time, we still have hope for a glorious future in which Jesus reigns as Lord of all and over all. We can rejoice in this hope. We can be filled with joy because Jesus will make all things well.
Paul also tells us to be, "patient in affliction." This is a hard thing to do. When we are going through a hard time, we want to be out of that hard time as quickly as possible. No one likes to suffer. When we are afflicted in this life, we can endure because we know that the Lord is using everything in our lives to draw us closer to Him. Often that is hard to understand. It requires faith that the Lord is looking out for us in all things.
Paul goes on to say that we should be, "faithful in prayer." Prayer is at the heart of the Christian life. We have the privilege to pray and be in communication with the Lord of the universe. We can go to Him with every burden that is on our hearts. We can bring others before the throne of grace and intercede on their behalf.
I urge you to make it your practice to pray every single day. I couldn't make it through my day without prayer. I need to seek the guidance of the Lord Jesus with every step that I take. Pray the Lord's Prayer every day, and pray for your needs and the needs of others every day. Pray for those you know who do not yet know Jesus as Lord. Pray for the the needs of this world. Pray for those prayer requests that are mentioned here on the Weekend Sermon. Don't forget to be in prayer always.
In verse 13 it says, "Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." There are many people who are our brothers and sisters in the faith who have great need. This is true in nations all over the world whether they be wealthier nations or poorer nations. One of the qualities that distinguished the early believers in the book of Acts was that they shared what they had with each other. The Bible says that there was no need found among them. Those who were wealthy would even sell some of their land and give the proceeds to help others who were in need.
As believers in Jesus, we need to help one another. If we know of a brother or sister in Christ who has a financial need, we should do what we can to help them. If we know of a spiritual or emotional need, we should seek to be of assistance in these areas as well.
Our helping of others shouldn't stop with those who are our fellow believers in Jesus. There is a whole world that is in desperate need of assistance. Many do not have enough to eat. Many are dying of treatable diseases. So many need help, and we should be of aid as the Lord provides and gives us strength.
Next week, we will continue our study in the book of Romans. I believe that there will be two more sermons before we move on to chapter 13. The sermon will be posted on Saturday again next week. I will post the verses on Monday, and I will post the next chapter of my book about my friend Toby on Wednesday. I am having fun posting the story about my friend, and I hope that you enjoy reading it. May God bless you all. Amen.
This week has been very busy. I am working hard at my new job, and I am very busy with writing. I am thankful to the Lord for providing me with work.
I do have an important prayer request. It is raining heavily where I live, and it is forecasted to rain for the next several days. I am concerned about flooding in my area. Please pray that the rains will not be too heavy. Please pray that there won't be flooding. Thank you for your prayers.
In prayer this week, please continue to pray for those in Indonesia who are recovering from the earthquake and tsunami. Pray that the injured will recover and that those in need will receive the aid that they need.
Please continue to pray for those on the east coast of the United States who suffered damage from the heavy hurricane rains. Pray that they will get the aid that they need.
I heard on the radio this morning that there are still cases of Ebola in the Congo. Please pray that those afflicted will recover. Pray that the disease will be brought to a halt.
We need to continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya and South Sudan certainly need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Iran and Singapore. Pray that many in these two nations will here about the love of Jesus.
For the last few weeks, we have been studying what the Lord has to say to us from the last few chapters of the book of Romans. We have been dealing with Romans Chapter 12 specifically up to this point.
Today, I would like us to focus our attention on verse 12 through 14 of this chapter. So far in chapter 12, we have seen that we are to present ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice. We are to use the gifts that the Lord has given to us to help the church of Jesus Christ accomplish the mission that has been given to it. All of us have a role to play in spreading the message of Jesus' love and forgiveness to the world.
Last week, we saw that we are to be people who love sincerely, and we are to care for those who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to put away evil and do that which is good.
As we focus on verse 12, Paul states that we are to, "be joyful in hope." Of all people that live on this planet we are the ones who have hope for tomorrow. Those who are in Christ have the promise that one day, we will be with Jesus in the place that He has prepared for us. We know that this life is not all that there is. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. Whatever bad is happening in our lives at the present time, we still have hope for a glorious future in which Jesus reigns as Lord of all and over all. We can rejoice in this hope. We can be filled with joy because Jesus will make all things well.
Paul also tells us to be, "patient in affliction." This is a hard thing to do. When we are going through a hard time, we want to be out of that hard time as quickly as possible. No one likes to suffer. When we are afflicted in this life, we can endure because we know that the Lord is using everything in our lives to draw us closer to Him. Often that is hard to understand. It requires faith that the Lord is looking out for us in all things.
Paul goes on to say that we should be, "faithful in prayer." Prayer is at the heart of the Christian life. We have the privilege to pray and be in communication with the Lord of the universe. We can go to Him with every burden that is on our hearts. We can bring others before the throne of grace and intercede on their behalf.
I urge you to make it your practice to pray every single day. I couldn't make it through my day without prayer. I need to seek the guidance of the Lord Jesus with every step that I take. Pray the Lord's Prayer every day, and pray for your needs and the needs of others every day. Pray for those you know who do not yet know Jesus as Lord. Pray for the the needs of this world. Pray for those prayer requests that are mentioned here on the Weekend Sermon. Don't forget to be in prayer always.
In verse 13 it says, "Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." There are many people who are our brothers and sisters in the faith who have great need. This is true in nations all over the world whether they be wealthier nations or poorer nations. One of the qualities that distinguished the early believers in the book of Acts was that they shared what they had with each other. The Bible says that there was no need found among them. Those who were wealthy would even sell some of their land and give the proceeds to help others who were in need.
As believers in Jesus, we need to help one another. If we know of a brother or sister in Christ who has a financial need, we should do what we can to help them. If we know of a spiritual or emotional need, we should seek to be of assistance in these areas as well.
Our helping of others shouldn't stop with those who are our fellow believers in Jesus. There is a whole world that is in desperate need of assistance. Many do not have enough to eat. Many are dying of treatable diseases. So many need help, and we should be of aid as the Lord provides and gives us strength.
Next week, we will continue our study in the book of Romans. I believe that there will be two more sermons before we move on to chapter 13. The sermon will be posted on Saturday again next week. I will post the verses on Monday, and I will post the next chapter of my book about my friend Toby on Wednesday. I am having fun posting the story about my friend, and I hope that you enjoy reading it. May God bless you all. Amen.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Toby -- The Story of My Friend -- Chapter 13
Before I post the next chapter, I have two prayer requests. Please pray for those in Indonesia who are recovering from the natural disaster there. Also, there is supposed to be a lot of rain in my area over the next week. I am very concerned about potential flooding. Please pray that all will be well at my house. Thank you for your prayers.
Here is the next chapter:
Chapter 13
Allegri's Miserere is one of the finest examples of choral music known in the Western world. When the composer Mozart first heard the piece performed in the Vatican, he was so impressed and moved by its brilliance that when he arrived back home, he wrote out the complete composition from memory. If anyone listens to this piece, I believe that they will be impressed. It is all well and good for people to appreciate the wonders of Allegri, but when Toby showed his appreciation for Allegri, I was intrigued.
One July afternoon, when it seemed like I'd left no task undone, I sat down to relax and take in some good choral music from a recently purchased compact disc. Toby appeared quite content to listen to the selections from Bach, Handel and Palestrina. But when the selection from Allegri began to play, Toby raised his head and looked at the CD player with rapt attention. He really enjoyed the vocal beauty of this timeless work.
Immediately, when the singers began, Toby's ears pricked up and turned to capture a superior acoustical tone. As the soprano voices raised on high, Toby's head cocked slightly as if in contemplation of the words. Toby put his head back down, closed his eyes and went to sleep when the next selection from Mozart began.
I am a great fan of classical music, but I enjoy other types of music as well. I love jazz almost as much as classical music. Whereas Toby shared my appreciation of classical music, he did not like most jazz.
When most of the jazz I listened to came through the speakers, Toby would go into the other room, which is about the only time he wasn't where I was at. The only type of jazz Toby seemed to like was smooth jazz.
Another type of music that Toby expressed his displeasure with was contemporary Christian music. He always stayed in the room while it was on, but I'd hear him moan once in while as if he thought it was horrible. He liked hymns though. He didn't moan when they were on.
Well, no two creatures like all of the same things. I was glad that Toby liked to listen to classical music with me. You can't complain when a dog likes classical music.
One thing Toby also liked was to listen while I played the tin whistle. In addition to classical and jazz, I also enjoy Celtic music. I taught myself how to play the tin whistle so that I could play some tunes. Toby liked to sit and watch me while I played the whistle. I think that the ancient Celtic blood of the Welsh was stirred in him when he listened to the tin whistle.
The two of us had many good times listening to music. On many afternoons, we would relax in the back room or out on the patio and listen to my favorites from Barber, Rachmaninoff, Ives, Copeland and Faure. There aren't too many things better in this life than listening to great music with a grand friend.
Here is the next chapter:
Chapter 13
Allegri's Miserere is one of the finest examples of choral music known in the Western world. When the composer Mozart first heard the piece performed in the Vatican, he was so impressed and moved by its brilliance that when he arrived back home, he wrote out the complete composition from memory. If anyone listens to this piece, I believe that they will be impressed. It is all well and good for people to appreciate the wonders of Allegri, but when Toby showed his appreciation for Allegri, I was intrigued.
One July afternoon, when it seemed like I'd left no task undone, I sat down to relax and take in some good choral music from a recently purchased compact disc. Toby appeared quite content to listen to the selections from Bach, Handel and Palestrina. But when the selection from Allegri began to play, Toby raised his head and looked at the CD player with rapt attention. He really enjoyed the vocal beauty of this timeless work.
Immediately, when the singers began, Toby's ears pricked up and turned to capture a superior acoustical tone. As the soprano voices raised on high, Toby's head cocked slightly as if in contemplation of the words. Toby put his head back down, closed his eyes and went to sleep when the next selection from Mozart began.
I am a great fan of classical music, but I enjoy other types of music as well. I love jazz almost as much as classical music. Whereas Toby shared my appreciation of classical music, he did not like most jazz.
When most of the jazz I listened to came through the speakers, Toby would go into the other room, which is about the only time he wasn't where I was at. The only type of jazz Toby seemed to like was smooth jazz.
Another type of music that Toby expressed his displeasure with was contemporary Christian music. He always stayed in the room while it was on, but I'd hear him moan once in while as if he thought it was horrible. He liked hymns though. He didn't moan when they were on.
Well, no two creatures like all of the same things. I was glad that Toby liked to listen to classical music with me. You can't complain when a dog likes classical music.
One thing Toby also liked was to listen while I played the tin whistle. In addition to classical and jazz, I also enjoy Celtic music. I taught myself how to play the tin whistle so that I could play some tunes. Toby liked to sit and watch me while I played the whistle. I think that the ancient Celtic blood of the Welsh was stirred in him when he listened to the tin whistle.
The two of us had many good times listening to music. On many afternoons, we would relax in the back room or out on the patio and listen to my favorites from Barber, Rachmaninoff, Ives, Copeland and Faure. There aren't too many things better in this life than listening to great music with a grand friend.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Verses For the Week
II Corinthians 4:8-9 -- "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."
John 14:27 -- "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."
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