Weekend Sermon -- A Break From The Book Of James -- Matthew 6:34

      Thank you for reading the sermon this week. I was not able to post something midweek. I will start posting midweek again next week. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to post this message. 

     Today, we will be taking a break from our current series on the book of James. Over the course of the last few weeks, there are some words of the Lord Jesus that have had a lot of relevance in my life. I would like to share them with you and focus on them for this message. 

     In Matthew 6:34 Jesus said, "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today."

     This statement by Jesus is part of his Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew chapters 5 through 7. Within the context of this particular verse, Jesus is telling His listeners that the Father in Heaven knows the things that they need. They don't have to worry about the provisions of this life because the Father in Heaven will take care of their needs just as He care for the needs of the other parts of His vast creation. There is an ultimate context to these words. The Lord does supply our needs. However, sometimes, things go wrong in this life. Famines occur. People get sick. Bad things happen. As believers in the Lord, we know that no matter what happens to us in this life, the Lord will take us to be with Him forever in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him. We can rest in the knowledge that ultimately, only that which is good is in our future. 

     Our verse speaks to me particularly because I have found that it helps me deal with problems that I might have with anxiety. When I get focused out on what is going to happen down the road, I start to feel bad and have turmoil within my mind and spirit. All of the troubles and potential troubles start to pile up until I just feel completely overwhelmed. 

     Jesus is telling us that we need to focus on what is at hand. I have found that I need to focus on just going minute by minute through this life. I need to rely fully and completely on the Lord Jesus to get me through each moment of each day.

     In I Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our cares upon the Lord because He cares for us. That is what I found that I need to do constantly throughout the day. I have to ask the Lord Jesus many times throughout the day to help me through a particular problem or difficulty. I have to give the difficulty over to Him and let Him work it out in His way in my life. I have found that when I rely on the Lord Jesus, I don't feel as anxious. I have the assurance that the Lord Jesus is looking out for me in this life, and He will take care of me forever when I pass from this life over into the next life when I will be with Him forever and forever. 

     I believe that if each of us will focus on the present and give our problems in the present over to Jesus, we will worry less and be anxious less. When we give our problems over to the Lord, we are letting the King of all creation work on the problem on our behalf. He will do what is right, and He will do what is just. He loves us, and He wants only what is best for us. Amen

     Now, this isn't part of the sermon, this is just something that I want to discuss for a few moments. In my country and around the world, the Delta variant of the coronavirus is infecting many people. The CDC in my country is advising even fully-vaccinated people to wear masks in indoor settings. If you have not been vaccinated for the coronavirus, please get the vaccine. Also, please wear a mask when you are around others. We need to think about others, and we need to get this disease under control. 

     Prayer Requests

     Please pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Pray that people will take the vaccine, and pray that vaccines will reach around the world.  Pray that those who are sick will recover. 

     Continue to pray for an end to the fires in the western part of the United States. Also, pray that those affected by flooding in Europe, the Philippines and others parts of Asia will get the aid and the help that they need. 

     Pray for the leaders of your country that God will give them wisdom. 

     Please pray for peace. Pray especially for peace in Afghanistan. What is happening in that country is really concerning to me. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those living in the nations of Burkina Faso and Yemen. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, Lord willing, we will resume our study of James. I will post the verses on Monday, and I hope to have a review midweek. May God bless you all. 

Verses For The Week

 Philippians 3:20 -- "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."

Colossians 3:4 -- "When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory."

Weekend Sermon -- James 5:11

     Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. I thank the Lord for giving me the opportunity to post these messages each week. I hope that these messages are of benefit to you. 

     Last week, we discussed part of James 5:11, but I want us to focus our attention on just the last part of that verse for this week's message. The last part of the verse states, "The Lord is full of compassion and mercy."

     The Lord has great compassion on those who are in this world. Jesus is the revelation of God on this earth. During the time that Jesus was on this planet, He demonstrated in many ways His compassion for those whom He ministered to. Matthew 14:13-14 tells us that Jesus had compassion on the people who followed Him from town to town. One way that He demonstrated His compassion was by healing those who were sick among the people. In Matthew 20, we are told that two blind men called out to Jesus while He was passing by on the road. Jesus was moved with compassion for them, and He immediately restored their sight to them. Luke 7 records that Jesus was coming into the town of Nain when He saw a funeral procession coming out of the town. A widow's only son had died, and she was in great grief. Jesus was moved with compassion. He told the mother not to cry, and Jesus raised her son from the dead. On one other occasion recorded in Mark 6:34, Jesus had compassion on the multitude because they were like sheep without a shepherd. He knew that He needed to teach them about the way of abundant life and why He came to this earth. 

     Jesus cares about what happens to us. He wants to help us when we are going through hard and difficult times. I Peter 5:7 tells us to cast all of our cares upon Jesus because He cares about us. 

     The second part of the verse tells us that the Lord is full of mercy. Those of us who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb know how true this is. Because God is a just and holy God, He could have condemned all of us to death because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. However, the Lord is merciful and loving. He wanted to provide a way of redemption. The Father sent His Son into the world because He was merciful to sinners. Jesus bore our sins in His body on the cross. He took the punishment that we deserved. 

     When a person calls upon the name of the Lord asking for forgiveness and trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord,  Jesus takes away that person's sin. In place of that sin, a person receives that righteousness of Christ. Because Jesus has come into the world to be the sacrifice for sin, God is now both just and the justifier at the same time. 

     Always remember that the Lord is compassionate and merciful. He has not dealt with us according to what we deserve. By His grace and by His grace alone, we are what we are. 

     I hope that you have responded to the compassion and mercy of the Lord by turning to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Jesus welcomes all who will come to Him. There is no one who He will cast out. Today is the day of salvation. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     I would like to thank the Lord for allowing me to get my car fixed at a very affordable price once again. Please continue to pray for my health. I am not feeling very well. I am having trouble with arthritis and with allergic skin problems. 

     Continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. If you have not been vaccinated, please get the vaccine. Pray that all those who are sick will make a speedy recovery. 

     There are many places in this world that need peace. Afghanistan, Syria, Israel, Libya, Chad, Yemen, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and the Central African Republic really need our prayers. 

     Remember to pray for those affected by the floods in Europe. Pray that people will get the aid that they need. 

    Please pray that the fires in the western part of the United States will be able to be extinguished. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those living in the nations of  Brunei and Suriname. Pray that many will come to know Jesus as Lord. 

     Next week, we will continue in James. I have about three sermons left in this series. On Monday I will post the verses. I hope to have a book review midweek. May God bless you all. 

Book Review

      With this midweek post, we are starting back with book reviews. Today's book is a book for younger readers entitled "Buster" written by Caleb Huett. Buster is a therapy dog that has come to live with a boy named Tonio. Tonio suffers from anxiety disorder, and his parents and counselors believe that a therapy dog like Buster will help him with his anxiety. 

      Buster really wants to help Tonio to have a better life. There is one problem. In order to really help his boy, Buster has to communicate with him. The dog rules state that a dog is never to talk to a human or reveal to a human the true intelligence of canines. Buster has already been in trouble for breaking this rule. Will he talk to Tonio in his efforts to help him? What will be the cost to Buster if he breaks the rule in order to do what he believes is the right thing to do?

      Buster is a well-written story that is sure to please readers who like good dog stories. I was especially drawn to the story as I have suffered from anxiety disorder for a long time. My dog Toby helped me when I was younger to deal with both anxiety and depression, so I know that a dog can really help those who need help with mental issues. I definitely recommend this book. The ending is written in such a way that there may be sequels to the book, and I look forward to reading those when and if they should become available. 

Verses For The Week

 John 8:12 -- "When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

John 5:24 -- " Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."

Weekend Sermon -- James 5:10-11

        It is once again time for the Weekend Sermon. I have not been feeling that well for that last few days, so I am thankful that I am able to post the sermon today. I hope and pray that you are all doing very well. 

     Before I start the message for today, I just want to urge people who have not received the coronavirus vaccine to get the vaccine. In my part of the country, we are seeing many people come down with the virus who have not been vaccinated. In the United States, the vaccine is free and widely available. If we all get the vaccine, it will help to make sure that there are not more variants of the virus. 

     Last week, we saw in James that we are to wait patiently for the coming of the Lord Jesus. He promised that He would come. While we are waiting for His return, we are to live our lives in such a manner that we will not be ashamed at His coming. The Lord has called us to make disciples and to do good in this world until the day that He comes to restore all things. 

     In our passage today, James once again speaks about patience. This time, he tells us that we are to be patient in the midst of suffering. This is something that is very hard to do. All of us suffer in some way while we are on this earth. Some suffer in body. They are plagued with diseases and conditions that can make life painful. Others suffer from mental health problems. There are Christians who suffer and are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ. Some people suffer due to the fact that they are in difficult and abusive relationships. Whatever the situation, there are a whole host of people in this world who are suffering. Suffering doesn't spare those who are believers. 

     James urges us to be patient in the midst of our problems knowing that ultimately we will be delivered from our suffering by the Lord Jesus. As an example of patience in the midst of suffering, James gives us the example of the prophets and Job. 

     There are many prophets who suffered as a result of their witness for the Lord. One that comes to mind is the prophet Jeremiah. He had to give a difficult message to the people. He was persecuted physically and he was verbally abused. He was a despised man in his nation. Jeremiah kept believing in God and doing what God had called him to do in spite of his suffering. He knew that God would fulfill His word. Jeremiah knew that one day he would be delivered from this time of suffering and stand in the presence of the Almighty God. 

     Job had awful things happen to him. He lost his wealth, his children and his friends weren't a whole lot of comfort to him. Job also suffered from terrible physical problems. He would not curse God and die as was suggested to him. Instead, Job kept believing in God. He knew that God would deliver him in his world or in the world to come. He knew that better days were in store for him, because he knew that God was faithful and good. Job said that he knew that his redeemer lived and that in his flesh he would one day see God. 

     When we are going through suffering, it is often hard to believe that the Lord is watching over us. As believers in Jesus, we must take hold of the promise that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the resurrection and the life. Those who are His have been promised that one day they will be with Him in the place that He has prepared for those who love Him.  

     James reminds us that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. He cares about us. He will help us when when call on Him. When we are with the Lord Jesus in Heaven, all the suffering and hardships of this life will not even come to mind. They will vanish away in the glory of the Lord. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 2:9 that it has not even entered into the heart of people the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. 

     I am looking forward to that day when I see Jesus and all suffering is over. That will happen when I die and go to be with the Lord or when the Lord Jesus comes again to this earth to restore all things. 

     You can have the assurance that one day all suffering will be over if you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus. I urge you to ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord this very day. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     As I mentioned, I have not been feeling very well, please pray that I will get to feeling better. I want to thank the Lord that the storms were not bad in my area. 

     Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Pray that people will get the vaccine and that vaccines will become available around the world. 

     Pray for peace in the troubled areas of this world. Afghanistan really needs our prayers right now. Let us also be in prayer for peace in Libya, Syria, Israel and Yemen. 

     For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those who live in the nations of  Western Sahara and Kuwait. Pray that many will come to know Jesus as Lord. 

     Next week, we will continue in the book of James. I will post the verses on Monday. Midweek, we will return to our book reviews as I've completed my life changers series. May God bless you all. 

Life Changers -- Conclusion

       About ten years ago, my parents died within just a couple of months of each other. This has brought a number of changes to my life, but I want to focus on one.

     For many years, I suffered from anxiety disorder. My folks helped me to deal with this in many ways. Since they have passed away, I have had to deal with this issue head on. If I was going to get out in the world and make it, I had to get help. 

      The Lord helped me greatly with this problem. I also found a psychologist who set me on the right course. With the help of the Lord and others, I am able to do what I never was able to do before. 

     If you are dealing with anxiety or other mental health issues, get help. There are people who care and want to help to make life better.

Prayer Requests

 Bad storms predicted for next two days. Please pray that all will be well. Also, a tendon in my foot is hurting badly. Pray that it will quickly mend. Thank you.

Verses For The Week

 John 15:1 -- "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener."

John 15:14 -- "You are my friends if you do what I command."

Weekend Sermon -- James 5:7-8

      Thank you for reading the message this week. I am late posting, and I apologise. I am very busy, and there are a lot of not so great things happening right now.

     In this week's message, we continue in James 5 focusing our attention on verses 7 and 8. In these verses, James encourages us to be patient as we await the return of the Lord Jesus.

      As blog readers will know, the doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is very important to me. Jesus promised that He would return to this world in power and with great glory. He will judge both people and nations. Those whose faith is in Jesus and believe that Jesus is their Lord will spend the rest of eternity with Jesus in the new heaven and new Earth that He will create. Until that great and glorious day comes, those of us who are Christ's followers are called upon to serve the Lord, live holy lives and spread the message of the Gospel.

     While we wait for the return of our Lord, we must be patient and keep the faith. That can be hard to do. This is especially true if we are going through hard times. Those who suffer with ill health or face persecution for the faith long for Jesus to return and restore all things. All of creation groans waiting for Jesus to come.

      When I look around and see the state of the world, I pray that Jesus will come quickly. When He comes, sin, war, oppression and evil will cease.

     While we patiently wait for Jesus, let us draw closer to Him. Let us tell others about Him. Let us live in such a way that we need not be ashamed at His coming. Amen.

Prayer Requests

     Please pray that my car will stop having problems. Please pray that we will not have bad storms this weekend where I live.

     Pray for an end to coronavirus.

     Pray for peace in the world focusing on Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan.

     For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those in Taiwan and Gambia.

      Next week, we will continue in James 5. I will post the life changers conclusion midweek, and I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all.

Life Changers Update

 I will be concluding my life changers posts next week. This is a difficult one, and I want to take a little more time to express it in the right way.

Verses For The Week

 Genesis 1:1 -- "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

John 1:1 -- "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

Weekend Sermon -- James 5:1-6 -- Part 2

      Thank you for taking the time to read the sermon this week. I thank the Lord for providing the opportunity to post this sermon. I hope that all of you are in good health and doing well. 

     Last week, we began our discussion of James 5. We saw that the Lord does not look favorably on those who hoard their wealth especially since we are living in the last days. Those who have more than enough are expected to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. We are to help the poor and the oppressed and to try to make this world the best it can be before the return of Jesus when He will bring justice, righteousness and peace and make all things new. 

     We also looked at the fact that many who are wealthy have made their millions and billions by exploiting those who work for them. Many do not pay a living wage to their employees while they themselves live in luxury. 

     Today, I want us to focus on the fact that James tells us that God hears the cries of the poor and the oppressed who cry out to Him for justice.  Throughout the Bible, we are told that the Lord cares about the poor, and He will judge those who oppress the poor, the needy and the vulnerable. 

     In the first five books of the Old Testament, God provides laws that His people were to follow when they came into the land of promise. Many of those laws concern the proper treatment of those who are poor. God wanted to make sure that the poor were taken care. He established the Sabbath years and the Year of Jubilee to make sure that the poor didn't get buried in debt. He also ordered that every few years that the entire tithe be given to help those who are poor. 

     All throughout the Psalms, we are told that the Lord hears the cry of the poor and needy and defends them. One verse in particular is Psalm 140:12 that states, "I  know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy."

     Both Isaiah and Jeremiah are clear that one of the reasons that God brings judgment on the land is because people are mistreating and exploiting the poor. Jeremiah 5:28 states, "Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not plead the case of the fatherless to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor."

     One of the great passages of the New Testament is the Magnificat of Mary the Mother of Jesus. In her words she says, "He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty."

     Jesus is very clear that part of His judgment of the Earth when He returns will be based on how those who were the least among us were treated. Jesus said, "When you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me." Jesus says that those who do not do good to the least of these will be cast away from His presence. 

     I believe that it is clear from the Scriptures that it is important for a person to earn money in a proper manner. No one should be exploited. Workers should be paid a proper wage. Those who have money should use it to help the poor and those who are in need. 

     Those who follow Jesus have the obligation to stand up for the poor and the oppressed. We must do what we can with what God has given us to help others and not just get more and more for ourselves. Amen. 

Prayer Requests

     Please continue to pray for an end to the coronavirus pandemic. There places in the US where the virus is still spreading. Many nations of the world are still having problems. Pray that vaccines will get out where needed, and that the sick will recover. Thanks be to God that progress is being made. 

     Pray that the heat in the Western US and Canada will end. 

     Pray that survivors can still be found in the building that collapsed in Flordia.

     Continue to pray for peace. Let us concentrate our prayers for peace in Afghanistan and Chad this week. 

     For our prayer focus countries, let us pray for those in Japan and North Korea. Pray that many will come to know Jesus. 

     Next week, we will continue in James. I will post the verses on Wednesday, and I will have a midweek post. May God bless you all. 

Life Changers -- Part 5

      Before I get into the life changers post, I wanted to thank everyone for their prayers the last few days. My car has been repaired. Praise God. The rain has finally stopped. My area did not get flooding. North of me there is flooding, so please pray for those folks. Thank you. 

     As most of you who read the blog know, I have worked as a freelance writer and poet for a long time now. I started when I graduated from college. The main reason that I even got into writing and poetry was due to reading the poetry of a few individuals. 

     I began my love of literature when I was in high school. Poetry was my favorite part of the literature classes. Over the course of a few years, I was able to read and enjoy the poetry of Juan Ramon Jimenez, Mary Oliver, Ted Kooser, Billy Collins, William Carlos Williams and many others. 

    I decided that I wanted to write poems. At first, I just did it because I loved poetry. After a time, I decided to submit some of my poems for publication consideration. I was so happy when some of my poems began to be accepted for publication in literary journals. 

    I've continued to submit poems throughout the years, and many have been published. I've posted some poems here on the blog, and I hope that you have enjoyed them. Recently, I completed a poetry book, and I hope that it will be published in the near future. 

    One writer in particular really influenced me to become a writer and that was James Herriot. I didn't discover his books until I was in college. When I did, I read them over and over again. He is my favorite author, and I believe that he is an outstanding writer who doesn't get enough credit for being a true writing craftsman. 

    Reading poetry, literature and James Herriot were life changers. I wanted to work as a writer and poet, and the Lord has allowed me to do it. I hope to continue writing poems, stories, articles and this blog for the foreseeable future.