Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon this week. I am thankful that the snow hasn't started falling, so I was able to get to the library and post the message. As always, I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post these messages. I hope that all of you are having a good day.
Yesterday, I posted a couple of prayer requests. My hands are not as painful today as they were yesterday. Please continue to pray about this situation. Also, please pray that the winter storm that is expected in my area won't be too bad. I want to be able to get to work tomorrow. Please pray that the snow won't be so heavy that it harms my old house. I worry about that as the house is so old and not in the greatest shape.
Sunday is an important day for me. It is the date that my friend Toby came to live with me so many years ago. I just wanted to say thank you to the Lord for the wonderful blessing that he gave me.
We all need to continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray for peace in Syria. Someone who I follow online has an animal shelter in Syria. Their shelter was hit by some type of armaments last week. The war is still going on in Syria, so we must continue to pray for peace. Also remember to pray for peace in Yemen where war has brought disease and famine.
Each week, I post two countries to pray for as our prayer focus countries of the week. The countries that I choose are nations that officially have fewer than 50 percent of the population that identify as Christians. For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in Western Sahara and Saudi Arabia. Pray that many will hear about the love of Jesus.
Last week, we began a series of messages looking at some of the events in the life and ministry of Jesus that we haven't covered on the blog. At least we didn't cover them so far as I remember. Today, I want us to focus our attention on the account found in Luke 8:19-21.
In this passage of Scripture, we see that Jesus has been actively teaching and performing miracles. Everywhere that Jesus goes, the people are following Him. They want to hear the words that He has to say, and they want to be healed of their diseases and afflictions.
One day, Jesus' mother and His brothers come to see Him. Someone tells Jesus that His mother and brothers are outside wanting to speak with Him. Jesus then says, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
Mark 3:20-21 tells us that some in Jesus' family thought that He was out of His mind. We know from John 7:5 that Jesus' own brothers did not believe in Him at one point.
In this passage, Jesus is making an important spiritual point. He is saying that whoever comes to Him and does what is taught in the word of God is His true family. Romans 8:16-17 says it like this, "The Spirit himself testifies with our Spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
Jesus is telling people that they can be part of God's family. Those who have God as their Father are joint heirs with Jesus. Those who believe in the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross and in His resurrection are children of the Most High God. Those who believe are granted forgiveness of sins and eternal life with the Lord Jesus forever.
To me, this is a glorious thing to contemplate. Someone like me who is just an average person is loved by the God who made the universe. This God sent His Son to this earth so that I might be redeemed. God loves me and wants me to be part of His family.
All who are willing to put their faith and trust in Jesus can be children of the Heavenly Father. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from. In Revelation 7:9 we see a vision of the redeemed around the throne of God. The writer of Revelation says that those who are redeemed come from every nation and and tribe. All kinds of people with all different languages are worshipping the Lord. God's family includes people of every race and every ethnic group. We are all one in Him.
I hope that you have turned to Jesus. You can trust in Him today and become part of God's great family who worships Him around the world.
Next week, I will be posting the sermon on Saturday due to my work schedule. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. The book review will be on Thursday this week due to my work schedule. May God bless you all. Amen.
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