John 14:21 -- "Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
John 13:34 -- "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another."
Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I want to thank everyone for your prayers. The storms did not cause problems in my area. I thank the Lord for that. People to the west of where I live did have storm damage, so please pray that they will get the aid that they need to recover. I hope that all of you are doing well.
Last week, we focused on part of James 4. We learned that we can't follow the way of the world and the way of Jesus at the same time. To follow the way of the world makes us an enemy of the way of the cross. One of the teachings of Jesus that is very appropriate on this matter is His teaching about not being able to serve two masters. Jesus said that one will either love one master and hate the other, or vice-versa. Jesus said that a person cannot serve both God and money.
Today, we want to focus our attention on verses 6 through 10 of chapter 4. There are three things I want to focus on in this section. I want us to focus on submission, resistance and humility.
James 4:7 tells us to submit ourselves to God. In my way of thinking, this means that we are to follow Jesus as the Lord of our lives. There is a teaching that goes around in some circles that a person can accept Jesus as Savior and then accept Jesus as Lord of their lives at some other time. The way I understand the Bible, following Jesus as Lord is what is truly means to be a Christian.
In human terms, when a person accepts someone else as Lord, it means that that person is submitting to someone's leadership and direction. For instance, in the Middle Ages, a knight might pledge his allegiance to the lord of a region such as a duke or a baron. That knight would then follow the commandments of his lord.
When we come to Jesus, we are submitting to Him, we are pledging our allegiance to Him. We are moving our allegiance from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of His Light. We serve a new Lord and Master, and that is Jesus Christ. That is why the first Christian creed was and is Jesus is Lord.
Submitting to Jesus as Lord means following His teachings and commandments. We follow His way of life. We keep our eyes fixed on Him, and we follow Him and do what He instructs us to do through the Word and through the prompting of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
This passage goes on to tell us to resist the devil, and he will flee from us. When we commit our lives to following the Lord Jesus, the devil doesn't like it. His intention is to cause those who follow the Lord Jesus to fall into sin and then choose not to follow Jesus anymore. He tempts the Christian in many ways. One passage in the Bible says that the devil goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
We are told to resist the devil. We do this by staying strong in the Lord and in our relationship with Him. We gain strength to resist the devil through prayer and through the study of the Scriptures. When we know the Scriptures, we can utilize them as Jesus did to counter the temptation of the evil one.
We also resist the devil when we don't fall into this world's way of thinking. We also resist the devil actively by standing in opposition to those forces that would attempt to place people in bondage. We stand against and work to end violence, oppression and exploitation. We work to make this world a better place in the name of Jesus.
One of the greatest ways that we as followers of Jesus resist the devil is by telling others about Jesus so that they can leave the darkness and follow the light of the Risen Christ.
Finally, James tells us in verse 10 that we are to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. Then, He will lift us up. The way of the world is the way of pride and boasting. Jesus demonstrated and teaches the path of humility. He did not come to be served, but He came to serve others. That is what He calls us to do know. We are not to seek our own pleasure, but we are to seek to serve others and help them. We are to think about others and not just think about ourselves.
When we pattern our lives and actions after the Lord Jesus, we will develop a humble heart as unto His humble heart. When we humbly serve the Lord, He will reward us on that day when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. I thank the Lord that things are improving here in the United States. We still have people that need to be vaccinated. India, Brazil and the countries in Central America are still having a lot of problems with the virus, so let us all pray for them and pray that the sick will recover.
Continue to pray for peace in Israel. We also need to pray for peace in Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Chad, Ethiopia and Libya. I heard yesterday that there is violence in the Central African Republic, so let us pray for peace there as well.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those living in the nations of Taiwan and Djibouti.
Next week, we will continue in the book of James. I will post the verses on Monday. Starting next Wednesday or Thursday, I will start posting something different. I've been thinking a lot about the events in my life that were moments of impact. They changed the course of the rest of my life. Each week for the next few weeks in my midweek post, I will be writing about one of these events. You might call it an extended essay. May God bless you all.
Tonight where I live, very bad storms are on the way. Please pray that the storms will not be bad and that there will be no flooding. Thank you.
Psalm 27:10 -- "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will hold me close."
Matthew 28:20 -- "I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world."
Welcome to the Weekend Sermon posting for this week. It just keeps raining and raining where I live. So far, there hasn't been any bad flooding, but more rain is anticipated for the next several days. Please keep praying that all will be well. I hope and pray that everyone who reads this message is doing well and is in good health.
Last week, we started to see what James chapter 4 had to teach us. We learned that greed, selfishness and covetousness are at the root of the vast majority of sinful behaviors. We also learned that we need to ask the Lord for our needs, but we also need to ask God to supply us with those things that we can give to others, and we should pray that the needs of others will be met.
In today's message, I want to focus on one part of verse 4 that states, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?" That means that being a friend of the world makes us an enemy of God. Let us look into this in more detail.
There is a way that seems right to those that are not followers of the way of Jesus. We can call it the way of the world. The Bible refers to the world as that which sets itself up in opposition to the will and ways of the Lord. This world has a value system that is diametrically opposed to the value system expressed in the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus.
One of the main differences between the way of the world and the way of Jesus is in the pursuit of that which will bring ultimate fulfillment. The way of this world teaches that in order to have a good life, one needs to make money and have a certain position that commands respect within society. Those who have fame, fortune or reputation are considered to be successful according to the values of this world. The Bible makes it clear that all of these things are passing away. Jesus equates it to building up treasure on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves break in and steal.
Jesus tells us that a successful life consists in building up treasure in heaven. According to Jesus, our live is not to be centered around the accumulation of those things which are passing away. Jesus truly expressed this teaching in His parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
The rich man had all of the things that this world believes make for success and happiness. He had all the riches that his heart could desire. On the other hand, Lazarus was a poor, sick and homeless man. Both of them died. To His hearers shock, Jesus said that the rich man ended up in hell while Lazarus went to Heaven. Jesus said that the first would be last and the last would be first.
According to the teaching of Jesus, the successful life is a life that is centered around serving Him and serving others. It is about sharing the love of Jesus and helping to make this world a better place until the time Jesus comes to restore all things.
This is just one way that the way of the world differs from the way of Jesus. Another is in the area of war, peace and non-violence. The way of the world is might makes right. It seeks to solve problems through violence and warfare. Jesus taught the way of peace and non-violence. He told us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek.
The way of Jesus also instructs us to avoid the sinful practices that are held to be acceptable by this world. The sexual ethics of the Bible are quite clear, yet according to the way of this world, the way of the Lord is something to be mocked at and scorned.
This world's system is based upon exploitation. Those who are powerful and rich try to make more for themselves by oppressing the weak and the powerless. Jesus seeks to lift people up. His is the way of justice and breaking the bounds of oppression in order to set people free.
James tells us that when we are trying to be a friend of this world system and its values, we are enemies of God. This is very strong language. However, it is totally in keeping with the rest of the Scripture and the teachings of Jesus. When we say that Jesus is our Lord, we are saying something very radical. We are stating that we are turning our back on this world and its distorted value system. We are taking up our cross to follow Jesus in His way that is radically different from the way of this world.
We can learn about the way of Jesus and the way that it differs from the ways of this world by reading important sections of Scripture such as Matthew 5 through 7 and Luke chapter 6. We can read John 13 through 16, as well as all of the other statements and teachings of Jesus. We can observe how He dealt with and ministered to people while He was here on this earth.
If we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, we will follow in His footsteps. We will forsake the way of this world, and we will do what is pleasing to our Lord. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Thank you for praying about the situation with my job. Things have been better at work over the past days.
Please remember to keep praying for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. India and Brazil are still among the many nations that are experiencing difficulties. Pray that those who are sick will recover.
India also needs our prayers in regard to storm damage. Please pray that those who are affected by the storm will have their needs met quickly.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Israel really needs our prayers right now. Continue to pray for peace in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Chad, Somalia, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan and Yemen.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our prayers on the nations of Iraq and Senegal.
Next week, we will continue our series in James. On Monday, I will post the verses. I hope to have a post midweek. May God bless you all. Amen.
I don't have a review for today, but I do have an important prayer request. We have been having a lot of rain in my area. Please pray that the rain will let up soon and we will not have any flooding. Thank you.
Matthew 5:48 -- "Be perfect, therefore, as your Father in Heaven is perfect."
Luke 6:20 -- "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
Welcome to the Weekend Sermon. I hope that everyone is having a good week. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message.
Last week, we finished up chapter 3 in our study of the book of James. Today, we begin by exploring what the first few verses of chapter 4 have to teach us. James begins by telling us why there are quarrels, arguments, murders, sinfulness and all other manner of terrible behaviors found in this world. According to James, lust, enviousness, greed and covetous behavior are at the heart of what causes people in this world to do bad things to one another.
James tells us that one of the reasons that people commit murders is due in part to the fact that people have lust of others and for worldly possessions. In order to obtain the things that they want, some people are willing to resort to murder to obtain what they want.
When people cannot obtain what others have, they often quarrel and fight with one another. This is true of both individuals and nations. One side wants the land and the resources that the other side possesses, so they go to war to obtain what it is that they desire not caring who they hurt or kill in the process.
What the Lord is telling us in this passage basically is that greed and selfishness are at the heart of sinfulness. When people only care about their own satisfaction and don't think or care about anyone else, that is when sin and harm come into the world.
On a larger scale, look at what greed and selfishness have led us to in this world. We have the resources to make sure that people do not go hungry in this world. However, thousands die each day from hunger and treatable diseases because those in this world who have the resources to help others do not share what they have so that others might live or have a decent quality of life.
Right here in my country, we have a terrible problem with homelessness. Why in one of the richest nations in the world do we have so many people who do not have a place where they can get in out of the winter's cold? It is greed and selfishness that prevents the problem from reaching some type of resolution.
Look at how greed and selfishness has caused such problems when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic. Many people in my country have resisted and refused to wear masks or receive the coronavirus vaccine. This leads to the virus spreading and causing harm to others. However, so many do not seem to care as long as they can do what they want to do when they want to do it.
I believe that greed and selfishness are at the heart of sin problems in the lives of many Christians. Instead of following the way of Jesus which is the way of generosity, humility and being the servant of all, many Christians do not give and do not seem to care about the problems that others are facing as long as their particular desires are satisfied.
All people need to guard against and attempt to remove greed and selfishness from their lives. This will go along way to helping us to overcome the sin that can so easily beset us.
James tells us that the way that we can receive those things that we desire is by asking God. He says that the reason that we don't receive things from God is because we ask for things that we can use for just ourselves and not for helping others or for helping to spread the message of the love of Jesus around this world. We have the wrong desires. God is not going to give us a bunch of money so that we can buy some fancy stuff while there are children suffering around the world. We must ask from God with the desire to do good in the world and to try and make this world a better place.
This leads to a whole discussion of what we should pray about. It is not wrong to pray for one's needs as Jesus in the Lord's Prayer said, "Give us this day our daily bread." However, our prayers should not be just self-centered. We should seek to pray for the betterment of this world and the people and the creatures who are in it. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. India is going through a really hard time now, and prayer is needed. Pray that those who can get the vaccine will take the vaccine, and pray that the vaccine will be made available to all those who want to take it.
Right now, there are two conflicts in the world that I want us to focus our prayers on. Israel and the the Palestinian territories are in a conflict. We need to pray for peace. Ethiopia and Eritrea are also having difficulties. Let us pray for peace in these two nations.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us focus our prayers on those living in Turkey and Bhutan. Pray that many will come to know how much Jesus loves them.
Next week, we will continue in our series on James. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to post something midweek. May God bless you all.
I haven't posted a book review here on the blog for some time. However, today is the day. As most of you know, corgis are my favorite dogs. My friend Toby was a corgi. I was quite pleased to find a new mystery series at my library about a talking corgi that helps his person solve mysteries in Cornwall.
The book that I am reviewing today is To Fetch A Felon written by Jennifer Hawkins. As the book begins, Emma has left her job in London to move to a small town in Cornwall where it is her intention to open up a tea shop. She brings along her corgi Oliver. What no one except Emma and Oliver know is that they can understand what the other is saying. This is something the reader just has to accept, there is no real reason given as to why Emma and Oliver can communicate, we are just told that Oliver is special. I had no problem as a reader getting into the idea of animals talking and communicating as I am a big fan of the talking cat Joe Grey mysteries written by Shirley Rousseau Murphy.
Emma's dream of setting up a tea shop gets off to a rocky start. She and Oliver find the owner of the tea shop building dead, and the mystery begins. During the course of the mystery, we are introduced to a colorful cast of characters who inhabit the town, suspects and those working to solve the murder.
I really enjoyed this book and not just because there was a corgi in it. The writing is very well done. The book is easy to read with great dialogue between the characters. Oliver is a great dog character. I know that there is a second book in the series scheduled for release later this year, and I am looking forward to reading it.
John 7:24 -- "Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly."
I Thessalonians 4:7 -- "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."
Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. I would like to thank the Lord for this opportunity. I also want to thank the Lord for something that is very important to me. Today is my friend Toby's birthday. I am so thankful to the Lord Jesus for bringing the two of us together, and for allowing us to have a wonderful life together in the years that we were given.
Last week, we began a study of James' discussion of the wisdom of this world versus that wisdom that comes from above. The wisdom that comes from above is the teaching of the Bible most specifically the life and teachings of the Lord Jesus.
We learned that the wisdom of this world leads to selfishness, jealousy and greed. The wisdom of this world is based on boasting, lies and demonic influences. The wisdom of this world leads to sinfulness and ultimate chaos.
Today, I want us to focus on the wisdom that is from above. If we follow the way and the teachings of the Lord Jesus, how will that manifest in our lives. In verse 17, James says that the wisdom that is from above is pure. That means that those who follow the way of Jesus will live lives of moral purity. Following Jesus allows us to seek what is best for the other instead of seeking the selfish ambition that is part of the way of the world.
James also tells us that the way of Jesus brings peace, and those who follow the wisdom of Jesus that is from above seek to make peace. When we follow the way of Jesus, we will have His peace that passes all understanding in our hearts. We will know what our ultimate destiny is. We will know that we are safe in the Father's hands. Also, the one who follows the way of Jesus is a peacemaker. Jesus brought a message of peace and non-violence. His is not the way of war, revenge and violence. When people who claim to be Christians advocate for war and violence, they are not imitating the way and teachings of the Lord Jesus. Those who follow Jesus work to bring reconciliation between people and nations. They do this through non-violent means as they seek the way of peace with justice.
The way of Jesus leads to gentleness, reasonableness and mercy. Someone who will not listen to reason and is argumentative all of the time is following the way of the world. Those who will not forgive and will not be merciful to those who have made mistakes are not following the teaching of Jesus that tells us to forgive others or we will not be forgiven.
James also tells us that the wisdom that is from above manifests itself in good fruits. This means that those who follow the way of Jesus will produce the fruit of the Spirit within their lives. Love, joy, peace and humility are just a few of the good fruits that will be part of the life of the one who seeks to follow the path set forth by Jesus Christ.
The way of Jesus also leads to sincerity which means that it leads to truthfulness. Lying and deception are from the world. Those who follow the way of Jesus speak what is true with gentleness and with respect. They are not respecters of persons meaning that the follower of Jesus states what is true to everyone regardless of that persons so-called status in this world.
Those who follow the way of Jesus which is the way of wisdom from above will have a harvest of righteousness. I believe that this has two meanings. First of all, the way of Jesus leads us to have lives that are filled with good things and holy living. It also leads us to tell others about what Jesus has done for us. This results in others coming to faith in Jesus.
There is a vast difference between the wisdom and way of this world and the path of Jesus that is the wisdom that comes down from above. It is eternally important to follow the way of Jesus and declare that He is Lord in all of our actions. Amen.
Prayer Requests
Please pray that the storms predicted for area this week will not be bad. Also, please pray that my job situation will resolve. I have an important interview this week. Pray that the Lord's will will be done.
Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Here in the United States, many people remain unvaccinated despite the fact that there is plenty of vaccine available. Please, if you have not been vaccinated, get the vaccine. It will help to keep you from getting sick, and it will help our society at large to beat this pandemic. We also want to pray for India as that nation is having such a hard time with the virus right now. Pray that all of those who are sick will recover.
Continue to pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Chad, Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan really need our prayers.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in Pakistan and Gambia. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will continue with our study in James as we begin chapter four. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a midweek post. May God bless you all.
As many of you know, tigers are among my favorite animals in the world. One of the life-changing events in my life was reading about tigers in a book titled Tiger: Portrait of a Predator written by Valmik Thapar. Reading this book awakened me to the need to preserve animals in the wild. I became environmentally aware, and I now have a deep passion for taking care of this world and its creatures.
Recently, I came across a great special edition magazine called Tigers published by Life. This publication contains a number of interesting articles about tigers in the wild and the efforts that are underway to keep these magnificent animals from extinction. There are a number of stunning photographs in this work.
If you love animals, you will enjoy reading and seeing the pictures in this magazine. I urge you to get a copy. I've seen it available in the United States at Barnes and Noble and in several grocery store chains.
Hebrews 12:14 -- "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."
John 10:14a -- "I am the Good Shepherd."
