Book Review

    The book that I am reviewing today is called "The Sign of the Cat" written by Lynne Jonell. This is a fiction book aimed at younger readers.  This book is filled with adventure, and it is written in such a way that you don't want to put it down because you want to find out what is going to happen next.
     This story is about a boy named Duncan who lives with his mother. She wants Duncan to keep a low profile, but Duncan doesn't understand why. This becomes more evident as the story progresses.  Duncan does have a special ability. He is able to talk to cats and understand what they are saying.
     During the course of the story, Duncan goes on a great adventure accompanied by a small cat named Fia. Along the way, they encounter a princess and her tiger. The tiger will accompany Fia and Duncan on much of the journey as they all attempt to rescue the princess and restore the rightful ruler to the throne of the kingdom.
     I definitely recommend "The Sign of the Cat". Children will really like this story, and there is nothing objectionable in it.

Verses For The Week

Isaiah 41:13 -- "For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, Who says to you, "Do not fear, I will help you."

Acts 3:21 -- "Heaven must receive Him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets."

Weekend Sermon -- The Purpose Of Life Now And In the Life To Come

    Thank you for taking the time to read the blog this week. I have been very sick for the last few days, and that is why I am just getting around to posting the sermon today. I am feeling some better. Please pray that I will continue to recover.
     In prayer this week, please pray for those in the Congo who are sick with the Ebola virus. Continue to pray that this disease outbreak will come to an end. There is also a terrible outbreak of measles in Madagascar. Pray that those afflicted will recover and that this outbreak will come to an end.
     Continue to pray for peace in this world. I am very concerned about the situation in Yemen. The people there don't have enough to eat, and the medical care is lacking. Pray that peace will come quickly to this troubled nation. Also be in prayer for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Sudan, South Sudan and Libya.
     We also need to be in prayer for the situation that is unfolding in Venezuela. Pray that peace will come to this nation as well.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in the nations of Kazakhstan and Kosovo. Pray that many will come to know the love of the Lord Jesus. 
     Since I am not feeling anywhere near my best, the message today is going to be a little shorter. I want to speak about what our purpose is now and what it will be in the life to come. I started thinking about this topic when I was listening to a discussion about what eternity in Heaven was going to be like. One person said that living forever would be boring. One would run out of things to do.
     This attitude expressed a major problem that many people have when they think about the purpose of life now and in the life to come. The problem is that it is not all about us.
      In Colossians 1:16, the Bible is quite clear that everything was created to bring glory to Jesus Christ. That is why He made the world. Those who are redeemed by Christ and who acknowledge Him as Lord have come to the realization that Jesus is the center of all things.
     Our purpose in this life is to serve the Lord, worship the Lord and bring honor and glory to His name. Jesus said in John 4:23 that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and in the truth.
     Our lives right now are to be focused on worshiping the Lord. I believe we do that in many different ways. We worship the Lord when we sing songs of praise unto His name. We worship the Lord when we read and study His word. We worship the Lord when we obey His commandments and His teachings. We also worship the Lord when we follow His will and do that which He has called us do as a vocation.
     I Corinthians 10:31 tells us that everything we do should be done in such a way that it brings glory to the Lord. Our lives aren't to be lived to please ourselves, they are to be lived to please the One who loved us and gave up His life for us.
     One of these days, those who are in Christ will be with Him for all of eternity. Our purpose in eternity will be to bring honor and glory to Jesus just as that is our purpose now. Through all eternity, we will praise and honor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As He is the center of all things, it will be our pleasure to do all we can to make Him happy and glorify Him.
     In the book of Revelation, we see a vision of multitudes of people worshiping the Lamb. That is what eternity is about. Both here and the hereafter are about serving, loving and worshiping Jesus because that is why we were created. It is only through serving worshiping and loving Jesus that we find our true purpose here and in the world to come.
     On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. I will try to post a review on Wednesday. It is my plan to post the sermon on Friday this coming week. May God bless you all. Amen.

Update

     I will not be posting a review today. The weather has been terrible. I've been very busy, and I haven't had time to read much. There will be a review next week, and we will get back on the regular schedule. I will be posting the sermon on Saturday this week. Thank you.

Verses For The Week

     Before we get to the verses, I would like to ask you to pray that the snow storm in my area will not be bad. I need to get to work safely. Thank you for your prayers.

Psalm 100:5 -- "For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations."

Ephesians 2:7 -- "God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us. as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus."

Weekend Sermon -- Luke 10:38-42

    You don't have your days mixed up. I am posting the Weekend Sermon on Thursday. There is supposed to be a major snowstorm tomorrow where I live, and there is supposed to be more snow on Saturday and Sunday. I didn't want to miss posting a sermon, so I am just going to post it today. I hope that everyone is doing well this week. Please pray that the winter storm is not too bad. I am so tired of the bad winter weather this year.
     I am having a lot of problems with my health right now, and I would ask that you please pray for me regarding this. My kidneys are not totally back to normal, and the arthritis in my hands is getting worse. Thank you for your prayers.
     I don't want to sound like everything in my life is bad or that I'm complaining. The Lord has been very good to me. I am so thankful that He has allowed me to be a writer and to be able to post on this blog. I am thankful for all that God has done for me.
     In other matters, please continue to pray for those in Congo who are dealing with the Ebola outbreak. Pray that the sick will recover. I heard on the radio that there is an experimental vaccine being used there, and it has shown good results so far.
     Please pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. This week, let us focus our prayers for peace in Yemen. The situation in that country is very bad right now.
     For our prayer focus countries, let us be in prayer for those who live in Eritrea and Brunei. Pray that many will hear of the good news that Jesus Christ is Lord.
     Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been studying the teachings of the Lord Jesus. During the course of this blog, I've had the privilege of sharing a lot about Jesus and what He taught and did on this earth. We will continue with our current series for a few more weeks, and then we will move on to a series that I've been planning for awhile.
     Today, I would like us to focus our attention on Luke 10:38-42. In this passage, Jesus and His disciples were invited to the home of Martha and her sister Mary. We know from other passages of Scripture that Mary and Martha had a brother named Lazarus. Jesus spent time in this family's home on several occasions. John 11 records that Lazarus died, and Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead four days later. This was shortly before Jesus died and rose again from the dead.
     At this time, Jesus was teaching His disciples while they were in the house. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him teach. While this was going on, Martha was busy preparing the meal for Jesus and His followers.
     At one point, she became upset that her sister wasn't helping. She wanted Jesus to have her sister come and help her. Jesus said, "Martha, Martha. You are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed, indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
     The Bible doesn't record what Martha said to Jesus after this. This is something I would like to know, but I will just have to use my imagination on this one.
     This passage has some very interesting things to teach us. One of those things has to do with the respect that Jesus had for women. In the time in which Jesus lived on the earth, women were not accepted to be disciples. The vast majority of teachers would not have allowed Mary to take the place of disciple.
     Jesus had a high regard for women. It was so high, that Jesus entrusted the message that He had risen from the dead to Mary Magdalene. She was the first one to tell others that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead.
     In the churches I grew up in , women weren't allowed to do much of anything. They were often put down. I don't think that that is in keeping with the actions of Jesus.
     Jesus loved and respected those that other rejected. Jesus let the let children come to Him. Jesus loved and cared about people that were sick and those who were poor. If others rejected someone, that is the one who Jesus went to and helped.
     This passage teaches us something that is really important. It teaches us that the most important thing that we can do in this life is to learn about Jesus and serve Him. Mary wanted to learn about what Jesus had to say. It was of primary importance in her life.
     Often, we are like Martha, and we are distracted by many things. There wasn't anything wrong with what Martha was doing. She was just doing it at the wrong time. It would have been better if she would have delayed the preparations and listened to the teachings of Jesus as her sister was doing. When Jesus was finished with what He wanted to say at that time, the meal could have been prepared. From what I know of Jesus, He would have been OK with that.
     In this life, we can spend our time on so many things that seem important, but they aren't as important as learning about Jesus and doing what He has taught us and commanded us to do. We work at careers and on hobbies, and often we forget to study the words of Jesus or we neglect spending time in prayer with Him.
     There is nothing in life more important than our relationship with Jesus. Our entire eternity depends upon our relationship with Him. I urge you to make it a priority to spend time with Jesus each and every day.
      Even more than that, I urge you to make Jesus the center of your entire existence. I believe that was the point Jesus was making. Jesus is Lord. He wants us to make Him the Lord of our lives. In my understanding, that means that Jesus is at the heart of everything that we do. He is the bedrock and center of all. Nothing compares to Him. Nothing can take the place of Jesus at the center of our being.
    Next week, we will continue with our series about what Jesus had to say and what He did. I will probably post the sermon on Friday next week. I will try to post the verses on Monday, but it is weather dependent at this point. I will also try to have a review on Wednesday.
     As of next week, the blog will be eight years old. I thank the Lord for allowing me to post messages for the last eight years. I have enjoyed it immensely. Lord willing, I will carry on with this into the future. I don't know how many of you have been reading the blog since it started. I do thank each of you who has read the blog over the years. May God bless you all. Amen.

DVD Recommendation

     Today, I would like to recommend a DVD series that I just finished watching. The series is called "The Roosevelts", and it was directed and produced by Ken Burns. This is a seven-episode series that deals with the lives of Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Eleanor Roosevelt. Each program in the series is very detailed and informative. I enjoyed seeing the footage of Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt. Prominent historians give commentary throughout the series.
     Those who enjoy history will really like this documentary series. In my opinion, Franklin Roosevelt was the greatest president in the history of the United States, so I definitely enjoyed the program.
     I know that there are people from outside of the United States who read the blog, and I would recommend this as a way to learn more about the history of the United States from 1901-1945. There is a lot of interesting information about World War II in the series.
     One part of the series that was very enlightening was the last of the programs which dealt with Eleanor Roosevelt's life after President Roosevelt died. I really didn't know that much about what she accomplished, so this was very interesting. I highly recommend "The Roosevelts" by Ken Burns.

Verses For the Week

John 5:24 -- "Truly, truly I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."

Psalm 37:18 -- "The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their inheritance will be forever."

Weekend Sermon -- Luke 4:14-30

     I am glad to be back posting again. Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon. I hope the everyone is having a good week.
     I have been recovering from a kidney infection. I have been very sick, and I had to take some time off of work. I am doing better, but I don't feel that well today. Please pray that I will be able to fully recover from this bad episode. Also, we have been having terrible weather in my part of the country. Please pray that some of this will stop. Thank you for your prayers.
     In other matters, please continue to pray for my uncle. He has come home after being in the hospital for three weeks with pneumonia. Pray that he will make a full recovery.
     In prayer this week, pray that the Ebola outbreak in Congo will come to an end. Pray that those who are sick will make a full recovery.
     Please pray for peace in this world. Pray that there might be peace in Yemen, Libya, Syria and Afghanistan. Pray for peace in every part of the world where there is violence.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those living in Togo and Bahrain. Pray that many will hear about the love and mercy of the Lord Jesus.
     Today, we will continue with our series of messages about the teachings of Jesus. Our focus will center around the incident when Jesus spoke in the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth and how He was rejected by the people of His hometown. I want to focus on two aspects of this passage. I want us to look at the message that Jesus proclaimed to the people, and the people's rejection of Jesus.
     According to Luke's Gospel, Jesus came back to His home region of Galilee after his fast of 40 days and nights in the wilderness. Jesus performed miracles and taught the people.
     One day, Jesus came back to His hometown of Nazareth. On the Sabbath Day, Jesus went to the synagogue. According to Luke, it was Jesus' custom to read the Scriptures in the synagogue in His hometown. On this occasion, Jesus read from a portion of the book of Isaiah. Jesus read, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
     After reading this, Jesus sat down to teach the people. He told the people that the Scripture that He had just read was fulfilled in their hearing. In other words, He was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah.
     Jesus went on to say that no prophet was accepted in his own hometown. In fact, Jesus said that both Elijah and Elisha performed miracles for those who were not even of the Jewish faith.
     The people became enraged at what Jesus had to say. They drove Jesus out of town, and they were going to throw Him off a cliff. However, Jesus walked right through them and went on His way.
     What are we to make of this? What can we learn from this?
     First of all, I want to look at what Jesus said He was fulfilling. The verses that Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah are verses that tell about the coming Messiah. Jesus was telling the people that He was the Messiah that was predicted and told about in the prophetic books of the Old Testament.
     First of all, Jesus said that the Spirit of the Lord was on Him. We know that this happened at Jesus' baptism when the Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. The voice of the Father spoke saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
     Jesus said that His anointing by the Spirit was so that He could preach good news for the poor. I believe that this had a two-fold meaning. The message that Jesus brought to the people during His time on earth was a message the transformed those who were in spiritual poverty. They could come to faith in Him, and they could receive eternal life and forgiveness of sins. By responding to the teachings and commandments of Jesus, people could become spiritually rich.
     Jesus also preached a message of social justice. We see this in the Sermon on the Mount and in other teachings of Jesus. Jesus taught the way of love and compassion. His message was good news for those who had been oppressed by the religious and political establishment of the day.
     Jesus also came to bring freedom to those who were in prison. A major part of Jesus ministry on earth was freeing people from the bondage of demoniac possession. Though these people were imprisoned by the forces of darkness, they were set free by the power of Jesus Christ.
      Jesus also performed many other miracles while He was here on this earth. Jesus opened the eyes of the blind. He restored hearing to the deaf. He healed the lepers and those afflicted with many other diseases. It was a preview of the total restoration that would one day come upon the entire earth when Jesus comes again to rule and reign over all of the earth.
     Jesus came to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. He came to tall everyone that no matter who they are, they are loved by God. All people can come and experience the love and mercy of Jesus. Also, the year of the Lord's favor refers to the Year of Jubilee when all the old debts are wiped away. A new fresh thing was coming. Jesus ushered in a new way of living. He ushered in the kingdom of heaven, and He invites all people everywhere to be a part of it.
     Now, I want to focus on the second aspect of this passage. The people in Jesus' hometown didn't want to have anything to do with Him. Other passages of Scripture tell us that the people couldn't believe that this one who had grown up in their midst was the Messiah and the Son of the Most High God. The Bible says that they took offence at Him.
     This passage leads me to believe that Jesus had a rough early life. The people in His hometown didn't think much of Him. I think that this had to do with the fact that Mary was found to be pregnant before she was married to Joseph. The people in town probably spread a lot of rumors, and Jesus was probably not really too welcome by most people in town. That is just my opinion.
     We know from this passage that they drove Jesus out of town and wanted to push Him off a cliff. He was despised and rejected. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
     Passages like this let me know that Jesus understands what it is like to be hurt by others. He understands the hardships and struggles that I and others go through everyday. He is able to supply comfort and help to those who feel the pain of rejection.
      Next week, we will continue with our messages about Jesus. I will try to get back to a regular schedule of posting next week. I hope to post the verses on Monday and a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.

Update On Weekend Sermon and Posts Throughout Next Week

      I've stopped by the library on my was home from the doctor to let you know that there will not be a Weekend Sermon posted this week. I am not going to post anything next week until I post the sermon next Friday. I am extremely ill. I have kidney infection in both kidneys, and I feel like I am going to collapse. Please pray that I will get better if that is the Lord's will. Thank you.