Weekend Sermon -- False Teachings Refuted - Part 6 -- II John 7

     Thanks be to the Lord for another opportunity to post the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. I hope that everyone is having a very good day.
     I've been doing a lot of writing work this week. I've been feeling pretty good, and I thank the Lord for His help through each day.
     As you go to prayer this week, please continue to pray for all of those dealing with flood and storm damage in the United States. The people of Mozambique also need our prayers as they are still recovering from storms as well.
     Please continue to pray for the people in Congo and Uganda who are suffering from the Ebola virus. Pray that this outbreak will quickly end.
     We need to continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Keep praying that there will not be an outbreak of conflict between the US and Iran. Pray for peace in Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Somalia.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in the nations of Bhutan and Tunisia. Pray that many will come to know the love of the Lord Jesus.
     Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages about false teachings that were confronted in the early church. We have seen that Jesus, Paul and Peter had to confront those who were teaching doctrines that were not correct.
     In today's message, we will see that the Apostle John also had to deal with false teachings in the churches that he was responsible for. John had to deal with the teaching that Jesus had not come in the flesh. We can see what John has to say about this in II John 7 which states, "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."
     In John's day, there was a strain of thought that equated anything that had to do with the flesh as being evil. The spirit was good and the flesh was evil. Some believed that the body was a hindrance to the spirit. The body with its evilness was keeping the spirit from being liberated and achieving union with God.
     Those who believed in this type of thinking couldn't countenance the idea that Jesus could have actually had a human body. They believed that human flesh would have contaminated the divine nature of Jesus. They believed that Jesus only appeared to have a body. They believed that He was actually a pure spirit.
     Of course, by believing in this, those who taught this doctrine would have denied the death of Jesus on the cross. Since Jesus had no earthly body, He could not have risen bodily from the dead. As we can see, this idea that Jesus did not come in the flesh would have had great consequences for orthodox Christian doctrine.
     John tells us that this type of belief is a deception. John walked and talked with Jesus while Jesus was on earth. The Bible gives us examples of Jesus doing things in a physical way. We know that Jesus became tired and had to rest. Jesus became hungry and had to eat. Jesus touched people and made them well. There is no indication in the entirety of the New Testament that Jesus did not have a physical body.
       This idea of Jesus being a spirit and not having a true physical body would plague the church for many years. The Gnostics held beliefs that were similar to this.
      The whole idea that the body is bad and only the spirit is good is wrong in and of itself. God created humans, and He declared His creation to be good. The Bible is quite clear about the idea of a bodily resurrection from the dead. The Scriptures tell us in I Corinthians 15:35-58 that we will receive a glorified body like unto the glorified body of Christ at the resurrection of the dead when Jesus returns in power and great glory. Humanity is fallen away from the Lord, but the flesh is not evil. God will restore all that He has made to its original state when Jesus comes again.
     You will always find one thing that is in common with all teaching that departs from the orthodox Christian faith. You have to look at what they believe about Jesus. All false teaching that I have ever studied or come across has an incorrect view of who Jesus is.
     Some will deny the true humanity of Jesus, and some will deny the true divinity of Jesus. Some will deny the atoning death of Jesus on the cross, and some will deny the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. You can examine what any teacher or group believes about the person and work of Jesus Christ, and you will know right away if they are a group is teaching false or true doctrine.
     The Bible is clear that Jesus is the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who was born of the virgin Mary. He took upon Himself human form. He lived a holy and sinless life as our perfect example. He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. He died and was buried. On the third day, He rose bodily from the grave conquering death, hell and the grave. He will come again and restore all things. When Jesus returns every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
     Next week, we will continue with our current series. I have a couple of more messages in this series. Lord willing, I will post the sermon on Saturday next week. I will post the verses on Monday. I do have a book review that I will post on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.

Poem

In the Rain

She’s just sitting there,

hunched, soaked,

an unwrung mop.

No bark, howl or whimper.

A look of resignation.

White headed bowed

into the slanting rain.

Verses For The Week -- Verses For Hard Times

I Peter 5:7 -- "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Philippians 4:13 -- "I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."

Psalm 56:3 -- "When I am afraid, I put my trust in You."

John 14:27 -- "My peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."

Weekend Sermon -- False Teachings Refuted Part 5 -- II Peter 3

     Welcome to this posting of the Weekend Sermon. Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon. I hope that everyone is having a good day.
     It was my birthday this week, and I had a good time. My brother took me out for dinner, and I received some nice presents. I have had a lot of writing work to do this week.
     I thank you for your prayers about the storms. The storms have been bad in my area this week, but they haven't been bad right where I live. There is severe weather predicted for the next two days, so I would ask that you pray that these storms will not be bad and cause damage and flooding. Thank you.
    In other prayer requests, I would ask that you pray for refugees and migrants in this world. There are so many people facing so many difficulties. Please pray that they will get the help that they need.
    Please pray for those in the United States and those in Mozambique who are recovering from the storm damage. Pray that those who are hurting will receive the assistance that they require.
    Let us all continue to pray for peace in the world. Please pray that there will be peace between the US and Iran. This is a frightening situation. Please pray for peace. Let us also pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Afghanistan.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the United Arab Emirates and Singapore. Pray that many will hear about the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus.
     Today, we are continuing with our series of messages on false teachings that the New Testament refutes. These were teachings that were beginning to crop up during Jesus' day and in the early days of the church.
     For this message, I want to focus on an idea that Peter refutes in II Peter 3. Much of II Peter has to do with Peter condemning those who do not teach what is correct. In the third chapter, Peter speaks about those who deny the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
     II Peter 3:3-4 states, "Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires, ' They will say where is this coming he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."
     There were some in Peter's time who didn't believe that Jesus would return. It had been several years since Jesus had ascended into Heaven, and the scoffers and false teachers were saying that Jesus was not going to return again.
     Peter defends the Second Coming very forcefully. Peter says that just as there was a delay before the judgment of the flood, there is a delay before the coming Day of Lord. Why this delay? Peter says that it is because of the mercy of the Lord. II Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
     What Peter is saying is that one reason that the Lord is delaying His coming is that He wants everyone to have the chance to believe in Him. The Lord is loving and merciful. He desires all to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
     Peter also tells us that even though it seems that the Lord has not come for a long time, our reckoning of time and the Lord's is quite different. A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.
     The Apostle Peter makes it abundantly clear that Jesus will come again. Peter says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Wickedness will be judged. II Peter 3:13 tells us that we can look forward to a new Heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells."
     Peter says much the same thing in one of his sermons recorded in the book of Acts. Acts 3:21 states, "He must remain in Heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through His holy prophets."
     When the time to restore all things comes, Jesus will come again. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus will rule and reign in righteousness and there will be peace throughout the universe forever and forever.
     Peter will tell us that in light of the fact that we know that Jesus is coming again, we should conduct ourselves as good followers of Jesus Christ. We should be living holy and godly lives.
     Now, what is the application of this in a more modern context. First of all, there are some in the church who deny the literal Second Coming of Jesus. I have heard a prominent minister in my area state that he believes the Second Coming is when Jesus comes to take you to Heaven when you die. This is absolutely not what the Bible teaches about the Second Coming as we have just seen from Peter's words in his epistle.
     Many in the church today do not believe that Jesus will literally come again. I do not understand this at all. Many seem to believe that things will just keep going on as they always have.
     I've actually been in a church recently where the whole idea of Christ's return was mocked. I was really upset by this. The return of Jesus is the hope of the universe. He will come again and return all things to the way that they existed before sin entered into the universe.
     The Second Coming of Christ is the glorious hope of the world. Paul says in Romans 8:19-23 that all of the created order is groaning and waiting for the day when the coming Christ will be revealed. That is the day when all will be made new.
     I hope that you are living in anticipation of the coming of Jesus. He could return at any time. We are to be watching and ready for His coming. As John states in Revelation 22:20. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
     Next week, we will continue with our current series looking at a false teaching that John had to deal with. I will post the sermon on Saturday next week. On Monday I will post the verses. I hope to post a review on Wednesday. May bless you all. Amen.

Update and Prayer Request

     First of all, I need to make an update to the blog schedule. Tomorrow is my birthday, so I have decided not to post a review. I am going to try to just enjoy the day. The sermon will still be posted on Saturday.
     I do have a prayer request. There are bad storms with flooding predicted for my area again. Please pray that the storms will not be bad. We have had way too much rain this year already.
     I would also ask that you pray about another matter. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I may have to sell my house. I thought that I might have to do this a couple of years ago, but the Lord worked things out. Please pray for the Lord's will in this matter. Thank you for your prayers.

Verses For The Week -- Verses About Peace

Colossians 3:15 -- "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

James 3:18 -- "Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness."

Philippians 4:7 -- "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

Weekend Sermon -- False Teachings Refuted Part 4 -- Galatians 3:1-14

     Today is a new posting of the Weekend Sermon. Thanks be to God for the opportunity to post the sermon this week. I hope that everyone is having a very good week.
     This week has been a busy week. I have been working a lot on writing, and I am in the midst of making some big decisions. The weather is still not very good where I live. Please pray that the storms and rain predicted for today and through the upcoming week are not as bad as predicted. Thank you for your prayers. I have one other prayer request. The arthritis in my hands is not getting better. Please pray that my hands will stop hurting so much. Thank you.
     In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those in the United States who are still recovering from the damage caused by flooding and tornadoes. Please pray that people will get the aid and the help that they need.  The people in Mozambique also need our prayers as they are still recovering from the storms that hit that country.
     We need to continue to pray about the Ebola outbreak in Africa. There are now cases in Uganda as well as Congo. Please pray that this virus will be contained and that those who are sick will make a complete recovery.
     Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of the world. Syria, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen and Afghanistan all need our prayers.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in Chad and Myanmar. Pray that many will here the good news about the love of Jesus.
     Today, we will be continuing with our series of messages on the some of the false teachings that were coming into the early church. In the first two messages in the series, Jesus dealt with some false beliefs. Last week, we saw that Paul had to deal with the issue of antinomianism. This week, we see that Paul had another false belief that he had to deal with. This issue also involved Peter and James as well.
     In the book of Galatians chapter 3, Paul begins the chapter by saying, "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?"  Paul will go on in Galatians 3 to state that there were some in the church who were trying to teach that it was necessary to keep the Old Testament laws in order to be saved. They believed that one had to have faith in Jesus, but they also believed that a person had to follow the laws given to the Jewish people in the Torah.
      This isn't the first time that Paul and the early church had to deal with this issue. We read about this in Acts 15. Some in the church were troubled by the fact that Paul and Peter had brought gentiles into the fold of the church. There was a belief by some that a person who was not Jewish needed to become a Jew before becoming a Christian. Paul was opposed to this idea, and it was decided that a church council would be held in Jerusalem to decide the matter
      Peter, Paul and James were present at the meeting. This council decided based on Peter's encounter with Cornelius that God had accepted the gentile believers. The council decided that the gentiles would be accepted into the household of faith on the basis of faith in Jesus alone.
      In Galatians 5:4, Paul would state, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace."  In the book of Romans and in the book of Ephesians, Paul makes it clear that salvation is by grace through faith. We trust in Jesus Christ and in Him alone for our salvation. Paul states it this way in Ephesians 2:8-9 -- "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works so that no one can boast."
     Paul, and the rest of Scripture, makes it quite clear that salvation is the gift of God. We are saved by the grace, the unmerited favor, of the Lord. We cannot add anything to the saving work of Christ on the cross. It is Jesus alone apart from works.
     Now, how does this apply to us today. Unfortunately, many people still believe in Jesus plus good works brings salvation. I've seen this play out in two different ways in my evangelism ministry. Some that I talk to will say that they will be with Jesus in Heaven because they are a good person. They believe that if they do more good things than bad things, the Lord will let them into Heaven. The other belief that I've encountered is held by those who believe that a person needs faith in Jesus, but then a person must also partake of the sacraments and do good works in order to obtain salvation.
     The Bible is clear that both of these ideas are not correct. We are redeemed by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross. We perform good works because we love Jesus and want to obey Him. Our good works do not achieve salvation for us. Our good works are a sign that we have a true possession of faith and not an empty profession of faith.
     There is an old hymn that sums it up. This hymn says, "Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow". If you have never placed your faith and trust in the finished work of Christ on the cross and believed that Jesus has risen from the dead. I invite you to turn to the Lord in repentance and faith this day.
     Next week, we will continue with our series on false teachings. The sermon will be posted on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses. I hope to post a review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.

















   
   

Book Review -- "A Dog Named Beautiful"

     The book that I am reviewing today is "A Dog Named Beautiful" written by Rob Kugler. This book tells the story of Rob and his chocolate Labrador retriever named Bella. Bella is a big part of Rob's life, and he is deeply saddened when he finds out that Bella has bone cancer. Bella has to have her leg amputated, and the veterinarians don't give her much of a chance to live very long.
     Rob decides to make Bella's life the best that it can be for as long as she has left. The pair go out on the road to see the country. They travel around the eastern part of the United States, and Bella is still going strong long after the vets thought that she would be dead. Rob and Bella then take off for a final trip to see Oregon.
     This book is really good. It is book about a man and his relationship with his dog, but the book also deals with what veterans experience coming home from overseas, and the book deals with what it is like to experience the death of a person that is very important to you.
     I recommend this book. If you are looking for a book that is similar to "A Dog Named Beautiful", "Home Waters" by Joseph Monninger also tells about a man who takes his dog on what may be their final journey together. Joseph and his dog go fly fishing in the American West.

Verses For The Week

Jeremiah 31:3 -- "The Lord appeared to us in the past saying, 'I have loved you with an everlasting love, I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.'"

I John 4:16 -- "So we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."

Weekend Sermon -- False Teachings Refuted Part 3 -- Romans 6:1-2

    Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon. I hope that all of you are having a very good week. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post the sermon once again.
     This has been a fairly calm week in the weather department for my area. Over the last few weeks, we've had flooding, tornadoes and hail. My town has come through unscathed, but others have had significant damage. I thank the Lord that my town is good, but I would ask that you all pray for those who have to deal with storm damage.
     Please continue to pray for those who are dealing with outbreaks of disease around the world. Pray for those in Congo dealing with the Ebola virus, and pray for those in several different countries who are experiencing an uptick in measles cases.
     Let us continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray for peace in Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Syria and Afghanistan.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in the nations of Algeria and Qatar. Pray that many will hear about the love and grace of the Lord Jesus.
     Over the past weeks, we have been in the midst of a series of messages dealing with false teachings that cropped up in New Testament times. We have seen in previous messages that Jesus Himself dealt with two areas of false teaching during the time that He was ministering on this earth.
     After Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, the Apostles had to deal with false teachings that started to emerge within the church. One of the false teachings that started up had to be quickly dealt with by the Apostle Paul. This false teaching is called antinomianism. This is a belief that claims that since we are saved by grace, we no longer have to keep the commandments as outlined in other places in the Bible. Some even went so far as to say that since we are under grace, we should sin so that grace could abound to us more and more.
     We see Paul's response to this clearly in the book of Romans. In Romans 6:1-2 Paul states, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" Paul goes on to say in Romans 6:15. "What then? Shall we sin because we are no longer under the law but under grace? By no means!" Paul will go on to say that we have been set free from sin by Jesus so that we can become servants of righteousness.
     The Bible is quite clear that we are saved by grace through faith and not be works. Grace is a gift of God. However, the Bible is also quite clear that we are to live lives of holiness. In Hebrews 12:14 it tells us that without a life of holiness, no one shall see God. James tells us in his epistle that good works and a life lived righteously are evidences of a true possession of saving faith. I John 5:3 states, "Loving God means keeping His commandments, and His commandments are not burdensome."
     I think that we can clearly see that the Bible does not support the ideas of antinomianism is any way, shape or form. We are saved from sin so that we might be holy and sanctified unto the Lord. We are to live lives of good works so that others will see our good deeds and give glory to the Father who is in Heaven.
     Now, how does this idea of sin and holiness play itself out in our world today. I believe that the idea that comes closest to the antinomian idea today is the attitude toward sin that many Christians seem to possess. For instance, I've heard many express the idea that they can sin and that God will forgive them. It's no big deal. They will say something like, "I know it's wrong, but if I do it, God will forgive me anyway."
      This attitude towards sin and forgiveness is not the attitude that a Christian should have according to Scripture. The Bible says that we are to have the same mindset within us that was in Jesus Christ. Paul will tell us in Romans 12 that we are to present ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice that is holy to the Lord. I John 3:6 tells us, "No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him." The Christian is called upon to work to eradicate from sin from his life.
      Now, I'm not saying, and the Bible is not saying that Christians never sin. However, the Bible calls on believers in Jesus to have the proper attitude towards sin. We are to have the same attitude as Jesus did. We are to seek the things of God and seek with the power of the Holy Spirit to live a life without sin.
      If we do sin, we are to confess our sins to the Lord. In I John it tells us that if we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just and He will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
     We should never have a casual attitude about sin. We should never take the grace and mercy of the Lord for granted. Those who truly have a deep love for Jesus within their hearts will want to obey Him and serve Him.
     Next week, we will continue with our current series. I will post the sermon on Saturday, Lord willing. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. I will have a review of a dog book on Wednesday. Before I close this week, I would ask for your prayers. I am currently working at a job that is very difficult. Please pray that the Lord will help me in a special way this week. May God bless you all. Amen.
   

Thoughts On June 5th

     Today is a day that always makes me sad. This is the day that my friend Toby passed away. I've been depressed today. I miss my friend, and I wish that we could be together again.
     I am thankful to the Lord for the time that we did have together. As I've said here on the blog before, if the Lord hadn't brought Toby into my life, I wouldn't be here today.
     The two of us had a lot of good times together. We took many fun trips together. I think that the most special times were when we just took slow, leisurely walks through the small orchard that my family owned. It was nice just to be away from the hassles of the world and forget about all the problems.
     It is my hope that it won't be too much longer until we will be together again. Once again, thank you Lord for all the wonderful years that Toby could be with me.

Verses For The Week

James 1:5 -- "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you."

Luke 9:23 -- "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'"

Hebrews 10:36 -- "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised."

Weekend Sermon -- False Teaching Refuted -- Luke 16:13-31 and John 9:1-12

     Welcome to a new posting of the Weekend Sermon. I thank you for taking the time to read the blog, and I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to post these messages.
     This has been quite a week where I live. There was an EF-4 tornado in the next county over from where I live. It did a lot of damage. We've also had the wettest month of May in the history of my area of the country. There is a lot of flooding. Please pray that those affected by the tornado will recover, and pray that the storm and rains will let up. Thank you.
     In other matters, please be in prayer for those in Mozambique who are recovering from the storm damage. The people in Puerto Rico still need our prayers as well.
     Remember to pray that the Ebola outbreak in Congo will come to end. Also pray that the measles outbreaks in various parts of the world will stop.
     Pray for peace in the war torn areas of the world. Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen and South Sudan continue to need our prayers for peace.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Mauritius and Taiwan. Pray that many will learn of the love of Jesus.
     Today, we will continue with our series of messages which we began last week. We are examining various false teachings that are addressed in the Bible. Even in New Testament times, false ideas were prevalent. Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and Jude all addressed specific false teachings. Last week, we saw that Jesus refuted the false belief of the Sadducees that there is no resurrection.
     In today' message, we will look at another false teaching that Jesus addressed during his time on this earth. In Jesus' day, and in ours, there is a false belief that having wealth and good health is a sign that God's favor is upon you. On the other hand, many believed and still believe that sickness and poverty are signs of God's disfavor. Jesus clearly addressed this false teaching in two different passages of Scripture.
     In Luke 16, Jesus told the Pharisees that one could not serve both God and money. Jesus said that the things that are highly valued by people are of no importance with God. The Bible says that the Pharisees loved money and sneered and laughed at Jesus. The Pharisees held to the belief that wealth was a sign of the favor of God. They believed that a poor or sick person was under God's judgment. Jesus would tell them a story to prove that this was not a correct belief.
     Jesus said that there was a rich man who clothed himself in purple. He had it all. At his gate was a beggar who didn't have anything to eat. The beggar named Lazarus was sick and had sores on his body. The dogs would come and lick at his sores. This can have at least two possible meanings.
     In Jesus' time, the people believed that the saliva of dogs had healing properties. The lick of a dog was believed to promote the healing of skin diseases. Jesus might have been saying that only the dog's were willing to help Lazarus. On the other hand, dogs were viewed in a less than favorable way. Jesus may have been saying that Lazarus was in such a bad state that even the dogs were licking him.
     Whatever the case, the rich man would not help Lazarus. Lazarus eventually died, and so did the rich man. Jesus said that the rich man ended up in hell while Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom which is Heaven.
     This parable turned the tables on the Pharisees false teaching and belief. Lazarus was as bad off as a person can be in this life, yet he was loved by God and went to be with the Lord. The rich man went to hell. His wealth was not a sign of God's favor.
      Jesus dealt with this same false teaching in another passage of Scripture. In John 9, Jesus and His disciples come across a man that was born blind. Jesus' disciples had bought into the false teaching that was common in that day. They asked Jesus if the blind man or the blind man's parents had sinned causing the man to be blind. Jesus said that neither had. That didn't have anything to do with why the man was born blind.
     In our day and age, some still hold to the false ideas that Jesus spoke against. Some teach that if a person lives right and has enough faith that they will have prosperity and health. This is not the teaching of the Bible, and it is not the teaching of Jesus.
     If you love the Lord and serve Him, you may be poor and you may have bad health. You may have a lot of money and have the best health possible and not serve the Lord at all.
     So much damage has been done to people because they've been told that they are sick because of sin in their lives or that they don't have enough faith. This is just wrong. I was told these things when I was young. I had an immune system disorder and was sick all the time. But that didn't mean that I was a involved in some terrible sin or that I didn't believe that God could heal me.
     There are people all over this world who don't have much money or very many nice things, but they love the Lord with all of their hearts. There are also many who serve God faithfully each day in spite of the fact that they suffer from sickness and pain.
     One day, the Lord will restore everyone to perfect health in the world to come. Everyone will have all that they need. The Lord asks us to be faithful to Him. He asks us to serve Him with all of our hearts.
     Next week, we will look at a false teaching that Paul had to deal with. I will post the sermon on Saturday next week. On Monday, I will post the verses. I will try to post a review or a poem on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.