Poem And Prayer Request

    I have something that I would like you to pray about. For the next two days, the forecast is for up to eight inches of rain. This will cause bad flooding in my area if it materializes. Please pray that we do not get that much rain. Thank you.

Dream Dog

The old dog still visits

skirting the edges of dreams.

A flash of brown here.

Flickers of white there.

Vanished in illusion’s smoke.

Sunshine in my mind

finds him resting a moment.

Wind rustles his hair

along with the fallen leaves.

Frequent nightmares batter.

Gnashing teeth

keep foes at bay.

He rushes off again

as morning’s light

ushers in the day.

Verses For The Week

Isaiah 1:17 -- "Learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

Micah 6:8 -- "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."

Proverbs 22:16 -- "He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself or who gives to the rich will only come to poverty."

Weekend Sermon -- Luke:15:8-10 -- Parable Of The Lost Coin

     Welcome to this week's posting of the Weekend Sermon. I am going to be doing something different with the posting of the sermon starting this week. If you've read the sermon before, you will know that I usually started with prayer requests and some other things. Starting this week, I am going to start with the actual sermon. The prayer requests and other matters for the week will be at the end. If you've read the sermon in the past, and you don't like the new way that I'm doing things, please let me know with a comment. Thank you.

      A few months ago, we completed a series here on the blog about the parables of Jesus. When we went through that series, I did not post a message about the Parable Of The Lost Coin found in Luke 15:8-10. I would like us to focus our attention on that parable today.
     Before we get into the parable, when need to look at the context in which Jesus told the parable. Luke 15:1-2 tells us that the religious leaders were gathered around Jesus and criticizing Him because they said that Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. In response to this criticism, Jesus told three different parables. The first one that Jesus told was about a man who lost one out of one hundred sheep. He leaves 99 sheep in the fold, and then he goes out and searches diligently for the lost sheep until he finds it. When the sheep is found, the man's friends and neighbors rejoice with him.
     The third parable in this series of three is the familiar parable of the prodigal son. We are focusing on the second parable of the three. In our parable today, Jesus says that there was a woman who had ten silver coins. She lost one of them. She got out a lamp and swept the room with the light searching diligently for the coin until she found it. When she found her coin, she called her friends and neighbors together to celebrate with her. Jesus said that the angels in Heaven rejoice when one sinner comes to repentance.
     I can really understand how the woman in this parable felt. Not too long ago, I placed some money I had in a hiding place so that if a person broke into the house, they would have a hard time finding it. The problem was, when I went to get the money, I couldn't remember where I put it. I had to search all over the house until I found it. When I did, I told my friend how happy I was, and we were happy together.
     Here's what I think that Jesus is saying in our parable today. There are many people in this world who are lost. That means that they don't know that Jesus has come into the world to save them from their sins. They have never given their lives over to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
     These are the people that Jesus came into this world to redeem. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were critical of Him because He associated with those they called sinners. But Jesus came into this world to seek and to save those who were lost. It is God's will that not one person should perish but that all should come to repentance.
     Just as the woman took the time to search diligently for the coin, the Lord Jesus comes to us and searches for all of those who are lost. Just as the coin was of great value to the woman in the parable, we are all of great value to Jesus. He loves everyone. He gave His life out of love so that anyone who believes in Him can have eternal life and forgiveness of sins.
     Often times, we are like the religious leaders who were critical of Jesus. We don't think that God cares about certain types of sinners or about certain groups of people. We want to be comfortable in our own churches and forget about the fact that there is a whole world of people who need to know that Jesus loves them.
     I don't believe that the Lord Jesus ever gives up on anyone. He continues to search and to seek for those who are lost. He wants those of us who are His followers to go into the world and be obedient to His Great Commission. Jesus told us to go into the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. We are to go into the highways and byways and compel them to come in the Bible says.
     Jesus said that when one person comes to faith in Him, there is great rejoicing in Heaven. It is my hope that there is a lot of rejoicing in Heaven today as people come to realize how much Jesus loves them and wants them to come to Him and receive forgiveness and a new life.
     Maybe you have never surrendered your life to Jesus. I hope that you will stop hiding from the seeking Lord. I hope that you will turn to Him, and let Him forgive you of your sins. I hope that you will invite Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Amen

Prayer Requests And Other Matters

      This week was a good week in my writing work, and I wanted to thank the Lord for all the work that He allowed to come my way. I am going to be looking for a new part-time job, so please pray for me in this matter. Thank you for your prayers.
     As we go to prayer this week, remembered to pray regarding the situation with the immigrants at the border between the US and Mexico. Pray that children will not be separated from their parents, and that all people will be treated with dignity and respect.
     Let us not forget about the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Pray that they will receive all of the help and aid that they need.
     Please remember to pray for those who are dealing with storm damage. There are still people west of where I live who are recovering from tornado damage.
     Let us all pray for those in Congo dealing with the Ebola outbreak. Pray that those who are sick will recover, and pray that this outbreak will end.
     Pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Pray for peace in Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan.
     Please pray for those in Venezuela who are facing hardship. Pray that there will be a peaceful resolution to the problems in that country.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Djibouti and Albania. Pray that many will hear about the love, mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus.

Thank you for reading the sermon and prayer requests this week. Next week, I will once again post the sermon on Saturday. I will post the verses on Monday. There will be a review or a poem posted on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.





   

Review -- The Story of China

    Over the course of the last few days, I've been watching an interesting program on DVD. "The Story of China" is a six-part documentary written and presented by Michael Wood. Michael Wood is an historian whose programs I've recommended here on the blog in the past. His programs are always interesting and educational. What I like most about Michael Wood's programs is that he is always excited about the subject he is presenting. His enthusiasm for the topic makes the viewer enthused, and this leads the viewer to want to know more about the subject.
     In "The Story of China", Michael Wood takes the viewer from the earliest days of the Chinese state up to more modern Chinese history. I really enjoyed all of the information provided about Confucianism and its impact on how the state was governed. The viewer is taken through each of the Chinese dynasties, and the lives and influence of the major emperors is discussed.
     I heartily recommend that you view "The Story of China". If you don't know much about Chinese history, it will serve as an excellent overview.

Here are some other programs from Michael Wood that I would recommend:
"In The Footsteps of Alexander the Great"
"The Story of India"
"Gilbert White the Nature Man"
"In Search of the Trojan War"
"In Search of Shakespeare"

Verses For The Week

I Corinthians 1:30 -- "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption."

Hebrews 12:14 -- "Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord."

Prayer Request

     Would you please pray that the bad weather predicted for my area tonight will not happen. The weather forecasters are calling for flooding rains. Thank you for your prayers.

Weekend Sermon -- Lamentations

     Thank you for taking the time to read the Weekend Sermon. I am once again grateful to the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post this message. I hope that everyone had a nice week.
     I had a very busy week. I was able to get several days of work this week at my part-time job. I was also able to complete several writing projects. I am thankful for the work that the Lord has provided.
     In prayer this week, please remember to pray for those in the US in the grip of the heatwave. Where I live, the heat index was 110 degrees yesterday. Please pray that cooler weather will come.
     Please pray for those in Congo who are dealing with the Ebola outbreak. Pray that those who are sick will recover, and pray that this illness will not spread to others.
     Pray for those recovering from storm damage in the United States and in Mozambique. Puerto Rico is still experiencing some problems from the hurricanes last year.
     I would also like everyone to pray for an end to the racist attitudes that are becoming so prevalent in my country. I am so tired of this. The Bible is very clear that we are all one in Jesus. Pray for an end to racism.
     Please pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Libya, South Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan all need our prayers. Also, pray that the tensions between the US and Iran will quiet down.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in Benin and Sri Lanka. Pray that many will hear about the love that Jesus has for all people everywhere.
     Last week, we finished a series of messages on false teachings that were confronted in the New Testament. Today, we turn our attention to the Old Testament book of Lamentations. This is a very difficult book of the Bible to present a  message about. At least I feel that way. However, I felt as if the Lord wanted me to bring a message about Lamentations. So, that is what I am doing.
     Lamentations is located right after the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. Most Bible scholars believe that the prophet Jeremiah is the author of this book. Some believe that Jeremiah's assistant Baruch wrote the book. There are other scholars who believe that the book was written at a much later date than the events related in the book. I hold to the position that Jeremiah is the author of Lamentations.
     Lamentations is a book that contains five chapters. Each chapter is poem in the Hebrew language. In this book, the prophet Jeremiah expresses the anguish that he feels as he looks out over the city of Jerusalem that was destroyed by the Babylonians. The city is left desolate. The people have been taken captive. Others have been left to starve. The situation described is very bleak.
     Let's step back and see what led up to the events described in the book of Lamentations. For many years, the prophet Jeremiah, and other prophets, had predicted that the nation of Judah would come under the punishment of the Lord if the people did not repent of their sin and idolatry.
     According to prophetic books such as Isaiah and Jeremiah, the people were worshiping idols and false gods. They were not following the commands given to them by the Lord. The Lord was very patient giving the people many years to repent. He sent prophet after prophet to call the people to repentance. The Lord told the people through the prophets that the nation would be invaded by the Babylonians if they did not turn back to Him.
     In the year 586 BC, the nation of Judah fell to the Babylonians. The city of Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. Many were carried away into Babylonian captivity. Jeremiah and some others were left behind in the ruins.
     In the book of Lamentations, Jeremiah expresses the realization that the tragedy that he is witnessing is a result of the people's turning away from the Lord. However, Jeremiah also realizes that the Lord still loves His people. Lamentations 3:22-23 states this, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
     Jeremiah knew that one day, the people would turn back to God. God would bring His people back to the land of promise again. And this is what happened. The people did turn back to God. The people came back from captivity. The city of Jerusalem was rebuilt, and the Temple was rebuilt. You can read more about this in books such as Ezra, Nehemiah and Haggai.
     Now, what does this book have to teach us today. I believe that Lamentations has four important lessons for us. First of all, Lamentations shows us that God is holy and He will not let sin go unpunished. The Bible is very clear that there are eternal consequences to sin.
      Lamentations also teaches us that God is patient. He gave the people many opportunities to turn back to Him. The Lord is patient with people today. One of the reasons that the Lord has not yet returned is that He is giving people time to come to Him.
     The book of Lamentations teaches us that God is merciful. If we repent of our sins, the Lord will forgive us.
     Finally, the book of Lamentations teaches us that the Lord will restore those who come to Him. Those who put their faith and trust in Him will come into the land of promise. For us now, that is Heaven with the Lord Jesus.
     Humanity sinned. God in His mercy sent His Son the Lord Jesus to provide redemption and atonement. Whoever places his or her trust in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. The Lord asks us to repent of our sins and turn to Him for forgiveness. Those who trust in the Lord have been promised eternal life with the Lord Jesus forever. I urge you to turn to Him today.
     Next week, I will post the sermon on Saturday again. I am not yet sure what that message will about. On Monday, I will post the verses. I hope to post a review on Wednesday. I may post another poem. May God bless you all. Amen.

Poem

Streets of Gold

They’re racing down the brick streets

shimmering golden in the morning sun –

a glittering, heavenly boulevard.

Whipping winds flush forward

chattering leaves along the lawns

swirling through the alleys and byways

cluttering the teeming gutters

that line the wealthy’s stately homes.

Into this melee he makes his strike.

These toys of nature his quarry.

red streak snapping and dancing

flowing ghostly with the breeze

along a golden mystic byway

shaded in the mists of time.

Verses For The Week -- Verses About Justification

Romans 5:1 -- "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

Titus 3:7 -- "So that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Romans 3:25-26 -- "God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of blood -- to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

Weekend Sermon -- False Teachings Refuted -- Conclusion -- Jude 3-4, Acts 20-30-31 and Matthew 7:15-23

     Thank you for reading the Weekend Sermon. I hope that all of you are having a very good week. I am thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to post this message.
     This has been a good week for me. The Lord answered my prayer, and my brother was able to get my lawnmower fixed. I've had a good week in writing, and I found out that I will be getting a few more hours at my part-time job. Thank you Lord.
     As we go to prayer this week, please pray for those who are in the path of the storm in Louisiana and the Gulf states. Pray that no one will be injured.
     Please continue to pray for those who have experienced damage from the storms and the flooding in the US. Pray for those recovering from the earthquake damage in California, and pray for those in Mozambique who are still recovering from the storms there.
     Let us all pray about the situation at the border with Mexico. I am very upset about all of this. Pray that children separated from their parents and family will be returned to their families. Please pray that the people will be housed in better circumstances and given proper treatment. Pray that conditions will improve in the countries that the migrants have come from so that others don't have to attempt to leave.
      Please pray for an end to the Ebola outbreak in Congo and Uganda. Pray for those who are trying to help.
     Please continue to pray for peace in this world. Somalia needs our prayers today. Pray for peace in Libya, Syria and Yemen. Pray for peace wherever you know there is war.
     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Turkey and Eritrea. Pray that many will hear about the Lord Jesus and His love and grace.
     Today, we will conclude our series about false teachings in the early church. I want us to focus our attention today on three passages of Scripture that tells us about the fact that there will be those who try to introduce erroneous ideas into the church.
      First of all, let's look at the book of Jude. Jude is a one chapter book in the Bible that is all about false teachers. Jude 3-4 states, "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ as our only Sovereign and Lord."
     Jude is telling us that even in his time, false teachers were trying to turn people away from the truth. He wanted the people that he was writing to to contend for the faith. That means that he wanted those in the church to be on guard against error. If they did encounter erroneous and false teaching, Jude wanted them to speak up. He did not want false beliefs to get a foot hold within the church.
     Sometimes, we act as if doctrine is not important. It certainly was important as far as the writers of the New Testament were concerned. It should be important to us too. It does matter what we believe. We need to know what we believe and why we believe it.
      The way that we will be able to know what is the truth and what is error is if we are so familiar with the truth that we can spot erroneous doctrine right away. We will know the truth when we have a thorough knowledge of the Word of God.
     Jude makes clear that the primary way to recognize what is false is that false teachers do not teach the moral and ethical code of the New Testament. The false teachers will deny Jesus. They will deny who He is and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection.
     In Acts 20, Paul will warn that false teachers don't always come from outside of the church. He warned the leaders of the church at Ephesus that false teachers would arise from their own number. Paul wanted the leaders of the church to be diligent in teaching what is the truth about Jesus.
     Jesus Himself told us about false teachers in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 7:15, Jesus tells us to watch out for false prophets. According to Jesus, they are wolves in sheep's clothing. Jesus tells us that not everyone who says, "Lord, Lord" will enter the kingdom of Heaven.
     Jesus tells us in this passage how to recognize false prophets and false teachers. Jesus said that we will know them by their fruits. Those who follow the true way of Jesus will produce fruits of love and righteousness. Jesus also said that those who are true to Him are the one's that do the will of the Father in Heaven. The true teacher is the one who lives a life in obedience to the will and teachings of the Lord Jesus.
     With these things said, I don't want you to think that I am advocating that all Christians have to believe exactly the same thing about every issue of doctrine. However, there are certain major areas of belief that identify orthodox Christian teachings. We know what these are by the great creeds of the church. The Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed identify the orthodox teachings of the church.
     In the early part of 2016, I posted a number of messages on the Apostle's Creed here on the blog. I invite you to read these if you would like to know more of what the Creed is about.
     I urge you to study the doctrines of the church. Study the Bible diligently everyday so that you will never be led astray by any false teaching. In all things, we are to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. We are to look to Him in all things, and we are to follow His way and teachings in all areas of our lives.
     Next week, I will post the sermon on Saturday. I will be starting a very short series about the book of Lamentations in the Old Testament. This is not something I would have chosen on my own. I believe that the Lord placed this on my heart. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. I will post a review or a poem on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.

Book Review -- Superpower Dogs: Henry

     The book that I am reviewing today is a book that is geared toward younger readers. "Superpower Dogs: Henry" is a book in a series of books about dogs who use their abilities to help people and make the world a better place.
     Henry is an avalanche rescue dog who works in the mountains of British Columbia. The book gives a lot of details on how avalanche rescue dogs are trained and how they go about their task of finding people who are buried under the snow when avalanches occur.
     The book focuses mainly on Henry, but there is also information on the other dogs who worked with Henry's handler.  As I said, this book is written with children in mind, but anyone who likes to read good stories about rescue and service dogs will enjoy reading this book.
     I believe that there are a couple of other books in this series. An IMAX movie called Superpower Dogs has also been made. It features Henry and four other amazing dogs who do incredible work.

Verses For The Week

      Before I post the verses, I have something that I want to thank the Lord for. My lawnmower was broken, and I was afraid that I was going to have to buy a new one. Thankfully, the Lord heard my prayer, and my mower was repaired. My brother was able to fix it. Thank you Lord.

Proverbs 12:10 -- "The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel."

Job 12:7 -- "But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds of the sky, and they will tell you."

Weekend Sermon -- False Teachings Refuted Part 7 -- Galatians 1:8-9 and I Corinthians 15:3-4

     Welcome to this week's edition of the Weekend Sermon. I am very happy that you have taken the time to read the blog this week. I hope that everyone has had a very nice week.
     I have something important to thank the Lord for. I was worried that I might lose my house, but the Lord has provided, and I will be able to stay in my home. Thanks be to God. I still have some important decisions to make, so please continue to remember me in your prayers. Thank you.
     In prayer this week, please pray for those who are recovering from storm damage around the world. In my area, some are still recovering from the floods and tornadoes. I know that the people in Mozambique still need our prayers as they recover from the storms. We also need to pray for those in California who experienced problems due to the earthquake.
     Let us remember to pray for those in Congo and Uganda who are dealing with the Ebola outbreak. Pray that this will end soon. Please pray for those who are working to help people in these areas.
     I would ask that we all pray for those who are homeless this week. Homelessness is a big problem in my country. Pray that people will get the help that they need.
     Remember to pray for peace this week. Libya, Syria and Yemen really need our prayers for peace this week.
     For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those in the nations of Japan and Algeria. Pray that many will hear about the love that Jesus has for all.
     Over the course of the last few weeks, we have been in a series of messages on false teachings that were addressed in the New Testament. We have seen that Jesus, Paul, Peter and John all had to deal with false teachings.
     In today's message, we are going to change the focus just a little bit. Often, it's possible to distinguish truth from error. In doing this, the most important thing is to know the truth. If you know the truth, you will not be led astray by those teachings and beliefs that are contrary to the teachings of Jesus recorded in the Bible.
     The Bible is clear that it is important that we believe the right doctrines. In the book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul uses strong language against those who would try to teach a  Gospel contrary to the Gospel that he preached. Paul says in Galatians 1:8-9, "But even if we or an angel from heaven preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse."
     That's a very strong statement. Paul wanted to make sure that people were hearing the truth about the Gospel.
     Now, here is the question. What is the Gospel? How can we recognize the true Gospel so that if someone preaches another Gospel, we will recognize that?
     For the answer to this, let us look at the words of the Apostle Paul again. In I Corinthians 15: 3-4 Paul states, "For what I received I passed on to you of first importance, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
     From this passage and the others that we have studies in this series, we can define the true Gospel like this. Jesus is God come in the flesh. He was born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a holy and sinless life as our perfect example. Jesus died on the cross. On the cross, Jesus bore our sins in His body. He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. Jesus died and was buried. On the third day, Jesus rose bodily from the grave. By His resurrection, Jesus conquered death, hell and grave. Jesus ascended into Heaven. One day, Jesus will come in power and great glory to restore all things to the way that they were before sin entered into the world. Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
     Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. To be born again, a person needs to accept what Jesus has done for him on the cross. He needs to repent of his sins and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord. One must believe that Jesus has risen from the dead.
     This is the basic teaching about Jesus. This is the orthodox teaching of the Christian church. There are some who will teach what is contrary to this. Jesus, Paul, Peter, John and Jude have all warned against following those who teach another way, another Jesus and another Gospel. If we understand and recognize the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, we will never fall into error.
     Maybe you have never heard or understood what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. I hope that you will examine what Jesus did and what He said.  I hope and pray that you will give your life to Jesus today. He will make all the difference for you.
     Next week, we will conclude our series about false teachings. I will post the sermon on Saturday. On Monday, I will post the verses for the week. I plan to post a book review on Wednesday. May God bless you all. Amen.
   

An Animal Book Review And A Dog Movie Review

     Today, I am going to review a book and a movie. The book that I am reviewing today is called "Medieval Pets" written by Kathleen Walker-Meikle. This was an interesting book that provided a lot of information about how dogs, cats and other animals were kept as pets in the Middle Ages. The book details how pets were depicted in the art and literature of the time. The author also details what type of people would have owned certain types of pets. I recommend this book as it is well written and well researched.
     The movie that I would like to recommended is "A Dog's Way Home". This movie was based on a book written by W, Bruce Cameron. When the movie begins, we find a mother dog and cat along with their puppies and kittens living under an abandoned building. Animal control comes and takes most of the dogs except for one. This little dog is fostered by the cat mother.
     Later, a young man named Lucas and his girlfriend will find the little dog and name her Bella. Bella and Lucas become great friends. Bella touches the lives of everyone that she meets including Lucas' mother and the people at the VA hospital where Lucas works.
     Sadly, someone always has to cause trouble. Bella is identified as a pit bull, and they aren't allowed in Denver. Bella is taken to animal control. Lucas gets Bella out, but she has to leave the city until Lucas and his mother can find a new place to live outside of Denver. Bella is taken hundreds of miles away.
     Bella knows one thing, she wants to go home and be with Lucas. She leaves her foster home and begins the trek to find the family that she loves. On her journey she will encounter a cougar, two men who give her a temporary home and a homeless man who needs her.
     I won't give any more of the film away. This is film any dog or animal lover will enjoy. I recommend this film. It's the best dog movie I've seen since "Red Dog."

Verses For The Week -- Verses About Grace

Titus 2:11 -- "For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people."

Romans 5:21 -- "So that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Philemon 1:25 -- "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."